The tumultuous twentieth century, told through the life of a single extraordinary woman Rejected by a series of publishers, abandoned in a chest for twenty years, Goliarda Sapienza's masterpiece, The Art of Joy, survived a turbulent path to publication. It wasn't until 2005, when it was released in France, that this novel received the recognition it deserves. At last, Sapienza's remarkable book is available in English, in a brilliant translation by Anne Milano Appel and with an illuminating introduction by Angelo Pellegrino. The Art of Joy centers on Modesta, a Sicilian woman born on January 1, 1900, whose strength and character are an affront to conventional morality. Impoverished as a child, Modesta believes she is destined for a better life. She is able, through grace and intelligence, to secure marriage to an aristocrat—without compromising her own deeply felt values. Friend, mother, lover—Modesta revels in upsetting the rules of her fascist, patriarchal society. This is the history of the twentieth century, transfigured by the perspective of one extraordinary woman. Sapienza, an intriguing figure in her own right—her father homeschooled her so she wouldn't be exposed to fascist influences—was a respected actress and writer who drew on her own struggles to craft this powerful epic. A fictionalized memoir, a book of romance and adventure, a feminist text, a bildungsroman—this novel is ultimately undefinable but deeply necessary; its genius will leave readers breathless.

An instant New York Times bestseller. Over 1 million copies sold! Two spiritual giants. Five days. One timeless question. Nobel Peace Prize Laureates His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu have survived more than fifty years of exile and the soul-crushing violence of oppression. Despite their hardships—or, as they would say, because of them—they are two of the most joyful people on the planet. In April 2015, Archbishop Tutu traveled to the Dalai Lama's home in Dharamsala, India, to celebrate His Holiness's eightieth birthday and to create what they hoped would be a gift for others. They looked back on their long lives to answer a single burning question: How do we find joy in the face of life's inevitable suffering? They traded intimate stories, teased each other continually, and shared their spiritual practices. By the end of a week filled with laughter and punctuated with tears, these two global heroes had stared into the abyss and despair of our time and revealed how to live a life brimming with joy. This book offers us a rare opportunity to experience their astonishing and unprecedented week together, from the first embrace to the final good-bye. We get to listen as they explore the Nature of True Joy and confront each of the Obstacles of Joy—from fear, stress, and anger to grief, illness, and death. They then offer us the Eight Pillars of Joy, which provide the foundation for lasting happiness. Throughout, they include stories, wisdom, and science. Finally, they share their daily Joy Practices that anchor their own emotional and spiritual lives. The Archbishop has never claimed sainthood, and the Dalai Lama considers himself a simple monk. In this unique collaboration, they offer us the reflection of real lives filled with pain and turmoil in the midst of which they have been able to discover a level of peace, of courage, and of joy to which we can all aspire in our own lives.

An Artist’s Insights on Art Appreciation Written by a practicing artist, this book decodes and maps the basic elements of visual art, leading the reader to a greater understanding and appreciation. Not an art history lesson per se, this illustrated guide is rather a tool kit to make the study of art and a visit to the museum truly rewarding. An entertaining and informative read, The Joy of Art offers the reader: A working art vocabulary to help you identify and explain what you’re looking at Answers to many of the questions you may have about visual art in general A summary of the basic criteria to consider when looking at art Highlights of the primary art genres and an introduction to the artists who pursued them Many visual examples of aesthetic considerations and practices Interesting facts about your favorite artists and clues to why they made the choices they did A few games to test your new skills The Joy of Art contains 150 color photographs and many interesting insights from an artist-author who takes readers behind the curtain and into the studio to uncover what actually goes into making a work of art. If you love art, this book will take your appreciation to a new level. Not only will your enjoyment of art increase, you’ll be able to clearly communicate your understanding to others.

What gives you joy? This beautiful journal from His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu gives you all the space you need to notice and record what gives you joy. Arranged as a 365-day companion, it prompts you with inspiring quotes from The Book of Joy to help transform their joy practices into an enduring way of life. It is the perfect companion for The Book of Joy's many passionate readers as well as the perfect gift for anyone looking to live a more joyful. Share the joy!

From tea guru Sebastian Beckwith and New York Times bestsellers Caroline Paul and Wendy MacNaughton comes the essential guide to exploring and enjoying the vast world of tea. Tea, the most popular beverage in the world after water, has brought nations to war, defined cultures, bankrupted coffers, and toppled kings. And yet in many ways this fragrantly comforting and storied brew remains elusive, even to its devotees. As down-to-earth yet stylishly refined as the drink itself, A Little Tea Book submerges readers into tea, exploring its varieties, subtleties, and pleasures right down to the process of selecting and brewing the perfect cup. From orange pekoe to pu-erh, tea expert Sebastian Beckwith provides surprising tips, fun facts, and flavorful recipes to launch dabblers and connoisseurs alike on a journey of taste and appreciation. Along with writer and fellow tea-enthusiast Caroline Paul, Beckwith walks us through the cultural and political history of the elixir that has touched every corner of the world. Featuring featuring charming, colorful charts, graphs, and illustrations by bestselling illustrator Wendy MacNaughton and Beckwith's sumptuous photographs, A Little Tea Book is a friendly, handsome, and illuminating primer with a dash of sass and sophistication. Cheers!

Discover 365 ways to share joy every day with this little book packed with fun facts, mindful activities, trivia, birthdays, and international days relating to each day of the year Discover a different way to find happiness every day of the year with this pocket-size book that celebrates the little things that bring great joy. Be inspired by famous people on their birthdays; learn how to spot and find flowers throughout each season; create your own gratitude jar; learn how to make pastries; make a gift for someone you love; discover the pleasure of letter writing; and find joy in a rainy day. Packed with art activities, famous birthdays, inventions, international holidays, facts, and trivia about the world around us, each page offers a mindful prompt to encourage gratitude for things we have, every day.

At forty-two, Joan Stanford—a busy mother, innkeeper—discovered, to her surprise and delight, a creative process for insight and healing that allowed even her, a self-proclaimed “non-artist,” to start making art. In The Art of Play, Stanford shares her journey through art and poetry as an example of how taking—or, more appropriately, making—time to pay attention to the imagery our daily lives presents to us can expand our awareness and joy, and she offers readers suggestions for how to do this for themselves, inviting them to embark on their own journey.

Faith-based principles on living a balanced and fulfilling life which reduces stress on an on-going basis.

These beautiful pages invite you to pick up your brush and grow. Kristy Rice's joy-focused approach to watercolor art has won the hearts of fans worldwide, and with this journal Rice offers ways for all levels of painters to make "art for joy's sake" and simultaneously paint a personal keepsake or add beauty to your inspiration wall. Includes 10 illustrations ready to be watercolored on thick, textured paper, alongside full-color tear out reproductions of the same works painted by Kristy herself, demonstrating palette choices and brushwork. Enrich your art with "prompt" ideas to inspire your painting's growth; pages with no-stress exercises for techniques; inspirational artwork and quotations; and even a few recipes for nourishing your body along with your spirit! Each item in the Artisan series is designed to offer a specially crafted watercolor discovery glowing with Kristy Rice's creative touch. Also in the series: Watercolor Cards: Kristy Rice Designs.

The Art of Living Well: How to Find Joy and Love Your Life details a path to increased creativity, compassion, and joyfulness. It follows a trail blazed by the sages of western civilization, stopping at four points along the way. The first, the Oracle of Delphi - the Holiest of the Holies in the ancient Greek world - greets us with the words emblazoned on its entryway: "Know Thyself." Through these words we will come to an appreciation that Love stands at the very center of our being. We then meet the words of Polonius, a character in Shakespeare's Hamlet, who advises his son: "To thine own self be true." In this section we will learn to forge the Love we've uncovered into a tool of forgiveness, and we will use it to heal the buried hurts and pains from the past. Freed and bolstered with a newly strengthened sense of self, we next stand before the urgings of Ralph Waldo Emerson - Trust thyself. Here, we will learn how to trust the deepest within ourselves and the deepest in the world. At our last stopping point we find the words of friends and loved ones, not the wisdom of sages. They tell us to be ourselves-words that sound so simple-and we will see that we have developed the exact skills to live this way. The prize for our efforts is the art of living well: we will be able to find joy and love life in all of our various settings and roles. The author applies his more than thirty years as a physician, educator and striver in laying out an approach that is available to anyone who is willing to work with heart, mind, and commitment. Inner exercises complement the ideas presented in these pages, allowing readers to find their own insight and discoveries. These pages are available to anyone who feels there is more to life than what is merely seen with the eye."