Life on earth will come to an end. It's just a matter of when. In this Very Short Introduction, Bill McGuire explores the many potential catastrophes facing our planet and our species in the future, and looks at both the probability of these events happening and our chances of survival. From the likely consequences of global warming to the inevitable destruction of the earth in the far futur…
Organizing this book into chapters that read like magazine profiles makes it more digestible for readers and allows them to read the chapters in whichever order they prefer. Goldberg’s book was structured that way, as was series editor Martin Williams’s similarly readable Jazz Masters of New Orleans (1967). More challenging was deciding which artists to include. I made a…
It is fascinating to hypothesize Ovid’s views on the cosmeceutical and cosmetic industry in the modern west. Equally intriguing would be his opinion on elective cosmetic surgery. Both industries, driven by increasingly high consumer demand, have yearly profi ts in the billions of pounds as women, and increasingly men, seek to improve, preserve and even alter thei…
First, most of those who perished in the volcanic eruption were local Sangara people, one of a larger group of preliterate Papuans whom the colonists called the ‘Orokaiva’. This means, arguably, that the catastrophe at Lamington was not truly an ‘Australian’ one, and given also that only 35 white people—expatriates from Australia—were killed by the eruption. …
Professionals working with cultural heritage preservation have had to respond to difficult challenges in the last few decades, mainly brought about by globalisation, armed conflicts, natural disasters and the use of heritage as an ultimate resource to redress injustices of the past. The topics and experiences discussed in this book demonstrate that conservators may …
From the wilds of Kruger National Park, to cosmopolitan Cape Town, to the lush western cape winelands, to the stunning beaches along the Garden Route, this guide leads you straight to the greatest attractions this fascinating and varied country has to offer. Get insider tips on everything from the best shopping, restaurants, and hotels, to outdoor activities such as whale-watching, surfing, and…
Emily Dickinson, then thirty-one years old, was writing a professional man of letters to inqUIre whether her verses "breathed." Higginson was still living at Worcester, Massachusetts, where he had recently resigned his pastorate of a "free" church, and was begmning to establIsh a reputation as essayist and a lecturer in the cause of reforms. She dared bring herself to his attention because she …
We begin with four tales of ancient philosophers. First, the time When Thales Fell in the Well. Thales was from a prominent Milesian family, and had dedicated himself to the contemplation of nature. Of particular interest was the nature of the heavens: he learned to determine when the sun would be eclipsed and the dates of the solstices. One night, as he was intently examining the st…
The academic landscape is broad and fickle; academic fields, disciplines, and teach-ing perspectives always shift and change. In these academic places, identities, and communities overlap and work together. This book holds space for identities that are often undervoiced in academia. The perspectives of the contributors serve as models for how artists work within communit…