Monday, December 29, 2014

Paul Krugman on the Great Illusion of Agressive Wars


http://www.cosimobooks.com/b3299_The-Great-Illusion-1616402563-9781616402563.htm

New York Times columnist and Noble prize winning economist, Paul Krugman, last week in his column described the futility of aggressive wars as already explained in the 1909 classic book "The Great Illusion", whether by Russian President Vladimir Putin or by neo-cons in the U.S. This is what Krugman said in "Conquest is for Losers":

"More than a century has passed since Norman Angell, a British journalist and politician, published “The Great Illusion,” a treatise arguing that the age of conquest was or at least should be over. He didn’t predict an end to warfare, but he did argue that aggressive wars no longer made sense — that modern warfare impoverishes the victors as well as the vanquished.

He was right, but it’s apparently a hard lesson to absorb. Certainly Vladimir Putin never got the memo. And neither did our own neocons, whose acute case of Putin envy shows that they learned nothing from the Iraq debacle. 

Angell’s case was simple: Plunder isn’t what it used to be. You can’t treat a modern society the way ancient Rome treated a conquered province without destroying the very wealth you’re trying to seize. And meanwhile, war or the threat of war, by disrupting trade and financial connections, inflicts large costs over and above the direct expense of maintaining and deploying armies. War makes you poorer and weaker, even if you win........"

Krugman explains that since Putin's land-grab of Crimea, that region's economy imploded and due to sanctions Russia is now in the midst of a financial crisis. No success here for Putin's warmongering.  Then Krugman continues with the example of the U.S. invasion and occupation of Iraq, heavily promoted by neo-cons in 2003 and beyond, that has only resulted in destruction of a country, and grave loss in blood and treasure to the US over the eleven years since the invasion started. Still, some of these neocons seem to be impressed with Putin's "leadership", and have not learned any lessons from the catastrophic consequences of their ideas. Krugman concludes his column with:

"...America is a true superpower, so we can handle such losses — although one shudders to think of what might have happened if the “real men” had been given a chance to move on to other targets. But a financially fragile petroeconomy like Russia doesn’t have the same ability to roll with its mistakes.
 I have no idea what will become of the Putin regime. But Mr. Putin has offered all of us a valuable lesson. Never mind shock and awe: In the modern world, conquest is for losers."

Cosimo is proud to have once again made available a classic book with enduring value and lessons for modern day readers. Cosimo has several books by Sir Norman Angell available, including for true book lovers,  a hard cover of "The Great Illusion".









Wednesday, December 17, 2014

"Many New Years" Poetry Collection for the Holidays by Vera Srbinović


http://www.amazon.com/Mnoge-nove-godine-Many-Years/dp/8683517802/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1418848004&sr=1-1&keywords=Mnoge+Nove+Godine%2C+Many+New+Years
Cosimo is proud to present this holiday season
Mnoge Nove Godine/Many NewYears, a beautiful New Year’s holiday collection of poems in English and Serbian (originally published by Dan Graf in Belgrade, Serbia.)

Ranging from the present back to 1998, award winning poet - and Cosimo author - Vera Srbinović showcases one poem for every year. The artwork in this hard cover book was created by the poet herself as colorful New Year’s cards symbolizing the events that took place that year. 

As this holiday season extends into next year for many Orthodox Christians, who will be celebrating Christmas on January 7 and New Year on January 14, Many New Years is the perfect holiday gift for poetry lovers, or those interested in European culture and history.
 
Vera Srbinović has received widespread praise for her work, including:
 
“Her poems are Pushkinesque, warm and tender.”
-  Politika (a leading Belgrade daily)

“Her poems seem to be sprinkled with gold-dust.”
- Snezana Lukić, in the Belgrade art magazine Bazar
 
But let her art speak for itself in the following poem from Many New Years:

 
 2014


As if the stars came down to Earth and Sea
Into this night on a black winged steed
They fly over cities, forests and fields
Celebrating the end of the year
Covered in pollen and snowflakes
In my eye covered with snow
Ancient nights repeat like a kaleidoscope
Light breeze strums the strings
Purple fires of Atlas
Covered in heavenly dust
                                          


Many New Years/Mnoge Nove Godine is in the U.S. only available from Amazon (or if bulk sales from Cosimo)





Tuesday, December 16, 2014

December Series of the Month: The Complete Works of Charles Dickens

The Complete Works of Charles DickensWith Christmas right around the corner, it's inevitable that Scrooge and Oliver Twist will be popping up on everyone's television. However, Charles Dickens' fascinating works are truest in their original form--books. This month, Cosimo is excited to present The Complete Works of Charles Dickens as its December Series of the Month.

Charles Dickens is iconic, legendary, and masterfully clever. In these thirty beautiful volumes, which include each and every work written by Charles Dickens, readers can immerse themselves in the mind of one of history's most celebrated literary geniuses. He is entirely responsible for the popular image of Victorian London that still lingers today, and his many celebrated characters are mentioned time and time again. But it was his stirring portraits and his fervent cries for social, moral, and legal justice for the working poor in the grim early decades of the Industrial Revolution that powerfully impacted social concerns well into the 20th century.

This essential collector's set will excite librarians, professors, students of literature, and the passionate reader. Cosimo offers this series by individual volume at leading online bookstores or as a full 30-volume set in hardcover or paperback. If you are interested in purchasing the full set, please contact us.
 
The paperback retail list price for this series is: $389.70 but now our price is: $311.99 (you save $77.71 or a 20 percent discount)

The hardcover retail list price for this series is: $899.70, but now our price is: $719.99 (you save $179.71 or a 20 percent discount)

Thursday, December 11, 2014

December Classic of the Month: Hans Brinker or The Silver Skates

"Gretel looked at her [mother] in troubled silence, wondering whether it were very wicked to care more for one parent than for the other-and sure, yes, quite sure, that she dreaded her father, while she clung to her mother with a love that was almost idolatry." -- from Hans Brinker

A beloved childhood favorite for a century and a half--and a book that readers continue to enjoy and appreciate long into adulthood--Hans Brinker, or The Silver Skates went through more than 100 editions during the author's lifetime alone. First published in 1865, this replica of the 1917 edition features the exquisite illustrations by Alice Carsey, whose sensitive eye and delicate pen-and-ink lines enliven the tale of the poor but virtuous Dutch boy in a way that few other artists have achieved. This replica edition brings the enchanting work of Dodge and Carsey to a new generation of children.

Dodge's book takes place in the Netherlands and is a fictional portrait of early 19th-century Dutch life. The perfect gift for the children's lit lover, young adult reader, and avid bookworms in your life.

About the Author
Author and editor Mary Mapes Dodge (1831-1905) was born in New York City. She served as editor of the children's magazine St. Nicholas, to which she attracted such writers as Mark Twain, Louisa May Alcott, Robert Louis Stevenson, Frances Hodgson Burnett, and Rudyard Kipling. She also authored the short-fiction collection Irvington Stories (1864).

Cosimo is happy to offer Hans Brinker, or The Silver Skates in both hardcover and paperback formats at leading online bookstores including Barnes & Noble (paperbackhardcover) and Amazon (paperbackhardcover).




Tuesday, December 9, 2014

Announcing Bram Stroker's Dracula now available in Ebook Format

In honor of the release of Dracula Untold, the newest action horror movie adaptation loosely based on the 1897 novel Dracula, Cosimo is happy to announce the publication of Bram Stoker's famously creepy tale as an eBook!

Stoker's Dracula is perhaps one of the best known and most influential books in all of literature. His novel didn't merely inspire countless adaptations for stage and film, it invented an entire genre of horror: the vampire story, which continues to evolve and change today into wildly varied directions, from romance, to detective stories, to symbolizing current topics and movements. 
  
The story of English solicitor Jonathan Harker and his strange new client, Transylvanian aristocrat Count Dracula, is the classic work of Victorian gothic horror, the continuing eerie wellspring of many of our cultural fantasies and nightmares.

Still haunting and terrifying even today, Dracula is a must-read for those interested in the origins of the vampire genre.  

About the Author
Irish author Abraham (Bram) Stoker (1847-1912) worked for more than a quarter of a century as manager of the West End's Lyceum Theatre, which drew him into London's literary and artists circles; he was a friend of such luminaries as writer Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and painter James Abbott McNeill Whistler. Stoker is also the author of Famous Impostors, among many other books.

Cosimo is proud to offer this title in both hardcover and paperback at leading online bookstores including Barnes & Noble (paperbackhardcover) and Amazon (paperbackhardcover), and now newly available as an eBook.




Thursday, December 4, 2014

December Book of the Month: The Joy of Ritual


In spirit of the the holiday season, Cosimo is thrilled to offer The Joy of Ritual by Barbara Biziou as our December Book of the Month. 

Rituals are fundamental elements to this time of year, and help to bring substance, meaning, and cheer to our lives. Rituals can enhance daily routines, enrich milestones, and guide us through difficult transitions. They help to release fear, bring deeper meaning to a family or community gathering, and bring greater enjoyment to an an important event. 

In this wonderful book, Barbara Biziou, one of America's foremost ritual experts, teaches us how to restore ritual to its rightful place---as food for the soul---through practical, easy-to-use recipes that are inspiring and enjoyable.


To see Barbara Biziou in action, see the below clip on modern holiday rituals:



 And another clip with a preview on Vision 2015, a workshop on how to start the New Year:
 
 


About the Author
Barbara Biziou is an interfaith minister, motivational speaker, and a life-strategy coach. She is the author of The Joy of Ritual & The Joy of Family Rituals, as well as a Huffington Post blogger, executive consultant, dynamic public speaker, and national TV personality. Biziou has a deep commitment to integrating practical spirituality into people's lives, both personally and professionally. She is a frequent guest on radio and television and has appeared in the New York Times, Body and Soul, Harper's Bazaar and Parent's Magazine.

Cosimo offers this title in paperback at leading online bookstores including Barnes & Noble and Amazon, and also as an eBook for Kindle, Nook, and Kobo.





Tuesday, December 2, 2014

An Interpretation of Shakespeare's Sonnets

William Shakespeare is widely regarded as the greatest writer who ever lived. He has not only dominated the stage with his magnificent plays, but he has won the hearts of many with his exquisite, and clever sonnets. In fact, his sonnets are deemed so clever, that no, one clear interpretation exists for each. As a result, for centuries they have inspired classes and discussions within almost every University. They have driven scholars to dedicate their lives to understanding the works' meanings. Shakespeare's beautifully crafted language tells history, love, and love lost and has been the inspiration for many developments.

Cosimo shares with you one individual's detailed observations and interpretations of Shakespeare's sonnets, which open the mind's eye to a whole new view of the master-mind's work. Alan Tarica, although without a formal training in the Humanities, developed a keen interest in the poetic works. His interpretations, which are displayed on his website, have caught the eye's of many. If you are in need of an intellectual challenge, or are an avid reader of Shakespeare's sonnets, Alan Tarica's website is sure to interest you.

Cosimo is proud to offer Poems and Sonnets of William Shakespeare in paperback at leading online bookstores including Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

Thursday, November 20, 2014

November Classic of the Month: Presidential Inaugural Addresses


Cosimo's November classic of the month explores the depths of history. Through times of peace, prosperity, war, and uproar, inaugural addresses have shed light onto points of tranquility, while spreading hope onto periods of transition and fear. It is within this book, Inaugural Addresses of the United States by The Committee of Inaugural Ceremonies, that has captured the speeches of each of the nation's new and continued leaders. From George Washington in 1789 to Barack Obama in 2013, inaugural addresses have been their first voiced words as a leader, setting the stage for their work to follow. Now that the U.S. mid-term elections are behind us, it would behoove many of us to re-read these inaugural addresses and compare the Presidents' visions with daily reality.

The Joint Congressional Committee of Inaugural Ceremonies (JCCIC) coordinates the Inaugural swearing-in ceremony of the President and Vice President of the United States, the traditional Inaugural luncheon that follows, and all other Inaugural activities at the U.S. Capitol. It is comprised of the Senate Majority Leader, the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the Majority and Minority Leaders of the House of Representatives.

This collection of historical documents is a must-read for any historian, an excellent reference tool for librarians and students, and an educational informant for all. Cosimo is proud to offer this title in both paperback and hardcover at leading online bookstores including Barnes & Noble (hardcover, paperback) and Amazon (hardcover, paperback).




Tuesday, November 18, 2014

November Series of the Month: Beacon Lights of History


This November, Cosimo announces Beacon Lights of History by John Lord as it Series of the Month. First published in 1902, this cherished series contains a collection of John Lord's, an American historian, lectures. Covering a time span of 6,000 years of European and American history, Lord's lectures cover history from the old Pagan civilizations to Lord's modern time period. This replica edition features all of the original illustrations and is bound to excite reader's of history and lovers of classic literature.

John Lord was born in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. He attended Dartmouth, graduated in 1833, and then pursued his studies at Andover Theological Society. During his second year, he curated a series of lectures on the Dark Ages, which he delivered the following Fall during a tour through northern New York. Following graduation, he became an agent for the American Peace Society, and then was later called to a church at New Marlboro, MA and then one in Stockbridge, MA. However, soon John Lord had other ventures he wanted to explore, and in 1840 he gave up his pastoral studies to become a public lecturer. He then went on to write a total of six works. 

Cosimo offers this series by individual volume at leading online bookstores or as a full 15-volume set in hardcover or paperback. These titles are especially of interest to historians, collectors, and professional librarians. However, this exceptional collection is one that must be read by all. If you are interested in purchasing the full set, please contact us.
 
The paperback retail list price for this series is: $251.85 but now our price is: $199.00 (you save $52.85 or a 20 percent discount)

The hardcover retail list price for this series is: $509.85, but now our price is: $399.99 (you save $109.86 or a 20 percent discount)
 

Thursday, November 13, 2014

November Book of the Month: Trauma Room One

This month, Cosimo is thrilled to present Trauma Room One The JFK Medical Coverup Exposed---originally published by Paraview Press---by Charles A. Crenshaw with a Foreword by Oliver Stone, as its Book of the Month. In this gripping account, Dr. Charles Crenshaw, one of the several Dallas surgeons who worked on JFK in Trauma Room One, shares what really happened within those walls.
In November of 1963, the doctors who tried to save President John F. Kennedy at Parkland Hospital agreed---either out of respect or fear---not to publish what they have seen, heard, or felt. But in 1990, Charles Crenshaw stepped forward and decided that the American people ought to know the truth.

In 1992, when the first edition of this book was published under JFK: Conspiracy of Silence, Crenshaw revealed what he never had the opportunity to tell the Warren Commission. Crenshaw states, "The wounds to Kennedy's head and throat that I examined were caused by bullets that struck him from the front, not the back, as the public has been lead to believe."

Shortly after publication, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) called Crenshaw's book a fabrication. But in court, the claim did not hold up, and Crenshaw subsequently prevailed in a defamation suit against JAMA. In the process, a number of new medical disclosures have emerged on the startling medical cover-up of the JFK assassination. This November when we remember President Kennedy's death, now already fifty-one years ago, Trauma Room One has become a classic book that shows current readers how President Kennedy was killed.

Cosimo offers this title in both hardcover and paperback at leading online bookstores including Barnes & Noble and Amazon.


Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Ben-Hur Movie Remake Scheduled

More than fifty years since its last adaption, Ben-Hur has been scheduled to be remade once again. The film, which is expected to be released on February 19th, 2016 in the UK and February 26th in the US, will star Boardwalk Empire actor Jack Huston alongside legendary Morgan Freeman.

Once the best-selling and most widely read American novel by Lew Wallace, and the first work of fiction to be blessed by the Pope, Ben-Hur has given rise to numerous stage and film adaptions since its creation. Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ chronicles the journey of Judah Ben-Hur and the life of Jesus, from Ben-Hur's quest for vengeance against the Romans and his search for his imprisoned family to the birth of Jesus in the manger and the Crucifixion. Cleverly connecting two story-lines to create both an exciting tale of adventure---with shipwrecks, chariot races, and duels---and a compelling story of love and spiritual growth, Ben-Hur has continued to engage readers and entertain audiences for more than a century.

Cosimo is proud to offer this title in both hardcover and paperback at leading online bookstores including Barnes & Noble (hardcover, paperback) and Amazon (hardcover, paperback).



Thursday, October 30, 2014

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween to all you ghosts and ghouls out there! In honor of this fantastic holiday, Cosimo would like to present our authors who are experts on all things unknown, creepy, and unnatural. 

Gear up for your spooky night by listening to Loren Coleman examine evidence of extinct animals coming back to life on After Dark Radio, read Nick Redfern's take on werewolves on Mysterious Universe, or watch Stanton Friedman discuss UFOs in an interview at Minnesota Paracon 2014.

Or, if you are in need of some entertainment while waiting for your little neighborhood witches and wizards to arrive at your door, tune in to Talk is Jericho for an interview with Cryptozoologist Loren Coleman, pop some popcorn and rent one of Nick Redfern's favorite Halloween horror flicks, or settle down with a good book. Perhaps Redfern's Body Snatchers in the Desert, Coleman's Mothman, or Friedman's Crash at Corona will tickle your fancy. For more of an old-fashioned classic scare, pick up Draula by Bram StokerThe Man Who Knew Too Much by G. K. Chesterton, Mythical Monsters by Charles Gould, or The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving.

Whether you decide on aliens, monsters, or headless horsemen, we wish you all a safe and happy All Hallows Eve from everyone at Cosimo!

For a complete list of all things eerie and chilling, visit our cryptozoologymystery, mythology & folklore, and UFO pages on our website.














Tuesday, October 28, 2014

EcoHealth Alliance on Ebola

A few years ago Cosimo joined the "1 % for the Planet" network of  businesses dedicated to supporting the environment.  Among the organizations Cosimo is proud to support is EcoHealth Alliance, which in recent months has quickly become a trusted source of expert research, knowledge, and advice on the most recent Ebola outbreak.

Parviez Hosseini, a mathematician and ecologist at EcoHealth Alliance, was mentioned in an article in Mother Jones about flight patterns. Kevin Olival, a disease ecologist and evolutionary biologist, was interviewed in an article for Wired about disease carrying animals. Jonathan Epstein, a veterinarian and epidemiologist, was quoted in articles on Public Radio International about deforestation, on Aljazeera about border control, as well as on CCTV.




"Right now, we are facing the worst Ebola outbreak in history, as a result of mankind's continued destruction of our environment and wildlife habitats worldwide. EcoHealth Alliance is the only organization working to protect human health from emerging infectious disease outbreaks, like Ebola, and we are already fighting to prevent the next infectious disease outbreak from happening while millions of dollars are now being devoted to contain this current Ebola outbreak," said Shari Sampson, the director of corporate and donor relations at EcoHealth Alliance. To learn more about the actions EcoHealth Alliance is taking against Ebola, visit their featured story page, or their programs section.

About EcoHealth Alliance
EcoHealth Alliance is a global, nonprofit organization dedicated to conservation, wildlife protection, and the control and prevention of disease. Using research, education, training, policy 
initiatives, and global partnerships, EcoHealth Alliance fights the effects of damaged ecosystems and human-wildlife interaction. Headquartered in New York, the organization works in more than 20 countries worldwide.

About 1% for the Planet
1% for the Planet's mission is to build, support and activate an alliance of businesses financially committed to creating a healthy planet.