Best of
International

2008

My Family for the War


Anne C. Voorhoeve - 2008
    Batchelder medal for most oustanding children's book in translation.Escaping Nazi Germany on the kindertransport changes one girl's life foreverAt the start of World War II, ten-year-old Franziska Mangold is torn from her family when she boards the kindertransport in Berlin, the train that secretly took nearly 10,000 children out of Nazi territory to safety in England. Taken in by strangers who soon become more like family than her real parents, Frances (as she is now known) courageously pieces together a new life for herself because she doesn't know when or if she'll see her true family again. Against the backdrop of war-torn London, Frances struggles with questions of identity, family, and love, and these experiences shape her into a dauntless, charming young woman.Originally published in Germany, Anne Voorhoeve's award-winning novel is filled with humor, danger, and romance.

One Hen: How One Small Loan Made a Big Difference


Katie Smith Milway - 2008
    When his mother receives a loan from some village families, she gives a little money to her son. With this tiny loan, Kojo buys a hen.A year later, Kojo has built up a flock of 25 hens. With his earnings Kojo is able to return to school. Soon Kojo's farm grows to become the largest in the region.Kojo's story is inspired by the life of Kwabena Darko, who as a boy started a tiny poultry farm just like Kojo's, which later grew to be the largest in Ghana, and one of the largest in west Africa. Kwabena also started a trust that gives out small loans to people who cannot get a loan from a bank.One Hen shows what happens when a little help makes a big difference. The final pages of One Hen explain the microloan system and include a list of relevant organizations for children to explore.One Hen is part of CitizenKid: A collection of books that inform children about the world and inspire them to be better global citizens.

We Are All Born Free: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Pictures


Amnesty InternationalDebi Gliori - 2008
    

Hush, Little Baby


Shane Dunphy - 2008
    Featuring five true stories of terror and triumph, 'Hush, Little Baby' explores the lives of troubled and abused children.

A Thousand Hills: Rwanda's Rebirth and the Man Who Dreamed It


Stephen Kinzer - 2008
    Learn about President Kagame, who strives to make Rwanda the first middle-income country in Africa, in a single generation. In this adventurous tale, learn about Kagame's early fascination with Che Guevara and James Bond, his years as an intelligence agent, his training in Cuba and the United States, the way he built his secret rebel army, his bloody rebellion, and his outsized ambitions for Rwanda.

The Boy In The Cupboard


Shane Dunphy - 2008
    His parents are trying to make a fresh start, but their gangland bosses are about to catch up with the family and Craig will pay a terrible price ...Edgar is a twelve year old boy whom nobody wants, not even the staff at the residential unit where he lives. Just when it seems that there might be a way of getting through to him, his mother reveals a secret that changes everything ...innie is a teenage boy who knows exactly what his gangster father is capable of, of how he,makes problems disappear. He also knows he has become a very big problem for his father ...... One man's fight to give these children the future they deserve.IN 15 years as a child protection worker, Shane Dunphy saw children growing up in horrific situations. He also saw their amazing ability to survive those unpromising beginnings.

Shin-chi's Canoe


Nicola I. Campbell - 2008
    For Shinchi, life becomes an endless cycle of church mass, school, and work, punctuated by skimpy meals. He finds solace at the river, clutching a tiny cedar canoe, a gift from his father, and dreaming of the day when the salmon return to the river — a sign that it’s almost time to return home. This poignant story about a devastating chapter in First Nations history is told at a child’s level of understanding.

They Must Be Stopped: Why We Must Defeat Radical Islam and How We Can Do It


Brigitte Gabriel - 2008
    Gabriel challenges our western and politically-correct notions about Islam, demonstrating why radical Islam is so deadly and how we can halt its progress.Brigitte Gabriel speaks her mind:*Fundamentalist Islam is a religion rooted in 7th century teachings that are fundamentally opposed to democracy and equality.*Radical Islamists are utterly contemptuous of all "infidels" (non-Muslims) and regard them as enemies worthy of death.*Madrassas in America are increasing in number, and they are just one part of a growing radical Islamic army on US soil.*Radical Islam exploits the US legal system and America's protection of religion to spread its hatred for western values.*America must organize a unified voice that says "enough" to political correctness, and demands that government officials and elected representatives do whatever is necessary to protect us.Brigitte Gabriel has fearlessly faced down critics, death threats, and political correctness, and is one of the most sought after terrorism experts in the world. They Must Be Stopped is her clarion call to action. Gabriel thoroughly addresses the historical and religious basis of radical Islam, its frightening encroachment into societies around the world, and its abuses of democracy in the name of religion.

Small Miracles of the Holocaust: Extraordinary Coincidences of Faith, Hope, and Survival


Yitta Halberstam - 2008
    From the authors of the bestselling Small Miracles series comes this inspirational collection of over 50 stories - each with the upbeat twist ending that has become the trademark of this remarkable series. The authors, both second-generation Holocaust survivors, have culled stories from before, during, and after the Holocaust that demonstrate the full strength and power of the human spirit.  Stories reaffirming that nothing truly happens by accident…  Even during the worst of times small miracles did happen - and the legacies of those individuals live on.

The Remnant - Stories of the Jewish Resistance in WWII (Boomer Book Series)


Othniel J. Seiden - 2008
    . ." Solomon Shalensky After researching the World War II transcripts of the Nuremburg Trials and interviewing 'The Remnant' or Jewish survivors of the holocaust, many still living in Israel; Othniel Seiden was compelled to write their startling and remarkable stories of WWII in this historically accurate Jewish novel. In this stunning and compelling WWII historical novel about the Jews who were able to remain free and fight, Seiden documents their survival, their suffering, their missions and their guerrilla warfare tactics against the Nazi occupation forces. Also, well documented, the tragedy of Kiev and now infamous ravine of Babi Yar where it is thought that nearly a million people, Jews and non-Jews alike were massacred. These brave few escaped the certain death of their co-religionists by acts of bravery and sheer determination to live. The myth that the Jewish people 'went to their deaths like sheep to slaughter. . .' is put to rest forever in the stories of "The Remnant." Preview this historic Jewish novel now - simply click the cover of The Remnant - The Jewish Resistance of WWII

Jungle Jack: My Wild Life


Jack Hanna - 2008
    With the kind of work ethic and enthusiasm he's become known for, Hanna brought new life to the zoo, transforming it into the state-of-the-art facility it is today. It was an achievement for which he was well prepared: Hanna was only eleven years old when he got his first job with animals-cleaning cages for the family vet. As a newlywed, he and his wife, Suzi, ran a pet shop and petting zoo, and he later worked for a wildlife adventure outfit. You've probably seen Hanna as a wildlife correspondent with his animal friends on The Late Show with David Letterman, Larry King Live, Entertainment Tonight, and Hannity & Colmes. Full of unpredictable animal escapades and the occasional tragedy, this book takes readers on an enjoyable safari through the life of "Jungle" Jack Hanna.

William Carey


S.Pearce Carey - 2008
    Pearce Carey's compelling pages convey the very atmosphere of that extraordinary period of missionary advance. This life of Carey is structured around a series of remarkable events, always unplanned and unexpected, which opened the way to undreamed of achievements. Carey and his colleagues overcame mountainous obstacles to become the most productive church planters and Bible translators of all time. No other work compares with this moving treatment.

With Her Eyes


Liu Cixin - 2008
    In the future, those who cannot go on their own journeys can ask travelers to take electronic eyes along for them, offering another a virtual window to their experiences. Whose eyes is he carrying? And why is she insistent to the point of tears that he show her a sunrise? China Galaxy Science Fiction Award of Year 1999----------------------------Liu Cixin's writing will remind SF fans of the genre's golden age, with its positive focus on scientific development, combined with a consistently constructive vision of China's future role as a global superpower. It's characteristic of an SF genre which has been embraced by Chinese culture because it is seen as representing the values of technological innovation and creativity so highly prized in a country developing more quickly than any other in the world today.– Damien Walter, The GuardianA science fiction tale with a Chinese touch. The Wandering Earth is filled with imaginative tech and a moving world, literally.– Indiebookoftheday.com

Venezia: Food and Dreams


Tessa Kiros - 2008
    She shares these special moments with foodies and fans in "Venezia: Food and Dreams." This stunning book is so much more than a cookbook. It's a personal journal, a travel guide, and a memoir about Tessa's love for Venice, Italy, and its special place in her heart—and palate.In "Venezia," cooks awake to 105 amazing recipes and 120 four-color photographs focusing on the fascinating city and its famous fare. Chapters include Eating in Venice, Essential Recipes, Cicchetti (small bites), Antipasti, Zuppa/Pasta/Gnocchi, Risotto, Secondi, Contorni (sides), and Dolce (sweet things)."Venice is like when you hear a piece of music that scoops down into your soul, or notice a real tear getting ready to drop from the eye of an unlucky child. One of those rare moments when you grasp the magnificence of this world. Yes, Venice is one of those places." --Tessa Kiros

Silent Music: A Story of Baghdad


James Rumford - 2008
    When bombs begin to fall on his city, Ali turns to his pen, writing sweeping and gliding words to the silent music that drowns out the war all around him. Gorgeously illustrated with collage, pencil and charcoal drawings and, of course, exquisite calligraphy, this timely and yet universal story celebrates art and history but also offers young children a way to understand all they see and hear on the news. Silent Music is a 2009 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.

Commander of the Faithful: The Life and Times of Emir Abd el-Kader (1808-1883)


John W. Kiser - 2008
    . . any number of episodes could inspire novels . . . impossible to read without thinking of more current events."—The New York Times"A valuable and timely reminder . . . of that rare figure: a bridge between East and West."—Times Literary SupplementThis well-researched and compelling biography of the Muslim warrior-saint who led the Algerian resistance to French colonization in the mid-nineteenth century sheds light on current US involvement with a global Islam. The most famous "jihadist" of his time, Abd el-Kader was known equally for his military brilliance and his moral authority. His New York Times obituary called him "one of the few great men of the century."

The Long Road Home


Pablo Yoder - 2008
    Though they knew they would have to learn a new language and a different culture, they did not anticipate such primitive housing, drenching rains, or daunting mud holes. And they certainly were not expecting active volcanoes or earthquakes...To ten-year-old Pablo, it was all one big adventure. Rushing rivers, picturesque lakes, undiscovered islands, secret canyons, secluded banana groves, gigantic tropical trees, exotic birds, mischievous monkeys ... a whole new world was waiting to be explored just outside his door.But inside, another Voice was calling. Pablo, hungry for excitement, wasn't ready to listen. Instead, his innocent adventures took a darker turn, and his parents' concern changed to alarm as they watched him choose his own lonely and increasingly wicked path

Tolstoy's Short Fiction


Leo Tolstoy - 2008
    The Second Edition newly includes A Prisoner in the Caucasus, Father Sergius, and After the Ball, in addition to Michael Katz 's new translation of Alyosha Gorshok. Together these stories represent the best of the author 's short fiction before War and Peace and after Anna Karenina. Backgrounds and Sources includes two Tolstoy memoirs, A History of Yesterday (1851) and The Memoirs of a Madman (1884), as well as entries expanded in the Second Edition from Tolstoy 's Diary for 1855 and selected letters (1858 95) that shed light on the author 's creative process.Criticism collects twenty-three essays by Russian and western scholars, six of which are new to this Second Edition. Interpretations focus both on Tolstoy 's language and art and on specific themes and motifs in individual stories. Contributors include John M. Kopper, Gary Saul Morson, N. G. Chernyshevsky, Mikhail Bakhtin, Harsha Ram, John Bayley, Vladimir Nabokov, Ruth Rischin, Margaret Ziolkowski, and Donald Barthelme.A Chronology of Tolstoy 's life and work and an updated Selected Bibliography are also included.

Pele, King of Soccer/Pele, El rey del futbol: Bilingual Spanish-English


Monica Brown - 2008
    It’s a fun way to learn to read and as a supplement for activity books for children.Do you know how a poor boy from Brazil who loved fútbol more than anything else became the biggest soccer star the world has ever known? This is the true story of Pelé, King of Soccer, the first man in the history of the sport to score a thousand goals and become a living legend.Rudy Gutierrez’s dynamic illustrations make award-winning author Monica Brown’s story of this remarkable sports hero come alive!

Havana Before Castro: When Cuba Was a Tropical Playground


Peter Moruzzi - 2008
    Here, captured in one amazing book, is the drama, passion, intrigue, and opulence of a legendary city during its heyday-before the Castro dictatorship re-imagined the country and Americans were banned from travel to this tropical paradise. An architectural historian by profession, Peter Moruzzi is an acknowledged expert on mid-century Modern architecture and design. He is the founder of the Palm Springs Modern Committee, an internationally recognized historic preservation organization, and the writer/director of Desert Holiday, a documentary film chronicling the history of Palm Springs as seen through vintage postcards. He resides in the Silver Lake district of Los Angeles and in Palm Springs.

The Perfect Sword


Scott Goto - 2008
    The book includes an author's note about samurai swords and a glossary of Japanese terms.

Asylum Denied: A Refugee's Struggle for Safety in America


David Ngaruri Kenney - 2008
    Kenney, while living in his native Kenya, led a boycott to protest his government's treatment of his fellow farmers. He was subsequently arrested and taken into the forest to be executed. This book, told by Kenney and his lawyer Philip G. Schrag from Kenney's own perspective, tells of his near-murder, imprisonment, and torture in Kenya; his remarkable escape to the United States; and the obstacle course of ordeals and proceedings he faced as U.S. government agencies sought to deport him to Kenya. A story of courage, love, perseverance, and legal strategy, Asylum Denied brings to life the human costs associated with our immigration laws and suggests reforms that are desperately needed to help other victims of human rights violations.

A Lion in Paris


Beatrice Alemagna - 2008
    It tells the story of a lion who, bored by his rural life in the savanna, seeks excitement and opportunity in the City of Light. Upon arriving in Paris, the lion is disappointed to find that despite his size, people barely pay attention to him, not even when he lets out a ferocious roar on the busy underground Métro. Revealing the sights and sounds of Paris from Montmartre to the Eiffel Tower, this beautifully illustrated book successfully conveys the experience of being a stranger in a new city and the process of understanding one’s own identity.

The Red Apple


Feridun Oral - 2008
    A tale of a mouse, rabbit, bear and fox who all want to eat the last red apple of the winter.

The Best Family In The World


Susana López Rubio - 2008
    What will they be like? She imagines all kinds of wonderful familiesastronauts, pastry chefs, even pirates. How nice to find out that they are the best family in the world.

The Principles and Practice of International Commercial Arbitration


Margaret L. Moses - 2008
    Arbitration has become the dispute resolution method of choice in international transactions. This book explains how and why arbitration works. It provides the legal and regulatory framework for international arbitration, as well as practical strategies to follow and pitfalls to avoid. It is short and readable, but comprehensive in its coverage of the basic requirements, including the most recent changes in arbitration laws, rules, and guidelines. The second edition includes updates on rules and guidelines, such as the arbitration rules of the ICC, the SCC, the ACICA, and UNCITRAL, as well as the 2010 IBA Rules on Taking of Evidence in International Arbitration. In the book, the author includes insights from numerous international arbitrators and counsel, who tell firsthand about their own experiences of arbitration and their views of best practices. Throughout the book, the principles of arbitration are supported and explained by the practice, providing a concrete approach to an important means of resolving disputes.

All Things Must Fight to Live: Stories of War and Deliverance in Congo


Bryan Mealer - 2008
    Amid burned-out battlefields, the dark corners of the forests, and the high savanna, where thousands have been massacred and quickly forgotten, Mealer searches for signs that Africa's most troubled nation will soon rise from ruin.At once illuminating and startling, All Things Must Fight to Live is a searing portrait of an emerging country devastated by a decade of war and horror and now facing almost impossible odds at recovery, as well as an unflinching look at the darkness and greed that exists in the hearts of men. It is nonfiction at its finest--powerful, moving, necessary.

My Parent's Bedroom (A Story from Say You're One of Them)


Uwem Akpan - 2008
    The eight-year-old narrator of "An Ex-Mas Feast" needs only enough money to buy books and pay fees in order to attend school. Even when his twelve-year-old sister takes to the streets to raise these meager funds, his dream can't be granted. Food comes first. His family lives in a street shanty in Nairobi, Kenya, but their way of both loving and taking advantage of each other strikes a universal chord. In the second of his stories published in a New Yorker special fiction issue, Akpan takes us far beyond what we thought we knew about the tribal conflict in Rwanda. The story is told by a young girl, who, with her little brother, witnesses the worst possible scenario between parents. They are asked to do the previously unimaginable in order to protect their children. This singular collection will also take the reader inside Nigeria, Benin, and Ethiopia, revealing in beautiful prose the harsh consequences for children of life in Africa.Akpan's voice is a literary miracle, rendering lives of almost unimaginable deprivation and terror into stories that are nothing short of transcendent.

Soldier Bear


Bibi Dumon Tak - 2008
    The soldiers raise the bear and eventually enlist him as a soldier to ensure that he stays with the company. He travels with them from Iran to Italy, and then on to Scotland. Voytek's mischief gets him into trouble along with way, but he also provides some unexpected encouragement for the soldiers amidst the reality of war: Voytek learns to carry bombs for the company, saves the camp from a spy, and keeps them constantly entertained with his antics.Always powerful and surprising, Bibi Dumon Tak's story offers readers a glimpse at this fascinating piece of history.

Hope Lives: A Journey of Restoration


Amber Van Schooneveld - 2008
    Produced in partnership with Compassion International, this five-week exploration of compassion touches both the head and heart--And helps participants discover (and share) God's heart for the poor. The book contains 25 daily readings, divided into five one-week segments. Each of the 25 daily readings includes Scriptural support for the author's arguments, a page for journaling responses to challenging questions about the day's reading, and a prayer asking God for guidance through the issue at hand.Week 1: The Poverty of the HeartThe first step on the journey is to understand the poverty of the heart, to search our hearts and ask why it's sometimes so hard to help those in need. How are things like materialism and individualism stifling compassion? On the journey, we'll set down the burden of guilt and pick up God's grace instead.Week 2: God is Not SilentGod has provided a map for our journey in loving others. This week we'll explore what the Bible has to say about serving the poor, the widows, and the orphans, and how God desires for us to show his love to those in need.Week 3: Understanding PovertyUnderstanding poverty will guide the steps we take in releasing others from it. This week we'll explore what poverty is--its causes and effects and how it's a spiritual matter at its core.Week 4: PrayerPrayer is the weapon God has given us for the journey of loving and serving those in need. This week of prayer and journaling will help us explore the power of prayer in a world in need of restoration and help us make prayer a part of daily life.Week 5: Be the ChangeThe journey of serving those in need is, in essence, the journey of following Christ. And God has created each person uniquely for the journey, giving each one spiritual gifts, skills, and passions with which to serve him, to be the change we want to see in the world. This week we'll explore our individual gifts and be reminded that it is God's grace that sustains us along the way.

Tales from the Perilous Realm


Brian Sibley - 2008
    R. R. Tolkien, author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, in four BBC Radio full-cast dramatizations available for the first time in the U.S. Tolkien's tales of myth, mystery, and rumbustious exploits have been specially adapted for radio by Brian Sibley, one of the dramatists of the highly acclaimed BBC radio production of The Lord of the Rings. In Farmer Giles of Ham, having accidentally shot a giant, Farmer Giles finds his brave reputation being tested by Chrysophylax the dragon. In Smith of Wootton Major, when young Smith eats a piece of cake containing a silver star, he is granted access to the magical land of Faerie. In Leaf by Niggle, a thought-provoking allegory on the theme of creativity, the painter Niggle embarks on a fateful search for perfection. In The Adventures of Tom Bombadil, join Tom and the Hobbits in scenes from The Lord of the Rings which were not included in the BBC Radio 4 dramatization.Dramatized by Brian SibleyMusic by Peter Howell of the BBC Radiophonic WorkshopProduced by John Taylor

The Korean Table: From Barbecue to Bibimbap 100 Easy-To-Prepare Recipes


Taekyung Chung - 2008
    Poised to become America's next favorite Asian cuisine, Korean food is rapidly gaining in popularity throughout the country. Dishes such as bulgogi (Korean barbecue), kimchi (pickled spicy cabbage) and bibimbap (mixed rice) are only a few of the savory, authentic meals that are taking the food world by storm.The Korean Table is a wonderful new cookbook that shows American cooks how to create the tempting flavors of Korean cuisine at home. Chung and Samuels, a Korean and an American, team up to guide home cooks through the process of making Korean meals without fuss, multiple trips to specialty markets or expensive on-line shopping. Along with showing you how to create complete Korean meals from start to finish—from Scallion Pancakes to Korean Dumplings (mandu) and Simmered Beef Short Ribs—The Korean Table also includes information about how you can add the flavors of Korea to your meal in numerous quick and easy ways every day, using condiments, side dishes, salad dressings, sauces and more.

The Umbrella Queen


Shirin Yim Bridges - 2008
    Carefully, she creates serene flowers and butterflies exactly as she has seen her mother and grandmother do for years.But soon her imagination takes over, and Noot finds herself straying from the old patterns, to the dismay of her family, who depend on the traditionally painted umbrellas for their livelihood.Her parents tell her she must go back to the old designs and Noot obeys, knowing that the King is coming soon to name the one who has painted the most beautiful umbrella. After all, the King would never choose a queen who breaks from tradition . . . would he?

Leading Cross-Culturally: Covenant Relationships for Effective Christian Leadership


Sherwood G. Lingenfelter - 2008
    Of particular concern is the issue of leadership--a difficult task made even more challenging in multicultural settings. Sherwood Lingenfelter helps the reader understand his or her own leadership culture (and its blind spots), examine it critically in light of Scripture, and become an effective learner of other cultural perspectives on leadership. He also confronts the issues of power inherent in any leadership situation. Lingenfelter carefully defines cross-cultural leadership and unpacks that definition throughout the book, with an emphasis on building communities of vision, trust, and empowerment through leadership based on biblical principles. In the end, he argues that leaders must inhabit the gospel story to be effective cross-culturally.

Hunting the Tiger: The Fast Life and Violent Death of the Balkans' Most Dangerous Man


Christopher S. Stewart - 2008
    This text is a behind-the-scenes look at one man who became a symbol of an intensely combustible and illicit age, and at a profound historical moment.

The Life of A Child Survivor from Bialystok, Poland


Ben Midler - 2008
    Orphaned at 13 years of age, I had a strong will and kept my body as strong as I could. Now that I am 80 years old, writing these experiences has helped me to overcome the nightmare I lived through and it also provides a living history for my readers.

Secret Keeper


Mitali Perkins - 2008
    Uncle is welcoming, but in a country steeped in tradition, the three women must abide by his decisions. Asha knows this is temporary—just until Baba sends for them. But with scant savings and time passing, the tension builds: Ma, prone to spells of sadness, finds it hard to submit to her mother- and sister-in-law; Reet’s beauty attracts unwanted marriage proposals; and Asha's promise to take care of Ma and Reet leads to impulsive behavior. What follows is a firestorm of rebuke—and secrets revealed! Asha’s only solace is her rooftop hideaway, where she pours her heart out in her diary, and where she begins a clandestine friendship with Jay Sen, the boy next door. Asha can hardly believe that she, and not Reet, is the object of Jay’s attention. Then news arrives about Baba . . . and Asha must make a choice that will change their lives forever.

Genocide by Denial: How Profiteering from HIV/AIDS Killed Millions


Peter Mugyenyi - 2008
    The author's involvement in the struggle against the virus started in 1989, soon after his return from a long exile in Europe and the Middle East. On arrival he found the disease devastating his country, compelling him to fight the modern-age plague. He became one of the leaders in a protracted fight against the scourge and an advocate for universal access to life-saving antiretroviral therapy. In this book the author exposes the incredible self-indulgence of the pharmaceutical companies and the cold-heartedness of the rich world that turned a blind eye until it was far too late, and then responded too slowly with too little. The book details his challenge to the powerful pharmaceutical companies that insisted on profitable business as usual, ignoring the lives of millions, and his call for more ethical and humanitarian ways of trade, involving crucial life-saving drugs, and a new world order to ensure entitlement of the poor to rapid humanitarian relief.

The Lord is My Shepherd


Gennady Spirin - 2008
    This never-before-created format, made from one large, magnificent painting, gives parents and children an opportunity to share the experience, making prayer time even more profound.

Seven: The Deadly Sins and the Beatitudes


Jeff Cook - 2008
    The seven deadly sins are the force causing that hole. They are at work in each of us. They decimate our relationships, our souls and our world. These deadly sins often seem pleasing and good for gaining what we desire, but they are thoroughly poisonous. Conversely, the Beatitudes are Jesus' pictures of a restored creation. The Beatitudes introduced what Jesus said to his earliest followers about a life strong and fruitful. In fact, the Beatitudes give us a glimpse of a world empty of evil and filled to the edges with God's life. Looking at the Beatitudes and the seven deadly sins in turn, we see two paths, two sets of invitations. Both call to deep places within us to come and taste. Both invite us to take up residence. Both present themselves as life as it actually is. But only one will draw us further into reality.And only one will make us happy. “Of the many, many books about the Gospels, or about Jesus, or about Christian morality, only one in a thousand gives us a real breakthrough, a new ‘big picture’. Most are just nice little candles on the cake. Seven is a bonfire. It’s not just good; it’s striking. It doesn’t just say all the things you’ve heard a thousand times before. And yet it’s totally in sync with both the saints and the scholars.”--Peter Kreeft, professor of philosophy at Boston College, and author of over forty-five books, including Fundamentals of the Faith.

The Ambassador's Wife


Jake Needham - 2008
    So, Inspector Samuel Tay of Singapore CID asks himself, why is it no one wants him to find their killer?The first body is in Singapore, on a bed in an empty suite at the Marriott Hotel. The second is in Bangkok, at a seedy apartment near the American embassy. Both American women, both viciously beaten and lewdly displayed. The FBI says it’s terrorism, but the whispers on the street tell a different story. They say a serial killer is stalking American women across Asia.Inspector Samuel Tay is a little cranky, a little lonely, a little overweight, and he smokes way too much. A lot of people think he's a lousy policeman, but he's the best detective the Singapore cops have ever had. It makes the bosses nervous as hell to put this case in Tay's hands, but with something this tricky on their plate they know they have no choice.Still, there's a big problem. Before Tay can even get the investigation started, everybody wants a piece of it. The FBI demands to take over the case, the American Diplomatic Security Service insists on being in charge, Bangkok's Special Branch won't allow itself to be ignored, Singapore's Internal Security Department is going to have a major say, and even the American Ambassador sticks his nose right into the middle of everything.That's a lot of people walking all over Tay's murder case. But here's the thing. He realizes that none of them, not a single one, really want him to find the killer.

Eve of Destruction: The Coming Age of Preventive War


Thomas M. Nichols - 2008
    The great powers are moving toward norms less restrictive of intervention, preemption, and preventive war. This evolution is taking place not only in the United States but also in many of the world's most powerful nations, including Russia, France, and Japan, among others. As centuries of tradition and law are overturned, will preventive warfare push the world into chaos?Eve of Destruction is a provocative contribution to a growing international debate over the acceptance of preventive military action. In the first work to identify the trends that have led to a coming age of preventive war, Thomas M. Nichols uses historical analysis as well as interviews with military officials from around the world to trace the anticipatory use of force from the early 1990s--when the international community responded to a string of humanitarian crises in Somalia, Bosnia, and Kosovo--to today's current and potential actions against rogue states and terrorists. He makes a case for a bold reform of U.S. foreign policy, and of the United Nations Security Council itself, in order to avert outright anarchy.

Lucky in Cyprus: A True Story about a Teacher, a Boy, an Earthquake, Some Terrorists, and the CIA


Allan "Lucky" Cole - 2008
    An American teenager - son of a CIA operative - is inspired by grand events and a Greek Cypriot teacher to learn about survival and his art. He witnesses earthquakes and riots and terrorist attacks, but in the end it is his teacher's gentle lessons that keep him whole.

The Great Snake: Stories from the Amazon


Sean Taylor - 2008
    From sly jaguars and the slowest of sloths to spine-tingling giant serpents and white-suited strangers, his retellings teem with legendary beings, vivid color, earthy comedy, and the mysteries of the rainforest. Together, with Fernando Vilela’s dramatic, color-saturated illustrations, they reveal the Amazon peoples' beliefs and way of life. Notes and a glossary provide additional information about the region.

Hide and Seek: The Search for Truth in Iraq


Charles Duelfer - 2008
    His 2004 CIA report is widely renowned as the most authoritative account on how the world was led to believe that Saddam possessed weapons of mass destruction. But until now, Duelfer has never publicly shared his unrivaled expertise on just how the U.S.-Iraq relationship spiraled into a second war, and ultimately into chaos.Hide and Seek is his account--based on unparalleled access to Iraqi leadership, the White House, and the CIA--of the long and tragic unraveling of the U.S. relationship with Iraq. This book sees beyond the propaganda and deceits of both sides to tell the story of the miscalculations in assessing Iraq as a threat, why Saddam responded as he did to U.S. demands, and precisely how the U.S. implemented its decision to topple Saddam's regime. No one is better able than Duelfer to see inside the mindsets of the two administrations, with their mismatched priorities, wounded pride, and dangerous ability to bluff and counterbluff.

A Thousand Miles Up the Nile: A Woman's Journey Among the Treasures of Ancient Egypt, Part I


Amelia B. Edwards - 2008
    The book is full of historical footnotes and careful details. Amelia Edwards was responsible for founding the first chair in Egyptology (a science she helped create) at University College London, and was behind the appointment of Sir Flinders Petrie. She established herself as one of the authorities on the subject of Ancient Egypt and her book A Thousand Miles Up the Nile has remained one of the most inspiring travel books in the subject.

Written on the Knee: A Diary from the Greek-Italian Front of WWII


Theodore Electris - 2008
    Theodore Electris, newly married and idealistic, was called up to the Greek-Italian front in the remote mountains of Albania. Homesick, hungry and desperately missing his young wife, Chrysoula, he kept an intimate journal to preserve his experiences for her.Translated by his daughter, Helen Electrie Lindsay, Electris’s entries and letters come together in Written on the Knee. Fully illustrated and accompanied by supporting reference material, the collection serves as both an authentic historical document of Greek involvement in WWII and a story of love, separation and family ties threatened and strengthened by war.Often overlooked in the scope of WWII, Greece’s six-month conflict with Mussolini’s forces played a pivotal role in the war’s outcome. The small country’s fierce resistance against the Italians delayed Hitler’s move into the Soviet Union, which many historians believe turned the war in favor of the Allies.From Dr. Electris’s first entry to his last, Written on the Knee captures the true story of love and war during a crucial time in modern history.

Becoming Somaliland: Reconstructing a Failed State


Mark Bradbury - 2008
    Since then, in contrast to the complete collapse of Somalia, Somaliland has successfully managed a process of reconciliation, demobilization, and restoration of law and order. They have held three successful democratic elections and the capital, Hargeysa, has become an active international trading center. Despite this display of good governance in Africa, Somaliland has yet to be recognized by the international community. International efforts have been directed toward the reunification of Somalia, which has failed, even after 14 peace conferences and international military intervention. Warlords continue to overrun and destabilize southern Somalia while Somaliland works to build peace, stability, and democracy. How long will it be before this African success story achieves the recognition it deserves?

Gold of the Gods


Bear Grylls - 2008
    His anthropologist uncle has taken him along on a visit to Don Rafael de Castillo, a descendent of a great explorer who claimed to have discovered a lost city of gold. But the secret of the city died with the explorer . . . until now. Beck’s uncle and Don Rafael believe they know where to find the city, but before they find it, they are both kidnapped. With Marco and Christina—the Don's children—Beck must set off into the wilds of Colombia to find the city and bring his uncle back. Along the way he must build a raft, negotiate wild river rapids, make camp, defend his friends from wild animals, and keep them all alive in the jungle. This fast-paced, exciting adventure is also full of real survival details and tips.

Simon of Space


Cheeseburger Brown - 2008
    A victim of technology and circumstance, Simon's memory has been wiped clean, leaving him to rediscover his own identity in a world that is as frightening as unfamiliar, the clues to his personal history few and far between. The path from innocence to recovery takes Simon from planet to planet in a desperate hunt for the truth. Along the way he will befriend snotty robots, baffling alien beings, a precocious kid, and a dog with serious gastrointestinal issues - and he'll find out what kind of a man he really is.

Papa's Problem


Patrick Kendrick - 2008
    Working with the mysterious former Scotland Yard inspector, Emmet MacWain, they must delve into the dark side of this sunny paradise and find the answers that may help save hundreds of innocent lives as well as their own.