Mukund Joshi is fourteen and newly in love. He attends the same private tuitions as his classmate, Shirodkar, just for a glimpse of her, and follows her back home every day. Sadly, she has not a clue that he is pining away for her, because in their society, boys and girls don't interact freely, much less talk about love. When he's not negotiating the tricky alleys of love, Mukund sits around the school field or loafs about town with his close friends, Surya, Chitre and Phawdya, railing against the education system, and debating ideas such as discipline and Bohemianism. Set in a small Maharashtrian town during the Emergency of 1975, Shala is a heart-warming, nuanced novel about the adolescent struggles that are as tortuous in real time as they are amusing in retrospect.
Imperial Princess Jenevra Couressime is an unwelcome reminder to her family of an incident they would all rather forgetthe murder of her parents. Often ignored, fourteen-year-old Jenevra is not surprised when she is sent from court to a rigidly disciplined life in exile. Hopeful that she will never have to see any of her family again, Jenevra soon finds a cold satisfaction in the harsh discipline of a Temple Order. Jenevra becomes an assassin of chilling efficiencyperfectly equipped to serve as protector to her cousin, who happens to be the new Emperor. But after her return to court thrusts her unwillingly back into palace life and intense military challenges, Jenevra must face emotional upheaval and confrontation as she attempts to reconcile with her family. As Jenevra contends with senior officers in the imperial army, she learns the truth about why she was chosen to bear a talisman that seems intent on pulling her into the darkest shadows of her mind. Unexpected twists and turns soon surround a young princess constantly challenged to prove herselfand who will soon discover that her carefully constructed defenses are not quite as impenetrable as she once thought.
This book gathers high-quality papers presented at the Third International Conference on Smart Computing and Informatics (SCI 2018–19), which was organized by the School of Computer Engineering and School of Computer Application, Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology, Bhubaneswar, India, on 21–22 December, 2018. It includes advanced and multi-disciplinary research on the design of smart computing and informatics. Thematically, the book broadly focuses on several innovation paradigms in system knowledge, intelligence and sustainability that can help to provide realistic solutions to various problems confronting society, the environment, and industry. The respective papers offer valuable insights into the how emerging computational and knowledge transfer approaches can be used to deliver optimal solutions in science, technology and healthcare.
“The most empowering OCD book I have ever read.” —Reid Wilson, PhD, author of Stopping the Noise in Your Head Don’t just survive—thrive. In Everyday Mindfulness for OCD, two experts in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) offer a blend of mindfulness, humor, and self-compassion to help you stop dwelling on what’s wrong and start enhancing what’s right—leading to a more joyful life. If you’ve been diagnosed with OCD, you already understand how your obsessive thoughts, compulsive behavior, and need for rituals can interfere with everyday life. Maybe you’ve already undergone therapy or are in the midst of working with a therapist. It’s important for you to know that life doesn’t end with an OCD diagnosis. In fact, it’s possible to not only live with the disorder, but also live joyfully. This practical and accessible guide will show you how. In Everyday Mindfulness for OCD, you’ll discover how you can stay one step ahead of your OCD. You’ll learn about the world of mindfulness, and how living in the present moment non-judgmentally is so important when you have OCD. You’ll also explore the concept of self-compassion—what it is, what it isn’t, how to use it, and why people with OCD benefit from it. Finally, you’ll discover daily games, tips, and tricks for outsmarting your OCD, meditations and mindfulness exercises, and much, much more. Living with OCD is challenging—but it doesn’t have to define you. If you’re tired of focusing on how “hard” living with OCD is and are looking for fun ways to make the most of your unique self, this book will be a breath of fresh air.
This book explores the notion of agency in a range of empirical situations in Africa. Agency directs our quest for an understanding of the dynamics and social transformations of African situations to the domains of creativity, inventiveness and reflexivity. It emphasizes the possibilities individuals and social groups perceive when faced with the constraints that tend to mark African social life. The case studies provide an alternative view of people and society in Africa by looking at the ways social strength is created in the hope of overcoming many of the structural limitations encountered in daily life. 'Strength beyond Structure' challenges the optimism that is engrained in the development rhetoric about Africa by making agency the subject of empirical scrutiny.
'Lane, the daughter of Laura Ingalls Wilder, was a successful writer well before the publication of her mother's famous Little House series (on which she had substantial editorial input). "After several years working for the San Francisco Chronicle, in 1920 Lane accepted a Red Cross posting to Europe to report on postwar conditions. She would spend more than five years abroad, living for nearly two years in Albania and traveling to Baghdad, Cairo, and Constantinople with a series of traveling companions or sometimes by herself" (ANB). She fell in love with Albania, coming to consider it a second home. This volume describes an expedition into the northern Albanian mountains she made with two Red Cross workers who hoped to establish a school there. Her vivid descriptions of the customs and beliefs of the Shala tribe they encountered helped make this one of her most successful books.'--Walkabout Books.
Walter E. A. van Beek draws on over four decades of extensive fieldwork to offer an in-depth study of the religion of the Kapsiki/Higi, who live in the Mandara Mountains on the border between North Cameroon and Northeast Nigeria. Concentrating on ritual as the core of traditional religion, van Beek shows how Kapsiki/Higi practices have endured through the long and turbulent history of the region. Kapsiki rituals reveal a focus on two fundamental concepts: dwelling and belonging. Van Beek examines their sacrificial practices, through which the Kapsiki show a complex and pervasive connection with the Mandara Mountains, as well as the character of their relationships among themselves and with outsiders. Van Beek also explores their rituals of belonging, rites of passage which take place from birth through initiation and marriage - and even death, with the tradition of the ''dancing dead,'' when a fully decorated corpse on the shoulders of a smith ''dances'' with his mourning kinsmen. The Dancing Dead is the result of the author's lifelong study of the Kapsiki/Higi. It gives a unique description of the rituals in an African traditional religion based not upon ancestors, but on a completely relational thought system, where in the end all rituals are integrated into one major cycle.
"A masterfully written memoir-meets-educational-meets-inspirational tale that I couldn't put down." Ashley Smith, PhD, coauthor of Childhood Anxiety Disorders A gripping memoir that gives voice to the invisible, life-destroying power of obsessive-compulsive disorder, and how one woman stood up to fear, embraced the unknown, and reclaimed her life. Even at nine years old, Shala Nicely knew there was nothing normal about the horrifying thoughts that tormented her at bedtime, or the nightly rituals she summoned to beat them back. More importantly, she knew to obey her mind's Rule #1: keep its secret, or risk losing everything and everyone she loved. It would be almost two decades before she learned the name of the menacing monster holding her hostage: obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). It would take years longer to piece together the keys to recovery that would change her life forever, beginning with the day she broke her monster's silence. Writing with wry wit, unflinching candor, and resounding insight, Shala takes readers on a riveting journey into the dark and dimly understood inner workings of OCD and its frequent co-conspirator, body dysmorphic disorder (BDD). Thwarted repeatedly as she struggles to escape the clutches of these formidable foes, she finally stumbles upon an unexpected path to freedom. As she journeys into the heart of fear to reclaim her life, she weaves a self-compassionate roadmap to recovery: to living in an uncertain world and being happy anyway. With an Afterword by Reid Wilson, PhD offering powerful guidance for applying Shala's strategies in daily life, Is Fred in the Refrigerator? will leave legions of those affected by mental illness feeling seen, understood, and empowered. "A memoir ... about all of us with this kind of mind." Jon Hershfield, MFT, author of Overcoming Harm OCD "One of the clearest descriptions of the experience of OCD ... you'll cry, you'll cheer, and you'll put your shoulders back with Shala as she conquers the OCD demon." Randy O. Frost, PhD, Harold and Elsa Siipola Israel Professor of Psychology at Smith College and coauthor of the New York Times bestseller Stuff: Compulsive Hoarding and the Meaning of Things
Books 11-15 in Betty McLain's 'Love's Magic' series of sweet and wholesome romance, now available in one volume! Love's Obsession: The mirror showed a girl her true love. Girls rushed to check their reflection, hoping to see if the stories were true. Not Doris. She had no interest in finding her true love. Derrick said he loved her, but when she did not return his feelings, his so-called love turned into an obsession that took the lives of her mother and step-father. Mark Black Feather was pleasantly surprised to see the magic mirror reveal the face of his true love. He never expected she’d be unhappy to see him, or that her life would be in danger from a madman. Can true love grow surrounded by tragedy and danger, or will one man’s obsession end their love before it can truly begin? Love's Memory: Silas watched his family grow larger from all the marriages and children. He wondered when his time would come, but a part of his mind couldn’t let go of a memory from long ago, of a beautiful girl. He called her his woodland sprite, but where had she gone, and would he ever see her again? May struggled against the unwanted advances of the man her mother wanted her to marry. She did not love him. Her memories were full of the vision of a boy she loved from afar, but her family had left that place long ago. She never expected to see him again, especially not in the reflection of the magic mirror. Love's Gamble: Widowed at a young age and left to raise a baby by herself, Lanie was abandoned by her family when she needed them the most. She worked two full time jobs to make ends meet. But she had her son. For her, that was enough. Then, as her fragile world began to crumble around her, a stranger swept in with the promise of a better life. Marcel knew all about true love. His family was full of stories of how magical the bond could be and how unexpectedly it could appear in one's life, so when he met the young waitress on his way back home, he recognized their connection instantly. Seeing her struggle, he opened his home and heart to Lanie and her son. But can she learn to trust in a future of hope and love, when the past has been so bleak? Love's Plea: Charise got together with her closest friends to have a good time and prepare for the wedding. But this restaurant was special: it showcased one of the three magic mirrors, capable of showing a girl her true love. All the girls took their turns at the mirror, and then it was Charise’s turn. But what do you do when you are the bride, and the reflection you see in the mirror is not that of your soon to be husband? Love's Promise: Mona could use a little magic in her life. With a sick mom, younger siblings to look after, and a stepfather who worked hard to make ends meet, her life was far from magical. Those she knew who met their true love through the mirror saw a promise of a brighter future. Mona looked in the mirror time and again, with no luck. She saw a reminder of her own loneliness and dismal life. Then, one day, the image changed.
