Classic of the Month:Twelve Years a Slave

In honor of Black History Month, we are featuring an unique and influential work about slavery that has recently achieved renewed recognition because of the release of  major feature movie of the same name:Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northup.

In 1841, free-born African American Solomon Northup was offered a job in his hometown of Saratoga Springs, New York. He followed his employers to the job site at Washington, D.C., where he was beaten, drugged, kidnapped, and sold into slavery, eventually ending up on a plantation in Louisiana owned by Edwin Epps. While there, in 1852, Northup befriended Canadian carpenter Samuel Bass, who was at the time doing work for Epps. Secretly, Bass was able to contact Northup's family, who informed New York governor Washington Hunt of his kidnapping. The state was able to use a law passed in 1840 that allowed the recovery of free black men who were sold into slavery to rescue Northup. Solomon was finally made free again on January 4, 1853. One of few slaves of his era ever to regain freedom, he devoted his time and energy to lecturing and educating others about abolitionism. Northup is without a doubt, a person worth celebrating.


Twelve Years a Slave was a bestseller in its time and remains one today. Northrup's work sold approximately 30,000 copies copies when it was first released, and has made the Top Ten of the New York Times Non-Fiction Bestseller list for 2013. A recent film adaptation by Steve McQueen, starring Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender, and Brad Pitt, has also earned the story the Golden Globe for Best Drama and nine Academy Award nominations including best picture, best actor in a leading and supporting role, best actress in a supporting role, and best director.

Cosimo is proud to have released both an affordable paperback and beautiful hardcover edition of Twelve Years a Slave at Barnes & Noble, as well as on Amazon (paperback and hardcover).

Buffalo News Praises Schechter the News Dissector

In his recent article for the The Buffalo News, Mark Sommer discusses renowned journalist, blogger, and Cosimo author, Danny Schechter. Sommer explains that Schechter is a distinguished voice in the world of journalism not only because of his multiple platforms (blogs, news, documentaries, and books), but because of his unique perspective which offers a "counter-narrative" to the issues of the day.

In recent years, Schechter – dubbed “Danny Schechter the News Dissector" during his days as news director at WBCN in Boston, in the days of underground rock radio – has been a tireless voice for reform of Wall Street and corporate-owned media, subjects that figure heavily in his 15 books and 30 documentaries.
The former Emmy award-winning producer for ABC’s “20/20” has for the past 11 years also continued to present a counternarrative to the conventional wisdom of the day through a daily blog at www.newsdissector.net.

Cosimo is also excited to announce that Schechter's Occupy was listed as a getAbstract Best Book. getAbstract.com also offers an extensive summary of the book online.

As you begin the new year, we encourage you to investigate new perspectives by looking into Schechter's most recent titles, Blogothon: Reflections and Revelations from the News Dissector and Occupy: Dissecting Occupy Wall Street. 

In honor of Jeanne Avery, actress, astrologer and author

With sadness we recently heard of Jeanne Avery's passing away earlier this year. After a successful acting career, Jean Avery became a professional astrologer in the 1960s. She wrote a very popular daily astrology column which appeared in hundreds of newspapers in the 1970s and 1980s. She wrote books, the first of which was The Rising Sign: Your Astrological Mask (1982, Doubleday). Followed by five more books, three of which, we are proud to have republished as Paraview titles:

Astrology and Your Health

Astrology and Your Past Lives

and

A Soul's Journey

In all her astrology work, Jean Avery emphasized that astrology is not a crystal ball. "Astrology is like a road map," she frequently said. " It helps us to upgrade the quality of our choices. You can choose to take the superhighway to your destination or you can choose to take the back roads. Either way, you're the one to make the choices. An understanding of astrology gives us more control over our lives, not less."

Jean Avery was a popular speaker and workshop leader at conventions. She was a member of the American Federation of Astrologers, a board member of the National Association for Transpersonal Psychology, and was listed in Who's Who in the World, Who's Who in the East, and Who's Who for Women.

Dr. Edward Bruce Bynum and Dark Light Consciousness, A New Book About the Power of Melanin and the African American Tradition

On June 19, psychologist and author Edward Bruce Bynum released a new book on the African tradition with Inner Traditions Press. In Dark Light Consciousness: Melanin, Serpent Power, and the Luminous Matrix of Reality, Dr. Bynum explores the consciousness and the superconsciousness of individuals and the universe, using science and ancient African and Indian traditions to help readers tap into their minds and bodies.

The back cover copy explains,

Within each of us lies the potential to activate a personal connection to the superconscious. Called “Ureaus” in ancient Egyptian texts and “Kundalini” in ancient Hindu yoga traditions, our innate serpent power of spiritual transcendence inhabits the base of the spine in its dormant state. When awakened, it unfurls along the spinal column to the brain, connecting individual consciousness to the consciousness of the universe enfolded within the dark matter of space. At the root of creativity and spiritual genius across innumerable cultures and civilizations, this intelligent force reveals portals that enfold time, space, and the luminous matrix of reality itself. 

Combining physics, neuroscience, and biochemistry with ancient traditions from Africa and India, Edward Bruce Bynum, Ph.D., explores the ancient Egyptian science of the Ureaus and reveals how it is intimately connected to dark matter and to melanin, a light-sensitive, energy-conducting substance found in the brain, nervous system, and organs of all higher life-forms. He explains how the dark light of melanin serves as the biochemical infrastructure for the subtle energy body, just as dark matter, together with gravity, holds the galaxies and constellations together. With illustrated instructions, he shows how to safely awaken and stabilize the spiritual energy of the Ureaus through meditation practices, breathing exercises, and yoga postures as well as how to prepare the subtle body for transdimensional soul travel.

By embracing the dark light of the shining serpent within, we overcome our collective fear of the vast living darkness without. By embracing the dark, we transcend reality to the dimension of light.

Fans of Dr. Bynum's work know that he uses his psychological and scientifc background to assess the human brain, whether it be dreams, humanity's African roots, or the consciousness and the soul. He continues this trend with Dark Light Consciousness, earning praise for his research. Teri Degler, author of The Divine Feminine Fire and the Fiery Muse commented, “In this fascinating book, Edward Bynum throws down a gauntlet to science that may very well result in the most revolutionary research ever done on consciousness. His groundbreaking ideas challenge not just what we know about enlightenment but the very nature of light itself and--more importantly for each and every one of us--our journey toward it.” 

Other of Dr. Bynum's works include Families and the Interpretation of Dreams (Paraview Special Editions, 2003), Why Darkness Matters: The Power of Melanin in the Brain (African American Images, 2005), The Roots of Transcendence (Cosimo Boks, 2006), The Family Unconscious (Cosimo Books, 2006), and The African Unconscious: Roots of Ancient Mysticism and Modern Psychology (republished by Cosimo Books, 2012).

Noble Enterprise by Darwin Gillett selected as one of Top 40 Business Books

We thought our readers might enjoy this blog entry from John Spence, a well-known business blogger, author, and recipient of an Honorable Mention from Small Business Influencer in 2011. John chose 40 books out of the more than 2000 business titles he has read to make his "Top 40 Business Books" list--quite an honor for all involved. John says.

“I sit here in my office surrounded by more than 2,000 business books I must admit that it is pretty tough to narrow it down to just a handful of the very best.  However, if I were going to pick the top books that I feel give the best information for how to run a business successfully this would be my list.”

We are proud to announce that Darwin Gillett, author of Noble Enterprise, is on that list, putting him in league with authors Tom Peters, Jim Collins, Warren Bennis, and other luminairies! Noble Enterprise, published in 2008, offers the insights, leadership tools, and inspiration for entrepreneurs to create a business--a noble enterprise-- that will lead employees to new heights of performance. It teaches business owners to:

• Strengthen the organization by awakening and activating the rich array of human energy, wisdom, passion, and purpose in employees;
• Revitalize your company by creating and implementing a plan for turning around (and turning on) even the most "stuck" operation;
• Build sustainable growth and profitability by learning the secrets of corporate revitalization and applying them to achieve sustainable success;
• Expand your leadership impact by building employee morale and commitment and helping employees achieve big performance goals; and
• Inspire your people by increasing employees' enthusiasm and confidence and turning your company into a high-performing noble enterprise

Blogger Rory O'Connor Praises New Book by Danny Schechter

Hey, you all remember Rory O'Connor? He's a journalist and a blogger and recently held a virtual book tour for his new book, Friends, Followers and the Future: How Social Media are Changing Politics, Threatening Big Brands and Killing Traditional Media.

Well, Mr. O'Connor has written a rather raving review of Danny's new book, Blogothon. Blogothon analyzes the media and its treatment of major events and persons over the last several years, much in the way O'Connor dissects the effects of social media on the traditional media landscape. If you're a fan of Rory or Danny or both, you should check out the review and then their books.

The Dissector in the News

Danny Schechter has been busy lately, promoting his new books, talking about the upcoming election, the economy, and in general forcing us all to pay attention to what's really going on in the world.

In case you haven't gotten your media fix, here are two more offerings from Mr. Schechter. The first is an article he posted last week to the Huffington Post about money's influence in politics, particularly on election campaigns.Check it out for the scoop on how Republican and Democratic candidates are using--and making--those bucks.

Second is a radio interview about Danny's new book, Blogothon: Reflections and Revelations from the News Dissector, on AM 1510's Revolution Boston. You can download and listen to the entire interview here.

Be sure to stay tuned next week for more info about Danny's new book!

Barbara Bizou’s Joy of Family Ritual is May’s Book of the Month

With mother’s day around the corner, it made sense for us to choose a book about families and celebrating families for our book of the month.  Every day families are performing rituals: eating dinner together, celebrating birthdays, taking walks, and more. Most activities families do together become rituals for how they grow and live as a family. 

The Joy of Family Rituals: Recipes for Everyday Living is a recipe book for families who want to further enrich their lives with rituals. By reflecting on the significance of the everyday rituals and making them a part of daily life, families can strengthen their bond. Rituals help a family communicate, foster spiritual connections, and provide a secure foundation for growth. Though rituals are probably already a part of your family life, The Joy of Family Ritual can help incorporate even more rituals into your daily life.

BARBARA BIZIOU is an internationally acclaimed teacher of practical spirituality and global rituals. She is a life coach, voice dialogue facilitator, interfaith minister, and motivational speaker. She has lectured and taught around the world. She currently resides in New York managing her company, Blue Lotus Productions. You can visit her online at www.joyofritual.com. 

Rory O'Connor's Virtual Book Tour

If you're interested in social media, or media in general, and like Danny Schechter's work, then you should check out a virtual book tour by Rory O'Connor TONIGHT, at 7pm EST/4pm PST. You can see all the details and sign up here.

O'Connor will be discussing his new book, Friends, Followers and the Future: How Social Media are Changing Politics, Threatening Big Brands and Killing Traditional Media. He'll explain the trends in social media and explore what tech visionaries, media makers, political advisers, and businesspeople are saying about the meteoric rise of the various social networks.

Check it out!