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- Sex in the Middle Ages. by McNabb, Jennifer,actor.; The Great Courses (Firm),dst; Kanopy (Firm),dst;
Jennifer McNabbOriginally produced by The Great Courses in 2024.Sex. The word makes some people giggle or blush, while others may draw back in discomfort. Whatever the reaction, whether positive or negative or a confusing mix of both, it's rarely neutral. But sexual intercourse is a basic biological fact of life—and none of us would be here without it. So, why do we find it so difficult to talk openly about sex? Where do the many rules and taboos surrounding sex and sexuality come from? How is it that a basic biological act can be so fraught with cultural, social, and moral complications? In truth, much of our reticence in discussing and acknowledging the realities of sex comes, at least in part, from a unique time and place: medieval Europe. In the 12 episodes of SEX IN THE MIDDLE AGES, Professor Jennifer McNabb and a panel of experts in medieval history and literature will take you back to the period between the fall of Rome and the rise of the Renaissance to explore the ideals and realities of sex and sexuality. As you'll learn, the rise of Christianity as not just a religion but a powerful political institution irrevocably influenced both the practical and moral dimensions of sex for centuries. And you may be surprised to see how much medieval views of sex continue to influence us today.From the crowned heads of Europe to the lowliest serf, sex and its consequences affected everyone. After all, for people in the Middle Ages, sex could determine the fate of a kingdom and the state of your immortal soul. With so much on the line, is there any doubt that sex occupied the medieval mind and became a focal point of politics, literature, art, and so much more? This deep-seated preoccupation means that looking at the past through sex and sexuality opens doors into so many other dimensions of medieval life and offers a fresh new perspective on history beyond the big events and famous names we are familiar with.Mode of access: World Wide Web.
- Subjects: Documentary films.; Social sciences.; Instructional films.; Gender identity.; Documentary films.; Women's studies.; Sex.; History.;
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- Ten birds that changed the world / by Moss, Stephen,1960-author.;
Includes bibliographical references and index."For the whole of human history, we have shared our world with birds. We have hunted and domesticated them for food, fuel and feathers; placed them at the heart of our rituals, religions, myths and legends; poisoned, persecuted and often demonized them; and celebrated them in our music, art and poetry. Even today, despite a growing disconnect between humanity and the rest of nature, birds continue to play an integral role in our lives. Ten Birds that Changed the World tells the story of this long and intricate relationship, spanning the whole of human history, and featuring birds from all seven of the world's continents. It does so through those species whose lives, and their interactions with us, have - in one way or another - changed the course of human history. From when Noah sent out the Raven from the Ark, birds have been central to our superstitions, mythology and folklore. Once humans switched from hunter-gathering to settled societies they began to domesticate wild birds: first the Rock Dove - now the domestic or feral Pigeon - used to communicate over long distances; and then the Wild Turkey and other species for food - later, they became the centerpiece of the annual family festivals of Thanksgiving and Christmas. The Dodo of the Indian Ocean is the icon of extinction, while Darwin's Finches changed the way we look at life on our planet, and the droppings of the Guanay Cormorant provided vast amounts of phosphates, kickstarting a global agricultural revolution. In North America, the Snowy Egret almost disappeared when its plumes were used for fashion; this led to the modern bird protection and conservation movement. The Bald Eagle is the proud symbol of the USA, but eagles have a checkered history, especially in Roman and Nazi propaganda. In China, Mao's 'Great Leap Forward' turned out to be the exact opposite. His call to kill millions of Tree Sparrows meant the insects they ate destroyed the grain harvest - leading to a famine in which thirty million people died. Finally, the Emperor Penguin of Antarctica stands as a potent symbol of how humanity's future is now in the balance, as it heads towards becoming the first global casualty of the Climate Emergency. It is an urgent sign, warning us about our own survival on the planet? Ten Birds that Changed the World is a 'big picture' view of global human history, seen through a unique and original viewpoint: our relationship with birds, as crucial to our lives today as is has ever been"--
- Subjects: Birds; Human-animal relationships;
- Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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- Unrequited infatuations : odyssey of a rock and roll consigliere : (a cautionary tale) / by Van Zandt, Steve,author.; Greenman, Ben,editor.;
Uncover never-before-told stories in this epic tale of self-discovery by a Rock n Roll disciple and member of the E Street Band. What story begins in a bedroom in suburban New Jersey in the early '60s, unfolds on some of the country's largest stages, and then ranges across the globe, demonstrating over and over again how Rock and Roll has the power to change the world for the better? This story. The first true heartbeat of Unrequited Infatuations is the moment when Stevie Van Zandt trades in his devotion to the Baptist religion for an obsession with Rock and Roll. Groups like the Beatles and the Rolling Stones created new ideas of community, creative risk, and principled rebellion. They changed him forever. While still a teenager, he met Bruce Springsteen, a like-minded outcast/true believer who became one of his most important friends and bandmates. As Miami Steve, Van Zandt anchored the E Street Band as they conquered the Rock and Roll world. And then, in the early '80s, Van Zandt stepped away from E Street to embark on his own odyssey. He refashioned himself as Little Steven, a political songwriter and performer, fell in love with Maureen Santoro who greatly expanded his artistic palette, and visited the world's hot spots as an artist/journalist to not just better understand them, but to help change them. Most famously, he masterminded the recording of "Sun City," an anti-apartheid anthem that sped the demise of South Africa's institutionalized racism and helped get Nelson Mandela out of prison. By the '90s, Van Zandt had lived at least two lives--one as a mainstream rocker, one as a hardcore activist. It was time for a third. David Chase invited Van Zandt to be a part of his new television show, the Sopranos--as Silvio Dante, he was the unconditionally loyal consiglieri who sat at the right hand of Tony Soprano (a relationship that oddly mirrored his real-life relationship with Bruce Springsteen). Underlying all of Van Zandt's various incarnations was a devotion to preserving the centrality of the arts, especially the endangered species of Rock. In the twenty-first century, Van Zandt founded a groundbreaking radio show (Little Steven's Underground Garage), created the first two 24/7 branded music channels on SiriusXM (Underground Garage and Outlaw Country), started a fiercely independent record label (Wicked Cool), and developed a curriculum to teach students of all ages through the medium of music history. He also rejoined the E Street Band for what has now been a twenty-year victory lap. ​Unrequited Infatuations chronicles the twists and turns of Stevie Van Zandt's always surprising life. It is more than just the testimony of a globe-trotting nomad, more than the story of a groundbreaking activist, more than the odyssey of a spiritual seeker, and more than a master class in rock and roll (not to mention a dozen other crafts). It's the best book of its kind because it's the only book of its kind.
- Subjects: Biographies.; Autobiographies.; Van Zandt, Steve.; Rock musicians;
- Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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- The transcendent brain : spirituality in the age of science / by Lightman, Alan P.,1948-author.;
Includes bibliographical references."Modern science teaches us that anything can be explained in terms of atoms and forces, including the inner workings of the brain. But certain personal experiences can challenge the idea that there's nothing beyond inert matter. Communing with nature, working through a complex problem, or experiencing a piece of art, we sometimes feel a powerful sense of transcendence, of connecting with a cosmic unity that may seem unexplainable by science. But according to acclaimed physicist and novelist Alan Lightman, we can embrace these spiritual experiences without letting go of our scientific worldview. Lightman draws on a rich intellectual history to explore this fascinating intersection between religion and science. Philosopher Moses Mendelssohn's rational arguments for the soul foreground our thinking about non-materiality; Roman poet and philosopher Lucretius' ideas predict how strict materialism might explain elusive phenomena; Neuroscientist Christof Koch lays the foundation for the material basis of consciousness; and social psychologist Cynthia Frantz provides a scientific explanation of our deep connection to nature and things larger than ourselves. Lightman weaves these ideas together to argue for a concept he calls "spiritual materialism"-the view that while spiritual experiences may arise from atoms and molecules like everything else, the physical laws of the universe may not be able to fully capture the first-person experience of transcendence. Spirituality, in this sense, is not only compatible with a strictly scientific view, but remains at the core of what it means to be human"--
- Subjects: Religion and science.; Spirituality.;
- Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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- A nation's paper : the Globe and mail in the life of Canada / by Ibbitson, John,editor.;
Includes bibliographical references and index."From Canada's newspaper of record for 180 years, here are thirty-one brilliant and provocative essays by a diverse selection of their current writers on how the Globe and Mail covered and influenced major events and issues from the paper's founding in 1844 to the latest file. Since 1844, the Globe and Mail and its predecessor, George Brown's Globe, have chronicled Canada: as a colony, a dominion, and a nation. To mark the paper's 180th anniversary, Globe writers explored thirty issues and events in which the national newspaper has influenced the course of the country: Confederation, settler migrations, regional tensions, tussles over language, religion, and race. The essays reveal a tapestry of progress, conflict, and still-incomplete reconciliation: Catholic-Protestant hostilities that are now mostly the stuff of memory; the betrayal of Indigenous peoples with which we still grapple; the frustrations and triumphs of women journalists; pandemics old and new; environmental challenges; the joys of covering sports and the arts; chronicling the nation's business, international coverage, the impossibility of Canada and of this newspaper, which both somehow flourish nonetheless. Riveting, insightful, disturbing, witty, and always a joy to read, A Nation's Paper chronicles a country and a newspaper that have grown and struggled together -- essential reading for anyone who wants to understand where we came from and where we are going."--
- Subjects: Essays.; Globe and mail; Canadian newspapers;
- Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Results 21 to 25 of 25 | « previous