The Deepest Sense

From the softest caress to the harshest blow, touch lies at the heart of our experience of the world. Now, for the first time, this deepest of senses is the subject of an extensive historical exploration. The Deepest Sense: A Cultural History of Touch fleshes out our understanding of the past with explorations of lived experiences of embodiment from the middle ages to modernity. This intimate and sensuous approach to history makes it possible to foreground the tactile foundations of Western culture--the ways in which feelings shaped society. Constance Classen explores a variety of tactile realms including the feel of the medieval city; the tactile appeal of relics; the social histories of pain, pleasure, and affection; the bonds of touch between humans and animals; the strenuous excitement of sports such as wrestling and jousting; and the sensuous attractions of consumer culture. She delves into a range of vital issues, from the uses--and prohibitions--of touch in social interaction to the disciplining of the body by the modern state, from the changing feel of the urban landscape to the technologization of touch in modernity. Through poignant descriptions of the healing power of a medieval king's hand or the grueling conditions of a nineteenth-century prison, we find that history, far from being a dry and lifeless subject, touches us to the quick.

From the softest caress to the harshest blow, touch lies at the heart of our experience of the world. Now, for the first time, this deepest of senses is the subject of an extensive historical exploration. The Deepest Sense: A Cultural History of Touch fleshes out our understanding of the past with explorations of lived experiences of embodiment from the middle ages to modernity. This intimate and sensuous approach to history makes it possible to foreground the tactile foundations of Western culture--the ways in which feelings shaped society. Constance Classen explores a variety of tactile realms including the feel of the medieval city; the tactile appeal of relics; the social histories of pain, pleasure, and affection; the bonds of touch between humans and animals; the strenuous excitement of sports such as wrestling and jousting; and the sensuous attractions of consumer culture. She delves into a range of vital issues, from the uses--and prohibitions--of touch in social interaction to the disciplining of the body by the modern state, from the changing feel of the urban landscape to the technologization of touch in modernity. Through poignant descriptions of the healing power of a medieval king's hand or the grueling conditions of a nineteenth-century prison, we find that history, far from being a dry and lifeless subject, touches us to the quick.

In 1839 fifty-eight men left Montreal for the penal colony of New South Wales. They were ordinary people who had been caught up in the political whirlwind of the 1838 rebellion. Even though they were all civilians, they had been tried by court martial. Convicted of treason, their properties forfeited to the crown, they paid a heavy price for rebellion. And as convicts in Australia, they were considered the lowest of a bad lot. During their years there, however, they earned the respect of Sydney’s citizens.

This book is a reminder of the frightening days in Montreal, Canada, when a group of French Quebecers tried to overthrow the government by violence and fear. The October crises did involve bombings in a wealthy mountainside community in Montreal. Mailboxes, armories and homes were destroyed by separatists who were ready to die for their cause. It is the story of Professor Paul Rusk, of Local, Jewish heritage and Esme Jonas, a student from Newfoundland, who are poles apart politically, but very much in love. Anyone who lived through these times or anyone interested in history will be drawn into the two- sided argument about the horrific days of the FLQ, or Front Liberation de Quebec. There are two sides to every story. This one is a story of love and hate.

First published in 1993, Worlds of Sense is an exploration of the historical and cultural formation of the senses. As the author demonstrates, different cultures have strikingly different ways of ‘making sense’ of the world. In the modern urban West, we are accustomed to thinking in terms of visual models such as ‘world view,’ whereas the Ongee of the Andaman Islands, for example, live in a world ordered by smell and the Tzotzil of Mexico hold that temperature is the basic force of the cosmos. In a fascinating examination of the role of the senses in diverse societies and eras, Constance Classen shows the extent to which perception is shaped by and expressive of cultural values. This book will be of interest to students of cultural studies, sociology, anthropology, and philosophy.

A blend of information and stories to help you uncover the unlived truths in your life and find what your heart can tell you about your soul’s purpose. From our heartfelt attraction to another and our heartfelt acceptance of ourselves, our hearts contain a storehouse of information, data, and memories. Much of our lives’ essence and meaning is experienced on a “heart level.” Heart Sense is a compelling combination of research and strange but true stories illustrating that most people need to get out of their heads and back into their hearts. Psychologist Paula Reeves tells how, time after time, successful heart transplant patients have undergone personality and style shifts as well as memory transfers, proving that the heart is not just a muscle. The real beauty of Heart Sense is that Reeves explains the heart’s intelligence and teaches us simple exercises (called “Heart Notes”) that help us tap into that intelligence and improve our lives. With this groundbreaking work, learn to listen to your seventh sense: the wisdom of the heart. This deeply personal self-help book will help you: · Find insight into yourself · Draw strength from within · Take delight in the life you live · Improve your overall sense of happiness Praise for Heart Sense “[Reeves’s] work brilliantly distills and integrates cross-disciplinary theory and research yet pulses with personal and professional experience and wisdom . . . I shall keep it by my bed so that I can draw from its well of essential wisdom again and again.”— Dr. Jill Mellick, psychologist, author of The Art of Dreamin “Heart Sense is a blueprint for discovering and responding to the intelligent and often overlooked voice of the heart as it speaks to us about our destiny, our unlived life, our health, and or creative and spiritual well-being. It is a work of brilliance.”— Sue Monk Kidd, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Longings and The Secret Life of Bees