In this enlightening and entertaining work, Charles Panati explores the origins of hundreds of religious rituals, customs, and practices in many faiths, the reasons for religious holidays and sacred symbols, and the meanings of vestments, sacraments, devotions, and prayers. Its many revelations include:Why the Star of David became the Jewish counterpart of the Christian crossWhat mortal remains of the Buddha are venerated todayHow the diamond engagement ring became a standardThat the first pope was a happily married manHow Hindu thinkers arrived at their concept of reincarnationWhy Jews don't eat pork, why some Muslims don't eat certain vegetables, and how some Christians came to observe meatless FridaysSacred Origins of Profound Things is an indispensable resource for all those interested in the history of religion and the history of ideas—and an inspiring guide to those seeking to understand their faith. Views: 26
When a madman begins using the work of Botticelli as inspiration for his gruesome tableaus, a New York museum curator is the only man who can stop himMike Manship is an up-and-coming curator at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. With a Botticelli retrospective fast approaching, Manship is poised to become the Met’s director if he can secure three final drawings from Italy. Standing in his way is Ludovico Borghini, a neo-fascist count with a fanatical devotion to his Italian heritage and a deadly obsession with the Renaissance master’s work. Between them are the three masterpieces and the alluring Isobel Cattaneo, a direct descendant of Botticelli’s greatest muse, Simonetta.Borghini is determined to maintain possession of the drawings, and in the grips of his mania, he kidnaps Cattaneo, whom he suspects of aiding Manship. As the search for Cattaneo reaches a fever pitch, Manship discovers that Borghini is a much more twisted nemesis than he could ever have anticipated—one whose depravity reaches chilling depths.Amazon.com ReviewSuspense expert Lieberman mixes art, madness and murder in this highly imaginative and literate new thriller about a museum curator trying to put together a major exhibit of the 15th Century Italian painter Sando Botticello. Before he's through, Mark Manship of the Met has to deal with a slasher (of people as well as paintings), a fascist lunatic and a beautiful descendant of the painter's mistress and chief model. If you can't get to Venice or Florence in the months ahead, take this richly-detailed and very scary tour instead. From Publishers WeeklyAfter a brief foray into futuristic science fiction (Sandman, Sleep, 1993), Lieberman returns to his forte of mordant, contemporary crime chillers (Shadow Dancers, etc.), this one set in the world of high art. To commemorate the 550th birthday of Botticelli, Mark Manship, curator of Renaissance painting at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, is assembling a major retrospective that could catapult him into the position of museum director. In Europe to track down three drawings for the show, Manship meets the eponymous Isobel Cattaneo, a direct descendant of Botticelli's famed model and mistress, Simonetta. Meanwhile, in a parallel plot line, a neo-fascist Italian count, Ludovico Borghini, determined to preserve his country's heritage, is planning to prevent the transfer of the drawings, which he has stolen, to the States. When Borghini suspects Isobel of interfering with his plans, he kidnaps her, leading to the sort of grim and tense scenario that Lieberman does so well, and to a violent conclusion back in the States. Lieberman writes an elegant sentence, as always, and his art-world detailing, especially of maneuverings and backstabbings, seems splendidly on target. He miscalculates, though, in casting Borghini not just as a rabid patriot but as a serial killer; this count's passion is to create life-size dioramas based on Botticelli paintings, using human victims as models in the tableaus. It's a turn that stretches credibility, although it does lend the narrative Lieberman's characteristic dark hues, which readers will find in abundance in this literate, acidic thriller. Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. Views: 26
Tiffany loves the holiday season and dresses like an elf, just for the fun of it. While she's out shopping, she gets asked to fill in for an elf that called in sick. However, it turns out it's for a holiday-themed stress relief service. What could possibly be a better way to spread a little holiday spirit? Views: 26
After tragedy strikes the family of young Naomi Bachman, her sister-in-law Rebecca Bachman does all she can to help. But things get complicated when Micah—Rebecca's brother and Naomi's husband—returns from a combat tour in Afghanistan. He is under the Meidung—the shunning—because of his enlistment, and none of the Amish are permitted to speak to him or eat with him, even his wife Naomi. How then can this young couple, still in love, ever find happiness? How can the healing process even begin when Micah refuses to repent of what he has done? Still, God has a way of working on the hearts of His people—especially at Christmastime. At just the right time, events conspire to birth a miracle that may set things right for Naomi and Micah—and for the Amish community itself. Here is a warm and tender story of faithfulness, love, and reconciliation at the most wonderful time of the year. Views: 26
The sound and the fury...
On a dark night in Pennsylvania, a jazz legend met his death. But now, in the heat and light of Las Vegas, the sound of Clifford Brown's soaring trumpet is coming back to life. Because a man named Evan Horne, who knows all about jazz and pain, is unraveling a puzzle that reaches back forty years to Brown's last hours--and that has already gotten one person killed.
Horne was called to Las Vegas to authenticate some recordings purported to be the lost tapes of Clifford Brown. But when a murder interrupts his listening session, Horne becomes the key player in a dangerous duet. Carrying a worn old trumpet that may have belonged to Clifford Brown himself, Horne is pursuing the truth behind an audiotape that may be worth a fortune, may be a hoax, and may be just one haunting melody in a killer's murderous obsession. . . . Views: 26
Konrad Bantelmann is no expert when it comes to divorce. But Fridz is all too familiar with it. For some time now Konrad has successfully avoided problems in general and girls in particular, but by a stroke of misfortune he somehow plants in Fridz's mind the idea of seeking revenge on her father's girlfriend, and is dragged into this red-headed girl's crusade of vengeance. And their secret weapon? Nothing other than an extraordinarily large rabbit. Funny, warm, and full of witty observations on family life, this is the story of Fridz and Konrad's madcap schemes and their new-found friendship. Views: 26
From bestselling author Deborah Bedford comes the moving tale of an estranged mother and daughter, and the child who forces their old conflicts back into the light. Views: 26
July 1910: A gruesome discovery has been made at 39 Hilldrop Crescent, Camden.Chief Inspector Walter Dew of Scotland Yard did not expect the house to be empty. Nor did he expect to find a body in the cellar. Buried under the flagstones are the remains of Cora Crippen, former music-hall singer and wife of Dr. Hawley Crippen. No one would have thought the quiet, unassuming Dr. Crippen capable of murder, yet the doctor and his mistress have disappeared from London, and now a full-scale hunt for them has begun.Across the Channel in Antwerp, the S.S. Montrose has just set off on its two-week voyage to North America. Slipping in among the first-class passengers is a Mr. John Robinson, accompanied by his teenage son, Edmund. The pair may be hoping for a quiet, private voyage, but in the close confines of a luxury ocean liner, anonymity is rare. And with others aboard looking for romance, or violence, or escape from their past in Europe, it will take more... Views: 26
Isherwood's final work of fiction—an epistolary novel that explores sexual identity and Eastern mysticismAfter a long separation, two English brothers meet in India. Oliver, the idealistic younger brother, prepares to take his final vows as a Hindu monk. Patrick, a successful publisher with a wife and children in London and a male lover in California, has publicly admired his brother's convictions while privately criticizing his choices. First published in 1967, A Meeting by the River delicately depicts the complexity of sibling relationships—the resentment and competitiveness as well as the love and respect. Ultimately, the brothers' exposure to each other's differences deepens their awareness of themselves. In A Meeting by the River, Christopher Isherwood dramatizes the conflict between sexuality and spirituality that inspired his late writings. Views: 25
Always up for adventure, Zoey and Claire Kane visit a castle hosted by a self-proclaimed Count Dracula. Even better, next door lies a cemetery haunted for a hundred years by Isobel Myer, a heartbroken bride who floats through the tombstones at night in a tattered wedding dress. But soon cats are found buried in a grave, drained of their blood. Fear also shakes the community when a young woman is discovered with a stake in her heart. The Kanes are determined to solve the mystery, even if that means stalking loonies, goonies, and things that go suck in the night. Views: 25
Scanned, converted, re-formatted, proofed and eBook creation by Jerry.ContentsBRAIN WAVE
Poul Anderson
BULLARD REFLECTS
Malcolm Jameson
THE LOST YEARS
Oscar Lewis
DEAD CENTER
Judith Merril
LOST ART
George O. Smith
THE OTHER SIDE OF THE SKY
Arthur C. Clarke
THE MAN WHO SOLD THE MOON
Robert A. Heinlein
MAGIC CITY
Nelson S. Bond
THE MORNING OF THE DAY THEY DID IT
E.B. White
PIGGY BANK
Henry Kuttner
LETTERS FROM LAURA
Mildred Clingerman
THE STARS MY DESTINATION
Alfred Bester Views: 25
