Barbarians at the Wall: The First Nomadic Empire and the Making of China

John Man
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The people of the first nomadic empire left no written records, but from 200 BC they dominated the heart of Asia for 400 years. They changed the world. The Mongols, today’s descendants of Genghis Khan, see them as ancestors. Their rise cemented Chinese unity and inspired the first Great Wall. Their heirs under Attila the Hun helped destroy the Roman Empire.

We don’t know what language they spoke, but they became known as Xiongnu, or Hunnu, a term passed down the centuries and across Eurasia, enduring today in shortened form as ‘Hun’. Outside Asia precious little is known of their rich history, but new evidence reframes our understanding of the indelible mark they left on a vast region stretching from Europe and sweeping right across Central Asia deep into China.

Based on meticulous research and new archaeological evidence, Barbarians at the Wall traces their epic story, and shows how the nomadic cultures of the steppes gave birth to a ‘barbarian empire’ with the wealth and power to threaten the civilised order of the ancient world.

(Excerpt from amazon.com)

The “Hunters, Warriors, Spirits: Nomadic Art of North China” exhibition presented by the City University of Hong Kong tells the story of the nomads through the diverse lenses of archaeology, art history, and anthropology. It features over 250 artworks from the early 1st millennium B.C.E. to the “golden age” between the 10th and 13th centuries C.E. These include everyday objects and weapons from the early nomads of northern China, such as the Orochen, Xiongnu, Xianbei, and Rouran, presenting not only the ideal relationship between humans and nature but also the nomads’ superb arts and artisanship. READ MORE

“Hunters, Warriors, Spirits: Nomadic Art of North China” Exhibition:
Date: 23 July – 23 October 2022 (Open daily, except Mondays)
Time: 10am to 7pm
Venue: Indra and Harry Banga Gallery at City University of Hong Kong , 18/F, Lau Ming Wai Academic Building
Admission: Free of charge, prior booking is required

草原王權的誕生： 斯基泰與匈奴，早期遊牧國家的文明

林俊雄
online access from HyRead ebook
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匈人是匈奴人嗎？匈奴人和斯基泰人又有什麼關係？
漢王朝如何被迫和親匈奴？它的復仇戰爭成功了嗎？
探尋中央歐亞草原的騎馬遊牧民──「斯基泰」與「匈奴」在世界史被忽略的意義！

騎馬遊牧民是野蠻和破壞的化身、而與文明無緣嗎？
這不過是留下文字記錄的定居農耕社會單方面的看法！

鼎盛期的波斯帝國也無法征服的部族集團──「斯基泰」；與漢皇帝具有對等軍事戰鬥力的遊牧民族──「匈奴」。他們跨越了「東方」與「西方」地理分界，串聯起整個歐亞大陸。

「斯基泰」是目前所知最古老的遊牧民族，約在西元前八至前七世紀的時候登上歷史舞台。而「匈奴」確切在歷史上出現，則是西元前三世紀的時候。雖然兩者的存在時間有落差，且看似一個存在於西洋史、一個存在於中國史，然而從考古挖掘的資料可以發現，兩者文化上非常的相似，屬於同一系統。同樣身為馳騁在草原之上的霸主，「斯基泰」與「匈奴」是同一群人嗎？他們又各自如何影響東西方的歷史呢？

本書首次把橫亙東西方的騎馬遊牧民合併而寫，探尋古代草原世界的王權形成和它們的文化，藉此思考遊牧民在世界史中的積極角色。

(摘錄自博客來網路書店)

正於香港城市大學舉行的《獵人‧戰士‧神靈：中國北方游牧藝術》展覽，結合考古學、藝術史及人類學等多元角度，呈現中國北方古代游牧民族世界。是次展覽展出250多件藝術品，由公元前千年追溯至公元10至13世紀的「黃金時代」，包括中國北方古代游牧民族如鄂倫春族、匈奴、鮮卑、柔然的日常用品及武器等，不單呈現古人與大自然的理想結合，同時反映游牧民族的卓越工藝。閱讀更多

展覽詳情：
日期: 2022年7月23日至10月23日 （逢星期一休館）
時間: 上午10時 – 下午7時
地點: 香港城市大學劉鳴偉學術大樓十八樓般哥展覽館
費用: 免費入場，需預先登記

Personality Isn't Permanent: Break Free from Self-Limiting Beliefs and Rewrite Your Story

Benjamin Hardy
online access from ProQuest Ebook Central
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Psychologist and best-selling author Benjamin Hardy, PhD, debunks the pervasive myths about personality that prevent us from learning - and provides bold strategies for personal transformation.

In Personality Isn’t Permanent, Dr. Benjamin Hardy draws on psychological research to demolish the popular misconception that personality - a person’s consistent attitudes and behaviors - is innate and unchanging. Hardy liberates us from the limiting belief that our “true selves” are to be discovered and shows how we can intentionally create our desired selves and achieve amazing goals instead. He offers practical, science-based advice to for personal-reinvention, including:

-Why personality tests such as Myers-Briggs and Enneagram are not only psychologically destructive, but are no more scientific than horoscopes
-Why you should never be the “former” anything - because defining yourself by your past successes is just as damaging to growth as being haunted by past failures
-How to design your current identity based on your desired future self and make decisions here and now through your new identity
-How to reframe traumatic and painful experiences into a fresh narrative supporting your future success
-How to become confident enough to define your own life’s purpose
-How to create a network of “empathetic witnesses” who actively encourage you through the highs and lows of extreme growth
-How to enhance your subconscious to overcome addictions and limiting patterns
-How redesign your environment to pull you toward your future, rather than keep you stuck in the past
-How to tap into what psychologists call “pull motivation” by narrowing your focus on a single, definable, and compelling outcome

Filled with strategies for reframing your past and designing your future, Personality Isn’t Permanent is a guide to breaking free from the past and becoming the person you want to be.

(Excerpt from amazon.com)

從書影看香港文學

許定銘
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一部個人的香港文學全紀錄
從書影看我城的文藝生活誌

香港新文學發展至今已近百年歷史，筆者忽發奇想另闢蹊徑，以書話形式寫部別開生面的香港新文學史。

《從書影看香港文學》集文三百篇文學精粹，內容以個人收藏的各年代舊版新文學書為主。「書影」是個總稱，包括了書影、版權頁和前代書主的留言等。「書影」本身已是件裝幀藝術品，不同的設計家自有其獨特的藝術風格可供欣賞；版權頁是書的出世紙，不同的版本往往可以有不同的內容，也可能有作者不同的前言後語，可供研究者探究；前代書主的留言是書話中最具趣味的部分，您不妨讀讀侶倫與鷗外鷗之間的〈看一段題辭〉；寫彭成慧與方寬烈師生關係的〈靜遠的《做人藝術》〉等，即可領略舊書的風味。

作者一九五Ｏ年代起讀文學書，一九六Ｏ年代一頭栽進文學的書堆裡：買書、賣書、開書店、寫書、出版……，與所有和書有關的都結了不解緣，六十年不變，對一九五Ｏ、六Ｏ年代的香港文學有深入的認識，執筆時自然以這二十年為重點。一九五Ｏ年以前的文學書，多為大時代淘汰，或因世亂而甚難搜尋得手；一九七Ｏ年以後至今的日子很長，出版的文學書似恆河沙數，亦難以選擇，只好作為本書的副選，讓有心人日後去補充了。

(摘錄自博客來網路書店)

Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes are High

Joseph Grenny, Kerry Patterson, Ron McMillan, Al Switzler, Emily Gregory
online access from McGraw-Hill's AccessEngineering
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This New York Times bestseller and business classic has been fully updated for a world where skilled communication is more important than ever.

The book that revolutionized business communications has been updated for today’s workplace. Crucial Conversations provides powerful skills to ensure every conversation―especially difficult ones―leads to the results you want. Written in an engaging and witty style, it teaches readers how to be persuasive rather than abrasive, how to get back to productive dialogue when others blow up or clam up, and it offers powerful skills for mastering high-stakes conversations, regardless of the topic or person.

This new edition addresses issues that have arisen in recent years. You’ll learn how to:
Respond when someone initiates a Crucial Conversation with you
Identify and address the lag time between identifying a problem and discussing it
Communicate more effectively across digital mediums

When stakes are high, opinions vary, and emotions run strong, you have three choices: Avoid a crucial conversation and suffer the consequences; handle the conversation poorly and suffer the consequences; or apply the lessons and strategies of Crucial Conversations and improve relationships and results.

Whether they take place at work or at home, with your coworkers or your spouse, Crucial Conversations have a profound impact on your career, your happiness, and your future. With the skills you learn in this book, you'll never have to worry about the outcome of a Crucial Conversation again.

(Excerpt from amazon.com)

世界最強的思考武器 : 心智圖 (Mind Map Mastery)

東尼‧博贊 (Tony Buzan)
online access from iRead eBook
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撰寫報告、完成專案管理、寫最強履歷自薦信、工作求表現快速升遷、
辦一場結婚周年派對、完成馬拉松訓練、改善一段不友善的關係、
新事業計畫、難解的人生抉擇、探索未知學識，乃至於
幫寶貝選名字、學生提高學習成果、避免老年失智……

從創意發想到邏輯思考，從工作、家庭、教育與如何更幸福的思考，
只要幾枝（或一盒）彩色筆、一張紙，開始用世界最強的思考武器──心智圖，
通通都可以找到答案。因為大腦最愛這樣想事情。

目前，全球有超過100萬人正在使用。
最大私營石油公司BP、國際巴克萊、迪吉多（DEC）、惠普科技、IBM與
奧林匹克委員會，更將心智圖的思考納入員工的教育訓練。

何謂心智圖？心智圖是一種結合文字、圖像與顏色的筆記方法，
透過各種關鍵字的連結，幫助大腦有邏輯又充滿想像力的專注於某一項主題。

本書作者是英國腦力開發專家東尼‧博贊（Tony Buzan）
是心智圖的唯一發明者，也是發行數百萬本的暢銷書《心智圖聖經》系列作者，

(摘錄自博客來網路書店)