The function of ethnic studies education in K-12 schools remains a deeply contentious issue within the U.S. Often based on university ethnic studies courses, its focus on the lived experiences of Black, Latino, Indigenous, and Asian/Pacific Islander communities is predictably the target of much conservative commentary, leaving its disregard for the lives of American Jews underexplored. Focusing on how this absence correlates with the rising spate of antisemitism within the U.S., Jewish...

Lack of clean water, inadequate sanitation, and insufficient infection prevention and control promote the spread of parasites. The discovery of antiparasitic drugs was considered a milestone in the veterinary and medical sciences, but their use has subsequently become limited due to the emergence of resistance. While plenty of attention has been given in human and animal health communities to the global threat of antimicrobial drug resistance, specific antiparasitic advice is less availabl...

This monograph lays out a qualitative, collective case study designed to assess how students in a secondary Latina/Latino Literature class began to think dialectically about issues of social justice. By using various methods of data collection, I ascertained how the students’ thoughts and perceptions of Latinas/Latinos in this country changed over the course of the study. I introduced the students to both print and nonprint texts (e.g., news articles, documentary films) which, when present...

The ancient origins and divinatory power of the runes• Uncovers the original divinatory meaning of each rune through the myths of its corresponding Norse god or goddess• Includes beautiful full-color illustrations of the runic gods and goddesses• Presents rune-casting spreads for divination and character analysis• Explores the controversial history of runes from the Paleolithic Stone Age to todayInvented long before the appearance of the runic alphab...

In the myths, legends, and folklore of many peoples, the returning, physical dead play a significant role, whether they are the zombies of Haiti or the draugr of Scandinavia. But what are the origins of an actual bodily return from the grave? Does it come from something deep within our psyche, or is there some truth to it?In Zombies, Bob Curran explores how some of these beliefs may have arisen and the truths that lay behind them, examining myths from all around the world ...

A guide to the origins and legends of undead mythological monsters from around the world."Vampire!" The very word conjures up visions of ruined castles, of enigmatic, pale-skinned noblemen shrouded in dark cloaks, of slumbering beauties being bloodily ravished by supernatural, nocturnal creatures. But just how accurate is that picture? How much do we really know about these mysterious entities? Surprisingly, perhaps, almost every culture can boast of its own vampire...

Almost since the dawn of time, the image of the Green Man—the carven enigmatic head surrounded by leaves and foliage—has both intrigued and mystified viewers and folklorists alike. Appearing in churches, taverns, and even on stately buildings, the carving seems shrouded in supernatural obscurity. Is it merely a fertility symbol, or is it something much deeper, which calls for a response from us all? Though it seems a predominantly Celtic icon, does the concept of the Green Man also appear ...

Discover vampiric folklore and legends from America's past."Just sit back and relax as Dr. Bob Curran takes you to places that only your mind can create with his words and stories. He will delight the imagination." —Tom Danheiser, producer, Coast To Coast AMVampires are much more complex creatures than Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Twilight, True Blood, or scores of other movies and televisi...

A guide to the history of the Undead and supernatural creatures like vampires, werewolves, ghouls, and monsters.This is a book for all those who are interested in the darker side of the human mind—the side that examines and even embraces those beliefs and imaginings that form the basis of our most archetypical fears. This is the book for those brave enough to plumb the depths of our worst nightmares!What lurks out there in the fog?What was that eeri...

"A comprehensive encyclopedia of fantastic places straddling the nebulous borderlands between fact and fantasy." —Frank Joseph, author of Opening the Ark of the CovenantThere are places that turn up in literature or in film—mystical and legendary places whose names may be familiar but about which we know little. We nod knowingly at the reference, but are often left wondering about places such as Atlantis, the lost land overwhelmed by the sea, or El Dorado, ...

Most of us are familiar with the idea of a werewolf—that someone can change, either deliberately or unwillingly, into a ravenous creature—but is there some justification for such a belief? And if so, how is it achieved—through magical potions or ointments or simply by the light of the full moon? Or is the whole thing simply a form of delusion, the product of a disturbed mind? In Werewolves, author Dr. Bob Curran examines the deep psychological perceptions about the linkage of man with the ...

Life exists all around us, in forms that we can readily and easily identify. But what if there were, lurking in the shadows, other forms of life that are not so familiar, creatures created not by Nature, but by Man? We know their names—Frankenstein, the Golem, the homunculi of the ancient alchemists; they exist in our stories and myths.But just what are these mysterious creatures, and do they actually have some basis in reality?In his fascinating and wide-ranging new book, Dr. Bob Curran e...