The Paradox of Paradise

The Paradox of Paradise PDF Author: T. K. Rouse
Publisher: Xlibris Corporation
ISBN: 1477163077
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 371

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Book Description
As a child, Katia Barnes has a recurring nightmare. In the dream, she is a young Victorian woman, alone in a dark house at twilight, desperately searching for something. She is caught by surprise by a man with a pistol. A chase ensues, and she is killed. Katia wakes up in terror, knowing she has just experienced this woman ́s death. The dream eventually fades away, but always remains in the back of her mind. Katia becomes a romance novelist, and after churning out the same book thirty times over, becomes disenchanted with her chosen genre. Her father dies, leaving her an unexpected legacy; an old Rosedale mansion left to him by a mysterious, unknown aunt. Immediately upon seeing the house, Katia recognizes it as the same one from her childhood dream. The Victorian house is named Eden. Inspired by its sense of mystery, Katia moves in, and starts renovations, planning to open a Bed and Breakfast. Soon, she finds out what she has in fact inherited is a former Victorian brothel. Katia also finds a trunk full of diaries, written by a woman named Adela, who lived in the house from 1899 to 1912. Katia starts reading the diaries, becoming obsessed with them. Adela was born in Cairo, Egypt, the illegitimate daughter of a British newspaper correspondent, and an Egyptian bellydancer. Her mother dies when she is a small child, and she and her brother are taken to England by their father. Victorian London is not kind to Adela, she is considered "half-African", and shunned. As a young woman, Adela journeys to Canada to start a new life. On board the ship, she meets Doctor Anthony Maxwell, a wealthy Canadian businessman, who has a unique philosophy based upon ancient Egypt. They fall in love, deciding to marry upon their arrival in Montréal. However, Adela gets more than she bargained for. Not only is Maxwell bisexual, he also has a sideline providing "courtesans" for Toronto ́s elite. Katia is engrossed by the diaries, and discovers many unusual features in the house; a secret passageway, for one. Strange paranormal experiences begin to happen. Katia calls upon her friend Raine, who is a psychic. Raine advises Katia that it is her "Karma" to clean up a mess from the past, and in doing so, she will find her own life will be changed for the better. The diaries lead Katia on a mystical journey of discovery, unveiling her family ́s hidden past. Adela ́s story reveals many "dirty secrets" of Victorian/Edwardian Toronto; a world of extremes in both wealth and poverty, widespread narcotics use, racism, and the many problems and struggles faced by women. The Paradox of Paradise is rich in substance, covering a spectrum of life topics; history, philosophy, love, heartache, sexuality, and the paranormal. Through a strange journey, the two heroines ́ lives become intertwined. Katia solves most of the mystery, except for the most important part; who killed Adela, and why? The answer comes in an ending with a twist, which does indeed change Katia ́s life. Katia discovers the meaning of "The Paradox of Paradise".

The Paradox of Paradise

The Paradox of Paradise PDF Author: T. K. Rouse
Publisher: Xlibris Corporation
ISBN: 1477163077
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 371

Get Book Here

Book Description
As a child, Katia Barnes has a recurring nightmare. In the dream, she is a young Victorian woman, alone in a dark house at twilight, desperately searching for something. She is caught by surprise by a man with a pistol. A chase ensues, and she is killed. Katia wakes up in terror, knowing she has just experienced this woman ́s death. The dream eventually fades away, but always remains in the back of her mind. Katia becomes a romance novelist, and after churning out the same book thirty times over, becomes disenchanted with her chosen genre. Her father dies, leaving her an unexpected legacy; an old Rosedale mansion left to him by a mysterious, unknown aunt. Immediately upon seeing the house, Katia recognizes it as the same one from her childhood dream. The Victorian house is named Eden. Inspired by its sense of mystery, Katia moves in, and starts renovations, planning to open a Bed and Breakfast. Soon, she finds out what she has in fact inherited is a former Victorian brothel. Katia also finds a trunk full of diaries, written by a woman named Adela, who lived in the house from 1899 to 1912. Katia starts reading the diaries, becoming obsessed with them. Adela was born in Cairo, Egypt, the illegitimate daughter of a British newspaper correspondent, and an Egyptian bellydancer. Her mother dies when she is a small child, and she and her brother are taken to England by their father. Victorian London is not kind to Adela, she is considered "half-African", and shunned. As a young woman, Adela journeys to Canada to start a new life. On board the ship, she meets Doctor Anthony Maxwell, a wealthy Canadian businessman, who has a unique philosophy based upon ancient Egypt. They fall in love, deciding to marry upon their arrival in Montréal. However, Adela gets more than she bargained for. Not only is Maxwell bisexual, he also has a sideline providing "courtesans" for Toronto ́s elite. Katia is engrossed by the diaries, and discovers many unusual features in the house; a secret passageway, for one. Strange paranormal experiences begin to happen. Katia calls upon her friend Raine, who is a psychic. Raine advises Katia that it is her "Karma" to clean up a mess from the past, and in doing so, she will find her own life will be changed for the better. The diaries lead Katia on a mystical journey of discovery, unveiling her family ́s hidden past. Adela ́s story reveals many "dirty secrets" of Victorian/Edwardian Toronto; a world of extremes in both wealth and poverty, widespread narcotics use, racism, and the many problems and struggles faced by women. The Paradox of Paradise is rich in substance, covering a spectrum of life topics; history, philosophy, love, heartache, sexuality, and the paranormal. Through a strange journey, the two heroines ́ lives become intertwined. Katia solves most of the mystery, except for the most important part; who killed Adela, and why? The answer comes in an ending with a twist, which does indeed change Katia ́s life. Katia discovers the meaning of "The Paradox of Paradise".

Afro-Paradise

Afro-Paradise PDF Author: Christen A Smith
Publisher: University of Illinois Press
ISBN: 0252098099
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 281

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Book Description
Tourists exult in Bahia, Brazil, as a tropical paradise infused with the black population's one-of-a-kind vitality. But the alluring images of smiling black faces and dancing black bodies masks an ugly reality of anti-black authoritarian violence. Christen A. Smith argues that the dialectic of glorified representations of black bodies and subsequent state repression reinforces Brazil's racially hierarchal society. Interpreting the violence as both institutional and performative, Smith follows a grassroots movement and social protest theater troupe in their campaigns against racial violence. As Smith reveals, economies of black pain and suffering form the backdrop for the staged, scripted, and choreographed afro-paradise that dazzles visitors. The work of grassroots organizers exposes this relationship, exploding illusions and asking unwelcome questions about the impact of state violence performed against the still-marginalized mass of Afro-Brazilians. Based on years of field work, Afro-Paradise is a passionate account of a long-overlooked struggle for life and dignity in contemporary Brazil.

The Paradox of Paradise

The Paradox of Paradise PDF Author: William Nichols
Publisher: Vanderbilt University Press
ISBN: 0826506232
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 308

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Book Description
The Paradox of Paradise focuses on the trajectory of urban coastal tourism in Spain from the late Franco years to the present through the lens of Spanish cultural production. "Sun and fun" destinations like Torremolinos (located in the Costa del Sol) and Benidorm (located in the Costa Blanca) established a model for urban renewal that literally built the coasts to accommodate and expand foreign tourism as the driving force of the so-called Spanish Economic Miracle. In addition to inserting the coasts into the scope of Iberian urban studies (typically dominated by studies of Madrid and Barcelona), this project breaks new ground by bringing to the fore unexplored cultural artifacts vital to the narrative of development along the coasts in Spain—in particular the ubiquitous tourist postcard, which advances not only the post-Franco economic miracle, but does so by highlighting the transformation of the actual Spanish landscape along its coasts. The Paradox of Paradise features more than twenty-five striking images of coastal Spain in the throes of its own coming of age. Author William J. Nichols has unlocked a strange, self-conscious archive that tells us as much about our own age of advertising as it does about the hotels and resorts and people on display.

Moving to the Dominican Republic

Moving to the Dominican Republic PDF Author: Ross Weber
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781449532031
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 228

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Book Description
Moving to the Dominican Republic: The Paradox of Paradise is the hilarious yet serious story of an American moving to the Dominican Republic. It is a must read for anyone who has wondered what it would be like to live in the Caribbean. Ross Weber uses humor and real life experiences to describe the culture shock and other setbacks of making the transition from living in the United States to living in the Dominican Republic. Ross includes personal stories as well as unique observations to describe the ups and downs of living on an Island. If you have visited the Dominican Republic you will love this book. If you are planning to go to the Dominican Republic, the great lessons in this book will help you prepare. If you are interested in international living, or possibly retiring in the Caribbean, this is the perfect book for you!

Queering and Querying the Paradise of Paradox

Queering and Querying the Paradise of Paradox PDF Author: Steven F. Butterman
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 1538150891
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 319

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Book Description
This book provides readers with a study of the characteristics that make life unique for sexual minorities in Brazil while also viewing Brazil in relation to global LGBT sociopolitical movements. It critically assesses the complex relationship(s) between the visual arts and political activism, carefully analyzing artistic, cinematic, and photographic representations of LGBTQ identities. Brazil provides a useful case to example, with the cultivation of ambiguity in contemporary (re)constructions of queer life. In this book, the author conducts the first comprehensive discourse analysis of the dynamics and features of the largest LGBT Pride Parade in the world. This problematizes and analyzes the relationship between burgeoning critical socio-political movements and institutions and the language and new media discourses used to configure and conceptualize them. The aim of this project is to create a theoretical scholarly framework promoting linkages between political activism and academic scholarship and by using discourse analysis, the intricacies of terminology Brazilian sexual minorities adopt and adapt, illustrating the development of LGBTQ identities through performative language use.

The Paradox of Choice

The Paradox of Choice PDF Author: Barry Schwartz
Publisher: Harper Collins
ISBN: 0061748994
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 308

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Book Description
Whether we're buying a pair of jeans, ordering a cup of coffee, selecting a long-distance carrier, applying to college, choosing a doctor, or setting up a 401(k), everyday decisions—both big and small—have become increasingly complex due to the overwhelming abundance of choice with which we are presented. As Americans, we assume that more choice means better options and greater satisfaction. But beware of excessive choice: choice overload can make you question the decisions you make before you even make them, it can set you up for unrealistically high expectations, and it can make you blame yourself for any and all failures. In the long run, this can lead to decision-making paralysis, anxiety, and perpetual stress. And, in a culture that tells us that there is no excuse for falling short of perfection when your options are limitless, too much choice can lead to clinical depression. In The Paradox of Choice, Barry Schwartz explains at what point choice—the hallmark of individual freedom and self-determination that we so cherish—becomes detrimental to our psychological and emotional well-being. In accessible, engaging, and anecdotal prose, Schwartz shows how the dramatic explosion in choice—from the mundane to the profound challenges of balancing career, family, and individual needs—has paradoxically become a problem instead of a solution. Schwartz also shows how our obsession with choice encourages us to seek that which makes us feel worse. By synthesizing current research in the social sciences, Schwartz makes the counter intuitive case that eliminating choices can greatly reduce the stress, anxiety, and busyness of our lives. He offers eleven practical steps on how to limit choices to a manageable number, have the discipline to focus on those that are important and ignore the rest, and ultimately derive greater satisfaction from the choices you have to make.

THE DIRECTIONER

THE DIRECTIONER PDF Author: G S Prasanth Kumar
Publisher: Maybeify
ISBN:
Category : Antiques & Collectibles
Languages : en
Pages : 33

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Book Description
Travel is always a blissful feel. What if the poems, short stories or prose will gives an extra special when you get travelled. For every destination, there is a poem, there is a story to tell. This open themed book comprises more tales and verses every destination the traveler cross.

Library of Congress Subject Headings

Library of Congress Subject Headings PDF Author: Library of Congress
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Subject headings, Library of Congress
Languages : en
Pages : 1384

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Book Description


The Power of Paradox: Impossible Conversations

The Power of Paradox: Impossible Conversations PDF Author: Markus Locker
Publisher: BRILL
ISBN: 9004398244
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 233

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Book Description
This book argues that all truths systems include paradoxes. Paradoxes, such as found in the sciences, philosophy and religion offer themselves as mutually shared partners in a dialogue of arguably incommensurable truths on the basis of their underlying truth. Paradoxes leap beyond the epistemic border of individual truth claims. A dialogue of truths, grounded in paradox, reaches before, and at the same time past singular truths. A paradox-based dialogue of truths elevates the communication of disciplines, such as the sciences and religion, to a meta-discourse level from which differences are not perceived as obstacles for dialogue but as complementary aspects of a deeper and fuller truth in which all truths are grounded.

Zen Koans, Paradoxical Awakening

Zen Koans, Paradoxical Awakening PDF Author: Norman McClelland
Publisher: Outskirts Press
ISBN: 1977238084
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 657

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Book Description
What comes to mind when you hear the word “koan”? You probably know koans as paradoxes, and you may believe that they are therefore illogical or intellectually inscrutable—and therefore not useful to the average person. Zen Koans: Paradoxical Awakenings is the tool you need to correct your perceptions of koans and become aware of the benefits of koan practice. Embracing the paradox of the koan can give deeper meaning to life, as well as leading to the Buddhist awakening to your real, non-dual nature. With an experienced Zen teacher as your guide, you can enter more deeply into the three essentials of Zen: great faith, great doubt, and great determination.