Puppetry is arguably the most widespread form of performance. The artistry of puppetry includes aspects of the visual arts, theatre, music, and dance. Puppets can be traced as far back as ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome and are found today in cultures worldwide, across the Americas, Europe, Africa, and Asia. John Bell shows how puppets have been used to relay myths, poke fun at political figures, comment on cultural events of the period, express moral stories, and entertain adults and children alike. This richly illustrated book gives a historical overview and looks at the wide variety of this traditional art form. From European and Asian puppets in modern and ancient times to the Puppet Modernism movements, the book explores the important innovators and innovations of puppetry. Brief biographies of key figures such as Tony Sarg (credited with creating the first over-life-size puppets used for parades), Paul McPharlin (creator of Punch’s Circus), and Jim Henson (world-reknowned creator of many puppets, including the Muppets) help describe the evolution of puppetry. Definitions and descriptions of a variety of puppet styles, including shadow puppets, marionettes, hand puppets, rod puppets, and many others, add to the understanding of this fascinating form of art. With over one hundred color illustrations, this book highlights the "lives" of such characters as Kermit the Frog, Punch and Judy, Jack Pumpkinhead, and the traditional Chinese puppet Te-Yung to reveal the ways that puppets have become an integral part of many cultures. Captivating and fun, this book offers valuable insight into the wonderful world of puppetry.

In a war between democracy and civil rights, which do you choose? "The ability to control one’s own future is not a privilege, it’s a right!" The image of the figure who spoke was carried across all the comms channels by a hacker signal. It was an extreme ectomorph, tall and ultra thin, with slanted eyes, swirling dotted tattoos, an extended cranium and high curling hair.… "The ability to select one’s own government," it continued, "is not a privilege, it’s a right. Democracy is the only form of government that ensures these privileges remain rights - inalienable human rights. Rights that cannot be controlled by the privileged few, nor shared with bug-eyes, slimies or others whose alien ways corrupt human society! I am the Dalang, Speaker of the Wayang Liberation Front, and this is not the last you will hear from me! Long live the Federalist Revolution!" Strings on a Shadow Puppet is the exciting debut novel from T. L. Evans that combines the thrills of military science fiction with the thoughtful intrigue of espionage and mystery. With sympathetic characters, dark conspiracies, and enough fast paced combat to keep any action junkie on the edge of their seat, Strings on a Shadow Puppet will keep you turning the pages until the last plot twist is revealed.

Achieving Musical Success in the String Classroom describes a fully pragmatic pedagogical approach toward developing complete musicianship in beginning through advanced level string players by incorporating the ideas of Mimi Zweig, Paul Rolland, and Shinichi Suzuki. Author Karel Butz's philosophical assumptions are explained regarding the structure and purpose of string teaching contributing to a high level of musical artistry among students. Introductory through advanced string concepts relating to instrument set-up, posture, left and right hand development, music theory, aural skills, assessment procedures, imagery in playing, the development individual practice and ensemble skills, and effective rehearsal strategies are explained in a sequential approach that benefit the classroom teacher and student. In addition, several score examples, sample lesson plans, grading rubrics as well as videos of Butz demonstrating his pedagogical ideas and techniques with musicians are included.

A fascinating account of greed on a gigantic scale, of market manipulation, option swaps and underhandedness, within the financial industry. This is a novel, with a hint of truth, behind the lies. The collapse of financial institutions goes global, as the economic market heads into freefall and insider trading is uncovered. Journalist, Tim Parkes, is to fit the pieces together, after surreptitiously been left clues to uncover. Just who is it, that started it all? As murders from large corporations are exposed, along with the murder of scientists; world leaders in semiconductors and gene manipulation for chemical and germ warfare become known, the financial world goes into a tailspin. With the knowledge of bribery and underhanded deals, Tim goes on a search to find the truth. He’s being targeted and watched and he knows it. He knows he needs to open this can of worms and bring the treachery to the table, before he becomes yet another dead pawn, in somebody’s game. As world-wide lending institutions, succumb to the ravages of global financial collapse, developed through their own unscrupulous activities, more and more people are left to fend for themselves. The collapse of the sub-prime mortgage industry, has left financial institutions to do, or to die. The sub-prime mortgage industry has disintegrated, leaving millions of people destitute in its wake. With lawlessness, disorder, looting and riots a way of life, this is a story, which brings price fixing to the fore, exposing cover-ups, market manipulation and murder. Anarchy raises its ugly head, as Wall Street teeters, before collapsing, while Tim sorts out truth, from lies. Just who is the marionette director? Who is the person pulling the strings in the shadows, the puppet master, in this game of espionage, market manipulation, murder and mayhem? The answer may just surprise you.

A family is hunted by a centuries-old monster: a man with a relentless obsession who can take on any identity. The String Diaries opens with Hannah frantically driving through the night -- her daughter asleep in the back, her husband bleeding out in the seat beside her. In the trunk of the car rests a cache of diaries dating back 200 years, tied and retied with strings through generations. The diaries carry the rules for survival that have been handed down from mother to daughter since the 19th century. But how can Hannah escape an enemy with the ability to look and sound like the people she loves? Stephen Lloyd Jones's debut novel is a sweeping thriller that extends from the present day, to Oxford in the 1970s, to Hungary at the turn of the 19th century, all tracing back to a man from an ancient royal family with a consuming passion -- a boy who can change his shape, insert himself into the intimate lives of his victims, and destroy them. If Hannah fails to end the chase now, her daughter is next in line. Only Hannah can decide how much she is willing to sacrifice to finally put a centuries-old curse to rest.

In The Hand of Shadows: Part 1, a brilliant but eccentric economics professor and a curious student stumble upon a dangerous conspiracy. When Leo Voss uncovers strange patterns in economic collapses, he suspects there's more at play. His investigations lead him to a shadowy organization known as The Silent Hand, controlling governments and economies from the shadows. But when Leo vanishes, Detective Mike O’Malley steps in to uncover the truth. As mysteries deepen and the stakes rise, they find themselves in a race against time to unravel a web of secrets, before becoming the next victims.