The Introduction explains: "During the twentieth century, a certain type of Indian painting began to fascinate the West. Unlike Mughal art, it was a product of Hindu courts in Rajasthan and the Punjab Hills and unlike Mughal painting, its chief concern was with the varied phases of romance. Ladies would be shown brooding in their chambers as storm clouds mounted in the sky. A girl might be portrayed desperately fondling a plantain tree, gripping a pet falcon, the symbol of her lover, or hurrying through the rainy darkness intent only on reaching a longed-for tryst. A prince would appear lying on a terrace, his outstretched arms striving vainly to detain a calm beauty or welcoming with delight a bashful girl as she slowly advanced. In all these pictures, romantic love was treated as the highest good and physical passion was interpreted with a freshness and innocence unequalled in the world's art."

According to Wikipedia: ""The Will to Believe" is a lecture by William James, first published in 1896, which defends, in certain cases, the adoption of a belief without prior evidence of its truth. In particular, James is concerned in this lecture about defending the rationality of religious faith even lacking sufficient evidence of religious truth. James' central argument in "The Will to Believe" hinges on the idea that access to the evidence for whether or not certain beliefs are true depends crucially upon first adopting those beliefs without evidence. As an example, James argues that it can be rational to have unsupported faith in one's own ability to accomplish tasks that require confidence. Importantly, James points out that this is the case even for pursuing scientific inquiry. James then argues that like belief in one's own ability to accomplish a difficult task, religious faith can also be rational even if one at the time lacks evidence for the truth of one's religious belief.

Work of spiritualism by the author of Sherlock Holmes. According to the Preface: "In "The New Revelation" the first dawn of the coming change has been described. In "The Vital Message" the sun has risen higher, and one sees more clearly and broadly what our new relations with the Unseen may be. As I look into the future of the human race I am reminded of how once, from amid the bleak chaos of rock and snow at the head of an Alpine pass, I looked down upon the far stretching view of Lombardy, shimmering in the sunshine and extending in one splendid panorama of blue lakes and green rolling hills until it melted into the golden haze which draped the far horizon. Such a promised land is at our very feet which, when we attain it, will make our present civilisation seem barren and uncouth. Already our vanguard is well over the pass. Nothing can now prevent us from reaching that wonderful land which stretches so clearly before those eyes which are opened to see it."

According to Wikipedia: "General Sir John Miller Adye GCB (1 November 1819 – 26 August 1900) was a British general and amateur artist." According to the Preface: "The subject of our policy on the North-West frontier of India is one of great importance, as affecting the general welfare of our Eastern Empire, and is specially interesting at the present time, when military operations on a considerable scale are being conducted against a combination of the independent tribes along the frontier. It must be understood that the present condition of affairs is no mere sudden outbreak on the part of our turbulent neighbours. Its causes lie far deeper, and are the consequences of events in bygone years."

Account of the Boer War, first published in 1902. According to Wikipedia: "Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle (22 May 1859 – 7 July 1930) was a Scottish physician and writer who is most noted for his fictional stories about the detective Sherlock Holmes, which are generally considered milestones in the field of crime fiction. He is also known for writing the fictional adventures of a second character he invented, Professor Challenger, and for popularising the mystery of the Mary Celeste. He was a prolific writer whose other works include fantasy and science fiction stories, plays, romances, poetry, non-fiction, and historical novels.

This file includes: The Ethics, On the Improvement of the Understanding, and A Theologico-Political Treatise (all four parts). According to Wikipedia: "Baruch or Benedict de Spinoza (November 24, 1632 – February 21, 1677) was a Dutch philosopher of Portuguese Jewish origin. Revealing considerable scientific aptitude, the breadth and importance of Spinoza's work was not fully realized until years after his death. Today, he is considered one of the great rationalists of 17th-century philosophy, laying the groundwork for the 18th century Enlightenment and modern biblical criticism. By virtue of his magnum opus, the posthumous Ethics, in which he opposed Descartes' mind–body dualism, Spinoza is considered to be one of Western philosophy's most important philosophers. Philosopher and historian Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel said of all modern philosophers, "You are either a Spinozist or not a philosopher at all." All of Spinoza's works were listed on the Index Librorum Prohibitorum (List of Prohibited Books) by the Roman Catholic Church. Spinoza lived quietly as a lens grinder, turning down rewards and honors throughout his life, including prestigious teaching positions, and gave his family inheritance to his sister."

The extended essay on the role of the individual in history which Tolstoy appended to War and Peace, the result of his ruminations on the phenomenon of the the French Revolution and the Napoleonnic Wars.

Philosophical essays. According to Wikipedia: "Rabindranath Tagore (7 May 1861 – 7 August 1941), sobriquet Gurudev, was a Bengali poet, novelist, musician, painter and playwright who reshaped Bengali literature and music. As author of Gitanjali and its "profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful verse", he was the first non-European who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913. His poetry in translation was viewed as spiritual, and this together with his mesmerizing persona gave him a prophet-like aura in the west. His "elegant prose and magical poetry" still remain largely unknown outside the confines of Bengal."

This eBook features the unabridged text of ‘Within a Budding Grove by Marcel Proust - Delphi Classics (Illustrated)’ from the bestselling edition of ‘The Complete Works of Marcel Proust’. Having established their name as the leading publisher of classic literature and art, Delphi Classics produce publications that are individually crafted with superior formatting, while introducing many rare texts for the first time in digital print. The Delphi Classics edition of Proust includes original annotations and illustrations relating to the life and works of the author, as well as individual tables of contents, allowing you to navigate eBooks quickly and easily. eBook features: * The complete unabridged text of ‘Within a Budding Grove by Marcel Proust - Delphi Classics (Illustrated)’ * Beautifully illustrated with images related to Proust’s works * Individual contents table, allowing easy navigation around the eBook * Excellent formatting of the text Please visit www.delphiclassics.com to learn more about our wide range of titles

Hurrah for Essays! All writing lessons should be this much fun. When cousins Dennis and Mellie decide to get a dog, they consider carefully what breed would be best for each family. For example, Dennis wants a big dog, but Mellie wants tiny. He has no other pets, but she has other pets that a dog must get along with. They consider different dog personalities, family situations, and personal preferences. Dennis writes an opinion essay for his teacher, Mrs. Shirky. But will his essay convince his parents to get the dog of his dreams? This story takes a popular subject—kids getting a pet—and adds dogs of all sizes and shapes: all writing lessons should be this much fun. In the end, it’s cousins and the dogs that keep a reader turning the page. What kind of dog will Dennis choose? Will Mellie want the same kind of dog? PRAISE FROM DOG EXPERTS “Darcy Pattison does a remarkable job on several fronts with her wonderful new book I Want A Dog: My Opinion Essay. She introduces the value of the written text at an early age to children. This cannot be emphasized enough in our early classrooms. With this comes an important lesson regarding the responsibility of owning and caring for a dog. As President of the Labrador Retriever Club representing the breed with the largest number of dogs I know how imperative responsible dog ownership is and Darcy does a wonderful job instilling this at an early age. This is a remarkable children’s book that has a lesson.” –Fred Kampo, President of the Labrador Retriever Club This story hits many notes: A family story about cousins, Dennis and Mellie Information on dog breeds Responsible dog ownership Mentor-text for teaching writing Model opinion essay for elementary students Models the writing process, especially the importance of pre-writing or planning before you write Completes the writing process by showing the results of Dennis’s essay I WANT A DOG almost makes opinion essays look too easy. For STEM classes, a good study of dog species. See other books in THE READ AND WRITE series I Want a Cat: My Opinion Essay My Crazy Dog: My Narrative Essay ABOUT THE AUTHOR Growing up, author Darcy Pattison (www.darcypattison.com) wanted to be an astronaut. Instead, she writes about aliens in her early chapter book series, ALIEN, INC. SERIES (Mims House), which includes Kell, the Alien; Kell and the Horse Apple Parade; Kell and the Giants; and Kell and the Detectives. Published in eight languages, her middle grade novels include: Saucy and Bubba: A Hansel and Gretel Tale (Mims House); The Girl, the Gypsy and the Gargoyle (Mims House); and Vagabonds (Mims House). Recent nature books for children include: Abayomi, the Brazilian Puma: The True Story of an Orphaned Cub (Mims House); Wisdom, the Midway Albatross (Mims House), a Starred Review in Publisher’s Weekly; Desert Baths (Arbordale), an NSTA Outstanding Science Trade Book 2013; and, Prairie Storms (Arbordale). Darcy Pattison is the 2007 recipient of Arkansas Governor’s Arts Awards for her work in Children’s Literature. For more see darcypattison.com/about ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR In her debut picture book, Ewa O’Neill (ewaoneill.com) creates art that is luscious, inventive, and colorful, bringing the story energy and humor. A dog-lover herself, Ewa (pronounced Eh-vuh) gives each breed a personality that helps kids begin to tell dog breeds apart.

Hurrah for Essays! All writing lessons should be this much fun. When cousins Mellie and Dennis decide to get a cat, they consider carefully what breed would be best for each family. For example, Mellie wants a cat that pounces, but Dennis wants a lazy cat, like his lazy dog, Clark Kent. Mellie wants a lap cat, but Dennis just wants a warm body BESIDE him. They consider different cat personalities, family situations, and personal preferences. Mellie writes an opinion essay for her teacher, Mr. Eagle. But will her essay convince her parents to get the cat of her dreams? This story takes a popular subject—kids getting a pet—and adds cats of all sizes and shapes: all writing lessons should be this much fun. In the end, it’s the cousins and the cats that keep a reader turning the page. What kind of cat will Mellie choose? Will Dennis want the same kind of cat? PRAISE FROM CAT EXPERTS “This is an absolutely delightful book intended for children, but actually one that is informative for adults as well, it reinforces the importance of considering various factors when selecting a cat as a pet. The two cousins are exchanging thoughts about their lifestyles and priorities. They each have a vision of their ‘ideal cat.’ Though every cat is an individual, the book expresses the value of predictable personality traits and other characteristics of various pedigreed cat breeds. It is a charming story of the two children each going through the process of finding a cat who best fits their own preferences. The playful illustrations compliment the humorous and educational quality of the book.” --Joan Miller, Cahir, CFA Outreach and Education, Cat Fancier’s Association This is quite simply as informative a cat book as any text out there. Each selected breed pinpoints the single most important trait to know about it before choosing a cat ‘purrfect’ for you. Although written from a child’s perspective, it makes clear sense to readers of all ages. As a cat lover and Maine Coon Cat breeder and enthusiast, I was thrilled with the spot on description and story of this beloved breed. — Alexis Mitchell, Syracoon/Furensics, Maine Coon Cat Breed Council Secretary, Maine Coon Cat breeders of CFA This story hits many notes: A family story about cousins, Dennis and Mellie Scientific information on cat breeds Responsible cat ownership Mentor-text for teaching writing Model opinion essay for elementary students Models the writing process, especially the importance of pre-writing or planning before you write Completes the writing process by showing the results of Dennis’s essay I WANT A DOG almost makes opinion essays look too easy. For STEM classes, a good study of cat species. See other books in THE READ AND WRITE series I Want a Dog: My Opinion Essay My Crazy Dog: My Narrative Essay (forthcoming) ABOUT THE AUTHOR Growing up, author Darcy Pattison (www.darcypattison.com) wanted to be an astronaut. Instead, she writes about aliens in her early chapter book series, ALIEN, INC. SERIES (Mims House), which includes Kell, the Alien; Kell and the Horse Apple Parade; Kell and the Giants; and Kell and the Detectives. Published in eight languages, her middle grade novels include: Saucy and Bubba: A Hansel and Gretel Tale (Mims House); The Girl, the Gypsy and the Gargoyle (Mims House); and Vagabonds (Mims House). Recent nature books for children include: Abayomi, the Brazilian Puma: The True Story of an Orphaned Cub (Mims House); Wisdom, the Midway Albatross (Mims House), a Starred Review in Publisher’s Weekly; Desert Baths (Arbordale), an NSTA Outstanding Science Trade Book 2013; and, Prairie Storms (Arbordale). Darcy Pattison is the 2007 recipient of Arkansas Governor’s Arts Awards for her work in Children’s Literature. For more see darcypattison.com/about ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR In her debut picture book, Ewa O’Neill (ewaoneill.com) creates art that is luscious, inventive, and colorful, bringing the story energy and humor. A cat-lover herself, Ewa (pronounced Eh-vuh) gives each breed a personality that helps kids begin to tell cat breeds apart.

This series of nonfiction readers will grab a student's interest from the very first page! Designed with struggling readers in mind, these riveting 92-page books offer short chapters on significant disasters. Each chapter is its own mini-book, which includes a timeline, key terms, and interesting facts. Fascinating black and white photographs keep the pages turning. A bibliography encourages further topical reading. Disasters are inherently frightening, riveting, and involving. Grabbed straight from the headlines, these disasters leave tragedy, destruction, and years of anguish: The Titanic, Ferry Disasters, Sydney to Hobart, War and Military, The Prestige Oil Spill, The Costa Concordia, and more.

This series of nonfiction readers will grab a student's interest from the very first page! Designed with struggling readers in mind, these riveting 92-page books offer short chapters on significant disasters. Each chapter is its own mini-book, which includes a timeline, key terms, and interesting facts. Fascinating black and white photographs keep the pages turning. A bibliography encourages further topical reading. Disasters are inherently frightening, riveting, and involving. Grabbed straight from the headlines, these disasters leave tragedy, destruction, and years of anguish: Apollo 1, Apollo 13, Soyuz 11, Challenger, Columbia, Asteroid Collisions, and more.

A JUNIOR LIBRARY GUILD SELECTION Do you believe everything you read in the newspaper? Early in August 1937, a news flash came: a sea monster had been spotted lurking off the shore of Nantucket Island. Historically, the Massachusetts island had served as port for whaling ships. Eyewitnesses swore this wasn’t a whale, but some new, fearsome creature. As eyewitness account piled up, newspaper stories of the sea monster spread quickly. Across the nation, people shivered in fear. Then, footprints were found on a Nantucket beach. Photographs were sent to prominent biologists for their opinion. Discussion swirled about raising a hunting party. On August 18, news spread across the island: the sea monster had been captured. Islanders ran to the beach and couldn’t believe their eyes. This nonfiction picture book is a perfect tool to discuss non-political fake news stories. Back matter discusses the freedom of the press guaranteed by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Quotes from Thomas Jefferson make it clear that fake news has always been one of the costs of a free press. A Timeline lists actual events in the order they occurred. A vocabulary list defines relevant words.

Rachel Perez is the author of Test Your Dog and Kiss in the Dark and co-founder of High Impact Philanthropy. In her free time, she alternately worries about whether she insulted someone and keeps exhaustive records of offensive conversations.

Philip Brown is a freelance sports photographer specialising in rugby and cricket. He regularly contributes to The Daily Telegraph.

Pamela Redmond Satran is a contributing editor for Parenting magazine and a columnist for Baby Talk in the US. Her articles appear frequently in the New York Times and Glamour, and she is the author of five novels: The Home for Wayward Supermodels, Surbanistas, Younger, Babes in Captivity and The Man I Should Have Married. She is the author of Collins Cool Names For Babies.

Alan Wall is an internationally acclaimed novelist and short story writer. His works have been published in eleven countries and translated into nine languages. He holds an MA in English from Oxford University, and is currently programme leader of the Creative Writing course at the University of Chester. His reviews and essays appear in a number of publications, including the Spectator, the Guardian, and the Literary Review..

Over the centuries the dog has become ‘Man’s best friend’ and an increasing number of people own dogs for companionship. Most of today’s breeds evolved as working dogs with specific functions from their common ancestor – the wolf.Whichever breed of dog you own, he will become your loyal friend and companion for many years to come, and you must take your responsibilities seriously.Living in a human-canine pack can be a rewarding experience for both the owner and the dog. You will need to look after your dog and provide for both his mental and physical welfare as well as developing an understanding of his behaviour and body language if you are to become a responsible owner. Your dog must learn to adapt to family life if he is to grow into a well-behaved member of your ‘pack’.

If one stands by the west wall of the church at Penmarc’h, by the Atlantic coast in south-west Brittany, one sees how this building was intended to be on a grand scale. Founded in 1508, it was to be paid for by the shipbuilders and shipowners of the parish, a testimony to their wealth as well as to their faith. The heads of three of them are depicted on the wall. Penmarc’h was then one of the most important and flourishing ports of France, sending ships south to Portugal and north to Britain, trading in fish and wine. It was natural that carvings of ships, fish, seagulls and sailors should decorate the church walls. But the great tower which was to crown the west wall was never completed. No statues were erected. Penmarc’h’s prosperity rapidly disappeared as the discovery of Newfoundland brought activity to the Normandy coast and as larger ships, some as large as 300 tons, took over the trade. The flat-bottomed boats of Penmarc’h, which were beached on the sand and on the river-beds, could not compete. Penmarc’h fell into obscurity, its only fame being its legends. A sad song tells how at night its people used to set up decoy lights to lure ships on to the rocks. One night they wrecked a ship only to discover that it had on board their own children, who drowned before their eyes.

Naturally slight of build, Ada’s first paid work, age five, was smuggling cigarettes and other contraband through the tunnels beneath the Berlin Wall. Enjoying her taste of early employment she went on to have over a hundred other different jobs, including, but not limited to: delivering eggs to Hollywood’s most glamorous celebrities, cartographer, professional wrestler, mystery shopper, designing man-hole covers, and ice-dance choreographer. She is author of over a hundred books, all of which she dictates from her bath to her man-secretary, Alan.