Connecticut - a state that is often overlooked, but is full of fascinating stories, hidden treasures and unique gems. This book invites you on an exciting journey of discovery, from the coastal towns of Long Island Sound to the verdant hills of Litchfield Hills. From the historical roots in Hartford to the spiritual center at Yale University in New Haven. There's a lot more to Connecticut than meets the eye. It is not only a land of hedge funds and high society, but also a land of rich history, art, natural wonders, and cultural diversity. This non-fiction book takes you on a journey through known and hidden treasures in Connecticut, from Mystic Seaport to Yale University, and takes you into a world full of surprises and curiosity. We will explore the awe-inspiring maritime history of Mystic Seaport, unveil the intellectual splendor of Yale University, and uncover the lesser-known but equally remarkable treasures in its collections. We'll visit historic sites in Hartford, walk in the footsteps of Mark Twain, and explore the extravagant Gillette Castle. But Connecticut isn't just history and culture. We'll also embark on adventurous hikes along the Appalachian Trail, explore the quaint coastal towns like Essex and Old Saybrook, and discover the burgeoning wine industry on the Connecticut Wine Trail. In this book, we'll look at the diversity of Connecticut, from the culinary delights of New Haven to the natural beauty of Litchfield Hills. We will explore art and culture in Bridgeport and share mysterious experiences in Mystic. We'll also look ahead to the future of the state and explore innovation and renewal in Connecticut. Immerse yourself in this fascinating land of contrasts, where tradition and modernity, history and future merge. There's more to Connecticut than you might have thought, and we invite you to explore this state's well-known and hidden gems. Join us on this journey of discovery from Mystic Seaport to Yale University, and let Connecticut inspire you.

This USA guidebook is perfect for independent travellers planning a longer trip. It features all of the must-see sights and a wide range of off-the-beaten-track places. It also provides detailed practical information on preparing for a trip and what to do on the ground. And this USA travel guidebook is printed on paper from responsible sources, and verified to meet the FSC’s strict environmental and social standards. This USA guidebook covers: New York City, The Mid-Atlantic, New England, The Great Lakes, The Capital Region, The South, Florida, Louisiana, Texas, The Great Plains, The Rockies, The Southwest, California, The Pacific Northwest, Alaska, Hawaii. Inside this USA travel book, you’ll find: A wide range of sights – Rough Guides experts have hand-picked places for travellers with different needs and desires: off-the-beaten-track adventures, family activities or chilled-out breaks Itinerary examples – created for different time frames or types of trip Practical information – how to get to the USA, all about public transport, food and drink, shopping, travelling with children, sports and outdoor activities, tips for travellers with disabilities and more Author picks and things not to miss in the USA – Redwood National and State Parks; Glacier National Park; Sweet Auburn, Atlanta; The National Mall, Washington DC; Walt Disney World, Orlando; Skiing in the Rocky Mountains; Las Vegas, Yellowstone National Park, The Grand Canyon; Hawaii Volcanoes Insider recommendations – tips on how to beat the crowds, save time and money, and find the best local spots When to go to the USA – high season, low season, climate information and festivals Where to go – a clear introduction to the USA with key places and a handy overview Extensive coverage of regions, places and experiences – regional highlights, sights and places for different types of travellers, with experiences matching different needs Places to eat, drink and stay – hand-picked restaurants, cafes, bars and hotels Practical info at each site – hours of operation, websites, transit tips, charges Colour-coded mapping – with keys and legends listing sites categorised as highlights, eating, accommodation, shopping, drinking and nightlife Background information for connoisseurs – history, culture, art, architecture, film, books, religion, diversity Fully updated post-COVID-19 The guide provides a comprehensive and rich selection of places to see and things to do in the USA, as well as great planning tools. It’s the perfect companion, both ahead of your trip and on the ground.

A broad, systematic account of one of the most original and creative kabbalists, biblical interpreters, and Talmudic scholars the Jewish tradition has ever produced Rabbi Moses b. Nahman (1194–1270), known in English as Nahmanides, was the greatest Talmudic scholar of the thirteenth century and one of the deepest and most original biblical interpreters. Beyond his monumental scholastic achievements, Nahmanides was a distinguished kabbalist and mystic, and in his commentary on the Torah he dispensed esoteric kabbalistic teachings that he termed “By Way of Truth.” This broad, systematic account of Nahmanides’s thought explores his conception of halakhah and his approach to the central concerns of medieval Jewish thought, including notions of God, history, revelation, and the reasons for the commandments. The relationship between Nahmanides’s kabbalah and mysticism and the existential religious drive that nourishes them, as well as the legal and exoteric aspects of his thinking, are at the center of Moshe Halbertal’s portrayal of Nahmanides as a complex and transformative thinker.

The first full biography of the fearless and brilliant Maria Yudina, a legendary pianist who was central to Russian intellectual life "Playing with Fire is a ground-breaking work--a phenomenal biography of a towering human spirit of everlasting relevance."--Norman Lebrecht, Wall Street Journal Maria Yudina was no ordinary musician. An incredibly popular pianist, she lived on the fringes of Soviet society and had close friendships with such towering figures as Boris Pasternak, Pavel Florensky, and Mikhail Bakhtin. Legend has it that she was Stalin's favorite pianist. Yudina was at the height of her fame during WWII, broadcasting almost daily on the radio, playing concerts for the wounded and troops in hospitals and on submarines, and performing for the inhabitants of besieged Leningrad. By the last years of her life, she had been dismissed for ideological reasons from the three institutions where she taught. And yet, according to Shostakovich, Yudina remained "a special case. . . . The ocean was only knee-deep for her." In this engaging biography, Elizabeth Wilson sets Yudina's extraordinary life within the context of her times, where her musical career is measured against the intense intellectual and religious ferment of the postrevolutionary period and the ensuing years of Soviet repression.

A compelling and lucid account of the life and teachings of a founder of rabbinic Judaism and one of the most beloved heroes of Jewish history Born in the Land of Israel around the year 50 C.E., Rabbi Akiva was the greatest rabbi of his time and one of the most important influences on Judaism as we know it today. Traditional sources tell how he was raised in poverty and unschooled in religious tradition but began to learn the Torah as an adult. In the aftermath of the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 C.E., he helped shape a new direction for Judaism through his brilliance and his character. Mystic, legalist, theologian, and interpreter, he disputed with his colleagues in dramatic fashion yet was admired and beloved by his peers. Executed by Roman authorities for his insistence on teaching Torah in public, he became the exemplar of Jewish martyrdom. Drawing on the latest historical and literary scholarship, this book goes beyond older biographies, untangling a complex assortment of ancient sources to present a clear and nuanced portrait of Talmudic hero Rabbi Akiva.

DIV The life and thought of a forceful figure in Israel’s religious and political life /div

"From Thoreau's renowned Journal, a treasury of memorable, funny, and sharply observed accounts of the wild and domestic animals of Concord."--Front flap.

“In his most ambitious work to date, [Edney] questions the very concept of ‘cartography’ to argue that this flawed ideal has hobbled the study of maps.” —Susan Schulten, author of A History of America in 100 Maps Over the past four decades, the volumes published in the landmark History of Cartography series have both chronicled and encouraged scholarship about maps and mapping practices across time and space. As the current director of the project that has produced these volumes, Matthew H. Edney has a unique vantage point for understanding what “cartography” has come to mean and include. In this book Edney disavows the term cartography, rejecting the notion that maps represent an undifferentiated category of objects for study. Rather than treating maps as a single, unified group, he argues, scholars need to take a processual approach that examines specific types of maps—sea charts versus thematic maps, for example—in the context of the unique circumstances of their production, circulation, and consumption. To illuminate this bold argument, Edney chronicles precisely how the ideal of cartography that has developed in the West since 1800 has gone astray. By exposing the flaws in this ideal, his book challenges everyone who studies maps and mapping practices to reexamine their approach to the topic. The study of cartography will never be the same. “[An] intellectually bracing and marvellously provocative account of how the mythical ideal of cartography developed over time and, in the process, distorted our understanding of maps.” —Times Higher Education “Cartography: The Ideal and Its History offers both a sharp critique of current practice and a call to reorient the field of map studies. A landmark contribution.” —Kären Wigen, coeditor of Time in Maps

Since its launch in 1987, the History of Cartography series has garnered critical acclaim and sparked a new generation of interdisciplinary scholarship. Cartography in the European Enlightenment, the highly anticipated fourth volume, offers a comprehensive overview of the cartographic practices of Europeans, Russians, and the Ottomans, both at home and in overseas territories, from 1650 to 1800. The social and intellectual changes that swept Enlightenment Europe also transformed many of its mapmaking practices. A new emphasis on geometric principles gave rise to improved tools for measuring and mapping the world, even as large-scale cartographic projects became possible under the aegis of powerful states. Yet older mapping practices persisted: Enlightenment cartography encompassed a wide variety of processes for making, circulating, and using maps of different types. The volume’s more than four hundred encyclopedic articles explore the era’s mapping, covering topics both detailed—such as geodetic surveying, thematic mapping, and map collecting—and broad, such as women and cartography, cartography and the economy, and the art and design of maps. Copious bibliographical references and nearly one thousand full-color illustrations complement the detailed entries.

William Blake, overlooked in his time, remains an enigmatic figure to contemporary readers despite his near canonical status. Out of a wounding sense of alienation and dividedness he created a profoundly original symbolic language, in which words and images unite in a unique interpretation of self and society. He was a counterculture prophet whose art still challenges us to think afresh about almost every aspect of experience—social, political, philosophical, religious, erotic, and aesthetic. He believed that we live in the midst of Eternity here and now, and that if we could open our consciousness to the fullness of being, it would be like experiencing a sunrise that never ends. Following Blake’s life from beginning to end, acclaimed biographer Leo Damrosch draws extensively on Blake’s poems, his paintings, and his etchings and engravings to offer this generously illustrated account of Blake the man and his vision of our world. The author’s goal is to inspire the reader with the passion he has for his subject, achieving the imaginative response that Blake himself sought to excite. The book is an invitation to understanding and enjoyment, an invitation to appreciate Blake’s imaginative world and, in so doing, to open the doors of our perception.