Mysterious Wisdom is a biography of the painter Samuel Palmer whose world of slumbering shepherds & tumbling blossoms mystical cornfields & bright sickle moons has enchanted admirers since the nineteenth century. The lynchpin of the first British art movement Palmer dreamed of creating a new rural ideal. Leading a band of fellow artists
- the brotherhood of Ancients
- from London to live in the village of Shoreham in Kent he pursued his vision. If English tradition had ever encompassed the making of icons they would not have been so different from Palmers enraptured landscapes. Samuel Palmer however was more than a reclusive eccentric. He lived during a century of great social upheaval & his works at their finest reflect its hopes & its fears. They capture a world in which the concerns of politics religion & culture are inscribed onto the contours of our native landscapes. In his day Palmer was much neglected. He did not attempt the grand dramas of J. M. W. Turner or follow John Constables profoundly naturalistic path. But he belongs in their Romantic pantheon; as much for the numinous visions that are embodied in his loveliest paintings as for the vagaries of a life story in which so often he failed. Mysterious Wisdom offers a vividly intimate account of a man who has been as much misunderstood as admired; who was as sensual as he was spiritual as dreamy as determined as playful as profound. This is a portrait of a great British Romantic. It is a picture of a life shaped by passionate conviction lit by enthusiasm irony & a captivating charm.

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In a glamorous area of Los Angeles the Beverley Fauborg hotel is about to close for good. Psychologist Alex Delaware & his girlfriend Robin are making a farewell visit to the hotel bar when one patron in particular grabs their attention
- a beautiful but aloof young woman dressed all in white. Two days later Alex is called in on a murder case & is shocked when he recognises the victim as the woman in white. Discovering her true identity is not going to be easy though & Milos investigation into the girl nicknamed Mystery leads him to the darkest of secrets in the highest of places.
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When Abby Lovitt gets to work at her family's ranch she can hardly believe her luck. True Blue is a beauty a dapple grey & he needs a new home
- his owner was tragically killed in a car crash & no one has claimed him. Her father is wary as always. But Abby is smitten. True Blue is a sweetheart & whenever Abby calls out Blue Blue how are you?" he whinnies back. But sometimes True Blue seems well.. .spooked. He paces & always seems to be looking for something. Or someone. Abby starts to wonder about True Blue's owner. What was she like? What did she look like? & what are the strange whispers Abby sometimes hears when she's with him?"
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In 1358 the fledging college of Michaelhouse in Cambridge is in need of extra funds. A legacy from the Archbishop of York of a parish close to that city promises a welcome source of income. However there has been another claim to its ownership & it seems the only way to settle the dispute is for a deputation from Michaelhouse to travel north. Matthew Bartholomew is among the small party which arrives in the bustling city where the increasing wealth of the merchants is unsettling the established order & where a French invasion is an ever-present threat to its port. But soon he & his colleagues learn that many of the Archbishop's executors have died in unexplained circumstances & that the codicil naming Michaelhouse as a beneficiary cannot be found... ...

' By bringing the chosen leaders prophets or priests to confront the powers of life & death to discover the deeper needs & potential of the human spirit the Mysteries had kept humanity in touch with the living foundations of experience. For those who went through their processes the attainment of wisdom was the culmination of an existential struggle...'
- Dr Andrew Welburn Modern scholarship knows little of the mystery schools of antiquity offering only hypothetical explanations & external details. In these expansive lectures based on his personal spiritual insights Rudolf Steiner offers a vivid description of the esoteric experiences gained by people in the ancient mystery schools from the mysteries of Artemis in Ephesus of Hibernia Eleusis & Samothrace to the Middle Ages. He also discusses the conditions under which initiation can be achieved today. Following preliminary lectures on the nature & function of the soul Steiner presents a panoramic view of human & earthly evolution including the roles of plants & animals. He also discusses the various metals their curative properties & their connections with the planets.
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For every man who always wondered why some guys have all the luck Mystery considered by many to be the world's greatest pickup artist finally reveals his secrets for finding & forming relationships with some of the world's most beautiful women. Mystery gained mainstream public attention for his role in Neil Strauss's New York Times" bestselling expose " The Game". Now he has written the definitive handbook on the art of the pickup. He developed his unique method over years of observing social dynamics & interacting with women in clubs to learn how to overcome the guard that many women put up to deflect come-ons from "average frustrated chumps." His tips include: give more attention to her less attractive friend at first so your target will get jealous & try to win your attention; always approach a target within three seconds of noticing her; if a woman senses your hesitation her perception of your value will be lower; don't be picky; approach as many groups of people in a bar as you can & entertain them with fun conversation. As you move about the room positive perception of you will grow. Now it's easy to meet anyone you want; & smile. Guys who don't get laid don't smile." ...

Rediscover Gladys Mitchell
- one of the ' Big Three' female crime fiction writers alongside Agatha Christie & Dorothy L. Sayers.
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Dickenss final novel left unfinished at his death is a tale of mystery whose fast-paced action takes place in an ancient cathedral city & in some of the darkest places in nineteenth century London. Drugs sexual obsession colonial adventuring & puzzles about identity are among the novels themes. At the centre of the plot lie the baffling disappearance of Edwin Drood & the many explanations of his whereabouts. A sombre & menacing atmosphere a fascinating range of characters & Dickenss usual superb command of language combine to make this an exciting & tantalising story. Also included in this volume are a number of unjustly neglected stories & sketches with subjects as different as murder & guilt & childhood romance. This unusual selection illustrates Dickenss immense creativity & versatility. ...

In the wakeful misery of the night girded by sordid realities or wandering through Paradises & Hells of visions...I loved you madly. Dickens last novel is a mystery built around a presumed crime
- the murder of a nephew by his uncle. Dickens died before completing the story leaving the mystery unsolved & encouraging successive generations of readers to turn detective. Beyond the preoccupying fact of this intriguing crime however the novel also offers readers a characteristically Dickensian mix of the fantastical world of the imagination & a vibrantly journalistic depiction of gritty reality. The Penguin English Library"
- 100 editions of the best fiction in English from the eighteenth century & the very first novels to the beginning of the First World War."

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Charles Dickenss final unfinished novel & one that has puzzled readers & inspired writers since its publication The Mystery of Edwin Drood" is edited with an introduction by David Paroissien in " Penguin Classics". Edwin Drood is contracted to marry orphan Rosa Bud when he comes of age but when they find that duty has gradually replaced affection they agree to break off the engagement. Shortly afterwards in the middle of a storm on Christmas Eve Edwin disappears leaving nothing behind but some personal belongings & the suspicion that his jealous uncle John Jasper madly in love with Rosa is the killer. & beyond this presumed crime there are further intrigues: the dark opium dens of the sleepy cathedral town of Cloisterham & the sinister double life of Choirmaster Jasper whose drug-fuelled fantasy life belies his respectable appearance. Dickens died before completing " The Mystery of Edwin Drood" leaving its tantalising mystery unsolved & encouraging successive generations of readers to turn detective. This edition contains an introduction by David Paroissien discussing the novels ending with a chronology notes original illustrations by Samuel Luke Fildes appendices on opium use in the nineteenth century the " Sapsea Fragment" & Dickenss plans for the storys conclusion. Charles Dickens is one of the best-loved novelists in the English language whose 200th anniversary was celebrated in 2012. His most famous books including " Oliver Twist" " Great Expectations" "A Tale of Two Cities" " David Copperfield" & " The Pickwick Papers" have been adapted for stage & screen & read by millions. If you enjoyed " The Mystery of Edwin Drood" you might like Dickens " Little Dorrit" also available in " Penguin Classics"." ...