THIS BOOK IS ABOUT - the beauty of pain - the power of prayers - self-image - your own standard - life's approach - habits - role of self-confidence - miracle - comfort zone
Sebastians pierced with arrows, self-portraits of the aging Rembrandt, and the tortured art of Vincent van Gogh. Exploring the tender, complex rapport between art and pain, Spivey guides us through the twentieth-century photographs of casualties of war, Edvard Munch's The Scream, and back to the recorded horrors of the Holocaust.".
In this hilarious, candid, and warm debut, Icon For Hire vocalist Ariel Bloomer bares her soul and shares her struggles, coupling accessible autobiography with practical advice and inspiration for navigating the messiest parts of life. From growing up a passionate but troubled spiritual seeker to chasing her rock n' roll dreams, Bloomer's journey illustrates the importance of cultivating self-love and the transformational nature of creativity, and how to access the artist inside all of us. Turning one's pain into art is an intense but rewarding endeavor, and is one we can all benefit from if we're brave enough to say yes to the challenge.
There are many books out there about how to treat pain. The Colorful Art of Pain is different. It does not give any quick fix remedies or cures for pain. What it does is show you pain through the eyes of an artist. Daniel Quinlan was hooked on painkillers that were becoming less and less effective. He had battled with chronic pain for many years. When he and his wife moved to Tanzania in East Africa he decided to stop all pain medication and use painting as a way to get release from his pain. When he ran out of brushes he started using his fingers. In the space of 3 years he painted 125 large canvases with his fingers until he was forced to stop when his fingers became so raw and swollen he could no longer move them. Beautifully narrated by Cindy Vine and original artwork by Daniel Quinlan, The Colorful Art of Pain is a visual diary that tells you one man's journey to the Hell of Pain.
Vengeance: The Art of Pain - A savage attack on a Syrian family led by a British Jihadi in the early stages of the Syrian Civil war in 2013 leads to a bloody manhunt across Europe that not only seeks revenge but also the truth. The team hired to track down and punish terrorist must use their unconventional skills and intimate knowledge of the criminal world to cut through a cesspit of lies and deception to inflict a ruthless retribution on those guilty that is beyond their comprehension of terror. From the dust of Syria, to the suburbs of Antwerp, to the hills of Greece and on to the streets of London this technically accurate thriller will take you into the brutal but honorable world of the professional killer and highlight the complete hypocrisy of modern society's false values and perspectives.
When her brother dies of AIDS and her husband dies of cancer in the same year, Rosemary is left on her own with two young daughters and antsy addiction demons dancing in her head. This is the nucleus of The Art of Losing It a young mother jerking from emergency to emergency as the men in her life drop dead around her; a high-functioning radio show host waging war with her addictions while trying to raise her two little girls who just lost their daddy; and finally, a stint in rehab and sobriety that ushers in a fresh brand of chaos instead of the tranquility her family so desperately needs. Heartrending but ultimately hopeful, The Art of Losing It is the story of a struggling mother who finds her way—slowly, painfully—from one side of grief and addiction to the other.
With a fresh approach to a common problem, this self-help guide to overcoming back pain advocates adopting the natural, healthy posture of athletes, young children, and people from traditional societies the world over. Arguing that most of what our culture has taught us about posture is misguided—even unhealthy—and exploring the current epidemic of back pain, many of the commonly cited reasons for the degeneration of spinal discs and the stress on muscles that leads to back pain are examined and debunked. The historical and anthropological roots of poor posture in Western cultures are studied as is the absence of back pain complaints in the cultures of Africa, Asia, South America, and rural Europe. Eight detailed chapters provide illustrated step-by-step instructions for making simple, powerful changes to seated, standing, and sleeping positions. No special equipment or exercise is required, and effects are often immediate.
A gaming academic offers a “fascinating” exploration of why we play video games—despite the unhappiness we feel when we fail at them (Boston Globe) We may think of video games as being “fun,” but in The Art of Failure, Jesper Juul claims that this is almost entirely mistaken. When we play video games, our facial expressions are rarely those of happiness or bliss. Instead, we frown, grimace, and shout in frustration as we lose, or die, or fail to advance to the next level. Humans may have a fundamental desire to succeed and feel competent, but game players choose to engage in an activity in which they are nearly certain to fail and feel incompetent. So why do we play video games even though they make us unhappy? Juul examines this paradox. In video games, as in tragic works of art, literature, theater, and cinema, it seems that we want to experience unpleasantness even if we also dislike it. Reader or audience reaction to tragedy is often explained as catharsis, as a purging of negative emotions. But, Juul points out, this doesn't seem to be the case for video game players. Games do not purge us of unpleasant emotions; they produce them in the first place. What, then, does failure in video game playing do? Juul argues that failure in a game is unique in that when you fail in a game, you (not a character) are in some way inadequate. Yet games also motivate us to play more, in order to escape that inadequacy, and the feeling of escaping failure (often by improving skills) is a central enjoyment of games. Games, writes Juul, are the art of failure: the singular art form that sets us up for failure and allows us to experience it and experiment with it. The Art of Failure is essential reading for anyone interested in video games, whether as entertainment, art, or education.
Taren Murdoch is a guardian and protector by nature. He’s also a husband, an investigator for the Idaho State police, and most importantly, his husband’s Dom. Being the Dom Ian deserves is Taren’s top priority. He’s planned a trip, some special time away where the two of them can live out some of their fantasies in a fun and safe environment. Ian Groden is the CEO of his family business, but at home he relinquishes control to Taren. He loves that Taren is his Dom, and more so when they combine pain with pleasure in their sexual play. Taking their trip requires time away from work. Despite Ian’s efforts, he wasn’t able to take as much time as Taren asked. Now it’s time to face his punishment. They’ll be spending four glorious nights at an adult resort. Before that can happen, a few details need to be ironed out. The first is to ensure neither has any hard feelings about their late start. Does Taren have the skills as Ian’s Dom to deliver discipline and well as pleasure?
The world's foremost expert draws on the latest research to present an accessible look at the causes and consequences of pain, both mental and physical. Patrick Wall shows that pain is a matter of behavioral manifestation and differs among individuals, situations, and cultures. Wall provides a wealth of fascinating and sometimes disturbing historical detail, such as famous characters who derived pleasure from pain, the unexpected reactions of injured people, the role of endorphins, and the power of placebo. He covers cures of pain, ranging from drugs and surgery, through relaxation techniques and exercise, to acupuncture, electrical nerve stimulation, and herbalism.