The Fountainhead The Fountainhead is a 1943 novel by Ayn Rand, and her first major literary success. More than 6.5 million copies of the book have been sold worldwide. The Fountainhead's protagonist, Howard Roark, is an individualistic young architect who chooses to struggle in obscurity rather than compromise his artistic and personal vision. The book follows his battle to practice what the public sees as modern architecture, which he believes to be superior, despite an establishment centered on tradition-worship. How others in the novel relate to Roark demonstrates Rand's various archetypes of human character, all of which are variants between Roark, the author's ideal man of independent-mindedness and integrity, and what she described as the "second-handers". The complex relationships between Roark and the various kinds of individuals who assist or hinder his progress, or both, allow the novel to be at once a romantic drama and a philosophical work. Plot summary[edit] Ellsworth M. Background[edit]
Odyssey Greek text of the Odyssey's opening passage The Odyssey (Greek: Ὀδύσσεια, Odýsseia) is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is, in part, a sequel to the Iliad, the other work ascribed to Homer. The poem is fundamental to the modern Western canon, and is the second oldest extant work of Western literature, the Iliad being the oldest. It is believed to have been composed near the end of the 8th century BC, somewhere in Ionia, the Greek coastal region of Anatolia.[1] The poem mainly centers on the Greek hero Odysseus (known as Ulysses in Roman myths) and his journey home after the fall of Troy. It continues to be read in the Homeric Greek and translated into modern languages around the world. The Odyssey has a lost sequel, the Telegony, which was not written by Homer. Synopsis[edit] Exposition[edit] The Odyssey begins ten years after the end of the ten-year Trojan War (that is the subject of the Iliad), and Odysseus has still not returned home from the war.
5 Must Read Finance Books - Investopedia.com In 2010, the bestselling finance books represented a sampling of old standards mixed with modern classics. I have selected some of my favorites that I think you'll enjoy as well-written and valuable books to improve your financial life. (We give you a list of informative and entertaining reads that you'll want to share with others this season. Check out 10 Books For The Holidays.) IN PICTURES: World's Greatest Investors 1. In particular, Ramsay is known his "snowball" strategy for getting out of debt. 2. For example, the book points out that working hard and even earning a high income are not enough to ensure financial success. "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" is a must read for those looking to change their attitude about money and wealth. 3. The central tenet of the book is that a scientific approach should be used when directing your investments. IN PICTURES: Baby Buffett Portfolio: His 6 Best Long-Term Picks 4. This is not the book for those who want set-it-and-forget-it investments. 5.
The Labyrinth of Crete, the myth of the Minotaur Zeus, in the form of a bull, brought Europe from the Phoenician seashore to Gortys in Crete where he made love with her under a plane tree (or on the plane tree after assuming the form of another sacred animal, the eagle), since then the plane tree was blessed to never lose its leaves (evergreen). From their union three sons were born triplets (or two twins). Next, Zeus arranged the marriage of Europe to the Cretan King Asterion (or Asterio), who appointed Europe's and Zeus' sons as his successors. -> Read more about Gortys -> Read more about the Abduction of Europe by Zeus As promised, the three sons of Europe and Zeus (Minos or Minoas, Radamanthis, Sarpidon) succeeded King Asterion to the throne of Crete. The gods loved Minos because his father, Zeus, honored him above all. Once, wanting to offer a sacrifice in honor of his uncle Poseidon, Minos asked Poseidon to send the best bull he could find from the sea. -> Read more about the Minoan Palace of Knossos -> Read more about Daedalus
Must-Read Economics : Planet Money Iphokhia/Flickr Listeners often write in asking for book tips. I polled the PM staff and a few econ and finance bloggers. What are your favorite econ books? Bethany McLean and Joe Nocera’s All the Devils Are Here. Niall Ferguson’s The Ascent of Money. Michael Lewis’ The Big Short. Milton Friedman’s Capitalism and Freedom. Greg Ip’s The Little Book of Economics: How the Economy Works in the Real World. Liaquat Ahamed’s Lords of Finance. Todd G. Adrian Nicole LeBlanc’s Random Family: Love, Drugs, Trouble, and Coming of Age in the Bronx. John McMillan's Reinventing the Bazaar. Andrew Ross Sorkin’s Too Big To Fail. Gary Stern and Ron Feldman’s Too Big To Fail. Pietra Rivoli’s The Travels of a T-shirt in the Global Economy. Tim Harford’s The Undercover Economist.
Greek mythology Greek mythology is explicitly embodied in a large collection of narratives, and implicitly in Greek representational arts, such as vase-paintings and votive gifts. Greek myth attempts to explain the origins of the world, and details the lives and adventures of a wide variety of gods, goddesses, heroes, heroines, and mythological creatures. These accounts initially were disseminated in an oral-poetic tradition; today the Greek myths are known primarily from Greek literature. Archaeological findings provide a principal source of detail about Greek mythology, with gods and heroes featured prominently in the decoration of many artifacts. Sources Literary sources The poetry of the Hellenistic and Roman ages was primarily composed as a literary rather than cultic exercise. Finally, a number of Byzantine Greek writers provide important details of myth, much derived from earlier now lost Greek works. Archaeological sources Survey of mythic history Origins of the world and the gods
The Age of Turbulence The Age of Turbulence: Adventures in a New World is a 2007 memoir written by former Chairman of the Federal Reserve Alan Greenspan. Published on September 17, 2007, the book debuted at the top of the New York Times Best Seller list for hardcover nonfiction.[1] Overview[edit] The first half of The Age of Turbulence is an autobiographical chronology of Greenspan's life. This portion of the text permits readers a view of the people and circumstances that helped shape and guide Greenspan. From hours of clarinet and saxophone practice as a child, to living room philosophy with Ayn Rand, his major influences are all detailed. The second half of the book retells several major economic events (primarily within the U.S.) that have occurred over the past half century. On free market capitalism[edit] In Greenspan's view, free market capitalism is the economic approach that "trumps" other forms attempted thus far in human history. On presidential economic influence[edit] Reviews[edit] References[edit]
Religion in ancient Greece Many Greek people recognized the major (Olympian) gods and goddesses: Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, Apollo, Artemis, Aphrodite, Ares, Dionysus, Hephaestus, Athena, Hermes, Demeter, Hestia, and Hera though philosophies such as Stoicism and some forms of Platonism used language that seems to posit a transcendent single deity. Different cities often worshiped the same deities, sometimes with epithets that distinguished them and specified their local nature. The religious practices of the Greeks extended beyond mainland Greece, to the islands and coasts of Ionia in Asia Minor, to Magna Graecia (Sicily and southern Italy), and to scattered Greek colonies in the Western Mediterranean, such as Massalia (Marseille). Greek religion was tempered by Etruscan cult and belief to form much of the later Ancient Roman religion. Beliefs Zeus, the king of the gods, and controller of thunder and the sky. While there were few concepts universal to all the Greek peoples, there were common beliefs shared by many.