Whether we love or hate it, Christmas has always played a special role in the cinema, and Christmas movies like "It’s a Wonderful Life" and "Miracle on 34th Street" have a special place in popular affections. They almost constitute a mini-cinematic genre. So what does Christmas in the movies mean to societies across the Anglo-Saxon and European world and what does it have to say about them? The contributors to this book take a good look at popular Christmas films, decoding the messages they convey about preoccupations and attitudes internationally and about the different societies that produce them.
THE EARTH AND ITS PEOPLES presents world history in a balanced, global framework, shifting the focus away from political centers of power. This truly global text for the world history survey course employs a fundamental theme--the interaction of human beings and the environment--to compare different times, places, and societies. Special emphasis is given to technology (in its broadest sense) and how technological development underlies all human activity.
Meggie and David Blue are from another planet. The story takes these alien kids, along with their mother and grandfather, by accident, to a far planet where people are kept submissive through drugs and brainwashing. The Blues, who have spent time in free societies recognize the upside-down-ness of this world. They plan their escape, and vow to help others.
Collapse - How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed
In his million-copy bestseller Guns, Germs, and Steel, Jared Diamond examined how and why Western civilizations developed the technologies and immunities that allowed them to dominate much of the world. Now in this brilliant companion volume, Diamond probes the other side of the equation: What caused some of the great civilizations of the past to collapse into ruin, and what can we learn from their fates?
The Templar Papers: Ancient Mysteries, Secret Societies, And the Holy Grail
Much has been written about the group of 14th-century warrior monks known as the Knights Templar. Some authors, such as Dan Brown in The Da Vinci Code, portray them as folk heroes wrongly accused. Others disagree, saying the Templar story is ultimately one of greed, deception, and idolatry.
