Observations of an Accidental Farmer―and a Mindful Reader


Book Description

In forty short and charming chapters, a former "great books" teacher from New York City adapts to his new role on a small Southern farm by observing the natural world and drawing connections to his reading life. "Erudite and engaging."—Booklist In late middle-age, Harry Kavros and his wife, Peri, pack up all the household belongings that will fit into their car and leave Manhattan, bound for their new home on a twenty-two-acre patch of pine-filled land in Hillsborough, North Carolina. As Mr. Kavros spends long hours clearing the acreage, not for farming but for sightlines, he muses about the land, the exhausting work it requires, and the rewards the effort offers. Every task he undertakes prompts him to recall and meditate over scenes from his reading life. From the great Greek epics to the writings of Frederick Law Olmstead on landscape, to Thoreau, to modern poets, to a veritable treasury of references, for the author life in the country is also life in among his reading. Witty and perceptive, Observations of an Accidental Farmer—and a Mindful Reader is about cultivation, of one’s land and one’s life.




Harvest: Field Notes from a Far-Flung Pursuit of Real Food


Book Description

Max Watman's memoir of his dogged quest to craft meals from scratch in which he serves up a delectable taste of the farm life -- minus the farm.




The Virtual Sales Handbook


Book Description

Learn to engage your B2B customers through effective virtual sales meetings and presentations The global COVID-19 pandemic has radically changed how business-to-business companies interact with their customers. The traditional face-to-face meeting has quickly become a thing of the past—the virtual customer engagement model is the new normal. To secure existing and future revenue streams in the virtual B2B sales environment, companies must equip their commercial frontline with the confidence, skills, and tools necessary for effectively engaging customers virtually. The Virtual Sales Handbook: A Hands-on Approach to Engaging Customers is designed for sales reps, commercial managers, customer relationship managers, and other customer-facing professionals working in the virtual realm. Step-by-step, readers learn to prepare for a virtual sales meeting, create compelling virtual presentations, build energy through effective openers, develop trust in the virtual world, drive impact through virtual meeting follow-up, and much more. Throughout the book, readers are provided with an abundance of tips and tricks, illustrative examples and case studies, and actionable strategies based on extensive implementation and upskilling experience. Written by two authors with deep knowledge and expertise in operationalizing virtual commercial sales and marketing methods and tools, this must-have guide will help you: Navigate the world of virtual sales Overcome the barriers of virtual customer interaction Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of different virtual sales models Plan and execute effective virtual sales meetings Build engaging storylines and presentations Lead the transformation from physical to virtual sales Leverage effective virtual customer engagement techniques The Virtual Sales Handbook: A Hands-on Approach to Engaging Customers is an indispensable resource for C-suite executives, business leaders, senior sales managers, sales representatives, account managers, and anyone on the commercial frontline.




A Gift of Geology


Book Description

An introduction to the geology of Egypt and its influence on ancient Egyptian culture While much is known about Egypt’s towering pyramids, mighty obelisks, and extraordinary works of art, less is known about the role played by Egypt’s geological history in the formation of pharaonic culture’s artistic and architectural legacy. The fertile soils that lined the Nile Valley meant that the people of Egypt were able to live well off the land. Yet what allowed ancient Egypt to stand apart from other early civilizations was its access to the vast range of natural resources that lay beyond the Nile floodplain. In this engagingly written book, Colin Reader invites readers to explore the influence of geology and landscape on the development of the cultures of ancient Egypt. After describing today’s Egyptian landscape and introducing key elements of the ancient Egyptian worldview, he provides a basic geological toolkit to address issues such as geological time and major earth-forming processes. The developments that gave the geology of Egypt its distinct character are explored, including the uplifting of mountains along the Red Sea coast, the evolution of the Nile river, and the formation of the vast desert areas beyond the Nile Valley. As the story unfolds, elements of Egypt’s archaeology are introduced, together with discussions of mining and quarrying, construction in stone, and the ways in which the country’s rich geological heritage allowed the culture of ancient Egypt to evolve. Ideal for non-specialists and specialists alike, and supported with over one hundred illustrations, A Gift of Geology takes the reader on a fascinating journey into Egypt’s geological landscape and its relationship to the marvels of pharaonic culture.




Buzz


Book Description

As seen on PBS's American Spring LIVE, the award-winning author of The Triumph of Seeds and Feathers presents a natural and cultural history of bees: the buzzing wee beasties that make the world go round. Bees are like oxygen: ubiquitous, essential, and, for the most part, unseen. While we might overlook them, they lie at the heart of relationships that bind the human and natural worlds. In Buzz, the beloved Thor Hanson takes us on a journey that begins 125 million years ago, when a wasp first dared to feed pollen to its young. From honeybees and bumbles to lesser-known diggers, miners, leafcutters, and masons, bees have long been central to our harvests, our mythologies, and our very existence. They've given us sweetness and light, the beauty of flowers, and as much as a third of the foodstuffs we eat. And, alarmingly, they are at risk of disappearing. As informative and enchanting as the waggle dance of a honeybee, Buzz shows us why all bees are wonders to celebrate and protect. Read this book and you'll never overlook them again.




Unearthing The Secret Garden


Book Description

Marta McDowell returns with a beautiful, gift-worthy account of how plants and gardening deepy inspired Frances Hodgson Burnett, author of the beloved children's classic The Secret Garden.




Songs of a Sourdough


Book Description

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.




The Sidmouth Letters


Book Description

Jane Austen's love life - long the subject of speculation - is finally, delightfully dealt with in the title story of this collection. Many of the other stories, like 'The Sidmouth Letters,' bring together past and present - with sometimes hilarious, sometimes disturbing, often intensely moving results. With quiet elegance and devastating accuracy, Jane Gardam probes many and varied lives. We meet a trio of Kensington widows, mean-spirited and middle-aged, paying improbable tribute to a long exploited nanny; we await- with dread- a stranger to tea in an Engliish home; we witness the mercurial changes that take place in young love, and we watch as a bohemian, passionate past returns to tempt domestic bliss.




Every Man His Own University


Book Description




Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha


Book Description

The very idea that the teachings can be mastered will arouse controversy within Buddhist circles. Even so, Ingram insists that enlightenment is an attainable goal, once our fanciful notions of it are stripped away, and we have learned to use meditation as a method for examining reality rather than an opportunity to wallow in self-absorbed mind-noise. Ingram sets out concisely the difference between concentration-based and insight (vipassana) meditation; he provides example practices; and most importantly he presents detailed maps of the states of mind we are likely to encounter, and the stages we must negotiate as we move through clearly-defined cycles of insight. Its easy to feel overawed, at first, by Ingram's assurance and ease in the higher levels of consciousness, but consistently he writes as a down-to-earth and compassionate guide, and to the practitioner willing to commit themselves this is a glittering gift of a book.In this new edition of the bestselling book, the author rearranges, revises and expands upon the original material, as well as adding new sections that bring further clarity to his ideas.