First modern analysis of the custom of the "royal touch" in the Tudor and Stuart reigns.

In this new book, a preeminent literary thinker muses over the central question of how we can feel at home in the world, given that the world is independent of and indifferent to our wishes. Drawing on books and films, cultural history and his own experiences, Gabriel Josipovici argues that it is possible to feel comfortable in the world and in our relationships with others only if we value touch over sight, if we respect distance but also work to overcome it. Josipovici moves from a Charlie Chaplin film to passages from Proust, from the world of sport to the world of addiction, from medieval pilgrimages to the cult of relics, from a wedding photograph of his grandparents to some of Chardin's most enigmatic paintings. Through these seemingly disparate topics he provides engaging and wise commentary on connection and communication in life. Contrasting the senses of sight and touch, Josipovici notes that although sight seems to give us the totality of what we behold, it is only when we walk or feel our way across the distances that things become more than images and begin to constitute the world in which we, as touchers and not mere observers, are included. If we depend on sight - which seems to offer a frictionless domination over reality - we may avoid the pains and uncertainties of living, but we also lose our involvement with life.

A powerfully life-affirming story of the wonder of nature, the ties of family, and the healing power of love from bestselling novelist and national treasure Alan Titchmarsh *** An ordinary life. An extraordinary choice. Adam Gabriel has always been a child of nature. Raised on his parents' remote Yorkshire farm, where life is measured by the rhythms of the flock, the turn of the seasons, and the yearly arrival of an itinerant local monk, he seems destined for a quietly contented life. As Adam grows, Luke and Bethany see flickers of something extraordinary in their son - a healing touch that goes beyond his love for the land. But Adam's gentleness has always made him an outsider, and a powerful gift can also be a heavy burden... When tragedy turns the Gabriels' life upside down, Adam faces a stark choice. Can he keep faith in his talents, even if it means risking the suspicion of others? Should he listen to the lure of new horizons, or does happiness lie closer to home? And when he needs it most, can he find the strength to save the people he loves? *** There's an Alan Titchmarsh novel for every mood! If you're looking for . . . An enthralling wartime mystery, head over to THE SCARLET NIGHTINGALE 'A perfect love story' (Katie Fforde), search for THE HAUNTING An uplifting, enchanting novel about second chances, dive into MR GANDY'S GRAND TOUR An absorbing family saga, head over to the page for FOLLY An escapist family mystery, read BRING ME HOME Praise for Alan Titchmarsh: 'The story brims with intrigue' - Daily Express on THE HAUNTING 'A pleasurable read which fans will lap up' - Daily Mail on MR GANDY'S GRAND TOUR 'It's just brilliant - full of poetry' - Jilly Cooper

This carefully crafted ebook: "The Collected Works of Sigmund Freud: Psychoanalytic Studies, Theoretical Essays & Articles” is formatted for your eReader with a functional and detailed table of contents: A General Introduction to Psychoanalysis The Interpretation of Dreams Psychopathology of Everyday Life Wit and Its Relation to the Unconscious Dream Psychology: Psychoanalysis for Beginners Selected Papers on Hysteria and Other Psychoneuroses Leonardo da Vinci Three Contributions to the Theory of Sex Totem and Taboo The Origin and Development of Psychoanalysis The History of the Psychoanalytic Movement Freud's Theories of the Unconscious by H. W. Chase

Includes section "current literature."

A literary history of the old, broken, rusty, dusty, and moldy stuff that people dug up in England during the long eighteenth century. In the eighteenth century, antiquaries—wary of the biases of philosophers, scientists, politicians, and historians—used old objects to establish what they claimed was a true account of history. But just what could these small, fragmentary, frequently unidentifiable things, whose origins were unknown and whose worth or meaning was not self-evident, tell people about the past? In Artifacts, Crystal B. Lake unearths the four kinds of old objects that were most frequently found and cataloged in Enlightenment-era England: coins, manuscripts, weapons, and grave goods. Following these prized objects as they made their way into popular culture, Lake develops new interpretations of works by Joseph Addison, John Dryden, Horace Walpole, Jonathan Swift, Tobias Smollett, Lord Byron, and Percy Bysshe Shelley, among others. Rereading these authors with the artifact in mind uncovers previously unrecognized allusions that unravel works we thought we knew well. In this new history of antiquarianism and, by extension, historiography, Lake reveals that artifacts rarely acted as agents of fact, as those who studied them would have claimed. Instead, she explains, artifacts are objects unlike any other. Fragmented and from another time or place, artifacts invite us to fill in their shapes and complete their histories with our imaginations. Composed of body as well as spirit and located in the present as well as the past, artifacts inspire speculative reconstructions that frequently contradict one another. Lake's history and theory of the artifact will be of particular importance to scholars of material culture and forms. This fascinating book provides curious readers with new ways of evaluating the relationships that exist between texts and objects.