Science Imagination

When American sociologist C. Wright Mills's The Sociological Imagination was first published in 1959, it provoked much hostile reaction. This was understandable: the book was a hard-hitting attack on how sociology was practiced - and on a number of leading sociologists. Mills was a fierce critic of both modern capitalism and Soviet-style authoritarianism, and argued that the sociology profession failed to look at how people's problems are connected to the structures of the society in which they live.

Young Arabella has always dreamed of becoming a great writer, but she feels that something’s missing. When she hears about the fabled Magical Blossom—said to hold the secrets of imagination and creativity—she knows she has to find it.

Bringing together tales of melancholy and madness, nightmare and fantasy, this is a new collection of the most haunting German stories from the past 200 years. Macabre, dreamlike and expressing deep unconscious fears, these stories are also spiked with unsettling humour, showing stylistic daring as well as giving insight into the darkest recesses of the human condition. Peter Wortsman's powerful translations are accompanied by brief overviews of the lives of each author, and an introduction discussing the notion of 'angst' and the stories' place in the context of German history.

From a loose movement that lurked in the shadows in the early 2000s, the alt-right has achieved a level of visibility that has allowed it to expand significantly throughout America’s cultural, political, and digital landscapes. Racist, sexist, and homophobic beliefs that were previously unspeakable have become commonplace, normalized, and accepted - endangering American democracy and society as a whole. Yet in order to dismantle the destructive movement that has invaded our public consciousness, we must first understand the core beliefs that drive the alt-right.

In The Earth's Imagination, cosmologist Brian Thomas Swimme places the human psyche within the 15 billion-year cosmic process in order to highlight the directions in which human consciousness is evolving today and into the future. With a remarkable ability to make contemporary scientific findings accessible and engaging, Dr. Brian Thomas Swimme relates the history of the universe to the modern human.

Martin loved his job, believing he truly changed the world for the better. As a researcher at Replica Imagination, he was a small cog in the goliath's wheel. The mega-corp helped reunite cloned pets with their loving families. He wished his talent could be used in the realm of human cloning, helping the terminally ill, but the legal and moralistic hurdles to such research seemed insurmountable.

The ultimate uncharted frontier is the human mind. Dream Phaze: Imagination explores these extreme boundaries through engineered dreams as mainstream entertainment. We all dream...but what are the psychological consequences of creating an immersive environment indistinguishable from reality where everything is possible?

First published in 2002, Freedom Dreams is a staple in the study of the Black radical tradition. Unearthing the thrilling history of grassroots movements and renegade intellectuals and artists, Kelley recovers the dreams of the future worlds Black radicals struggled to achieve.

Drawing from a vast array of creation myths - Babylonian, Greek, Aztec, Maya, Inca, Chinese, Hindu, Navajo, Polynesian, African, Norse, Inuit, and more - this concise book uncovers both the similarities and differences in our attempts to explain the universe. Anthony Aveni, an award-winning author and professor of astronomy and anthropology, examines the ways various cultures around the world have attempted to explain our origins, and what roles the natural environment plays in shaping these narratives. The book also celebrates the audacity of the human imagination.

Mabel lives with her parents in the Mermaid Hotel, where she keeps an eye on all the guests, particularly her friend, the endlessly fascinating Madame Badobedah. Madame Badobedah, who considers herself part of a long tradition of daring women such as Amelia Earhart and Zora Neale Hurston, has pirouetted through pyramids, swum with mermaids and helped a triceratops with a toothache. Just opening one of the drawers in her dressing table full of mementos elicits tales of banshees and curses and an exciting new quest – a reverse jewel heist!

A controversial examination of the influence and presence of the Norse god Odin in contemporary history and culture.

It's the year 2035 and fiction has been banned by the government for five years. Writing novels is a crime. Reading fairytales to children is punishable by law. Fern Dostoy is a criminal. Officially, she has retrained in a new job outside of the arts but she still scrawls in a secret notepad in an effort to capture what her life has become: her work on a banned phone line, reading bedtime stories to sleep-starved children; Hunter, the young boy who calls her and has captured her heart; and the dreaded visits from government officials.

The time has come for four children to be named the new Protectors of Imagination Island. In an event that only happens once every 80-100 years, children all over the world scour the globe in search of lightstreams (portals) to the magical island where anything they imagine comes to life. To become a Protector, they must compete in teams and complete a series of challenges to prove they have what it takes. But not everyone will make it to the next level of Imagination Island, and the last person to reach the checkpoint will be transported back home immediately…

His mom engineered habitats for colonists on Mars and Europa. His dad ended a long war. But 13-year-old Dax Zander spends his days surfing Kawela Bay with his brothers, hitching rides with whales and exploring the reefs around his family's undersea home. Life's sweet, the future's bright. Then one morning in 2077, three aliens arrive pleading for humanity's help against a horrific threat to their distant oceanic homeworld. As Earth's leaders ponder a risky mission of mercy, Dax feels a stirring in his gut to leave behind childhood thrills and embrace a greater, more dangerous destiny.

Nearly a year has passed since Tim, Dee and Phil the finger monkey (with the help of some fire-breathing bear-sharks) defeated Wilde Tech Inc and destroyed the imagination space. But since then, it's become increasingly clear that there's something wrong with Tim. His imagination seems limitless - anything he imagines immediately appears in front of him, with no need for the imagination box. Which has both good and bad consequences.

Timothy Hart is getting used to the good life with his new imagination box. Anything he can imagine, he can create! There's only one rule - the box mustn't leave Tim's room.

Rooted in rhythm-and-blues pioneered by black musicians, 1950s rock and roll was racially inclusive and attracted listeners and performers across the color line. In the 1960s, however, rock and roll gave way to rock: a new musical ideal regarded as more serious, more artistic-and the province of white musicians. Decoding the racial discourses that have distorted standard histories of rock music, Jack Hamilton underscores how ideas of "authenticity" have blinded us to rock's inextricably interracial artistic enterprise.

'Beyond the Horizon' is more than just a book; it's a cognitive training tool that inspires young listeners to dream, question, and explore the endless possibilities of the cosmos. Perfect for parents seeking to nurture their child's curiosity and creativity through the wonders of the universe, this book promises educational space adventures that captivate and educate in equal measure.

In the sinister city of Mirouane, a sorcerer’s apprentice is thrust into a perilous pursuit alongside his enigmatic master, Mior Lumivix. Their quarry: a legendary map leading to the cursed treasure of Omvor, an ancient pirate whose exploits defied both gods and mortals. But another formidable sorcerer, the dark and ruthless Sarcand, seeks the prize as well, wielding powers born of ancient seas and forbidden magic.

We depend on - we believe in - algorithms to help us get a ride, choose which book to buy, execute a mathematical proof. It's as if we think of code as a magic spell, an incantation to reveal what we need to know and even what we want. Humans have always believed that certain invocations - the marriage vow, the shaman's curse - do not merely describe the world but make it.