Nesta obra poderemos compreender que os seres humanos já nascem permeados de talentos que gradativamente podem ser lapidados. Ocorre que no decorrer de sua existência, podem se deslumbrar com tantas "facilidades" e "descobertas" do mundo, que acabam por obscurecer a sua própria essência. Em decorrência disso se veem em um beco sem saída e "tentam" se arrastar em um ambiente de lama, de maneira totalmente retorcida. De outro modo, compreende-se que não precisamos permanecer entulhados. Toda...

This book develops a theory of picture perception and aesthetic response, arguing that images can generate in us a complex pattern of mental changes, or transformations. It is essential reading to those seriously involved in linking the arts and cognitive sciences.

The Flats is a delightful, humorous romp through the lives of a coal miner’s patchwork family in the early 1950s. Tucked away in a secluded area of Pennsylvania’s majestic Allegheny Mountains, Michael Stephanic learns to navigate the many obstacles of a dysfunctional family. Together with his stepfather John, his mother Julia and his sister Turtle, life is nothing less than one amazing adventure after another. Even when dark clouds gather and dangerous, physical and emotional storms roll i...

In Experiencing Jazz: A Listener’s Companion, writer, teacher, and renowned jazz drummer Michael Stephans offers a much-needed survey in the art of listening to and enjoying this dynamic, ever-changing art form. More than mere entertainment, jazz provides a pleasurable and sometimes dizzying listening experience with an extensive range in structure and form, from the syncopated swing of big bands to the musical experimentalism of small combos. As Stephans illustrates, listeners and jazz ar...

Saxophonist, violinist, trumpeter, composer, and bandleader Ornette Coleman, along with pianist Cecil Taylor, was one of the founding forces of the Free Jazz movement which took the music world by storm in the 1950s and 60s. His brilliance as an instrumentalist at first positioned him as a polarizing figure, but eventually brought him recognition as an American original and international jazz treasure.Jazz drummer Michael Stephans explores the personal challenges Coleman faced, the...

Inspector Gary Wagner hated getting called out at night. The only thing he hated more was the senseless, sudden death of an innocent human being. He didn’t know the woman lying in the filthy, blood-soaked alley – but it was his job to learn everything about her, her family, and her killer.A crime novelist, David Corey was used to plot twists, police investigations, and the wheels of justice. He wasn’t used to real-life police work or the massive effort that goes into an Oklahoma Cit...

"Beyond the Flats" is an exciting rollercoaster ride through the lives of Michael Stephanic, his mother Julia, and sister Turtle. After Julia’s frantic flight from The Flats and her abusive marriage, she finds herself in another small coal-mining town. Michael and Turtle quickly learn the difference between a dysfunctional family and a broken family. As Julia strives to rebuild their lives, Michael and Turtle struggle with the many changes they face. Seen through the eyes of a young boy in...

Digitalisierung und der Wandel zu servicezentrierten Geschäftsmodellen schaffen Herausforderungen und eröffnen zugleich Chancenpotenziale für Dienstleister. Im Mittelpunkt dieses neu aufgelegten und erheblich erweiterten Lehrbuchs stehen innovative Geschäftsmodelle und neue Managementansätze für Dienstleistungsunternehmen: Welche Entscheidungs- und Handlungsfelder umfasst das strategische Dienstleistungsmanagement? Wie können Dienstleistungsunternehmen ein systematisches und effizientes In...

First Published in 1990. How we perceive and respond to the visual image has been a traditional concern of psychologists, philosophers and art historians. Today, where the visual image increasingly permeates our everyday life and consciousness, the question becomes ever more relevant. How do we, for instance, instinctively ‘know’ what it is that a picture represents without having to be taught? How is it that we experience (aesthetic) pleasure in looking at certain pictures? How is it that...

“[This new edition of] The Scramble for Africa uses tools of international political economy to clarify the challenges of development in today’s Africa from managing mounting demand for the region’s natural resources and land, to navigating the turbulence of global capital and trade flows. It critically analyses the sources and sustainability of the current African growth path and explains why they are crucial for South Africa’s foreign and economic policy debates.”As the title of ...

In On the Way to the Sky: Remembering Bob Brookmeyer, author Michael Stephans has created a rich, multifaceted paean to jazz icon Bob Brookmeyer, the much beloved musical genius who passed away in 2011, four days short of his 82nd birthday. On the Way to the Sky is a hybrid book in that it’s part memoir, part biography, with over a dozen essays by such luminaries as Maria Schneider, Jim McNeely, John Mosca, Darcy James Argue, Dave Rivello, John Hollenbeck, and the late Terry Teachout, as w...

Nachhaltigkeit ist längst mehr als ein Trend – sie ist ein entscheidender Erfolgsfaktor für zukunftsorientierte Unternehmensstrategien. Insbesondere kleine und mittlere Unternehmen (KMU) sehen sich zunehmend mit Anforderungen konfrontiert, ihre Nachhaltigkeitsleistungen transparent darzustellen. Ob in Liefer- und Dienstleistungsverträgen, öffentlichen Ausschreibungen oder bei Kreditvergaben – Nachhaltigkeitskriterien spielen eine immer größere Rolle.Dieser praxisorientierte Leitfad...