A man desperately tries to keep his pact with the Devil, a woman is imprisoned in an insane asylum by her husband because of religious differences, and, on the testimony of a mere stranger, "a London citizen" is sentenced to a private madhouse. This anthology of writings by mad and allegedly mad people is a comprehensive overview of the history of mental illness for the past five hundred years-from the viewpoint of the patients themselves.Dale Peterson has compiled twenty-seven selections dating from 1436 through 1976. He prefaces each excerpt with biographical information about the writer. Peterson's running commentary explains the national differences in mental health care and the historical changes that have take place in symptoms and treatment. He traces the development of the private madhouse system in England and the state-run asylum system in the United States. Included is the first comprehensive bibliography of writings by the mentally ill.

"Truly trivia you can't live without, A People's History of the Peculiar is filled with facts, lists, definitions, and astonishing information guaranteed to provide you with the best cocktail conversation for many years to come! Your guide, Nick Belardes, has devoted his life to poking around the peculiar and perplexing. Explore the unknown stories behind why the nation's capitol didn't stay in Philadelphia, why some fossils are smiling, and how, if Preparation H existed in the early 1800s, Napoleon would have won Waterloo. These real-world facts are outlandish enough to sharpen your brain and occupy your mind for hours of reading. This book is so fascinating and fun, you'll become obsessed, too!"--

It was a childlike question, but the answer was as stunning as it was profound. If God is light, what do the primary colors of the rainbow's spectrum signify? The Gospel of John declares in eight mysterious signs that God is light and Jesus Christ in the flesh was God sent to bring the light of true life to us. These enigmatic signs of light, semeion, imply the eight signs' significance pointed to something other than what they appeared. The themes of John's eight signs match the themes of the Feasts given to ancient Israel at Mount Sinai and a sequence of YHWH's covenant names. Behold, I AM is a rich, in-depth study into God's Holyday appointed times, His eight Festivals of Light, what they meant then, what they mean today, and how they are fulfilling prophecy.

National Book Critics Circle 2021 Biography Finalist 53rd NAACP Image Award Nominee: Outstanding Literary Work - Biography/Autobiography “[A] riveting and timely exploration of Hamer’s life. . . . Brilliantly constructed to be both forward and backward looking, Blain’s book functions simultaneously as a much needed history lesson and an indispensable guide for modern activists.”—New York Times Book Review Ms. Magazine “Most Anticipated Reads for the Rest of Us – 2021” · KIRKUS STARRED REVIEW · BOOKLIST STARRED REVIEW · Publishers Weekly Big Indie Books of Fall 2021 Explores the Black activist’s ideas and political strategies, highlighting their relevance for tackling modern social issues including voter suppression, police violence, and economic inequality. “We have a long fight and this fight is not mine alone, but you are not free whether you are white or black, until I am free.” —Fannie Lou Hamer A blend of social commentary, biography, and intellectual history, Until I Am Free is a manifesto for anyone committed to social justice. The book challenges us to listen to a working-poor and disabled Black woman activist and intellectual of the civil rights movement as we grapple with contemporary concerns around race, inequality, and social justice. Award-winning historian and New York Times best-selling author Keisha N. Blain situates Fannie Lou Hamer as a key political thinker alongside leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and Rosa Parks and demonstrates how her ideas remain salient for a new generation of activists committed to dismantling systems of oppression in the United States and across the globe. Despite her limited material resources and the myriad challenges she endured as a Black woman living in poverty in Mississippi, Hamer committed herself to making a difference in the lives of others. She refused to be sidelined in the movement and refused to be intimidated by those of higher social status and with better jobs and education. In these pages, Hamer’s words and ideas take center stage, allowing us all to hear the activist’s voice and deeply engage her words, as though we had the privilege to sit right beside her. More than 40 years since Hamer’s death in 1977, her words still speak truth to power, laying bare the faults in American society and offering valuable insights on how we might yet continue the fight to help the nation live up to its core ideals of “equality and justice for all.” Includes a photo insert featuring Hamer at civil rights marches, participating in the Democratic National Convention, testifying before Congress, and more.

I am a Standupster, A Second Generation Survivors Account, by the Daughter of David Zauder, is the first-ever biography of Internationally Acclaimed Holocaust and Anti-bullying Educator and Speaker, Karen Zauder Brass. Her book is a very rare exploration into the effects of being raised by a parent who suffered the inhumanity of genocide and its unimaginable costs. Brass comes out of the shadows and openly expresses what so few Second Generation Survivors are willing to discuss. The deep injury to their survivor parents psyches cannot simply be put aside and has deep and lasting effects on their children. From her earliest years, Brass was fully aware of who her surviving parent needed her to be. This is a book of deep introspection that also shares the Authors path to self-acceptance, happiness, and her powerful desire to make changes in our world by educating audiences, one human being at a time, to not stand by and allow for the suffering of others; To be a Standupster. Brass provides the descriptive background of her Father, David Zauders survival of the Krakow Ghetto and four concentration camps including Auschwitz. His survival of a true hell on Earth, and his success in emigrating from Poland, after his liberation by General Pattons 3rd Army Tank Division, then travel from Germany to America and becoming one of this countrys leading cornet and trumpet players will inspire you and touch your heart. For educators, Brass weaves her Fathers story into a groundbreaking international anti-bullying campaign which has been experienced by thousands of Middle and High School aged students, adults, and hundreds of high-ranking military officials. Acclaimed by educators, principals and parents alike, Brass Standupster presentations and campaign has been effective in reducing bullying in schools because it provides a rallying cry for everyone to never stand by in the face of hatred, bigotry, and injustice; the program calls on the audience to use personal responsibility and moral leadership to rise together as being a Standupster to stop the bullying.

A bold new history of the French Revolution from the standpoint of the peasants, workers, women and sans culottes The assault on the Bastille, the Reign of Terror, Danton mocking his executioner, Robespierre dispensing a fearful justice, and the archetypal gadfly Marat—the events and figures of the French Revolution have exercised a hold on the historical imagination for more than 200 years. It has been a template for heroic insurrection and, to more conservative minds, a cautionary tale. In the hands of Eric Hazan, author of The Invention of Paris, the revolution becomes a rational and pure struggle for emancipation. In this new history, the first significant account of the French Revolution in over twenty years, Hazan maintains that it fundamentally changed the Western world—for the better. Looking at history from the bottom up, providing an account of working people and peasants, Hazan asks, how did they see their opportunities? What were they fighting for? What was the Terror and could it be justified? And how was the revolution stopped in its tracks? The People’s History of the French Revolution is a vivid retelling of events, bringing them to life with a multitude of voices. Only in this way, by understanding the desires and demands of the lower classes, can the revolutionary bloodshed and the implacable will of a man such as Robespierre be truly understood.

'This book will help a lot of people feel understood and less alone.' Matt Haig, author of Reasons to Stay Alive 'A warm, compassionate and digestible account of why our imperfect brains sometimes struggle with the demands of modern life.' Sunday Times Why do I feel so overwhelmed? Is everyone else achieving more than me? Why did I say that embarrassing thing? What can I do to actually make a difference? Am I the only one who feels this way? Gemma Styles captures the voice of her generation, giving words to those feelings so many of us struggle to explain. Drawing on her own experience with mental health issues and neurodivergence, Gemma gets curious about how we tick in order to better understand and navigate the unique pressures of life today. Featuring the insight of experts and the latest research, Gemma shows that by being curious and compassionate, we can start to feel more hopeful, connected and at peace with ourselves. From how we communicate, to our ambitions and self-image, Gemma paints a picture of mental health in the digital age, including her own journey and ADHD diagnosis to highlight the ways in which women’s mental health in particular is often overlooked or trivialized. Thought-provoking and heartening, this book is for anyone who feels overwhelmed, less than or that they don't belong. Why am I like this? is a warm hug, insightful analysis and spirited call to action all in one. Gemma Styles' podcast, Good Influence, won Blogosphere Magazine Podcast of the Year 2022