Reality versus fiction is at the heart of the current literary debate. We live in a world of docu-drama, the 'real life' story. Works of art, novels, films, are frequently bolstered by reference to the autobiography of the creator, or to underlying 'fact.' Where does that leave the imagination? & who gets to define the parameters of 'reality' & 'fiction' anyway? Five writers debate the limits of materialism & realism, in art & literature
- & offer a passionate defence of the alchemical imagination in a fact-based world.
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This new & completely redesigned edition creates a colourful & vibrant guide to the secret art. Klossowski de Rola elucidates the mysterious language & polyvalent symbolism from a variety of perspectives practical, spiritual, elemental & historical & explains how the true alchemist differs from the modern chemist & the false practitioner. Gold is only a by-product & emblem of the Great Work of the alchemist. The latter part of the book comprises the full text of a seventeenth-century exposition upon an alchemists dream-poem, & five richly illustrated Themes sections, reproducing full sequences of alchemical thought, art & paraphernalia. ...

Alchemy has traditionally been viewed as ‘the history of an error’, an example of mediaeval gullibility & greed, in which alchemists tried to turn lead into gold, create fabulous wealth & find the elixir of life. But alchemy has also been described as ‘the mightiest secret that a man can possess’, & it obsessed the likes of Isaac Newton, Robert Boyle & many of the founders of modern science. This book explores the history of the so-called Royal Art, from its mysterious beginnings in Egypt & China, through the Hellenistic world & the early years of Islam & into mediaeval Europe ...

' Packed with strange stories & shiny nuggets of information, Alchemy: the Great Work is erudite but reads very clearly. But what I admire about it most is how enlightening & enlivening it is.'
- Jonathan Black Alchemy is the art of transformation. At its simplest, the alchemist turns base metals into gold. However this is only one dimension of alchemy
- at a more sophisticated level the alchemist's 'base metal' is symbolic of himself that needs to be worked upon & the 'gold' produced is the alchemist himself in his or her quest to perfect his own nature. In short, true alchemy is a discipline involving physical, physiological & spiritual work aimed at producing wholeness & enlightenment. From the origins of alchemy, both reputed & documented, Cherry Gilchrist's lively & sympathetic narrative takes the reader from the alchemical interests of the ancient Egyptians to the flowering of alchemy in the seventeenth century. She also elucidates the complexities of alchemical symbolism & examines the ways in which alchemy has developed in the twentieth century. With an introduction by Jonathan Black

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The Node has failed, rendering humanity's battle clankers & the Aachim's constructs useless. With the battle lost, hordes of alien Lyrinx are swarming from the tar pits of Snizort, intending to fall upon the survivors & destroy them to the last man. Tiaan, crippled & unable to walk, is held prisoner by the vengeful Vithis, who is determined to extract her geomantic secrets at any cost. For his failings, Nish has been cast out & branded a traitor, while Irisis, accused of high treason, is forced to flee for her life. The fate of humanity is dependent on the survival of one wily old man, the Scrutator Xervish Flydd. But Flydd has been blamed for the defeat at Snizort & is condemned to die a brutish death as a slave
- hauling ironclad clankers out of the battlefield mire until his heart bursts under the strain.
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In the Platonic work Alcibiades I, a divinely guided Socrates adopts the guise of a lover in order to divert Alcibiades from an unthinking political career. The contributors to this carefully focussed volume cover aspects of the background to the work; its arguments & the philosophical issues it raises; its relationship to other Platonic texts, & its subsequent history up to the time of the Neoplatonists. Despite its ancient prominence, the authorship of Alcibiades I is still unsettled; the essays & two appendices, one historical & one stylometric, come together to suggest answers to this tantalising question. ...

An understanding of the nature & progression of alcohol addiction has emerged: alcoholism as the result of an imbalance in the brain's natural production of neurotransmitters critical to our sense of wellbeing. This imbalance, which an increasing amount of evidence is demonstrating to be genetically influenced, produces a craving temporarily satisfied by drinking. Alcohol & the Addictive Brain is an account of the scientific discoveries concerning alcoholism. ...

We are a nation that loves to drink. & we're passing the habit on to our children. But a growing body of compelling new evidence about the dangers of alcohol consumption at a young age will force us to reconsider the entire way we view alcohol & young people. As parents, we need to talk to our children about alcohol but many of us are not sure what to say. In this essential book, Dr Aric Sigman ties up all the latest medical research & cultural issues & puts them into context. Most importantly he addresses drinking not just as a teenage problem but as an integral part of our history & culture. It will lead us to understand how the way we view alcohol impacts directly upon our children's present & future health, wellbeing & academic success, & it will answer the question, 'how can I reconcile my enjoyment of drinking with ensuring my child grows up knowing how to drink sensibly?'. ...

The third edition of this successful Facts title was authored by the late Dr Donald W. Goodwin, who wrote with a unique & engaging style defining alcoholism in very human terms. Although much of Dr Goodwin's assessments of alcoholism still hold true today, a great deal of progress has been made in the quest to better understand the underlying causes of the disease. This fourth edition, written by a group of Dr Goodwin's former colleagues, whilst retaining much of Dr Goodwin's original material, offering his unique perspective on alcoholism. The new edition

Includes:: updated information about the effects of alcohol consumption on the body, a new section on the particular sensitivity of women to the effects of drinking, & information & advice relating to the consequences of alcohol abuse for the abusers, their families & society.

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Mindfulness lends itself particularly well to recovery, partly because it is a potent tool for self-management, but principally because it can be approached both as a secular or spiritual practice. The Twelve-Step approach of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) & Narcotics Anonymous (NA) is unquestionably spiritual, with its emphasis on a Higher Power, & has been hugely successful. Some consider spiritual transformation essential for lasting sobriety. Not everyone, however, wants to pursue this path. The mindfulness practices can then be used in their own right, in a more secular context, & still be beneficial. My stance will, however, be mainly transpersonal. As Christina Grof, author of The Thirst for Wholeness: Attachment, Addiction & the Spiritual Path, says: ' The success of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) & the many Twelve-Step fellowships that have modelled themselves after its program attests to the power & importance of the spiritual dimension in the understanding & treatment of addiction.' ...