This book asks an important question:If you were born in rural England in 1837 and died in 1901 and never travelled more than thirty miles in any direction would you have seen a hippopotamus before you died?The answer is, surprisingly, yes.In fact, the roads of England were thronged with all manner of creatures. There were even exotic butterfly farms. Kangaroos hopped around the lawns of stately homes, tigers prowled the backstreets of the East End, a tapir terroris...

Every man is being shaped by some kind of wisdom. The key question is–what type of wisdom is guiding us? Scripture doesn't suggest every form of wisdom produces a better, more flourishing life. In fact, it warns us of the opposite condition–we ought to be mightily aware of the possibility that we may be digesting and guided by worldly wisdom, which eventually leads to our own downfall, devastation, and death–yet it will feel so satisfying going down.The Man You're Meant...

Destiny Chosen by Life tells the story of a young man embarking on a journey of self-discovery and overcoming personal struggles. The story follows his fight to understand and accept his identity while grappling with an incredible secret that ultimately transforms his life upside-down. Along the way, he develops an incredibly strong character, even as he faces the grief of losing someone dear. Amidst the sorrow, he finds surprising and unexpected support from someone who has been close to ...

They say the deepest encounters don't happen through the body… but through the soul. One hides behind silence. The other beneath a suit of armour. Distance separates them — and, paradoxically, brings them closer. Between typed-out messages, old wounds, and gestures that never touch, an unlikely bond is born… capable of reopening everything they thought was lost. What if it were possible to love without seeing? What if someone, on the other side of the internet, could understand us better t...

'For the first time, fish became our companions and a corner of many a Victorian parlour was given over to housing tiny fragments of their world enclosed in glass.'The experience of seeing a fish swimming in a glass tank is one we take for granted now but in Victorian England this was a remarkable sight. People had simply not been able to see fish as they could with the invention of the aquarium and everything that went with it.Goldfish in the Parlour looks at the ...

Noted poet Jorge Lujan and South Africa's illustrious illustrator Piet Grobler teamed up to produce this exquisite celebration of color.As day turns into night, we are given fleeting, evocative glimpses of the qualities inherent in a range of colors. An antelope and some children are pictured inhabiting this delicate world.This bilingual, bicultural book presents us with a beautiful vision of a planet in which nature, words, and the rising and setting of th...

At 71, John Simon shares a life shaped by war, exile, and determination.From his childhood in Abadan, Iran, to the chaos of the Iranian Revolution, and his escape to Germany as a refugee, this memoir captures the emotional and physical struggles of starting over.Rebuilding his life in the United States, John's journey reflects resilience, identity, and the courage to keep moving forward.This book explores:• Life before and after revolution• The refugee...

A succession of Chinese emperors constructed over the course of a century a fantastical garden, the basis of Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s “Kubla Khan,” to which governing of the country was in time transferred from nearby Peking. A microcosm of China, with palaces, pavilions, and other edifices set among hills and valleys and a network of rivers and lakes, the reality of this garden is employed as the setting for two fictional stories of unrequited love, one between a Jesuit missionary and an...

This is the story of Stan, a brilliant young graduate student, his girlfriend, and his AI companion united by a daring mission: to change the world, one act of Virtual Justice at a time.At the heart of their work is Stan's groundbreaking invention: a neural patch. Placed at the base of the neck, it allows thoughts to flow in and out of the brain and true telecommunication between minds.Stan and his team intend to use this device in a radical way: to confron...

Haiti is a land shrouded in mystery, its history marked by chains and revolutions, its spirit veiled by layers of suffering and destiny. The Veil of Haiti lifts these coverings to reveal the deeper truths hidden beneath: the karmic roots of the nation's turmoil, the corruption and decline of its religious institutions, and the forgotten wisdom of Vodou before it was distorted by fear and superstition.Blending history, spirituality, and esoteric science, John Simon, spiritu...

Reports Relating to the Sanitary Condition of the City of London is a comprehensive collection of official documents and detailed observations that shed light on the public health challenges faced by London during the 19th century. Compiled by various medical officers, inspectors, and public health officials, the book provides an in-depth examination of the living conditions, environmental hazards, and health crises that plagued the rapidly growing metropolis. Through meticulous reports, r...

Obaysch: A Hippopotamus in Victorian London is the story of Obaysch the hippopotamus, the first 'star' animal to be exhibited in the London Zoo.In 1850, a baby hippopotamus arrived on English shores, allegedly the first in Europe since the Roman Empire, and almost certainly the first in Europe since prehistoric times. Captured near an island from which he took his name, Obaysch was donated by the viceroy of Egypt in exchange for greyhounds and deerhounds. His arrival was g...