Daniel, a new boy in Centerville, struggles over whether to join the evil but tempting Cobra Club or align himself with the children who ride the Spirit Flyer bicycles.

A lively and personal book that returns the city to political thought Cities shape the lives and outlooks of billions of people, yet they have been overshadowed in contemporary political thought by nation-states, identity groups, and concepts like justice and freedom. The Spirit of Cities revives the classical idea that a city expresses its own distinctive ethos or values. In the ancient world, Athens was synonymous with democracy and Sparta represented military discipline. In this original and engaging book, Daniel Bell and Avner de-Shalit explore how this classical idea can be applied to today's cities, and they explain why philosophy and the social sciences need to rediscover the spirit of cities. Bell and de-Shalit look at nine modern cities and the prevailing ethos that distinguishes each one. The cities are Jerusalem (religion), Montreal (language), Singapore (nation building), Hong Kong (materialism), Beijing (political power), Oxford (learning), Berlin (tolerance and intolerance), Paris (romance), and New York (ambition). Bell and de-Shalit draw upon the richly varied histories of each city, as well as novels, poems, biographies, tourist guides, architectural landmarks, and the authors' own personal reflections and insights. They show how the ethos of each city is expressed in political, cultural, and economic life, and also how pride in a city's ethos can oppose the homogenizing tendencies of globalization and curb the excesses of nationalism. The Spirit of Cities is unreservedly impressionistic. Combining strolling and storytelling with cutting-edge theory, the book encourages debate and opens up new avenues of inquiry in philosophy and the social sciences. It is a must-read for lovers of cities everywhere. In a new preface, Bell and de-Shalit further develop their idea of "civicism," the pride city dwellers feel for their city and its ethos over that of others.

A town is not simply a collection of streets and houses with a certain number of inhabitants, but is, above all, the profound expression of the culture of the people who live in it. This book aims to provide students and teachers with analytical methods and ways of considering a town, so that they may make the place where they live their own. Pondicherry has been chosen as an example for this analysis. Various chapters deal with the site of Pondicherry, its morphology and plan, its urban landscape and landmarks, its architecture (with emphasis on the Tamil house) and its socio-cultural aspects. The book provides several drawings, maps, lists, elevations and photographs for a better reading of the town. It is available in three versions: French, English and Tamil.

Berkeley is as much a concept as a city, resonating powerfully with those on all sides of the political spectrum. But insiders know it as one of the most exciting cities in the country, where eclectic neighborhoods, a sparkling waterfront, and world-class festivals coexist happily with radicals, hippies, and political correctness. This sumptuous photographic tour with text shows exactly what makes the city special, offering dazzling images of the city's vibrant street life, gorgeous natural attractions, emerging arts district, lovely Rose Garden, legendary Claremont Hotel spa, and much more.

From the bestselling author of the The House of God comes an ambitious novel about the complicated relationships between mothers and sons, doctors and patients, the past and the present, and love and death... Settled into a relationship with an Italian yoga instructor and working in Europe, Dr. Orville Rose's peace is shaken by his mother's death. On his return to Columbia, a Hudson River town of quirky people and “plagued by breakage,” he learns that his mother has willed him a large sum of money, her 1981 Chrysler, and her Victorian house in the center of town. There's one odd catch: he must live in her house for one year and thirteen days. As he struggles with his decision—to stay and meet the terms of the will or return to his life in Italy—Orville reconnects with family, reunites with former friends, and comes to terms with old rivals and bitter memories. In the process he’ll discover his own history, as well as his mother’s, and finally learn what it really means to be a healer, and to be healed.

Shirley Jackson's chilling second novel, based on her own experiences and an actual mysterious disappearance Seventeen-year-old Natalie Waite longs to escape home for college. Her father is a domineering and egotistical writer who keeps a tight rein on Natalie and her long-suffering mother. When Natalie finally does get away, however, college life doesn’t bring the happiness she expected. Little by little, Natalie is no longer certain of anything—even where reality ends and her dark imaginings begin. Chilling and suspenseful, Hangsaman is loosely based on the real-life disappearance of a Bennington College sophomore in 1946. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

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Time has called a new heir to the kingdom of Iden. As a young girl grieving for her dead father wanders far from her province, she comes upon Degura, a dwarf who quickly befriends her. As they sit by a campfire in the forest, Degura soon reveals that a guardian is protecting secrets and knowledge that, if held in the wrong hands, could bring their peaceful kingdom to its knees. Princess Adele becomes the unknowing holder of a mysterious strength thought dormant by others-and sought out by one. As she attempts to protect her beloved nation, evil arises from a rival kingdom, forcing Adele to learn the value of responsibility. Alongside her trusted companion, Harper, Adele accepts the burden of leadership and teams with unlikely allies as she embarks on a dangerous journey to take back her home. In this fantasy novel, a young princess must summon the courage she never knew she had to valiantly fight to protect her kingdom from total destruction.