Prometheus is a hero of Grecian mythology who is considered as a friend of men, as stealing fire from heaven for their benefit. "With fire they could at least warm their bodies and cook their food," Prometheus thought, "and later they could make tools and build houses for themselves and enjoy some of the comforts of the gods." On account of various services rendered to men, he was chained by Zeus to a rock...

This book deals with the life andworks of "Montaigne, the founder of the modern essay". He was known as one of themost significant philosophers and writers of the Western literature.The French author of the Essays was born, as he informs ushimself, between eleven and twelve o'clock in the day, the last of February1533, at the chateau of St. Michel de Montaigne. His father, Pierre Eyquem,esquire, was successively first Jurat of the town of Bordeaux (1530),Under-Mayor 1536, ...

The collection of Victorian Vampire Stories is an anthology of works created in an era when the vampire myth began to actively penetrate literature and popular culture. These stories, written in the 19th century, reflect the fears and fantasies of Victorian society, exploring themes of death, immortality, sexuality and morality through the prism of Gothic literature. The collection includes such iconic works as "Carmilla" by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu — one of the first stories about a female...

On the 3d of May 1734, there was a hanging at Cork which made a good deal more noise than such a very ordinary event generally did in those days. There was nothing remarkable about the malefactor, or the crime he had committed. He was a very commonplace ruffian, and had earned his elevation to the gallows by a vulgar felony. What was remarkable about the affair was, that the woollen weavers of Cork, being then in a state of great distress from want of work, dressed up the convict in cotton...

This book deals with the life and history of Leonardo Da Vinci, known as one of the greatest painters of the world. The Mona Lisa (La Gioconda) is his best known work, the world's most famous painting.“Leonardo da Vinci seems to present in his own person a résumé of all the characteristics of the age in which he lived. He was the miracle of that age of miracles. Ardent and versatile as youth; patient and persevering as age; a most profound and original th...

Jules Verne was the prophet, the foreseer and foreteller of our great mechanical age. This great writer belongs today not to his country France, but to the world. Widely as his works have been read in his own country, their popularity has been yet wider in America and England. Much as he has been honored at home, even higher glory has been accorded him, we are told, in far Japan. His books have been translated not only into all the usual languages, but into Hebrew, Japanese, Polish and eve...

This book deals with a natural history of Whales and Dolphins, aquatic mammals within the order of Cetacea.The Whales form one of the most extraordinary groups of the Mammalia, for they are warm-blooded, air-breathers, and sucklers of their young, and are most strangely adapted for life in a watery element. Oddly enough the term “Fish” is still applied to them by the whalers, though they have nothing in common with these creatures save a certain similitude in shape. The vulgar noti...

Diogenes was a famous Greek philosopher, known as one of the founders of Cynicism.Banished from his native country and without any resource, Diogenes was reduced to great indigence. He perceived one day, a mouse running briskly up and down, without any fear of being surprised by the approach of night, without any anxiety about a lodging-place, and even without thinking of food. This reconciled him to his misery. He resolved to live at his ease, without constraint, and to dispense w...

The first voyage to America, of which we have any account, was performed by Northmen. But who were the Northmen?Northmen, Norsemen, Scandinavians, are different names applied in a general way to the early inhabitants of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. These people formed the northern branch of the Teutonic family.America was reached by the Northmen as early as the beginning of the eleventh century...This books deals with the discovery of America by the Northmen before ...

The public is familiar with the record of Thomas Edison, who is considered the greatest inventor the world has ever known. How did he succeed?“On February 11th, 1845, was born at Milan, Ohio, Thomas A. Edison...At eight or nine years of age he began to earn his own living, selling papers. When twelve years old his enterprise, pushed by ambition, secured him a position as newsboy on the Grand Trunk Railroad. Here his inventive genius manifested itself. Arranging with station...

This report examines innovative mechanisms that can help attract new financial resources into water and sanitation services. In particular, it focuses on mobilising market-based repayable financing (such as loans, bonds and equity) as a way of bridging the financial gap to meet the water-related Millennium Development Goals and other crucial sector objectives. The Camdessus and Gurría reports, published seven and four years ago, respectively, formulated a number of recommendations in this ...

Experimental study of the physiological needs of the body for food has indicated that the real requirements of the system, especially for proteid foods, are far below the amounts called for by existing dietary standards, and still farther below the customary habits of the majority of mankind. The ability of the body to maintain a condition of physiological equilibrium, with a true nitrogen balance, etc., on a relatively small amount of nitrogenous food, would seemingly imply that the large...