Why Hasn't Everything Already Disappeared?

Why Hasn't Everything Already Disappeared?
Author: Jean Baudrillard
Publisher: Seagull Books Pvt Ltd
Total Pages: 88
Release: 2009
Genre: Art
ISBN: 9781906497408

"In this, one of the last texts written before his death in March 2007, Jean Baudrillard meditates poignantly on the question of disappearance. He weaves an intricate set of variations on his theme, ranging from the potential disappearance of humanity as a result of the fulfillment of its project of world mastery to the vanishing of reality through the transmutation of the real into the virtual. On the way, he takes in the more conventional question of the philosophical 'subject', whose disappearance has, in his view, been effected through a 'pulverization of consciousness into all the interstices of reality'." "With disappearance, strange things happen - not least, the return in malign, viral form of some of those things that were eliminated or repressed. Yet it also has a positive aspect, as a 'vital dimension' of the existence of things: 'Behind every image, something has disappeared. And that is the source of its fascination.'" --Book Jacket.

Why Hasn't Everything Already Disappeared?

Why Hasn't Everything Already Disappeared?
Author: Jean Baudrillard
Publisher: Seagull Books
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2009
Genre: Nonbeing
ISBN: 9781906497118

Interspersed throughout the text are 15 photographs by Alain Willaume that help illustrate Baudrillard's argument. Baudrillard insists that with disappearance, strange things happen - some things that were eliminated or repressed may return in destructive viral forms - yet at the same time, he reminds us that disappearance has a positive aspect, as a "vital dimension" of the existence of things.

1177 B.C.

1177 B.C.
Author: Eric H. Cline
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Total Pages: 264
Release: 2015-09-22
Genre: History
ISBN: 0691168385

A bold reassessment of what caused the Late Bronze Age collapse In 1177 B.C., marauding groups known only as the "Sea Peoples" invaded Egypt. The pharaoh's army and navy managed to defeat them, but the victory so weakened Egypt that it soon slid into decline, as did most of the surrounding civilizations. After centuries of brilliance, the civilized world of the Bronze Age came to an abrupt and cataclysmic end. Kingdoms fell like dominoes over the course of just a few decades. No more Minoans or Mycenaeans. No more Trojans, Hittites, or Babylonians. The thriving economy and cultures of the late second millennium B.C., which had stretched from Greece to Egypt and Mesopotamia, suddenly ceased to exist, along with writing systems, technology, and monumental architecture. But the Sea Peoples alone could not have caused such widespread breakdown. How did it happen? In this major new account of the causes of this "First Dark Ages," Eric Cline tells the gripping story of how the end was brought about by multiple interconnected failures, ranging from invasion and revolt to earthquakes, drought, and the cutting of international trade routes. Bringing to life the vibrant multicultural world of these great civilizations, he draws a sweeping panorama of the empires and globalized peoples of the Late Bronze Age and shows that it was their very interdependence that hastened their dramatic collapse and ushered in a dark age that lasted centuries. A compelling combination of narrative and the latest scholarship, 1177 B.C. sheds new light on the complex ties that gave rise to, and ultimately destroyed, the flourishing civilizations of the Late Bronze Age—and that set the stage for the emergence of classical Greece.

The Book of Hidden Things

The Book of Hidden Things
Author: Francesco Dimitri
Publisher: Titan Books (US, CA)
Total Pages: 316
Release: 2018-07-03
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1785657089

Four old friends confront their darkest secrets in this fantasy steeped in nostalgia, folklore, religion, and the seductive landscape of Southern Italy—by the Italian Neil Gaiman. “A tale of adventure, mystery, friendship and heart-wrenching beauty that will make you re-examine what is holy, what is true, and what is beyond the realm of possibility.” —BookPage Four old school friends have a pact: to meet up every year in the small town in Puglia they grew up in. Art, the charismatic leader of the group and creator of the pact, insists that the agreement must remain unshakable and enduring. But this year, he never shows up. A visit to his house increases the friends’ worry: Art is farming marijuana. In Southern Italy doing that kind of thing can be very dangerous. They can’t go to the Carabinieri so must make enquiries of their own. This is how they come across the rumors about Art—bizarre and unbelievable rumors that he miraculously cured the local mafia boss’ daughter of terminal leukemia. And among the chaos of his house, they find a document written by Art, “The Book of Hidden Things”, that promises to reveal dark secrets and wonders beyond anything previously known. Set in the beguiling and seductive world of Southern Italy, Francesco Dimitri’s first novel in English is a story friendship, landscape, love, betrayal, and mystery that will entrance fans of Elena Ferrante, Neil Gaiman, and Donna Tartt.

Missing

Missing
Author: Catherine MacPhail
Publisher: A&C Black
Total Pages: 209
Release: 2011-11-21
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1408817349

Maxine's parents have had to do perhaps the worst possible thing: confirm the identity of her brother Derek's body by the clothes he was wearing when he disappeared. So the brother who was missing is now officially dead. But then the worst possible thing really happens: Maxine receives a telephone call from somebody saying he is her brother. She can hardly believe her ears. Has Derek come back from the dead? In this pacy thriller the author manages to confront many issues including: how different people deal with grief, the very underrated effect of severe bullying at school and sibling rivalry - all in a fast-paced compelling narrative voice.

The Boy Who Disappeared

The Boy Who Disappeared
Author: Valerie Nettles
Publisher: Kings Road Publishing
Total Pages: 292
Release: 2019-09-05
Genre: True Crime
ISBN: 178946093X

I opened my mouth and it came. It wasn't a cry, or even a sob. It came from deep in my soul... It was the sound of a mother helpless to save her child from danger. I asked the same unanswered questions over and again. Where was he? Where was my Damien? On 2 November 1996, sixteen-year-old Damien Nettles went out for the evening in his home town of Cowes on the Isle of Wight. CCTV recorded him in a chip shop at 23:40 and on the High Street just after midnight. He has never been seen since. His mother, Valerie, has spent over two decades desperately trying to find out what happened to her son. Arrests have been made, and suspects released without charge. Despite years of research by journalists and a private investigator, Damien's vanishing remains a mystery. In this hugely moving and compelling account, Valerie Nettles tells the full, perplexing story of her son's disappearance. Someone must know what happened to Damien. Will the truth ever emerge from the shadows?

Verity

Verity
Author: Colleen Hoover
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Total Pages: 295
Release: 2021-10-05
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 153872474X

Whose truth is the lie? Stay up all night reading the sensational psychological thriller that has readers obsessed, from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Too Late and It Ends With Us. #1 New York Times Bestseller · USA Today Bestseller · Globe and Mail Bestseller · Publishers Weekly Bestseller Lowen Ashleigh is a struggling writer on the brink of financial ruin when she accepts the job offer of a lifetime. Jeremy Crawford, husband of bestselling author Verity Crawford, has hired Lowen to complete the remaining books in a successful series his injured wife is unable to finish. Lowen arrives at the Crawford home, ready to sort through years of Verity’s notes and outlines, hoping to find enough material to get her started. What Lowen doesn’t expect to uncover in the chaotic office is an unfinished autobiography Verity never intended for anyone to read. Page after page of bone-chilling admissions, including Verity's recollection of the night her family was forever altered. Lowen decides to keep the manuscript hidden from Jeremy, knowing its contents could devastate the already grieving father. But as Lowen’s feelings for Jeremy begin to intensify, she recognizes all the ways she could benefit if he were to read his wife’s words. After all, no matter how devoted Jeremy is to his injured wife, a truth this horrifying would make it impossible for him to continue loving her.

Screened Out

Screened Out
Author: Jean Baudrillard
Publisher: Verso
Total Pages: 232
Release: 2002-09-17
Genre: History
ISBN: 9781859843857

Baudrillard here turns his hand to political debates and issues.

The Rise of the Ultra Runners

The Rise of the Ultra Runners
Author: Adharanand Finn
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 343
Release: 2019-05-07
Genre: Sports & Recreation
ISBN: 1643131648

An electrifying look inside the wild world of extreme distance running. Once the reserve of only the most hardcore enthusiasts, ultra running is now a thriving global industry, with hundreds of thousands of competitors each year. But is the rise of this most brutal and challenging sport—with races that extend into hundreds of miles, often in extreme environments—an antidote to modern life, or a symptom of a modern illness? In The Rise of the Ultra Runners, award-winning author Adharanand Finn travels to the heart of the sport to investigate the reasons behind its rise and discover what it takes to join the ranks of these ultra athletes. Through encounters with the extreme and colorful characters of the ultramarathon world, and his own experiences of running ultras everywhere from the deserts of Oman to the Rocky Mountains, Finn offers a fascinating account of people testing the boundaries of human endeavor.