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Japan: The Natural History of an Asian Archipelago (Wildlife Explorer Guides #18)
Par Mark Brazil. 2022
A comprehensive, richly illustrated guide to Japan’s astonishing animals and plants—and the natural forces that have shaped themThis richly illustrated…
guide is the first comprehensive and accessible introduction to the extraordinary natural history of the Japanese archipelago. It explains how Japan’s geology, geography, climate, seas and currents have forged conditions supporting a diverse range of species—from cranes, bears, eagles and monkeys to plants, butterflies, dragonflies, frogs and snakes—many of which are found nowhere else in the world. Engaging and authoritative, this book is a must-have for anyone who wants to explore or learn about Japan’s natural wonders, from the Japanese Macaque—the famous snow monkeys—to the magnificent Steller’s Eagle.Features more than 878 colour photographs, illustrations and mapsProvides a lavishly illustrated introduction to many of Japan’s common and iconic mammals and birdsTakes readers on a naturalist’s journey to the key areas of Hokkaido, Honshu, Kyushu, Shikoku and Nansei Shoto, as well as the Izu, Ogasawara and Iwo islandsIntroduces Japan’s geology, geography, topography, climate, habitats, biodiversity and much moreExplains where and how to watch and photograph wildlife in Japan, including whalesThe Philosopher, the Priest, and the Painter: A Portrait of Descartes
Par Steven Nadler. 2013
How a famous painting opens a window into the life, times, and philosophy of René DescartesIn the Louvre museum hangs…
a portrait that is considered the iconic image of René Descartes, the great seventeenth-century French philosopher. And the painter of the work? The Dutch master Frans Hals—or so it was long believed, until the work was downgraded to a copy of an original. But where is the authentic version, and who painted it? Is the man in the painting—and in its original—really Descartes?A unique combination of philosophy, biography, and art history, The Philosopher, the Priest, and the Painter investigates the remarkable individuals and circumstances behind a small portrait. Through this image—and the intersecting lives of a brilliant philosopher, a Catholic priest, and a gifted painter—Steven Nadler opens a fascinating portal into Descartes's life and times, skillfully presenting an accessible introduction to Descartes's philosophical and scientific ideas, and an illuminating tour of the volatile political and religious environment of the Dutch Golden Age. As Nadler shows, Descartes's innovative ideas about the world, about human nature and knowledge, and about philosophy itself, stirred great controversy. Philosophical and theological critics vigorously opposed his views, and civil and ecclesiastic authorities condemned his writings. Nevertheless, Descartes's thought came to dominate the philosophical world of the period, and can rightly be called the philosophy of the seventeenth century.Shedding light on a well-known image, The Philosopher, the Priest, and the Painter offers an engaging exploration of a celebrated philosopher's world and work.Modern Japan: All That Matters (All That Matters)
Par Jonathan Clements. 2014
Jonathan Clements charts the rise of Japan since the end of World War Two. Presenting the country as the Japanese…
themselves see it, he explains key issues in national reconstruction, the often-overlooked US Occupation, the influence of the Cold War, student unrest, political scandals, and the meteoric rise and sudden fall of the Japanese economy in the late 20th century.He chronicles changes in women's rights and consumer habits, developments in politics, education and health today, and the shadow of nuclear issues from Hiroshima to Fukushima. He also raises topics rarely covered by the foreign media - Japan's ethnic minorities and burakumin underclass, the influence of organised crime and the hard sell behind "soft" power.A final chapter examines the price Japan has paid for its meteoric rise, the problems of a greying population and a declining countryside, and the long-term implications of the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami.All That Matters about modern Japan. All That Matters books are a fast way to get right to the heart of key issues.Modern Korea: All That Matters Ebook (All That Matters)
Par Andrew Salmon. 2014
In no nation on earth has history accelerated with such speed as in Korea. A medieval dynasty at the end…
of the 19th century, it underwent a traumatic colonization, then, in its hour of liberation was divided by the great powers at the end of World War II. Devastated by a fratricidal war, the peninsula has remained divided ever since.South Korea is the greatest national success story of the 20th century. From the ashes of war, it transformed itself, against the odds - and against much advice - into an industrial powerhouse and thriving democracy. Now a high-tech wonderland, it is undergoing social and cultural transformations that add further layers to its dynamic DNA.North Korea is an economic, social and political disaster, successful only at totalitarianism. Having transmogrified from a blood-and-iron communist dictatorship into a bizarre, neo-fascist monarchy, it is a black hole at the heart of Asia. Engulfed by paranoia, the regime presides over a malnourished populace, a 1.1 million man army and a nuclear arsenal. From nuclear missiles to Samsung smartphones; from assassins to salarymen; from Kim Il-sung to Psy; this is the extraordinary story of the flashpoint peninsula that dominates talk in boardrooms and newsrooms. Korea, the author argues, provides two stark benchmarks for national development: Epic success and catastrophic failure. And its final chapter has yet to be written.Glimpses: A Comedy Writer's Take on Life, Love, and All That Spiritual Stuff
Par Matt Williams. 2024
From the award-winning creator of Roseanne, Home Improvement, and several blockbuster films, comes Glimpses, a collection of stories filled with…
hope, humanity, and humor and an invitation to see goodness and grace in our everyday moments.Matt Williams never focused on red carpets and glitzy parties during his successful Hollywood career—writer/producer of The Cosby Show and A Different World, creator of Roseanne and Home Improvement, producer of successful movies and plays. Looking back, Williams realized that throughout his life what sustained him, guided him, and inspired him were divine glimpses of goodness and grace. Williams says, &“When I started my quest to find little glimpses of God in everyday life, the clouds didn&’t open, and a voice like rolling thunder didn&’t call down to me. But I did start noticing simple acts of kindness, moments of grace that reflected God&’s loving presence in the world. . . . This practice of noticing these glimpses changed my life. Instead of blasting my way through the week—competing, hurrying and scurrying, fighting for my personal space, my self-care, and my ego-based impulses—I started consciously looking for God&’s goodness. And I found it everywhere.&” From a stranger in a casting office predicting Matt would succeed at a time when he felt like giving up, to deciding to work with Tim Allen after vowing not to work with another comedian after Roseanne, to learning what love really meant after &“Spirit&” told him he would marry Angelina—Williams realized that these &“glimpses of God&” have served as the loving, quiet providence that watched over him. Our job, then, is to pay attention to our lives. Regardless of your beliefs, Glimpses will inspire you to look for and find God in your daily life.Patton: The Pursuit of Destiny (The Generals Series)
Par Agostino Von Hassell, Ed Breslin. 2010
He was a harsh taskmaster who comforted dying soldiers and quietly commended their valor. A crusty, often foulmouthed commander who…
wrote tender letters home to the love of his life.Gen. George S. Patton Jr. comes to life in these pages as one of the most colorful, enigmatic, and unfairly maligned leaders in U.S. military history. Often caricatured—as in the big-screen biopic, Patton—the general was a complex blend of battle-tested strengths and nearly fatal personal flaws.Without varnishing over his shortcomings, Patton: The Pursuit of Destiny shatters myths and builds a compelling case for a deeper appreciation of the man who inspired unsurpassed loyalty and admiration from the soldiers who served under him.Destined for an outsized life, Patton parlayed his family’s deep military roots, his World War I experiences, his Olympic exploits, and his passion for freedom to become one of the linchpins of Allied victory in World War II.A Kid's Guide to the Chinese Zodiac is a charming, fun-filled introduction to eastern astrology, perfect for discovering what your sign—Rat,…
Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, or Pig—says about you. Are you loyal like the Dog? Or stubborn like the Ox? What does the time you were born say about who you are? Can knowing more about your Zodiac empower you in your day to day? A Kid's Guide to the Chinese Zodiac offers the history and lore behind this ancient classification system, along with practical advice for young readers on how to navigate relationships and apply oneself at school and at home, all based on the qualities associated with the twelve Zodiac animals. Someone born in the year of the Pig might prioritize stability and comfort. Naturally agreeable, they may need to work at recognizing when they're uncomfortable and speak up so they don't get stuck in the mud. Someone who is a Rat, on the other hand, might be ambitious and clever, but may need to take a step back from their own ideas every now and then in order to find balance. Beautifully illustrated, with sidebars on Chinese culture and myth throughout, this book is an informative and mystical guide for any kid who is curious about the universe and how they fit into it.Now in paperback and featuring an interview with Ben Stiller; a guided group tour to concentration camps allows Stahl to…
confront personal and historical demons with both deep despair and savage humor IN SEPTEMBER 2016, JERRY STAHL was feeling nervous on the eve of a two-week trip across Poland and Germany. But it was not just the stops at Auschwitz, Buchenwald, and Dachau that gave him anxiety. It was the fact that he would be traveling with two dozen strangers, by bus. In a tour group. And he was not a tour-group kind of guy. The decision to visit Holocaust-world did not come easy. Stahl’s lifelong depression at an all-time high, his career and personal life at an all-time low, he had the idea to go on a trip where the despair he was feeling—out-of-control sadness, regret, and fear, not just for himself, but for the entire United States—would be appropriate. And where was despair more appropriate than the land of the Six Million? Seamlessly weaving global and personal history, through the lens of Stahl’s own bent perspective, Nein, Nein, Nein! stands out as a triumph of strange-o reporting, a tale that takes us from gang polkas to tourrash to the truly disturbing snack bar at Auschwitz. Strap in for a raw, surreal, and redemptively hilarious trip. Get on the bus.Mistaken Identity: Two Families, One Survivor, Unwavering Hope
Par Don Ryn, Susie Ryn, Newell Cerak, Colleen Cerak. 2009
A grief reversed. A hope deferred. Mistaken Identity tells the unprecedented story of Laura Van Ryn and Whitney Cerak: one…
buried under the wrong name, and the other in a coma being cared for by the wrong family.Five lives were lost in a tragic car accident, and the sole survivor was rushed to the hospital, where she remained in a coma for five weeks. Everyone believed that Laura Van Ryn was in a coma, and that Whitney Cerak had died in the crash—until Whitney woke up.This shocking case of mistaken identity stunned the country and made national news. Would it destroy a family? Shatter their faith? Push two families into bitterness, resentment, and guilt? In Mistaken Identity, the Van Ryn family and the Cerek family describe their ordeal and explore the bond sustaining and uniting them as they deal with their bizarre reversal of life lost and life found.Mistaken Identity weaves a complex tale of honesty, vulnerability, loss, hope, faith, and love in the face of one of the strangest twists of circumstances imaginable.Hope Unseen: The Story of the U.S. Army's First Blind Active-Duty Officer
Par Scotty Smiley, Doug Crandall. 2010
The inspiring, unflinching true story of &“blind&” faith, as Major Scotty Smiley awakes in a hospital bed and realizes his…
world is permanently dark he must stretch his faith like never before. Courageous, heartfelt, and honest, Hope Unseen challenges readers to question their doubts, not their beliefs, and depend upon God no matter what.A nervous glance from a man in a parked car. Muted instincts from a soldier on patrol. Violent destruction followed by total darkness. Two weeks later, Scotty Smiley woke up in Walter Reed Army Medical Center, helpless . . . and blind.Blindness became Scotty&’s journey of supreme testing. As he lay helpless in the hospital, Captain Smiley resented the theft of his dreams—becoming a CEO, a Delta Force operator, or a four-star general.With his wife Tiffany&’s love and the support of his family and friends, Scotty was transformed—the injury only intensifying his indomitable spirit. Since the moment he jumped out of a hospital bed and forced his way through nurses and cords to take a simple shower, Captain Scotty Smiley has climbed Mount Rainier, won an ESPY as Best Outdoor Athlete, surfed, skydived, become a father, earned an MBA from Duke, taught leadership at West Point, commanded an army company, and won the MacArthur Leadership Award.Scotty and Tiffany Smiley have lived out a faith so real that it will inspire you to question your own doubts, push you to serve something bigger than yourself, and encourage you to cling to a Hope Unseen.Written with humor and personality, this debut memoir recounts a woman’s spiritual quest of experiencing thirty religions before her thirtieth…
birthday. Post-Traumatic Church Syndrome is for questioners, doubters, misfits, and seekers of all faiths, and tackles the universal struggle to heal what life has broken.On her twenty-ninth birthday, while guests were arriving downstairs, Reba Riley was supposedly upstairs getting dressed. In actuality, she was slumped on the floor sobbing about everything from the meaning of life to the pile of dirty laundry on the floor.Life without God was crashing in on her. And she was sick and tired of feeling sick and tired. She uttered a desperate prayer, and then the idea came to her—thirty by thirty. And thus she embarked on a year-long quest to experience thirty religions by her thirtieth birthday. During her spiritual sojourn, Riley:-Was interrogated about her sex life by Amish grandmothers-Disco danced in a Buddhist temple-Fasted for thirty days without food—or wine-Washed her lady parts in a mosque bathroom-Was audited by Scientologists-Learned to meditate with an urban monk-Snuck into a Yom Kippur service with a fake grandpa in tow-And finally discovered she didn’t have to choose a religion to choose GodIn a debut memoir that is funny and earnest, Riley invites questioners, doubters, misfits, and curious believers to participate in the universal search to heal what life has broken. Post-Traumatic Church Syndrome takes you by the hand and reminds you that sometimes you first have to be lost in order to be found.Walking on Eggshells: Discovering Strength and Courage Amid Chaos
Par Lyssa Chapman, Lisa Wysocky. 2013
An empowering memoir that can inspire others to break the cycle of abuse and forge happiness out of extreme adversity.The…
ninth child of bounty hunter Duane Chapman, made famous on the A&E show Dog the Bounty Hunter, Lyssa Chapman has overcome an upbringing that can only be called tragic. In her piercing memoir, she shares the details of her harrowing childhood and her journey to faith, and offers compassionate guidance, advice, and hope to those who might feel overwhelmed in their own circumstances.As a child, Baby Lyssa&’s parents divorced and left her neglected. Things only got worse from there. Walking on Eggshells reveals Lyssa&’s nightmare passage from mental and physical abuse to removal from school and confinement at home, flight from protective services, and teen pregnancy. Despite it all, and against incredible odds, Lyssa found her faith. She also found her way out of the spiral of bad decisions to build a healthy relationship with her parents and forge a rewarding, positive life with God.An astonishing true story of one young woman&’s trek from poverty and abuse to fulfillment and stardom, Walking on Eggshells is heartrending, powerful, and inspiring.Institutes of the Christian Religion
Par Jean Calvin, Henry Beveridge, John Calvin. 2008
A colossal milestone of Christian thought―at an irresistible price! Here in a convenient one-volume edition is John Calvin’s magnum opus.…
Written as an introduction to the Christian life, the Institutes remains the best articulation of Reformation principles and is a marvelous introduction to biblical Christianity. Newly re-typeset for clarity, this volume translated by Henry Beveridge offers a more affordable edition of one of the last millennium’s must-have works. This book will appeal to libraries, seminarians, pastors, and laypeople. Institutes of the Christian Religion by John Calvin is an introduction to the Bible and a vindication of Reformation principles by one of the Reformation’s finest scholars. At the age of twenty-six, Calvin published several revisions of his Institutes of the Christian Religion, a seminal work in Christian theology that altered the course of Western history and that is still read by theological students today. It was published in Latin in 1536 and in his native French in 1541, with the definitive editions appearing in 1559 (Latin) and in 1560 (French). The book was written as an introductory textbook on the Protestant faith for those with some learning already and covered a broad range of theological topics from the doctrines of church and sacraments to justification by faith alone. It vigorously attacked the teachings of those Calvin considered unorthodox, particularly Roman Catholicism, to which Calvin says he had been “strongly devoted” before his conversion to Protestantism. The overarching theme of the book―and Calvin’s greatest theological legacy―is the idea of God’s total sovereignty, particularly in salvation and election. John Calvin (1509–1564), a French theologian and reformer, was persecuted as a Protestant. As a result, he traveled from place to place. In 1534 at Angouleme he began the work of systematizing Protestant thought in his Institutes of the Christian Religion, one of the most influential theological works of all time.By God's Grace: The Life and Teachings of Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswati
Par Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati. 2012
Alfred Dreyfus: The Man at the Center of the Affair (Jewish Lives)
Par Maurice Samuels. 2024
An insightful new biography of the central figure in the Dreyfus Affair, focused on the man himself and based on…
newly accessible documents On January 5, 1895, Captain Alfred Dreyfus&’s cries of innocence were drowned out by a mob shouting &“Death to Judas!&” In this book, Maurice Samuels gives readers new insight into Dreyfus himself—the man at the center of the affair. He tells the story of Dreyfus&’s early life in Paris, his promising career as a French officer, the false accusation leading to his imprisonment on Devil&’s Island, the fight to prove his innocence that divided the French nation, and his life of quiet obscurity after World War I. Samuels&’s striking perspective is enriched by a newly available archive of more than three thousand documents and objects donated by the Dreyfus family. Unlike many historians, Samuels argues that Dreyfus was not an &“assimilated&” Jew. Rather, he epitomized a new model of Jewish identity made possible by the French Revolution, when France became the first European nation to grant Jews full legal equality. This book analyzes Dreyfus&’s complex relationship to Judaism and to antisemitism over the course of his life—a story that, as global antisemitism rises, echoes still. It also shows the profound effect of the Dreyfus Affair on the lives of Jews around the world.John Calvin: A Pilgrim's Life
Par Herman J. Selderhuis. 2009
There are many biographies of John Calvin, the theologian--some villifying him and others extolling his virtues--but few that reveal John…
Calvin, the man. Professor and renowned Reformation historian Herman Selderhuis has written this book to bring Calvin near to the reader, showing him as a man who had an impressive impact on the development of the Western world, but who was first of all a believer struggling with God and with the way God governed both the world and his own life. Selderhuis draws on Calvin's own publications and commentary on the biblical figures with whom he strongly identified to describe his theology in the context of his personal development. Throughout we see a person who found himself alone at many of the decisive moments of his life--a fact that echoed through Calvin's subsequent sermons and commentaries. Selderhuis's unique and compelling look at John Calvin, with all of his merits and foibles, ultimately discloses a man who could not find himself at home in the world in which he lived.Strange Stones: Dispatches from East and West
Par Peter Hessler. 2013
Full of unforgettable figures and an unrelenting spirit of adventure, Strange Stones is a far-ranging, thought-provoking collection of Peter Hessler’s…
best reportage—a dazzling display of the powerful storytelling, shrewd cultural insight, and warm sense of humor that are the trademarks of his work.Over the last decade, as a staff writer for The New Yorker and the author of three books, Peter Hessler has lived in Asia and the United States, writing as both native and knowledgeable outsider in these two very different regions. This unusual perspective distinguishes Strange Stones, which showcases Hessler’s unmatched range as a storyteller. “Wild Flavor” invites readers along on a taste test between two rat restaurants in South China. One story profiles Yao Ming, basketball star and China’s most beloved export, another David Spindler, an obsessive and passionate historian of the Great Wall. In “Dr. Don,” Hessler writes movingly about a small-town pharmacist and his relationship with the people he serves.While Hessler’s subjects and locations vary, subtle but deeply important thematic links bind these pieces—the strength of local traditions, the surprising overlap between apparently opposing cultures, and the powerful lessons drawn from individuals who straddle different worlds.Country Driving: A Chinese Road Trip
Par Peter Hessler. 2010
“Hessler has a marvelous sense of the intonations and gestures that give life to the moment.” —The New York Times…
Book ReviewFrom Peter Hessler, the New York Times bestselling author of Oracle Bones and River Town, comes Country Driving, the third and final book in his award-winning China trilogy. Country Driving addresses the human side of the economic revolution in China, focusing on economics and development, and shows how the auto boom helps China shift from rural to urban, from farming to business.Devotion: A Memoir
Par Dani Shapiro. 2010
“Devotion’s biggest triumph is its voice: funny and unpretentious, concrete and earthy—appealing to skeptics and believers alike. This is a…
gripping, beautiful story.” —Jennifer Egan, author of The Keep“I was immensely moved by this elegant book.” —Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love Dani Shapiro, the acclaimed author of the novel Black and White and the bestselling memoir Slow Motion, is back with Devotion: a searching and timeless new memoir that examines the fundamental questions that wake women in the middle of the night, and grapples with the ways faith, prayer, and devotion affect everyday life. Devotion is sure to appeal to all those dealing with the trials and tribulations of what Carl Jung called “the afternoon of life.”The Longevity Plan: Seven Life-Transforming Lessons from Ancient China
Par John D. Day, Jane Ann Day, Matthew LaPlante. 2017
From a renowned Johns Hopkins- and Stanford-educated cardiologist at Intermountain Medical Center—a hospital system that President Obama has praised as…
an "island of excellence"—comes the story of his time living in Longevity Village in China, and the seven lessons he learned there that lead to a happy, healthy, long lifeAt forty-four, acclaimed cardiologist John Day was overweight and suffered from insomnia, degenerative joint disease, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. On six medications and suffering constant aches, he needed to make a change. While lecturing in China, he’d heard about a remote mountainous region known as Longevity Village, a wellness Shangri-La free of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity, dementia, depression, and insomnia, and where living past one hundred—in good health—is not uncommon.In the hope of understanding this incredible phenomenon, Day, a Mandarin speaker, decided to spend some time living in Longevity Village. He learned everything he could about this place and its people, and met its centenarians. His research revealed seven principles that work in tandem to create health, happiness, and longevity—rules he applied to his own life. Six months later, he’d lost thirty pounds, dropped one hundred points off his cholesterol and twenty-five points off his blood pressure, and was even cured of his acid reflux and insomnia. In 2014 he began a series of four-month support groups comprised of patients who worked together to apply the lessons of Longevity Village to their lives. Ninety-two percent of the participants were able to adhere to their plans and stay on pace to reach their health goals.Now Dr. Day shares his story and proven program to help you feel sharper, more motivated, productive, and pain-free. The Longevity Plan is not only a fascinating travelogue but also a practical, accessible, and groundbreaking guide to a better life.