An invitation to readers from every walk of life to rediscover the impractical splendors of a life of learning In an overloaded, superficial, technological world, in which almost everything and everybody is judged by its usefulness, where can we turn for escape, lasting pleasure, contemplation, or connection to others? While many forms of leisure meet these needs, Zena Hitz writes, few experiences are so fulfilling as the inner life, whether that of a bookworm, an amateur astronomer, a birdwatcher, or someone who takes a deep interest in one of countless other subjects. Drawing on inspiring examples, from Socrates and Augustine to Malcolm X and Elena Ferrante, and from films to Hitz's own experiences as someone who walked away from elite university life in search of greater fulfillment, Lost in Thought is a passionate and timely reminder that a rich life is a life rich in thought. Today, when even the humanities are often defended only for their economic or political usefulness, Hitz says our intellectual lives are valuable not despite but because of their practical uselessness. And while anyone can have an intellectual life, she encourages academics in particular to get back in touch with the desire to learn for its own sake, and calls on universities to return to the person-to-person transmission of the habits of mind and heart that bring out the best in us. Reminding us of who we once were and who we might become, Lost in Thought is a moving account of why renewing our inner lives is fundamental to preserving our humanity.

"Presenting, interpreting, and celebrating the world-renowned and the lesser-known California artists who have uniquely defined and redefined the still life, this volume offers an exploration of the sensual pleasures, the aesthetic challenges, and the intellectual and perceptual associations of a century of art through the prism of a single genre."--BOOK JACKET.

Meet Emily Ross, thirty years old, married to her college sweetheart, and personal advocate for cake at breakfast time. Meet Emily's husband, Kevin, a sweet technical writer with a passion for small appliances and a teary weakness for Little Women. Enter David, a sexy young reporter with longish floppy hair and the kind of face Emily feels the weird impulse to lick. In this captivating novel of marriage and friendship, Lauren Fox explores the baffling human heart and the dangers of getting what you wish for.

As an artist, writer, teacher, wife, and mother of two young girls, Claire struggles to maintain balance. Institutionalized for manic-depression as a result of her third suicide attempt, Claire is confined both in her hospital room and in her mind. However, she begins to find awareness and direction during her stay at a mental institution, mainly because she allows herself to enter her past in a way she has never before. Claire examines her childhood--how she and her siblings unrelentingly adored their mother, whose death marked the end of their innocence. But it is not until she returns to her hometown of Clare, MI to see her ailing father that she truly discovers just how deep the secrets of her childhood are. Along the way, the dark corners of her mother's past reveal the healing truth of love. In her journey to battle the idealized notions of motherhood and artistry, Claire finds purpose and inspiration in simple treasures: her children.

"Frank, funny and helpful."—The Atlanta Journal-Constitution For the millions who loved A Year by the Sea comes a memoir of a woman who awakens at midlife to find wisdom in a most unlikely place In this beautifully written and frequently funny memoir, Catherine Goldhammer, newly separated, along with her twelve-year-old daughter, starts life anew in a cottage by the sea, in a rustic town where live bait is sold from vending machines. Partly to please her daughter and partly for reasons not clear to her at the time, she begins this year of transition by purchasing six baby chickens—whose job, she comes to suspect, is to pull her and her daughter forward out of one life and into another. An unforgettable story filled with hope and grace, Still Life with Chickens shows how transcendent wisdom can be found in the most unlikely of places.

National bestselling author Sharon Shinn presents a passionate, heart-wrenching story of secrets and the lengths to which we’ll go to protect those we love... For her entire life, Melanie Landon has hidden the fact that her half sister, Ann, is a shape-shifter, determined to protect her from a world that simply wouldn’t understand. When a man shows up asking about Ann—who has been missing for months—Melanie fears the worst, and with good reason. Freelance writer Brody Westerbrook knows about the existence of shape-shifters and intends to include Ann in the book he’s writing. While Melanie is immediately drawn to the stranger, she knows better than to trust him, and she denies his claim. But when Ann finally reappears, looking thin and sick, Melanie realizes exposure is the least of their worries. Protecting her sister has always been an enormous part of Melanie’s life, but as Ann’s health rapidly deteriorates, Melanie must come to grips with the fact that saving her may mean letting go…