“Chaldean Magic: Its Origin and Development” by Francois Lenormant

"This Weiser classic reprint of the 1877 publication of Lenormant's La Magie Chez les Chaldeens is a scholarly exposition of the magical practices, religious systems and mythology of the Chaldeans of ancient Assyria. It explores the translation of a large table from the library of the royal palace at Nineveh, containing 28 formulas of deprecatory incantations against evil spirits, the effects of sorcery, disease, and the principal misfortunes that attack people in the course of daily life."...>>

“On Writing and Worldbuilding” by Timothy Hickson (both volumes)

"Writing advice tends to be full of 'rules' and 'tips' which are either too broad to be helpful or outright wrong. With over 35,000 copies sold, On Writing and Worldbuilding: Volume I discusses specific and applicable ideas for your writing, from effective methods of delivering exposition and foreshadowing, to how communication, commerce, and control play into the fall of an empire. Following the immense success of the first book, On Writing and Worldbuilding: Volume II brings a host of new topics to table in even more detail and depth. Writing advice tends to be full of 'rules' and 'tips' which are either too broad to be helpful or outright wrong. Aimed at specific, applicable, and...>>

“Lure of the Arcane: The Literature of Cult and Conspiracy” by Theodore Ziolkowski

"Explore 2,000 years of conspiracy in fiction with this study of the depiction of cults, conspiracies, and secret societies in literature from ancient Greek and Roman mysteries to the 21st century thriller. Fascination with the arcane is a driving force in this comprehensive survey of conspiracy fiction. Theodore Ziolkowski traces the evolution of cults, orders, lodges, secret societies, and conspiracies through various literary manifestations—drama, romance, epic, novel, opera—down to the thrillers of the twenty-first century. Lure of the Arcane considers Euripides’s Bacchae, Andreae’s Chymical Wedding, Mozart’s The Magic Flute, and Eco’s Foucault’s Pendulum, among other seminal works. Mimicking the genre’s quest-driven narrative arc, the reader searches for the significance of conspiracy fiction and is rewarded with...>>

“Llewellyn’s 2023 Herbal Almanac: A Practical Guide to Growing, Cooking & Crafting” by Llewellyn

"For twenty-four years, Llewellyn's Herbal Almanac has provided enthusiasts of all skill levels with a wealth of practical ideas on growing, using, and benefiting from nature's most dynamic plants. This impressive guide is packed with valuable information, including gardening resources, hands-on project ideas, and dozens of helpful tips and techniques. Discover a wealth of innovative herbal ideas that span gardening, cooking, crafts, health, beauty, history, and lore. This year's edition also includes profiles for mustard, elderberry, bay, and summer savory. Whether you are interested in herbs for stir-fries, no-cook sauces and marinades, foot baths, natural-made dolls, or Victorian houseplants, this wonderful almanac has something to delight your herbal practice."...>>

“A Divine Language: Learning Algebra, Geometry, and Calculus at the Edge of Old Age” by Alec Wilkinson

🕵️🐷🕵️ zero-day🕵️🐷🕵️ "A spirited, metaphysical exploration into math's deepest mysteries and conundrums at the crux of middle age. Decades after struggling to understand math as a boy, Alec Wilkinson decides to embark on a journey to learn it as a middle-aged man. What begins as a personal challenge―and it's challenging―soon transforms into something greater than a belabored effort to learn math. Despite his incompetence, Wilkinson encounters a universe of unexpected mysteries in his pursuit of mathematical knowledge and quickly becomes fascinated; soon, his exercise in personal growth (and torture) morphs into an intellectually expansive exploration. In A Divine Language, Wilkinson, a contributor to The New Yorker for over forty years, journeys into the heart of the divine...>>