Showing results by narrator "Jack Wynters" in All Categories

When I visited the huge Damien Hirst exhibition staged by the Gagosian Gallery in New York in 1996, one of the most striking pieces was a large glass tank full of live fish. Dumped among the fish were an obstetrical couch, in a rather decayed condition, and various obstetrical implements. For some time after I had seen the show, this image tugged at my mind. It reminded me of something - but of what? Finally, memory dragged up the reference I needed: Hirst's piece was a direct descendant of Salvador Dali's installation, "Rainy Taxi".

This may seem a funny moment to proclaim that nothing much is happening in art - certainly not in contemporary art. In many ways, the art world has never seemed more vibrant and active, and this activity is increasingly focused on what is defined as contemporary. There hasn’t, in fact, been a moment like this in the relatively recent history of art since the mid-19th century. If one looks at the years of political and economic chaos between 1789 and 1815, as the fortunes of war swayed back and forth, this is not surprising.

A good art collection is always much more than the sum of its parts. This applies with especial force to collections of contemporary work. A collection of this kind, whether the collector intends it to be so or not, is always a portrait - a reflection in the mirror of a particular epoch, and, willy-nilly, a self-portrait of the person who takes the trouble to bring it together.

In the summer of 1914, the capitals of Europe erupt in a patriotic frenzy as peoples on all sides, roused by the press, rejoice at the outbreak of the "war to end wars". The rejoicing soon turns to disillusionment as the full horrors of the bloodiest conflict the world has ever seen become apparent. For the Emperors of Germany, Austria-Hungary and Russia comes the growing awareness that this war, which they sought desperately to avoid, is not being fought for territory or honor, but rather to destroy the old world order and to replace their autocracies with secular ideologies and international economic control.

Life around Sophie was never boring. She did chants, read Tarot Cards and, to Amy's and Julie's surprise, during a séance Sophie had seemingly called up her dead grandmother. Then Sophie received a book from her sister, Anna, on Witches' Spells, inspiring her to delve deeper into the supernatural. When they heard that Margie, the crazy lady from down the street, was involved in witchcraft, Sophie was eager to find out if there was any truth in what people were saying.

Matthew Blackwell smiled as he stirred Haley's drink, spiked with enough ketamine to render her unconscious. For many weeks he had been planning this evening, to have sex his way. It was going to be a night to remember. Matthew believed that money was power. With it he got what he wanted and he felt that he could do anything to women. Always at his side was his good friend, Ryan Crowe. Matthew had the financial means and Ryan seemingly had the connections.

Emily Walker hated that they were moving to Collingwood House and became distressed when she read the details on the real estate listing - Haunted House. They moved anyway, 4000 kilometers away from her best friend and to the seaside. The old house creaked and groaned, things went missing, doors banged, shadows moved from room to room, and dead animals were found in unusual places.

Hidden away in the depths of the forest lies a secret. As the full moon casts an eerie glow over the trees, Jacob sneaks away from his slumbering parents and makes his way to a moss and lichen covered outcrop. Armed with a magnifying glass, night vision goggles, and his book on the stars, Jacob delves into the enchanting and illusionary forest. It's a place of wonder and mystery, filled with secrets beyond his wildest dreams.

Hidden within the depths of the boreal forest lies a secret that could change everything for Ashenee, a young Cree woman born to a traditional family. In her isolated community, they follow the customs and beliefs of their ancestors, blissfully unaware of the countless missing aboriginal women from other nearby communities. As Ashenee embarks on a journey to her mother's village, she begins to sense a foreboding presence, a warning that something is amiss.

Tommy Belanger had been born into a dysfunctional family - fed by alcohol abuse, abject poverty, and the trials and tribulations associated with living in isolation. His was a life filled with child abuse, incest, bestiality, and zoophilia. Tommy hated how those things affected him and his siblings. And he detested his father.

Computer whiz Peter has set up an online network which attracts the wrong crowd: criminals who embraced technology to hide their dirty dealings. Peter got rich, then got in too deep and ended up running for his life. The only way he could survive was to fake his own death. Now the ruthless American gangsters he was in partnership with have discovered he is still breathing; and they have put a price on his head.

Cyber-crime didn't exist in the 1980s. Or did it? Clem Chambers' gripping techno-thriller series, The Hacker Chronicles, is a reminder that the dark art of hacking is as old as network technology. Dial Up for Murder is set in 1984, long before the revolutionary advent of the Internet and World Wide Web. The hacker hero Peter is an entrepreneurial nerd struggling to attract paying subscribers to his new-fangled network. A chance meeting with a shady customer soon has the young computer whizz raking in the dough.

This empowering book contains the most potent success recipes in each chapter, which the author has discovered over the last 24 years of his professional experience and interaction with thousands of professionals. It will help listeners to master every area of their lives, from understanding the rationale behind fears and failures to being happy and successful in work and in relationships.

Miss Meredith Castle leaves behind everything she knows to join her great-aunt in London and become leader of the infamous girls' club, The Ribbons. She's willing to make whatever sacrifices necessary to redeem her ailing mother, even if that means leaving her childhood love behind to scale London's social ladder. When Derek Weston's best friend receives the offer of a lifetime, he encourages her to take it.

Now eighty-two years old, Cledwyn E Lewis looks back on his life experiences and influences. Cledwyn has worked in the British Army as a doctor and surgeon then in Alberta, Canada, he worked in general practice and Emergency Medicine with some surgery and had the role as Medical Director of Regional EMS.

In this romantic thriller, you'll find out if Heather, the ravishing daughter of the Duncans, can save the largest shopping enterprise in the world and become the CEO in answer to her family's prayers.

Written in the Middle English of the late 14th century, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight survives in a single manuscript which also contains three religious poems including "Pearl", written it seems by the same author, who is therefore referred to as The Pearl Poet. The poem tells the story of an incident at the court of King Arthur, involving Sir Gawain’s acceptance of a challenge from the mysterious Green Knight, and leading to a test of his chivalry and courage.

Adrian Hartman is the charismatic director of the Serendipity holiday community, set among pine trees on a sunbaked island. His job is to ensure the perfect mindful break, with personal growth and inner peace guaranteed. His guests return year after year to bare their souls. For some, Adrian is Serendipity. But this year Adrian isn't there, and nobody knows the reason why. Things have changed: staff and guests are bewildered without their leader and the simmering hostility of the local villagers is beginning to boil over.

In The Liberating Secret, Norman Grubb explores the spiritual foundations or our union with Christ. Since the time of his conversion at eighteen, Norman experienced "an exhaustless inner compulsion to seek and find the fullness of Him that filleth all in all." It was his hope that "as these truths have brought light and liberty to my own heart and life, may they meet the needs of some of you who read these chapters."

In 'The Deep Things of God', Norman Grubb continues his quest to answer the questions that have burned in him throughout his life: 'What is the Gospel in its fullness? Do I know it? Do I live it? Can I transmit it?' Norman hopes that in delving into 'the deep things of God' and exploring the mysteries of the Spirit, this book will 'open windows to some into heavenly things.'