First published in 2005. The line between pain and pleasure is as thin as the tail of a whip, and this classic work is the definitive history of flagellation through the ages. As it shows, flagellation is much more than a punishment - it is also intimately tied to discipline and eroticism, has a romantic and even comic side, and has also been used for medical purposes. No one is above the bite of the birch or rod - convent nuns were chastised severely, queens have been flogged, and even favourites of the sultan have had to endure the whip in the great seraglios. The author deals in great detail with whipping in ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome, the favourite parts of the body for whipping, flagellation and discipline in monasteries and convents, whipping in prisons, the rod in Russia, flagellation in America, whipping in Europe and the Far East, the flogging of slaves, military flogging, school punishments and the birch in the boudoir, all enlivened with colourful anecdotes. There is a chapter on the instruments of whipping, a selection of ribald and erotic poems on whipping, a section on eccentric forms of whipping such as that practised on prostitutes, many detailed line drawings, descriptive accounts and a full index. The work shows the fundamental place whipping has always played in human history, both publicly and in private, and continues to play today.

First Published in 2005. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

Variously regarded as a sacred, religious drink, an inebriant, and even the work of the Devil, throughout the ages wine has generated passions that verge on mania. In A Short History of Wine, Rod Phillips tells the story of wine in the Western world with all its grandeurs and miseries. Packed with fascinating stories, unexpected insights, and the myriad tricks of the trade, A Short History of Wine is an essential book for anyone who treats this most venerated drink with the zeal it deserves.

Defined by author and Rat Rod Magazine editor Steve Thaemert, Jr. as the “blue-collar hot rod," a the term “rat rod" refers to a custom car built with creativity, ingenuity, and individuality. Less of a classic-car replica and more of an expression of the builder's personality, “rat rodding" encompasses not just the vehicles but also the scene and the lifestyle ignited by this automotive hobby that's catching on like wildfire. By the editor and senior writer of Rat Rod Magazine, the comprehensive publication for all things rat rod, The Illustrated History of Rat Rod takes you inside the culture to explore the beginnings, evolution, and rising popularity of the hobby.INSIDE THE ILLUSTRATED HISTORY OF RAT ROD:•The beginnings of the rat-rod scene and early enthusiasts.•A look at the hot rods that spawned the rat-rod hobby and how the term “rat rod" was coined.•Rat Rod Magazine and its importance in defining and documenting the hobby as well as other media exposure that helped bring rat rodding into the public eye.•How rat rodding overcame opposition by detractors while gaining acceptance and supporters.•The annual Rat Rod Tour, including event results and anecdotes from attendees.•The clothes, attitudes, music, and styles that shape the rat rod culture.•A discussion of parts, building techniques, and safety practices typical of rat rodding.•A glossary of terminology unique to the rat rod hobby.

"In Spare the Rod, historian Campbell F. Scribner and philosopher Bryan R. Warnick think deeply about punishment and discipline practices in American schooling. To delve into this controversial subject, the authors carefully consider two major issues. The first involves questions of meaning. How have concepts of discipline and punishment in schools changed overtime? What purposes are they supposed to serve? And what can they tell us about our assumptions about education? The second issue involves the justification of punishment and discipline in schools. Are public school educators ever justified in punishing or disciplining students? Are these things important for moral education? Or, are they fundamentally opposed to education? If some form of punishment is justified in schools, what ethical guidelines should direct its administration? The authors argue that as schools have grown increasingly bureaucratic over the past century, formalizing disciplinary systems and shifting from physical punishments to forms of spatial or structural punishment (such as suspension), school discipline has not only come to resemble the operation of prisons or policing but has grown increasingly integrated with those institutions. These changes, they argue, disregard the unique status of schools as spaces of moral growth and community oversight, and are incompatible with the developmental ethos of education. What we need is a view of discipline and punishment that fits with the sort of moral community that schools should be"--