Bøger af Stephen H. Provost

The Osiris Testament completes the Phoenix Chronicles trilogy begun with The Gospel of the Phoenix and continued with The Way of the Phoenix. The Osiris Testament is a poetic look at humanity's creation and the development of Western mythic tradition from a new perspective. Just as the Gospel of the Phoenix set forth a new version of Jesus' life and The Way of the Phoenix offered a collection of new, original parables and proverbs, the Osiris Testament draws from Mesopotamian, Hebrew, Egyptian, Norse, Greek and Celtic sources to weave a new narrative corresponding loosely to the Pentateuch. As with its companion volumes, this work is for those who enjoy the works of Kahlil Gibran and Robert Graves, and students of the interplay between myth and ancient history.

"The Way of the Phoenix" is a companion volume to "The Gospel of the Phoenix." As the latter book explored the life of Jesus from a new perspective, this work uses the style of wisdom literature to offer insights into life, ethics and meaning. "The Way of the Phoenix" is divided into two sections. The first is a series of tales modeled after the parables of Jesus, the fables of Aesop, the stories of Hans Christian Andersen and others. The second is a series of teachings in the style of proverbs, sayings and aphorisms, grouped according to subject matter. All the material here is original, but the subjects are familiar. "The Way of the Phoenix" is a work in the tradition of Kahlil Gibran, Paul Coelho and others who have used the language of legend and fable to tell new stories based on timeless truths.

U.S. Highway 50 in Nevada has been called America's loneliest road. There are other lonesome stretches of highway, but the band of asphalt from the Utah state line to Lake Tahoe is more than worthy of the title. For vast distances, it extends toward the horizon in an unbroken line, attended only by sagebrush, all-but-deserted mining towns, and empty spaces. he high desert of eastern Nevada is populated mostly with wild horses, antelopes, jackrabbits - and perhaps even a few ghosts. This path through the heart of the West's most rugged landscape began as the Overland Trail, traveled by riders on the Pony Express. Next came the groundbreaking Lincoln Highway, the first transcontinental road. America's Loneliest Road retraces these pioneering trails and roads in a historical travelogue accompanied by some 400 vintage and modern images. You'll visit places like the McGill Drug Store, the International Hotel in Austin, and the Hotel Nevada in Ely. You'll rediscover abandoned pavement, and you'll explore ghost towns like Hamilton and Lane City as you trace this desolate road and its evolution from the late 19th century to today. Ely, Virginia City, Carson City, Fallon, and Lake Tahoe are stops along the way. Much of your trek may seem lonely and even haunted, but there's far more life on this historic Nevada highway than meets the eye. You'll meet characters like Mark Twain, famed opera singer Emma Nevada, tunnel-builder Adolph Sutro, and more than your share of ghosts. Come along on a journey to discover what lies on America's Loneliest Road. You'll be glad you did.

Our highways are a microcosm of American life itself, and nowhere is that truer than in the South. You'll find things here you won't find anywhere else. You'll find a host of roadside traditions that started out in the South and spread nationwide, from Chick-fil-A to Cracker Barrel, from KFC to Krispy Kreme. No matter where you live, you owe more to the South than you probably realize. It's given us fried chicken and barbecue, NASCAR and Mayberry. It's a region rich in history and tradition, steeped in pride and tainted by prejudice. To travel the Highways of the South is to travel through a time capsule, past '30s diners, motels from the '40s, drive-ins from the '50s, and the billboards of today. You'll pass dinosaurs and giant chickens, Waffle Houses and Muffler men. You can even sleep in a wigwam or see seven states from Lookout Mountain - or so they say. Illustrated with 400 historic and contemporary images, Volume III of America's Historic Highways takes you on a trip along the highways to discover it all. Experience the legends and legacies that lie along these iconic roads. This book is a companion to Yesterday's Highways and America's First Highways.

How did we get here? Why did evangelical Christianity stray so far from the teachings of Jesus? And how has that decision helped divide us more than ever?In the Gospel of Matthew, the devil offered Jesus "all the kingdoms of the world" if he would bow before him. Jesus refused. But many have taken the devil up on this offer. They've traded Jesus' invisible kingdom of heaven for a tangible empire here on earth. They've done it in the name of nationalism, school prayer, the unborn, and, yes, segregation. But more than anything else, they've done it to preserve their favored status as "the chosen" even as their numbers decline. Today, many evangelical activists place loyalty above character and blind faith ahead of principle. They've abandoned Jesus for a different kind of savior: a militant messiah like King David, who slept with his friend's wife, then arranged to have him killed - but who established a theocratic kingdom on earth. That's what they want. Not a democracy or a republic, but the rule of God. Their impulse to empire dates back to the fifth century, when the African bishop Augustine argued that faith should be compulsory. Their blind faith has birthed scams by televangelists, and conspiracy theories, from the Salem witch hunts to social media. They consider themselves a chosen people, a "moral majority," and they've used this special status to justify racism, conquest, and oppression. Jesus, You're Fired explores the history, theology, and motives behind the movement to exchange the kingdom of heaven for an earthly empire. And to replace Jesus with a different kind of messiah.

YOU'LL NEVER READ ABOUT MUSIC THE SAME WAY AGAIN. Pop metal burst onto the scene in 1980s along with Reaganomics, video games, and Apple Computers. You either loved it or you hated it, but it was impossible to avoid. Bands like Def Leppard, Bon Jovi, and Poison were all over MTV, vying with Madonna and Michael Jackson for musical supremacy. And then, in a flash, it was gone: as suddenly obsolete in 1992 as disco was in 1980. But there's a lot more to this music than meets the ear. It didn't appear out of nowhere, and it didn't vanish, either. Pop Goes the Metal traces the musical and cultural phenomenon that came to be known, both derisively and affectionately, as "hair metal." Musically, it was rooted in the British Invasion, power pop, and early heavy metal. Visually, it began with Bowie and Sweet and T. Rex, and kept right on going through Kiss and Alice Cooper to Poison and Twisted Sister. Travel to L.A.'s Sunset Strip scene that gave birth to Van Halen, Mötley Crüe, Guns N' Roses, and halfway around the world to explore the New Wave of British Heavy Metal. Revisit the early years of MTV, the era of heavy metal magazines, the "Satanic Panic," and the PMRC; read about overdoses, car crashes, unscrupulous managers, and concert chaos. Growing up in the suburbs meant playing air guitar to vinyl and cassettes, or waiting for the DJ to play your favorite songs on album rock radio - which never happened often enough. Pop Goes the Metal captures an era and a musical movement indelibly impressed, for better or worse, in the souls and memories of millions. It served as the soundtrack to our youth and it's still playing in our heads. So Cum on Feel the Noize as you relive the memories of this gone-but-not-forgotten time. Even decades later, it's still all about the music.

Before the era of the interstate highway, before there was even a Route 66, there were auto trails. For a brief period in the early 20th century, these privately funded roads bridged the gap between the era of the stagecoach turnpike and the age of the federal highway. With names like the Yellowstone Trail, the National Old Trails Road and the famed Lincoln Highway, they offered the newly unshackled American tourist a way to hit the open road - even if that road was dirt or gravel, and you were liable to get lost along the way. The visionaries who built those roads and the carmakers who made it all possible. Did you know Henry Ford once set the land speed record ... on a frozen lake? Or that the National Football League was founded in an auto dealership? Or that the man behind the Lincoln Highway built the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and made Miami Beach a winter resort? You'll read about the first person to drive from coast to coast in an automobile (with a goggle-wearing bulldog) and the around-the-world contest that inspired the movie The Great Race. You'll also find stories of Dwight Eisenhower's 1919 cross-country trip that helped convince him of the need for an interstate highway system; and the auto camping craze that led to the first motels. But most of all, you'll learn about the auto trails themselves: How they came into being, their role in paving the way our federal highways, and their eventual demise. It's all here in a single volume packed with details and more than 200 historic and modern images. America's First Highways is a companion to Yesterday's Highways and Volume II in the America's Historic Highways Series.

Some politicians use the media to their advantage. Others reshape it in their image.Had the political force that is Donald J. Trump met the immovable object that was the American news media in the 20th century, the result would have been predictable. Trump would have vanished without a trace, along with such wannabes and also-rans as Edmund Muskie, Howard Dean, Gary Hart and John Edwards. Today, however, the once-powerful Fourth Estate might as well be in foreclosure, shattered into a million pieces by cable television, talk radio and the internet. Newspapers, their stranglehold on information broken, are on life support. Gutted by cost-cutting and consolidation, they see the very same digital platforms that crippled them as their last, best hope for salvation. Television news, meanwhile, has descended from Cronkite and Brinkley into a three-ring circus of breaking news and talking (or shouting) heads. Trump, a carnival barker of a president, has taken for himself the role of ringmaster, using his chaotic style and the power of his office to dominate the spotlight. At once condemning and exploiting the media, he's transformed the presidency into a reality show, complete with multiple scandals and cliffhangers to keep everyone tuned in.He didn't arrive out of nowhere. The way for his ascent was paved by the media themselves, hungry for drama to stoke ratings and boost subscriptions. When cable and the internet began siphoning off readers/viewers by targeting their built-in biases, the nation became polarized and the gloves came off. Civility was sidelined, spin became the MVP, and the referees - the mainstream media - were benched.This is the story of how carnival journalism has supplanted and, in some cases, co-opted what's left of the mainstream media, and how politicians like Trump have both fueled and profited from the change. Is any of this good for the nation? A game without a referee might be more fun to watch, but is it fair? Media Meltdown provides the answers.

A new fairytale in the classic tradition, "Feathercap" is a short story for children and adults alike. Illustrated with classic woodcuts from the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries, it's a holiday love letter from the author to his wife that he's decided to share with everyone. An enchanted tale of life's ebbs and flows, the mysteries of nature and the magic of one boy's dream, "Feathercap" is sure to delight readers of all ages.

Martinsville isn't your typical Virginia town. It's been the plug tobacco capital of the world and the sweatshirt capital of the world. It hosts two stock-car races each year at the oldest speedway on the NASCAR circuit. And Patrick Henry once lived just down the road. Martinsville is a place of verdant beauty and blue skies a few miles north of the North Carolina state line, in the Goldilocks zone: seldom too hot in summer or too cold in winter. It has thrived as the town with the nation's most millionaires per capita and struggled through factory closures during the era of globalization. Packed with more than 300 images and chock full of details, Martinsville Memories is a look at a diverse town built on tobacco, textiles and furniture that occupies a unique place in the nation's fabric and history. From its the town's historic beginnings through its 20th century heyday, this volume offers a nostalgic trek through time, with stops at drive-ins, old hotels and iconic storefronts along the way. Martinsville Memories doesn't stop at the city limits, but gives the reader a tour of surrounding communities such as Collinsville, Ridgeway, Bassett, Axton, and Spencer as well. With a foreword by author and Martinsville native Stephen Mark Rainey, Martinsville Memories captures the triumphs and struggles of a city at the heart of the South and the soul of America.

She was the first player to sign a contract in the first women's professional basketball league, paving the way for the WNBA. She set records for the most points in a season, in a game, and in a playoff game that still stand four decades later. Yet few people know the story of Molly Bolin. Her shooting stroke evoked comparisons to Stephen Curry and earned her the nickname "Machine Gun Molly." She appeared in a movie with Pete Maravich and in a poster that made her the sports world's answer to Farrah Fawcett. But perhaps most impressively, she overcame the odds time and again through hard work and dedication. This is the story of a young girl from a small town in Iowa who had a dream, pursued it and made it come true. This is the legend of Molly Bolin.

They dared to be different: to shoot three-point shots, play football in the summer and baseball in skirts. They fielded teams with names like the Chicago Whales and Virginia Squires in leagues like the ABA, AAFC and WHL. They were innovators and outlaws, playing in rundown arenas and without TV contracts but making the kind of memories you don't find in prime time. You'll read stories of: - The high-scoring basketball star who was so volatile an opposing team once hired five boxers to stand guard at courtside - and who disappeared, never to be heard from again, on a trip to Africa.- The Hall of Famer who came out of retirement at age 45 to play alongside his two sons, leading his new team to a championship and winning the MVP Award.- The first superstar of women's basketball, who had a jump shot like Stephen Curry's and even wore his number. - George Steinbrenner's first big signing: the two-time college basketball player of the year.- The NBA legend whose poor eyesight led to him to design the ABA's red-white-and-blue basketball.- The man who built Wrigley Field and the team that played there before the Cubs called it home.- The hard-partying skater who signed the richest contract in pro sports but wound up sleeping on a park bench after he lost it all.- The team owner who warned Donald Trump he'd have "no regrets whatsoever" punching him "right in the mouth." - The batting champion who hit like Ty Cobb but was banned from baseball. (No, it's not Shoeless Joe Jackson.)- The team that was supposed to bring NFL football to Los Angeles nine years before the Rams moved west from Cleveland.Illustrated with dozens of photos and filled with statistics, "A Whole Different League" brings these memories and much more together in a single volume that covers everything from bowling to Negro League baseball. It's a look at the "other" leagues that helped shape the way our favorite sports are played today, even if they themselves are all but forgotten.

Have you ever wanted to plug your ears and scream after hearing a newscaster, politician, sports announcer or your boss use THAT word again? You know the one: that buzzword or cliche that sets your teeth on edge because you've heard it so often? It doesn't really mean anything. It's just there. On people's lips. In the newspaper. On television. Everywhere, all the time. Well, chances are, it's here, too, in this irreverent look at some of the things people say far too often while giving them far too little thought. Consider this book your last line of defense against the banal inanities that assault your ears on a daily basis. Its purpose is to poke fun at them, which is really all most of them are good for: poking fun at. "Please Stop Saying That!" is a no-holds-barred, sarcastic look at the catch phrases used in politics, religion, sports, business, pop culture and elsewhere. You'll never look at (or listen to) jargon quite the same way again.

Journey back into the mists of time and discover a new myth about an ancient legend. Meet an old wizard caught between two ambitious kings who discovers and unexpected visitor on the doorstep of his woodland home - a visitor who will change his life forever.Join that visitor, Tara, as she flies to the ends of the earth to seek help from another kindly wizard and his acolyte, who have harnessed the magic of fire. That magic has fallen into the wrong hands, and Tara must race against time to save her friend's woodland home from disaster. She will need help from an insightful gray tabby named Argentus and a mysterious woman who is more than she appears.Where did our stories of dragons originate? How did this mighty creature come to breathe fire, and whose treasure did it guard? Why does the dragon figure so prominently in the legends lands 5,000 miles apart: feared in the West but beloved in the East? Learn what Tara and her friends learn as she becomes The Only Dragon. The answers to all these questions and more lie within ... if you believe.

After the dangerous adventure that killed her in Memortality, Minerva Rus has reconciled herself to being dead. She and her also-dead boyfriend Raven share an amazing gift that allows them to bring the dead back to life--including each other. Now that Jules, their most dangerous enemy, has been banished from reality and trapped inside her own mind, Minerva and Raven plan on enjoying the eternity of their unnatural lives. But immortality isn't safe. Minerva and Raven's life-giving powers mysteriously fade, forcing them to take refuge in The Between, a shadowy realm of memories that lies between life and death. What's more, their old adversary Jules is on the loose, partnered with a resurrected Nazi scientist planning a monstrous experiment that will change the destiny of the human race. And now it's up to a 21-year-old dead girl to save the world--again.--