As the founder of Islam, a religion with over one billion followers, Muhammad is beyond all doubt one of the most influential figures in world history. But learning about his life and understanding his importance has always proven difficult, as our only source of knowledge comes from the biography of him written by his followers, the reliability of which has been questioned by Western scholars.…
The impacts of natural hazards on human societies can be acute, far reaching and attimes surprising. As much as the products of hazards arising entirely by natural means,however, the disastrous circumstances created by such events are socially-createdphenomena. Not only are natural hazards themselves the product of a complex web ofEarth-system processes, their effect on human society is the res…
The composer Sir James MacMillan has called music ‘the most spiritual of the arts’, and for many people, both religious and non-religious alike, this rings true.1 But what do people mean by ‘music’ and ‘spiritual’ in this context, and what is the nature of their perceived relationship? Do certain kinds of music more readily afford spiritual experiences than others? What …
In Sacred Music in Secular Society, Jonathan Arnold highlights a strange phenomenon: ‘the seeming paradox that, in today’s so-called secular society, sacred choral music is as powerful, compelling and popular as it has ever been’.1 The explosion of new media through the internet and digital technology has created a new, broader audience for ‘the creative art of Renaissance polyphony …
I came to realize, after facing several difficulties in the con-struction of libraryofbabel.info, that I was attempting to make a faithful recreation of an impossible dream. The website is an online version of Borges’s “The Library of Babel,” which I hope to show was imagined by its author as self-contradictory in every aspect, from its architecture…
Over the past two decades, Canadian international history has slipped its traditional North Atlantic moorings. Studies of Canada’s postwar relation-ships with a waning United Kingdom or an ascendant United States have faded in popularity, replaced with a stream of publications on relations with the decolonized states of Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean, countries whose citizens increasingly co…
Every game is composed of two parts, an outer game, and an inner game. The outer game is played against an external opponent to overcome external obstacles and to reach an external goal. Mas- - taring this game is the subject of many books offering instructions: on how to swing a racket, club or bat, and how to position arms, legs or torso to achieve the best results. But for some reason, …
Effective color selection can be a powerful element in any design. "Interior Color By Design" takes the mystery out of the color application process by: Providing over 250 color samples to experiment with different combinations Featuring over 100 full-color images that illustrate key concepts like adjacent colors and overall design Exploring the interactive effects of color combinations on inte…
A few years ago, Shauna found herself exhausted and isolated, her soul and body sick. She was tired of being tired and burned out on busy. It seemed like almost everyone she talked to was in the same boat: longing for connection, meaning, and depth, but settling for busy. But then something changed. She decided to trade the hustle and bustle for grace, love, stillness, and play, and it chang…
Complements the new look of the Eyewitness series by exploring the myriad ways in which food affects our lives.