Ancient Lives unfolds the stories of thinkers, writers, kings, queens, conquerors, and politicians from all parts of the ancient world. Readers will come to know these figures in fully human dimensions, complete with foibles and flaws, and will see that the issues they faced—political conflicts, constraints based on gender or race, tensions between the private and public self—have changed very little over the course of millennia. Series: Ancient Lives Here are the following titles and a brief description of each book: Demetrius: Sacker of Cities by James Romm: Capitalizing on good looks, youth, and sexual prowess, Demetrius sought to weld those pieces together and recover the dream of a single world state, with a new Alexander—himself—at its head. He ended his career in a rash invasion of Asia and became the target of a desperate manhunt only to be captured and destroyed by his own son-in-law. Crassus: The First Tycoon: by Peter Stothard: After Crassus was killed, historians told many stories of his demise. Some said that his open mouth, shriveled by desert air, had been filled with molten gold as testament to his lifetime of greed. His story poses both immediate and lasting questions about the intertwining of money, ambition, and power. Cleopatra: Her History, Her Myth by Francine Prose: Francine Prose delves into ancient Greek and Roman literary sources, as well as modern representations of Cleopatra in art, theater, and film, to challenge past narratives driven by orientalism and misogyny and offer a new interpretation of Cleopatra’s history through the lens of our current era. @yalebooks @universitypressbooks #biography #autobiography #history #historybooks #demetrius #cleopatra #crassus #series #bookseries #historynerd #war #lovehistory #ilovehistory #politics #genderequality #equality #ancientworld #philosophy #philosophical #philosopher #BookLovers #Bibliophile #BookAddict #Books #GoodReads #Nonfiction #WhatToRead #BookWorld #Bookstagram #BookNerd

Traces the feminist icon Carolee Schneemann’s prolific six-decade output, spanning her remarkably diverse, transgressive, and interdisciplinary expression Carolee Schneemann : Body Politics Carolee Schneemann (1939–2019) was one of the most experimental artists of the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. This book traces six decades of the feminist icon’s diverse, transgressive and interdisciplinary expression through Schneemann’s experimental early paintings, sculptural assemblages and kinetic works; rarely seen photographs of her radical performances; her pioneering films; and groundbreaking multi-media installations. Contributors shed new light on Schneemann’s work, which addressed urgent topics from sexual expression and the objectification of women to human suffering and the violence of war. An artist who was concerned with the precarious lived experience of both humans and animals, this book positions Schneemann as one of the most relevant, provocative and inspiring artists in recent years. @yalebooks @universitypressbooks #art #photography #bodyphotography #expression #feminism #feminist #artbook #experimentalart #painting #sculpture #photographs #film #movie #media #metoo #artist #philosophy #equality #empowerment #equalrights #BookLovers #Bibliophile #BookAddict #Books #GoodReads #Nonfiction #WhatToRead #BookWorld #Bookstagram #BookNerd

Intimate photo essays of thirty-eight important writers, including Margaret Atwood, Gabriel García Márquez, Zadie Smith, and Colm Tóibín The Writers: Portraits by Laura Wilson Inspired by the classic photo essays that once appeared in Life magazine, renowned photographer Laura Wilson presents dynamic portraits of thirty-eight internationally acclaimed writers. Through her photos and accompanying texts, she gives us vivid, revealing glimpses into the everyday lives of such luminaries as Rachel Cusk, Edwidge Danticat, David McCullough, Haruki Murakami, and the late Carlos Fuentes and Seamus Heaney, among others. At once inviting and poignant, the book reflects on writing and photography’s shared concerns with invention, transformation, memory, and preservation. With 220 duotone images, The Writers: Portraits will appeal to fans of literature and photography alike. @yalebooks @universitypressbooks #writing #writers #author #authors #books #literature #photography #portrait #art #artbook #memoir #biography #autobiography #quotes #poems #poetry #wisdom #BookLovers #Bibliophile #BookAddict #Books #GoodReads #Nonfiction #WhatToRead #BookWorld #Bookstagram #BookNerd #BookClub #Reader #BookWorm

A deeply researched and poignant reflection on the practice of forgiveness in an unforgiving world Forgiveness: An Alternative Account by Matthew Ichihashi Potts Matthew Ichihashi Potts explores the complex moral terrain of forgiveness, which he claims has too often served as a salve to the conscience of power rather than as an instrument of healing or justice. Though forgiveness is often linked with reconciliation or the abatement of anger, Potts resists these associations, asserting instead that forgiveness is simply the refusal of retaliatory violence through practices of penitence and grief. It is an act of mourning irrevocable wrong, of refusing the false promises of violent redemption, and of living in and with the losses we cannot recover. @yalebooks @universitypressbooks #religion #religious #christian #christianity #bible #catholic #forgiveness #forgive #healing #selfhealing #mentalhealth #tradition #philosophy #literature #literarycriticism #literarycritic #life #philosopher #think #knowledge #BookLovers #Bibliophile #BookAddict #Books #GoodReads #Nonfiction #WhatToRead #BookWorld #Bookstagram #BookNerd

Happy Mushroom Day! Our following titles provide interesting scientific and cultural insight on the delights and delicacies that our fungi friends provide us with. The world of mushrooms is incredibly significant to our environment and aids us in our day-to-day affairs as a society. Enjoy these lovely titles: The Kingdom of Fungi by Jens H. Petersen The Lives of Fungi: A Natural History of our Planet’s Decomposers by Britt A. Bunyard What a Mushroom Lives For: Matsutake and the Worlds They Make by Michael J. Hathway The Mushroom at the End of the World: On the Possibility of Life in Capitalist Ruins by Anna Lowenhaupt Tsing Fungipedia: A Brief Compendium of Mushroom Lore by Lawrence Millman @princetonupress @universitypressbooks #mushroom #mushrooms #fungi #nature #environment #climatechange #ecology #sustainability #ecofriendly #recipes #savetheplanet #science #biology #chemistry #biologia #education #naturephotograhy #photography #eco #gogreen #BookLovers #Bibliophile #BookAddict #Books #GoodReads #Nonfiction #WhatToRead #BookWorld #Bookstagram #BookNerd

An authoritative account of Stalin as a wartime leader—showing how his paradoxical policies of mass mobilization and repression affected all aspects of Soviet society Stalin as Warlord by Alfred J. Rieber In this original and comprehensive study, Alfred J. Rieber examines Stalin as a wartime leader, arguing that his policies were profoundly paradoxical. In preparation for the war, Stalin mobilized the whole of Soviet society in pursuit of his military goals and intensified the centralization of his power. Yet at the same time, his use of terror weakened the forces vital to the defense of the country. In his efforts to rebuild the country after the devastating losses and destruction, he suppressed groups that had contributed immeasurably to victory. His steady, ruthless leadership cultivated a legacy that was to burden the Soviet Union and Russia to the present day. @yalebooks @universitypressbooks #biography #autobiography #stalin #sovietunion #russia #military #economy #economics #historybooks #history #historylesson #historylovers #historynerd #worldwar #historic #historylover #historygeek #ww #historical #historymatters #historybuff #britishhistory #historyiscool #lovehistory #worldhistory #ilovehistory #nonfiction #booklovers #books #whattoread

A revealing collection of quotations from world-renowned artist Damien Hirst Hirst-isms by Damien Hirst, Edited by Larry Warsh “Hirst-isms” is part of the “ISMs” series, published by Princeton University Press. These books contain collections of quotes from artists from all around the globe, from Andy Warhol to Ai Weiwei, whose books are pictured in the background. Hirst-isms is a collection of quotations—bold, surprising, often humorous, and always insightful—from celebrated artist Damien Hirst, whose controversial work explores the connections between art, religion, science, life, and death. Gathered from interviews and other primary sources and organized by subject, these quotations explore Hirst’s early years, family life, and the beginnings of his fascination with art; the major themes of his work; his influences and heroes; his motivation; his process and the boundary-pushing production of his work; and his thoughts on the art world, fame, and money. The result is a comprehensive and nuanced book that sheds new light on a fascinating and important contemporary artist. Here are some select quotations from the book: “The less I feel like an artist, the better I feel.” “I like it when people love my art. I like it when people hate my art. I just don’t want them to ignore my art.” “Painting’s like the most fabulous illusion, because there’s nothing at stake. Except yourself.” “I’m interested in the confusion between art and life, I like it when the world gets in the way.” “Sometimes you have to step over the edge to know where it is.” @princtonupress @universitypressbooks #art #artist #painting #fineart #art #contemporaryart #artwork #painting #artgallery #modernart #abstractart #artcollector #portrait #oilpainting #abstract #illustration #design #architecture #DamienHirst #Hirst #artbook #quotes #quotablebooks #artquotes #BookLovers #Bibliophile #BookAddict #Books #GoodReads #Nonfiction

A definitive biography of the U.S. diplomat and prize-winning historian George F. Kennan Kennan: A Life between Worlds by Frank Costigliola The diplomat and historian George F. Kennan (1904–2005) ranks as one of the most important figures in American foreign policy—and one of its most complex. Drawing on many previously untapped sources, Frank Costigliola’s authoritative biography offers a new picture of a man of extraordinary ability and ambition whose idea of containing the Soviet Union helped ignite the Cold War but who spent the next half century trying to extinguish it. Always prescient, Kennan in the 1990s warned that the eastward expansion of NATO would spur a new cold war with Russia. An absorbing portrait of an eloquent, insightful, and sometimes blinkered iconoclast whose ideas are still powerfully relevant, Kennan invites us to imagine a world that Kennan fought for but was unable to bring about—one not of confrontations and crises but of dialogue and diplomacy. @princtonupress @universitypressbooks #history #historical #historian #foreignpolicy #biography #SovietUnion #Russia #Coldwar #NATO #communism #capitalism #WWII #diplomat #historylesson #historylovers #historynerd #worldwar #historic #historylover #historygeek #ww #historical #historymatters #historybuff #BookLovers #Bibliophile #BookAddict #Books #GoodReads #WhattoRead

A fascinating portrait of a radical age through the writers associated with a London publisher and bookseller—from William Wordsworth and Mary Wollstonecraft to Benjamin Franklin Dinner with Joseph Johnson: Books and Friendship in a Revolutionary Age by Daisy Hay Once a week, in late eighteenth-century London, writers of contrasting politics and personalities gathered around a dining table. The veal and boiled vegetables may have been unappetising but the company was convivial and the conversation brilliant and unpredictable. The host was Joseph Johnson, publisher and bookseller: a man at the heart of literary life. In this book, Daisy Hay paints a remarkable portrait of a revolutionary age through the connected stories of the men and women who wrote it into being, and whose ideas still influence us today. A rich work of biography and cultural history, Dinner with Joseph Johnson is an entertaining and enlightening story of a group of people who left an indelible mark on the modern age. @princtonupress @universitypressbooks #book #literature #englishliterature #history #historybooks #political #biography #cooking #gardening #theology #poetry #romanticera #europe #european #romanticism #publishing #literary #BookLovers #Bibliophile #BookAddict #Books #GoodReads #WhatToRead #BookWorld #Bookstagram #BookNerd #BookClub #Reader #BookWorm

Entertaining and enlightening, funny and provocative, The Wife of Bath is a one-of-a-kind history of a literary and feminist icon who continues to capture the imagination of readers. The Wife of Bath: A Biography by Marion Turner A sexually active and funny working woman, the Wife of Bath, also known as Alison, talks explicitly about sexual pleasure. She is also a victim of domestic abuse who tells a story of rape and redemption. Formed from misogynist sources, she plays with stereotypes. Turner sets Alison’s fictional story alongside the lives of real medieval women—from a maid who travelled around Europe, abandoned her employer, and forged a new career in Rome to a duchess who married her fourth husband, a teenager, when she was sixty-five. Turner also tells the incredible story of Alison’s post-medieval life, from seventeenth-century ballads and Polish communist pop art to her reclamation by postcolonial Black British women writers. @princtonupress @universitypressbooks #book #literature #englishliterature #Chaucer #medieval #BLM #BlackLivesMatter #MeToo #feminist #feminism #equality #empowerment #womensrights #history #historybooks #culture #love #women #BookLovers #Bibliophile #BookAddict #Books #GoodReads #WhatToRead #BookWorld #Bookstagram #BookNerd #BookClub #Reader #BookWorm

An incisive and sympathetic examination of the case for ending the practice of imprisonment The Idea of Prison Abolition by Tommie Shelby Series: Carl G. Hempel Lecture Series Despite its omnipresence and long history, imprisonment is a deeply troubling practice. In the United States and elsewhere, prison conditions are inhumane, prisoners are treated without dignity, and sentences are extremely harsh. Mass incarceration and its devastating impact on black communities have been widely condemned as neoslavery or “the new Jim Crow.” Can the practice of imprisonment be reformed, or does justice require it to be ended altogether? In The Idea of Prison Abolition, Tommie Shelby examines the abolitionist case against prisons and its formidable challenge to would-be prison reformers. While a world without prisons might be utopian, The Idea of Prison Abolition makes the case that we can make meaningful progress toward this ideal by abolishing the structural injustices that too often lead to crime and its harmful consequences. @princetonupress @universitypressbooks #prisonabolition #justice #liberation #systemicracism #racism #massincarceration #initiatejustice #prison #angeladavis #injustice #politics #political #socialjustice #freethemall #freedom #blackwriters #blackauthors #philosophy #philosopher #thoughts #history #media #culture #sociology #law #government #journalism #economics #bibliophile #whattoread

A major new biography of legendary art collector and philanthropist Isabella Stewart Gardner. Beautifully illustrated, this book challenges any portrayal of Gardner as a straightforward feminist hero, revealing instead an exceptional, complex woman who created a legendary museum and played a vibrant and influential role in the art world. Isabella Stewart Gardner: A Life by Nathaniel Silver and Diana Seave Greenwald Isabella Stewart Gardner (1840–1924) assembled an extraordinary collection of art from diverse cultures and eras—and built a Venetian-style palazzo in Boston to share these exquisite treasures with the world. But her life and work remains shrouded in myth. Separating fiction and fact, this book paints an unforgettable portrait of Gardner, drawing on her substantial personal archive and including previously unpublished findings to offer new perspectives on her life and her construction of identity. Nathaniel Silver and Diana Seave Greenwald shed new light on Gardner’s connections to minority communities in Boston, her views on suffrage and other issues of the day, the sources of her and her husband’s wealth, and her ties to politicians, writers, and artists. What emerges is a multifaceted portrait of a trailblazing collector and patron of the arts—from Italian Renaissance paintings to Chinese antiquities—who built a museum unprecedented in its curatorial vision. @princetonupress @universitypressbooks #art #artist #painting #fineart #art #contemporaryart #artwork #painting #artgallery #modernart #abstractart #artcollector #portrait #oilpainting #abstract #illustration #design #historybooks #history #historylesson #historylovers #historynerd #BookLovers #Bibliophile #BookAddict #Books #GoodReads #Nonfiction #WhatToRead #BookWorld

An entertaining and enlightening collection of ancient writings about the philosophers who advocated simple living and rejected unthinking conformity How to Say No: An Ancient Guide to the Art of Cynicism by Diogenes with a translation and commentary by M. D. Usher Series: Ancient Wisdom for Modern Readers The Cynics were ancient Greek philosophers who stood athwart the flood of society’s material excess, unexamined conventions, and even norms of politeness and thundered “No!” Diogenes, the most famous Cynic, wasn’t shy about literally extending his middle finger to the world, expressing mock surprise that “most people go crazy over a finger.” When asked why he was called Diogenes the Dog, he replied “because I fawn on those who give, I bark at those who don’t, and I bite scoundrels.” How to Say No is a delightful collection of brief ancient writings about Cynicism that captures all the outrageousness, wit, and wisdom of its remarkable cast of characters—from Diogenes in the fourth century BCE to the column-stander Symeon Stylites in late antiquity. @princetonupress @universitypressbooks #philosophy #life #quotes #love #wisdom #art #psychology #motivation #philosopher #poetry #inspiration #philosophyquotes #quoteoftheday #meditation #thoughts #philosophymemes #stoicism #BookLovers #Bibliophile #BookAddict #Books #GoodReads #Nonfiction #WhatToRead #BookWorld #Bookstagram #BookNerd #BookClub #Reader #BookWorm

A spellbinding, richly evocative journey, In the Footsteps of Audubon is an invitation to see the natural world as Audubon saw it—and to see with new eyes what it has become today. In the Footsteps of Audubon by Denis Clavreul, with a foreword by David Allen Sibley In the Footsteps of Audubon brings together some 250 of Clavreul’s stunning watercolors along with illuminating selections from Audubon’s journals and several of his paintings. With pencil and brush in hand, Clavreul turns his naturalist’s eye and painterly skill to the landscapes that Audubon encountered on his travels, and to the animals and plants that Audubon depicted in his art. A passionate ornithologist, Clavreul sketches birds in the wild with rare dexterity, bringing them vividly to life on the page. He documents his encounters along the way with people who live with nature, many of whom are passionately engaged in preserving it, drawing on his insights as both a biologist and an artist to connect the past, present, and future. @princetonupress @universitypressbooks #BookLovers #Bibliophile #BookAddict #Books #GoodReads #Nonfiction #WhatToRead #BookWorld #Bookstagram #BookNerd #BookClub #Reader #BookWorm #art #artist #painting #birds #birding #bird #nature #wildlife #birdsofinstagram #birdwatching #environment #nature #audubon #ornithology #ornithologist

Just over half a century since Neil Armstrong first stepped foot on the lunar surface, a new space race to the Moon is well underway and rapidly gaining momentum. Laying out a vision for the next fifty years, Back to the Moon is astrophysicist Joseph Silk’s persuasive and impassioned case for putting scientific discovery at the forefront of lunar exploration. Back to the Moon: The Next Giant Leap for Humankind by Joseph Silk The Moon offers opportunities beyond our wildest imaginings, and plans to return are rapidly gaining momentum around the world. NASA aims to build a habitable orbiting space station to coordinate lunar development and exploration, while European and Chinese space agencies are planning lunar villages and the mining of precious resources dwindling here on Earth. Powerful international and commercial interests are driving the race to revisit the Moon, but lunar infrastructures could also open breathtaking vistas onto the cosmos. Silk describes how the colonization of the Moon could usher in a thrilling new age of scientific exploration, and lays out what the next fifty years of lunar science might look like. With lunar telescopes of unprecedented size situated in permanently dark polar craters and on the far side of the Moon, we could finally be poised to answer some of the most profound questions confronting humankind, including whether we are alone in the Universe and what our cosmic origins are. @princetonupress @universitypressbooks #NASA #stars #space #science #moon #astronomy #physics #telescope #universe #outerspace #astrophysics #cosmology #spacelovers #sun #earth #cosmos #hubble #nebula #lunar #asteroid #spacenews #galaxy #supernova #booklover #books #bibliophile #whattoread #spacebooks #booknerd #nonfiction

Along with Stoicism and Epicureanism, Skepticism is one of the three major schools of ancient Greek philosophy that claim to offer a way of living as well as thinking. How to Keep an Open Mind provides an unmatched introduction to skepticism by presenting a fresh, modern translation of key passages from the writings of Sextus Empiricus, the only Greek skeptic whose works have survived. How to Keep an Open Mind: An Ancient Guide to Thinking Like a Skeptic by Sextus Empiricus and translated with commentary by Richard Bett Series: Ancient Wisdom for Modern Readers While content in daily life to go along with things as they appear to be, Sextus advocated—and provided a set of techniques to achieve—a radical suspension of judgment about the way things really are, believing that such non-judging can be useful for challenging the unfounded dogmatism of others and may help one achieve a state of calm and tranquility. In an introduction, Richard Bett makes the case that the most important lesson we can draw from Sextus’s brand of skepticism today may be an ability to see what can be said on the other side of any issue, leading to a greater open-mindedness. @princetonupress @universitypressbooks #philosophy #life #quotes #love #wisdom #art #psychology #motivation #philosopher #poetry #inspiration #philosophyquotes #quoteoftheday #meditation #thoughts #philosophymemes #stoicism #think #quote #spirituality #nature #mindfulness #mind #knowledge #truth #bookaddict #nonfiction #booklover #whattoread #bibliophile

A marvelously illustrated A-to-Z compendium of bird names from around the globe. The Bird Name Book: A History of English Bird Names by Susan Myers The Bird Name Book is an alphabetical reference book on the origins and meanings of common group bird names, from “accentor” to “zeledonia.” A cornucopia of engaging facts and anecdotes, this superbly researched compendium presents a wealth of incisive entries alongside stunning photos by the author and beautiful historic prints and watercolors. Myers provides brief biographies of prominent figures in ornithology—such as John Gould, John Latham, Alfred Newton, and Robert Ridgway—and goes on to describe the etymological history of every common group bird name found in standardized English. She interweaves the stories behind the names with quotes from publications dating back to the 1400s, illuminating the shared evolution of language and our relationships with birds, and rooting the names in the history of ornithological discovery. @princetonupress @universitypressbooks #wildlife #birds #birds #birdmigration #birdphotography #photo #photography #animal #animals #birdsofinstagram #nature #ornithology #environment #ecofriendly #savetheplanet #earth #ecology #climate #climatechange #pollution #gogreen #green #sustainable #recycle #booklover #whattoread #booknerd #nonfiction #bibliophile #bookaddict

An engaging new translation of a timeless masterpiece about coping with the death of a loved one How to Grieve: An Ancient Guide to the Lost Art of Consolation by Marcus Tullius Cicero, translated with commentary by Michael Fontaine Series: Ancient Wisdom for Modern Readers In 45 BCE, the Roman statesman Cicero fell to pieces when his beloved daughter, Tullia, died from complications of childbirth. But from the depths of despair, Cicero fought his way back. In an effort to cope with his loss, he wrote a consolation speech—not for others, as had always been done, but for himself. And it worked. Cicero’s Consolation was something new in literature, equal parts philosophy and motivational speech. Drawing on the full range of Greek philosophy and Roman history, Cicero convinced himself that death and loss are part of life, and that if others have survived them, we can, too; resilience, endurance, and fortitude are the way forward. @princetonupress @universitypressbooks #philosophy #life #quotes #love #wisdom #art #psychology #motivation #philosopher #poetry #inspiration #philosophyquotes #quoteoftheday #meditation #thoughts #stoicism #think #quote #spirituality #nature #mindfulness #mind #knowledge #books #booklover #reader #bookworm #whattoread #nonfiction #Readoftheweek

Leading technologists, historians, and journalists reveal the stories behind the computer coding that touches all aspects of life—for better or worse "You Are Not Expected to Understand This": How 26 Lines of Code Changed the World, edited by Torie Bosch and illustrated by Kelly Chudler. Everything from law enforcement to space exploration relies on code written by people who, at the time, made choices and assumptions that would have long-lasting, profound implications for society. Torie Bosch brings together many of today’s leading technology experts to provide new perspectives on the code that shapes our lives. Contributors discuss a host of topics, such as how university databases were programmed long ago to accept only two genders, what the person who programmed the very first pop-up ad was thinking at the time, the first computer worm, the Bitcoin white paper, and perhaps the most famous seven words in Unix history: “You are not expected to understand this.” This compelling book tells the human stories behind programming, enabling those of us who don’t think much about code to recognize its importance, and those who work with it every day to better understand the long-term effects of the decisions they make. @princetonupress @universitypressbooks #science #coding #code #computerscience #computer #computers #technology #engineering #programming #tech #technerd #information #knowledge #webdesign #codinglife #java #programmer #html #coder #software #softwareengineer #hacking #python #html #BookLovers #Bibliophile #BookAddict #Books #GoodReads #Nonfiction

“Jeffers Lennox makes a significant contribution to the general understanding of how the thirteen colonies achieved independence and national definition.”—Richard D. Brown, author of Self-Evident Truths North of America: Loyalists, Indigenous Nations, and the Borders of the Long American Revolution by Jeffers Lennox The story of the Thirteen Colonies’ struggle for independence from Britain is well known to every American schoolchild. But at the start of the Revolutionary War, there were more than thirteen British colonies in North America. Patriots were surrounded by Indigenous homelands and loyal provinces. Independence had its limits. In this book, historian Jeffers Lennox looks north, as so many Americans at that time did, and describes how Loyalists and Indigenous leaders frustrated Patriot ambitions, defended their territory, and acted as midwives to the birth of the United States while restricting and redirecting its continental aspirations. @yalebooks @universitypressbooks #historybooks #history #historylesson #historylovers #historynerd #historic #historylover #historygeek #historical #historymatters #historybuff #britishhistory #historyiscool #lovehistory #BookLovers #Bibliophile #BookAddict #Books #GoodReads #Nonfiction #WhatToRead #BookWorld #Bookstagram #BookNerd #BookClub #Reader