Arthur Koestler, the notable twentieth century playwright said, Nothing is more sad than the death of an illusion." Carl Douglass, neurosurgeon turned author, writes with gripping realism about the point in Garven Wilsonhulme, M.D., F.A.C.S's life when he turns the hopes and aspirations of his family, friends, colleagues, and opponents into illusions. In so doing, he realizes that he has become both The Vulture and The Phoenix in his own life. He scrambles to the heights of fame, prestige, riches, and cruelty. There, he meets a wall of opposition and begins the final great fight of his complicated life and career. What he does will surprise and amaze you. This is the finale of the successful Saga of a Neurosurgeon series."

Rich with implications for the history of sexuality, gender issues, and patterns of Hellenic literary imagining, Marcel Detienne's landmark book recasts long-standing ideas about the fertility myth of Adonis. The author challenges Sir James Frazer's thesis that the vegetation god Adonis-- whose premature death was mourned by women and whose resurrection marked a joyous occasion--represented the annual cycle of growth and decay in agriculture. Using the analytic tools of structuralism, Detienne shows instead that the festivals of Adonis depict a seductive but impotent and fruitless deity--whose physical ineptitude led to his death in a boar hunt, after which his body was found in a lettuce patch. Contrasting the festivals of Adonis with the solemn ones dedicated to Demeter, the goddess of grain, he reveals the former as a parody and negation of the institution of marriage. Detienne considers the short-lived gardens that Athenian women planted in mockery for Adonis's festival, and explores the function of such vegetal matter as spices, mint, myrrh, cereal, and wet plants in religious practice and in a wide selection of myths. His inquiry exposes, among many things, attitudes toward sexual activities ranging from "perverse" acts to marital relations.

Far from being a Judeo-Christian invention, apocalyptic thought had its roots in the ancient Near East and was expressed in its art.

Partnering with Nature is a simple book with a powerful message: our connections to the natural environment— and ultimately, to ourselves—are crucial in today’s fragmented world. As each successive generation moves farther away from nature, the growing disconnect is expressed through physical as well as mental stress, from depression and fatigue in adults to attention disorders and obesity in children. The way we relate to nature helps define our place within it, and by awakening this natural, yet dormant connection to the environment around us, we can move beyond solitary stewardship and into partnership. In Partnering with Nature, Catriona MacGregor weaves together scientific and historical wisdom, spiritual insights, and inspiring stories that illuminate the energies that link humans, animals, and the natural world. Through observation and conscious practice, we can open up to the power of nature to transform our lives, uplift our spirits, and even to direct our bodies to a healthier potential. For everyone who has a sense of something missing, who wishes to make a difference in their world, who yearns to reclaim their sense of wonder and awe, or who struggles with their health or emotional balance—nature speaks to all who will listen.