New Titles on New Book Shelf

Dialectic of Enlightenment is undoubtedly the most influential publication of the Frankfurt School of Critical Theory. Written during the Second World War and circulated privately, it appeared in a printed edition in Amsterdam in 1947. "What we had set out to do," the authors write in the Preface, "was nothing less than to explain why humanity, instead of entering a truly human state, is sinking into a new kind of barbarism." Yet the work goes far beyond a mere critique of contemporary events.

Ever since alchemy first emerged in Graeco-Roman Egypt, alchemists have said their wisdom came from the pharaonic temples. Yet though the West has had unprecedented access to this hidden knowledge since the decipherment of hieroglyphs, ancient Egypt's connection with alchemy still remains obscure, doubted even by many. Focussing on the beautiful temples at Abu Simbel and Dendara, dedicated to the fiery serpent-eye goddess Hathor, this groundbreaking book explores for the first time the legacy left to alchemists by the pharaohs.

The Age of Revolution has traditionally been understood as an era of secularization, giving the transition from monarchy to independent republics through democratic movements a genealogy that assumes hostility to Catholicism. By centering the story on Spanish and Latin American actors, PamelaVoekel argues that at the heart of this nineteenth-century transformation in Spanish America was a transatlantic Catholic civil war.

Digging through History Again: New Discoveries from Atlantis to the Holocaust follows archaeologist Richard Freund's journey through some of the most fascinating archaeological sites of human history--including the mysterious Atlantis, Qumran and the Dead Sea Scrolls, a medieval synagogue in northern Spain and the long-buried Holocaust camp Sobibor and long-neglected sites of the Holocaust. Each chapter takes readers through a different archaeological site, showing what we can learn about past religious life and religious faith through the artifacts found there, as well as what has given each site such strong "staying power" over time.

The Neuroscience of Expertise examines the ways in which the brain accommodates the incredible feats of experts.

What makes a winner? Why do some people succeed both in life and in business, and others fail? Why do a few individuals end up supremely powerful, while many remain powerless? The "(Bwinner effect" is a term used in biology to describe how an animal that has won a few fights against weak opponents is much more likely to win later bouts against stronger contenders. As Ian Robertson reveals, it applies to humans, too. Success changes the chemistry of the brain, making you more focused, smarter, more confident, and more aggressive.

Take charge of your life--the strong woman's guide to crushing it How do you learn to love who you are, follow your dreams, and seize the moment--when just getting to Friday feels like a struggle? Strong Women Rising has some pointers. It's the witty, useful, practical guide to navigating everything from career opportunities and personal relationships to mental health and body image.