The first major study of the immensely influential political economist Barbara Ward, drawing heavily on her own writings.

Only One Earth remains a classic study of the environment on a global scale....The organization and subject matter of Down to Earth reflect the metamorphosis of the environmental issue in ten years. Walt Patterson, New Statesman"

Abbey senses something special about the little man tending to the reindeer who, along with a century-old farmhouse, a barn full of animals, and fields abounding in woods and pasture, was a gift to Abbey from a stranger. Turns out this Christmas proves to be more magical than anticipated as Abbey realizes an understanding never thought possible through the rekindling of a belief rooted in childhood. Of course it's who delivers this gift on Christmas Eve that gives Abbey and Steve the strength to face their greatest challenge.

Prospects for an integrated world community in view of contemporary progress in science and technology analyzed by a British economist.

From the bestselling social commentator and cultural historian comes Barbara Ehrenreich's fascinating exploration of one of humanity's oldest traditions: the celebration of communal joy In the acclaimed Blood Rites, Barbara Ehrenreich delved into the origins of our species' attraction to war. Here, she explores the opposite impulse, one that has been so effectively suppressed that we lack even a term for it: the desire for collective joy, historically expressed in ecstatic revels of feasting, costuming, and dancing. Ehrenreich uncovers the origins of communal celebration in human biology and culture. Although sixteenth-century Europeans viewed mass festivities as foreign and "savage," Ehrenreich shows that they were indigenous to the West, from the ancient Greeks' worship of Dionysus to the medieval practice of Christianity as a "danced religion." Ultimately, church officials drove the festivities into the streets, the prelude to widespread reformation: Protestants criminalized carnival, Wahhabist Muslims battled ecstatic Sufism, European colonizers wiped out native dance rites. The elites' fear that such gatherings would undermine social hierarchies was justified: the festive tradition inspired French revolutionary crowds and uprisings from the Caribbean to the American plains. Yet outbreaks of group revelry persist, as Ehrenreich shows, pointing to the 1960s rock-and-roll rebellion and the more recent "carnivalization" of sports. Original, exhilarating, and deeply optimistic, Dancing in the Streets concludes that we are innately social beings, impelled to share our joy and therefore able to envision, even create, a more peaceable future. "Fascinating . . . An admirably lucid, level-headed history of outbreaks of joy from Dionysus to the Grateful Dead."—Terry Eagleton, The Nation

James Van Praagh's first two books, both "New York Times bestsellers, have been a powerful healing force for millions of readers. Using his talents as a medium, Van Praagh has not only helped the bereaved reach their lost loved ones and find peace but he has also illuminated the mysteries of death, the afterlife, and rebirth. His new book, "Healing Grief, will once again draw from his compelling and uplifting readings, but with a new and special purpose- to show what the spirit world can teach us about the grieving process itself. While grief is clearly a natural response to death, it should also properly accompany life's other difficult passages, including times of transition, the loss of a relationship, or even the loss of a pet. "Healing Grief begins with chapters that each examine a specific kind of loss - death of a parent, a spouse, or a child, the end of a marriage, or the onset of a troubling life change, such as unemployment or grave illness - and considers the particular bereavement issues it may engender. The book also offers advice on explaining death to children, on distinguishing healthy from destructive grief, and on harnessing the powers of healing through special exercises, meditation and affirmations. "Healing Grief should be, in Van Praagh's words, "a manual for grieving well," offering an inspiring new perspective on grief from a world-renowned medium who has become an expert at helping people cope with unresolvable sorrow. "From the Hardcover edition.