San Antonio College Library

"The best-selling 'Survey of Historic Costume' covers the history of Western dress from the ancient world to the mid-1990s. The costume of each period is viewed within its historical, cultural, and economic context. Perfect for anyone interested in historic costume, fashion, textiles, drama, and design, this beautifully illustrated book is full of interesting facts and commentary. Features include: detailed descriptions of garments, footwear, accessories,...

"From our first ABCs to the Book of Revelation's statement that Jesus is "the Alpha and Omega," we see the world through our letters. More than just a way of writing, the alphabet is a powerful concept that has shaped Western civilization and our daily lives. In The Letter and the Cosmos, Laurence de Looze probes that influence, showing how the alphabet has served as a lens through which we conceptualize the world and how the world, and sometimes...

Many books have been written about the success of the West, analyzing why Europe was able to pull ahead of the rest of the world by the end of the Middle Ages. Here, sociologist Stark advances a revolutionary, controversial idea: that Christianity and its related institutions are, in fact, directly responsible for the most significant intellectual, political, scientific, and economic breakthroughs of the past millennium. In Stark's view, what has...

In the decades following the First World War, when aviation was still a revelation, flight was perceived as a spectacle to delight the eyes and stimulate the imagination. Historian Wohl takes us back to this time, recapturing the achievements of pioneering aviators and exploring flight as a source of cultural inspiration in the United States and Europe. He begins with an account of the impact of Lindbergh's dramatic New York-Paris flight, then explains...

Traces common philosophical roots and religious values, acknowledges the contributions of American democracy and Western capitalism, and shows what Islamic culture can bring to a new reunion with the West, systematically laying out the reasons for the current dissonance between these cultures. Offers a basis for rebuilding the relationship between Islam and the West by arguing that Islamic principles actually support the fundamental values of a pluralistic,...

In this book, the author offers an approach to understanding and fighting the increase in domestic and international terrorism throughout the world. Citing diverse examples from around the globe, he demonstrates that domestic terrorist groups are usually no match for an advanced technological society which can successfully roll back terror without any significant curtailment of civil liberties. But he sees an even more potent threat from the new international...

"The political history of the twentieth century can be viewed as the history of democracy's struggle against its external enemies: fascism and communism. This struggle ended with the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the Soviet regime. Some people think that democracy now faces new enemies: Islamic fundamentalism, religious extremism and international terrorism and that this is the struggle that will define our times. Todorov disagrees:...

In this pioneering collection, distinguished musicologists explore the ways in which Western composers have used exotic elements for dramatic and striking effect. Interweaving historical, musical, and cultural perspectives, the contributors examine the compositional use of exotic styles and traditions in the works of artists as diverse as Mozart and George Harrison. The volume sheds new light on a significant yet largely neglected art form, and it...

A history of Buddhism's journey and entry into the western world explores such topics as the early exchanges between the classical Greeks and the Buddhists of India, the influence of Buddhism on western philosophers, and the current fascination with the Dalai Lama.