Bøger udgivet af Prometheus Books

Steady, Calm, and Brave is a practical guidebook for life's most difficult moments. Meditation teacher Kimberly Brown shows you how to meet unexpected circumstances--a serious health crisis, a looming natural disaster, a terrifying accident--with patience, clarity, and kindness. You'll learn how to support yourself and others with simple mindfulness exercises and compassion techniques drawn from the Buddhist tradition. These transformative practices will help you manage anxiety and cope with loss. You'll discover you can truly engage with your struggles and create a sense of ease and peace and resilience even in the worst moments. With relatable stories and beneficial Buddhist teachings, Steady, Calm, and Brave offers soothing support for anyone facing extraordinary challenges. It's a path to self-compassion and comfort in the midst of uncertainty, that illuminates how to survive a crisis without falling apart, running away, or losing your mind. With insightful reflections and exercises, you'll develop the wisdom and understanding you need to face intense difficulty, and the confidence to recognize you have all the tools you need to survive--and even thrive--in a crisis and beyond.

Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) is not only an assault on the body--it is also an assault on the mind and spirit. In addition to imposing a significantly higher rate of conditions like depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, sexual exploitation, intimate partner violence, suicidality, and substance abuse, the most devastating consequences of childhood sexual abuse is shame. Freedom at Last will help former victims recover from all aspects of this extreme shame and its damaging after-effects. In this groundbreaking book, leading psychotherapist Beverly Engel reveals the truth about how shame affects victims, explains the nuances behind the emotion of shame, and teaches readers how to develop more self-awareness about how shame has manifested in their lives, along with powerful and effective shame-reduction strategies. Not only does shame from CSA cause a multitude of problems, this very same shame stands in the way of a victim's ability to recover and heal..Freedom at Last offers effective strategies for not only healing the negative effects of abuse-related shame, but also the emotional barriers to disclosing abuse and seeking help due to difficulties trusting others and self-blame. Using cutting-edge research along with her thirty-five years of experience working with victims of child sexual abuse, Engel provides a blueprint for readers to overcome the debilitating effects of shame, including strategies for emotional release, disclosing the abuse, practicing self-forgiveness, eliminating shame-causing behaviors, including sexual compulsions and addictions.

From the Black Lives Matter movement to the health and economic disparities exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic, Americans have been forced to reckon with our country's fraught history - and present - of racial bias and inequality. Now that we have scratched the surface on courageous conversations about race, many are wondering: what is the next step towards healing and justice? Lies About Black People: How to Combat Racist Stereotypes and Why it Matters is designed for anyone who wants to examine their own biases and behaviors with a deeper critical lens in order to take action, make change, and engage positively in the fight for racial equality. In this honest and welcoming book, diversity and inclusion expert, professor, and award-winning speaker Dr. Omekongo Dibinga argues that we must embark on a massive undertaking to re-educate ourselves on the stereotypes that have proven harmful, and too often deadly, to the Black community. Through personal anecdotes, nuanced historical inquiry, and engaging analysis of modern-day events and their historical context and implications, this invaluable guide will break down some of the most powerful lies told about Black people. Whether those lies are pernicious, like the idea that "most black people are criminals," or seemingly innocuous, like the notion that "black people can't swim," all of the lies and stereotypes combatted in this book are rooted in hate and continue to undermine not only Black people in America, but our society as a whole. Beyond combatting these harmful lies, Dr. Dibinga also provides readers with powerful insights on our racial vocabulary, reflective hands-on exercises that will allow readers to confront and change their own biases, and an honest discussion about how to move beyond misplaced shame and use privilege to serve others. Featuring personal surveys alongside real-life interviews with those who have been affected by racial biases first-hand, this open and thoughtful guide will lead readers on a path to understanding, action, and change.

Did the ancient Greeks and Romans have conspiracy theories? Did they come close to an industrial revolution? Did they drink beer?In a series of fast-paced essays, this book answers forty questions that ancient historian Garrett Ryan has been asked in the classroom and through his popular YouTube channel ToldinStone. As in Dr. Ryan's previous book. Naked Statues, Fat Gladiators, and War Elephants, the emphasis is on the fascinating details of daily life in the classical world.Discover the answers to: Did the ancient Greeks and Romans have tattoos?Did they practice Buddhism?Did they know when the Pyramids were built?Did a tsunami inspire the story of Atlantis?How deadly was the eruption that destroyed Pompeii?What was it like to live through the fall of the Roman Empire?Why are ancient cities buried?What happened to the treasures of the Roman emperors?How much was lost when the Library of Alexandria burned?

At the turn of the twentieth century, a 1901 decree ordered the exhumation and relocation of over 150,000 graves in San Francisco- the only major metropolitan city in America to order a complete eviction of its dead. City of the Dead uncovers this fascinating and forgotten section of American history.

Perhaps no other television show captures our innate fascination with crime and criminals better than the original Forensic Files. Examining true crime cases from murders to insurance fraud, hit-and-runs to kidnappings, every case featured on the show is solved in large part with the help of forensic science like DNA evidence.In Forensic Files Now, author Rebecca Reisner shares her own gripping retellings of 40 favorite cases profiled on the show along with fascinating updates adapted from her popular blog, ForensicFilesNow.com. Featuring classic cases like the Tennessee brothers who terrorized locals for years until the feds rode into town, the Texas lovebirds who robbed a grave in an insurance fraud plot that made international headlines, the Ivy League-educated physician who attempted a fresh start by burying his wife in the basement, and some cases so captivating that they have sparked spinoff miniseries or documentaries of their own, the book will enthrall readers with its vivid recaps and detailed updates.Also featuring an in-depth interview with Forensic Files creator Paul Dowling and a profile on the show's beloved narrator, Peter Thomas, Forensic Files Now is a must-read for diehard Forensic Files fans and a welcome find for true crime readers who are always looking for more riveting and well-told stories.

When Ferrari of Los Gatos opened, few people could afford an expensive sports car. In 1976, the average annual income was $12,686, and a new home cost about $48,000. Motorists in California could only buy gas on odd or even-numbered days based on the last digit of their license plate, due to the global oil crisis. Times were tough, and people were hesitant to take chances, especially with a car that cost more than a house. At the same time, Brian Burnett and his friend Richard Rivoir had the idea of starting a Ferrari dealership. The Dealer is the story of how one dealership, Ferrari of Los Gatos, fueled the rise of the iconic Italian sports car in the U.S. market on its way to becoming the number one Ferrari dealer in North America. Even Enzo Ferrari himself took notice, flying Brian and the other dealers to Italy to show his appreciation for their success. Customers included movie stars, sports celebrities, entertainers, and some with unusual sources of income and a strong desire for a low profile. Along

In this lively and timely tour, neuroscientist Ruth DeFoster and mass communication professor Natashia Swalve lead readers through the history and psychology behind widespread cultural fears of innocuous things, beginning with the most personal fears within our own bodies and moving outward to the home, our country, and finally to culture at its largest level.

James Randi leaves a towering legacy as an internationally known magician, escape artist, and devoted investigator of the paranormal, occult, and supernatural claims that have captured the thinking of the public for generations. From ESP and psychokinesis, psychic detectives, levitation, psychic surgery, and even UFOs and astrology, Randi dedicated his life to exposing frauds and swindlers. Forty years after the original publication of his landmark book, Flim-Flam! remains a classic, with insights that are still relevant today - and perhaps even more so. In this timeless and timely book, Randi famously explores and exposes outrageous deceptions that plague our minds and media. Unafraid to call researchers to account for their failures and impostures, Randi tells us that we have been badly served by scientists who have failed to follow the procedures required by their training and traditions. Mr. Randi provides readers with a compelling and convincing document that will startle and enlighten all who continue to seek out the truth.

In this compelling argument for a new direction in U.S. energy policy, a world-renowned engineer and the bestselling author of "The Case for Mars" lays out a bold plan for breaking the economic stranglehold that the OPEC oil cartel has on our country and the world.

In the last few decades, as new reproductive technologies have been developed, couples desiring children have increasingly turned to various medical interventions when natural conception has been unsuccessful. These new technologies have raised ethical concerns from various quarters, including medical ethics committees, the American Fertility Society, and the Roman Catholic Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.In this informative overview of the ethical implications of reproductive technologies, philosopher Richard T. Hull offers a cross-section of the thinking of individuals specializing in the ethical and legal problems involved in this new area of medicine.The contributors reflect interests as varied as those of the enthusiastic proponent of the new reproductive technologies, the feminist opposing the exploitation of women, the social critic worrying about erosion of the responsibilities of parenting, and the traditionalist concerned with the transformation of the fundamental moral fabric and social character of the family. Many of the chapters include cases for further discussion and reflection. Also included are three speculative scenarios: selections from Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale, Aldous Huxley's Brave New World, and Gena Corea's report of the drive to develop an artificial womb.New to this edition are a glossary, which provides succinct definitions of highly technical terms and Web sites for further information, and a thorough index.This excellent collection of expert articles will stimulate appreciation of the complex and mutitiered character of moral decision-making as it is experienced by patients, medical professionals, and legislators and jurists charged with preserving, protecting, and applying justly the principles of society.

New treatments and advances in therapy for the ravages of Parkinson's disease are constantly being researched and perfected for patients, yet those afflicted still must endure tremors, poor balance, speech problems, and lessened psychological well-being. Patients and families need the most up-to-date information available to improve quality of care and life.This new, second edition of Caring for the Parkinson Patient covers a variety of topics, providing information and helpful suggestions for patients, families, and caregivers to aid them as they grapple with this chronic, debilitating neurological disorder. Sixteen accessible and information-packed essays by noted contributors address diagnosis and treatment, new research, communication, physical/ occupational therapy, nursing care, problems faced by the caregiver, emotional changes, "neurorehab," prevention of falls, sleep problems, surgery, community supports, the family, sexuality, and safe home environments.With a wealth of information, practical advice, and encouragement, Caring for the Parkinson Patient is an indispensable resource guide for all those touched by Parkinson's disease.

A milestone of child psychology, The Child's Conception of the World explores the ways in which the reasoning powers of young children differ from those of adults.

The enigmatic Nikola Tesla--stalked by his ever-present inner demons--invents the modern world. His astonishing story is that of a new-age god, a genius, a Zeus, a wonderful Wizard, yet a deeply troubled one. He tames the mysterious force called "electricity;" he dazzles the world with his endless inventions and discoveries; he blazes new paths in science that profoundly impact our daily lives; he turns fantasies into realities; his thought experiments disrupt scientific norms; he gives us many of the indispensable tools we use today; and famous actresses and chanteuses clamor for his attention as powerful men desire to be his friend . . . all before an astonished world. Yet all the while he keeps his own counsel, as he simultaneously struggles with the challenging consequences of bipolar disorder: flights of manic energy alternating with depressive depths of great despair. He shuns the clichés of a quotidian life, while forever seeking to "lift the burdens from the shoulders of mankind." It would become his li

One of the most influential thinkers in the history of the West was Socrates of Athens (469-399 BCE). Literally, thousands of books and other works of art have been devoted to him, yet his character and the tenets of his philosophy remain elusive. Even his contemporaries had very different impressions of him, and since he himself left no writings to posterity, we can only wonder: Who was this man really? What ideas and ideals can be truthfully associated with him? What is the basis for the extraordinary influence he has exerted throughout history?Philosopher Luis E. Navia presents a compelling portrayal of Socrates in this very readable and well-researched book, which is both a biography of the man and an exploration of his ideas. Through a critical and documented study of the major ancient sources about Socrates -- in the writings of Aristophanes, Xenophon, Plato, and Aristotle -- Navia reconstructs a surprisingly consistent portrait of this enigmatic philosopher. He links Socrates' conviction that the unexamined life is not worth living with Immanuel Kant's later concept of an innate moral imperative as the only meaningful purpose of human existence. He highlights Socrates' unrelenting search for the essence and value of the soul as that aspect of his philosophical journey that animated and structured all his activities. Navia also considers Socrates' relationship with the Sophists, his stance vis-à-vis the religious beliefs and practices of his time, his view of the relationship between legality and morality, and the function of language in human life. Finally, he eloquently captures the Socratic legacy, which, more than twenty-four centuries after his death, is still so urgently relevant today. Navia brings to life this perennially important philosopher, illuminating the relevance of his ideas for our modern world.

The inspiring story of a little-known hero's pivotal role in the American Revolutionary WarDuring the brutal winter of 1775-1776, an untested Boston bookseller named Henry Knox commandeered an oxen train hauling sixty tons of cannons and other artillery from Fort Ticonderoga near the Canadian border. He and his men journeyed some three hundred miles south and east over frozen, often-treacherous terrain to supply George Washington for his attack of British troops occupying Boston. The result was the British surrender of Boston and the first major victory for the Colonial Army. This is one of the great stories of the American Revolution, still little known by comparison with the more famous battles of Concord, Lexington, and Bunker Hill. Told with a novelist's feel for narrative, character, and vivid description, The Noble Train brings to life the events and people at a time when the ragtag American rebels were in a desperate situation. Washington's army was withering away from desertion and expiring enlistments. Typhoid fever, typhus, and dysentery were taking a terrible toll. There was little hope of dislodging British General Howe and his 20,000 British troops in Boston--until Henry Knox arrived with his supply convoy of heavy armaments. Firing down on the city from the surrounding Dorchester Heights, these weapons created a decisive turning point. An act of near desperation fueled by courage, daring, and sheer tenacity led to a tremendous victory for the cause of independence.This exciting tale of daunting odds and undaunted determination highlights a pivotal episode that changed history.

The 1930s still conjure painful images: the great want of the Depression, and overseas, the exuberant crowds motivated by self-appointed national saviors dressing up old hatreds as new ideas. But there was another story that embodied mankind in that decade. In the same year that both Adolf Hitler and Franklin D. Roosevelt came to power, the city of Chicago staged what was, up to that time, the most forward-looking international exhibition in history. The 1933 World's Fair looked to the future, unabashedly, as one full of glowing promise. No technology loomed larger at the Fair than aviation. And no persons at the Fair captured the public's interest as much as the romantic figures associated with it: Italy's internationally renowned chief of aeronautics, Italo Balbo; German Zeppelin designer and captain, Doctor Hugo Eckener; and the husband-and-wife aeronaut team of Swiss-born Jean Piccard and Chicago-born Jeannette Ridlon Piccard. This golden age of aviation and its high priests and priestesses portended to

"The West will begin to understand Africa when it realizes it's not talking to a child--it's talking to its mother." So writes Jeff Pearce in the introduction to his fascinating, groundbreaking work, The Gifts of Africa: How a Continent and Its People Changed the World. We learn early on in school how Europe and Asia gave us important literature, science, and art, and how their nations changed the course of history. But what about Africa? There are plenty of books that detail its colonialism, corruption, famine, and war, but few that discuss the debt owed to African thinkers and innovators. In The Gifts of Africa, we meet Zera Yacob, an Ethiopian philosopher who developed the same critical approach and several of the same ideas as René Descartes. We consider how Somalis traded with China, and we meet the African warrior queens who still inspire national pride. We explore how Liberia's Edward Wilmot Blyden deeply influenced Marcus Garvey, and we sneak into the galleries and theaters of 1920s Paris, where Af

Salado Creek, Texas, 1918: Thirteen black soldiers stood at attention in front of gallows erected specifically for their hanging. They had been convicted of participating in one of America's most infamous black uprisings, the Camp Logan Mutiny, otherwise known as the 1917 Houston Riots. The revolt and ensuing riots were carried out by men of the 3rd Battalion of the all-black 24th U.S. Infantry Regiment--the famed Buffalo Soldiers--after members of the Houston Police Department violently menaced them and citizens of the local black community. It all took place over one single bloody night. In the wake of the uprising, scores lay dead, including bystanders, police, and soldiers. This incident remains one of Texas' most complicated and misrepresented historical events. It shook race relations in Houston and created conditions that sparked a nationwide surge of racial activism. In the aftermath of the carnage, what was considered the "trial of the century" ensued. Even for its time, its profundity and racial sign

Nothing captivates the human imagination like the vast unknowns of space. Ancient petroglyphs present renderings of the heavens, proof that we have been gazing up at the stars with wonder for thousands of years. Since then, mankind has systematically expanded our cosmic possibilities. What were once flights of fancy and dreams of science fiction writers have become nearly routine - a continuous human presence orbiting the Earth, probes flying beyond our solar system, and men walking on the moon. NASA and the Russian space program make traveling to the stars look easy, but it has been far from that. Space travel is a sometimes heroic, sometimes humorous, and always dangerous journey fraught with perils around every corner that most of us have never heard of or have long since forgotten. Space Oddities brings these unknown, offbeat, and obscure stories of space to life. From the showmanship and bravado of the earliest known space fatality, German Max Valier, to the first ever indictment under the Espionage Ac

Evolution helps us understand our own humble place in the rich tapestry of life. But what do we know about the theory of evolution itself? Based on the popular podcast of the same name, Evolution Talk reveals how the theory of evolution came to be and how it explains the world around us.Before Charles Darwin, other luminaries planted the seeds that would one day evolve into the theory that would make him famous. Author Rick Coste begins by shining a spotlight on the writers, philosophers, and scientists who planted the seeds that would blossom into the theory of evolution by natural selection, from Aristotle's big ideas to young Mary Anning's discovery of the first ichthyosaur skeleton. After exploring the contributions of Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace, Evolution Talk investigates the very beginnings of life itself. From its genesis in a primordial pond to the endless and beautiful forms which emerged to populate our once barren little planet, adaptations such as altruism, sexual selection, and

A work that has had a profound influence on the study of English and American law, The Province of Jurisprudence Determined is a model of rigorous and clear analysis. With its publication Austin brought order to the disparate elements of a legal profession that up until his time was largely unsystematic. Although he was greatly respected by a small circle of supporters, including Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill, his work received little attention beyond his friends during his lifetime. It was only after Austin's death that his writings began to attract general notice. Then his analysis became the focal point for strong disagreements over the true nature of law, the definition of law as a form of command with implied sanctions, and the problem of differentiating legal authority, political power, and morality. The later fame of his work appears to have resulted from the controversies it generated.Perhaps Austin's most significant contribution was to make a clear distinction between "positive law" (i.e., laws decreed by the sovereign or government) and moral principles (which he terms the "law of God"). In so doing he defined the field of inquiry for later students. Also of interest is the influence of utilitarian philosophy on his analysis: for example, he viewed the principle of social utility as a benchmark for discerning God's commands and hence for judging the overall moral quality of rules of conduct.Whether one agrees or disagrees with Austin's analysis, it is clear that his work is now established as indispensable for all discussions of jurisprudence.

English biologist Thomas Henry Huxley (1825-95) was the foremost advocate of Darwin's theory of evolution, which he was "prepared to go to the stake" to defend. The controversies surrounding Darwin in the Victorian age became a vehicle for Huxley to gain power in intellectual, institutional, and political arenas.Yet in this investigation of Huxley's motivations in science, Sherrie L. Lyons uncovers Huxley's skepticism of two basic tenets of Darwin's theory - natural selection and gradualism. His criticism of Darwinian science as being too simplistic led to a strengthening of evolutionary theory, rather than a weakening of it. A self-appointed defender of truth, Huxley developed his own research program, examining philosophy prior to Darwin in an effort to fill the holes in evolutionary theory. Lyons also looks at Huxley's conversion from saltation to gradualism, and his views on progression and the fossil record.As Huxley's interest in developmental morphology continues to be crucial in studying problems in comparative anatomy, embryology, paleontology, and evolution, this book is essential to students of Darwin, Huxley, and the scientific enterprise.

A guide to fresh water animals and plants, including suggestions for collecting specimens from ponds and brooks and caring for them in aquaria.

Dealing with some of the most heinous crimes imaginable, forensic neuropsychologist and psychoanalyst Dr. Richard Lettieri gives a behind-the-scenes look at criminal psychology through case studies from his over 30 years of experience as a court-appointed and privately retained psychologist.With cases like Michael, who stabbed his mother in the back believing she was the evil force causing the sun to descend upon the earth and gobble him up, and Tina, who seriously injured her boyfriend and stabbed his son to death, Decoding Madness is filled with gripping stories and forensic analysis. Through psychological examination, it is the author's job to conclude whether these individuals are truly guilty and understand their actions are wrong, or if these individuals are not guilty by reason of insanity and instead require treatment.Decoding Madness offers a nuanced psychological understanding of defendants and their personal complexities beyond the usual clinical accounts. The book introduces the novel idea of the daimonic as a basic force of human nature that is the source of our constructive and destructive capacities and argues for an update to the criminal justice system's perspective on rationality and conscious thinking.Featuring new findings and personal insights, Dr. Lettieri presents an engrossing view of the psychology of defendants accused of committing heinous crimes and the insight that they provide towards the human mind.

The inside story of China's organtransplant business and its macabre connection with internment camps and killing fields for arrested dissidents, especially the adherents of Falun Gong. Mass murder is alive and well. That is the stark conclusion of this comprehensive investigation into the Chinese state's secret program to get rid of political dissidents while profiting from the sale of their organs--in many cases to Western recipients. Based on interviews with top-ranking police officials and Chinese doctors who have killed prisoners on the operating table, veteran China analyst Ethan Gutmann has produced a riveting insider's account--culminating in a death toll that will shock the world. Why would the Chinese leadership encourage such a dangerous perversion of their medical system? To solve the puzzle, Gutmann journeyed deep into the dissident archipelago of Falun Gong, Tibetans, Uighurs and House Christians, uncovering an ageless drama of resistance, eliciting confessions of deep betrayal and moments of ecstatic redemption. In an age of compassion fatigue, Gutmann relies on one simple truth: those who have made it back from the gates of hell have stories to tell. And no matter what baggage the reader may bring along, their preconceptions of China will not survive the trip.

For more than thirty years, Skeptical Inquirer has steadfastly championed science and reason, and has been the leading voice for reliable scientific examination of the paranormal and other questionable claims popularized by the media and mass culture. In this collection of outstanding articles, editor Kendrick Frazier has selected some of the best writing on topics of current interest. Among the highlights are:- "A Skeptical Look at September 11th," which prompted a drove of responses (many angry) and was selected by Richard Dawkins for the Best Science and Nature Writing of 2003. - Carl Sagan's final question-and-answer piece on the topic of science and skeptical inquiry.- Ann Druyan's beautifully expressed "Science, Religion, Wonder, and Awe."- NASA scientist Stuart Jordan's excellent appraisal of the scientific evidence for global warming, which prompted much critical response and led to another follow-up article. - Perspectives by Judge John E. Jones III, Barbara Forrest, David Morrison, Massimo Pigliucci, and Charles Sullivan and Cameron McPherson Smith on the evolution vs. intelligent design controversy. - Articles by physicians Steven Novella and Richard G. Judelsohn that strongly defend the value of vaccinations and critique the anti-vaccination movement. Additional distinguished contributors include Mario Bunge, Martin Gardner, Paul Kurtz, Chris Mooney, Steven Pinker, Ray Hyman, Joe Nickell, and many others. This collection of stimulating articles exploring science and skeptical inquiry, examining public controversies, and investigating pseudoscientific claims is a must for scientists, educators, skeptics, and everyone concerned about scientific literacy.

She¿s Gone collects the true stories of five different women living in different decades who all have one thing in common: one moment they were busy living their lives and the next moment ¿ they were gone.