"He has spent nearly three decades studying, learning from, crusading for, and thinking about hunter-gatherers, who survive at the margins of the vast, fertile lands occupied by farming peoples and their descendants, now the great majority of the world's population. In material terms, the hunters have been all but vanquished, yet in this profound and passionate book, Brody utterly dispels the notion that theirs is a lesser way of life."--Jacket.
In the tradition of his New York Times bestseller, Napa, James Conaway picks up the story he began a decade ago. The Far Side of Eden offers "a fascinating look at the political side of the wine revolution that put California's Napa Valley on the world map" (Miami Herald). Now, Conaway reveals, Napa is awash in dollars generated by the boom economy and the social ambitions it inspired. The valley is beset by new arrivals determined to have vineyards of their own and by cult-wine producers in thrall to fabulously expensive "rocket juice" (cabernet sauvignon) that few locals can afford - while established families wish to hold on to the old ways, and camp followers get caught up in the glamour of it all. Conaway, long known for his controversial, compulsively readable social reporting, here "indicts the wave of new-money millionaires from Silicon Valley, who have brought with them gaudy displays of wealth -- building so-called 'McMansions' and planting 'vanity vineyards'" (Los Angeles Times). "A cautionary tale . . . [with] a seductive pull" (San Francisco Chronicle), The Far Side of Eden takes us to the frontlines of America's ongoing conflicts over money, land, and power to tell a story that has ramifications for us all.
The New York Times bestselling author of Napa tells the captivating story of how the Napa Valley region transformed into an extraordinary engine of commerce, glamour, and an outsized version of the American dream—and how it could be lost—in “a strong plea for responsible stewardship of the land” (Kirkus Reviews). Not so long ago, wine was an exclusively European product. Now it is thoroughly American; emblematic of Napa Valley, an area idealized as the epicenter of great wines and foods and a cultural tourist destination. But James Conaway’s candid book tells the other side of the romanticized story. Napa at Last Light reveals the often shadowy side of the latter days of Napa Valley—marked by complex personal relationships, immense profits, passionate beliefs, and sometimes desperate struggles to prevail. In the balance hang fortunes and personal relationships made through hard work and manipulation of laws, people, and institutions. Napans who grew up trusting in the beneficence of the “vintner” class now confront the multinational corporations who have stealthily subsumed the old family landmarks and abandoned the once glorious conviction that agriculture is the best use of the land. Hailed as the definitive Napa writer, Conaway has spent decades covering the region. Napa at Last Light showcases the greed, enviable profits, legacy, and tradition that still collide in this compelling story. The area is still full of dreamers, but of opposing sorts: those longing for a harmonious society based upon the vine, and self-styled overlords yearning for wealth and the special acclaim only fine wine can bring. Bets are still out on what the future holds. “This is a stunning and sad look at how an idyllic community became a victim of its own success…fascinating and well-researched” (Publishers Weekly, starred review).
Facing an invasion, the Sultan appears less concerned-but that isn't the worst threat lurking...The Sultan's secrets are at risk. With a palace celebration in full swing, he's locked in a windowless basement making plans with his military. He'll do anything to protect his son and heir. The Sultan has never faced the grim realities of his ascension to the throne, nor the potential danger posed to those he loves most. Struggling to keep his secrets intact, he's faced with betrayal of those he thought he could trust, the greed of those closest to him, and the larger threat. With things not going his way, the Sultan stays resolute, but what happens when the assailants are at his door?
This book is a straight forward, non-apologetic presentation of biblical truths about God's design for womankind and the most important human relationship in most women's life-marriage. On the Other Side of the Garden of Eden provides an uncompromising look at how a wife should complement her unique man. Its message is based solely on what God's Word teaches about the subject. The previous two editions of this book have been used in thousands of women's Bible studies since 1992. Even though it was designed specifically for women, it has also been increasingly used in couples' classes to strengthen marriages. Husbands, who attend these classes, tend to become more understanding about the complexities of their wife's role and her need for their leadership. This new, third edition has now been expanded to integrate many illustrations given in Virginia's sequel, Victorious Women. Those examples testified about the miraculous results wives experienced in their marriages after applying biblical principles they learned in the previous editions. This edition of On the Other Side of the Garden of Eden only differs from the previous two by the addition of those examples. At times, it may appear that the information given in this book is one-sided because it does not deal with how a husband should act. Contrastingly, it reveals how a wife can live her life to the glory of God, even if her husband never functions as God's Word declares he should. This third edition of the first and second editions of On the Other Side of the Garden incorporates much of the information contained in Virginia's sequel, Victorious Women. Illustrations were provided in that book based on real-life examples of women who had applied God's principles taught in the previous editions. These illustrations will encourage even the most apprehensive woman that she too can benefit from obedience to God's Word; if not here on earth, in eternity. The manuscript is laid out in three sections. Section one states the principles of Christian womanhood solely from the Bible's perspective. It establishes the fact that God created the woman and designed her for His specific purposes. By carefully exploring the Scriptures as it relates to His plan, a woman will clearly discover what it reveals about her uniqueness, importance, responsibilities, and privileges. The second section alerts Christian women to the consistent and intentional attacks against biblical womanhood in America over the past fifty plus years. It then carefully documents the sources of this anti-biblical position. Finally, Section three describes applications for practical living. This section expounds on the biblical foundations presented in section one and applies them to the woman's real life. The On the Other Side of the Garden has been affectionately called, "A Christian woman's basic boot camp," and "The best book I ever cried through." But, it has helped save many marriages and families."
A masterpiece of Biblical scope, and the magnum opus of one of America’s most enduring authors, in a commemorative hardcover edition In his journal, Nobel Prize winner John Steinbeck called East of Eden "the first book," and indeed it has the primordial power and simplicity of myth. Set in the rich farmland of California's Salinas Valley, this sprawling and often brutal novel follows the intertwined destinies of two families—the Trasks and the Hamiltons—whose generations helplessly reenact the fall of Adam and Eve and the poisonous rivalry of Cain and Abel. The masterpiece of Steinbeck’s later years, East of Eden is a work in which Steinbeck created his most mesmerizing characters and explored his most enduring themes: the mystery of identity, the inexplicability of love, and the murderous consequences of love's absence. Adapted for the 1955 film directed by Elia Kazan introducing James Dean, and read by thousands as the book that brought Oprah’s Book Club back, East of Eden has remained vitally present in American culture for over half a century.
On the alien, sunless planet they call Eden, the 532 members of the Family shelter beneath the light and warmth of the Forest’s lantern trees. Beyond the Forest lie the mountains of the Snowy Dark and a cold so bitter and a night so profound that no man has ever crossed it. The Oldest among the Family recount legends of a world where light came from the sky, where men and women made boats that could cross the stars. These ships brought us here, the Oldest say—and the Family must only wait for the travelers to return. But young John Redlantern will break the laws of Eden, shatter the Family and change history. He will abandon the old ways, venture into the Dark…and discover the truth about their world. Already remarkably acclaimed in the UK, Dark Eden is science fiction as literature; part parable, part powerful coming-of-age story, set in a truly original alien world of dark, sinister beauty--rendered in prose that is at once strikingly simple and stunningly inventive.
James Conaway's remarkable bestseller delves into the heart of California's lush and verdant Napa Valley, also known as America's Eden. Long the source of succulent grapes and singular wines, this region is also the setting for the remarkable true saga of the personalities behind the winemaking empires. This is the story of Gallos and Mondavis, of fortunes made and lost, of dynasties and destinies. In this delightful, full-bodied social history, James Conaway charts the rise of a new aristocracy and, in so doing, chronicles the collective ripening of the American dream. More than a wine book, Napa is a must-read for anyone interested in our country's obsession with money, land, power, and prestige.
From the bestselling author of Netflix's The Silence comes a brand-new horror eco thriller. Earth's rising oceans contain enormous islands of refuse, the Amazon rainforest is all-but destroyed, and countless species edge towards extinction. Humanity's last hope to save the planet lies with The Virgin Zones, thirteen vast areas of land off-limits to people and given back to nature. Dylan leads a clandestine team of adventure racers, including his daughter Jenn, into Eden, the oldest of the Zones. Jenn carries a secret--Kat, Dylan's wife who abandoned them both years ago, has entered Eden ahead of them. Jenn is determined to find her mother, but neither she nor the rest of their tight-knit team are prepared for what confronts them. Nature has returned to Eden in an elemental, primeval way. And here, nature is no longer humanity's friend.
