Through his series of short films and interactions with an enthusiastic online community, Henri's contemplation and disillusion with the world has struck a chord with millions of fans. Now, finally, we have a collection of Henri's musings in his own words featuring never-before-seen photos and quotes. This book is a window into the tortured soul of the world's first feline philosopher.

    This pitch-perfect illustrated book proves this simple fact by diving whiskers first into the unique personality, charisma, and character of 50 real all-black cats. From Alfie, who "has no tolerance for wet humans or being ignored," to Sashi, who "enjoys freeze-dried chicken by candlelight and full-on body rubs," each cat comes to life through a lovingly hand-drawn portrait and quick-witted profile. Delightfully quirky and utterly charming, this motley crew of black cats will win over anyone with a dry sense of humor.

    To the Western mind these fearsome warriors-samurai, the masterless ronin, and the assassin ninja-have always been a source of mystery and wonder, combining the idealism of chivalry with military fanaticism. The Ways Of The Samurai digs beneath the myth and reveals a truth even more amazing about the men who practiced a discipline drawn from Zen and Confucian ethics-bushido, the way of the warrior.

    Do you love Unexplained, cryptic, and intriguing & mysteries? Why was a man found in the same spot he disappeared, but 4 years later, with a hole in his head that no surgeons could explain, and what did this have to do with a séance, doppelgangers, and the assassination of Abraham Lincoln? Why did a man write the Fibonacci sequence as a clue and tell a stranger he was “Looking for the Beast,” before he disappeared in the barren plains of a desert? Why did five boys run from their car into the snowy wilderness, to certain death, yet not try to save themselves, at all? They found food but did not eat it. What were they running from? And why? Who are Hecate? And what did they have to do with people disappearing in the countryside of England? How did an introverted lady die on the top of an ancient fairy mound, on a remote island: her face locked in an expression of terror? Why did a man die of fright atop a coal pile after disappearing for days, and why could no scientists identify the strange ointment found on his body? Where had he been? And what had happened to him? How could a man be found after a plane crash, lying on a moor, with no injuries at all; yet his body had not been there when the plane had crashed and searchers had combed the area multiple times looking for him. Also featuring an in-depth investigation into the strange death of Elisa Lam, found dead in a water tower on the top of a hotel roof in LA. Who were the two men who came to see her, and what was in the mystery box they gave her?  Steph Young has appeared on national radio shows and podcast including the UK's The Unexplained, and Coast to Coast Am, talking about many of these mysteries of the Unexplained, which are her passion... These stories are some of the most intriguing, enigmatic, and ultimately unfathomable & unexplained true tales I have ever come across and they continue to fascinate and completely puzzle me. Join me for some true tales of Unexplained mysteries of the most cryptic kind. In this book are strange and baffling true stories of unexplained mysteries, and the cast of characters who star in them. Stories of unexplained mysteries that yearn to be solved. All of these strange and curious stories, I have written about over the last six years, across a number of my previous books. They continue to intrigue me, and while some of my readers may be familiar with some of these cryptic tales, there are many who are not, and I present them once more, in longer and far more extended format, with deeper delving into the strange and mysterious events and the central characters who feature in them, caught in the whirlwind of these strange unexplained mysteries… which still have yet to be solved.

    Taking his own spiritual journey as a starting point, Professor Ayoub explores all aspects of Islam; from the Qur'an and Islamic law to the epic poetry of the Sufis; from the spread of Islam worldwide to reform movements in the US and Europe.

    It will change the way we think and talk about religious freedom.” —Randall Balmer, author of Thy Kingdom Come: How the Religious Right Distorts Faith and Threatens AmericaWeary of religious conservatives urging “defense of marriage” and atheist polemicists decrying the crimes of religion? Sick of pundits who want only to recast American life in their own image? Americans are stuck in an all-or-nothing landscape for religion in public life. What are reasonable citizens to do? Seen as godless by the religious and weak by the atheists, secularism mostly has been misunderstood. In How to Be Secular, Berlinerblau argues for a return to America’s hard-won secular tradition; the best way to protect religious diversity and freedom lies in keeping an eye on the encroachment of each into the other. Berlinerblau passionately defends the virtues of secularism, reminds us what it is and what it can protect, and urges us to mobilize around its cause, which is for all Americans to continue to enjoy freedom for—and from—religion. This is an urgent wake-up call for progressives in and out of all faiths.www.jacquesberlinerblau.com

    Making kimchi is the next frontier for anyone who enjoys DIY food projects, and homemade kimchi is a must-have for connoisseurs of the beloved Korean pickle.   Following traditional kimchi-making seasons and focusing on produce at its peak, this bold, colorful cookbook walks you step by step through how to make both robust and lighter kimchi. Lauryn Chun explores a wide variety of flavors and techniques for creating this live-culture food, from long-fermented classic winter kimchi intended to spice up bleak months to easy-to-make summer kimchi that highlights the freshness of produce and is ready to eat in just minutes.   Once you have made your own kimchi, using everything from tender and delicate young napa cabbage to stuffed eggplant, you can then use it as a star ingredient in Chun’s inventive recipes for cooking with kimchi. From favorites such as Pan-Fried Kimchi Dumplings and Kimchi Fried Rice to modern dishes like Kimchi Risotto, Skirt Steak Ssam with Kimchi Puree Chimichurri, Kimchi Oven-Baked Baby Back Ribs, and even a Kimchi Grapefruit Margarita, Chun showcases the incredible range of flavor kimchi adds to any plate.   With sixty recipes and beautiful photographs that will have you hooked on kimchi's unique crunch and heat, The Kimchi Cookbook takes the champagne of pickles to new heights.

    When you think of the most delicious and fresh gelato and sorbetto in America, you are craving Ciao Bella. The premier gelato and sorbetto maker in the country may be known for using the world’s finest ingredients—Sicilian lemons, Valrhona chocolate, Louisiana pralines—but you don’t need to travel the globe to experience the bold flavors yourself. All you need is a handful of simple, fresh ingredients; a standard ice cream machine; and your imagination. The magic of this book is that once you learn how to make just one easy custard or simple syrup base, you can dream up an infinite number of flavors. In addition to being able to re-create Ciao Bella’s award-winning favorites, like Key Lime with Graham Cracker Gelato or Hazelnut Biscotti Gelato, you’ll be able to invent your own combina­tions and mix and match more than 100 unbeliev­ably indulgent frozen desserts. From the PLAIN BASE: • Italian classics such as GIANDUJA and PISTACHIO • New American favorites like APPLE CARAMEL CRISP and PUMPKIN AND SPICE • Cutting-edge flavors like BOURBON BUTTER PECAN and ROSEMARY AND OLIVE OIL From the CHOCOLATE BASE: • Exotic options from around the world like CHOCOLATE CHAI and MEXICAN COFFEE • Kid-pleasers like CHOCOLATE S’MORES From the SIMPLE SYRUP: • Sorbets such as WATERMELON, COSMOPOLITAN, and PEAR WITH BALSAMIC SWIRL • Make-your-own granita combinations (no ice cream machine required!) like COFFEE/CINNA­MON and RASPBERRY/SAUTERNES/HONEY A special section called “Amazing Endings” tops off this delicious volume, containing fun ideas for how to serve gelato and sorbetto as the pros do—or with a more personal creative touch. With hundreds of helpful tips, information on the best ingredients, and a list of sources, this gorgeously photographed book ensures that the best gelato and sorbetto you can imagine are just a churn away. NOW, WITH THE HELP OF CIAO BELLA co-owner F. W. Pearce and chef Danilo Zecchin, making gelato and sorbetto in your own kitchen couldn’t be easier. You’ll add an exclamation point to any meal with these tantalizing flavors: • HAZELNUT BISCOTTI • FIG AND PORT • APPLE CARAMEL CRISP • ROSE PETAL • GREEN TEA • POMEGRANATE CHAMPAGNE • PEACH AND HABANERO CHILE

    Leigh Rutledge (acclaimed by everyone from "Dear Abby" to People magazine as the writer who best understands the feline perspective) presents a cat's very own diary that reveals the intimate secrets and private reflections of a neighborhood tom. Day by day through a full year, readers will discover just what a cat is thinking when it stares for hours at a speck on the wall; how it feels about a new kitten in the house; why sleeping -- preferably in a warn, sunny spot -- is such a vital activity; and just what can happen to an unattended Thanksgiving turkey. Along with these playful moments, readers will meet a delightful cast of human characters whose lives are touched by these sleek and special creatures. Diary of a Cat will charm and delight anyone who has ever been enchanted by a feline friend.

    This collection of 30 bite-sized, low-dose recipes ventures boldly beyond pot brownies with tasty, unique, and innovative treats. Designed for bakers of all skill levels, this book includes simple recipes like Spiced Superfood Truffles alongside more advanced recipes like Strawberry Jam Pavlovas, all brought to life with vibrant photography. Complete with instructions for creating master ingredients such as canna butters and oils, as well as detailed information on dosage and portions, this book gives newbies and cannabis connoisseurs alike the info they need to create an easy, safe, and absolutely heavenly edibles experience.

    But while conventional products say they'll make you more beautiful, they contain toxins and preservatives that are both bad for the environment and bad for your body--including synthetic fragrances, petrochemicals, and even formaldehyde. In the end, they damage your natural vitality and good looks.Fortunately, fashion writer, nutritionist, and beauty maven Julie Gabriel helps you find the true path to natural, healthy, green beauty. She helps you decipher labels on every cosmetic product you pick up and avoid toxic and damaging chemicals with her detailed Toxic Ingredients List. You'll learn valuable tips on what your skin really needs to be healthy, glowing, and youthful.Julie goes one-step further--and shows you how to make your own beauty products that feed your skin, save your bank account, and are healthy for your body and the environment, such as: - Cleansing creams and oils - toners - facials - under eye circle remedies - anti-aging serums - lip balms - scrubs - exfoliators - clay and cleansing masks- moisturizers - acne treatments - makeup remover - teeth whiteners - shampoos, conditioners - fragrances - sun protection - bug repellants - baby products - and much more!With her friendly, thorough, and helpful advice; fabulous beauty recipes; product recommendations and ratings; Toxic Ingredients List; and a complete appendix of online resources, Julie Gabriel gives you all the information you need to go green without going broke and become a more natural, healthy, and beautiful you.

    German baking is legendary and informs baking traditions the world over: Christmas cookies, coffee cakes, delicate tortes, soft seeded rolls, and hearty dumplings all have their origins in Germany (and Austria). In Classic German Baking, blogger and author Luisa Weiss--who was born in Berlin to an Italian mother and American father, and married into a family of bakers with roots in Saxony--has collected and mastered the recipes most essential to every good baker's repertoire. In addition to the pillars of the German baking tradition, like Christmas stollen, lebkuchen, and apple strudel, Weiss includes overlooked gems, like eisenbahner--an almond macaroon paste piped onto jam-topped shortbread--and rosinenbrötchen--the raisin-studded whole wheat buns that please a child's palate and a parent's conscience--to create the resource that bakers across the world have long wanted.From the Hardcover edition.

    The originals are in the Riccar Art Museum in Tokyo, the world's largest and most celebrated collection of such prints. On account of their rarity and value, 87 of them have been designated Japanese National Treasures or Major National Cultural Heritage Items. The introductory essay, "Ukiyo-e - Origins and History", by the Curator of the Riccar Art Museum, Mitsunobu Sato, familiarizes the reader with the history of this art form. This is followed by the chapter "Cherry - Wood - Blossom", in which Thomas Zacharias, Professor at the Munich Academy of Art examines the technique, content and style of Japanese prints and their influence on European art at the turn of the century. The major section of the book consists of the 139 reproductions, grouped by artist, each accompanied by a detailed, sensitive commentary. Street scenes, lovers' trysts, festivals, portraits of courtesans and actors, landscapes and travelogues - these are the motifs of the ukiyo-e print. The dominant theme, however, is woman's beauty, the grace of her posture and attitudes, and the decorative aesthetics of her flowing garments. Amongst the most celebrated of the artists featured here are Utamaro, with his beautiful courtesans and geishas; Sharaku, with his portraits of actors on the kabuki stage; Hokusai, with his landscapes, among them the "36 Views of Mount Fuji"; and Hiroshige, with his "53 Stations on the Tokaido" and his "100 Views of Famous Places in and around Edo". The ten-page appendix includes a glossary of technical terms and biographies of all 43 artists.

    But until now, no rigorous survey has captured them in all their glorious variety. "Dragons: A Natural History" is that survey...a one-of-a-kind book, bringing these captivating creatures to life with lavish illustrations and vivid commentary. This marvelous compendium will take you on a journey that begins with the earliest serpent dragons and continues to the present day. Along the way, Dr. Karl Shuker, one of the world's leading experts on dracontology, shares his wealth of knowledge on: Dragon dwellings: These magnificent beasts have been found in an astounding number of places. Dragons and their near relatives have found niches in every ecosystem on the planet -- from the mountains of Greece to the forests of northern Europe to the volcanic plain of Mesoamerica to the river valleys of China -- and have, as a consequence, become deeply embedded in human culture. Dragon variety: Here are five main types of dragons, emerging from the floods or flames of history -- the frightening Serpents, Wyverns, and Classical Dragons of the West; the Sky Dragons, including beneficent Chinese Dragons, Amphipteres, and winged New World species; the Neo-Dragons such as the Basilisk, Salamander, and the like; as well as dozens of varieties and subspecies, including orms, guivres, lindorms, and more. Dragon traditions: From St. George's batwinged, scaly-legged adversary to Wagner's Fafnir to Quetzalcoatl, mythic dragons have been a powerful presence in the legends of humanity. Each of them is described and illustrated in "Dragons: A Natural History."

    Over the past year, though, one sensation has dominated the Web: LOLcats. Here’s how it works: First you find a picture of a cat online, and then you add a caption that reflects the cat’s point of view. Just remember that although cats can speak English, their spelling and grammar is not so hot. Once you’re done, you have a LOLcat (laugh out loud cat). Since its founding in January 2007, icanhascheezburger .com (named after the most famous LOLcat of all) has been the center of the LOLcat world. I Can Has Cheezburger? collects 200 LOLcats from the enormously popular site, some classic and some new, in glorious and glossy full color. The book also highlights legendary LOLcat forms recognizable to fans everywhere (including “Do Not Want,” “Monorail Cat,” and “Oh Noes!”), and offers a guide to the finer points of LOLspeak. Packed with witty and endearing images and published into a proven cat-egory, I Can Has Cheezburger? is sure to delight feline aficionados and Internet nerds alike.