Lasting Fascinations


Book Description




Fascination


Book Description

Most cultural critics theorize modernity as a state of disenchanted distraction, one linked to both the rationalizing impulses of scientific and technological innovation and the kind of dispersed, fragmented attention that characterizes the experience of mass culture. Patrick Kindig’s Fascination, however, tells a different story, showing that many fin-de-siècle Americans were in fact concerned about (and intrigued by) the modern world’s ability to attract and fix attention in quasi-supernatural ways. Rather than being distracting, modern life in their view had an almost magical capacity to capture attention and overwhelm rational thought. Fascination argues that, in response to the dramatic scientific and cultural changes of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, many American thinkers and writers came to conceive of the modern world as fundamentally fascinating. Describing such diverse phenomena as the electric generator, the movements of actresses, and ethnographic cinema as supernaturally alluring, they used the language of fascination to process and critique both popular ideologies of historical progress and the racializing logic upon which these ideologies were built. Drawing on an archive of primary texts from the fields of medicine, (para)psychology, philosophy, cultural criticism, and anthropology—as well as creative texts by Harriet Prescott Spofford, Charles Chesnutt, Theodore Dreiser, Paul Laurence Dunbar, Edward S. Curtis, Robert J. Flaherty, and Djuna Barnes—Kindig reconsiders what it meant for Americans to be (and to be called) modern at the turn of the twentieth century.




New Guinea


Book Description

New Guinea, the world's largest tropical island, is a land of great contrasts, ranging from small glaciers on its highest peaks to broad mangrove swamps in its lowlands and hundreds of smaller islands and coral atolls along its coasts. Divided between two nations, the island and its neighboring archipelagos form Indonesia’s Papua Province (or Irian Jaya) and the independent nation of Papua New Guinea, both former European colonies. Most books on New Guinea have been guided by these and other divisions, separating east from west, prehistoric from historic, precontact from postcontact, colonial from postcolonial. This is the first work to consider New Guinea and its 40,000-year history in its entirety. The volume opens with a look at the Melanesian region and argues that interlocking exchange systems and associated human interchanges are the "invisible government" through which New Guinea societies operate. Succeeding chapters review the history of encounters between outsiders and New Guinea's populations. They consider the history of Malay involvement with New Guinea over the past two thousand years, demonstrating the extent to which west New Guinea in particular was incorporated into Malay trading and raiding networks prior to Western contact. The impact of colonial rule, economic and social change, World War II, decolonization, and independence are discussed in the final chapter.




Table Talk


Book Description




Chewing Over the West


Book Description

The orientation of academic institutions has in recent years been moving away from highly specialized area studies in the classical sense towards broader regional and comparative studies. Cultural studies points to the limitation of Western approaches to non-Western cultures - a development not yet reflected in actual research and data collections. Bringing together scholars from all over the world with specialized knowledge in both Western and non-Western languages, literatures, and cultures, this collection of essays provides new insights into the agency of non-Western literatures in relation to the West - a term used with critical caution and, like other common binary dualisms, challenged here. Inter-cultural expertise, seldom applied in the combination of Asian, African, and 'oriental' perspectives, makes this compilation of essays an important contribution to the study of colonialism and postcoloniality. Topics covered include postcolonial Arabic writing; T.S. Eliot in contemporary Arabic poetry; Algerian (and Berber) literature; the English language and narratives in Kenyan art; characterization, dialogism, gender and Western infuence in modern Hindi fiction; Naya drama in India; modern Burmese theatre and literature under Western influence; Remarque's All Quiet on the Western Front and the Vietnamese Novel Without a Name; Western Marxism and vernacular literature in colonial Indonesia; hybridity in Komedi Stambul; and Sherlock Holmes in/and the crime fiction of Siam and Indonesia Contributors: Amina Azza Bekkat; Thomas de Bruijn; Matthew Isaac Cohen; Rasheed El-Enany; Keith Foulcher; Saddik M. Gohar; Rachel Harrison; Doris Jedamski; Ursula Lies; Daniela Merolla; Evan Mwangi; Guzel Vladimirovna Strelkova; Anna Suvorova; U Win Pe




Index Islamicus


Book Description




Seduced By Mathematics: The Enduring Fascination Of Mathematics


Book Description

Seduction is not just an end result, but a process — and in mathematics, both the end results and the process by which those end results are achieved are often charming and elegant.This helps to explain why so many people — not just those for whom math plays a key role in their day-to-day lives — have found mathematics so seductive. Math is unique among all subjects in that it contains end results of amazing insight and power, and lines of reasoning that are clever, charming, and elegant. This book is a collection of those results and lines of reasoning that make us say, 'OMG, that's just amazing,' — because that's what mathematics is to those who love it. In addition, some of the stories about mathematical discoveries and the people who discovered them are every bit as fascinating as the discoveries themselves.This book contains material capable of being appreciated by students in elementary school — as well as some material that will probably be new to even the more mathematically sophisticated. Most of the book can be easily understood by those whose only math courses are algebra and geometry, and who may have missed the magic, enchantment, and wonder that is the special province of mathematics.




Big Game Shooting


Book Description




Fermenting Fascination


Book Description

"Fermenting Fascination" An Odyssey into the Enchanting World of Brewing and Winemaking Prepare to embark on a tantalizing journey through the ancient arts of brewing and winemaking with "Fermenting Fascination," an eBook that uncorks the secrets of fermentative magic that have captivated humanity for centuries. Begin your voyage with the enchanting alchemy of yeast and grains as you explore the history embedded within every frothy sip and the diverse yeast strains that inject soul into every concoction. Delve into the anatomy of grains and witness their transformation during the complex and intriguing fermentation process. Savor the malted mastery in The Art of Malted Barley, brewing your understanding of the science behind every flavorful gulp. Explore the harmonious ballet of mashing and the symphony of malt varieties, painted against your palate with every swish and swirl. Leap into the verdant world of hops in "Hops The Spice of Beer," understanding their botany, their strategic selection to perfect a unique bouquet, and the intricate chemistry that achieves a divinely orchestrated bitterness. Discover the unsung hero in your glass, Water The Unsung Hero, illustrating water's critical role in concocting the liquid bliss that is beer and how its profile can drastically alter taste profiles. "The Chemistry of Brewing" chapter unearths the mysteries of pH, the Maillard Reaction's contribution to more than just hue, and the scientific prowess behind serving a perfectly clear beer. Embark on a global beer adventure in "Beer Styles Around the World," pouring over continental philosophies and discovering how time-honored traditions and global influences mold the craft beer revolution. For the aspiring creators and spirited connoisseurs, "Homebrewing The Ultimate DIY" chapter is the answer to your fermenting dreams, guiding you through the creation of your personal homebrew haven, from building setups to crafting recipes that are uniquely your own. But not to let grapes feel neglected, "Fermenting Fascination" also decants the nuanced world of winemaking, from Vineyard to Cellar and beyond. Traverse the terra firma of terroir in "The Vintner's Craft" and the intricate decision-making in "Varietals and Viniculture." Become an explorer of tastes in "Understanding Wine Tasting" and pour yourself across the global wine map, experiencing the Old World versus New World showdown that delights aficionados and novices alike. As the tale of fermentation unfolds further, venture into the intricate world that combines art with science, culture with economy, and community with industry in the latter chapters. Discover the legal and ethical frameworks that underpin your cherished libations and the tantalizing tango between food and fermented drinks. Finally, the book matures into a full-bodied bouquet with "Craft Culture" and a look into the health impacts, both salutary and subtle, from our beloved fermented beverages. "Fermenting Fascination" is your comprehensive guide to not just understanding but experiencing and creating within the exquisite realm of fermented delights. It's a manifesto for the curious, a tome for the artisans, and a libation of knowledge for all. Raise your glass to a world of discovery and let your senses revel in the taste of true craft!




Mental Fascination


Book Description

This book is accompanying Atkinson's main work entitled "The Secret of Mental Magic," and being in the nature of a sequel, supplement, or "side-light" thereto. It is designed to bring out the details, and special features of several of the "lessons" of which "The Secret of Mental Magic" is composed; and to give something in the nature of Special Instruction regarding the actual operation or workings of the principles referred to in the lessons of my main work. The present manual bears the above mentioned relation to that lesson in my main work entitled "Personal Influence."