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› Find signed collectible books: 'Abraham: A Journey to the Heart of Three Faiths'
At a time when conflicts among three of the world's major religions--Islam, Judaism, and Christianity--are in the global spotlight, Bruce Feiler offers a stunning biography of the one man who unites all three religions: Abraham. "The most mesmerizing story of Abraham's life--his offering a son to God--plays a pivotal role in the holiest week of the Christian year, at Easter," writes Feiler. "The story is recited at the start of the holiest fortnight in Judaism, on Rosh Hashanah. The episode inspires the holiest day in Islam, 'Id al-Adha,' the Feast of the Sacrifice, at the climax of the Pilgrimage. And yet the religions can't even agree on which son he tried to kill." Herein lies the irony and perfection of Feiler's timing. As we struggle to find a path to peace among these three religions, all warring in Jerusalem, near the stone where Abraham brought his son for sacrifice, this captivating biography speaks to Abraham as the metaphor he is: the historically elusive man who embodies three religions, a character who has shape-shifted over the millennia to serve the clashing goals and dogma of each religion.
Anyone seeking to understand the roots of tension in the Middle East need look no further than the final half of this book, where Feiler interprets the meaning of Abraham as seen through the prism of each religion. Surprisingly, the book is as entertaining as it is thoughtful: Feiler is a masterful writer with a warm, humorous voice, a dazzling way with metaphors, and an underlying intelligence that comes through in every passage. Abraham deserves the highest of recommendations. --Gail Hudson [via]
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› Find signed collectible books: 'American Gods'
American Gods is Neil Gaiman's best and most ambitious novel yet, a scary, strange, and hallucinogenic road-trip story wrapped around a deep examination of the American spirit. Gaiman tackles everything from the onslaught of the information age to the meaning of death, but he doesn't sacrifice the razor-sharp plotting and narrative style he's been delivering since his Sandman days.
Shadow gets out of prison early when his wife is killed in a car crash. At a loss, he takes up with a mysterious character called Wednesday, who is much more than he appears. In fact, Wednesday is an old god, once known as Odin the All-father, who is roaming America rounding up his forgotten fellows in preparation for an epic battle against the upstart deities of the Internet, credit cards, television, and all that is wired. Shadow agrees to help Wednesday, and they whirl through a psycho-spiritual storm that becomes all too real in its manifestations. For instance, Shadow's dead wife Laura keeps showing up, and not just as a ghost--the difficulty of their continuing relationship is by turns grim and darkly funny, just like the rest of the book.
Armed only with some coin tricks and a sense of purpose, Shadow travels through, around, and underneath the visible surface of things, digging up all the powerful myths Americans brought with them in their journeys to this land as well as the ones that were already here. Shadow's road story is the heart of the novel, and it's here that Gaiman offers up the details that make this such a cinematic book--the distinctly American foods and diversions, the bizarre roadside attractions, the decrepit gods reduced to shell games and prostitution. "This is a bad land for Gods," says Shadow.
More than a tourist in America, but not a native, Neil Gaiman offers an outside-in and inside-out perspective on the soul and spirituality of the country--our obsessions with money and power, our jumbled religious heritage and its societal outcomes, and the millennial decisions we face about what's real and what's not. --Therese Littleton [via]
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Analects'
The Master said, 'Is it not pleasant to learn with a constant perseverance and application? 'Is it not delightful to have friends coming from distant quarters? 'Is he not a man of complete virtue, who feels no discomposure though men may take no note of him?" The philosopher Yu said, 'They are few who, being filial and fraternal, are fond of offending against their superiors. There have been none, who, not liking to offend against their superiors, have been fond of stirring up confusion. [via]
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› Find signed collectible books: 'The Analects: Confucius'
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› Find signed collectible books: 'The Analects of Confucius'
The Analects of Confucius is one of the most influential books ever written, not only shaping Chinese thought and culture, but providing a template for the western world on how to blend the practical and the spiritual with a sense of social form and propriety. The translation by Arthur Waley is widely regarded as the best. [via]
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› Find signed collectible books: 'The Analects of Confucius'
The Analects of Confucius is one of the central books of Chinese literature and Chinese thought; memorized and studied for many centuries, it has been certainly one of the most influential books in world history. There are many translations of this rewarding but difficult work. Arthur Waley -- the translator of the Tale of Genji, of a vast body of Chinese poetry, and of many other classics of Oriental literature and thought -- brings to this translation his great gifts as a scholar and a writer, and has produced what is without question the best version in English of the Analects. A full introduction gives the social and political background of this work, analyses of key terms in Chinese thought that are prominent in it, and a careful study of the history of the book and its interpretations. There are also full notes illuminating the references to contemporary events and clarifying obscure passages. [via]
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› Find signed collectible books: 'The Book of the Dead'
Including the Hieroglyphic Transcript and English Translation of the Papyrus of Ani
Fascinating compendium of ancient Egyptian mythology, religious beliefs and magical practices. Includes spells, incantations, hymns, magical formulas and prayers. All explained by one of the most knowledgeable and respected Egyptologists of the early 20th century. B&W illustrations, photographs and hieroglyphics throughout. 704 pages. [via]
› Find signed collectible books: 'The Complete C.S. Lewis Signature Classics'
For the first time ever, these seven essential volumes by C. S. Lewis are available in a single edition. This remarkable book presents the classic works Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters, The Great Divorce, The Problem of Pain, Miracles, A Grief Observed, and Lewis's prophetic examination of universal values, The Abolition of Man. Beautiful and timeless, this is a vital collection by one of the greatest literary figures of the twentieth century. Lewis reached a vast audience during his lifetime, and books such as Mere Christianity and The Screwtape Letters continue to be regarded as among the best spiritual writing of all time. With his uncanny grasp of human nature, Lewis offers a refreshing antidote to the modern world's consumerism and moral relativism. This new edition of his most celebrated books highlights Lewis's compassion for humanity and his relevance for the twenty-first century. [via]
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Confucius: The Analects'
Rich distillation of the timeless precepts of extremely influential Chinese philosopher and social theorist. Includes "Concerning Fundamental Principles," "Concerning Government," "The Eight Dancers: Concerning Manners and Morals," and much more. Footnotes. [via]
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Dune'
This Hugo and Nebula Award winner tells the sweeping tale of a desert planet called Arrakis, the focus of an intricate power struggle in a byzantine interstellar empire. Arrakis is the sole source of Melange, the "spice of spices." Melange is necessary for interstellar travel and grants psychic powers and longevity, so whoever controls it wields great influence.
The troubles begin when stewardship of Arrakis is transferred by the Emperor from the Harkonnen Noble House to House Atreides. The Harkonnens don't want to give up their privilege, though, and through sabotage and treachery they cast young Duke Paul Atreides out into the planet's harsh environment to die. There he falls in with the Fremen, a tribe of desert dwellers who become the basis of the army with which he will reclaim what's rightfully his. Paul Atreides, though, is far more than just a usurped duke. He might be the end product of a very long-term genetic experiment designed to breed a super human; he might be a messiah. His struggle is at the center of a nexus of powerful people and events, and the repercussions will be felt throughout the Imperium.
Dune is one of the most famous science fiction novels ever written, and deservedly so. The setting is elaborate and ornate, the plot labyrinthine, the adventures exciting. Five sequels follow. --Brooks Peck [via]
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Dune: La Batalla De Corrin'
This Hugo and Nebula Award winner tells the sweeping tale of a desert planet called Arrakis, the focus of an intricate power struggle in a byzantine interstellar empire. Arrakis is the sole source of Melange, the "spice of spices." Melange is necessary for interstellar travel and grants psychic powers and longevity, so whoever controls it wields great influence.
The troubles begin when stewardship of Arrakis is transferred by the Emperor from the Harkonnen Noble House to House Atreides. The Harkonnens don't want to give up their privilege, though, and through sabotage and treachery they cast young Duke Paul Atreides out into the planet's harsh environment to die. There he falls in with the Fremen, a tribe of desert dwellers who become the basis of the army with which he will reclaim what's rightfully his. Paul Atreides, though, is far more than just a usurped duke. He might be the end product of a very long-term genetic experiment designed to breed a super human; he might be a messiah. His struggle is at the center of a nexus of powerful people and events, and the repercussions will be felt throughout the Imperium.
Dune is one of the most famous science fiction novels ever written, and deservedly so. The setting is elaborate and ornate, the plot labyrinthine, the adventures exciting. Five sequels follow. --Brooks Peck [via]
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Dune:La Yihad Butleriana / Dune:the Butlerian Yihad: La Yihad Butleriana/ the Butlerian Yihad'
More editions of Dune:La Yihad Butleriana / Dune:the Butlerian Yihad: La Yihad Butleriana/ the Butlerian Yihad:
› Find signed collectible books: 'The Egyptian Book of the Dead'
"The Book of Dead" is the common name for the ancient Egyptian funerary text. The book of dead was a description of the ancient Egyptian conception of the afterlife and a collection of hymns, spells, and instructions to allow the deceased to pass through obstacles in the afterlife. [via]
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Egyptian Book of the Dead'
For millennia, the culture and philosophy of the ancient Egyptians have fascinated artists, historians, and spiritual seekers throughout the world. Now, with this deluxe edition, the legendary 3,500-year-old Papyrus of Anithe most beautiful of the ornately illustrated Egyptian funerary scrolls ever discoveredhas been restored in its original sequences of text and artwork, using the latest advances in computer-imaging technology. Four exquisitely illustrated gatefold spreads and an acclaimed translation by two noted Egyptologists showcase the Papyrus's elaborately bordered images and convey its intended sense of motion and meaning in a way that other books on the subject cannot begin to match. For both lay readers and scholars interested in a wide range of topicsfrom mysticism and philosophy to anthropology and astronomythis sumptuous and accessible new volume will be an essential acquisition. [via]
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› Find signed collectible books: 'The Egyptian Book of the Dead: The Book of Going Forth by Day'
The ancient purpose of the funerary papyrus known as Book of the Dead of Ani was to guide the Egyptian soul to the afterlife, and the iconic text of the ancient culture is presented here for the first time as a single volume. The original is 78 feet in total length and 3,500 years old; this presentation contains the original facsimile edition from 1890. The hieroglyphic text and vignettes are juxtaposed with the English translation of each chapter on the same page that the Egyptian text occurs. The power, wisdom, and spiritual vision offered in its pages goes back to the spiritual and cultural roots of humanity. This beautiful artifact will be a prized possession for those interested in the world of ancient Egyptand in the beginnings of civilization itself. [via]
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› Find signed collectible books: 'The Egyptian Book of the Dead: The Book of Going Forth by Day Being the Papyrus of Ani (Royal Scribe of the Divine Offerings), Written and Illustrated circa 1250 B.C.E., by Scribes and Artists Unknown, Including the Balance of Chapters of the Books...'
More editions of The Egyptian Book of the Dead: The Book of Going Forth by Day Being the Papyrus of Ani (Royal Scribe of the Divine Offerings), Written and Illustrated circa 1250 B.C.E., by Scribes and Artists Unknown, Including the Balance of Chapters of the Books...:
› Find signed collectible books: 'The Egyptian Book of the Dead: The Papyrus of Ani'
The history of the great body of religious compositions which form the Book of the Dead, translated by Wallis Budge [via]
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› Find signed collectible books: 'The Egyptian of the Dead: The Papyrus of Ani'
"The Egyptian Book of the Dead" is by far the most sensational book handed down from the priests of ancient Egypt. After nearly 4500 years it still intrigues modern readers with its imaginative insights into the universal human condition and the desire for a blissful afterlife. Entombed with this book of rituals, the deceased had an illustrated travel guide for the nightly journey with the sun through the dark and dangerous underworld, providing a guarantee of resurrection in the afterlife at dawn. We discover in the Book of the Dead a commonly shared humanity that reaches out to us across more than four thousand years with timeless and universal expressions of hopes and fears that are sometimes quite familiar, sometimes quite strange. "The Book of the Dead" did not have a single author, as it is a composite work written by unknown Egyptian priests over a period of nearly 1000 years, but there is an author to whom we are deeply indebted: British Egyptologist Sir E. A. Wallis Budge (1857-1934). Budge was an extremely productive scholar who drew attention to many Egyptian and other ancient writings that might otherwise have remained unpublished. [via]
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› Find signed collectible books: 'The Four Loves: Featuring the Vintage Recordings of the voice of C. S. Lewis'
The Four Loves summarizes four kinds of human love--affection, friendship, erotic love, and the love of God. Masterful without being magisterial, this book's wise, gentle, candid reflections on the virtues and dangers of love draw on sources from Jane Austen to St. Augustine. The chapter on charity (love of God) may be the best thing Lewis ever wrote about Christianity. Consider his reflection on Augustine's teaching that one must love only God, because only God is eternal, and all earthly love will someday pass away:
Who could conceivably begin to love God on such a prudential ground--because the security (so to speak) is better? Who could even include it among the grounds for loving? Would you choose a wife or a Friend--if it comes to that, would you choose a dog--in this spirit? One must be outside the world of love, of all loves, before one thus calculates.His description of Christianity here is no less forceful and opinionated than in Mere Christianity or The Problem of Pain, but it is far less anxious about its reader's response--and therefore more persuasive than any of his apologetics. When he begins to describe the nature of faith, Lewis writes: "Take it as one man's reverie, almost one man's myth. If anything in it is useful to you, use it; if anything is not, never give it a second thought." --Michael Joseph Gross [via]
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› Find signed collectible books: 'God: A Biography'
Treating the Bible as a literary text is a standard approach in certain areas of scholarship. Jack Miles' innovation is to treat God as the main protagonist of this literary work, and to analyze his "character" as revealed in the text. Miles, a former Jesuit who studied in Rome and Jerusalem, and has a doctorate in Near Eastern languages, analyzed the Hebrew Bible (for the most part like the Old Testament, but ordered differently) to arrive at his literary exegesis. This God, it is clear, is certainly a complex character. Undoubtedly male, but possessed of seemingly multiple personalities, He is alternately creator/destroyer, protector/executioner, and warrior/lawgiver. Miles' "reading" of God, whose proactive role at the beginning develops into a passive silent presence, is entertaining, thoughtful and a worthy winner of the 1996 Pulitzer Prize. [via]
› Find signed collectible books: 'God's Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong And the Left Doesn't Get It'
Secular liberals and religious conservatives will find things to both comfort and alarm them in Jim Wallis's God's Politics. That combination is actually reason enough to recommend the book in a time when the national political and theological discourse is dominated by blanket descriptions and shortsightedness. But Wallis, editor of Sojourners magazine, offers more than just a book that's hard to categorize. What Wallis sees as the true mission of Christianity--righting social ills, working for peace--is in tune with the values of liberals who so often run screaming from the idea of religion. Meanwhile, in his estimation, religious vocabulary is co-opted by conservatives who use it to polarize. Wallis proposes a new sort of politics, the name of which serves as the title of the book, wherein these disparities are reconciled and progressive causes are paired with spiritual guidance for the betterment of society. Wallis is at his most compelling when he puts this theory into action himself, letting his own beliefs guide him through stinging criticisms of the war in Iraq. In his view, George W. Bush's flaw lies in the assumption that the United States was an unprecedented force of goodness in a fight against enemies characterized as "evil." Indeed, although both the right and left are criticized here, the idea is that the liberals, if they would get religion, are the more redeemable lot. Wallis's line between religion and public policy may be drawn a little differently than most liberals might feel comfortable with, and while he pays some lip service to other faiths most of his prescription for America seems to come from the Bible. Still, for a party having just lost a presidential election where "moral issues" are said to have factored heavily, God's Politics is a sermon worth listening to. --John Moe [via]
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› Find signed collectible books: 'A Grief Observed'
Written with love, humility, and faith, this brief but poignant volume was first published in 1961 and concerns the death of C. S. Lewis's wife, the American-born poet Joy Davidman. In her introduction to this new edition, Madeleine L'Engle writes: "I am grateful to Lewis for having the courage to yell, to doubt, to kick at God in angry violence. This is a part of a healthy grief which is not often encouraged. It is helpful indeed that C. S. Lewis, who has been such a successful apologist for Christianity, should have the courage to admit doubt about what he has so superbly proclaimed. It gives us permission to admit our own doubts, our own angers and anguishes, and to know that they are part of the soul's growth."
Written in longhand in notebooks that Lewis found in his home, A Grief Observed probes the "mad midnight moments" of Lewis's mourning and loss, moments in which he questioned what he had previously believed about life and death, marriage, and even God. Indecision and self-pity assailed Lewis. "We are under the harrow and can't escape," he writes. "I know that the thing I want is exactly the thing I can never get. The old life, the jokes, the drinks, the arguments, the lovemaking, the tiny, heartbreaking commonplace." Writing A Grief Observed as "a defense against total collapse, a safety valve," he came to recognize that "bereavement is a universal and integral part of our experience of love."
Lewis writes his statement of faith with precision, humor, and grace. Yet neither is Lewis reluctant to confess his continuing doubts and his awareness of his own human frailty. This is precisely the quality which suggests that A Grief Observed may become "among the great devotional books of our age."
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Hero With A Thousand Faces'
Originally written by Campbell in the '40s-- in his pre-Bill Moyers days -- and famous as George Lucas' inspiration for "Star Wars," this book will likewise inspire any writer or reader in its well considered assertion that while all stories have already been told, this is *not* a bad thing, since the *retelling* is still necessary. And while our own life's journey must always be ended alone, the travel is undertaken in the company not only of immediate loved ones and primal passion, but of the heroes and heroines -- and myth-cycles -- that have preceded us. [via]
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Illustrated Dune'
New, unused, never read condition+ [via]
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› Find signed collectible books: 'The Nag Hammadi Library in English'
First published in 1978, "The Nag Hammadi Library" was widely acclaimed by critics and scholars alike. Containing many of the writings of the Gnostics since the time of Christ, this was the work that launched modern Gnostic studies and exposed a movement whose teachings are in may ways as relevant today as they were sixteen centuries ago. Although some of the texts had appeared in other translations, the 1978 edition was the first and only translation of these ancient and fascinating manuscripts to appear in one volume. This new edition is the result of ten years of additional research, and editorial and critical work. Every translation has been changed or added to; many have been thoroughly revised. Unearthed in 1945 near the town of Nag Hammadi in Upper Egypt, the texts literally begin where the Dead Sea Scrolls end. Their discovery is seen as equally significant, bringing to light a long-hidden well of new information, sources, and insights into early Judaism and the roots of Christianity. Each text is accompanied by a new and expanded introduction. Also included are a revised general introduction and an afterword discussing the modern relevance of Gnosticism, from Voltaire and Blake through Melville and Yeats to Jack Kerouac and science fiction writer Philip K. Dick. The translations and introductions to the Nag Hammadi texts are by members of the Coptic Gnostic Library Project, which includes such scholars as Helmut Koester, George McRae, and Elaine Pagels. [via]
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› Find signed collectible books: 'The Nag Hammadi Library in English'
More editions of The Nag Hammadi Library in English:
› Find signed collectible books: 'The Nag Hammadi Library in English'
More editions of The Nag Hammadi Library in English:
› Find signed collectible books: 'The Nag Hammadi Library in English'
First published in 1978, The Nag Hammadi Library launched modern Gnostic studies and exposed a movement whose teachings are in many ways as relevant today as they were sixteen centuries ago. [via]
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Sayings of Confucius: A New Translation of the Greater Part of the Confucian Analects'
More editions of Sayings of Confucius: A New Translation of the Greater Part of the Confucian Analects:
› Find signed collectible books: 'The Seven Storey Mountain'
In 1941, a brilliant, good-looking young man decided to give up a promising literary career in New York to enter a monastery in Kentucky, from where he proceeded to become one of the most influential writers of this century. Talk about losing your life in order to find it. Thomas Merton's first book, The Seven Storey Mountain, describes his early doubts, his conversion to a Catholic faith of extreme certainty, and his decision to take life vows as a Trappist. Although his conversionary piety sometimes falls into sticky-sweet abstractions, Merton's autobiographical reflections are mostly wise, humble, and concrete. The best reason to read The Seven Storey Mountain, however, may be the one Merton provided in his introduction to its Japanese translation: "I seek to speak to you, in some way, as your own self. Who can tell what this may mean? I myself do not know, but if you listen, things will be said that are perhaps not written in this book. And this will be due not to me but to the One who lives and speaks in both." --Michael Joseph Gross [via]
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Small Gods'
Discworld is an extragavanza--among much else, it has billions of gods. "They swarm as thick as herring roe," writes Terry Pratchett in Small Gods, the 13th book in the series. Where there are gods galore, there are priests, high and low, and... there are novices. Brutha is a novice with little chance to become a priest--thinking does not come easily to him, although believing does. But it is to Brutha that the great god Om manifests, in the lowly form of a tortoise. --Blaise Selby [via]
› Find signed collectible books: 'Sparknotes Dune'
Get your "A" in gear!
They're today's most popular study guides-with everything you need to succeed in school. Written by Harvard students for students, since its inception SparkNotes" has developed a loyal community of dedicated users and become a major education brand. Consumer demand has been so strong that the guides have expanded to over 150 titles. SparkNotes'" motto is Smarter, Better, Faster because:
· They feature the most current ideas and themes, written by experts.
· They're easier to understand, because the same people who use them have also written them.
· The clear writing style and edited content enables students to read through the material quickly, saving valuable time.
And with everything covered--context; plot overview; character lists; themes, motifs, and symbols; summary and analysis, key facts; study questions and essay topics; and reviews and resources--you don't have to go anywhere else!
[via]
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› Find signed collectible books: 'The Spiral Dance: A Rebirth of the Ancient Religion of the Great Goddess'
The twentieth anniversary edition of The Spiral Dance celebrates the pivotal role the book has had in bringing Goddess worship to the religious forefront. This bestselling classic is both an unparalleled reference on the practices and philosophies of Witchcraft and a guide to the life-affirming ways in which readers can turn to the Goddess to deepen their sense of personal pride, develop their inner power, and integrate mind, body, and spirit. Starhawk's brilliant, comprehensive overview of the growth, suppression, and modern-day re-emergence of Wicca as a Goddess-worshipping religion has left an indelible mark on the feminist spiritual consciousness.
In a new introduction, Starhawk reveals the ways in which Goddess religion and the practice of ritual have adapted and developed over the last twenty years, and she reflects on the ways in which these changes have influenced and enhanced her original ideas. In the face of an ever-changing world, this invaluable spiritual guidebook is more relevant than ever.
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Subtle Knife'
With The Golden Compass Philip Pullman garnered every accolade under the sun. Critics lobbed around such superlatives as "elegant," "awe-inspiring," "grand," and "glittering," and used "magnificent" with gay abandon. Each reader had a favorite chapter--or, more likely, several--from the opening tour de force to Lyra's close call at Bolvangar to the great armored-bear battle. And Pullman was no less profligate when it came to intellectual firepower or singular characters. The dæmons alone grant him a place in world literature. Could the second installment of his trilogy keep up this pitch, or had his heroine and her too, too sullied parents consumed him? And what of the belief system that pervaded his alternate universe, not to mention the mystery of Dust? More revelations and an equal number of wonders and new players were definitely in order.
The Subtle Knife offers everything we could have wished for, and more. For a start, there's a young hero--from our world--who is a match for Lyra Silvertongue and whose destiny is every bit as shattering. Like Lyra, Will Parry has spent his childhood playing games. Unlike hers, though, his have been deadly serious. This 12-year-old long ago learned the art of invisibility: if he could erase himself, no one would discover his mother's increasing instability and separate them.
As the novel opens, Will's enemies will do anything for information about his missing father, a soldier and Arctic explorer who has been very much airbrushed from the official picture. Now Will must get his mother into safe seclusion and make his way toward Oxford, which may hold the key to John Parry's disappearance. But en route and on the lam from both the police and his family's tormentors, he comes upon a cat with more than a mouse on her mind: "She reached out a paw to pat something in the air in front of her, something quite invisible to Will." What seems to him a patch of everyday Oxford conceals far more: "The cat stepped forward and vanished." Will, too, scrambles through and into another oddly deserted landscape--one in which children rule and adults (and felines) are very much at risk. Here in this deathly silent city by the sea, he will soon have a dustup with a fierce, flinty little girl: "Her expression was a mixture of the very young--when she first tasted the cola--and a kind of deep, sad wariness." Soon Will and Lyra (and, of course, her dæmon, Pantalaimon) uneasily embark on a great adventure and head into greater tragedy.
As Pullman moves between his young warriors and the witch Serafina Pekkala, the magnetic, ever-manipulative Mrs. Coulter, and Lee Scoresby and his hare dæmon, Hester, there are clear signs of approaching war and earthly chaos. There are new faces as well. The author introduces Oxford dark-matter researcher Mary Malone; the Latvian witch queen Ruta Skadi, who "had trafficked with spirits, and it showed"; Stanislaus Grumman, a shaman in search of a weapon crucial to the cause of Lord Asriel, Lyra's father; and a serpentine old man whom Lyra and Pan can't quite place. Also on hand are the Specters, beings that make cliff-ghasts look like rank amateurs.
Throughout, Pullman is in absolute control of his several worlds, his plot and pace equal to his inspiration. Any number of astonishing scenes--small- and large-scale--will have readers on edge, and many are cause for tears. "You think things have to be possible," Will demands. "Things have to be true!" It is Philip Pullman's gift to turn what quotidian minds would term the impossible into a reality that is both heartbreaking and beautiful. --Kerry Fried [via]
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Traveling Mercies'
Anne Lamott claims the two best prayers she knows are: "Help me, help me, help me" and "Thank you, thank you, thank you." She has a friend whose morning prayer each day is "Whatever," and whose evening prayer is "Oh, well." Anne thinks of Jesus as "Casper the friendly savior" and describes God as "one crafty mother."Despite--or because of--her irreverence, faith is a natural subject for Anne Lamott. Since Operating Instructions and Bird by Bird, her fans have been waiting for her to write the book that explained how she came to the big-hearted, grateful, generous faith that she so often alluded to in her two earlier nonfiction books. The people in Anne Lamott's real life are like beloved characters in a favorite series for her readers--her friend Pammy, her son, Sam, and the many funny and wise folks who attend her church are all familiar. And Traveling Mercies is a welcome return to those lives, as well as an introduction to new companions Lamott treats with the same candor, insight, and tenderness. Lamott's faith isn't about easy answers, which is part of what endears her to believers as well as nonbelievers. Against all odds, she came to believe in God and then, even more miraculously, in herself. As she puts it, "My coming to faith did not start with a leap but rather a series of staggers." At once tough, personal, affectionate, wise, and very funny, Traveling Mercies tells in exuberant detail how Anne Lamott learned to shine the light of faith on the darkest part of ordinary life, exposing surprising pockets of meaning and hope. [via]
› Find signed collectible books: 'Traveling Mercies : Some Thoughts on Faith'
For most writers, the greatest challenge of spiritual writing is to keep it grounded in concrete language. The temptation is to wander off into the clouds of ethereal epiphanies, only to lose readers with woo-woo thinking and sacred-laced clichés. Thankfully, Anne Lamott (Operating Instructions, Crooked Little Heart) knows better. In this collection of essays, Lamott offers her trademark wit and irreverence in describing her reluctant journey into faith. Every epiphany is framed in plainspoken (and, yes, occasionally crassly spoken) real-life, honest-to-God experiences. For example, after having an abortion, Lamott felt the presence of Christ sitting in her bedroom:
This experience spooked me badly, but I thought it was just an apparition born of fear and self-loathing and booze and loss of blood. But then everywhere I went I had the feeling that a little cat was following me, wanting me to reach down and pick it up, wanting me to open the door and let it in. But I knew what would happen: you let a cat in one time, give it a little milk and then it stays forever.Whether she's writing about airplane turbulence, bulimia, her "feta cheese thighs," or consulting God over how to parent her son, Lamott keeps her spirituality firmly planted in solid scenes and believable metaphors. As a result, this is a richly satisfying armchair-travel experience, highlighting the tender mercies of Lamott's life that nudged her into Christian faith. --Gail Hudson [via]
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› Find signed collectible books: 'LA Daga / The Subtle Knife'
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› Find signed collectible books: 'La Danza En Espiral/the Spiral Dance'
Este clásico en su género, éxito de ventas sin precedentes, es al mismo tiempo referencia obligada en la filosofía y la práctica de la brujería y una guía para que sus lectores se acerquen a la Diosa, desarrollen sus poderes psíquicos e integren su cuerpo, mente y espíritu. En una nueva introducción, Starhawk revela los caminos que han tomado la religión de la Diosa y la práctica del ritual durante estos últimos veinte años y refleja el modo en que estos cambios han influido y realzado las ideas originales. Ante un mundo siempre cambiante esta valiosísima guía espiritual es más relevante cada día.
An influential masterwork that launched the rebirth of the American Goddess Movement, is both an unparalleled reference on the practices and philosophies of Witchcraft and guide to the lifeaffirming ways in which readers can tun to the Goddess to deepen their sense of personal pride, develop their inner power, and integrate mind, body and spirit. [via]
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Dioses Menores / Small Gods'
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Masculino Que Ninguno: Una Perspectiva Sociopersonal De Genero, El Poder Y La Violencia'
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Tour Des Anges'
À la fin du premier volet, Les Royaumes du Nord, on avait quitté la jeune Lyra au moment où elle franchissait le pont entre deux mondes édifié par son père. On la retrouve donc dans un autre univers, où elle est rejointe par Will, débarqué, lui, d'un troisième monde très semblable au nôtre. On retrouve aussi la glaçante Mme Coulter, l'intrépide Lee Scoresby, entre autres personnages découverts dans le premier tome et désormais familiers. Apparaissent de nouveaux amis, mais aussi de nouveaux ennemis redoutables : des spectres qui vampirisent les adultes et sont invisibles aux yeux des enfants. Peu à peu, le mystère de la Poussière s'éclaircit tout en révélant sa complexité.
Il est question d'ésotérisme, de théologie, de destin, au fil d'aventures palpitantes narrées dans un style éblouissant. À ne surtout pas réserver aux enfants à partir de 11 ans, l'oeuvre envoûtante de Philip Pullman est appelée à devenir un classique de la littérature fantastique. --Pascale Wester [via]
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Das Magische Messer'
Mit Das magische Messer stellt Philip Pullman nach Der Goldene Kompaß den zweiten Band der His-Dark-Materials-Trilogie vor. Die Hauptrollen spielen der zwölfjährige Will Parry und die gleichaltrige Lyra Listenreich, Heldin der ersten Folge.
Der junge Parry will das Geheimnis um seinen Vater lösen, der vor zehn Jahren bei einer Polarexpedition verschwunden ist. Durch Zufall findet er einen Zugang zu einer anderen Welt, als er vor geheimnisvollen Männern flieht. Hier trifft er auf Lyra, die ebenfalls durch ein Dimensionstor aus ihrer Heimat, die der Erde ähnelt, in diese fremde Welt gelangt ist. Auch sie ist auf der Suche nach ihrem Vater, Lord Asriel. Es stellt sich heraus, daß das Schicksal der beiden eng miteinander verknüpft ist. Gemeinsam müssen sie in den verschiedenen Welten um ihr Leben kämpfen und viele Abenteuer überstehen. Im Verlauf der Geschichte wird es immer deutlicher, daß den beiden Kindern eine Hauptrolle zugedacht ist in der anstehenden entscheidenden Schlacht zwischen Gut und Böse.
Pullman greift in diesem Buch das in Film und Literatur immer wiederkehrende Prinzip von parallelen, sich in vielerlei Hinsicht ähnelnden Welten auf. Es ist etwas schwierig, den Einstieg zu finden. Die verschiedenen Handlungsstränge scheinen zu Beginn etwas verwirrend und ohne Zusammenhang zu sein. Doch je mehr man weiterliest und sich in den Inhalt vertieft, desto besser enthüllen sich diese Zusammenhänge. Man wird immer mehr in die von Pullman geschaffenen Welten von Hexen, Technik und Magie hineingezogen. Nach Beendigung des Buches bleibt nur zu hoffen, daß der Folgeband bald auf den deutschen Markt kommt. --Markus Hofstetter [via]
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