Another Day Not Wasted

“A sharp and unconventional book — a swirl of memoir, travelogue and biography of some of history's champion day-dreamers.” —Maureen Corrigan, "Fresh Air" A spirited inquiry into the lost value of leisure and daydream The Art of the Wasted Day is a picaresque travelogue of leisure written from a lifelong enchantment with solitude. Patricia Hampl visits the homes of historic exemplars of ease who made repose a goal, even an art form. She begins with two celebrated eighteenth-century Irish ladies who ran off to live a life of "retirement" in rural Wales. Her search then leads to Moravia to consider the monk-geneticist, Gregor Mendel, and finally to Bordeaux for Michel Montaigne--the hero of this book--who retreated from court life to sit in his chateau tower and write about whatever passed through his mind, thus inventing the personal essay. Hampl's own life winds through these pilgrimages, from childhood days lazing under a neighbor's beechnut tree, to a fascination with monastic life, and then to love--and the loss of that love which forms this book's silver thread of inquiry. Finally, a remembered journey down the Mississippi near home in an old cabin cruiser with her husband turns out, after all her international quests, to be the great adventure of her life. The real job of being human, Hampl finds, is getting lost in thought, something only leisure can provide. The Art of the Wasted Day is a compelling celebration of the purpose and appeal of letting go.

When Luke O’Neil isn’t angry, he’s asleep. When he’s awake, he gives vent to some of the most heartfelt, political and anger-fueled prose to power its way to the public sphere since Hunter S. Thompson smashed a typewriter’s keys. Welcome to Hell World is an unexpurgated selection of Luke O’Neil’s finest rants, near-poetic rhapsodies, and investigatory journalism. Racism, sexism, immigration, unemployment, Marcus Aurelius, opioid addiction, Iraq: all are processed through the O’Neil grinder. He details failings in his own life and in those he observes around him: and the result is a book that is at once intensely confessional and an energetic, unforgettable condemnation of American mores. Welcome to Hell World is, in the author’s words, a “fever dream nightmare of reporting and personal essays from one of the lowest periods in our country in recent memory.” It is also a burning example of some of the best writing you’re likely to read anywhere.

Connecting the biblical text with contemporary ethos, 'Walking on Water' contains fourteen sermons based on the miracles of Jesus.

French author Gaston Leroux unknowingly created a timeless and powerful character in his Erik, the Phantom of the Opera. Movies, books and musicals have retold the original tale, enhancing it with a sparse tease of detail that we may glimpse the tortured life of Erik. As outstanding as these renditions prove to be, there seems to be so many unanswered questions. The Angel of Music is an account of the very private adventures of Erik in his quest to love and be loved. As brilliant and gifted as he is, he cannot convey his feelings to Christine properly. Frustrated to the point of violence, his fantasy of a beautiful life with her is shattered and he despairs into his last breath. The nightingale that rescues him and loves him back to life is rewarded with a romantic adventure of epic proportions. Herein lies the testament of the Angel of Music and his beloved Christine.

Modular recipes that can be used as building blocks to form good simple meals that will sustain everyone. This is a book of tried and tested recipes, that are cost effective, wholesome, scalable and will meet the needs of the average family on a budget. If you have never cooked before, or you a have limited knowledge of cooking, or you are competent around the kitchen. This is a usable book that will become the main recipe book in many a domestic kitchen.

This is a survival guide to home cooking. The recipes are modular and can be used in a mix and match manner. I will give you the very best tips along the way. The recipes themselves are scalable and can be used to feed two or fifty and every number in between, they will still work in the same way. The measurements and quantities in the recipes will feed 2 – 4 people depending on your appetite. I will also give examples as to how various dishes can be put together to complement each other. In the same way some of the dishes are suitable for vegetarians. Again, these will be identified throughout the book along with alternatives that can make the dish suitable for vegetarians. In an ever-changing world this type of diet is becoming very popular. This is not a book of big glossy pictures of dishes that most people are never going to create. But recipes that are all workable within a basic domestic kitchen and with basic equipment. The ingredients needed are also easy to find and are well within the budget of most people. I hope you enjoy using the book and create some great meals. The 150 recipes mixed together can produce over 200 dishes.

In 1924 Mount Everest remained unclimbed. Two British expeditions had already tackled what was known to be the highest mountain on Earth. The first, in 1921, found a route to the base. The second, in 1922, attempted the summit, reaching a record height of 27,320 feet before retreating. Two years later, a team that included Colonel E.F. Norton, George Mallory and Andrew Irvine returned to the Himalaya. Armed with greater knowledge and experience, confidence was high. But they were still climbing into the unknown. How high could they climb without supplementary oxygen? Would the cumbersome oxygen equipment help them climb higher? Could they succeed where others had failed, and make the first ascent of the highest mountain on earth? Before they could find out, tragedy struck - George Mallory and Andrew Irvine, climbing high on the mountain, vanished into the clouds. First published in 1925, and reissued now for only the second time, The Fight for Everest 1924 is the official record of this third expedition to Everest. The compelling narrative by Norton and other expedition members, and Mallory's vivid letters home, present a gripping picture of life in the Himalaya. Notes and observations from the entire team show how far knowledge of the mountain and of high-altitude climbing had advanced by 1924, and make recommendations for future Everest attempts. As well as the full original text and illustrations, this edition reproduces some of Norton's superb pencil sketches and watercolours along with previously unpublished materials from his private archive. These include original planning documents from the expedition, Mallory's last note to Norton, and a moving letter to Norton from Mallory's widow. Together, they add up to complete one of the most fascinating mountaineering books ever written.