The Silk Road is as iconic in world history as the Colossus of Rhodes or the Suez Canal. But what was it, exactly? It conjures up a hazy image of a caravan of camels laden with silk on a dusty desert track, reaching from China to Rome. The reality was different--and far more interesting--as revealed in this new history. In The Silk Road, Valerie Hansen describes the remarkable archeological finds that revolutionize our understanding of these trade routes. For centuries, key records remained hidden--sometimes deliberately buried by bureaucrats for safe keeping. But the sands of...
The Silk Road is as iconic in world history as the Colossus of Rhodes or the Suez Canal. But what was it, exactly? It conjures up a hazy image of a ca...
In her study of medieval Chinese lay practices and beliefs, Valerie Hansen argues that social and economic developments underlay religious changes in the Southern Song. Unfamiliar with the contents of Buddhist and Daoist texts, the common people hired the practitioner or prayed to the god they thought could cure the ill or bring rain. As the economy rapidly developed, the gods, like the people who worshiped them, diversified: their realm of influence expanded as some gods began to deal on the national grain market and others advised their followers on business transactions. In order to...
In her study of medieval Chinese lay practices and beliefs, Valerie Hansen argues that social and economic developments underlay religious changes ...
What do Strange Sexual Problems, Deviant People, Goofy Surveys, Weird Criminals and Bizarre Medical and Scientific Facts have in common? They All Need Punch Lines Luckily, thanks to the satirical wit of Valerie Hansen, no story here has gone un-punched From a joke writer who has had jokes published alongside such famous late-night comics as Jay Leno, David Letterman, Bill Maher and Conan O'Brien comes a book full of one-liners and wisecracks about today's stupidest news Read Valerie's opinions on such important stories as a woman who was born with two vaginas, a man who lost part of his...
What do Strange Sexual Problems, Deviant People, Goofy Surveys, Weird Criminals and Bizarre Medical and Scientific Facts have in common? They All Need...
