Imagine a world without sight. Is it dark and gloomy? Is it terrifying and isolating? Or is it simply a state of not seeing, which we have demonised and sentimentalized over the centuries? And why is blindness so frightening? In this fascinating historical adventure, Broadcaster and author Selina Mills takes us on a journey through the history of blindness in Western Culture to discover that blindness is not so dark after all. Inspired by her own experience of losing her sight as she forged a successful journalistic career, Life Unseen takes us through a personal and unsentimental historical quest through the lives, stories and achievements of blind people - as well as those sighted people who sought to patronize, demonize and fix them. From the blind poet Homer, through the myths and moralising of early medieval culture to the scientific and medical discoveries of the Enlightenment and modern times, the story of blindness turns out to be a story of our whole culture.
Imagine being alongside one of the greatest bands in the history of rock, touring the world and being there as they perform at some of the best and biggest music venues in the world. Peter Hince didn't have to imagine: for more than a decade, he lived a life that other people can only dream of as he worked with Queen as head of their road crew. In 1973, Queen was the support act for Mott the Hoople, for whom Peter was a roadie. Back then, Queen had to content themselves with being second on the bill and the world had not yet woken up to the flamboyant talent of Freddie Mercury. Peter started working full time for Queen just as they were making A Night at the Opera, the album which catapulted them to international stardom. In this intimate and affectionate book, Peter recalls the highlights of his years with the band. He was with Freddie when he composed 'Crazy Little Thing Called Love'; he was responsible for making sure that Freddie's stage performances went without a hitch - and was often there to witness his famed tantrums! He was also party to the sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll which are invariably part of life on the road with a rock band.
In this lavishly illustrated biography from the LIFE Unseen series, LIFE partners with Sony Music Entertainment to give readers an intimate look into the life of legendary performer Tony Bennett. Through rare and never-before-seen photography from the depths of Sony's archives and contributions from the icon himself, this book is an essential collectible for the musician's fans old and new alike. LIFE Unseen Tony Bennett takes readers through every stage of Tony Bennett's journey, from newly-returned WWII veteran to American idol and Civil Rights advocate. With a foreword by acclaimed film director Martin Scorsese and an introduction by LIFE's managing editor, Robert Sullivan, readers will experience the surprising story of an incredible artist and monumental figure in the history of entertainment, who, in his ninth decade, is enjoying his best years and his best self.
We are first and foremost a spirit living in a natural body - learning to see, hear and access the spirit realm and its principles. Learning to live life through the eyes of the spirit is transforming and freeing. Living from the Unseen reveals that we can live life through the eyes of the spirit and with an awareness of the spiritual realities and principals that affect our everyday lives. This is a book that shares insights on how to obtain a transformed life through renewing the mind. Wendy's journey, and these insights, are meant for those Christians who intuitively know there is more to "walking in the Spirit" than traditionally understood by the Church. This book will also help Christians who are tired, discouraged, hopeless or hungering for their destiny and identity to be fully developed and released. This book will help identify beliefs that block the reception of God's blessings and hinder our ability to live out our destiny. You will learn that: * Believing differently, not trying harder, is the key to change. * You cannot do what you don't believe you are. * You can only receive what you think you are worth.* Rather than learning how to die - it is time to learn how to live.
Have you ever wondered what left behind those prints and tracks on the seashore, or what made those marks or dug those holes in the dunes? Life Traces of the Georgia Coast is an up-close look at these traces of life and the animals and plants that made them. It tells about how the tracemakers lived and how they interacted with their environments. This is a book about ichnology (the study of such traces) and a wonderful way to learn about the behavior of organisms, living and long extinct. Life Traces presents an overview of the traces left by modern animals and plants in this biologically rich region; shows how life traces relate to the environments, natural history, and behaviors of their tracemakers; and applies that knowledge toward a better understanding of the fossilized traces that ancient life left in the geologic record. Augmented by illustrations of traces made by both ancient and modern organisms, the book shows how ancient trace fossils directly relate to modern traces and tracemakers, among them, insects, grasses, crabs, shorebirds, alligators, and sea turtles. The result is an aesthetically appealing and scientifically grounded book that will serve as source both for scientists and for anyone interested in the natural history of the Georgia coast.
You are probably not aware, because of their hidden nature, but Artificial Intelligence systems are all around you affecting some of the biggest areas of your life—jobs, loans, kids, mental health, relationships, freedoms, and even healthcare decisions that can determine if you live or die. As an executive working in AI at one of the largest, most sophisticated tech companies on the planet, Cortnie Abercrombie saw firsthand how the corporate executives and data science teams of the Fortune 500 think about and develop AI systems. This gave her a unique perspective that would result in a calling to leave her job so she could reveal to the public the sobering realities behind AI without any constraints or Public-Relations candy-coating from corporate America. In this book she makes it easy to understand how AI works and unveils what companies are doing with AI that can impact you the most. Most importantly, she offers practical advice on what you can do about it today and the change you should demand for the future. This book drops the hype, over-exaggerations, and big scientific terms and addresses the pressing questions that non-insiders want answered: • How does AI work (in words you don’t need a PhD to understand)? • How can AI affect my job, replace me, or prevent my hire? • Is AI involved in life-or-death decisions in healthcare? • Could my digital accounts or home network be hacked because of my AI-based Smart TV, coffeemaker, or robot vacuum? • How does AI know so much about me, what does it know, and can it be used against me? • Can it manipulate people to do things they wouldn’t normally? • Could AI help push my teen to self-harm or suicide? • Is fake news a real thing? • How can AI affect my rights and liberties? Does facial recognition play a part? • What can I do to protect myself, my kids, and my grandkids? • What should I demand from educators, lawmakers, and corporations to ensure AI is used in ways that are safe, fair, and responsible? • Is AI worth having? What could AI do for us in the future? It’s time to understand what this AI hubbub is all about and what you’re going to do about it because what you don’t know about AI, could hurt you.
How do we find contentment in God when we feel so hidden? Sara Hagerty unfolds the truths found in the biblical story of Mary of Bethany to discover the scandalous love of God and explore the spiritual richness of being hidden in him. Every heart longs to be seen and understood. Yet most of our lives is unwitnessed. We spend our days working, driving, parenting. We sometimes spend whole seasons feeling unnoticed and unappreciated. In Unseen, Sara Hagerty suggests that this is exactly what God intended. He is the only One who truly knows us. He is the only One who understands the value of the unseen in our lives. When this truth seeps into our souls, we realize that only when we hide ourselves in God can we give ourselves to others in true freedom--and know the joy of a deeper relationship with the God who sees us. Our culture applauds what we can produce, what we can show, what we can upload to social media. Only when we give all of ourselves to God--unedited, abandoned, apparently wasteful in its lack of productivity--can we live out who God created us to be. As Hagerty writes, "Maybe my seemingly unproductive, looking-up-at-Him life produces awe among the angels." Through an eloquent exploration of both personal and biblical story, Hagerty calls us to offer every unseen minute of our lives to God. God is in the secret places of our lives that no one else witnesses. But we've not been relegated to these places. We've been invited. We may be "wasting" ourselves in a hidden corner today: The cubicle on the fourth floor. The hospital bedside of an elderly parent. The laundry room. But these are the places God uses to meet us with a radical love. These are the places that produce the kind of unhinged love in us that gives everything at His feet, whether or not anyone else ever proclaims our name, whether or not anyone else ever sees. God's invitation is not just for a season or a day. It is the question of our lives: "When no one else applauds you, when it makes no sense, when you see no results--will you waste your love on Me?"
A new collection of essays on the living intelligence within nature from various spiritual and scientific perspectives, by James Lovelock, Dorothy MacLean, Joan Halifax, Thomas Berry, John Seed, Serge King, author of Earth Energies, and others.
The inspiring, unflinching true story of “blind” faith, as Major Scotty Smiley awakes in a hospital bed and realizes his world is permanently dark he must stretch his faith like never before. Courageous, heartfelt, and honest, Hope Unseen challenges readers to question their doubts, not their beliefs, and depend upon God no matter what. A nervous glance from a man in a parked car. Muted instincts from a soldier on patrol. Violent destruction followed by total darkness. Two weeks later, Scotty Smiley woke up in Walter Reed Army Medical Center, helpless . . . and blind. Blindness became Scotty’s journey of supreme testing. As he lay helpless in the hospital, Captain Smiley resented the theft of his dreams—becoming a CEO, a Delta Force operator, or a four-star general. With his wife Tiffany’s love and the support of his family and friends, Scotty was transformed—the injury only intensifying his indomitable spirit. Since the moment he jumped out of a hospital bed and forced his way through nurses and cords to take a simple shower, Captain Scotty Smiley has climbed Mount Rainier, won an ESPY as Best Outdoor Athlete, surfed, skydived, become a father, earned an MBA from Duke, taught leadership at West Point, commanded an army company, and won the MacArthur Leadership Award. Scotty and Tiffany Smiley have lived out a faith so real that it will inspire you to question your own doubts, push you to serve something bigger than yourself, and encourage you to cling to a Hope Unseen.
