The cultures of ancient China and ancient Greece have exerted immeasurable influence on later civilizations. The texts and cultural values of classical China spread throughout East Asia and became the foundation of learning in Korea, Japan and Vietnam. Greek learning and culture receive credit for many of the intellectual paradigms of the West. Probably the one which is most distinctly Western is the tradition of logical proof and the related assumption that, as Aristotle put it in 'Metaphysics' 980, 'we all desire to know.' In contrast, the Chinese tradition, as exemplified by Laozi's 'Dao de jing,' cautions that through our desire to know we may forfeit wisdom, thus engendering a split between knowledge and wisdom. 'The Siren and the Sage' is a comparative study of what some of the most influential writers of ancient China and ancient Greece thought it meant to know and whether they distinguished knowledge from wisdom. It surveys selected works of poetry, history and philosophy from roughly the eighth through the second centuries BCE, focusing on the 'Odyssey,' the ancient Chinese 'Classic of Poetry,' Thucydides' 'History of the Peloponnesian War,' Sima Qian's 'Records of the Historian,' Plato's 'Symposium,' Laozi's 'Dao de jing' and the writings of Zhuangzi. The intention, through such juxtaposition, is to introduce foundational texts of each tradition, texts which continue to influence most of the world's peoples. It is intriguing to ask what awareness, if any, these distinctive cultures had of each other. A considerable body of scholarship comparing ancient Greece and ancient China now exists. Scholars are presenting evidence that the two cultures may actually have been aware of each other's presence, even though that awareness was presumably indirect, perhaps mediated by the nomadic peoples of Central Asia. While not directly contributing evidence, the authors argue that comparing the cultures of Greece and China will continue to be an irresistible and important scholarly debate. The book offers a provocative study which is accessible to students and general readers and at the same time contributes to the debate.

Not Quite the Fairy Tale is a series of paranormal romance written for a mature audience. Expect adult language and naughty stuff. Each book is a stand alone. Silvia Undine, otherwise known as the Sea Witch, has enough of hiding. All she did three years ago was saving a child and his father, but she stands accused of causing the storm that put them in danger in the first place, and as a consequence, has been banished from her seas. Enough of that. Defying the ruler of the seas, she goes back where she belongs. Everything would be peaceful, if it wasn't for the three Kings who fight over, against, and for her. The King of Alenia has taken a wife and Erik of Denker knows it's his turn; after three years spent searching for the one woman who's ever mattered - the one who saved him and his son from drowning - he has to give up and choose an alternative. He does so, tying himself to the first suitable option, just when Silvia steps in his kingdom.

A comparative study of what the most influential writers of Ancient Greece and China thought it meant to have knowledge and whether they distinguished knowledge from other forms of wisdom. It surveys selected works of poetry, history and philosophy from the period of roughly the eighth through to the second century BCE, including Homer's "Odyssey", the ancient Chinese "Classic of Poetry", Thucydides' "History of the Peloponnesian War", Sima Qian's "Records of the Historian", Plato's "Symposium", and Laozi's "Dao de Jing and the writings of Zhuangzi". The intention, through such juxtaposition, is to introduce the foundational texts of each tradition which continue to influence the majority of the world's population.

Step into a realm where fairies only help out when they are bored to tears or obliged to do so. Instead of Prince Charming, meet alpha male. Cinderella doesn't want anything to do with her King, and her biggest aspiration is suing the shit out of her step moth when she can afford to. Erik isn't all that fond of the mermaid with red hair, but he definitely fancy the sea witch. While the Beast is something of a recluse, he sees plenty of action in his casino-slash-sexclub... This bundle includes a lot of your favourite characters, only everyone is all grown up, and definitely more sassy. What's more? All of them are standalone novels - not short stories. -------------- Cinderella The King needs an heir and that means finding some sort of woman to do the job; "That's all it's about, ultimately: basic, carnal compatibility in order to satisfy this need. For that reason, the pictures I request of those who wish to apply are explicit. The full prerequisites are attached to the correspondence. If you aren't comfortable with these demands, don't bother applying." Ella applies, seeing straight through the bullshit; she goes as far as derisively add a set of pictures fitting the requirements the letter demands: A picture of her "pussy" - a fat, indolent Persian - and of her in her nightwear - yoga pants and a hoodie. In lieu of an introduction, her message reads: Dear Daniel Franko Phillipe Del Luz, I've applied to guarantee that I'm not summoned to your little orgy. Fuck you. We aren't all stupid. Ella. It was supposed to go through an automated system; she didn't expect anyone to read it... Let alone the King -------------- A little Siren Silvia Undine, otherwise known as the Sea Witch, has enough of hiding. All she did three years ago was saving a child and his father, but she stands accused of causing the storm, and as a consequence, has been banished from her seas. Enough of that. Defying the ruler of the seas, she goes back where she belongs. Everything would be peaceful, if it wasn't for the three Kings who fight over, against, and for her. The King of Alenia has taken a wife and Erik of Denker knows it's his turn; after three years spent searching for the one woman whose ever mattered - the one who saved him and his son from drowning - he has to give up and choose an alternative. He does so, tying himself to the first suitable option, just when Silvia step in his kingdom. -------------- Beauty and the Beast "Let me tell you one thing, Beast: if your Prince ever returns, watch his back. There are thousands who would gladly throw daggers at it." And Belle would be first in line. Ten years ago, he was Prince Aiden, heir of Jereena, at the top of the world - now, they call him Beast. Aiden has landed on his feet, his exclusive club is the place to be, he makes hundreds of thousands a night. What else could he possibly want? Belle grew up during the Anarchy, and the corrupted system screwed her, big time, but she managed to get by. Then, her stupid brother goes and steals from the Beast, who demands her as payment. Well, her, a pile of cash, or her sister - option two and three aren't acceptable. -------------- The Snow Queen Kai, heir of the dilapidated clan who's established residence in the most dangerous mountain on Gaia to avoid persecution, has enough problem on his plate. For starters? Finding enough food. Lack of running water. Keeping the kids alive - and out of the slave trade. The torrential snow. But when he sees that innocent, defenseless girl who persists in staying in the cold wastelands all by herself, he can't close his eyes, she becomes his to care for. She's the last full fledged goddess residing in Gaia and that mortal wishes to save her. Men are stupid.

The Second Edition of The SAGE Handbook of Persuasion: Developments in Theory and Practice provides readers with logical, comprehensive summaries of research in a wide range of areas related to persuasion. From a topical standpoint, this handbook takes an interdisciplinary approach, covering issues that will be of interest to interpersonal and mass communication researchers as well as to psychologists and public health practitioners.

"Originally published in the UK by Oxford University Press, 2006."

This pivot compares mourning rituals in Archaic & Classical Greece and Pre-Qin China to illustrate some of the principles and methods used in comparative studies. It focuses on three main aspects of mourning of the dead before burial — lamentation, mourners’ gestures and behaviors, and mourning apparel — to demonstrate the cultural function, purpose, and social influence of mourning. A key comparative study of rituals at the heart of both Western and Chinese culture, this text highlights the cultural function and social influence of rituals of two ancient peoples and will be of interest to all scholars of comparative religion, sociology and anthropology.