Inspired by William Makepeace Thackeray, the first great analyst of snobbery, and his trail-blazing The Book of Snobs (1848), D.J. Taylor brings us a field guide to the modern snob. Short of calling someone a racist or a paedophile, one of the worst charges you can lay at anybody's door in the early twenty-first century is to suggest that they happen to be a snob. But what constitutes snobbishness? Who are the snobs and where are they to be found?...

In this book the author aims her intellectual firepower at a key source of opposition to gay equality: the politics of disgust. She argues that disgust has been among the fundamental motivations of those who are fighting for a variety of legal restrictions affecting lesbian and gay citizens. When confronted with the thought of homosexuality, she writes, they experience "a deep aversion akin to that inspired by bodily wastes, slimy insects, and spoiled...

"MYSTIC CHORDS & SACRED SPACES is truly among the creme de la creme of Steve's distinct work. It is an astonishing series of recordings. At times I found myself facing the darkest of the dark in the collective unconscious. Just as I thought I had reached the edge of where I could go in my voyaging, a tonal shift would occur and carry me into a delicious and heart-achingly beautiful space of unparalleled hope and faith. These recordings are both initiatory,...

"Nature's Nation: American Art and Environment offers a compelling new vision of American art, examining for the first time how artists have both reflected and shaped environmental understanding while contributing to the development of modern ecological thought. Reframing more than three centuries of diverse artistic practice in North America, this timely volume traces evolving ideas about the environment - and our place in it - from colonial encounters...

"This book presents a narrative discussion about the role of artificial intelligence in society-and how it is transforming medicine, transportation, security, and home and office life to make our lives easier and more convenient"-- "Artificial intelligence is part of our daily lives. How can we address its limitations and guide its use for the benefit of communities worldwide?Artificial intelligence (AI) has evolved from an experimental computer...

A witty tome of trivia aims to captivate and surprise readers by answering such questions as: Why is New York called the Big Apple?; Did the Romans have toga parties?; Why don't you ever see baby pigeons?; Why are yawns contagious?; and, Was Nostradamus ever right about anything?

"Last year, Melissa Milne asked 10,000 women how they feel about their bodies, weight, and food. The answers were shocking: more than 80 percent feel guilty after a decadent meal; nearly 60 percent have dieted down a dress size to appease a man; almost two-thirds say they have been body-shamed by another woman- and 50 percent would rather be skinnier than happier or smarter. These women are sick and tired of feeling bad while trying to lose weight....

This companion book to the 1980 Census provides the reader with a deeper understanding of day-to-day life in America from 1980 to 1989. Readers will uncover how American life was affected by the fall of the Berlin Wall, the rise of the Computer Age, and Reagan-era prosperity and decadence. Collecting information from government surveys, social worker histories, economic data, family diaries, letters, newspapers, and magazine features, this book assembles...

From the Publisher: Do you think that you or someone you love may suffer from and eating disorder? Eating Disorders For Dummies gives you the straight facts you need to make sense of what's happening inside you and offers a simple step-by-step procedure for developing a safe and health plan for recovery. This practical, reassuring, and gentle guide explains anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder in plain English, as well as other disorders such...

"Eager to change the world? Learn how you can have a greater social impact through your everyday purchases. The money we routinely spend on food, clothes, gifts, and even indulgences is an untapped superpower. What would happen if we slowed down to make more thoughtful decisions about what we buy? For "mom and pop" stores across the country, and artisan and agricultural communities around the world, every purchase matters. Consumers--whether individuals,...