Sparrow River

Walt Pitowski is a driven man living alone in a small northern Michigan town and obsessing over the many perceived injustices of his life. Walt's one glimmer of hope derives from his desire to compete in and finish the Grand Limoneaux Canoe Marathon, a grueling, sixteen hour test of paddling strength. When, during the course of his daily routine, Walt discovers partial human remains floating in the freezing waters of the Sparrow River, things get crazy. The local sheriff's department is stumped. The state police make no progress in solving what appears to be a ten-year-old mystery. And Walt, a right-fighting vigilante with a perpetual chip on his shoulder, takes it upon himself to get to the bottom of it all. A tale of death, intrigue, and redemption, Sparrow River takes you on a journey through the stark isolation of the northern wilderness with a host of colorful characters you won't soon forget.

While Denis Summers-Smith's monograph The Sparrows presented his knowledge of sparrow biology, this volume tells the other, human, side of the tale. Denis Summers-Smith first took up the study of the House Sparrow in 1947, thinking that the difficulties of travel in post-war Britain would best suit the study of a species always close at hand. The humble House Sparrow, common everywhere, was surprisingly poorly researched and his work soon provided interesting insights into this successful and adaptable little bird. As new opportunities to travel opened up, his interest blossomed to take in the genus Passer as a whole. His travels would ultimately lead to his study of all but one of the group, found only in deepest Turkestan, and to the publication of his authoritative monograph on sparrows in 1988. His wry descriptions of the tribulations and unexpected pleasures of a traveller on four continents, from the Himalayas and Thailand to Africa and the Americas (with a good few islands in between), are interspersed with observations and speculations on the biology of sparrows in a wide variety of habitats. Everywhere local officials and bird watchers warmed to the eccentric Scot in pursuit of the little birds that nobody notices but which so often make their homes beside us. The author's own photographs and delightful cartoons by Euan Dunn further paint the picture of this lifelong search.

‘Lost chirp of the morning sparrow’ is the second book from ‘The Flyborn Series’. The story revolves around a cursed butterfly named ‘Romi Flyborn’ who was able to find out the purpose of his life which was to fly. Somehow, as his wings flapped through the winds, Destiny passed a bigger question to him. What’s the purpose of flying if you can’t go any further? A group of birds living on the enchanted island of ‘Birdera’ behind the curved mountains and the two rivers have set sail in search of their legendary leader who was still a myth. While amidst the dense forest, Romi prepares to bring Angela back home even if he has to search the skies. Far away in the forest of ‘Densdoom’, a pack of wolves are running fast on the orders of an evil that lives inside the cave, heavily guarded by flying foxes. Romi’s journey is about to take a turn for he is still not aware of what lies beyond the safe green home and his life is about to get tested for how far he can fly. It’s only when you step out and flap your wings, you realize the speed of the wind and the eye of the hurricane waiting for you in the storm. This is the story of a small butterfly wanting to fly high in a big world and his courage is about to encounter a world that too awaits him.

This provocative book by a leading folklorist offers a new analysis of caste in India, focusing on the rationale underlying the customs surrounding untouchability. Drawing on clues contained in two fascinating folktales, Alan Dundes goes beyond Dumont's classic Homo Hierarchicus in deconstructing the pervasive pollution complex that prevents millions of individuals from entering temples or drawing water from community wells. His graceful and erudite explanation of caste also illuminates the mysterious worship of the sacred cow as well as sati/suttee, or widow burning. The author concludes by relating caste to the theory of marginal survival, drawing on Gypsy concepts of pollution. This controversial book offers a fresh perspective for anyone interested in India, folklore, and psychoanlytic anthropology_a detailed case study documenting how folklore, as a source of native categories and symbols, can yield unique insights into the unconscious functioning of a culture through time. In this comprehensive textbook, renowned philosopher J. N. Mohanty examines the range of Indian philosophy from the Sutra period through the 17th century Navya Nyaya. Classical Indian Philosophy is divided into three parts that cover epistemology, metaphysics, and the attempt to transcend the distinction between subject and object. Mohanty focuses on the major concepts and problems dealt with in Indian philosophy, including ethics, social philosophy, law, and aesthetics. Students of Indian philosophy at every level will find this a rich and rewarding text.

Princess Katianna Blake (Sparrow) must flee from her home and the man who intends to force her into marriage so as to take her crown. She travels the many realms, gathering troops and support to aide her father against prince Hadrian's siege. But when her knight-protector is ripped from her, she finds help from a most unlikely ally and her "flight" takes on a whole new meaning (less)