122 Results for : paradoxically

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    A Stagnant Art World: Studies in World Art, Book 136 , Hörbuch, Digital, ungekürzt, 17min
    This may seem a funny moment to proclaim that nothing much is happening in art - certainly not in contemporary art. In many ways, the art world has never seemed more vibrant and active, and this activity is increasingly focused on what is defined as contemporary. There hasn’t, in fact, been a moment like this in the relatively recent history of art since the mid-19th century. What was the situation then? The French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars were safely over. These had witnessed a great break up of historic art collections, prominent among them that of the Dukes of Orléans, cadet members of the French royal house. The great shakedown was almost over. There was a new generation of collectors, many of them British, far from aristocratic in origin, and enriched by the booming Industrial Revolution. They were proud of their own success and had great faith in their own time, as superior to the epochs that had preceded it. If one looks at the years of political and economic chaos between 1789 and 1815, as the fortunes of war swayed back and forth, this is not surprising. Many of them lacked the rigorous classical education that had formed most of the great collectors of the past. What appealed to them was art made in the here and now, by their own contemporaries. Anything else seemed too remote to be really interesting - though, paradoxically, they had no objection to historical subjects seen through the eyes of their own time. Hence the huge success of a number of now half-forgotten Victorian artists. ungekürzt. Language: English. Narrator: Jack Wynters. Audio sample: https://samples.audible.de/bk/acx0/105293/bk_acx0_105293_sample.mp3. Digital audiobook in aax.
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    Maggie Smith , Hörbuch, Digital, ungekürzt, 850min
    No one does glamour, severity, girlish charm or tight-lipped witticism better than Dame Maggie Smith, one of Britain's best-loved actors. This new biography shines the stage lights on the life and career of a truly remarkable performer, one whose stage and screen career spans six decades. From her days as a West End star of comedy and revue, Dame Maggie's path would cross with those of the greatest actors, playwrights and directors of the era. Whether stealing scenes from Richard Burton (by his own admission), answering back to Laurence Olivier, or impressing Ingmar Bergman, her career can be seen as a 'Who's Who' of British theatre in the 20th century. This book also covers the little-known period in Canada, a prolific five-season run of leading roles that took place during the height of her success in Hollywood, soon after she won her first Oscar for her signature film The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie. Recently Dame Maggie has been prominent on our screens as ever, with high-profile roles as Violet Crawley, the formidable Dowager Countess of Grantham, in the phenomenally successful television series Downton Abbey, and as Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter film franchise: what she herself describes as 'Miss Jean Brodie in a wizard's hat'. Yet paradoxically she remains an enigmatic figure, rarely appearing in public and carefully guarding her considerable talent. Michael Coveney's absorbing biography, written with the actress' blessing and drawing on personal archives as well as interviews with immediate family and close friends, is therefore as close as it gets to seeing the real Maggie Smith. Read by Sian Thomas. ungekürzt. Language: English. Narrator: Sian Thomas. Audio sample: https://samples.audible.de/bk/orio/000883/bk_orio_000883_sample.mp3. Digital audiobook in aax.
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    Celtic Mythology: Tales of Gods, Goddesses, and Heroes , Hörbuch, Digital, ungekürzt, 451min
    Most people have heard of the Celts - the elusive, ancient tribal people who resided in present-day England, Ireland, Scotland and France. Paradoxically characterized as both barbaric and innocent, the Celts appeal to the modern world as a symbol of a bygone era, a world destroyed by the ambition of empire and the spread of Christianity throughout Western Europe. Despite the pervasive cultural and literary influence of the Celts, shockingly little is known of their way of life and beliefs, because very few records of their stories exist. In this book, for the first time, Philip Freeman brings together the best stories of Celtic mythology. Everyone today knows about the gods and heroes of the ancient Greeks, such as Zeus, Hera, and Hercules, but how many people have heard of the Gaulish god Lugus or the magical Welsh queen Rhiannon or the great Irish warrior Cú Chulainn? We still thrill to the story of the Trojan War, but the epic battles of the Irish Táin Bó Cuailgne are known only to a few. And yet those who have read the stories of Celtic myth and legend - among them writers like J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis - have been deeply moved and influenced by these amazing tales, for there is nothing in the world quite like them. In these stories a mysterious and invisible realm of gods and spirits exists alongside and sometimes crosses over into our own human world; fierce women warriors battle with kings and heroes, and even the rules of time and space can be suspended. Captured in vivid prose these shadowy figures - gods, goddesses, and heroes - come to life for the modern listener. ungekürzt. Language: English. Narrator: Gerard Doyle. Audio sample: https://samples.audible.de/bk/brll/009605/bk_brll_009605_sample.mp3. Digital audiobook in aax.
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    William Wallace: The Life and Legacy of the Scottish Freedom Fighter , Hörbuch, Digital, ungekürzt, 66min
    A false usurper sinks in every foe and liberty returns with every blow. (Blind Harry) William Wallace is one of the most famous freedom fighters in history. Over 700 years after his death he is still remembered as Scotland's beloved hero. But while the movie Braveheart helped make him a household name, and he is commemorated across Scotland as a natural leader and a loyal son of his homeland, he is also "the most mysterious of the leaders of the Scottish resistance to Edward I". This is because, paradoxically, the very famous soldier is also one of the least well known. In fact, the mystery surrounding Wallace is figuring out precisely, or even vaguely, who he was. Where did this champion of Scottish independence come from? Who were his family members? What did he do before emerging from obscurity with the brutal murder of William Heselrig, the English sheriff of Lanark, in May 1297? So little evidence on Wallace's life exists that answering even the most basic questions about him can be a challenge. That said, as one scholar perceptively notes, "the facts are not the reason why he is remembered as a meaningful historical actor". For the admirers Wallace has accumulated over the centuries, the idealized version of what he stood for - weak over strong, justice over injustice, the will of the people over the might of the powerful - is infinitely more important than the historical man himself. Similarly, his English detractors have also focused on image over substance through the years, depicting Wallace as a heartless brute, a cruel traitor, and a blood-hungry outlaw. ungekürzt. Language: English. Narrator: Roger Wood. Audio sample: https://samples.audible.de/bk/acx0/034328/bk_acx0_034328_sample.mp3. Digital audiobook in aax.
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    The Dollar Trap: How the U.S. Dollar Tightened Its Grip on Global Finance , Hörbuch, Digital, ungekürzt, 749min
    The U.S. dollar’s dominance seems under threat. The near collapse of the U.S. financial system in 2008-2009, political paralysis that has blocked effective policymaking, and emerging competitors such as the Chinese renminbi have heightened speculation about the dollar’s looming displacement as the main reserve currency. Yet, as The Dollar Trap powerfully argues, the financial crisis, a dysfunctional international monetary system, and U.S. policies have paradoxically strengthened the dollar’s importance. Eswar Prasad examines how the dollar came to have a central role in the world economy and demonstrates that it will remain the cornerstone of global finance for the foreseeable future. Marshaling a range of arguments and data, and drawing on the latest research, Prasad shows why it will be difficult to dislodge the dollar-centric system. With vast amounts of foreign financial capital locked up in dollar assets, including U.S. government securities, other countries now have a strong incentive to prevent a dollar crash. Prasad takes the listener through key contemporary issues in international finance - including the growing economic influence of emerging markets, the currency wars, the complexities of the China-U.S. relationship, and the role of institutions like the International Monetary Fund - and offers new ideas for fixing the flawed monetary system. Listeners are also given a rare look into some of the intrigue and backdoor scheming in the corridors of international finance. The Dollar Trap offers a panoramic analysis of the fragile state of global finance and makes a compelling case that, despite all its flaws, the dollar will remain the ultimate safe-haven currency. PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your My Library section along with the audio. ungekürzt. Language: English. Narrator: Dennis Holland. Audio sample: https://samples.audible.de/bk/adbl/018234/bk_adbl_018234_sample.mp3. Digital audiobook in aax.
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    Do Less
    'I inhaled Do Less and as I finished, I found myself breathing easier. Important book, perfect timing.' - Glennon Doyle, #1 Sunday Times bestselling author of Untamed"There's nothing particularly easy about being a working mother... But there are some key things we can do to make it easier."In our culture, the way we work isn't working. Our addiction to busyness and obsession with always trying to do more leads us to feel like we're always failing our families, our careers, our spouses, and ourselves.We need to revolutionize the way we work. It's not acceptable to work ourselves to the brink of exhaustion, to constantly be "on-call" and checking our work e-mail around the clock.How do we fix the system? The answer isn't some corporate policy. And it isn't "leaning in." It's a system within ourselves, in our daily work lives, and in our homes.Because the only way to create a new system is to be it.Instead of "leaning in," and "doing it all," entrepreneur and best-selling author Kate Northrup invites you to experiment with doing less. By doing less, paradoxically, you can have - and be - more.In this book, you'll get the permission and tools to change the way you approach your life, and embrace living in tune with the cyclical nature of the feminine. By cutting out the extraneous busyness, you'll have more satisfaction and joy, and you'll let yourself be more often instead of doing all the time."This book will help free many women to fly into the destinies they were born for." - Dr. Shefali Tsabary, New York Times best-selling author
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    Fear, Hate, and Victimhood (eBook, ePUB)
    When Donald Trump announced his campaign for president in 2015, journalists, historians, and politicians alike attempted to compare his candidacy to that of Governor George Wallace. Like Trump, Wallace, who launched four presidential campaigns between 1964 and 1976, utilized rhetoric based in resentment, nationalism, and anger to sway and eventually captivate voters among America's white majority. Though separated by almost half a century, the campaigns of both Wallace and Trump broke new grounds for political partisanship and divisiveness.In Fear, Hate, and Victimhood: How George Wallace Wrote the Donald Trump Playbook, author Andrew E. Stoner conducts a deep analysis of the two candidates, their campaigns, and their speeches and activities, as well as their coverage by the media, through the lens of demagogic rhetoric. Though past work on Wallace argues conventional politics overcame the candidate, Stoner makes the case that Wallace may in fact be a prelude to the more successful Trump campaign.Stoner considers how ideas about "in-group" and "out-group" mentalities operate in politics, how anti-establishment views permeate much of the rhetoric in question, and how expressions of victimhood often paradoxically characterize the language of a leader praised for "telling it like it is." He also examines the role of political spectacle in each candidate's campaigns, exploring how media struggles to respond to-let alone document-demagogic rhetoric.Ultimately, the author suggests that the Trump presidency can be understood as an actualized version of the Wallace presidency that never was. Though vast differences exist, the demagogic positioning of both men provides a framework to dissect these times-and perhaps a valuable warning about what is possible in our highly digitized information society.
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    Hollywood Sports Movies and the American Dream (eBook, PDF)
    Through the heart of Hollywood cinema runs an unexpected current of progressive politics. Sports movies, a genre that has flourished since the mid-seventies, evoke the American dream and therefore represent the nation to itself in idealized form. Once considered mere credos for Reaganism's fantasies of an atomized society, movies from Rocky (1976) to Ali (2001) dream of democratic participation and recognition more than individual success, for in every case, off-field relationships take precedence over on-field competition. Arranged chronologically, Hollywood Sports Films and the American Dream is a critical study of six major sports films that re-tells the story of multiculturalism's gradual adoption in the latter third of the 20th century and rewrites contemporary understandings of the sports film. For author Grant Wiedenfeld, the mainstream's first minority heroes are paradoxically white ethnic, rural, working-class men, exemplified by Rocky, Slap Shot (1977) and The Natural (1984) and Black, brown, and women characters follow in White Men Can't Jump (1992), A League of Their Own (1992), and Ali. But despite their insistence on community and diversity these popular dramas show limited faith in civic institutions and point to the limits of inclusion and participation in the post-Civil Rights era. Hannah Arendt, Jeffrey Alexander, and others inform Wiedenfeld's original analysis and commentary on the political significance of popular culture as he insists on the cinema's capabilities as an engine for democracy untethered from more conventional 'democratic' institutions. Reading these familiar movies from another angle paints a fresh picture of how the United States has imagined democracy since its bicentennial and renews the political efficacy of one of the most popular genres in film history.
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    • Price: 18.95 EUR excl. shipping
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    Hollywood Sports Movies and the American Dream (eBook, ePUB)
    Through the heart of Hollywood cinema runs an unexpected current of progressive politics. Sports movies, a genre that has flourished since the mid-seventies, evoke the American dream and therefore represent the nation to itself in idealized form. Once considered mere credos for Reaganism's fantasies of an atomized society, movies from Rocky (1976) to Ali (2001) dream of democratic participation and recognition more than individual success, for in every case, off-field relationships take precedence over on-field competition. Arranged chronologically, Hollywood Sports Films and the American Dream is a critical study of six major sports films that re-tells the story of multiculturalism's gradual adoption in the latter third of the 20th century and rewrites contemporary understandings of the sports film. For author Grant Wiedenfeld, the mainstream's first minority heroes are paradoxically white ethnic, rural, working-class men, exemplified by Rocky, Slap Shot (1977) and The Natural (1984) and Black, brown, and women characters follow in White Men Can't Jump (1992), A League of Their Own (1992), and Ali. But despite their insistence on community and diversity these popular dramas show limited faith in civic institutions and point to the limits of inclusion and participation in the post-Civil Rights era. Hannah Arendt, Jeffrey Alexander, and others inform Wiedenfeld's original analysis and commentary on the political significance of popular culture as he insists on the cinema's capabilities as an engine for democracy untethered from more conventional 'democratic' institutions. Reading these familiar movies from another angle paints a fresh picture of how the United States has imagined democracy since its bicentennial and renews the political efficacy of one of the most popular genres in film history.
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    • Price: 18.95 EUR excl. shipping
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    Modern Sicily: The History and Legacy of the Mediterranean Island Since the Middle Ages , Hörbuch, Digital, ungekürzt, 105min
    It is hard to find an island on the map more central than Sicily. It has rarely been governed as an independent, unified state. Nonetheless, the island has always occupied a front-row seat to some of the most important events in history, and nowhere is this more obvious than during antiquity.After the Punic Wars, Sicily would remain a Roman domain, and affairs on the island dramatically affected the Romans at home. The First Servile War (135-132 BCE) and Second Servile War (104-100 BCE) both took place in Sicily, and they were perhaps the largest (and temporarily successful) slave revolts in antiquity, demonstrating a great unease in the early stages of Roman imperialism.Over 1500 years later, the largest island of the Mediterranean remains a complicated place with a fraught relationship to the Italian mainland. Separated by only the narrow Strait of Messina, Sicily feels like a different country in many ways, and the differences between Sicilians and Italians are much vaster than the tiny geographical separating them might intimate.There is also an ethnic difference between Sicilians and Italians. Most notably, many Sicilians have bright red hair and light eyes, which is usually thought to be a result of the Norman invasions, although today some historians believe it is because of the strong presence of the British during the Napoleonic Wars, as well as the Anglo-American occupation of Italy during World War II. Even Sicilian cuisine varies from the Italian mainland - Sicily is celebrated for having 72 different kinds of bread, and Sicilians often eat ice cream (gelato) for breakfast.However diverse Sicily might be, it is also paradoxically considered to be an emblem of Italy itself, a paradox it shares with Naples. No writer put it more aptly than the great Romantic poet Goethe. In an April 13, 1787 letter from Palermo, published in Journey to Italy, Goethe made the following declaration: “To have seen Italy without having seen Sicil ungekürzt. Language: English. Narrator: Mark Norman. Audio sample: https://samples.audible.de/bk/acx0/158443/bk_acx0_158443_sample.mp3. Digital audiobook in aax.
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