Into The Sky With Diamonds

One small step for a man, one giant leap for music! The Beatles and the Race to the Moon were the DNA of the 1960s: Two adventurous threads continuously intertwined from 1960 to 1970. Into the Sky is a scholarly book masquerading as fast-moving historical fiction. From Flurry of Notes: "One of the best books I read last year was "Into the Sky with Diamonds" [RG] has written a book that everyone with a love for the Beatles, the Race to the Moon, or the '60s must read It's detailed but not boring, familiar but not stale. [RG] breathes new life and perspective to an entire decade in a joyful and enlightening way, and sheds new light and insight into a time that shook the world. I guarantee you'll wish both the book and the Beatles never stopped." From Amazon: I totally enjoyed reading this book. I highly recommend it for both people who were around to experience the events that occurred in the 60's and for the younger generation who will enjoy learning about an era of history that has had a huge impact. This is one of the most fascinating books I have read in over 20 years! It is an absolute "MUST READ" for anyone interested in musical legend of the Beatles and the origins, failed attempts, and success of our Moon Mission."

Many have speculated about the meaning of John Lennon's Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds. Psychologist Tim Kasser applies innovative methods to the song's lyrics and music, weaving his findings together with the musician's past to provide an integrative perspective on the place of Lucy in Lennon's life.

At twenty-one, Deen is dismayed by the poverty around him and trapped in negativity. Alienated from family and society, heroin is his drug of choice. Deen and his partner in crime, AJ, ride high on acid and amphetamines, philosophize in the university canteen, party in a politician’s posh pad and contemplate God at a roadside tea stall. From Maria, a chemically imbalanced diva, to a rickshaw-walla who reflects on the importance of positive energy, to a group of fakirs who sing about love, and a detective who has his own take on addiction, the characters in Shazia Omar’s debut novel crackle with life. They represent the despair, hopes and aspirations of a generation struggling to survive in the harsh realities of life in modern Dhaka. Hard-hitting and intensely moving, this is an extraordinary novel, and one that is destined to launch Omar as a major contemporary voice from South Asia. Published by Zubaan.

The story behind the classic and universally recognized rhyme! This luminous picture book biography shines a light on the little-known poet and author of the beloved lullaby. Twinkle, twinkle, little star, how I wonder what you are. Did you ever wonder who wrote that famous verse? In the days when most girls were brought up to run a home, Jane Taylor had a different kind of education in the English countryside, where she was inspired by nature and the stars, and dreamed of becoming a writer. But in the late 1700s, it was not considered proper for women to be writers. Jane and other female poets were shunned, unable to use their own names when published.But Jane did write, and she never forgot her love for the beauty of nature and the glow of stars, or her desire to write for children. Her published poetry became universally known for generations to come: Twinkle, twinkle little star. This lyrical and luminous biography shines a light on the unsung poet who wrote the words of our most enduring lullaby, and features stunning artwork reflecting the world, the stars, and the story behind the poem that we all know so well.

A verse-by-verse examination of Arjuna’s soma experience and Krishna’s psychedelic guidance in the Bhagavad Gita • Explains how the Bhagavad Gita provides complete guidelines for the spiritual use of entheogens--from prior mental preparations to the integration of profound visionary insights into everyday consciousness • Examines Chapter XI of the Gita in detail to illuminate Arjuna’s hallucinogenic experience and expose Krishna as the ultimate psychedelic guide • Shows psychedelic experience to be an essential and ancient part of the path to spiritual transformation Known as a text of liberation and enlightenment and praised not only by Indians but also by prominent modern thinkers such as Aldous Huxley and Albert Einstein, the Bhagavad Gita is one of the most commented-upon books of all time, yet one aspect has never before been examined: Arjuna’s psychedelic soma experience with his guru Krishna. Drawing upon his many years as a student of Nitya Chaitanya Yati, whose teacher was Gita scholar Nataraja Guru, preeminent disciple of Narayana Guru, Scott Teitsworth explains how the Bhagavad Gita, through the story of the hero Arjuna and his guru Krishna, provides complete guidelines for the spiritual use of entheogens, from prior mental preparations to the integration of profound visionary insights into everyday consciousness. Examining Chapter XI of the Bhagavad Gita verse by verse, he illuminates Arjuna’s complex revelatory experience and exposes Krishna’s role as the ultimate spiritual guide--facets of the Gita evident to anyone with psychedelic experience yet long suppressed in favor of paths to enlightenment through service or meditation. He shows that psychedelics are indeed “gateway drugs” in that they stimulate open exploration of the mind and the meaning of life. Uncovering new depths to this revered manual of spiritual instruction, Teitsworth reveals psychedelic experience to be an essential and ancient path to ignite realization in the prepared student, turn theory into direct experience, and bring the written teachings to life.

One small step for a man. One giant leap for rock 'n roll. NASA's race with the Russians to land a man on the moon. The meteoric rise of the Beatles, considered by many to have revolutionized the music industry. In the postwar era, each stood as an unprecedented cultural watershed. Together they captured the heady zeitgeist of the 1960s, and ignited the imagination of - just about everyone on the planet. Into the Sky with Diamonds is an exhilarating account of these two global phenomena, as seen through the eyes of Dutch Richtman, a young, enterprising NASA engineer who manages to snag a front row seat to both. Dutch's memoir takes us on the turbulent ride of breathtaking successes and harrowing failures that marked the early years of space travel - beginning with Projects Mercury and Gemini leading up to the Apollo program. We discover the thrills and sacrifices, personalities and politics involved in navigating these early space missions. And through Dutch's fictional correspondence with buddy Mal Evans (a character true to the Beatles' real-life roadie of the same name), we are introduced to a rock band of four working class lads from Liverpool who just happen to turn the music industry on its head and become the unwitting leaders of a youth movement for change. We witness it all: the band's electrifying rise, their unforgettable debut on the Ed Sullivan show, the social, political, and religious controversies they generated, and their painful dissolution, as John's fierce attachment to Yoko Ono forever alters the trajectory of the "Fab Four."

This book is about science and its impact on our lives. In just under two years NASA's space launch system will blast off from the kennedy space center in Florida. This will begin new age of exploration and discovery.