In Arab culture, at the ineffable point where music meets emotion, lies ṭarab. Often glossed as the ecstasy experienced and expressed when performing or listening to singing, instrumental works, and recitations of poetry, ṭarab is both a practice and an orienting concept central to musical aesthetics and spirituality characteristic of Middle Eastern cultures.Gathering fifteen essays by scholars of music, affect, literature, religion, and education, Ṭarab extends the study ...

A COLLECTION OF AMERICAN SOLDIER MILITARY HEROICSJOHN BASILONEWar brings out the best and the worst in people. With the United States participating in countless wars over the years, there have been quite a few exceptional soldiers who have been able to shine during combat, having done their due diligence to protect their country and fellow troop members. Giovanni "John" Basilone was a war hero whose actions in the Guadalcanal and Iwo Jima campaigns of the WWII earned him two ...

Expert writers present the major traditions of North Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia, together with personal accounts of performers, composers, teachers, and ceremonies. A special feature of this volume is the inclusion of dozens of brief snap-shot essays that offer "lifestories" of typical musicmakers and their art, as well as first-person descriptions of specific music performances and events. Also includes maps and music examples.

Winner of the Royal Philharmonic Society Music Award for Creative Communication 2015There is a treasure trove of underappreciated music out there; this book will convince many to explore it. The EconomistWhatis classical music? This book answers the question in a manner never before attempted, by presenting the history of fifteen parallel traditions, of which Western classical music is just one. Each music is analysed in terms of itsmodes, scales, and theory; its instrument...

An examination of the parables of Jesus and what they say about who He was and what He believed."This book illustrates why [Greeley] is so popular. He takes the familiar—in this case, the parables of Jesus—and infuses it with new life and meaning. He leaves behind the dour, solemn proclamations of the church fathers and reminds us that "Jesus delights in surprising those he loves." In fact, Greeley's observations go far beyond Jesus's relationships with wom...

Have you ever wondered where terms like ‘end of your tether’, ‘gets my goat’ or ‘letting ones hair down’ come from? Or why we call some people ‘geezers’, ‘sugar daddies’ or ‘lounge lizards’? Or where the words ‘eavesdropping’, ‘nickname’ and ‘D-Day’ come from? They are just a few of the many words and phrases that language expert Max Cryer examines in this fact-filled and fun new book. Max explains where these curious expressions come from, what they mean and how they are used. Along the w...

Maybe you were born to Christian parents and raised as a Christian. Or maybe you are just a part of a Christian nation. You might have attended church regularly, or maybe just on special occasions. If asked, you say that you believe in God, but you really never thought about what that means exactly. You are a well-educated person who accepts the idea of Biblical miracles, but only the more "reasonable" ones. You have read some of the Bible, mostly just parts of the New Testament, but n...

An essential tool for our post-truth world: a witty primer on logic—and the dangers of illogical thinking—by a renowned Notre Dame professorLogic is synonymous with reason, judgment, sense, wisdom, and sanity. Beinglogical is the ability to create concise and reasoned arguments—arguments that build from given premises, using evidence, to a genuine conclusion. But mastering logical thinking also requires studying and understanding illogical thinking, both to sharpen...

'Beware who you give this book to.' Financial Times 'I recommend that you keep this delightful essay at your side.' Observer 'Dryly witty essay' Alain de Botton, Sunday Telegraph We all sit through meetings with that one person who seems to be able to persuade everyone. What is their secret? Are they more gifted than we are? Or is it just that they are very skilled in the art of persuation? That is exactly what it is. They are people who use subtle tricks to convince other people to agree ...

There has been a bad-tempered quarrel between defenders and critics of religion in recent years. Both sides have expressed themselves acerbically because there is a very great deal at stake in the debate. This book thoroughly and calmly examines all the arguments and associated considerations offered in support of religious belief, and does so in full consciousness of the reasons people have for subscribing to religion, and the needs they seek to satisfy by doing so. And because it takes a...

A renowned neuroscientist provides an “unorthodox but enlightening” (Wall Street Journal) narrative of how addiction happens in the brain, and what we can do to overcome itThrough the vivid, true stories of five people who journeyed into and out of addiction, a renowned neuroscientist—and former addict himself—explains why the disease model of addiction is wrong and how it obstructs the path to recovery. Combining intimate human examples with clearly rende...

The bestselling "quackbuster" and "tireless tub-thumper against pseudoscience" fishes for the facts in a flood of misinformation ( Maclean's).Eat this and live to 100. Don't, and die. Today, hyperboles dominate the media, which makes parsing science from fiction an arduous task when deciding what to eat, what chemicals to avoid, and what's best for the environment. In Is That a Fact?, bestselling author Dr. Joe Schwarcz carefully navigates through...