home / archive / animation / arts / history / humour / ideas / literature / occult / quotes

SPONSORS / PARTNERS JOIN LYNDA.COM I'm a Lynda.com affiliate, and make a small commission if you access and join via this link. It gives you a free 10 day trial. Get 10 days of free unlimited access to Lynda.com. SIGN UP WITH BLUEHOST Host your site via this link, and I get a commission. They host all of mine. Tech support is based in the USA, and is excellent. DONATE Donations will help me to maintain a lifestyle to which very few people are accustomed. Search for, and buy books via Powells:   MIND, OCCULT Memories, Dreams, Reflections by Carl Jung 'Jung's single-minded humility, his passion to unearth truth, is one of the loveliest impressions to emerge from this absorbing and many-sided book.' The Times '... a master physician of the soul in his insights, a profound sage in his conclusions. He is also one of Western Man's great liberators.' J. B. Priestley Jung & Tarot, an Archetypal Journey by Sallie Nichols Highly innovative work presenting a piercing interpretation of the tarot in terms of Jungian psychology...The major arcana becomes a map of life, and the hero's journey becomes something that each individual can relate to the symbolism of the cards and therefore to the personal life. The Secret History of Dreaming by Robert Moss Dreaming is...essential to our survival and evolution, to creative endeavors in every field, and, quite simply, to getting us through our daily lives...Now Robert Moss shows us how dreams have shaped world events and why deepening our conscious engagement with dreaming is crucial for our future. The Way of the Sufi by Idries Shah "Dominion of the earth from end to end is worth less than a drip of blood upon the earth." Sufism is the mystical branch of Islam that teaches love, humility, poverty, pragmatism and wisdom. Originally a reaction against the increasing worldliness of Islam, Sufi wisdom still hits home in a modern world obsessed with pleasure and material wealth. Prometheus Rising by Robert Anton Wilson In short, it is a book about how the human mind works and what you can do to make the most of yours. Readers have been known to get angry, cry, laugh, and even change their entire lives. Practical techniques to break free of your "reality tunnels." Now in its Second Revised Edition! Quantum Psychology by Robert Anton Wilson ...human thinking is still deeply rooted in the cosmology of the middle ages. Quantum Psychology is the book to change your way of perceiving yourself — and the universe — for the 21st Century. Some say its materialistic, others call it scientific and still others insist its mystical. It is all of these — and none. Do What Thou Wilt by Lawrence Sutin This controversial individual, a frightening mixture of egomania and self-loathing, has inspired passionate but seldom fair assesments by historians. Sutin, by treating Crowley as a cultural phenomenon, and not simply a sorcerer or a charlatan, convinces skeptic readers that the self-styled "Beast" remains a fascinating study in eccentricity. Beyond the Occult by Colin Wilson Combining fascinating glimpses into the paranormal world with the latest scientific thinking on the nature of “physical reality,” (Wilson) reveals the usually unseen powers of the human mind and discusses why he has become convinced that disembodied spirits do exist.   POLITICS, CULTURE Twilight of American Culture by Morris Berman An emerging cult classic about America's cultural meltdown--and a surprising solution. A prophetic examination of Western decline, "The Twilight of American Culture" provides one of the most caustic and surprising portraits of American society--and corporate mass mind culture-- to date. Dark Ages America by Morris Berman In Dark Ages America, the pundit Morris Berman argues that the nation has entered a dangerous phase in its historical development from which there is no return. "Provocative...stimulating and insightful."-Publishers Weekly Facing Unpleasant Facts by George Orwell Whether detailing the horrors of Orwell's boyhood in an English boarding school or bringing to life the sights, sounds, and smells of the Spanish Civil War, these essays weave together the personal and the political in an unmistakable style that is at once plainspoken and brilliantly complex. All Art is Propaganda by George Orwell With masterpieces such as "Politics and the English Language" and "Rudyard Kipling" and gems such as "Good Bad Books," here is an unrivaled education in, as George Packer puts it, "how to be interesting, line after line." Homage to Catalonia by George Orwell In 1936 Orwell went to Spain to report on the Civil War and instead joined the fight against the Fascists. This famous account describes the war and Orwell’s experiences. The Road to Wigan Pier by George Orwell In the 1930s Orwell was sent by a socialist book club to investigate the appalling mass unemployment in the industrial north of England. He went beyond his assignment to investigate the employed as well-”to see the most typical section of the English working class.”   FICTION Coming Up For Air by George Orwell George Bowling is a middle-aged insurance salesman who lives in an average English suburban row house with a wife and two children. After winning some money from a bet, he goes back to the village where he grew up, to fish for carp in a pool he remembers from thirty years before... Down and Out in Paris and London by George Orwell This unusual fictional account, in good part autobiographical, narrates without self-pity and often with humor the adventures of a penniless British writer among the down-and-out of two great cities. In the tales of both cities we learn some sobering Orwellian truths about poverty and society. The Crystal World by J.G. Ballard The story of a physician specializing in the treatment of leprosy who is invited to a small outpost in the interior of Africa. Finding the roadways blocked, he takes to the river, and embarks on a frightening journey through a strange petrified forest whose area expands daily, affecting not only the physical environment but also its inhabitants. The Drowned World by J.G. Ballard The Drowned World imagines a future in which solar radiation and global warming has melted the ice caps, and Triassic-era jungles have overrun a submerged and tropical London. Nature has swallowed all but a few remnants of human civilization. Slowly, the characters are transformed — physically and psychologically —by this prehistoric environment. The Drought by J.G. Ballard Weird and mesmerizingly grotesque, The Drought tells the chilling story of the world on the brink of extinction, where a global drought, brought on by industrial waste, has left mankind in a life-or-death search for water. Violence erupts and insanity reigns as the human race struggles for survival in a worldwide desert of despair. Millenium People by J.G. Ballard  A shockingly plausible and extremely unsettling vision of society in collapse, Millennium People "dissects the perverse psychology that links terrorists with their innocent victims" (New Statesman).   PHILOSOPHY / SCIENCE Infinite in All Directions by Freeman Dyson A distinguished scientist, lecturer, writer, arms-control expert, and one of the world's most esteemed theoretical physicists, Dyson guides us through the origins of life and the prospects of immortality to nuclear weapons and the frontiers of space. Infinite in All Directions is a meditation on the meaning of life, the purpose of the universe, and the nature of God. Disturbing the Universe by Freeman Dyson Dyson evocatively conveys the thrill of a deep engagement with the world-be it as scientist, citizen, student, or parent. Detailing a unique career not limited to his groundbreaking work in physics, Dyson discusses his interest in minimizing loss of life in war, in disarmament, and even in thought experiments on the expansion of our frontiers into the galaxies. From Eros to Gaia by Freeman Dyson Recurring themes include Dyson's opinion that the trend toward "big science" is squeezing out worthy, cost-effective, smaller-scale projects in physics, astronomy, and space exploration; that intellectual mavericks make more stimulating creative colleagues than many of the Ph.D.'s cranked out by academia; and that science must not lose its connection with humanity and the arts. The Book of Dead Philosophers by Simon Critchley In this collection of brief lives (and deaths) of nearly 200 of the world's greatest thinkers, noted philosopher Simon Critchley creates a register of mortality that is tragic, amusing, absurd, and exemplary. From the self-mocking haikus of Zen masters on their deathbeds to the last words of Christian saints and modern-day sages, this book contains much to inspire both amusement and reflection.   HISTORY / MISCELLANEOUS The Evolution of Civilizations by Carroll Quigley Carroll Quigley was a legendary teacher at the Georgetown School of Foreign Service. Like the course, The Evolution of Civilizations is a comprehensive and perceptive look at the factors behind the rise and fall of civilizations. The Land that Never Was by David Sinclair On a cold January morning in 1823, a group of Scottish immigrants looking for a new life set sail for this tropical Eden called Poyais. The only catch was that it didn't exist. Two months later the ship landed on the swamp-infested Mosquito Coast and the settlers realized that they had become the victims of one of the most elaborate hoaxes in history.   HISTORY / MIDDLE EAST - ISLAM Seven Pillars of Wisdom by T.E. Lawrence (of Arabia) ...the last great romantic war story and described by Churchill as one of “the greatest books ever written in the English language,” it conveys a world of wonders... a towering achievement of both autobiography and military history, as well as a first-rate adventure story, Seven Pillars of Wisdom is a must read. Islamic Design by Daud Sutton There are two key aspects to the visual structure of Islamic design: calligraphy using Arabic script and abstract ornamentation. Focusing on Islamic geometric patterns, simple and complex, man-made and in nature, this book offers unique insight into Islamic culture. Moorish Spain by Richard Fletcher Beginning in the year 711 and continuing for nearly a thousand years...the culture and science thereby brought to Spain, including long-buried knowledge from Greece, largely forgotten during Europes Dark Ages, was to have an enduring impact on the country as it emerged into the modern era. The Great Arab Conquests by Hugh Kennedy In this engaging history, world-renowned historian Hugh Kennedy deftly sews together the stories of the people, armies, and events that conquered an area from Spain to China in just over 100 years. The Genius of Arab Civilization by John Hayes, MIT Press This profusely illustrated book introduces the general reader to the cultural achievements and heritage of the Arabs. Its main topics are the Arab role in Islamic culture, literature, philosophy and history, architecture and art, the exact sciences, life sciences, mechanical technology, trade and commerce. A History of the Arab Peoples by Al Hourani In a panoramic view encompassing 12 centuries of Arab history and culture, Hourani brilliantly illuminates the people and events that have fundamentally shaped the Arab world. Noted Islamic scholar Ruthven brings the story up to date from the mid-1980s. The Adventures of Ibn Battuta by Ross E. Dunn Known as the greatest traveler of premodern times, ibn Battuta was born in Morocco in 1304. At 21, he left home to make the holy pilgrimage to Mecca...the first of a series of extraordinary journeys that ...took him not only eastward to India and China but also north to the Volga River valley and south to Tanzania. Arabia, a Journey through the Labyrinth by Jonathan Raban Raban's magic carpet ride through Bahrain, Qatar, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Yemen, Egypt and Jordan. Not only does it reveal the Arabs and their culture, it also introduces us to a series of memorable individuals. Written during the mid 19702, during the early years of the oil boom.   WOODEN BOOKS Quadrivium by Wooden Books The four liberal arts of number, geometry, music and cosmology were studied from antiquity to the Renaissance. Quadrivium brings these subjects together to reconstruct the syllabus of the ancient and medieval worlds. Lavishly illustrated with beautiful line drawings. Sciencia by Wooden Books Sciencia gathers together six insightful short volumes spanning the realms of mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, evolution, and astronomy, offering invaluable information to today's readers. Lavishly illustrated with engravings, woodcuts, and original drawings. Symmetry by David Wade Symmetry underlies almost every aspect of nature and our experience of the world, from the quantum mechanics to the equations of physics, in art, architecture and our concepts of morality and justice. It is one of the most elusive and pervasive concepts known to man. The Golden Section by Scott Olson Drawing on art, architecture, philosophy, nature, mathematics, geometry, and music--and beautifully illustrated -The Golden Section will tell the story of this remarkable construct and its wide ranging impact on civilization and the natural world. Sacred Geometry by Miranda Lundy Sacred Geometry demonstrates what happens to space in two dimensions - a subject last flowering in the art, science and architecture of the Renaissance and seen in the designs of Stonehenge, mosque decorations and church windows. Celtic Pattern by Adam Tetlow How do you draw Celtic knot work? What are the secrets of keys? What do these patterns actually mean? Who drew them? Where did they come from? Tetlow shows us the hidden principles behind the ancient magical science of Celtic artwork.