Social Ritual

From “one of America’s smartest and most charming writers” (NPR), an archaeological romp through the entire history of humankind—and through all five senses—from tropical Polynesian islands to forbidding arctic ice floes, and everywhere in between. Whether it’s the mighty pyramids of...

Human sacrifice still goes on uncomfortably close to home - cases have been found in the U.S., Europe, and the United Kingdom. In other parts of the world, such as South America, ritual killing is almost commonplace. Human Sacrifice investigates the terrifying current spate of human sacrifices and ritual killings. Jimmy Lee Shreeve draws on police reports and interviews with the victims' families to paint a horrifying picture of ritual sacrifice at home and abroad.

Four friends. One viral post. A nightmare they'll never tweet about. Mia and her friends were chasing a ghost—an impossibly perfect, sapphire-blue swimming hole hidden deep in the Jersey wilderness, known only by its hashtag. The plan was simple: drive in, get the perfect shot for their feeds, and be home by dark. It was meant to be an escape from their curated lives, a quest for something real to post about. But when their car breaks down and their phones lose signal, the vast, silent forest begins to feel less like an adventure and more like a trap. They are not alone. The strange ...

One of the twentieth century's most influential books, this classic work of anthropology offers a groundbreaking exploration of what culture is With The Interpretation of Cultures, the distinguished anthropologist Clifford Geertz developed the concept of thick description, and in so doing, he...

Series Structure Book 1: Byung-Chul Han Uncomplicated — Who Is This Philosopher and Why Is Everyone Talking About Him? Book 2: The Burnout Society Explained — Why Are We Exhausted Even Though We Are Free? Book 3: Transparency, Surveillance, and the Digital — You Post, Therefore You Exist, But at What Cost? Book 4: Beauty, Ritual, and Deep Time — How Han Proposes to Rescue the Human in an Accelerated World Categories: Contemporary Philosophy - Cultural Criticism - Mental Health and Society - Technology and Subjectivity - Eastern and Western Thought - Politics and Power - Aesthetics ...

A Goodreads Most Anticipated Horror Novel Four unlikely allies in a small town investigate a local teen's disappearance, and what they discover festering at the core of their community is far more sinister and ancient than they could’ve ever imagined. For fans of She is a Haunting, True...

An irresistible, juicy contemporary novel based on the TikTok phenomenon #BamaRushTok—about four sorority sisters brought back to the top-tier house they ruled at the University of Alabama, when secrets they’d thought long buried threaten to resurface. Four sorority sisters. Each with dark...

Unveiling Shadows: A Christian Perspective on Freemasonry The Quest for Spiritual Clarity In a world teeming with mystery and hidden agendas, the discerning Christian stands at the crossroads of faith and secrecy. Have you ever pondered the silent whispers of Freemasonry, shrouded in their cryptic symbols and rituals? What if you could peel back these layers not with suspicion, but with the enlightened eyes of your faith? Imagine Walking in Wisdom Picture yourself equipped with the profound understanding needed to navigate through the fog of secretive societies. Imagine being a beacon of ...

The Sufis, mystics of Islam, have been educators of the heart for some fourteen centuries. Their teachings and methods are designed to help us awaken and purify the heart, to learn to listen to our deepest knowing. In The Knowing Heart, Kabir Helminski presents the Sufi way as a practical spirituality suitable for all cultures and times—and offers insights that are especially valuable for our life in today's world. In cultivating a knowing heart, we learn to experience a new sense of self, transform our relationships, and enhance our creative capacities.

Friends do it, strangers do it and so do chimpanzees - and it's not just deeply embedded in our history and culture, it may even be written in our DNA. The humble handshake, it turns out, has a rich and surprising history. So let's join palaeoanthropologist Ella Al-Shamahi as she embarks on a...

Why do Internet, financial service, and beer commercials dominate Super Bowl advertising? How do political ceremonies establish authority? Why does repetition characterize anthems and ritual speech? Why were circular forms favored for public festivals during the French Revolution? This book answers these questions using a single concept: common knowledge.

What if the most important protection spell you ever cast was a boundary? Every notification, comment, group chat, alarming headline, and endless social media feed competes for your attention. For empaths, sensitive people, and spiritual practitioners, that constant stream can create more than distraction. It can leave you feeling anxious, emotionally overloaded, energetically drained, disconnected from your intuition, and unable to stop scrolling. The Mindful Shield is a practical guide to digital witchcraft, energetic protection, and mindful technology use. It reveals how your phone, ...

Across Nigeria and Africa, stories of ritual money, human sacrifice, mysterious disappearances, and sudden wealth continue to dominate public imagination. The myth of blood money remains one of Africa’s most terrifying and influential beliefs. But what is real, and what is folklore?Yet beneath the fear lies a complex mix of psychology, economics, culture, crime, religion, and misinformation. In Blood Money & Ritual Money, Frederick Amakom dismantles the myth with clarity and evidence through powerful analysis and cultural insight. From Yahoo Plus culture to Prosperity Gospel teachings, ...

Forget the boring textbooks. How to Speak K-Drama is a witty, stylish, and super-accessible cultural guide for the modern K-drama fan. Narrated by your new Korean best friend, Dami, this isn't a lecture—it's a fun, fascinating chat that turns your "Wait, what just happened?" moments into "Aha! Now I get it!" moments.

What if the world’s most terrifying monster was never meant to frighten us, but to remind us of what it means to be human? Across centuries and continents, one figure has refused to rest. The zombie, so often portrayed as a creature of horror and apocalypse began as something far more sacred and tragic. In Souls of the Undead, historian and storyteller Ethan Blackwood takes readers on a haunting journey through time, revealing how this misunderstood myth rose from the ashes of enslavement and became a mirror to humanity’s greatest fears. From the lush spiritual landscapes of pre-...

Beginning students in Japanese martial arts, such as karate, judo, aikido, iaido, kyudo, and kendo, learn that when they are in the dojo (the practice space), they must don their practice garb with ritual precision, address their teacher and senior students in a specific way, and follow certain unwritten but deeply held codes of behavior. But very soon they begin to wonder about the meaning behind the traditions, gear, and relationships in the dojo.

Bloomsbury presents I Drink Therefore I Am by Roger Scruton, read by Kris Dyer. Here Scruton explains the connection between good wine and serious thought with a heady mix of humour and philosophy. We are familiar with the medical opinion that a daily glass of wine is good for the health and...

Who was the 20th-century Indian sage known as Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi? How did he attain enlightenment and become one of the most celebrated spiritual masters of his time? Why is his spiritual teaching presently revered by Buddhists, Hindus, Christians, Taoists, and followers of other spiritual paths, transcending all religious differences? What is the essence of his revolutionary technique, popularly known as self-inquiry meditation? The Spiritual Teaching of Ramana Maharshi offers you the answers to these profound questions.

"Forget the lions, the modern world is ruled by the lens" This book charts the evolution of power from fist to sword, from structure to story, and finally, into perception itself. It reveals the hidden architecture behind how we are guided, how our dictionaries are rewritten, and how our choices are curated before we even make them. A fascinating, human look at the invisible forces that shape our collective psyche. Read it to understand how the room you speak in was built—and who holds the key to the door.

From a social critic and journalist, a poignant book that encourages publicly grieving of what we've lost in order to move towards a hopeful future. “Detailed, lucid and richly sourced, Sarah Jaffe’s From the Ashes shows how the transformational power of grief can fuel revolutionary change...