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The Cult of Trump: A Leading Cult Expert Explains How the President Uses Mind Control
by Steven Hassan*As featured in the streaming documentary #UNTRUTH—now with a new foreword by George Conway and an afterword by the author* A masterful and eye-opening examination of Trump and the coercive control tactics he uses to build a fanatical devotion in his supporters written by &“an authority on breaking away from cults…an argument that…bears consideration as the next election cycle heats up&” (Kirkus Reviews). Since the 2016 election, Donald Trump&’s behavior has become both more disturbing and yet increasingly familiar. He relies on phrases like, &“fake news,&” &“build the wall,&” and continues to spread the divisive mentality of us-vs.-them. He lies constantly, has no conscience, never admits when he is wrong, and projects all of his shortcomings on to others. He has become more authoritarian, more outrageous, and yet many of his followers remain blindly devoted. Scott Adams, the creator of Dilbert and a major Trump supporter, calls him one of the most persuasive people living. His need to squash alternate information and his insistence of constant ego stroking are all characteristics of other famous leaders—cult leaders. In The Cult of Trump, mind control and licensed mental health expert Steven Hassan draws parallels between our current president and people like Jim Jones, David Koresh, Ron Hubbard, and Sun Myung Moon, arguing that this presidency is in many ways like a destructive cult. He specifically details the ways in which people are influenced through an array of social psychology methods and how they become fiercely loyal and obedient. Hassan was a former &“Moonie&” himself, and he presents a &“thoughtful and well-researched analysis of some of the most puzzling aspects of the current presidency, including the remarkable passivity of fellow Republicans [and] the gross pandering of many members of the press&” (Thomas G. Gutheil, MD and professor of psychiatry, Harvard Medical School). The Cult of Trump is an accessible and in-depth analysis of the president, showing that under the right circumstances, even sane, rational, well-adjusted people can be persuaded to believe the most outrageous ideas. &“This book is a must for anyone who wants to understand the current political climate&” (Judith Stevens-Long, PhD and author of Living Well, Dying Well).
The Cult of the Victim-Veteran: MAGA Fantasies in Lost-war America
by Jerry LembckeThe Cult of the Victim-Veteran explores the pool of American post- Vietnam War angst that rightists began plying in the 1980s. Ronald Reagan’s 1984 proclamation of a new "Morning in America" encoded the war as the moment of the nation’s fall from grace; it was the meme plagiarized by Donald Trump for his "Make America Great Again" (MAGA) slogan. The national funk tapped for right- wing revanchism was psychologized when George H.W. Bush appropriated post- Vietnam syndrome, the diagnostic forerunner to post- traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), to memorialize the military accomplishments in the Persian Gulf War of 1990–1991—we had "kicked the Vietnam Syndrome." America was a victim- nation, its trauma emblemized by PTSD-stricken veterans whose war mission had been lost on the home front, cast aside, even spat on, upon return home. In this book we see the long historical threads woven for MAGA: the twining of traditional and modern ways of knowing that imbues war trauma with political and cultural properties that complicate its diagnostic use; the post- World War I disclosure that many shellshock patients had never been exposed to exploding shells, and the use of wounded- veteran imagery to fan the flames of German fascism; the cultural necessity of reimaging antiwar Vietnam veterans as psychiatric casualties that calls forth a new diagnostic category, PTSD; the derivatizing of PTSD for traumatic brain injury, Agent Orange, and moral injury; and the victim- veteran figure as metaphor for a wounded America, for which MAGA is the remedy.
The Cultural Complex: Contemporary Jungian Perspectives on Psyche and Society
by Thomas Singer Samuel L. KimblesHow do cultural complexes affect the collective psyche? Based on Jung's theory of complexes, this book offers a new perspective on the psychological nature of conflicts between groups and cultures by introducing the concept of the cultural complex. This modern version of Jung's idea offers an original view of the forces that prevent human attempts to bring a peaceful, collaborative spirit to conflict between groups. Leading analysts and academics from a range of cultural backgrounds present their own perspective on the concept, demonstrating how the effects of cultural complexes can be felt in the behaviour of disenfranchised, oppressed and traumatised groups across the world. Ultimately, a clearer understanding of the source and nature of group conflict is reached through discussion of central subjects including: * Collective trauma and cultural complexes* Exploring racism: a clinical example of a cultural complex* Cultural complexes in the history of Jung, Freud and their followers. The Cultural Complex represents a valuable contribution to analytical psychology and will undoubtedly also stimulate dialogue in the fields of sociology, political science and cultural studies.
The Cultural Context of Emotion
by Karl G. HeiderBased on the author's second stage of research on emotions of the matrilineal Moslem Minangkabau of West Sumatra, Indonesia, this book is a continuation of Heider's groundbreaking 1991 book, Landscapes of Emotion . This work demonstrates how situating emotion at the center of an investigation is a powerful ethnographic tool.
The Cultural Context of Sexual Pleasure and Problems: Psychotherapy with Diverse Clients
by Kathryn S. K. Hall Cynthia A. GrahamUsing rich case material and research presented by distinguished authorities in the fields of sex, couple, family, and psychotherapy, this edited book contributes to our efforts to help individuals and couples increase their sexual satisfaction. The authors explore social and cultural backgrounds, the meaning of sexual problems in specific cultural contexts, and the way in which culture presents challenges to traditional psychotherapy. More importantly, they answer the question: should therapists accept any and all behaviors, values, and attitudes that are considered normal, even if they violate the therapist’s own cultural standards? The case studies identify challenging cultural issues and provide clinicians with culturally sensitive treatment options. The book’s sections also separate chapters based on the degree to which psychological treatments are recognized and utilized for dealing with sexual problems in different countries, making it an ideal reference for professionals and students. The concluding chapter looks at culture through the lens of the provider, rather than the patient, and ties together the major themes and questions posed.
The Cultural Intelligence Difference -Special eBook Edition: Master the One Skill You Can't Do Without in Today's Global Economy
by David LivermoreLearn how to master the one skill you can&’t do without in today&’s global economy.As an award-winning author and global business leader, David Livermore applies his social science and cultural intelligence (CQ) expertise to teach others how to thrive in increasingly multicultural workplaces and a globalized world. Now, in this essential book, he shows you how to leverage the benefits of cultural intelligence for themselves--including improved decision-making, negotiation, networking, and leadership skills--to gain a crucial advantage in the crowded job market.In The Cultural Intelligence Difference, you&’ll explore:customized strategies for improving interactions with people from diverse cultures,new findings on the bottom-line benefits of cultural intelligence,and many examples of major organizations that use CQ to achieve success.Most people know that some basic cultural sensitivity is important. But few have developed the deep cultural intelligence needed to truly bridge the cultural gaps that exist in every workplace.The Cultural Intelligence Difference delivers a powerful tool for navigating today's work world with finesse--and success.
The Cultural Nature of Human Development
by Barbara RogoffPeople develop as participants in cultural communities, says Ragoff (psychology, U. of California-Santa Cruz), and their development can be understood only in light of the changing cultural practices and circumstances of their communities. Annotation (c)2003 Book News, Inc. , Portland, OR (booknews. com)
The Cultural Origins of Human Cognition
by Michael TomaselloAmbitious and elegant, this book builds a bridge between evolutionary theory and cultural psychology. Michael Tomasello is one of the very few people to have done systematic research on the cognitive capacities of both nonhuman primates and human children. The Cultural Origins of Human Cognition identifies what the differences are, and suggests where they might have come from. Tomasello argues that the roots of the human capacity for symbol-based culture, and the kind of psychological development that takes place within it, are based in a cluster of uniquely human cognitive capacities that emerge early in human ontogeny. These include capacities for sharing attention with other persons; for understanding that others have intentions of their own; and for imitating, not just what someone else does, but what someone else has intended to do. In his discussions of language, symbolic representation, and cognitive development, Tomasello describes with authority and ingenuity the "ratchet effect" of these capacities working over evolutionary and historical time to create the kind of cultural artifacts and settings within which each new generation of children develops. He also proposes a novel hypothesis, based on processes of social cognition and cultural evolution, about what makes the cognitive representations of humans different from those of other primates. Lucid, erudite, and passionate, The Cultural Origins of Human Cognition will be essential reading for developmental psychology, animal behavior, and cultural psychology.
The Cultural Turn in Sport Psychology
by Gershon Tenenbaum Robert J. Schinke Tatiana V. RybaThe Cultural Turn in Sport Psychology brings to bear a series of rich insights from cultural studies that demand ways of opening the study of sport psychology to issues of transnational, gendered, and sexual identities; new methodologies; the nature of expertise and professional practice; and the basis of the science of sport psychology itself. In a global world with increasingly complex issues around issues of embodiment and the rapidly changing and expanding nature of the sporting enterprise, these broadened perspectives on sport psychology are both enlightening and valuable. -from the Foreword by Patricia Vertinsky, cultural historian, University of British Columbia.
The Cultural/Subcultural Contexts of Marijuana Use at the Turn of the Twenty-First Century
by Andrew GolubLearn why marijuana use has increased in the new millenniumAccording to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug. The Cultural/Subcultural Contexts of Marijuana Use at the Turn of the Twenty-First Century takes a close look at present cannabis use trends in the new millennium by providing the latest research findings and most current case studies. Age and ethnographic data are presented in detail always with a constant focus on the unique subcultural contexts in today&’s society. This examination explores the most pressing issues in marijuana use, including the increased popularity of blunt smoking, the social ramifications of marijuana use in gangs and Southeast Asian youth, and alternative delivery systems for medical marijuana.The Cultural/Subcultural Contexts of Marijuana Use at the Turn of the Twenty-First Century discusses various aspects of marijuana being the drug of choice in today&’s culture, including the different subgroups of age, economic status, and ethnic background. The book provides a comprehensive view of the people, reasons for use, varied ways of ingesting the drug, and marijuana use "rituals." Extensive references, charts, tables, and figures are included to enhance clarification of research findings.The Cultural/Subcultural Contexts of Marijuana Use at the Turn of the Twenty-First Century discusses the latest research findings on: the growth of marijuana use in different social groups during the 1990s medical marijuana blunt smoking and marijuana use rituals as settings for informal social controls marijuana use among minorities marijuana use in youths and young adults marijuana use among gang members adult use production, distribution, and administration of non-smokable marijuanaThe Cultural/Subcultural Contexts of Marijuana Use at the Turn of the Twenty-First Century is insightful, valuable, and is certain to become a reference source for researchers, educators, students, and policy advocates.
The Culture Code: The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups
by Daniel CoyleThe New York Times bestselling author of The Talent Code unlocks the secrets of highly successful groups and provides tomorrow’s leaders with the tools to build a cohesive, motivated culture. Where does great culture come from? How do you build and sustain it in your group, or strengthen a culture that needs fixing? In The Culture Code, Daniel Coyle goes inside some of the world’s most successful organizations—including the U.S. Navy’s SEAL Team Six, IDEO, and the San Antonio Spurs—and reveals what makes them tick. He demystifies the culture-building process by identifying three key skills that generate cohesion and cooperation, and explains how diverse groups learn to function with a single mind. Drawing on examples that range from Internet retailer Zappos to the comedy troupe Upright Citizens Brigade to a daring gang of jewel thieves, Coyle offers specific strategies that trigger learning, spark collaboration, build trust, and drive positive change. Coyle unearths helpful stories of failure that illustrate what not to do, troubleshoots common pitfalls, and shares advice about reforming a toxic culture. Combining leading-edge science, on-the-ground insights from world-class leaders, and practical ideas for action, The Culture Code offers a roadmap for creating an environment where innovation flourishes, problems get solved, and expectations are exceeded. Culture is not something you are—it’s something you do. The Culture Code puts the power in your hands. No matter the size of your group or your goal, this book can teach you the principles of cultural chemistry that transform individuals into teams that can accomplish amazing things together.Advance praise for The Culture Code “I’ve been waiting years for someone to write this book—I’ve built it up in my mind into something extraordinary. But it is even better than I imagined. Daniel Coyle has produced a truly brilliant, mesmerizing read that demystifies the magic of great groups. It blows all other books on culture right out of the water.”—Adam Grant, New York Times bestselling author of Option B, Originals, and Give and Take “If you want to understand how successful groups work—the signals they transmit, the language they speak, the cues that foster creativity—you won’t find a more essential guide than The Culture Code.”—Charles Duhigg, New York Times bestselling author of The Power of Habit and Smarter Faster Better
The Culture Map: Breaking Through the Invisible Boundaries of Global Business
by Erin MeyerWhether you work in a home office or abroad, business success in our ever more globalized and virtual world requires the skills to navigate through cultural differences and decode cultures foreign to your own. Renowned expert Erin Meyer is your guide through this subtle, sometimes treacherous terrain where people from starkly different backgrounds are expected to work harmoniously together. When you have Americans who precede anything negative with three nice comments; French, Dutch, Israelis, and Germans who get straight to the point (?your presentation was simply awfulOCO); Latin Americans and Asians who are steeped in hierarchy; Scandinavians who think the best boss is just one of the crowd?the result can be, well, sometimes interesting, even funny, but often disastrous. Even with English as a global language, itOCOs easy to fall into cultural traps that endanger careers and sink deals when, say, a Brazilian manager tries to fathom how his Chinese suppliers really get things done, or an American team leader tries to get a handle on the intra-team dynamics between his Russian and Indian team members. In "The Culture Map," Erin Meyer provides a field-tested model for decoding how cultural differences impact international business. She combines a smart analytical framework with practical, actionable advice for succeeding in a global world. "
The Culture Map: Decoding How People Think, Lead, and Get Things Done Across Cultures
by Erin MeyerAs today's business world becomes ever-more global and virtual, executives and managers are expected to work harmoniously together with counterparts from a broad array dramatically different cultures and backgrounds, often without leaving their desks. But when you throw people together who come from starkly different backgrounds and cultures- from Americans who precede anything negative with three nice comments to French, Dutch, Israelis and Germans who get straight to the point ("your presentation was simply awful"); from Latin Americans and Asians who are steeped in hierarchy to the Scandinavians who think the best boss is just one of the crowd- the result can sometimes be disastrous. Even with English as a global language, it's easy to fall into cultural traps that endanger careers and sink deals. In Culture Map, renowned expert Erin Meyer offers highly practical and timely perspective on one of today's most pressing business issues: how do different cultures influence the way to do business when working globally? And she explains how to dramatically increase business success by improving one's ability to understand the cultural drivers of colleagues, clients, and suppliers from different countries. With the rapid increase in global call centers, outsourcing, supply chains, and project teams, cultural diversity touches almost everyone. Globalization has led to the rapid connection of internationally based employes from all levels of multinational companies. The advent of information and communication technology means that work itself has globalized. Where once you might have been expected to collaborate with colleagues from one or two foreign territories, today many people are part of global networks connected with people scattered around the world. Yet most managers have little understanding of how local culture impacts global interaction. Even those who are culturally informed, travel extensively, and have lived abroad often have few strategies for dealing with the cross-cultural complexity that affects their team's day-to-day effectiveness. Culture Map provides a new way forward, with vital insights for working effectively and sensitively with one's counterparts in the new global marketplace.
The Culture Map: Decoding How People Think, Lead, and Get Things Done Across Cultures
by Erin MeyerAn international business expert helps you understand and navigate cultural differences in this insightful and practical guide, perfect for both your work and personal life. Americans precede anything negative with three nice comments; French, Dutch, Israelis, and Germans get straight to the point; Latin Americans and Asians are steeped in the hierarchy; Scandinavians think the best boss is just one of the crowd. It's no surprise that when they try and talk to each other, chaos breaks out. In The Culture Map, INSEAD professor Erin Meyer is your guide through this subtle, sometimes treacherous terrain in which people from starkly different backgrounds are expected to work harmoniously together. She provides a field-tested model for decoding how cultural differences impact international business and combines a smart analytical framework with practical, actionable advice.
The Culture Of Immodesty In American Life And Politics
by Richard M. Gamble Michael P. Federici Mark T. MitchellBy identifying and illustrating aspects of American culture that are out of sync with the modest republicanism that gave rise to the United States in the late eighteenth century, the contributors to this volume expose the vulgarity and excess of American culture.
The Culture Playbook: 60 Highly Effective Actions to Help Your Group Succeed
by Daniel CoyleThe ultimate handbook for fostering and cultivating a strong team culture, from the New York Times bestselling author of The Culture Code and The Talent Code.&“If you are a leader—or if you work with one—and want to understand how to build psychological safety, trust, and a sense of purpose for your team, then you need this book.&”—Charles Duhigg, author of The Power of HabitBuilding a team has never been harder than it is right now. How do you create connection and trust? How do you stay focused on your goals? In his years studying the ways successful groups work together, Daniel Coyle has spent time with elite teams around the world, observing the ways they support each other, manage conflict, and move toward a common goal. In The Culture Playbook, he distills everything he has learned into sixty concrete, actionable tips and exercises that will help your team build a cohesive, positive culture. Great cultures, Coyle has found, are built on three essential skills: safety, vulnerability, and purpose. Within this framework, he shows us how we can better serve our teammates, ourselves, and our shared purpose, including:• scheduling regular team &“tune-ups&” to place an explicit spotlight on the team&’s inner workings and create conversations that surface and improve team dynamics• creating spaces for remote coworkers to connect with their colleagues to foster a team spirit even across distances • holding an anxiety party to serve as a pressure-relief valve, as well as a platform for people to connect and solve problems together With reflections, exercises, and practical tips that will prove invaluable to companies, athletes, and families alike, and replete with black-and-white illustrations, The Culture Playbook is an indispensable guide to ensuring that your team performs at its best.
The Culture of Conformism: Understanding Social Consent
by Patrick Colm Hogan"[Hogan's] goal is not merely to explain but to provide tools of understanding that will be of practical value to those who struggle for justice and freedom. Drawing from an impressive array of sources, his valuable study advances both ends considerably, no mean accomplishment. "--Noam Chomsky In this wide-ranging and informative work, Patrick Colm Hogan draws on cognitive science, psychoanalysis, and social psychology to explore the cultural and psychological components of social consent. Focusing in particular on Americans' acquiescence to a system that underpays and underrepresents the vast majority of the population, Hogan moves beyond typical studies of this phenomenon by stressing more than its political and economic dimensions. With new insights into particularly insideous forms of consent such as those manifest in racism, sexism, and homophobia, The Culture of Conformism considers the role of emotion as it works in conjunction with belief and with the formation of group identity. Arguing that coercion is far more pervasive in democratic societies than is commonly recognized, Hogan discusses the subtle ways in which economic and social pressures operate to complement the more obviously violent forces of the police and military. Addressing issues of narcissism, self-esteem, and empathy, he also explains the concept of "rational" conformity--that is, the degree to which our social consent is based on self-interest--and explores the cognitive factors that produce and sustain social ideology. Social activists, economic theorists, social psychologists, and political scientists will be intrigued and informed by this book.
The Culture of Diagram
by John Bender Michael MarrinanThe diagram, write Bender (interdisciplinary studies, Stanford U.) and Marrinan (art history, Stanford U.), "is a proliferation of manifestly selective packets of dissimilar data correlated in an explicitly process-oriented array that has some of the attributes of a representation but is situated in the world like an object." They present here an "archaeology of the diagram" that centers on this understanding of diagram as process. Their discussion ranges across 250 years, from the diagrams of Diderot's Encylopédie to diagrammatic forms of representation in quantum mechanics, and across multiple fields of human endeavor, including mathematics, art, and medicine. Annotation ©2010 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
The Culture of Education
by Jerome BrunerThis is a book of essays about education. In this commentary on the possibilities of education, eminent psychologist Jerome Bruner explains how education can usher children into their culture, though it often fails to do so. Bruner explores new and rich ways of approaching many of the classical problems that perplex educators.
The Culture of Mental Illness and Psychiatric Practice in Africa
by Arthur Kleinman Emmanuel Akyeampong Allan G. HillIn many African countries, mental health issues, including the burden of serious mental illness and trauma, have not been adequately addressed. These essays shed light on the treatment of common and chronic mental disorders, including mental illness and treatment in the current climate of economic and political instability, access to health care, access to medicines, and the impact of HIV-AIDS and other chronic illness on mental health. While problems are rampant and carry real and devastating consequences, this volume promotes an understanding of the African mental health landscape in service of reform.
The Culture of Narcissism: American Life In An Age Of Diminishing Expectations
by Christopher LaschThe classic New York Times bestseller, with a new introduction by E.J. Dionne Jr. When The Culture of Narcissism was first published in 1979, Christopher Lasch was hailed as a “biblical prophet” (Time). Lasch’s identification of narcissism as not only an individual ailment but also a burgeoning social epidemic was groundbreaking. His diagnosis of American culture is even more relevant today, predicting the limitless expansion of the anxious and grasping narcissistic self into every part of American life. The Culture of Narcissism offers an astute and urgent analysis of what we need to know in these troubled times.
The Culture-Breast in Psychoanalysis: Cultural Experiences and the Clinic
by Noreen GiffneyWe are fed at the breast of culture, not wholly but to differing degrees. The Culture-Breast in Psychoanalysis: Cultural Experiences and the Clinic focuses on the formative influence of cultural objects in our lives, and the contribution such experiences make to our mental health and overall wellbeing. The book introduces “the culture-breast”, a new clinical concept, to explore the central importance played by cultural objects in the psychical lives of patients and psychoanalytic clinical practitioners inside and outside the consulting room. Bringing together clinical writings from psychoanalysis and cultural objects from the applied fields of film, art, literature and music, the book also makes an argument for the usefulness of encounters with cultural objects as “non-clinical case studies” in the training and further professional development of psychoanalysts and psychotherapists. Through its engagement with psychosocial studies, this text, furthermore, interrogates, challenges and offers a way through a hierarchical split that has become established in psychoanalysis between “clinical psychoanalysis” and “applied psychoanalysis”. Combining approaches used in clinical, academic and arts settings, The Culture-Breast in Psychoanalysis is an essential resource for clinical practitioners of psychoanalysis, psychotherapy, counselling, psychology and psychiatry. It will also be of interest to researchers and practitioners in the fields of psychosocial studies, sociology, social work, cultural studies and the creative and performing arts.
The Cultured Man
by Ashley Montagu“THIS BOOK’S purpose is to tell you what a cultivated person is, what the value of the cultured person is to himself, his fellows, and his society, and finally, the kind of things the cultured person knows, thinks, and feels. The point of the book is that it may succeed in giving you a fair idea of where you stand in relation to the continuum of culture, and help you understand in what further direction you need to proceed.”—Ashley Montagu, Ph. D.This provocative book, first published in 1958, is an inquiry into, and an answer to, three very important questions:1) What is a cultured man?2) What does “culture” mean in America?3) What is YOUR “culture quotient”?Dr. Montagu analyzes and evaluations the first two questions above in a brilliant opening essay. He then provides 50 tests (1,500 questions with answers) which explore YOUR knowledge and attitudes and which enable you not only to determine where you stand as a truly cultured person but also to find out precisely in what directions you need to move to improve your “culture quotient.”From ballet to biology, from psychology to sex, this is an instructive test of your own intellectual status, a challenge and a guide to self-improvement.Dr. Montagu was a professor of anthropology at Rutgers University before retiring in order to devote all his time to writing. He was well-known for his TV and radio appearances, and became a renowned author.
The Cure for Burnout: How to Find Balance and Reclaim Your Life
by Emily Ballesteros&“An empowering guidebook to combatting burnout . . . Emily Ballesteros&’s advice is useful and practical, especially for young workers eager to reclaim their time and energy.&”—Charles Duhigg, New York Times bestselling author of The Power of Habit and Smarter Faster BetterIs dread the first thing you feel when you wake up in the morning? Are you working in the evenings and on weekends to catch up? Have you already beat burnout once, only to find it creeping back? If you answered yes to any of these, you&’re in need of a cure for burnout. In The Cure for Burnout, burnout management coach and TikTok influencer Emily Ballesteros combines scientific and cultural research, her expertise in organizational psychology, and the tried-and-true strategies she&’s successfully implemented with clients around the globe to demystify burnout for our post-pandemic world – and set you on a path toward a life of personal and professional balance. Ballesteros outlines five areas in which you can build healthy habits to combat burnout—mindset, personal care, time management, boundaries, and stress management. She offers clear, easy-to-implement tools to help you find greater balance, energy, and fulfillment, showing you how to:• break burnout habits that keep you in a pattern of chronic overwhelm• create sustainable work/life balance through predictable personal care• get more done in less time while creating forward momentum toward a meaningful life• identify and set your personal and professional limits, guilt-free• master your stress and detach from your stressorsThe Cure for Burnout provides a holistic method for burnout management to address the epidemic of our always-on, chronically overextended culture, empowering us to reclaim control of our own lives once and for all.
The Cure for Sleep
by Tanya ShadrickJust days into motherhood, a woman begins dying. Fast and without warning.On return from near-death, Tanya Shadrick vows to stop sleepwalking through life. To take more risks, like the characters in the fairy tales she loved as a small girl, before loss and fear had her retreat into routine and daydreams.Around the care of young children, she starts to play with the shape and scale of her days: to stray from the path, get lost in the woods, make bargains with strangers. As she moves beyond her respectable roles as worker, wife and mother in a small town, Tanya learns what it takes - and costs - to break the spell of longing for love, approval, safety, rescue.