Csenge Virag Zalka, a Hungarian storyteller, has collected 55 folktales from around the world about supernatural abilities like superhuman strength, invulnerability, flying, heightened senses, speed, invisibility, healing, agility, precognition, telepathy, fire manipulation, teleportation, water powers, and shifting. These tales represent powers that people have dreamed of, conjured up and strived for through the ages. Many of the powers are present in popular culture, making the superheroes who wield them the direct descendants of characters such as the princess who could see through walls or the invulnerable Isfandiyar. Zalka excluded stories about magic or about gods with divine powers, and focused on less well-known stories. She included information on similar heroes, the ability in the story, sources of the powers, the origin of the story, teachings in it, the recommended age group, sources, variants, and comments.

In the future, genetically engineered superhumans, inspired by classic Earth comic book heroes, fight to keep the peace in the wild and wooly space habitats of the Asteroid Belt

A collection of parables and teaching stories from the martial arts traditions of Japan and China that emphasizes their spiritual foundation. • The teaching stories in this book are based on the lives of martial arts masters and are meant to inspire questions and insights for the student. • Written for martial artists and anyone interested in Eastern religions such as Buddhism, Zen, and Taoism. True martial arts should never be confused with simple combat techniques. Rather, martial arts are a way that an individual, after a long and difficult apprenticeship, can gain a profound understanding of the true nature of reality and one's place in it. Over time the apprentice discovers the laws governing the subtle forces of life and realizes that their mastery is only possible after one has mastered oneself. "He who has mastered the Art doesn't use his sword: he compels his adversary to kill himself." This quote from renowned sword master Tajima no Kami perfectly expresses the paradoxical nature of martial arts teachings in China and Japan. These teaching stories are not moral fables; in fact they have nothing to prove. Their purpose is actually to inspire questions and insights that will aid the student to achieve self-realization. Most of the stories in this book are based on actual events in the lives of martial arts teachers who have achieved legendary status. The almost superhuman abilities of some of the masters described here are evidence of the secret powers that can be wielded by those whose martial arts training is not simply the learning of physical techniques but involves the mastering of the subtle energies of the mind and body. Master of the Art of Archery Kenzo Awa could hit the center of a target even when shooting in total darkness. Assailants of Tai Chi master Yang Lu Chan found their blows did more damage to themselves than to their would-be victim. By reading--and comprehending--the tales in this book, we can acquire the same essential knowledge that these masters had--that extraordinary forces are within the grasp of those who have achieved inner peace and self-mastery.

Ever since the phrase "fight or flight" was coined in the 1920s, the common understanding has been that the mind respond to danger in one of two ways - either fleeing in blind panic, or fighting through it. But as scientists unlock the secrets of the human brain, a more complex understanding of the fear response has emerged. It turns out that the ancient brain circuitry wired to process fear is also intricately tied to our ability to master new skills, and that the icy sensation of terror can actually enhance both our physical and our mental performance. Veteran science journalist Jeff Wise, who writes the "I'll Try Anything" column for Popular Mechanics, journeys into the heart of the primal force to find its hidden roots: Where does panic come from? How is it that some people can perform masterfully under pressure? How can we live a more courageous life? Reporting from the front lines of science, Wise takes us into labs where scientists are learning how we make decisions when confronted with physical peril, how time is perceived when the mind is on high alert, and how willpower succeeds or fails in controlling fear. Along the way, he illuminates the science with riveting stories of true-life danger and survival. We watch a woman defend herself from a mountain lion attack in a remote canyon; we witness couple desperately fighting to beat back an encircling wildfire; we see a pilot struggle to maintain control of his plane as its wing begins to detach. Full of amazing characters and cutting-edge science, Extreme Fear is an original and absorbing look at how we can raise the limits of human potential.

Trapped in a dead-end job in his Ohio hometown, watching the girl of his dreams move on to a glamorous new life in a big city--Donald McDougal's aimlessness has held him back for a long time. When a lightning strike grants him superhuman powers, he jumps at his chance to finally be somebody. But the new abilities and the pursuit of superheroic fame come with a price tag, and it may not be one he can afford. This wry debut is at once a fanboy's homage to the history of superhero storytelling in America and a keen-eyed satire of those same stories, raising questions about race and privilege that are becoming impossible to ignore.

First published in 1973, this anthology has assumed classic status in the field of Egyptology and portrays the remarkable evolution of the literary forms of one of the world’s earliest civilizations. Beginning with the early and gradual evolution of Egyptian genres, it includes biographical and historical inscriptions carved on stone, the various classes of works written with pen on papyrus, and the mortuary literature that focuses on life after death. It then shows the culmination of these literary genres within the single period known as the New Kingdom (1550–1080 B.C.) and ends in the last millennium of Pharaonic civilization, from the tenth century B.C. to the beginning of the Christian era. An introduction written in three parts by Antonio Loprieno, Hans-W. Fischer-Elfert, and Joseph G. Manning completes this classic anthology.

This collection of ‘Fairy Tales from Grimm’ contains forty-five of their best-known stories, beautifully illustrated throughout, by Gordon Browne. It includes the narratives of ‘Hansel and Gretel’, ‘Rapunzel’, ‘The Frog Prince’, ‘The Valiant Little Tailor’, ‘Cinderella’, ‘Little Red Riding Hood’, ‘Rumpelstiltskin’, and many more. Gordon Browne (1858 – 1932), was an English artist and children’s book illustrator, working in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. He was one of Britain’s most prolific illustrators, with his work appearing in newspapers, magazines, and many children’s books. His watercolour and pen-and-ink drawings further refine and elucidate the Brothers Grimm’s masterful storytelling. The Brothers Grimm are perhaps the best known folklorists of all time. Die Brüder Grimm; Jacob (1785–1863) and Wilhelm Grimm (1786–1859), were German academics, linguists, cultural researchers, lexicographers and authors – who together specialized in collecting and publishing folklore during the nineteenth century. The popularity of their collected tales has endured well; they have been translated into more than 100 languages, and remain in print in the present day. This is a text to be appreciated by young and old alike; extraordinary for its literary as well as artistic significance. Pook Press celebrates the great ‘Golden Age of Illustration‘ in children’s literature – a period of unparalleled excellence in book illustration from the 1880s to the 1930s. Our collection showcases classic fairy tales, children’s stories, and the work of some of the most celebrated artists, illustrators and authors.

Herein are 29 Armenian Fairy Tales and legends. Some of these stories may have a familiar ring and others will be entirely “new” to the reader despite them being millennia old. Here you will stories like: * The Golden Maiden * The Betrothed Of Destiny * The Fairy Nightingale * The Dreamer * The Bride Of The Fountain * Dyjhicon: The Coward-Hero * Zoolvisia * Dragon-Child And Sun-Child * The Magic Ring * Bedik And The Invulnerable Giant * The Maiden Of The Sea; and many, many more. A distinguished English student of folk-lore wrote: “Armenia offers a rich and hitherto almost untouched library of folklore.” Never before has such a true statement been made, for Armenia sits astride the main northern arm of the Silk Route – the one which runs north, from Persia and the ancient city of Persepolis through the valley of Ararat and the Caucasus corridor to the Black sea to the capitals of Northern Europe. It is along this axis that stories, goods and spices were traded. Initially this was an East – West trade, but as Europe grew and matured this became a two-way trade with European culture and customs travelling East and Eastern culture and customs travelling West, all through Armenia where a great deal of them were deposited and took root. So it is from this source that these tales have been drawn – and we’ve only just scratched the surface. 10% of the profit from the sale of this book will be donated to charities. ============= KEYWORDS/TAGS: Armenia, folklore, legends, myths, fairy tales, fables, childrens stories, bedtime stories, country legends, golden maiden, Betrothed Of Destiny, Youngest, Three, Fairy Nightingale, Dreamer, dreams, dreamtime, Bride, Fountain, Dyjhicon, Coward, Hero, Zoolvisia, Dragon-Child, Sun-Child, Mirza, Magic Ring, Twins, Idiot, Bedik, Invulnerable, Giant, Simon, Friend Of Snakes, Poor Widow, Son, Niggardly, Companion, Maiden, Sea, Golden-Headed Fish, Husband, Wife, Wicked Stepmother, Tricks, Woman, Wise Weaver, Mind, Luck, World, Beauty, Salman, Rostom, Sparrow, Two Children, Old Woman, Cat, Sia-Manto, Guje-Zare

Encyclopedic in its coverage, this one-of-a-kind reference is ideal for students, scholars, and others who need reliable, up-to-date information on folk and fairy tales, past and present. Folktales and fairy tales have long played an important role in cultures around the world. They pass customs and lore from generation to generation, provide insights into the peoples who created them, and offer inspiration to creative artists working in media that now include television, film, manga, photography, and computer games. This second, expanded edition of an award-winning reference will help students and teachers as well as storytellers, writers, and creative artists delve into this enchanting world and keep pace with its past and its many new facets. Alphabetically organized and global in scope, the work is the only multivolume reference in English to offer encyclopedic coverage of this subject matter. The four-volume collection covers national, cultural, regional, and linguistic traditions from around the world as well as motifs, themes, characters, and tale types. Writers and illustrators are included as are filmmakers and composers—and, of course, the tales themselves. The expert entries within volumes 1 through 3 are based on the latest research and developments while the contents of volume 4 comprises tales and texts. While most books either present readers with tales from certain countries or cultures or with thematic entries, this encyclopedia stands alone in that it does both, making it a truly unique, one-stop resource.