“If you care for journeys there and back, out of the comfortable Western world, over the edge of the Wild, and home again, and can take an interest in a humble hero (blessed with a little wisdom and a little courage and considerable good luck), here is a record of such a journey and such a traveler. The period is the ancient time between the age of Faerie and the dominion of men when the famous forest of Mirkwood was still standing, and the mountains were full of danger. In following the path of this humble adventurer, you will learn by the way (as he did) — if you do not already know all about these things — much about trolls, goblins, dwarves, and elves, and get some glimpses into the history and politics of a neglected but important period. For Mr. Bilbo Baggins visited various notable persons; conversed with the dragon, Smaug the Magnificent; and was present, rather unwillingly, at the Battle of the Five Armies. This is all the more remarkable since he was a hobbit.” – J.R.R. Tolkien
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“One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.”
In ancient times the Rings of Power were crafted by the Elven-smiths, and Sauron, the Dark Lord, forged the One Ring, filling it with his own power so that he could rule all others. But the One Ring was taken from him, and though he sought it throughout Middle-earth, it remained lost to him and the world.
After many ages, it fell by chance into the hands of a hobbit- and Sauron wants it back.
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Essential Techniques from Inside the Atelier
Juliette Aristides breaks down the drawing process into small, manageable parts to introduce universal principles and concrete techniques to understand the artistic process and create beautiful drawings.
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“Tintin, Captain Haddock and Professor Calculus are on their way to Sydney, Australia. Through a chance meeting they are invited to travel on board the private jet of billionaire Lazlo Carreidas. But then they fall victim to a plot to kidnap Carreidas and are captured by Tintin’s arch enemy Rastapopoulos.”
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Published in 1848, The Communist Manifesto is a brief summary of the worldview of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels which sees society as a clash between the bourgeoisie, i.e., capital, and the proletariat, the modern working class — “a class of laborers, who live only so long as they find work, and who find work only so long as their labor increases capital.”
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The Breakthrough Nutrient-Rich Program for Longevity, Disease Reversal, and Sustained Weight Loss
Eat for Life delivers a science-backed nutrition-based program that prevents and even reverses most medical problems within three to six months. This includes heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, etc. This is a bold claim but the science and the tens of thousands show that it works.
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“Before the Civil War, Grant was flailing. His business ventures had ended dismally, and despite distinguished service in the Mexican War he ended up resigning from the army in disgrace amid recurring accusations of drunkenness. But in war, Grant began to realize his remarkable potential, soaring through the ranks of the Union army, prevailing at the battle of Shiloh and in the Vicksburg campaign, and ultimately defeating the legendary Confederate general Robert E. Lee. Along the way, Grant endeared himself to President Lincoln and became his most trusted general and the strategic genius of the war effort. Grant’s military fame translated into a two-term presidency, but one plagued by corruption scandals involving his closest staff members.”
“Grant sought freedom and justice for black Americans, working to crush the Ku Klux Klan and earning the admiration of Frederick Douglass, who called him “the vigilant, firm, impartial, and wise protector of my race.” After his presidency, he was again brought low by a dashing young swindler on Wall Street, only to resuscitate his image by working with Mark Twain to publish his memoirs, which are recognized as a masterpiece of the genre. Walt Whitman described Grant as “nothing heroic… and yet the greatest hero.”
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After over 100 years of mandatory schooling in the U.S., literacy rates have dropped, families are fragmented, learning “disabilities” are skyrocketing, and children and youth are increasingly disaffected.
Thirty years of teaching in the public school system led John Taylor Gatto to the sad conclusion that compulsory governmental schooling is to blame, accomplishing little but to teach young people to follow orders like cogs in an industrial machine.
Gatto became a fierce advocate of families and young people taking back education and learning, arguing that conventional schooling is driving out the natural curiosity and problem-solving skills we’re born with, replacing it with rule-following, fragmented time, and disillusionment.
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How government policies are the primary cause of the housing boom and bust that led to the financial crisis of 2008.
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First published in 1936, Ayn Rand’s We the Living portrays the impact of the Russian Revolution on three human beings – Andrei Taganov, Leo Kovalensky, and Kira Argounova – who pursue life in a society built on the premise that society has a right to sacrifice the life of the individual for the benefit of the collective.
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