Social science / Customs & Traditions

The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals

von Michael Pollan

One of the New York Times Book Review's Ten Best Books of the Year

Winner of the James Beard Award

Author of #1 New York Times Bestsellers In Defense of Food and Food Rules

Today, buffeted by one food fad...

Ghosts of the Bluegrass

von James McCormick

In Ghosts of the Bluegrass, James McCormick and Macy Wyatt present stories of Kentucky ghosts past and present. Some of the tales are set in rural areas, but many take place in urban areas such as the haunted...

The Prose Edda - Tales from Norse Mythology

von Snorri Sturluson

Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. Hesperides Press are republishing these classic works in affordable, high...

The Friendly Guide to Mythology: A Mortal's Companion to the Fantastical Realm of Gods Goddesses Monsters Heroes

von Nancy Hathaway

How was the world as we know it created? What does it mean to be a hero? Where do we go when we die? Why are flood myths so ubiquitous? Anyone who has pondered these and other questions about humanity's ancient...

Spirits of the Earth: A Guide to Native American Nature Symbols, Stories, and Ceremonies

von Robert Lake-Thom

There are ancient secrets and lessons hidden in nature. If you seek for guidance, you will discover truth. —Bobby Lake-ThomMuch of the ancient knowledge that has been passed down from Native American medicine...

When My Name Was Keoko

von Linda Sue Park

A stirring novel of South Korea during WWII where a family must secretly protect their flag, their folktales, and their Korean culture from the watchful eye of the Japanese occupation, written Newbery Medalist...

Letters to Penthouse VI: Feel the Heat

von Penthouse International

In letters to Penthouse magazine the nation's hottest forum of contemporary sexual issues are covered--or uncovered. Here, as told in their own uninhibited words, is the state of the union between men and women...

Death in the Afternoon

von Ernest Hemingway

Still considered one of the best books ever written about bullfighting, Death in the Afternoon is an impassioned look at the sport by one of its true aficionados. It reflects Hemingway's conviction that bullfighting...

Boogers, Witches, and Haints: Appalachian Ghost Stories: The Foxfire Americana Library (5)

von Inc. Foxfire Fund

A collection of spine-tingling Appalachian ghost stories and tall tales passed down from generation to generation.  Whether they tell of faucets that drip blood, monster catfish that lurk at the bottom of quarries,...

The Joy of Family Traditions: A Season-by-Season Companion to Celebrations, Holidays, and Special Occasions

von Jennifer Trainer Thompson

When a special activity evolves into a tradition within a family, it creates meaning, connection, and community and makes common occasions more momentous and memorable. Establishing a sense of stability and...

Vampire Forensics: Uncovering the Origins of an Enduring Legend

von Mark Collins Jenkins

Mark Jenkins’s engrossing history draws on the latest science, anthropological and archaeological research to explore the origins of vampire stories, providing gripping historic and folkloric context for the...

My Dad Is a Bro

von The Editors of BroBible.com

DAD IS THE MOST IMPORTANT MAN IN A BRO’S LIFE.

He teaches you how to swing a baseball bat, grill a steak, and master a stick shift. Dad helps you laugh off a breakup, guides you on big decisions, and doesn’t...

The Hogmanay Companion

von Hugh Douglas & Keith Horrox

How many times have you wondered about the origins of New Year's Eve, or Hogmanay as the Scots term it? This book reveals all as Hugh Douglas takes the reader from the remotest beginnings of this festival through...

Breaking the Magic Spell

von Jack Zipes

This revised, expanded, and updated edition of the 1979 landmark Breaking the Magic Spell examines the enduring power of fairy tales and the ways they invade our subjective world. In seven provocative essays,...

African Mathematics: From Bones to Computers

von Mamokgethi Setati

This comprehensive text on African Mathematics addresses some of the problematic issues in the field, such as attitudes, curriculum development, educational change, academic achievement, standardized and other...

Welsh Cave Legends (Folklore History Series)

von John Rhys

This fascinating book looks at the myths and superstitions connected with the Welsh landscape. Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900's and before, are now extremely scarce and...

Yule, Beltane, and Halloween Festivals (Folklore History Series)

von James Napier

History and prehistoric investigations have shown quite clearly that prehistoric man worshipped the sun, the giver and vivifier of all life, as the supreme god. This book takes a fascinating look at the festivals...

Scottish Well Worship and Charm Stones (Folklore History Series)

von James M. Mackinlay

In glancing at the superstitions connected with Scottish lochs and springs, we are called upon to scan a chapter of our social history not yet closed. Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back...

Aino Folklore - The People and Myths of Northern Japan

von Basil Hall Chamberlain

The Aino people of Japan are very little known and where treated as savages when discovered by western travellers. Their religion was rich and cultured and this book opens the eyes of the reader to a culture...

The Tarot (Folklore History Series)

von D. F. Ranking

The history of tarot cards and card reading has a long and unexpected history. From ancient Egypt to the fashionable salons and backrooms of 1800's Paris. This fascinating book has something for the newcomer...