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    But by the time of Stalin's terror, the contradictions of the revolution caught up with him, and he ended in despair.A major influence on American poets of the twentieth century, Mayakovsky's work remains fascinating and urgent. Very few English translations have come close to capturing his lyric intensity, and a comprehensive volume of his writings has not been published in the past thirty years. In Night Wraps the Sky, the acclaimed filmmaker Michael Almereyda (Hamlet, William Eggleston in the Real World) presents Mayakovsky's key poems--translated by a new generation of Russian-American poets--alongside memoirs, artistic appreciations, and eyewitness accounts, written and pictorial, to create a full-length portrait of the man and the mythic era he came to embody.

    Battling in freezing conditions, at its lowest -52℃, the descriptions of the privations are vivid and terrifying. With no winter clothes they resorted to using those taken from Soviet corpses.In 1942, fighting near Oriel, however, his battalion suffered heavy losses and was disbanded. Ill with frostbitten legs, Rehfeldt was treated in hospital and once recovered was dispatched to the Front.Following various battles (Werch, Bolchov) his battalion again suffered heavy losses and it merged. In agony from severe frostbite to his legs, Rehfeldt defied the odds and astonished his surgeon when he walked again. He was promoted from Gunner to Trained Private Soldier in 1942, and to Corporal for bravery in the field in 1943.He was awarded numerous honors including the Wound Badge and the Infantry Assault Badge.On 3 May 1945 he was captured by US Forces and held as POW for one month in a camp at Waschow before internment in Holstein from where he was released in July 1945 after agreeing to work on the land. In December 1945 he began studying veterinary medicine: his future career.This astonishing account of a man who kept bouncing back from near death is a testament to the author’s determination and sheer strength of spirit.

    Have foreigners shaped China’s history to a greater extent than has previously been acknowledged, reaching back possibly millennia? Was Confucius’ most famous book, the Analects, inspired by entheogenic medicines imported from abroad, possession of which in the 1930s brought one before the firing squad in the name of Confucius? In these book review essays by Isham Cook, foreign devils, old China Hands, eccentric expatriates, and a few Chinese tell an offbeat history of China’s last two centuries, with a backward glance at ancient China as told by Western mummies.

    Here are attempts at human connection, both depraved and sublime, by people in all stages of life: one-night stands in communal apartments, poignantly awkward couplings, office trysts, schoolgirl crushes, elopements, tentative courtships, and rampant infidelity, shot through with lurid violence, romantic illusion, and surprising tenderness.A murky fate --The fall --The goddess parka --Like Penelope --Ali-baba --Two deities --Father and mother --The impulse --Hallelujah, family! --Give her to me --Milgrom --Clarissa's story --Tamara's baby --Young berries --The adventures of Vera --Eros's way --A happy ending

     Features exclusive bonus content: all-new chapters on Captain America and Thor Gives you a sneak peek at upcoming books: Avengers and Philosophy, Spider-Man and Philosophy, and Superman and Philosophy Includes superheroes from both the DC and Marvel universes: the Avengers, Batman, Captain America, Green Lantern, Iron Man, Spider-Man, Superman, Thor, Watchmen, and the X-Men Gives you a perfect introduction to the Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture series Whether you're looking for answers or looking for fun, this classic compilation will save the day by helping you gain a deeper appreciation of your favorite comics with an introduction to basic philosophical principles.

    Find enlightenment with these one-hundred twenty-two traditional Buddhist Zen koans -- stories, dialogues, questions, or statements, used in Zen-practice to provoke the "great doubt," and test a student's progress in Zen practice.

    These men will do anything to claim what belongs to them.  Books included: Just For You They sent me away. No time to say goodbyeI didn’t know if I loved her. I didn’t know she was carrying my child.But when I saw her again I knew she still possessed me. I was the college playboy. The rich shit with Daddy’s money.Lucie was my childhood friend.One night was all it took – rekindled our friendship…Ignited our lust. Then I fucked up. And was gone. Now I’m back, and I’m a better man.The question is will Lucie believe it?Can we have a second chance?I can see the old spark in her eyes. She shares my longing… I hurt her all those years ago.Now I need to step up and prove my heart.Own my past…And show her my love for this child.The child that looks like me. Unprepared Daddy She can’t run away from me…she’s carrying my babies.  Serena, you’re mine and only mine.  I will bring you back…and make you beg.  My life was just so perfect. Money, Fame, Women – you name it, I had it. And yet something seemed missing. Until Her…Her delicious, curvy package was made for me. She’s that sweet and spicy seduction…completely intoxicating – you could call her every man’s dream. And yet, I was a jerk and let her go. I was a bigger jerk thinking she would wait for me. She says she doesn’t need me in her life now. But one look into her luscious eyes and at that pregnant belly, And I know…I will do all it takes to make her mine.  Take My Breath Away One night would change everything…affect our families…our own livesThe feelings buried inside for so long…suddenly coming to life! She was my childhood friendI didn’t know if I loved herAnd now I meet her in college againShe’s gorgeous…I can lose myself forever in those big dark eyes and her silky black hair. But, she’s forbidden fruit, our families hate each otherI am a tough talker but I know my family holds a certain control over meAnd I wonder if she worth losing my family over. Graduation was about the cornerWe both had plans…none of them involved staying togetherWe wanted to run and live our dreamsDreams that weren’t supported by anyoneBut, when I hear she’s carrying my

    Over the years, she's turned her intuition into a successful matchmaking service for the ultra wealthy: Billionaire Marriage Brokers. While she specializes in "business" marriages -- paring people off because of their skills, education, or training -- she can spot a potential love match a mile away. When Pamela has a "good feeling" about a bride and groom, a business marriage can become so much more. The Academic Bride Janel Fendrick is a go-getter. She'll accomplish her goal of excavating a Mayan temple even if it means taking a job as a bride. One year of marriage is a small price to pay to have all her dreams come true. What she doesn't realize, is that she's about to get more than she ever dreamed of. The Organized Bride MaKayla thought taking a job as an event planner for a high-end hotel would be a wonderful lead into opening her own events business. However, a one year no-contact clause leaves her clientless if she quits. With nowhere to go, she is intrigued with Pamela's offer for a one-year contract running charities and overseeing contributions--until she finds out that to take her dream job, she also has to take Gabe...for better or worse. The Professional Bride Amber Appleby is not the blushing bride. She makes a career out of being a wife—a business wife that is. After signing divorce papers with her third husband, Pamela Jones calls her into the office to ask a favor. Pamela explains that her life-long friend has passed away leaving a world-class ski resort and extensive financial holdings to his grandson, Rym, with the stipulation that he marry a BMB bride to coach him through his first year as a billionaire. Amber’s up for the assignment but Rym turns out to be a maverick—and a gorgeous one at that. Amber’s skills as a life coach are tested at every turn right along with her heart. Marriage was much simpler when love wasn’t involved. The Country Bride Paige Baker is bound and determined to start her own horse training business. While at an auction where she plans to purchase the horse of her dreams, she meets Pamela Jones and is suddenly on a whole new path in life. Caught up in a whirlwind of wedding plans, Paige wonders what she can bring to the marriage and if her background as a camp counselor and a rodeo star has really prepared her for marriage to the handsome and aloof Mr. Walker. Paige is everything Cody and his daughter need and so much more. Can he stay true to his first wife’s memory and care for Paige or will he allow this angel to slip through his fingers and lose the only mother his daughter, Addison, has ever known? The Resilient Bride Kiera Martin has done the Billionaire Marriage Brokers arrangement once before and it didn’t turn out well. She left her verbally abusive husband and BMB behind to nurse her mom through cancer treatments—expensive cancer treatments. Three years later, with few financial options left, still carrying baggage from her first marriage, and her mom in remission, Kiera gives Pamela one more chance. What she thinks will be the fast road to debt reduction turns out to be the hardest path she’s ever trod as Liam’s diagnosis looms over their every minute together. He showers her with enough love to last eternity, which is good because eternity may be all they have to look forward to.

     New York Times and USA Today bestselling, award-winning authors present this romantic suspense seven-book bundle as part of the UNFORGETTABLES SERIES. Stories in this set include: SPECIAL AGENT FRANCESCA by New York Times Bestseller Mimi Barbour. She flies her own plane, fights to win, and drives like a pro - it’s only men who frighten her! REECE by USA Today Bestseller Donna Fasano. Maggie is forced into hiding with a man who is uncertain of her innocence. RUNNING WITH HORSES by USA Today Bestseller Suzanne Jenkins. . Moving horses to the high country comes just in time when Mindy and her coffee date witness murder at a Mojave Desert cafe. SOMEONE TO LOVE by New York Times Bestseller Patrice Wilton. Allison is hiding out at a small town named Heaven. When her stalker returns, can anyone keep her safe? AT RISK by New York Times Bestseller Rebecca York. Can he save them both from a murder charge and save their relationship? SCORPION’S TRAIL by USA Today Bestseller Nancy Radke. . He goes undercover using several disguises, making the woman he is trying to save think she is falling in love with two different men. THE LADY SAID NO by USA Today Bestseller Jacquie Biggar. . The Race is on to find a Killer in the heart of Kentucky horse country.

    In the life and career of underseaexplorer Jacques Cousteau, that legacy beats in the heart of the sea and inthe heart of his son, Jean-Michel, the noted French environmentalist,educator and documentary film producer who has spent most of his adult lifenurturing the work of his famous father.In My Father, The Captain, Jean-Michel Cousteau takes an open and intimate look at the life he shared with his father, and the legend he has taken itupon himself to carry. In so doing, he hopes to shed new and meaningfullight on the life and work of a man who inspired millions to reconsider ourrelationship with the sea and its creatures-and, in the process, tounderstand a little more about himself and his family as well."Captain Cousteau was a complicated man," the younger Cousteau writes. "Hewas a man of many different personalities, many different moods. But thisis how it is with all great men, yes? We know the public mask, but it isthe private face that reveals a man's true character. It is the man weknow when the cameras are not filming."My Father, The Captain is shot-through with new material and fresh insight"into the life and mind of a man who helped to jump-start a globa"conservation effort that continues to flourish. Jean-Michel Cousteau an"his collaborator, New York Times best-selling author Daniel Paisner, offe"an intimate reappraisal of the many touchstone moments Jean-Michel share"with his father, as well as the seminal moments from his father's life tha"have become part of the Cousteau family lore and legend.

    Each volume’s series editor selects notable works from hundreds of magazines, journals, and websites. A special guest editor, a leading writer in the field, then chooses the best twenty or so pieces to publish. This unique system has made the Best American series the most respected — and most popular — of its kind.The Best American Essays 2012 includesMarcia Angell, Miah Arnold, Mark Doty, Joseph Epstein, Jonathan Franzen,Malcolm Gladwell, Francine Prose, Lauren Slater,Sandra Tsing Loh, Jose Antonio Vargas, and others

    Memories and dreams in turn conjure their magical counterparts—people without names or pasts, fantastic animals, half-animals, and talking machines that traverse the dark psychic underworld of this writer’s extraordinary fiction.Fervently acclaimed worldwide, Murakami’s wildly imaginative work in many ways remains a mystery, its worlds within worlds uncharted territory. Finally in this book readers will find a map to the strange realm that grounds virtually every aspect of Murakami’s writing. A journey through the enigmatic and baffling innermost mind, a metaphysical dimension where Murakami’s most bizarre scenes and characters lurk, The Forbidden Worlds of Haruki Murakami exposes the psychological and mythological underpinnings of this other world. Matthew Carl Strecher shows how these considerations color Murakami’s depictions of the individual and collective soul, which constantly shift between the tangible and intangible but in this literary landscape are undeniably real.Through these otherworldly depths The Forbidden Worlds of Haruki Murakami also charts the writer’s vivid “inner world,” whether unconscious or underworld (what some Japanese critics call achiragawa, or “over there”), and its connectivity to language. Strecher covers all of Murakami’s work—including his efforts as a literary journalist—and concludes with the first full-length close reading of the writer’s newest novel, Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage.

    

    Twenty of America’s bestselling memoirists share their innermost thoughts and hard-earned tips with veteran author Meredith Maran, revealing what drives them to tell their personal stories, and the nuts and bolts of how they do it. Speaking frankly about issues ranging from turning oneself into an authentic, compelling character to exposing hard truths, these successful authors disclose what keeps them going, what gets in their way, and what they love most—and least—about writing about themselves.