Higher Life

Alva Smith, her Southern family destitute after the Civil War, married into one of America’s great Gilded Age dynasties: the newly wealthy but socially shunned Vanderbilts. Alva defied convention for women of her time, asserting power within her marriage and becoming a leader in the women's suffrage movement. In A Well-Behaved Woman, Therese Anne Fowler paints a glittering world of enormous wealth contrasted against desperate poverty, of social ambition and social scorn, of friendship and betrayal, and an unforgettable story of a remarkable woman.

Knowing that you are "a spiritual being having a human experience" is eye opening and inspiring, but can it tangibly transform your life? Pioneering healer Aleya Dao does more than say yes to this question - she shows you how, with stories and practices that are as potent and fresh as a morning cup of coffee or tea. By turning to your inner world, you can work with the limitless energies that create your outer world, making strides you never thought possible.

For one little boy, however, life had become anything but "normal." To all appearances, he and his family lived an almost idyllic life. The father was a respected professor, the mother a witty and elegant lady, someone everyone loved. They were parents to three bright, smiling children: two boys and a girl. They lived on a sunny street in a small college town nestled neatly in a leafy valley. They gave parties, hosted picnics, went to church - just like their neighbors. To all appearances, their life seemed ideal. But it was, in fact, all appearances.

Cat brothers Cecil and Anton are as different in personality as they are in looks. Cecil, stocky and black with white patches, thirsts for seafaring adventure as he roams the docks of his harborside home, taking day trips on fishing boats when the chance comes along. Slim, gray Anton prefers listening to the sailors' shanties at the town saloon. But one day when Anton does venture to port, he's stolen off the dock, and the next thing he knows, he's at sea.

Alden Bramblethorn’s job at The Whispering Willow is wearing on him. But it’s not just that. His family is broken, and he has no living relatives. Lonely, he seeks answers from the GoldenRoot Ancestral Repository. It doesn’t take long for him to strike gold. There, he finds an ancient letter with a deed to Starshine Farm—a chance to leave everything behind, make real connections, and start over. And, besides, he’s a [Level 4] Chloromancer. Plants love him. Farming can’t be that difficult. Right?

Understanding someone who belongs to another species can be transformative. No one knows this better than author, naturalist, and adventurer Sy Montgomery. To research her books, Sy has traveled the world and encountered some of the planet's rarest and most beautiful animals. From tarantulas to tigers, Sy's life continually intersects with and is informed by the creatures she meets. This restorative memoir reflects on the personalities and quirks of 13 animals - Sy's friends - and the truths revealed by their grace.

Gabriel Russo had been born under a dark cloud. He knew his history like the back of his hand; his mother made sure of that. He knew what blood ran through his veins and what it meant. He also knew that there were some with that same blood who would kill him if they could. Born the product of a horrible act inflicted upon his mother by one of the Ricci brothers, now the adopted son of another very powerful family, he’s the heir to two of the most powerful Familias in the West. No one knows what this young man whose life was marked even before birth would do to survive. And when they ...

From the annals of history arises a long-sought treasure. A radiant tapestry woven from ancient whispers, tantalizingly concealed and traded for untold riches. This Great Mystery, a flickering ember in folklore, literature, and the core of various beliefs, has fascinated great minds like Beethoven, Galileo, Edison, Plato, and Carnegie, just to name a few. Their applications of these lessons have illuminated profound truths that echo through human experience. Now, these fragments unite in a transformative revelation. In this immersive book, you'll embark on an engaging journey into the ...

At the age of ninety-six, Isaac Dahl sits down to write his memoir. For Isaac, an accomplished journalist and historian, finding the right words to convey events is never a problem. But this book will be different from anything he has written before. Focusing on twelve different days, each encapsulated in a chapter, Isaac hopes to distill the very essence of his life.

It goes without saying that even today, it's not easy to be gay in America. While young gay men often come out more readily, even those from the most progressive of backgrounds still struggle with the legacy of early-life stigma and a deficit of self-acceptance, which can fuel doubt, regret, and, at worst, self-loathing. Through moving stories - of friends and patients, and his own - Odets considers how experiences early in life launch men on trajectories aimed at futures that are not authentically theirs.

Is sex with The Hulk technically a threesome? Does The Flash do everything faster? Has Wonder Woman really never faked an orgasm? Explore these questions and more with this collection of speculative, comedic essays on how superpowers might affect the sex lives of famous superheroes. Based on genuine scientific research and both Marvel and DC comic book and movie canon (and more!), Sex Lives of Superheroes is a refreshingly frank and fun deep dive into the pros, cons, and plot twists of superpowered sex.

Discover the ancient wisdom that transforms manifestation from struggle to divine flow In a world of constant striving, what if the path to extraordinary abundance requires not effort, but surrender to your innate divine power? "Illuminated Manifestation" reveals the transformative truth that has eluded seekers for generations: true manifestation flows not from external techniques but from attunement to your inner light—the sacred essence that connects you to the infinite creative force of the universe. Ammanuel Santa Anna, founder of LuminousProsperity.com and trusted guide to thousands ...

Anhedonia is from the Greek word for 'without pleasure' and describes a loss of interest in activities you once enjoyed. It explains why many of us spend our lives in a fog, feeling neither happy nor sad, just not very much at all. In the first book to tackle this missing piece in mental health, writer Tanith Carey joins the dots on how convenience culture, stressful lifestyles, modern diets and both female and male hormonal changes can dial down our ability to feel excitement and joy.

Make Space for Happiness gives you a seven-step roadmap to clearing your life and opening yourself up to all the good meant to come your way. Renowned decluttering expert Tracy McCubbin will help you revolutionize your living space and your mindset by focusing on clutter clearing as a path to positivity in every area of your life, helping you to manifest: true connection, self-confidence, free time, big love, self-respect, real purpose, and lasting wisdom.

An Atria Book. Atria Books has a great book for every listener.

Here, National Book Award winner Richard Winston explores life in the Middle Ages - from the fifth to the 15th centuries - beginning with the fall of the Roman Empire and ending with the dawn of the Renaissance. In both countryside and cities, from the peasants to the bourgeoisie to the nobility, no aspect of life in this era is left unexplored.

New discoveries in archaeology and recent bestsellers and movies such as The Da Vinci Code and The Passion of the Christ have sparked a renaissance of the many controversies that have remained unanswered in Christianity and other religions. At the heart of these controversies is Jesus. With a unique perspective only Sylvia Browne could bring, The Mystical Life of Jesus is filled with the details of Jesus' inspiring life.

Excellent Sheep takes a sharp look at the high-pressure conveyor belt that begins with parents and counselors who demand perfect grades and culminates in the skewed applications Deresiewicz saw firsthand as a member of Yale's admissions committee. As schools shift focus from the humanities to "practical" subjects like economics and computer science, students are losing the ability to think in innovative ways.

Each of us struggles with the existential questions of meaning, purpose, and responsibility. In The Meaning of Life, the Dalai Lama examines these questions from the Buddhist perspective, skillfully guiding us to a clearer understanding which can liberate us from the prison of selfishness and suffering. Also from the Dalai Lama:
The Art of Happiness.

Amazons - fierce warrior women dwelling on the fringes of the known world - were the mythic archenemies of the ancient Greeks. Heracles and Achilles displayed their valor in duels with Amazon queens, and the Athenians reveled in their victory over a powerful Amazon army. In historical times, Cyrus of Persia, Alexander the Great, and the Roman general Pompey tangled with Amazons.