Superstition and the Superstitious PDF Download

Author: Eric Maple
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 234

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ISBN 0498074315 LCCN 71124212.

Author: Stuart A. Vyse
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 019999692X
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 329

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In this fully updated edition of Believing in Magic, renowned superstition expert Stuart Vyse investigates our tendency towards these irrational beliefs.

Author: Joanne O'Sullivan
Publisher: Charlesbridge Publishing
ISBN: 1607345129
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 184

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Book Description
From the curse of the lottery winners to the good feng shui of a local restaurant, this quirky, wacky, weird, and wonderful collection of superstitions uncovers the truth about some of our most familiar beliefs, as well as others that are much stranger. It turns out that everywhere in the world, people still put their trust in luck, magic, and mystery. By the end of this look at the bizarre world of illogic it’s clear: superstition is alive and well...and really spellbinding!

Author: Stuart Vyse
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0192551310
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 169

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Book Description
Do you touch wood for luck, or avoid hotel rooms on floor thirteen? Would you cross the path of a black cat, or step under a ladder? Is breaking a mirror just an expensive waste of glass, or something rather more sinister? Despite the dominance of science in today's world, superstitious beliefs - both traditional and new - remain surprisingly popular. A recent survey of adults in the United States found that 33 percent believed that finding a penny was good luck, and 23 percent believed that the number seven was lucky. Where did these superstitions come from, and why do they persist today? This Very Short Introduction explores the nature and surprising history of superstition from antiquity to the present. For two millennia, superstition was a label derisively applied to foreign religions and unacceptable religious practices, and its primary purpose was used to separate groups and assert religious and social authority. After the Enlightenment, the superstition label was still used to define groups, but the new dividing line was between reason and unreason. Today, despite our apparent sophistication and technological advances, superstitious belief and behaviour remain widespread, and highly educated people are not immune. Stuart Vyse takes an exciting look at the varieties of popular superstitious beliefs today and the psychological reasons behind their continued existence, as well as the likely future course of superstition in our increasingly connected world. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Author: Lore Cowan
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 157

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Author: Toni Klein
Publisher: iUniverse
ISBN: 1532085621
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 160

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Book Description
Can you actually avoid fate? You, along with millions of others, probably do it every day by following ... superstitions! Dodging black cats. Walking around an open ladder. Sidestepping cracks in the sidewalk. Each foretells calamity if you do not follow the rules of superstition. Have you mastered your own destiny by practicing these old myths? Or not? From the origins of the most popular and obscure beliefs and old wives’ tales to the songs that have been written about them, author Toni Klein (Passport to Heaven’s Angelic Messages, Fairies, Ian Greets The World) takes a fascinating look at the superstitions that guide our daily lives and why we observe them so unquestioningly.

Author: Jeffrey M. Schwartz
Publisher: HarperCollins
ISBN: 0062568655
Category : Self-Help
Languages : en
Pages : 224

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Book Description
The definitive classic that has helped more than 400,000 people defeat obsessive-compulsive behavior, with all-new material from the author An estimated 5 million Americans suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and live diminished lives in which they are compelled to obsess about something or to repeat a similar task over and over. Traditionally, OCD has been treated with Prozac or similar drugs. The problem with medication, aside from its cost, is that 30 percent of people treated don't respond to it, and when the pills stop, the symptoms invariably return. In Brain Lock, Jeffrey M. Schwartz, M.D., presents a simple four-step method for overcoming OCD that is so effective, it's now used in academic treatment centers throughout the world. Proven by brain-imaging tests to actually alter the brain's chemistry, this method doesn't rely on psychopharmaceuticals. Instead, patients use cognitive self-therapy and behavior modification to develop new patterns of response to their obsessions. In essence, they use the mind to fix the brain. Using the real-life stories of actual patients, Brain Lock explains this revolutionary method and provides readers with the inspiration and tools to free themselves from their psychic prisons and regain control of their lives.

Author: Max Cryer
Publisher: Exisle Publishing
ISBN: 9781925335170
Category : Reference
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
Some people casually say 'touch wood' when they speak of something they hope will happen. Others won't allow peacock feathers into the house. And almost anyone who finds a four-leafed clover will treasure it and keep it. Why? Some superstitions are so ancient and have been practised for so long that they have come to be regarded as just harmless and widely observed 'customs', without people realising they are basically superstitions. For instance, many people wouldn't bother tossing spilled salt over their left shoulder or avoid walking under a ladder. But they happily continue to wear a wedding ring and blow out candles on a birthday cake. They don't know why - 'it's just a custom'. But both are actually superstitions. In a book full of surprises and revelations, Max Cryer explains the origins of many of the things we commonly say and observe and why we continue to include them in our lives: kissing under the mistletoe, the unlucky number thirteen, the significance of the bridal bouquet, saying 'bless you' after sneezing, the hanging of a horseshoe, 'the Scottish play', the danger in opals, the Leap Year proposal ... so many aspects of our lives are coloured by superstition. Now you can discover the reasons for them in a book that is both witty and informative. Superstitions will provide many 'Eureka' moments and settle many family disputes.

Author: Steve Cotler
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
ISBN: 0385369867
Category : Juvenile Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 170

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Book Description
Readers of Diary of a Wimpy Kid and The Name of This Book Is Secret will love Cheesie's wacky lists, drawings, and made-up words as he tells the story of the time he became famous! Sort of. In his fourth adventure, Cheesie and his best friend, Georgie, are exploring a construction site when they find a weird-looking . . . thingie . . . sticking out of the muddy ground. Whatever it is, it's very old. And very valuable! Before they know it, Cheesie and Georgie discover they're in possession of an object that dates all the way back to Colonial times. They're instant celebrities! At least at school. Will Cheesie and Georgie hold on to the ancient artifact and the fame it brings, or give it away for the good of all? Only time will tell!

Author: R. L. Stine
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
ISBN: 9780446603508
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 404

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Book Description
Stine is the world's bestselling horror writer for children, but this is his first novel for adults. Liam is a bachelor professor of folklore and he's incurably superstitious. When people start getting murdered, it seems that Liam's demons are real.