"The Jamaican and Ethiopian people are blood brothers and have had relationship going back a very long time, as well as others who had African blood supporting the Ethiopian Liberation Movement." Says Yahweh Elohim Haile Selassie I, the six pointed Star of David; April 21, 1966 in Jamaica at the National Stadium

The Jamaican and Ethiopian people are blood brothers and have had relationship going back a very long time, as well as others who had African blood supporting the Ethiopian Liberation Movement. Says Yahweh Elohim Haile Selassie I, the six pointed Star of David; April 21, 1966 in Jamaica at the National Stadium

In 1941 the National-Socialist dictators, inspired by the medieval Church legislation, forced every Jewish person in Europe to wear a distinctive mark (the yellow badge or "Judenstern"). In 1948 the newly founded Jewish State chose the same six-pointed star, but now in the colour blue, as its national symbol, because the Shield of David had already been a Jewish symbol for several centuries. The present book offers - to commemorate these fateful events 50 years later - a comprehensive study on the history of the Shield of David and follows the development of the hexagram, which was used in many cultures in antiquity as an ornamental and magic sign, from the early Middle ages up to the first half of the twentieth century. We not only witness the adventurous history of the sign before it became a Jewish symbol, but also the 1900 year-long journey of the Jewish people until they could settle down in the promised land.

The landmark text about the inner workings of the unconscious mind—from the symbolism that unlocks the meaning of our dreams to their effect on our waking lives and artistic impulses—featuring more than a hundred images that break down Carl Jung’s revolutionary ideas “What emerges with great clarity from the book is that Jung has done immense service both to psychology as a science and to our general understanding of man in society.”—The Guardian “Our psyche is part of nature, and its enigma is limitless.” Since our inception, humanity has looked to dreams for guidance. But what are they? How can we understand them? And how can we use them to shape our lives? There is perhaps no one more equipped to answer these questions than the legendary psychologist Carl G. Jung. It is in his life’s work that the unconscious mind comes to be understood as an expansive, rich world just as vital and true a part of the mind as the conscious, and it is in our dreams—those personal, integral expressions of our deepest selves—that it communicates itself to us. A seminal text written explicitly for the general reader, Man and His Symbolsis a guide to understanding the symbols in our dreams and using that knowledge to build fuller, more receptive lives. Full of fascinating case studies and examples pulled from philosophy, history, myth, fairy tales, and more, this groundbreaking work—profusely illustrated with hundreds of visual examples—offers invaluable insight into the symbols we dream that demand understanding, why we seek meaning at all, and how these very symbols affect our lives. By illuminating the means to examine our prejudices, interpret psychological meanings, break free of our influences, and recenter our individuality, Man and His Symbols proves to be—decades after its conception—a revelatory, absorbing, and relevant experience.

In this amusing and brilliantly conceived book, Michael Sims introduces you to your body. Moving from head to toe, Sims blends cultural history with evolutionary theory to produce a wonderfully original narrative in which he analyzes the visible parts of the body. In this fascinating brew of science and storytelling, readers encounter not only accessible explanations of the mechanics of their anatomy, but also the layers of mythology, religious lore, history, Darwinian theory, and popular culture that have helped to shape our understanding of any given body part. A titillating and unique book, Adam’s Navel is learned and entertaining, a marvelous lens through which to study the form we all inhabit—but may not really understand.