One of the most influential works of this century, The Myth of Sisyphus and Other Essays is a crucial exposition of existentialist thought. Influenced by works such as Don Juan and the novels of Kafka, these essays begin with a meditation on suicide; the question of living or not living in a universe devoid of order or meaning. With lyric eloquence, Albert Camus brilliantly posits a way out of despair, reaffirming the value of personal existence,...

An anthology of comics by well-known graphic novelists on the theme of detention.

Defying the gods comes at a hefty cost. King Sisyphus is a man hated by the gods, a trickster and a rogue who outwitted the Olympians and cheated death not once, but twice. He is forever forced to pay for his defiance by pushing a boulder up a hill in the depths of Tartarus. When an unusual traveler approaches Sisyphus, the king reveals the untold story behind the myth. Sisyphus grew up appalled by his father's blind worship for the gods. He decided...

"When he graduated from Harvard Medical School, Jim O'Connell was asked by the medical school Dean to spend one year setting up a program to care for the homeless population in Boston. It became Jim O'Connell's life calling, to help people known as "rough sleepers." For the past three decades, Dr. O'Connell has run the Boston Healthcare for the Homeless Program, which he helped to create. Affiliated with Massachusetts General Hospital, the program...

Here are the gods, goddesses, and legendary figures of ancient Greece -- mighty Zeus, with his fistful of thunderbolts; gray-eyed Athena, goddess of wisdom; Helios, the sun; greedy King Midas -- depicted by Caldecott winners Ingri and Edgar Parin d'Aulaire. These artists bring to life the myths that have inspired great European literature and art through the ages.