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After the North Pole : a story of survival, mythmaking, and melting ice / by Kagge, Erling,author.; Dickson, Kari,translator.; translation of:Kagge, Erling.Nordpolen Natur, myter, eventyrlyst og smeltende is.English.;
Includes bibliographical references (pages 325-343).Throughout recorded human time, few places on Earth have inspired as much fascination as the North Pole. This is an otherworldly place with no latitude and no longitude, a place where the sun rises and stays aloft for six months before setting, plunging the expanse of ice and water into darkness for half a year. Long before we ever journeyed to the North Pole, human beings have wondered what the northernmost point of our planet might be like. It became densely mythologized by writers, thinkers, historians and philosophers across civilizations. Perhaps it was the actual garden of Eden? Or the sunny land of the Hyperboreans, as Herodotus surmised? Only recently did we get to the North Pole -- fending off scurvy, polar bears and frostbite -- to report on its strange wonders. A memoir from the Norwegian explorer recounts his 58-day ski journey to the North Pole, offering a gripping adventure story and a deep reflection on nature, human resilience and the profound significance of this remote region.
Subjects: Biographies.; Personal narratives.; Kagge, Erling; Adventure and adventurers; Skis and skiing; Survival;

Healthy no matter what : how humans are hardwired to adapt / by Jadad, Alejandro R.,author.; Jadad-Garcia, Tamen,author.;
Includes bibliographical references."A provocative manifesto that teaches you how to take control of your own health, no matter your age or circumstances--from an innovative doctor and his philosopher daughter. Dr. Alex Jadad is the creator of the Jadad scale, a methodology to assess the quality of clinical trials that has become the most widely used in the world, and Tamen Jadad-Garcia is a health entrepreneur and philosopher--they combine their expertise to uncover the shaky foundations on which the medical system is built; one that condemns you to be ill. The Jadads begin this exploration with a simple question: "What is health?" Through engaging stories and case studies, the Jadads expand our understanding of health beyond the medical industrial complex. They show how distant connections in your networks can influence key aspects of yourself, like your weight, anxiety and addictions; how intentional architecture can reduce reliance on medication; and how comparisons with peers can shorten your life. In this practical guide, the meaning of health is redefined, putting you in the driver's seat and recognizing you as the most effective evaluator. Building on data and experiences from millions of people around the world, the book reveals that a healthy life is possible, even with complex chronic conditions or terminal illnesses. The Jadads explain why feeling unhealthy could be fatal and how you can monitor your true health and boost it in practically any context, no matter your cultural background or socioeconomic circumstances. With wisdom and empathy, Healthy No Matter What teaches you about how you are equipped to overcome practically any obstacle through your natural gift of adaptability, provides actionable pointers, and shows how and when to use the medical system, so that you can thrive, regardless of the twists and turns life may take"--
Subjects: Health behavior.; Health.;

The Bhagavad Gita : the song of God retold in simplified English / by Viljoen, Edward,author.;
Includes bibliographical references (pages [105]-114)."The Bhagavad Gita: The Song of God Retold in Simplified English is the latest title in the Essential Wisdom Library. This unique edition of the timeless epic is designed to be accessible for readers without any prior experience of Hinduism. Not simply a translation of the original, Viljoen has simplified and restated the Gita's complex ideas, so that a first-time reader can fully appreciate the scope and beauty of this magnificent Indian classic. Written in concise, modern language the retelling vividly captures the power and depth of the original work. Part of the Mahabharata, the Gita is a dialogue between Prince Arjuna and Lord Krishna. Its verses contain some of the key ideas of Hindu philosophy--Dharma, Moksha, and various yogic practices. Originally written well over a thousand years ago, the Gita has proven to be a timeless source of wisdom, inspiring philosophers and revolutionaries alike in the millennia since it was written. In addition to the retelling of the text, this edition includes a character list, a glossary of important terms, and chapters exploring the back-story from the Mahabharata and the impact and meaning of the Bhagavad Gita itself. The Bhagavad Gita is an approachable way for today's readers to engage with one of history's richest spiritual epics"--
Subjects: Bhagavadgītā;

The devil's diary : Alfred Rosenberg and the stolen secrets of the Third Reich / by Wittman, Robert K.; Kinney, David(David Francis);
Includes bibliographical references and index."This exploration of the private wartime diary of Alfred Rosenberg--Hitler's 'chief philosopher' and architect of Nazi ideology--interweaves the story of its recent discovery with the revelation of its never-before-published contents, which are contextualized by the authors: The result is a unprecedented, page-turning narrative of the Nazi rise to power, the Holocaust, and Hitler's post-invasion plans for Russia. A groundbreaking historical contribution, The Devil's Diary is a chilling window into the mind of Adolf Hitler's 'chief social philosopher,' Alfred Rosenberg, who formulated some of the guiding principles behind the Third Reich's genocidal crusade. It also chronicles the thrilling detective hunt for the diary, which disappeared after the Nuremburg Trials and remained lost for almost three quarters of a century, until Robert Wittman, a former FBI special agent who founded the Bureau's Art Crimes Team, played an important role and tells his story now for the first time. The authors expertly and deftly contextualize more than 400 pages of entries stretching from 1936 through 1944, in which the loyal Hitler advisor recounts internal meetings with the Führer and his close associates Hermann Göring and Heinrich Himmler; describes the post-invasion occupation of the Soviet Union; considers the 'solution' to the 'Jewish question'; and discusses his overseeing of the mass seizure and cataloguing of books and artwork from homes, libraries, and museums across occupied Europe. An eyewitness to events, this narrative of Rosenberg's diary offers provocative and intimate insights into pivotal moments in the war and the notorious Nazi who laid the philosophical foundations of the Third Reich"--Provided by publisher.
Subjects: Hitler, Adolf, 1889-1945; Rosenberg, Alfred, 1893-1946; Rosenberg, Alfred, 1893-1946; Wittman, Robert K.; United States. Federal Bureau of Investigation; Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945); National socialism; Nazis;

Reasons not to worry : how to be Stoic in chaotic times / by Delaney, Brigid,author.;
Includes bibliographical references."Like many people today, Brigid Delaney was searching for answers to timeless questions: How can we be good? Find inner peace? Properly grieve? Tame our insecurities, such as the fear of missing out? Determine what truly matters? Centuries ago, the Stoics pondered many of these same questions. And so, at an important inflection point in her own life, Brigid decided to let these ancient philosophers be her guide. Brigid is rash where the Stoics are logical; she runs on chaos, while the Stoics relinquish control of things beyond their reach. Over the course of a year, she dedicated herself to following the wisdom of Seneca, Epictetus, and Marcus Aurelius. She hoped to discover how best to live--how she could use the wisdom of these ancient thinkers to navigate life in the modern world. In Reasons Not to Worry, Brigid shares what she learned, showing us how we, too, can draw on the Stoics to regain a sense of agency and tranquility and find meaning in our lives. From learning to relinquish control to cultivating daily awareness of our mortality to building community, Brigid's insights are very funny and very wise. Stoicism can be a tough medicine to swallow, but no longer. Thoughtful, timely, surprisingly practical, and filled to the brim with ways to learn how best to be in the world, Delaney's guide provides compelling and sensible reasons not to worry."--
Subjects: Self-help publications.; Epictetus.; Marcus Aurelius, Emperor of Rome, 121-180.; Seneca, Lucius Annaeus, approximately 4 B.C.-65 A.D.; Anxiety.; Conduct of life.; Philosophy, Ancient.; Self-actualization (Psychology); Self-management (Psychology); Stoics.; Worry.;

Bellevue Square : a novel / by Redhill, Michael,1966-author.;
Jean Mason has a doppelganger. At least, that's what people tell her. Apparently it hangs out in Kensington Market, where it sometimes buys churros and shops for hats. Jean doesn't rattle easy, not like she used to. She's a grown woman with a husband and two kids, as well as a thriving business, and Toronto is a fresh start for the whole family. She certainly doesn't want to get involved in anything dubious, but still ... why would two different strangers swear up and down they'd just seen her--with shorter hair furthermore? Jean's curiosity quickly gets the better of her, and she visits the market, but sees no one who looks like her. The next day, she goes back to look again. And the day after that. Before she knows it, she's spending an hour here, an afternoon there, watching, taking notes, obsessing and getting scared. With the aid of a small army of locals who hang around in the market's only park, she expands her surveillance, making it known she'll pay for information or sightings. A peculiar collection of drug addicts, scam artists, philanthropists, philosophers and vagrants--the regulars of Bellevue Square--are eager to contribute to Jean's investigation. But when some of them start disappearing, it becomes apparent that her alleged double has a sinister agenda. Unless Jean stops her, she and everyone she cares about will face a fate stranger than death.
Subjects: Thrillers (Fiction); Black humor.; Doppelgängers; Paranoia;

Dante's Inferno [graphic novel] : a graphic novel adaptation / by Brizzi, Paul,author,illustrator.; Thomas,letterer.; Brizzi, Gaëtan,illustrator.; Kane, Montana,translator.; translation of:Brizzi, Paul.Enfer de Dante.English.; graphic novelization of (work):Dante Alighieri,1265-1321.Inferno.English.;
"Guided by the poet Virgil, Dante crosses the nine circles of Hell to find his beloved, Beatrice, in Paradise. Along the way, he must recognize and reject each of the incarnations of sin. In each circle of Hell, Dante confronts both sinners and demons, from Cleopatra, Helen of Troy, Achilles, and Paris, whose loves were famously their downfall, to the Greek Furies and Medusa, to heretics like Epicurus, whose teachings claimed that the soul died with the body, now forced to writhe in a flaming tomb for eternity. Each layer of Hell reveals monsters, gods, historical and mythological kings, philosophers, queens, and hordes of the miserable, faceless damned, all culminating in a confrontation with Lucifer himself. Paul and Gaëtan Brizzi make this famously dense literary classic accessible without distorting it and betraying the spirit of the Italian genius. They deftly translate it into comics while taking care to preserve the heart of the story: a taste for excess, dramatic tension, and the inevitable darkness of the subject matter. Literary aficionados will appreciate this decadent graphic novel adaptation, which does not seek to sand down the source material. Likewise, adults whose imaginations were fueled by films like Disney's Hunchback of Notre Dame as children, which the Brizzi brothers animated sequences for, will be swept up in this lushly illustrated adult fable, unfettered by the demands of corporate animation studios"--
Subjects: Graphic novels.; Hell; Voyages to the otherworld;

Question authority : a polemic about trust in five meditations / by Kingwell, Mark,1963-author.;
Includes bibliographical references."Philosopher Mark Kingwell thinks about thinking for yourself in an era of radical know-it-all-ism. "Question authority," the popular 1960s slogan commanded. "Think for yourself." But what started as a counter-cultural catchphrase, playful in logic but serious in intent, has become a practical paradox. Yesterday's social critics are the tone-policing tyrants of today, and critical theory that once augured emancipation has hardened into ideological enforcement. The resulting crisis of authority, made worse by rival political factions and chaotic public discourse, has exposed cracks in every facet of shared social life. Politics, academia, journalism, medicine, religion, science -- every kind of institutional claim is now routinely subject to objection, investigation, and outright disbelief. A recurring feature of this comprehensive distrust of authority is the firm, indeed unshakeable, belief in personal righteousness and superiority: what Mark Kingwell calls "addiction to conviction." In this critical survey of the predicament of contemporary authority, Kingwell draws on philosophical argument, personal reflection, and details from the headlines in an attempt to reclaim the democratic spirit of questioning authority and thinking for oneself. Defending a program of compassionate skepticism, Kingwell illuminates the connection between humility about human limits, including the limits of certainty, and the infinite project of justice."--
Subjects: Authority; Authority; Critical thinking.; Skepticism.; Trust;

Into the gray zone : a neuroscientist explores the border between life and death / by Owen, Adrian M.,author.;
Includes bibliographical references and index.In this startling and thought-provoking book, which will remind readers of works by Oliver Sacks and Atul Gawande, a world-renowned neuroscientist reveals his controversial, groundbreaking work with patients whose brains were previously thought vegetative or non-responsive but turn out--in up to 20 percent of cases--to be vibrantly alive, existing in the "Gray Zone." Into the Gray Zone takes readers to the edge of a dazzling, humbling frontier in our understanding of the brain: the so-called "gray zone" between full consciousness and brain death. People in this middle place have sustained traumatic brain injuries or are the victims of stroke or degenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. Many are oblivious to the outside world, and their doctors believe they are incapable of thought. But a sizeable number are experiencing something different: intact minds adrift deep within damaged brains and bodies. An expert in the field, Adrian Owen led a team that, in 2006, discovered this lost population and made medical history. Scientists, physicians, and philosophers have only just begun to grapple with the implications. Following Owen's journey of exciting medical discovery, Into the Gray Zone asks some tough and terrifying questions, such as: What is life like for these patients? What can their families and friends do to help them? What are the ethical implications for religious organizations, politicians, the Right to Die movement, and even insurers? And perhaps most intriguing of all: in defining what a life worth living is, are we too concerned with the physical and not giving enough emphasis to the power of thought? What, truly, defines a satisfying life?
Subjects: Brain damage.; Persistent vegetative state.; Persistent vegetative state; Brain; Neurosciences.; Coma.;

After the Romanovs : Russian exiles in Paris from the Belle Époque through revolution and war / by Rappaport, Helen,author.;
Includes bibliographical references and index."From Helen Rappaport, the New York Times bestselling author of The Romanov Sisters comes After the Romanovs, the story of the Russian aristocrats, artists, and intellectuals who sought freedom and refuge in the City of Light. Paris has always been a city of cultural excellence, fine wine and food and the latest fashions. But it has also been a place of refuge for those fleeing persecution, never more so than before and after the Russian Revolution and the fall of the Romanov dynasty. For years, Russian aristocrats had enjoyed all Belle Époque Paris had to offer, spending lavishly when they visited. It was a place of artistic experimentation such as Diaghilev's Ballets Russes. But the brutality of the Bolshevik takeover forced Russians of all types to flee their homeland, sometimes leaving with only the clothes on their backs. Arriving in Paris, former princes could be seen driving taxicabs, while their wives who could sew worked for the fashion houses, their unique Russian style serving as inspiration for designers like Coco Chanel. Talented intellectuals, artists, poets, philosophers and writers struggled in exile, eking out a living at menial jobs. Some, like Bunin, Chagall and Stravinsky, encountered great success in the same Paris that welcomed Americans like Fitzgerald and Hemingway. Political activists sought to overthrow the Bolshevik regime from afar, while double agents plotted espionage and assassination from both sides. Others became trapped in a cycle of poverty and their all-consuming homesickness for Russia, the homeland they had been forced to abandon. This is their story"--
Subjects: Exiles; Political refugees; Russians; Russians; Russians; Russians;

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