Sand In Our Souls

Images of 'the beach' pervade Australian popular culture. However the deeper significance of the experience of 'the beach', and its influence on Australian culture generally, have not yet been seriously explored. How, why and when did the beach become part of the Australian way of life? In Sand in our Souls Leone Huntsman describes the forces and pressures that encouraged or impeded Australians' enjoyment of sand and surf, from early enjoyment of bathing, through nearly a century of repressive restrictions, to freedom won in the face of drawn-out opposition. The ways in which artists, writers, film-makers and the advertising industry have depicted the beach are examined for the light they throw on the beach's significance. She traces the development of a distinctively Australian way-of-being-at-the-beach, suggesting that the beach experience has been absorbed into our emerging culture and continues to shape it in subtle ways. Huntsman's provocative arguments will stimulate debate on the concept of 'national identity' appropriate for a new Australian century, and promote a deeper understanding of an aspect of life in Australia that is cherished by many of those who live here.

Life can, and does, present obstacles. But the outcome depends on the outlook. By keeping a positive attitude, one can thrive. In Souls of Your Shoes, author Frank McVeign offers a reflective story about finding yourself, your happiness, and your purpose to rediscover your soul. Using his varied life experiences, McVeign explains that reflection helps you pinpoint the moments where you may have lost parts of your being, but it also enables you to learn to fix them. Highlighting these moments reminds you of where you've come from, where you're headed, and who you are. McVeign's narrative tells of happiness and heartbreak, including personal stories of his parents' separation, his memory loss, drug/alcohol abuse, and relationships. Sharing these reflections and learnings, he reminds you of life's preciousness and teaches you how to find self-worth in the midst of obstacles.

A finalist for the PEN/E. O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award The gripping story of the most important overlooked commodity in the world--sand--and the crucial role it plays in our lives. After water and air, sand is the natural resource that we consume more than any other--even more than oil. Every concrete building and paved road on Earth, every computer screen and silicon chip, is made from sand. From Egypt's pyramids to the Hubble telescope, from the world's tallest skyscraper to the sidewalk below it, from Chartres' stained-glass windows to your iPhone, sand shelters us, empowers us, engages us, and inspires us. It's the ingredient that makes possible our cities, our science, our lives--and our future. And, incredibly, we're running out of it. The World in a Grain is the compelling true story of the hugely important and diminishing natural resource that grows more essential every day, and of the people who mine it, sell it, build with it--and sometimes, even kill for it. It's also a provocative examination of the serious human and environmental costs incurred by our dependence on sand, which has received little public attention. Not all sand is created equal: Some of the easiest sand to get to is the least useful. Award-winning journalist Vince Beiser delves deep into this world, taking readers on a journey across the globe, from the United States to remote corners of India, China, and Dubai to explain why sand is so crucial to modern life. Along the way, readers encounter world-changing innovators, island-building entrepreneurs, desert fighters, and murderous sand pirates. The result is an entertaining and eye-opening work, one that is both unexpected and involving, rippling with fascinating detail and filled with surprising characters.

The book “Pearls of our Soul” based on the theme “Defining True Friendship and its impact in our lives” is a collection of beautifully crafted, heart melting letters which are portrayed with respect to different perspective of life by a team of supremely talented budding writers and thinkers all over the world. This book deals with expressing how one can define perfect friendship in a beautiful and personalized way possible. This book is directed to readers of all ages. We are hoping that this book will definitely enhance your idea about friendship and help you understand how friendship adds to your life. It will definitely empower you in ways more than you imagine for we have worked well to bring and blend all emotions together very smoothly. There are numerous reasons and perspectives behind every letter put in this book and of course I won’t speak about all of them here and will keep it for you to explore. The fundamental thought behind this book from the compiler’s perspective was to bring out different definitions of friendship from more than forty writers who must have had their own experiences in life. This book is a platform for all who have worked in this project for we have been able to showcase our creativity which will further give hopes to aspiring creators.

"My American Harp" presents 1,169 poems written 2010-2014 by Surazeus that explore what it means to be an American in the modern world of an interconnected global civilization.

“A gloriously over-the-top scare fest that has hidden depths. Readers will root for Kris all the way to the explosive, poignant finale.”—Publishers Weekly From the New York Times best-selling author of The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires. Only a girl with a guitar can save us all. Every morning, Kris Pulaski wakes up in hell. In the 1990s she was lead guitarist of Dürt Würk, a heavy-metal band on the brink of breakout success until lead singer Terry Hunt embarked on a solo career and rocketed to stardom, leaving his bandmates to rot in obscurity. Now Kris works as night manager of a Best Western; she’s tired, broke, and unhappy. Then one day everything changes—a shocking act of violence turns her life upside down, and she begins to suspect that Terry sabotaged more than just the band. Kris hits the road, hoping to reunite Dürt Würk and confront the man who ruined her life. Her journey will take her from the Pennsylvania rust belt to a celebrity rehab center to a satanic music festival. A spine-tingling horror novel, We Sold Our Souls is an epic journey into the heart of a conspiracy-crazed, pill-popping, paranoid country that seems to have lost its very soul.