Bringing Progress to Paradise

Author: Jeff Rasley
Publisher: Conari Press
ISBN: 1609252896
Category : Travel
Languages : en
Pages : 258

Book Description
What does it mean to bring progress—schools, electricity, roads, running water—to paradise? Can our consumer culture and desire to “do good” really be good for a community that has survived contentedly for centuries without us? In October 2008, climbing expedition leader and attorney, Jeffrey Rasley, led a trek to a village in a remote valley in the Solu region of Nepal named Basa. His group of three adventurers was only the third group of white people ever seen in this village of subsistence farmers. What he found was a people thoroughly unaffected by Western consumer-culture values. They had no running water, electricity, or anything that moves on wheels. Each family lived in a beautiful, hand-chiseled stone house with a flower garden. Beyond what they already had, it seemed all they wanted was education for the children. He helped them finish a school building already in progress, and then they asked for help getting electricity to their village. Bringing Progress to Paradise describes Rasley’s transformation from adventurer to committed philanthropist. We are attracted to the simpler way of life in these communities, and we are changed by our experience of it. They are attracted to us, because we bring economic benefits. Bringing Progress to Paradise offers Rasley’s critical reflection on the tangled relationship between tourists and locals in “exotic” locales and the effect of Western values on some of the most remote locations on earth.

The Seasons of Change

Author: Carol L. McClelland
Publisher: Conari Press
ISBN: 1609252608
Category : Self-Help
Languages : en
Pages : 333

Book Description
A wise, helpful book that provides practical tools for one of modern life's greatest challenges -- Change. True help for everyone -- no matter what difficult or exciting transition you are in! Provides a model based on the four seasons to help align you with natural forces. Using a simple questionnaire, you can discover where you are in your transition process, how to move forward, and how to not get off track. Includes advice for building a strong support network for times of change.

Ecuadorothy

Author: Dorothy E. Groszhans
Publisher: Author House
ISBN: 1496925505
Category : Travel
Languages : en
Pages : 249

Book Description
This is a true story of travel with my indelicate progeny--two daughters of vastly different temperaments. And I, a shallow person, bitter and envious of all I see, lacking in courage but with delusions of grandeur, reluctantly agree to go along. Follow the drama of our insignificant sparring, dueling squabbling, and trivial ponderings from northern Ecuador's Otavalo markets, to the coastal city of Puerto López, to the southern Sierra's Cuenca. No huaca (sacred rock) left unturned. (You learn cool new words too.) Ecuadorothy will transport you to another world. Travel with us day and night on adventures, such as: one crabby all night bus ride through Ecuador's hinterlands, riding horses in a coastal tropical forest (okay, we lasted only ten minutes), a whale-less whale tour, not to mention the sudden onset of market madness (there was no vaccination for this particular fever), and a plethora of hideous hikes from hell. You will not be disappointed--like we were. And in the end, through it all, I truly love my experiences in Latin America.

Bring Up the Bodies

Author: Hilary Mantel
Publisher: Henry Holt and Company
ISBN: 1429947659
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 450

Book Description
Winner of the 2012 Man Booker Prize Winner of the 2012 Costa Book of the Year Award The sequel to Hilary Mantel's 2009 Man Booker Prize winner and New York Times bestseller, Wolf Hall delves into the heart of Tudor history with the downfall of Anne Boleyn Though he battled for seven years to marry her, Henry is disenchanted with Anne Boleyn. She has failed to give him a son and her sharp intelligence and audacious will alienate his old friends and the noble families of England. When the discarded Katherine dies in exile from the court, Anne stands starkly exposed, the focus of gossip and malice. At a word from Henry, Thomas Cromwell is ready to bring her down. Over three terrifying weeks, Anne is ensnared in a web of conspiracy, while the demure Jane Seymour stands waiting her turn for the poisoned wedding ring. But Anne and her powerful family will not yield without a ferocious struggle. Hilary Mantel's Bring Up the Bodies follows the dramatic trial of the queen and her suitors for adultery and treason. To defeat the Boleyns, Cromwell must ally with his natural enemies, the papist aristocracy. What price will he pay for Anne's head? Bring Up the Bodies is one of The New York Times' 10 Best Books of 2012, one of Publishers Weekly's Top 10 Best Books of 2012 and one of The Washington Post's 10 Best Books of 2012

Kings of Paradise

Author: Richard Nell
Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN: 9781721140084
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 606

Book Description
Winner of the 2018 IRDA for fantasy #1 Best Seller in Canadian Dark Fantasy 99% liked it (Goodreads) A deformed genius plots vengeance while struggling to survive. A wastrel prince comes of age, finding a power he never imagined. Two worlds are destined to collide. Only one can be king. "This dark fantasy epic will be held up against George R.R. Martin's masterwork, A Song of Ice and Fire. Read this book now so you can act pompous around your friends when HBO turns it into a television series." - Goodreads "Kings of Paradise presents a brutal world of complex yet simple politics, reminiscent of Game of Thrones. An intriguing low-magic world packed with interesting cultures to be further delved. Nell shows considerable skill in displaying his world distinctly through the eyes of his different characters." - Fantasybookreview.co.uk Ruka, called a demon at birth, is a genius. Born malformed and ugly into the snow-covered wasteland of the Ascom, he was spared from death by his mother's love. Now he is an outcast, consumed with hate for those who've wronged him. But to take his vengeance, he must first survive. Across a vast sea in the white-sand island paradise of Sri Kon, Kale is fourth and youngest son of the Sorcerer King. And at sixteen, Kale is a disappointment. As the first prince ever forced to serve with low-born marines, Kale must prove himself and become a man, or else lose all chance of a worthy future, and any hope to win the love of his life. Though they do not know it, both boys are on the cusp of discovery. Their worlds and lives are destined for greatness, or ruin. But in a changing world where ash meets paradise, only one man can be king... The first installment of an epic, low- fantasy trilogy. Kings of Paradise is a dark, bloody, coming-of-age story shaped by culture, politics, and magic. "The novel's brilliant world works on so many levels; it has a rich political landscape, moral complexity, and immense environmental challenges, all told in beautiful, thoughtful prose." - Indiereader "A must for lovers of fantasy, especially those who enjoy losing themselves in a epic tale." - Reader's Favorite "The world that Mr. Nell has created is pretty incredible. But the thing that really made me love this story was the characters he filled that world with." - Goodreads "If Kale changes, Ruka grows and festers like a storm. Without a doubt, the darker of the two characters, I feel Richard Nell has created a compelling and classic character here." Goodreads

To Nepal With Love

Author: Cristi Hegranes
Publisher: ThingsAsian Press
ISBN: 1934159093
Category : Travel
Languages : en
Pages : 218

Book Description
Nepal is far more then a few video nights in Kathmandu and a brief taste of the Himalayas. This book gives a tempting and comprehensive view of where to go and what to do in the farthest reaches of this little-known country. With tips on learning Nepali, where to spend a day or two as a volunteer, where to embark upon a course of meditation, as well as favorite places to eat, shop, and explore, To Nepal With Love gives travelers the chance to enjoy and xperience the country as residents and knowledgeable travelers do.

Songy of Paradise

Author: Gary Panter
Publisher: Fantagraphics Books
ISBN: 1683960289
Category : Art
Languages : en
Pages : 37

Book Description
Fantagraphics is proud to present a major, all-new book by Gary Panter. Songy of Paradise is an inspired interpretation of John Milton’s retelling of the story of Jesus being tempted by Satan after being baptized by John the Baptist and fasting for forty days and nights in the Judaean Desert. Panter’s version doesn’t rely on Milton’s words, but faithfully follows the structure of Milton’s Paradise Regained, with one notable exception: Jesus has been replaced by a hillbilly, Songy, who is on a vision quest before being tempted by a chimeric Satan figure. Gary Panter is one of America’s preeminent artists, designers, and cartoonists, whose work defined the L.A. punk scene and the vibrant work of the television show Pee-Wee’s Playhouse. Songy of Paradise presents Panter’s singular vision in an ornate, hardcover format that does justice to Panter’s densely packed pages, with a stunning two-color stamping on cloth covers. It will be an art object, a brilliant literary experiment, and the most eye-popping graphic novel of 2017.

Finding the Shepherd

Author: Wayne Talbot
Publisher: WestBow Press
ISBN: 1512723681
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 269

Book Description
Finding the Shepherd is pseudo-biographical, taking the reader to the more exciting countries visited by the author as he recounts a quite fictitious life. Blending his love of high mountains, trekking, and motorcycle touring with his search for a personal understanding of God, whom he perceives as his Shepherd, the author traces a fictional version of life from early boyhood to his autumn years in Israel. Each season is not without incident, and along the way he develops a yearning for female companionship without quite understanding whose love he is seeking: a childhood friend or a later acquaintance. An underlying thread throughout the story is the conflict between the beliefs of the authors Christian upbringing and his later affinity for the Jewish faithwhich truly identifies the Shepherd? From a region but dimly described to allow readers to find their own footing, the narrative follows the authors adventures from the craggy mountains of Patagonia to the majestic peaks of the high Himalayas and the quite wonderful people who populate these remote areas of the world.

Right from the Gecko

Author: Cynthia Baxter
Publisher: Bantam
ISBN: 0553903543
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 354

Book Description
Surf’s up . . . and so are the stakes when veterinarian and amateur sleuth Jessica Popper escapes to the land of hula, hibiscus, and geckos for a professional conference. The last time she and boyfriend Nick Burby touched down on the island of Hawaii, Nick caused a volcanic eruption when he unexpectedly popped The Question to commitment-phobic Jess. But this trip proves just as dangerous when Jess befriends an ambitious young reporter whose body later washes up on the sand . . . and someone thinks Jess holds the clue to the killer’s motive. There’s no end of suspects among the exotic flora and fauna, from the victim’s journalistic rivals and a mystery boyfriend to an eccentric beachcomber and a governor’s aide with ties to a controversial biotech firm bringing progress to paradise. One of them is a killer with the chameleon-like ability to stay hidden—and if Jessica doesn’t uncover hula-dunnit in time, she’ll be saying aloha . . . permanently.

The End of Progress

Author: Graeme Maxton
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 0470829982
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 240

Book Description
A cold, hard look at how modern economics has failed us and why we need a new measure of progress Modern economics has fallen short. It has widened the gap between rich and poor. It has not allocated the world's resources fairly. It has brought the West to the brink of financial ruin. It has placed short-term gain before long-term progress. And it has made us focus on the individual, not the society. The end result is a worldwide financial crisis of epic proportions and a planet being scraped clean of the resources needed by future generations, and things are only getting worse. In The End of Progress: How Modern Economics Has Failed Us popular economist Graeme Maxton looks at what went wrong, and what we can do to get ourselves back on track. During the Age of Enlightenment society flourished, propelled by the wonder of new discoveries, radical ideas for economic and social development, and a sense that we all had a responsibility to improve our world. It's time to get back to those ideals, step back and examine our values, and work out what humankind really needs. Presents a chilling look at our current financial system along with a compelling argument for what we need to change Argues for new measures of progress that emphasize what really matters, not personal greed Offers a timely look at our broken society and where we're headed next A thought-provoking, informative book, The End of Progress looks at what got us into our present mess, and shines light onto the road ahead.