Winner of the International Lannan Literary Award for Nonfiction Animal tracks, word magic, the speech of stones, the power of letters, and the taste of the wind all figure prominently in this intellectual tour de force that returns us to our senses and to the sensuous terrain that sustains us. This major work of ecological philosophy startles the senses out of habitual ways of perception. For a thousand generations, human beings viewed themselves as part of the wider community of nature, and they carried on active relationships not only with other people with other animals, plants, and natural objects (including mountains, rivers, winds, and weather patters) that we have only lately come to think of as "inanimate." How, then, did humans come to sever their ancient reciprocity with the natural world? What will it take for us to recover a sustaining relation with the breathing earth? In The Spell of the Sensuous David Abram draws on sources as diverse as the philosophy of Merleau-Ponty, Balinese shamanism, Apache storytelling, and his own experience as an accomplished sleight-of-hand of magician to reveal the subtle dependence of human cognition on the natural environment. He explores the character of perception and excavates the sensual foundations of language, which--even at its most abstract--echoes the calls and cries of the earth. On every page of this lyrical work, Abram weaves his arguments with a passion, a precision, and an intellectual daring that recall such writers as Loren Eisleley, Annie Dillard, and Barry Lopez.

Andrea Cornwall is Professor of Anthropology and Development in the School of Global Studies at the University of Sussex. --

Ernest Jones’s three-volume The Life and Work of Sigmund Freud was first published in the mid-1950s. This edited and abridged volume omits the portions of the trilogy that dealt principally with the technical aspects of Freud’s work and is designed for the lay reader. Jones portrays Freud’s childhood and adolescence; the excitement and trials of his four-year engagement to Martha Bernays; his early experiments with hypnotism and cocaine; the slow rise of his reputation and constant battles against distortion and slander; the painful defections of close associates; the years of international eminence; the onset of cancer and his stoicism in the face of an agonizing death. “One of the outstanding biographies of the age... It gives us an unmatched — and unretouched — portrait of Freud as a human being.” — The New York Times “The definitive life of Freud and one of the great biographies of our time... Charged with intellectual excitement, it is a chronicle of heroic struggle and adventurous discovery.” — The Atlantic “A landmark of literature, a remarkable appreciation of one of the remarkable spirits of the modern age.” — Scientific American “Superb drama... Dr. Jones has managed to illuminate some obscure corners of Freud’s first years with a thoroughness that would have astonished, and might well have dismayed, the reticent and august Freud.” — The New Yorker “A masterpiece of contemporary biography... The letters are also a fascinating guide to the man. From them emerges suddenly a tough, jealous, ferocious figure.” — Time

Traditional knowledge (TK) has contributed immensely to shaping development and human well-being. Its influence spans a variety of sectors, including agriculture, health, education and governance. However, in today's world, TK and its practitioners are increasingly underrpresented or under-utilized. Further, while the applicability of TK to human and environmental welfare is well-recognized, collated information on how TK contributes to different sectors is not easily accessible. --

"This multi-author volume explores large-landscape conservation projects catalyzed by colleges, universities, independent field stations, and research organizations around the world. These initiatives are grand-scale, cross-boundary, cross-sectoral, and cross-disciplinary efforts to protect working and wild landscapes and waterscapes in Australia, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Honduras, Kenya, Tanzania, Trinidad & Tobago, and the United States"--