In a not too distant future where virtual reality has become the norm, lies a world known as the Escapist Dream, where all kinds of geeks can live a life of superpowered adventures. It is a place where comic book nerds can become superheroes, anime otakus can date their waifus, and gamers can fight each other in epic firefights.But then, something went wrong...Two individuals - a shy teenage geek named Charlie, and a serious programmer named Jim - came to the Escapist Dream for different reasons. One came to this virtual reality to have fun while the other was sent to fix bugs that have been plaguing the Escapist Dream. Charlie and Jim would soon find out how the bugs have caused madness in this place, and must now work together to protect themselves and save the Escapist Dream.
Dreams are a window into the subconscious, and for those who understand their meanings, they are also a crucial step in self-understanding. In this comprehensive volume, author Cassandra Eason shares her decades of study on the subject. From visions of angels to trips to the zoo, from buying a dream home to escaping from demons, Eason catalogs 1,001 scenarios, exploring different types of dreams, practical symbolic meanings, dreams’ psychological underpinnings and spiritual significance, and all the ways in which dreams can be interpreted as warnings or indicators of events to come. Along with a fascinating introduction to dreams and the history of dreaming, this is an essential reference.
Imagine a world where you can live the life of your favorite fictional characters. Where you can become a real comic book superhero, anime protagonist, video game badass, and other great characters of fiction. Where you can gain actual superpowers, live in a fantastical world filled with villains and adventures, and have fun battling it out with other fellow geeks. In the virtual reality world known as the Escapist Dream, all of this can be possible for a price - once you get in, you can never get out. An American geek named Charlie, and a Japanese otaku named GI, would become trapped inside and forced to fight for survival, against rogue AIs and crazed players that had taken over the virtual reality world. Would their new-found powers and teamwork be enough? For what they didn't know, behind this malfunctioning virtual reality world, hides an even darker evil. One who is all-powerful, sadistic, and possibly eldritch...
Originally published in 1967. Professor Sachs shows the inner coherence of Samuel Johnson's thought by pointing out the interconnectedness of his remarks on religious, moral, aesthetic, political, and psychological subjects. Reason and imagination, the central concepts in the Johnsonian ethos, are elucidated with reference to "vacuity," "attention," "novelty," "diversity," and other words to which Johnson attached special significance. Johnson emerges as an original thinker of the English Christian-humanist heritage; he "is to be read in the same spirit as Pascal." Primarily concerned with the relation between Johnson's ideas and the long tradition of which they are the culmination, Sachs also emphasizes the relevance of Johnson's thought to the twentieth century.
A narrative tour de force that combines wide-ranging scholarship with captivating prose, Kevin Starr's acclaimed multi-volume Americans and the California Dream is an unparalleled work of cultural history. In this volume, Starr covers the crucial postwar period--1950 to 1963--when the California we know today first burst into prominence. Starr brilliantly illuminates the dominant economic, social, and cultural forces in California in these pivotal years. In a powerful blend of telling events, colorful personalities, and insightful analyses, Starr examines such issues as the overnight creation of the postwar California suburb, the rise of Los Angeles as Super City, the reluctant emergence of San Diego as one of the largest cities in the nation, and the decline of political centrism. He explores the Silent Generation and the emergent Boomer youth cult, the Beats and the Hollywood "Rat Pack," the pervasive influence of Zen Buddhism and other Asian traditions in art and design, the rise of the University of California and the emergence of California itself as a utopia of higher education, the cooling of West Coast jazz, freeway and water projects of heroic magnitude, outdoor life and the beginnings of the environmental movement. More broadly, he shows how California not only became the most populous state in the Union, but in fact evolved into a mega-state en route to becoming the global commonwealth it is today. Golden Dreams continues an epic series that has been widely recognized for its signal contribution to the history of American culture in California. It is a book that transcends its stated subject to offer a wealth of insight into the growth of the Sun Belt and the West and indeed the dramatic transformation of America itself in these pivotal years following the Second World War.
Stephen Arterburn examines love addiction--why it is on the rise, what it looks like, who it afflicts, and what you can do if you suspect yourself or someone you love to be suffering from it. Like alcoholics or drug addicts, love addicts get high on sex and romance, develop a tolerance for it, and need ever-greater doses to keep going. With compassion and wisdom, Arterburn points the way to the psychological and spiritual healing that will enable men and women to enjoy the real and lasting intimacy for which they were created.
"The essays collected here derive from a two-day international and interdisciplinary conference, entitled 'Boxing Clever: A Centennial Re-Evaluation of Joseph Cornell', which was held at the AHRC Centre for the Studies of Surrealism and Its Legacies at the University of Essex between 17 and 19 September, 2003"--P. [9].
In a controversial and tumultuous filmmaking career that spanned nearly fifty years, Robert Altman mocked, subverted, or otherwise refashioned Hollywood narrative and genre conventions. Altman's idiosyncratic vision and propensity for formal experimentation resulted in an uneven body of work: some rank failures and intriguing near-misses, as well as a number of great films that are among the most influential works of New American Cinema. While Altman always professed to have nothing authoritative to say about the state of contemporary society, this volume surveys all of his major films in their sociohistorical context to reposition the director as a trenchant satirist and social critic of postmodern America, depicted as a lonely wasteland of fraudulent spectacle, exploitative social relations, and unfulfilled solitaries in search of elusive community.
Sick of striving? Giving up on grit? Had enough of hustle culture? Daunted by the 10,000-hour rule? Relax: As the French know, it's the best way to be better at everything. In the realm of love, what could be less seductive than someone who's trying to seduce you? Seduction is the art of succeeding without trying, and that's a lesson the French have mastered. We can see it in their laissez-faire parenting, chic style, haute cuisine, and enviable home cooking: They barely seem to be trying, yet the results are world-famous--thanks to a certain je ne sais quoi that is the key to a more creative, fulfilling, and productive life. For fans of both Mark Manson's The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck and Alain de Botton's How Proust Can Change Your Life, philosopher Ollivier Pourriol's The French Art of Not Trying Too Hard draws on the examples of such French legends as Descartes, Stendhal, Rodin, Cyrano de Bergerac, and Françoise Sagan to show how to be efficient à la française, and how to effortlessly reap the rewards. A PENGUIN LIFE TITLE
The New Path tells the story of a young American's spiritual quest, his discovery of the powerful classic, Autobiography of a Yogi, and his subsequent meeting with-and acceptance as a disciple by-the book's author, the great spiritual teacher and yoga master, Paramhansa Yogananda. Swami Kriyananda is an extraordinary narrator: He recreates the vibrancy of his guru's presence, remembers Yogananda's words with perfect clarity, and communicates to the reader the depth of their meaning. Through Kriyananda's eyes and words, you'll be transported into Yogananda's immediate presence as you learn the highest yogic teachings. The New Path provides a marvelous sequel to Paramhansa Yogananda's own Autobiography of a Yogi, helping you to gain a more profound understanding of this great world teacher. Through hundreds of stories of life with Yogananda and through Swami Kriyananda's invaluable insights, you'll discover the inner path that leads to soul-freedom and lasting happiness.
