In the United States, African American and Italian cultures have been intertwined for more than a hundred years. From as early as nineteenth-century African American opera star Thomas Bowers—“The Colored Mario”—all the way to hip-hop entrepreneur Puff Daddy dubbing himself “the Black Sinatra,” the affinity between black and Italian cultures runs deep and wide. Once you start looking, you’ll find these connections everywhere. Sinatra croons bel canto over the limousine swing of the Count Basie band. Snoop Dogg deftly tosses off the line “I’m Lucky Luciano ’bout to sing soprano.” Like the Brooklyn pizzeria and candy store in Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing and Jungle Fever, or the basketball sidelines where Italian American coaches Rick Pitino and John Calipari mix it up with their African American players, black/Italian connections are a thing to behold—and to investigate. In Flavor and Soul, John Gennari spotlights this affinity, calling it “the edge”—now smooth, sometimes serrated—between Italian American and African American culture. He argues that the edge is a space of mutual emulation and suspicion, a joyous cultural meeting sometimes darkened by violent collision. Through studies of music and sound, film and media, sports and foodways, Gennari shows how an Afro-Italian sensibility has nourished and vitalized American culture writ large, even as Italian Americans and African Americans have fought each other for urban space, recognition of overlapping histories of suffering and exclusion, and political and personal rispetto. Thus, Flavor and Soul is a cultural contact zone—a piazza where people express deep feelings of joy and pleasure, wariness and distrust, amity and enmity. And it is only at such cultural edges, Gennari argues, that America can come to truly understand its racial and ethnic dynamics.

"Renaissance in Italy" is one of the best-known works by John Addington Symonds. This edition includes: Volume 1: The Spirit of the Renaissance Italian History The Age of the Despots The Republics The Florentine Historians 'The Prince' of Machiavelli The Popes of the Renaissance The Church and Morality Savonarola Charles VIII... Volume 2: The Men of the Renaissance First Period of Humanism Second Period of Humanism Third Period of Humanism Fourth Period of Humanism Latin Poetry... Volume 3: The Problem for the Fine Arts Architecture Painting Venetian Painting Life of Michael Angelo Life of Benvenuto Cellini The Epigoni... Volume 4: The Origins The Triumvirate The Transition Popular Secular Poetry Popular Religious Poetry Lorenzo De' Medici and Poliziano Pulci and Boiardo Ariosto... Volume 5: The Orlando Furioso The Novellieri The Drama Pastoral and Didactic Poetry The Purists Burlesque Poetry and Satire Pietro Aretino History and Philosophy... Volume 6-7: The Spanish Hegemony The Papacy and the Tridentine Council The Inquisition and the Index The Company of Jesus Social and Domestic Morals Torquato Tasso The "Gerusalemme Liberata" Giordano Bruno Fra Paolo Sarpi Guarini, Marino, Chiabrera, Tassoni Palestrina and the Origins of Modern Music The Bolognese School of Painters...

Understand where we came from. Whether you're an avid student of the Bible or a skeptic of its relevance, The Book That Made Your World will transform your perception of its influence on virtually every facet of Western civilization. Indian philosopher Vishal Mangalwadi reveals the personal motivation that fueled his own study of the Bible and systematically illustrates how its precepts became the framework for societal structure throughout the last millennium. From politics and science, to academia and technology, the Bible's sacred copy became the key that unlocked the Western mind. Through Mangalwadi's wide-ranging and fascinating investigation, you'll discover: What triggered the West's passion for scientific, medical, and technological advancement How the biblical notion of human dignity informs the West's social structure and how it intersects with other worldviews How the Bible created a fertile ground for women to find social and economic empowerment How the Bible has uniquely equipped the West to cultivate compassion, human rights, prosperity, and strong families The role of the Bible in the transformation of education How the modern literary notion of a hero has been shaped by the Bible's archetypal protagonist Journey with Mangalwadi as he examines the origins of a civilization's greatness and the misguided beliefs that threaten to unravel its progress. Learn how the Bible transformed the social, political, and religious institutions that have sustained Western culture for the past millennium, and discover how secular corruption endangers the stability and longevity of Western civilization. Endorsements: “This is an extremely significant piece of work with huge global implications. Vishal brings a timely message.” (Ravi Zacharias, author, Walking from East to West and Beyond Opinion) “In polite society, the mere mention of the Bible often introduces a certain measure of anxiety. A serious discussion on the Bible can bring outright contempt. Therefore, it is most refreshing to encounter this engaging and informed assessment of the Bible’s profound impact on the modern world. Where Bloom laments the closing of the American mind, Mangalwadi brings a refreshing optimism.” (Stanley Mattson, founder and president, C. S. Lewis Foundation) “Vishal Mangalwadi recounts history in very broad strokes, always using his cross-cultural perspectives for highlighting the many benefits of biblical principles in shaping civilization.” (George Marsden, professor, University of Notre Dame; author, Fundamentalism and American Culture)

"Renaissance in Italy" is one of the best-known works by John Addington Symonds. This carefully edited collection has been designed and formatted to the highest digital standards and adjusted for readability on all devices. Table of contents. Volume 1: The Spirit of the Renaissance Italian History The Age of the Despots The Republics The Florentine Historians 'The Prince' of Machiavelli The Popes of the Renaissance The Church and Morality Savonarola Charles VIII... Volume 2: The Men of the Renaissance First Period of Humanism Second Period of Humanism Third Period of Humanism Fourth Period of Humanism Latin Poetry... Volume 3: The Problem for the Fine Arts Architecture Painting Venetian Painting Life of Michael Angelo Life of Benvenuto Cellini The Epigoni... Volume 4: The Origins The Triumvirate The Transition Popular Secular Poetry Popular Religious Poetry Lorenzo De' Medici and Poliziano Pulci and Boiardo Ariosto... Volume 5: The Orlando Furioso The Novellieri The Drama Pastoral and Didactic Poetry The Purists Burlesque Poetry and Satire Pietro Aretino History and Philosophy... Volume 6-7: The Spanish Hegemony The Papacy and the Tridentine Council The Inquisition and the Index The Company of Jesus Social and Domestic Morals Torquato Tasso The "Gerusalemme Liberata" Giordano Bruno Fra Paolo Sarpi Guarini, Marino, Chiabrera, Tassoni Palestrina and the Origins of Modern Music The Bolognese School of Painters...