An adaptation of an Indonesian trickster tale about Kanchil the mouse deer.

An Indigenous environmental scientist breaks down why western conservationism isn't working--and offers Indigenous models informed by case studies, personal stories, and family histories that center the voices of Latin American women and land protectors. Despite the undeniable fact that Indigenous communities are among the most affected by climate devastation, Indigenous science is nowhere to be found in mainstream environmental policy or discourse. And while holistic land, water, and forest management practices born from millennia of Indigenous knowledge systems have much to teach all of us, Indigenous science has long been ignored, otherized, or perceived as "soft"--the product of a systematic, centuries-long campaign of racism, colonialism, extractive capitalism, and delegitimization. Here, Jessica Hernandez--Maya Ch'orti' and Zapotec environmental scientist and founder of environmental agency Piña Soul--introduces and contextualizes Indigenous environmental knowledge and proposes a vision of land stewardship that heals rather than displaces, that generates rather than destroys. She breaks down the failures of western-defined conservatism and shares alternatives, citing the restoration work of urban Indigenous people in Seattle; her family's fight against ecoterrorism in Latin America; and holistic land management approaches of Indigenous groups across the continent. Through case studies, historical overviews, and stories that center the voices and lived experiences of Indigenous Latin American women and land protectors, Hernandez makes the case that if we're to recover the health of our planet--for everyone--we need to stop the eco-colonialism ravaging Indigenous lands and restore our relationship with Earth to one of harmony and respect.

Bertie the Bus wants to race, and Thomas happily takes up the challenge. Bertie takes an early lead, but a patient Thomas proves there are advantages to riding on tracks instead of roads. Beginning readers will delight in this charming adaptation of the classic Thomas the Tank Engine story Thomas and Bertie. From the Trade Paperback edition.

Sweet but starchy, soft but toothsome—and so easy to peel they just beg to be devoured—bananas are one of our favorite foods, found everywhere from gas station counters to Michelin star restaurants. Yet for as versatile and ubiquitous as this fruit is today, its history is a turbulent one, entangled in colonial domination, capitalist exploitation, sexual politics, and even horrific violence. Delving into the banana’s past, this book traces the complex circumstances of global modernity that perfectly aligned to grant us, often at tremendous costs, a treat we all now take for granted. Beginning with the banana’s origins in New Guinea, Lorna Piatti-Farnell follows its pathways to South East Asia, Africa, the Caribbean, and the Americas, binding together a millennium of history into one digestible bunch. Focusing especially on the banana’s recent past, she shows how it rose from a regional staple to a global commodity, on par with coffee and sugar. She examines the ways it has been advertised, sold, and incorporated into popular culture, moving from nineteenth-century medical manuals to cookbooks, songs, slapstick comedy, and problematic figures like Miss Chiquita. Wide-ranging but pocket-sized, Banana is a culinary and cultural account of a peculiar little fruit that is at once the icon of exoticism and one of the most familiar foods we eat.

Religion has featured in Anglophone literature in Malaysia from colonial times to the present. In Intimating the Sacred, Andrew Hock Soon Ng considers the practice of everyday religiosity as represented in literature, which is often starkly opposed to the impression created by religious rhetoric promoted by the government. The book's examination of intersections between (post)modernity and religion highlights links between religion and other facets of colonial and postcolonial identity such as class, gender and sexuality. It will appeal not only to scholars and specialists, but also to anyone who enjoys modern Southeast Asian literature. Andrew Hock Soon Ng is senior lecturer in literary studies at Monash University, Sunway Campus, Malaysia. He is the author of Dimensions of Monstrosity in Contemporary Narratives and Interrogating Interstices. "In Intimating the Sacred, Andrew Hock Soon Ng confirms his status as one of the most important new voices in Malaysian literary studies, moving beyond national and postcolonial frameworks to a more subtle plotting of the psychic contours of Malaysian modernity." – Philip Holden, National University of Singapore "In Malaysia, the relationships between various religions, the state ideology and the multicultural composition of the populace are fraught with tension. Ng's book, with critical insights derived from a balanced treatment of texts and theory, deals with these issues in a robust and uncompromising manner. This is a welcome contribution to Southeast Asian literary studies." – Eddie Tay, author of Colony, Nation, and Globalisation "This refreshing approach to Malaysian canonical texts combines diverse literary theories and religion. Courageous and convincing, it engages post colonialism, feminism, and theories of religion with a sophisticated focus on texts." – Gaik Cheng Khoo, Australian National University

An adaptation of an Indonesian folk tale about Kanchil the mouse deer and Pelan the snail.

Sacred & Delicious is an award-winning vegetarian cookbook, a primer on Ayurveda (India’s ancient wellness system), and a gorgeous food memoir that celebrates the healing power of food. Author Lisa Mitchell writes inspiring and clear prose about the power of the Ayurvedic system to sustain good health and reverse chronic health problems, recounting her own recovery. The book includes 108 recipes and more than 60 full-page color photos. Most of the dishes include vegan options, and all but two are gluten-free. Only ten of the recipes reflect traditional Indian cooking. The rest demonstrate how to apply the balancing principles of Ayurveda and the creative (yet subtle) use of spices to modern Western cuisines that many Westerners prefer. Mitchell shares the Vedic perspective on why food is sacred and how cooks can bring a sacred intention to their kitchen labors to approach food preparation as spiritual practice. Traditional blessings for food from various cultures are sprinkled throughout the book. In April 2019, Sacred & Delicious won silver medals in two prestigious book industry awards competitions: the IBPA Benjamin Franklin Awards (in the Body, Mind, Spirit category) and the Nautilus Awards (in the Food, Cooking, and Healthy Eating category). It also won the cookbook category in the Body, Mind, Spirit Book Awards and is a finalist in the Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Awards (to be announced in June).

Explore the exotic world of Balinese cooking--a cuisine dedicated to the gods and fueled by an aromatic array of fresh tropical island spices and ingredients! In Balinese Food: The Traditional Cuisine & Food Culture of Bali, Dr. Vivienne Kruger brings to life Bali's time-honored and authentic village cooking traditions. In over 20 detailed chapters, Dr. Kruger explores how the island's intricate culinary art is an inextricable part of Bali's Hindu religion, its culture and its community life. This book provides a detailed roadmap for those who wish to make an exciting exploration into the exotic world of Balinese cooking, with chapters on: The traditional Balinese kitchen Snacking at a roadside warung food stall Visiting a traditional Balinese market Preparing delicious satays with a Balinese twist Brewing heavenly kopi Bali coffee Containing interviews with Balinese master cooks and over 40 of their favorite recipes, Balinese Food presents the full range of food experiences you will find in Bali. Sections devoted to ingredients, equipment, and resources make Balinese Food a delightful social and cultural guide to the food of this fascinating island. "Balinese Food is an important contribution to the rapidly expanding scholarly study of foodways in various parts of the world--an important new subset of social and cultural history." --Alden T. Vaughan, Professor emeritus of History, Columbia University

In this unique study, Hampton describes the complete cultural inventory of both secular and sacred stones, ranging from utilitarian stone tools and profane symbolic stones to symbolic spirit stones, power stones with multiple functions, and medicinal power stone tools.

Kusumom’s family the village’s occult clan at Eruma Paaraa, motivated Mundan, an ordinary guy, to inherit their black magic Vechu seva. The family took advantage of his ignorance and susceptibility to become wealthy without doing honest labour and his desire to enjoy the fleeting pleasures associated with such black magic power. He relished the delights it afforded him, but when the church and village closed in on him, he lost both his kid and his wife as he had to flee to Ela Pally, another far away hill. However, since he refused to alter his way of life, the Seva had him in a pickle, so things did not go well for him there too. However, his wife and child, who were whisked away to the plains, away from the hills, were fortunate enough to find success in life. But just as everything seemed to be progressing well for the mother and son, the enraged hill gods coerced them to return to their hills. On coming back to the hills, Mundan’s child learned what his hills meant for their life and what their journey back to Eruma Paaraa was all about.