An exploration of radical megaprojects in the Ecuadorian Amazon, considering the fate of utopian fantasies under conditions of global capitalism From 2007 to 2017, the “Citizens’ Revolution” launched an ambitious series of post-neoliberal megaprojects in the remote Amazonian region of Ecuador, including an interoceanic transport corridor, a world-leading biotechnology university, and a planned network of two hundred “Millennium Cities.” The aim was to liberate the nation from its ecologically catastrophic dependence on Amazonian oil reserves, while transforming its jungle region from a wild neoliberal frontier into a brave new world of “twenty-first-century socialism.” This book documents the heroic scale of this endeavor, the surreal extent of its failure, and the paradoxical process through which it ended up reinforcing the economic model that it had been designed to overcome. It explores the phantasmatic and absurd dimensions of the transformation of social reality under conditions of global capitalism, deconstructing the utopian fantasies of the state, and drawing attention to the eruption of insurgent utopias staged by those with nothing left to lose.

"Wendy Doniger O'Flaherty . . . weaves a brilliant analysis of the complex role of dreams and dreaming in Indian religion, philosophy, literature, and art. . . . In her creative hands, enchanting Indian myths and stories illuminate and are illuminated by authors as different as Aeschylus, Plato, Freud, Jung, Kurl Gödel, Thomas Kuhn, Borges, Picasso, Sir Ernst Gombrich, and many others. This richly suggestive book challenges many of our fundamental assumptions about ourselves and our world."—Mark C. Taylor, New York Times Book Review "Dazzling analysis. . . . The book is firm and convincing once you appreciate its central point, which is that in traditional Hindu thought the dream isn't an accident or byway of experience, but rather the locus of epistemology. In its willful confusion of categories, its teasing readiness to blur the line between the imagined and the real, the dream actually embodies the whole problem of knowledge. . . . [O'Flaherty] wants to make your mental flesh creep, and she succeeds."—Mark Caldwell, Village Voice

One of the most dramatic figures among Latin America's romantic writers and the distinguished woman writer of her century, Juana Manuela Gorriti brings passion and intrigue to the scene of writing. An exile from her native Argentina who sought refuge first in Bolivia and then in Peru, her lifetime of travel and displacement is echoed in her fictions. Her short stories tell of homelessness and nomadic yearnings, taking the reader from the Peruvian highlands, where Spanish colonizers plot to rob the treasures of the Incas, to the Argentine capital city plagued by sinister political intentions. Her later fictions move from Chile to scenes of the California Gold Rush. Covering the wide landscape of the Americas, Gorriti tracks the spirit of nineteenth-century adventurers and dandies, nation builders and soldiers who participate in the conflicts of settlement in a new and lawless land. Women are the protagonists here, mediating episodes of civil strife as they voice their despair about the treachery of fortune seekers in Latin America in the years following Independence from Spain. Dreams and Realities offers a sampling of Gorriti's stories, showing the range of her commitment to political fiction drawn in the romantic style. Originally published in four volumes under the titles Suenos y realidades and Panoramas de la vida, her works deal with the tyranny of the Rosas regime, the mediating role of women, and the clash of European and indigenous cultures. Notwithstanding her personal political leanings, Gorriti's stories and fictions provide a generous dose of swashbuckling adventure and romance. Translated into English for the first time by Sergio Waisman and with an Introduction, Chronology, and Critical Notes by Francine Masiello, the book gives a woman's view of the world of political intrigue and civil unrest that marks Latin America's turbulent nineteenth century.

DIVDIV“Sleek and suggestive . . . [Reality and Dreams] is so smart and seductive that you fail to notice how completely you’ve accepted a world gone utterly awry.” —Kirkus Reviews /divDIV/divDIVBritish film director Tom Richard won acclaim for his moments of pure creative inspiration. But when Richard is hospitalized after toppling from a crane during a shoot, he awakes not knowing what is real and what is not—and with no idea who to trust. Soon his wife, children, and friends are all undergoing crises of their own, from the breakup of a marriage to the loss of a job. As Richard fights to regain his health and stay centered amid the swirling chaos of his personal life, he must also wrest control of his film—his most prized pursuit—from those who seek to take it away./divDIV /divDIVWitty andengrossing, Reality and Dreams is a whiplash ride through the highs and lows of the creative process./divDIV /divDIVThis ebook features an illustrated biography of Muriel Spark including rare photos and never-before-seen documents from the author’s archive at the National Library of Scotland./divDIV /divDIV/div/div

California has long been a bellwether state -- a place where crucial trends that eventually spread throughout the U.S. first take root. Its national and international influence is driven by one of the largest economies in the world, by its extraordinary technological and cultural innovations, and by a disproportionately affluent and activist population larger than that of entire countries. In short, the issues of California are the issues that are likely to have an impact on the rest of America, and college students in California are well served by studying, thinking, and writing about their home state in their composition courses. California Dreams and Realities is the one composition reader that allows students to do just that.

This book draws on the stories and words of over a hundred farm families in an average county in Georgia's prime agricultural region to construct an account of the disaster years and their consequences.

Have you ever wondered if you might be living a dream? How do you know what is real and what is illusion? The popular movie "The Matrix" explored this theme a few years ago with great effect. Yet this is a serious question requiring serious thought. The book "Dreams of Reality", written from a scientifi c perspective, takes the reader on an intellectual journey through the various aspects and dimensions of reality, from our current state of understanding to the so-called metaphysical. You may find a number of surprising and thought-provoking vistas along this yellow-brick road. Consider them with an open mind and then let your intuition tell you where the dream ends and reality begins.

Empower yourself to get what you want, feel more satisfaction at work and in your personal life, and prosper in all that you do. Filled with easy-to-learn yet powerful strategies and techniques, Turn Your Dreams Into Reality helps unleash your creativity, improve your relationships, be more persuasive, and increase your energy. Using visualization, the law of attraction, intuition, meditation, and more, this book provides the tools you need to gain everything you want in life, love, and career. Discover how to visualize your goal, take the needed steps toward it, and overcome any obstacles in your way. Access the inner powers of your mind and use them to make better decisions and find true self-empowerment. Through practical exercises and comprehensive instruction, you’ll turn problems into possibilities, and then transform those possibilities into success.

This refreshing approach to the act of dreaming allows you to explore your full potential through the control of your dreams. It aches the reader how to construct dreams that will improve reality, and demonstrates how such dreams directly affect our lives.