We are constantly being influenced and acted upon by various people, creatures and things, in other words, by beings outside our bodies. Taking Spinoza' s concept of ' Affectus' as a base, this book is an attempt by thirteen specialists from various fields, including anthropology, Japanese painting, primatology, cognitive psychology and philosophy, to present their work from the perspective of Affectus. From a foray into the forest to study bonobos that led to the author' s experience of g...

Brook Ziporyn's carefully crafted translation of the complete writings of Zhuangzi—including a lucid Introduction and Glossary of Essential Terms—provides listeners with an engaging and provocative deep dive into this magical work.This audiobook is expertly read by Brian Nishii, with audio engineering by Allie McSwain. It was produced and published by Echo Point Books & Media, an independent bookseller in Brattleboro, Vermont.

The Magic of the WildsIt's official—Mikura and Techi are engaged, and slowly but surely, the pieces of their wedding are coming into place. But some things don't change, like their peaceful life living under one roof.Becoming more accepted by the Beastly Wilds by the day, Mikura finally has a chance to befriend other beastfolk. He also discovers one of the biggest secrets the beastfolk were hiding—the legendary Fusang trees that make up the Wilds.An...

Another world in the center of Japan!Mikura Moriya expected a quiet and peaceful life in the forest when he inherited his great-grandfather's house and enormous orchard. Someone had to keep the family business running, so he quit his job and decided to live off the land. But the house isn't in any old forest...it's deep in the Beastly Wilds, an area off-limits to most humans. For the Wilds are home to the Beastfolk—neither human nor animal, but something in between...

A wedding in the Wilds!Mikura and Tokatechi are gradually ticking off all the items on their wedding checklist. Beastfolk weddings are more relaxed than human ones, a bit like a big gathering party where two families unite as one. There aren't too many preparations left, so once the dress is ready, the couple can start a new chapter in their lives and relationship. Though the wedding is just around the corner, life in the Beastly Wilds is slow and leisurely like al...

A forest of secrets!As summer closes in, Mikura and Tokatechi enter a new stage of their life, now a married couple. But it doesn't feel like there has been too much drastic change in their blissful, leisurely life. Mikura's busy cooking like always, while Tokatechi's busy with her work in the orchard. As time goes by, Mikura's circle of unique acquaintances steadily grows within the Beastly Wilds, and he gradually learns more about this beautiful forest of secrets...

How to enjoy the slow life at home!Mikura is finally starting to get used to his new life in the Beastly Wilds. Things were going great with his Beastfolk neighbors—until one day, he makes a seemingly innocent comment that turns his life completely upside down! Things only get even more interesting when a visit from his parents unearths a mysterious incident from his childhood adventures in the Beastly Wilds! What secrets are the Beastly Wilds keeping, and how will...

The official novelization of the highly anticipated filmFrom visionary filmmakers James Cameron (Avatar) and Robert Rodriguez (Sin City), comes Alita: Battle Angel, an epic adventure of hope and empowerment.When Alita (Rosa Salazar) awakens with no memory of who she is in a future world she does not recognize, she is taken in by Ido (Christoph Waltz), a compassionate doctor who realizes that somewhere in this abandoned cyborg shell is the...

A bestseller in Japan—a beautiful story about shared self-discovery and friendship involving an unlikely group of students who decide to defy the odds and pursue a seemingly impossible goal together.After shoplifting some bread one chilly March night, just before the start of a new academic year at Kansei University in western Tokyo, former high school track and field star Kakeru Kurahara runs through the city streets. Though he has grown disillusioned with the spo...

Many people want to use the young champion of the great Raven clan for their own agenda.Yang is given a choice without a choice. Having survived the deadly trials at the Lion Academy, he is thrown into a new hell. From now on, he is a member of the Night Guard—the hated masters of low warfare.Together with his new companion, he learns more about life in the Jade Empire and continues his ascent to the heights of power.The Ravens will spread their win...

Learn the nature of the Rings of Power in your soul, and the call of blood will lead you in the fights against even the most powerful of demons!Just yesterday, Ian Raven was a champion in Vale Tudo. His fighting spirit and the desire to win led him to the top of the fighting Olympus.Having met death in battle, Ian made a deal with a mysterious entity wearing the mask of a demon and found himself in a new body and a new world.A world that lives by ol...

A goblin with no body and a monster with no face. A resourceful samurai and a faithful daughter. A spirit of the moon and a dragon king.This collection of 15 traditional Japanese folktales transports listeners to a time of adventure and enchantment. Drawn from the works of folklorists Lafcadio Hearn and Yei Theodora Ozaki, these tales are by turns terrifying, exhilarating, and poetic.Striking illustrations by contemporary Japanese artist Kotaro Chiba are included in t...