The ancient Greeks trained in the nude in the gymnasium and also competed in the buff in the Olympic Games. They literally had skin in the game. The ancient Greek word for gymnasium, gumnasia, means to train naked. However, the ancient Greek gyms were not just for physical training but also had dedicated spaces for intellectual exercise, for philosophy, teaching and conversation. To train naked is to show up just as you are. No pretences, no masks, no BS. We train to compete, we practise in order to nail a presentation. We should also be training to become better human beings, to craft meaningful lives, do work that matters, and to thrive in chaos. Pierre du Plessis's daily reflections, meditations and practices presented in this book are a call to train naked, to practise for the ultimate marathon, and to have skin in the game. Train Naked is a curated selection of short reflections, prompts to get skin in the game, on building a meaningful life and doing work that matters. Combined with a selection of ancient practices, such as meditation, Pierre's thoughts and ideas aim to inspire each reader to take charge, to try, to act, to learn and to do. Get skin in the game.

How do we allow the life of Jesus to flow through our whole bodies into our everyday lives? Having Jesus in our hearts is not enough. In this whole-life approach to Christian formation, Tom Smith directs us into a "rhythm of life" that brings flourishing to our personal spirituality that then extends to our service in the world.

This book is the first critical analysis of the key principles and practices informing the movement training of actors in the modern era. Focusing on the cultural history of modern movement training for actors, Evans traces the development of the ‘neutral’ body as a significant area of practice within drama school training and the relationship between movement pedagogy and the operation of discipline and power in shaping the professional identity of the actor. The volume looks in detail at the influence of the leading figures in movement training — Laban, Alexander, Copeau and Lecoq — on twentieth century professional actor training, and is informed by interviews with students and staff at leading English drama schools. Mark Evans re-evaluates the significance of movement training in the professional drama school, offering a new understanding of the body as a site for performative resistance to industrialization. Despite the publication of a number of ‘how to’ books on movement training for the professional acting student, this is the first text to look behind the curtain and write the unseen biography of the actor’s body.

Have you heard the one about… • Walt Disney’s frozen body? • Coca-Cola owning Santa Claus? • Alligators living in New York City sewers? We all love a good story. But where do the urban legends, conspiracy theories, and old wives’ tales we hear every day really originate? Albert Jack explores the best, strangest, and funniest of the tales so many of us take as gospel, and uncovers some eye-popping true stories that are even more far-fetched than their mythical counterparts. From Robin Hood to JFK’s brain, from hamsters under carpets to mysterious travelers, you’ll never be short of a scary or bizarre anecdote again.

A re-examination of historical interpretations.