The Crack In The Teacup

As in the bestselling The Alphabet Versus the Goddess, Leonard Shlain’s provocative new book promises to change the way readers view themselves and where they came from. Sex, Time, and Power offers a tantalizing answer to an age-old question: Why did big-brained Homo sapiens suddenly emerge some 150,000 years ago? The key, according to Shlain, is female sexuality. Drawing on an awesome breadth of research, he shows how, long ago, the narrowness of the newly bipedal human female’s pelvis and the increasing size of infants’ heads precipitated a crisis for the species. Natural selection allowed for the adaptation of the human female to this environmental stress by reconfiguring her hormonal cycles, entraining them with the periodicity of the moon. The results, however, did much more than ensure our existence; they imbued women with the concept of time, and gave them control over sex—a power that males sought to reclaim. And the possibility of achieving immortality through heirs drove men to construct patriarchal cultures that went on to dominate so much of human history. From the nature of courtship to the evolution of language, Shlain’s brilliant and wide-ranging exploration stimulates new thinking about very old matters.

Barhaven, on the south coast, is a fairly sleepy place and it seems incredulous that it could be where local councillors manage to line their own pockets. Enter a young lawyer, who finds himself at the centre of a major campaign against racketeering. The public and the press become involved and it ends with a twist that is totally unexpected.

In The Crack in the Teacup, Joan Bodger has done more than write a fascinating autobiography that reveals the power of stories. With courage, unblinking honesty, the eye of a storyteller, and the pen of a poet, she has shown how a life-and a century-can be shaped and given meaning by personal mythology.

Cracked Teacups is a breath of fresh air that gives a candid, humorous and thought-provoking account of one woman's struggle with depression. Donna was a middle-aged woman who came from a dysfunctional background and suffered silently from depression for most of her life. Feeling shame about her inability to "snap out of it," Donna never sought professional help. Everyone has to reach bottom before truly seeing the light, and Donna reached hers when she tried to take her own life. This moving narration is the story of a woman's experience with depression, the mental illness that many are ashamed to admit they have. "Three West" is the psychiatric ward that Donna is in and out of after her suicide attempt and the reader is given an intimate view of what that place is really like-funny, frustrating, painful-but necessary. From the absurd actions of her fellow patients, the rigid yet caring attention of the staff, the aloof persona of psychiatrists, and the strange world of psychiatric medicine, Donna works her way through the system and through her depression with lighthearted insight and sincere devotion to healing herself. Cracked Teacups is a poignant, amusing, and brutally honest narration that will resonate with anyone who has experienced the isolation of depression. It gives voice to the thousands of people suffering from the illness and pays homage to those who are actively participating in their own healing.

Assertiveness is characterized by bold or confident behavior, and having a strong or distinctive flavor or aroma.”For the assertive woman, this definition is by far one of the highest compliments. Many books have been written about how women can become more assertive. Women grow up hearing from parents, teachers, coaches and mentors about the importance of being assertive. However, what no one ever explains is that assertiveness comes with a price and it is easily mismanaged and misunderstood. Within the pages of this short eBook are some hard-hitting, humorous, and even hopeful lessons about the sometimes daunting effect of being an assertive woman in this day and age.