For some, religion serves as a guide for moral behavior. Today’s world is one in which our understanding of world religions is both understatedly important, as well as increasingly complex. After many years exploring the foundations of various world religions, Jason Boyett has written this comprehensive, easy-to-understand exploration of the twelve major world religions through a meticulous, yet unbiased lens. 12 Major World Religions offers an impartial look at where each of these belief systems intersects, how they differ, and why some have been―or are currently―misunderstood.

    It is the 1960s, and he is eager to make a contribution to the new postcolonial life of his country. Back home, he discovers a stranger among the familiar faces of childhood—the enigmatic Mustafa Sa’eed. Mustafa takes the young man into his confidence, telling him the story of his own years in London, of his brilliant career as an economist, and of the series of fraught and deadly relationships with European women that led to a terrible public reckoning and his return to his native land.But what is the meaning of Mustafa’s shocking confession? Mustafa disappears without explanation, leaving the young man—whom he has asked to look after his wife—in an unsettled and violent no-man’s-land between Europe and Africa, tradition and innovation, holiness and defilement, and man and woman, from which no one will escape unaltered or unharmed.Season of Migration to the North is a rich and sensual work of deep honesty and incandescent lyricism. In 2001 it was selected by a panel of Arab writers and critics as the most important Arab novel of the twentieth century.

    Whether writing as son of a dying father or as father of a daughter about to be wed, Berry plumbs the complexities of conflict, grief, loss, and love. He celebrates life from the domestic to the eternal, finding in the everyday that which is everlasting.

    . . Others are inflicted with pain and sometimes deep suffering. We must experience all these Chapters of Life before we can move forward on the karmic wheel. . . In this volume we will learn about: A coming new world leader. . . The many mansions and dimensions of the universe. . . A world we all must visit . . . How to close and open a chapter in your life. . .Finding out if Astral is for YOU? . . .Its all here in the CHAPTERS OF LIFE.

    Flying in the face of everything we thought we knew, The Islamic Enlightenment becomes an astonishing and revelatory history that offers a game-changing assessment of the Middle East since the Napoleonic Wars.Beginning his account in 1798, de Bellaigue demonstrates how Middle Eastern heartlands have long welcomed modern ideals and practices, including the adoption of modern medicine, the emergence of women from seclusion, and the development of democracy. With trenchant political and historical insight, de Bellaigue further shows how the violence of an infinitesimally small minority is in fact the tragic blowback from these modernizing processes.Structuring his groundbreaking history around Istanbul, Cairo, and Tehran, the three main loci of Islamic culture, de Bellaigue directly challenges ossified perceptions of a supposedly benighted Muslim world through the forgotten, and inspiring, stories of philosophers, anti-clerics, journalists, and feminists who opened up their societies to political and intellectual emancipation. His sweeping and vivid account includes remarkable men and women from across the Muslim world, including Ibrahim Sinasi, who brought newspapers to Istanbul; Mirza Saleh Shirzi, whose Persian memoirs describe how the Turkish harems were finally shuttered; and Qurrat al-Ayn, an Iranian noble woman, who defied her husband to become a charismatic prophet.What makes The Islamic Enlightenment particularly germane is that non-Muslim pundits in the post-9/11 era have repeatedly called for Islam to subject itself to the transformations that the West has already achieved since the Enlightenment—the absurd implication being that if Muslims do not stop reading or following the tenets of the Qur’an and other holy books, they will never emerge from a benighted state of backwardness. The Islamic Enlightenment, with its revolutionary argument, completely refutes this view and, in the process, reveals the folly of Westerners demanding modernity from those whose lives are already drenched in it.

    This third edition (and completely re-written and updated) version of the bestselling law school admission guide provides detailed information on how to present yourself in the law school application process. Ann Levine brings 15+ years of experience in law school admissions (as director of admissions for law schools and as a law school admission consultant) to provide advice about writing the best law school personal statement and optional essays, how to choose people to write letters of recommendation, what to include in your resume, how to explain weaknesses in your application such as a low GPA or LSAT score, the best way to prepare for the LSAT, and how to choose a law school. Once you've submitted your law school applications, this book will continue to guide you on getting accepted from a waiting list, negotiating law school scholarships, and transferring to a new law school after your 1L year. The book includes an analysis of personal statement introductions as well as complete essays successfully used by applicants, tips on writing optional essays for law schools, and sample resumes and addenda. Topics include: - How will law schools view my credentials, activities, and work experience? - What is the rolling admission process and how can it impact whether I am accepted? - Will the fact that I am a non-traditional applicant help me or hurt me? - Why is the personal statement important and how do I select a topic? - How do I explain a low LSAT score, inconsistent GPA, academic probation, or arrest record? - Should I write an optional essay? - Should I share information about my learning disability? - Why was I placed on a waiting list and what can I do to increase my chances of acceptance? - How can I use scholarship offers to negotiate between law schools? - How do I decide where to attend? The tips and insights provided within The Law School Admission Game: How to Play Like an Expert is the second best thing to having your own law school admission consultant. Ms. Levine offers candid and tangible advice in a conversational tone with an open and encouraging (but brutally honest) approach. This book will change how you look at the law school admission process and help you create your strongest possible application package. This book offers strategies for all law school applicants, including specific advice for people: -Determined to attend a Top Law School -Hoping for the chance to attend any law school -Seeking an affordable legal education -Returning to school after being in the work force -Still in college with limited work and life experience -Considering how to build their experiences and resumes to strengthen their applications -Concerned about writing a compelling personal statement because they haven't overcome significant obstacles - Know the story they want to tell about overcoming obstacles in life but are not sure what to emphasize. No matter your life story or potential weaknesses in your law school application, The Law School Admission Game: How to Play Like an Expert will guide you through every piece of the application process. Both previous editions of this book have been Amazon.com bestsellers, and this one is the first to feature full-length essays used by successful applicants in the past, as well as a self-study LSAT schedule. If you're even thinking about applying to law school, this book is about to become your go-to resource.

    Keep in mind that because different versions of Hinduism inspire different people, many different versions of the stories float through the jungle and over the stones of temples and traditions. The stories in this volume are my version, though I’ve stuck as closely to the original myths and legends as imagination allows. At the end of this book, you’ll find a short bibliography for further research and reading. Within this book, you'll find the following Hindu myths covered Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu, and the Beginning of the World The Birth of Lord Shiva Saraswati & Brahma’s Fifth Head Shiva Tests Parvati Shiva Snares a Whale Ganesha Loses His Head Ganesha Spills a River Kubera’s Pride Ganesha Injures a Goddess Ganesha Wins a Race Shiva Skips Success Ravana’s Ten Heads The Birth of Rama Urmila’s Slumber Deer of Deception Hanuman’s Torch Suvannamachha Steals a Bridge Hanuman Moves a Mountain The Final Battle Sita’s Purity Krishna Steals Butter Krishna Trades for Jewels Krishna Swallows the Flames Agni Spreads a Curse Vayu Humbles the Silk Cotton Tree Savitri Chooses a Husband Savitri’s Fidelity And more! Download the book now and learn more about Hindu mythology

    Edited by leading scholars Francis T. Cullen and Robert Agnew, it presents a wide range of readings, including original theory pieces. A brief yet detailed introduction frames each Part (and each reading), providing students with a "road map" as they explore the ongoing intellectual developments, diverse views, and continuing debates in the field of criminological theory.Building on the success of the third edition, the thoroughly updated and revised fourth edition includes:* Eight new readings (each with its own introduction)* Two new Parts (each with its own introduction): "Theories of White-Collar Crime" and "Putting Theory to Work: Guiding Crime Control Policy"* A new Instructor's Manual on CD, featuring a Test Bank with multiple-choice and essay questions, learning objectives, key words, discussion topics and exercises, and PowerPoint lecture slidesComprehensive enough for graduate students yet accessible enough for undergraduate students, Criminological Theory: Past to Present--Essential Readings, Fourth Edition, remains a solid introduction to the foundations of criminology--and to the competing theories that will shape thinking about crime in the years ahead.

    Gandhi is one of the most inspiring figures of our time. In his classic autobiography he recounts the story of his life and how he developed his concept of active nonviolent resistance, which propelled the Indian struggle for independence and countless other nonviolent struggles of the twentieth century.In a new foreword, noted peace expert and teacher Sissela Bok urges us to adopt Gandhi's "attitude of experimenting, of testing what will and will not bear close scrutiny, what can and cannot be adapted to new circumstances," in order to bring about change in our own lives and communities. All royalties earned on this book are paid to the Navajivan Trust, founded by Gandhi, for use in carrying on his work.

    When shy, single Natasha discovers that her star student, Oz, is not only descended from the warrior but also possesses Shamil’s priceless sword, the Imam’s story comes vividly to life. As Natasha’s relationship with Oz and his alluring actress mother intensifies, Natasha is forced to confront issues she had long tried to avoid—that of her Muslim heritage. When Oz is suddenly arrested at his home one morning, Natasha realizes that everything she values stands in jeopardy.Told with Aboulela’s inimitable elegance and narrated from the point of view of both Natasha and the historical characters she is researching, The Kindness of Enemies is both an engrossing story of a provocative period in history and an important examination of what it is to be a Muslim in a post 9/11 world.

    These intellectuals have searched for instances of racism, sexism, and bigotry in our history while downplaying the greatness of America’s patriots and the achievements of “dead white men.” As a result, more emphasis is placed on Harriet Tubman than on George Washington; more about the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II than about D-Day or Iwo Jima; more on the dangers we faced from Joseph McCarthy than those we faced from Josef Stalin.A Patriot’s History of the United States corrects those doctrinaire biases. In this groundbreaking book, America’s discovery, founding, and development are reexamined with an appreciation for the elements of public virtue, personal liberty, and private property that make this nation uniquely successful. This book offers a long-overdue acknowledgment of America’s true and proud history.

    Many of the innovations that we think of as hallmarks of Western science had their roots in the Arab world of the middle ages, a period when much of Western Christendom lay in intellectual darkness. Jim al- Khalili, a leading British-Iraqi physicist, resurrects this lost chapter of history, and given current East-West tensions, his book could not be timelier. With transporting detail, al-Khalili places readers in the hothouses of the Arabic Enlightenment, shows how they led to Europe's cultural awakening, and poses the question: Why did the Islamic world enter its own dark age after such a dazzling flowering?

    When that happens repeatedly, we may feel frustrated to the point of abandoning meditation altogether. Jason Siff invites us to approach meditation in a new way, one that honors the part of us that doesn't want to do the instructions. He teaches us how to become more tolerant of intense emotions, sleepiness, compelling thoughts, fantasies—the whole array of inner experiences that are usually considered hindrances to meditation. The meditation practice he presents in Unlearning Meditation is gentle, flexible, permissive, and honest, and it's been wonderfully effective for opening up meditation for people who thought they could never meditate, as well as for injecting a renewed energy for practice into the lives of seasoned practitioners.

    When the Egyptian journalist Mona Eltahawy published an article in Foreign Policy magazine in 2012 titled Why Do They Hate Us it provoked a firestorm of controversy. The response it generated, with more than four thousand posts on the website, broke all records for the magazine, prompted dozens of follow-up interviews on radio and television, and made it clear that misogyny in the Arab world is an explosive issue, one that engages and often enrages the public. In Headscarves and Hymens, Eltahawy takes her argument further. Drawing on her years as a campaigner and commentator on women's issues in the Middle East, she explains that since the Arab Spring began, women in the Arab world have had two revolutions to undertake one fought with men against oppressive regimes, and another fought against an entire political and economic system that treats women in countries from Yemen and Saudi Arabia to Egypt, Tunisia, and Libya as second-class citizens. Eltahawy has traveled across the Middle East and North Africa, meeting with women and listening to their stories. Her book is a plea for outrage and action on their behalf, confronting the toxic mix of culture and religion that few seem willing or able to disentangle lest they blaspheme or offend. A manifesto motivated by hope and fury in equal measure, Headscarves and Hymens is as illuminating as it is incendiary.

    In Turkish Reflections, Mary Settle offers us an intimate portrait of a Turkey rarely seen.Settle explores an enchanting and historic land where the cutting of a tree is a crime, where goats are sacrificed to launch state-of-the-art ships, and where whole towns emerge at dusk to stroll in the streets.