Catfulness

Human beings love to create problems for themselves. I observe this on a daily basis, as do all my feline friends. They never stop, and one of their favorite tasks is to find more tasks to do. They are always looking for something, as if the life they have isn't enough. They say they are looking for happiness--but do they know what happiness is? We cats know the art of living. We eat when we're hungry, sleep when we're tired. Sitting for hours outside a mouse hole has taught us patience. Staring at an aquarium has brought us meditation. And we know how to please ourselves. Catfulness is a seven-week mindfulness program for human beings. If they can live their lives more like us, the world will be more serene. As Sigmund Freud said, "time spent with cats is never wasted".

Something important is taking place in our society today: People are being catful. At home, at work, in love and relationships, and curled up on the sofa, being catful is an idea, a new way of being whose time has come. It's an attitude that acknowledges and develops the best of who we are as human beings. The humorous illustrations depict cats displaying characteristic behavior that drives their owners nuts while they remain "catful" so that their actions always give the accompanying mindful quotation an ironic and amusing twist. Containing a large number of recognizable situations for every long-suffering cat owner, this book is guaranteed to raise a laugh and a knowing nod as well as persuade the reader to stop and think.

Through contemporary environmental philosophy and emerging paradigms in complex systems theory, Andrew McMurry presents a new reading of Emerson, Thoreau, and the green tradition in American thought. McMurry analyzes Emerson and Thoreau's foundational roles in the formation of the two main currents in American environmentalism: the managerial, or "shallow," and the radical, or "deep." The author draws, in particular, on Humberto Maturana and Francisco Varela's theory of autopoesis and the social systems theory of Niklas Luhmann. These theories, says McMurry, give us the conceptual tools to update Emerson and Thoreau's philosophies of nature, literary aesthetics, and attitudes toward pastoralism for the current age of environmental risk and uncertainty. McMurry's systems approach helps us to recast essentialist, ultimately debilitating binaries such as nature/culture, wilderness/civilization, and wild/tame along the lines of a suppler, richer distinction: that between self-organizing systems (like language or society) and their environments (defined simply as whatever cannot communicate with the system). Such an undertaking also allows McMurry to reflect on the systemic obstacles that ecocriticism, as a genre enabling positive environmental practices, must confront if it is to be theoretically coherent. Sophisticated and socially relevant, Environmental Renaissance is both a call for critics to broaden their parameters and a warning about rhapsodizing on nature while our very life-support systems are crumbling.

The Encyclopedia of Religion and Nature, originally published in 2005, is a landmark work in the burgeoning field of religion and nature. It covers a vast and interdisciplinary range of material, from thinkers to religious traditions and beyond, with clarity and style. Widely praised by reviewers and the recipient of two reference work awards since its publication (see www.religionandnature.com/ern), this new, more affordable version is a must-have book for anyone interested in the manifold and fascinating links between religion and nature, in all their many senses.

Embrace your inner cat with this light-hearted self-help book. From living in the moment, trusting your sixth-sense instincts, to taking cat naps and even going feral, this book will show you how to benefit by unleashing your innate cattitude. Cats' ability to seize the day makes them excellent examples of how to make the most of every moment; whether it's playing an impromptu game of chase the sock, or an opportune swiping of a slice of roast chicken, our cats have it sorted. They're flexible but also prepared to tread their own path and they recognise the importance of play and rest in equal quantities. This book reveals the nine different traits that you can take on board to Be More Cat and live a happier, healthier and all-round 'feline fabulous' existence. Packed with practical tips and exercises, interspersed with folklore and fun facts about our kitty gurus, there's something for everyone. So stretch out, relax and learn the art of being more cat.

Like a yoga class you can hold in your hand, a beautiful, full-color guide to letting sh*t go Our world is filled with annoyances, and sometimes you need a little dose of humor to cope with the news cycle, your irritating co-worker, or that telemarketer who won’t stop calling. This refreshingly honest self-help book will guide you through a meditation to “breathe in strength, and breathe out bullsh*t.” An excellent gift for yourself or others, F*ck That is the very embodiment of modern-day self-care. May it help you find peace with the challenges that surround you…because they are f*cking everywhere. Based on the viral video that had everyone from yogis to workaholics raving, F*ck That is the completely truthful and oddly tranquil guide to relieving stress and achieving inner peace.

Inspired by the hugely popular internet meme, this is a laugh-out-loud hilarious and irresistible photographic collection of cats and their fascinating thought processes as they squeeze into nooks and crannies of every size. We’ll probably never know why our furry friends insist upon squeezing themselves into weird and awkward places, but that doesn’t mean we can’t appreciate the ensuing cuteness! With over one hundred photos of cats caught in the act, If It Fits, I Sits captures the quirky, adorable, and no-nonsense spirit of felines everywhere and the kick they get out of baffling their owners.