Ashrams in Europe twenty-five hundred years ago? Greek philosophers studying in India? Meditation classes in ancient Rome? It sounds unbelievable, but it’s historically true. Alexander the Great had an Indian guru. Pythagoras, Empedocles, and Plotinus all encouraged their students to meditate. Apollonius, the most famous Western sage of the first century c.e., visited both India and Egypt—and claimed that Egyptian wisdom was rooted in India. In Lost Masters, award-winning author Linda Johnsen, digging deep into classical sources, uncovers evidence of astonishing similarities between some of the ancient Western world’s greatest thinkers and India’s yogis, including a belief in karma and reincarnation. Today ancient Greek philosophers are remembered as the founders of Western science and civilization. We’ve forgotten that for over a thousand years they were revered as sages, masters of spiritual wisdom. Lost Masters is an exploration of our long-lost Western spiritual heritage and the surprising insights it can offer us today.

"The Nazis systematically looted Europe's treasurehouses to accumulate a magnificent hoard of important and priceless art collections. Much loot was recovered at war's end, but vast quantities disappeared again, pillaged by Stalin's Red Army and other Allies alike. To this day, many of those who suffered the loss of their collections remain impoverished and empty-handed." "The Lost Masters is an account of the tragic looting of Europe and the victims' attempts to reclaim the precious art heritage in the face of indifference from governments and the international art trade. It also includes the story of how courage possibly saved from destruction the most famous painting in the world, Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Drawing on Japanese and Western-language sources, this work presents an overview of Toyohara Kunichika's life and his prints of beautiful women and actors. Over 135 of Kunichika's prints are illustrated. The appendices contain carvers' seals and Kunichika's representative signature forms.

The Bootleg Guide is the ultimate in reference works for the 1960s and the 1970s bootleg recordings. Within these pages lies a history of rock at its best, as performed on stage or in the studio. Each entry is catalogued by title, date, featured tracks, and contains a quality rating and comments on the nature and origin of the recording. Cross-references are provided to other titles and extensive information is available on alternate titles of bootlegs. In many cases, quirky facts about a particular title are given-something that in itself may make a title a highly desirable and sought-after 'rarity' amongst collectors. Limited editions are listed to help the reader and collector develop a clearer picture of just how obtainable a bootleg may be. Bootlegs are unofficial 'live' and studio recordings of artists and bands that are released onto vinyl, tape or CD. By definition, most are so rare that they change hands only for vastly inflated sums or are traded by networks of dedicated collectors worldwide. Serious fans and collectors have been known to spend as much as $225 for an original, scratchy vinyl recording of bands like Deep Purple and the Grateful Dead dating back to the early seventies. The rarest of all are akin to valuable paintings as far as collectors and traders are concerned.

Acclaimed music writer Clinton Heylin's revelatory biography E Street Shuffle charts the rise of Bruce Springsteen and his legendary E Street Band in intimate detail, from their blue-collar New Jersey roots to the heights of rock stardom. Now, in Springsteen Song by Song, Heylin culls studio data, demo tracks, and his own extensive knowledge to offer insights, history, and critical commentary on 300 songs recorded by the Boss between 1972 and 1984. These concise yet insightful notes are essential reading for Springsteen true believers as well as fans just beginning to discover the early work of this living American legend.