Most Popular Books by John Matthews

The aim pursued in the present study may be stated without further preamble: To attempt to broaden understanding of the evolution of André Breton''s thinking during a critical period in his life, the one which brought him to leadership of the surrealist movement in France.

From the magical figure of Merlin to the diminutive Harry Potter, wizards have appeared in many guises through the ages: as mystics, healers and literary figures. This book traces the origins and legends of wizards, from ancient times to present day and across the cultures of the world.

Looks at myths, legends, and ceremonies that honor the sun, and includes a history of ancient cultures that worshiped the sun and songs, meditations, and activities for various festivals.

Defines then explores all aspects of what this tradition represents, its symbolic figures and places.

Book with accompanying talisman template poster and 28 oracle cards.

Ethics is, in an important sense, a matter of ‘being good’ but it is also a question about how to live a ‘good life’. This book''s emphasis on the theatrical and performative and their relationship to ethics, highlights that being good is, a matter of acting good and that acting good is a question of performing (or not-performing) certain roles and duties. This book surveys the most recent work in the field of ethics and performance, organizing this research through the metaphor of ‘the good life’. Each chapter explores a question about what it means to ‘act good’ at a different point in life and thus the book moves from natality to fatality, and beyond in its meditation on the relationship between performance and life itself. In this, it offers an important contribution to the contemporary debate about the relationship between ethics, theatre and performance studies.

Nature-based solutions (NBS) are interventions to protect, restore, and sustainably manage natural or modified ecosystems to support both biodiversity and human well-being. This guide explores the benefits of using NBS in a suite of development options to promote sustainable and resource-efficient infrastructure. It includes case studies from Bangladesh, Nepal, the People''s Republic of China, the Philippines, and Viet Nam to show how NBS can be mainstreamed in the portfolio of the Asian Development Bank.

The author questions inherited wisdom about children''s development in visual representation and explains different models of development in visual expression.

Merlin, best known to us as the advisor of young King Arthur, is the most famous and familiar image of the magician that we possess. Acclaimed Arthurian expert John Matthews examines the many guises of this popular figure—as seer, prophet, magician, and inspiration to people from all walks of life. He explores the possible historic origins of Merlin as a Celtic king, the later literary forms of his legend in the myths of King Arthur, and his more recent manifestations in visionary works, as the prototype for characters such as Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Star Wars films, and other characters in TV and fantasy writing. Drawing on a wealth of sources from Celtic, medieval, and Renaissance times, this is the first, fully-illustrated book on Merlin, the man.

In The Eyeball Killer, investigating cop John Matthews with journalist Christine Wicker, exposes the private demons that turned one man''s sick fantasies into one of the most appalling murder sprees in the annals of Texas crime. And in his jail cell, where he has been imprisoned for life, Charles Albright still paints pictures of women''s eyes. Photos.