Montecore

At the start of this dazzlingly inventive novel from Jonas Hassen Khemiri, Abbas, a world-famous photographer and estranged father to a young novelist—also named Jonas Hassen Khemiri—is standing on a luxurious rooftop terrace in New York City. He is surrounded by rock stars, intellectuals, and political luminaries gathered to toast his fiftieth birthday. And yet how did Abbas, a dirt-poor Tunisian orphan and Swedish émigré, come to enjoy such success? Jonas is fresh off the publication of his first novel when answers to this question come in the form of an unexpected e-mail from Kadir, a lifelong friend of Abbas and an effervescent storyteller with delightfully anarchic linguistic idiosyncrasies. The portrait Kadir paints of Abbas—from a voluntarily mute boy who suffers constant night terrors, to a soulful young charmer, to a Swedish immigrant and political exile—proves to be vastly different from Jonas’s view of his father. As the two jagged versions reconcile in Kadir and Jonas’s impassioned correspondence, we’re given a portrayal of a man that is at once tender and feverishly imagined. With an arresting blend of humor and wit, Montecore marks the stateside arrival of an already acclaimed international novelist. Winner of the PO Enquist Literary Prize for accomplished European novelists under forty, Jonas Hassen Khemiri has created a world that is as heartbreaking as it is exhilarating. From the Hardcover edition.

Why do some beliefs become extinct while others adapt and flourish? James shows us how genetic evolution and cultural evolution, though operating at different rates, are one and the same. Recent science has gone a long way toward explaining the origin of religious belief in evolutionary terms, but Craig James has cracked open the mystery of its tenacity. Religion does not exist for us, it exists for its own sake. Like a selfish gene or a parasite, the religion virus catches a free ride in the minds of our species, infecting our history and culture.

Migrants and Literature in Finland and Sweden presents new comparative perspectives on transnational literary studies. This collection provides a contribution to the production of new narratives of the nation. The focus of the contributions is contemporary fiction relating to experiences of migration. The volume discusses multicultural writing, emerging modes of writing and generic innovations. When people are in motion, it changes nations, cultures and peoples. The volume explores the ways in which transcultural connections have affected the national self-understanding in the Swedish and Finnish context. It also presents comparative aspects on the reception of literary works and explores the intersectional perspectives of identities including class, gender, ethnicity, ‘race’ and disability. Further, it also demonstrates the complexity of grouping literatures according to nation and ethnicity. The case-studies are divided into three chapters: II ‘Generational Shifts’, III ‘Reception and Multicultural Perspectives’ and IV ‘Writing Migrant Identities’. The migration of Finnish labourers to Sweden is reflected in Satu Gröndahl’s and Kukku Melkas’s contributions to this volume, the latter also discusses material related to the placing of Finnish war children (‘krigsbarn’) in Sweden during World War II. Migration between Russia and Finland is discussed by Marja Sorvari, while Johanna Domokos attempts at mapping the Finnish literary field and offering a model for literary analysis. Transformations of the Finnish literary field are also the focus of Hanna-Leena Nissilä’s article discussing the reception of novels by a selection of women authors with an im/migrant background. The African diaspora and the arrival of refugees to Europe from African countries due to wars and political conflicts in the 1970s is the backdrop of Anne Heith’s analysis of migration and literature, while Pirjo Ahokas deals with literature related to the experiences of a Korean adoptee in Sweden. Migration from Africa to Sweden also forms the setting of Eila Rantonen’s article about a novel by a successful, Swedish author with roots in Tunisia. Exile, gender and disability are central, intertwined themes of Marta Ronne’s article, which discusses the work of a Swedish-Latvian author who arrived in Sweden in connection to World War II. This collection is of particular interest to students and scholars in literary and Nordic studies as well as transnational and migration studies.

You've never seen Aristotle like this! In If Aristotle's Kid Had an iPod: Ancient Wisdom for Modern Parents, Conor Gallagher dusts off Aristotle's Ethics and reveals a vibrant, illuminating philosophy no less powerful and profound than when it was first penned. Aristotle's philosophy of man has endured for millenia. The truth of Aristotle's insights has been acknowledged by saints and scholars, illustrated in literature and pop culture, even empirically demonstrated by modern science. But you've never seen it like this. Gallagher masterfully weaves Aristotle, scientific studies, pop culture, and parenting tales together making If Aristotle's Kid Had an iPod: Ancient Wisdom for Modern Parents a funny, rich, and informative read, and an indispensible guide for any parent who wants to pass on the secrets of a happy life to their kids.

The Secret Life of Siegfried and Roy reveals the touching, little-known story of how two youngsters founded a friendship, a franchise, and a tempestuous on-and-off love affair that would last a lifetime. From their humble beginnings in war-torn Germany, larger-than-life Tiger Kings Siegfried & Roy roared into Las Vegas and tamed Sin City like no act before them. Their mind-blowing illusions captivated the world and broke box-office records. In just one decade at The Mirage, their magical extravaganza, featuring rare white tigers, lions and elephants, grossed an astounding half a billion dollars. Then, in one tragic instant, their world came crashing down. On October 3, 2003, animal-lover Roy Horn was savagely attacked onstage by his 600-pound white tiger, Montecore. Beating back death’s icy grip after he literally “died” on the operating table, dark-haired Roy fought for survival as blond doppelganger Siegfried watched and prayed. Suddenly, the show was over…or was it? In the spotlight as never before, Roy’s mauling triggered the press’ relentless investigation into the secret world of these Las Vegas icons. For the first time ever, author Louis Mydlach––at Roy’s side throughout his traumatic recovery––describes in detail the agonies of rehabilitating the partially paralyzed performer. Siegfried & Roy dazzled audiences’ eyes for decades as they masterfully hid a lifetime of secrets. Key players in the duo’s inner circle––Louis Mydlach, his security chief father Jim Mydlach, and show consultant Jimmy Lavery––finally unravel the untold story: the life of Siegfried & Roy was their ultimate illusion.

Discover one of America's most fascinating cities through 30 dramatic true stories spanning Las Vegas's 150-year history. James Roman takes readers on a tour through the glamorous and sometimes sordid history of Las Vegas and explains how a railroad town transformed itself into "the Entertainment Capital of the World." Essays explore the major historic events from the founding of Sin City and the building of the Hoover Dam to the rise of the Rat Pack at the Sands and the establishment of the Mafia-controlled casinos. Also included are intriguing tales of Vegas celebrities from Frank Sinatra and Liberace to Siegfried and Roy, as well as numerous historical photos and full-color maps.

A LESSON-A-DAY FOR EVERY DAY IN OCTOBER! ENGAGING READING COMPREHENSION LESSONS FOR EVERY DAY OF THE MONTH! For years you've loved our Daily Comprehension Series... Now we've created a whole new series emphasizing captivating events that have happened in the 21st Century! Featuring celebrities, inventors, sports, scientific discoveries, dramatic events and more… this series is sure to give you an unending supply of relevant and intriguing daily reading lessons. Each high-Interest passage is followed by a full page of skill-specific comprehension activities designed to sharpen essential reading skills. This lesson-a-day series is sure to become a classroom favorite! Ideal for bell work, enrichment, remediation and review. All captivating events happened in the last 20 years! This is a growing series that will eventually include the entire school year. Reading Level: Grades 3 - 4 Interest Level: Grades 5 - 12

Scandinavian societies have historically, and problematically, been understood as homogenous, when in fact they have a long history of ethnic and cultural pluralism due to colonialism and territorial conquest. Amid global tensions around border security and refugee crises, these powerful conversations with nineteen scholars about the past, present, and future of a region in transition capture the current cultural moment.