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Showing 61 - 80 of 30404 items
By Ralph D. Sawyer. 2007
The history of China is a history of warfare. Wars have caused dynasties to collapse, fractured the thin façade of…
national unity, and brought decades of alien occupation. But throughout Chinese history, its warfare has been guided by principles different from those that governed Europe. Chinese strategists followed the concept, first articulated by Sun-tzu in The Art of War, of qi (ch'i), or unorthodox, warfare. The concept of qi involves creating tactical imbalances in order to achieve victory against even vastly superior forces. Ralph D. Sawyer, translator of The Art of War and one of America's preeminent experts on Chinese military tactics, here offers a comprehensive guide to the ancient practice of unorthodox warfare. He describes, among many other tactics, how Chinese generals have used false rumors to exploit opposing generals' distrust of their subordinates; dressed thousands of women as soldiers to create the illusion of an elite attack force; and sent word of a false surrender to lure enemy troops away from a vital escape route. The Tao of Deception is the book that military tacticians and military historians will turn to as the definitive guide to a new, yet ancient, way of thinking about strategy.By Michael, Novak, Jana. 2006
In Washington’s God Michael Novak-one of America’s leading neoconservative pundits-and his daughter, Jana, uncover George Washington’s religious life. Finally the…
record is set straight on the most thoroughly misunderstood aspect of Washington’s life. The Novaks focus on Washington’s strong trust in divine Providence and see this belief as providing the unifying narrative to his monumental life.In the summer of 1925, the sleepy hamlet of Dayton, Tennessee, became the setting for one of the 20th century's…
most contentious dramas: the Scopes trial that pit William Jennings Bryan and the anti-Darwinists against a teacher named John Scopes into a famous debate over science, religion, and their place in public education That trial marked the start of a battle that continues to this day-in Dover, Pennsylvania, Kansas, Cobb County, Georgia, and many other cities and states throughout the country. Edward Larson's classic, Summer for the Gods, is the single most authoritative account of a pivotal event whose combatants remain at odds in school districts and courtrooms. For this edition, Larson has added a new preface that assesses the state of the battle between creationism and evolution, and points the way to how it might potentially be resolved. Pulitzer Prize WinnerBy Joyce Hoffman. 2008
Over three hundred women, both print and broadcast journalists, were accredited to chronicle America’s activities in Vietnam. Many of those…
women won esteemed prizes for their reporting, including the Pulitzer, the Overseas Press Club Award, the George Polk Award, the National Book Award, and the Bancroft Prize for History. Tragically, several lost their lives covering the war, while others were wounded or taken prisoner. In this gripping narrative, veteran journalist Joyce Hoffmann tells the important yet largely unknown story of a central group of these female journalists, including Dickey Chapelle, Gloria Emerson, Kate Webb, and others. Each has a unique and deeply compelling tale to tell, and vivid portraits of their personal lives and professional triumphs are woven into the controversial details of America’s twenty-year entanglement in Southeast Asia.By Ben Young. 2001
HOW DEEP IS YOUR LOVE - FOR GOD?If you are like most dating couples, you are looking for more than…
just a companion - you want a soul mate! The essence of a true soul mate relationship is that of deep spiritual connection. This dynamic book, Devotions for Dating Couples, offers guidance for deepening your commitment to God as individuals and as a couple. Through short chapters focused on such essential topics as prayer, simplicity, community, and purity, you will discover how to make your most important love relationships-with God and your potential mate-strong, lasting, and radiant.Relationship experts Ben Young and Samuel Adams, authors of The Ten Commandments of Dating and The One, give user-friendly tips for nurturing your personal walk with God and enhancing your spiritual connection as a couple. As you read through the devotions each day, you will:Become a great lover by learning to love God firstDevelop the essential disciplines of a lasting relationshipFocus on the important things in lifeDiscover a sense of spiritual purpose and meaningUnderstand that grace is not just for "beginners" - it is for you, every dayWhether you are dating seriously or engaged to be married, these daily personal devotions and weekly couple's devotions will help you discover the way to lifelong love.By Jasper Reid. 2011
The book surveys the key metaphysical contributions of the Cambridge Platonist, Henry More (1614-1687). It deals with such interwoven topics…
as: the natures of body and spirit, and the question of whether or not there is a sharp ontological division between them; the nature of spatial extension in relation to each; the composition and governance of the physical world, including More's theories of Hyle, atoms, vacuum, and the Spirit of Nature; and the life of the human soul, including its pre-existence. It approaches these topics and the systematic connections between them both historically and analytically, and seeks to do justice to the ways in which More's system developed and changed--sometimes quite dramatically--over the course of his long career. It also explores More's intellectual relations with both his own inspirations (Plotinus, Origen, Ficino, Descartes, etc.) and with those who responded, whether positively or negatively, to his work (Leibniz, Locke, Boyle, Newton, etc.).By Daisaku Ikeda. 2017
Nichiren Daishonin’s writings provide a practical formula for enabling all people to achieve victory in every aspect of their lives…
and attain an unshakable state of happiness. This volume of Learning from Nichiren’s Writings: The Teachings for Victory contains SGI President Daisaku Ikeda’s lectures on nine of Nichiren’s letters: “On the Real Aspect of the Gohonzon” “The Four Virtues and the Four Debts of Gratitude” “A Ship to Cross the Sea of Suffering” “Flowering and Bearing Grain” “General Stone Tiger” “Reply to Niiama” “The Workings of Brahma and Shakra” “Reply to Yasaburo” “The Three Obstacles and Four Devils” President Ikeda elucidates the importance of studying Nichiren’s writings as the foundation of Nichiren Buddhism as practiced by the Soka Gakkai International. His lectures bring Nichiren’s immense wisdom, compassion, and courage into focus for the present age. In reading and studying these lectures, we learn how to apply in daily life Nichiren’s profound philosophy for inner transformation and victory for both ourselves and others. The Teachings for Victory will empower you to develop the strength and wisdom to bring forth your inherent potential.By Daisaku Ikeda. 2016
Nichiren Daishonin’s writings provide a practical formula for enabling all people to achieve victory in every aspect of their lives…
and attain an unshakable state of happiness. This volume of Learning from Nichiren’s Writings: The Teachings for Victory contains SGI President Daisaku Ikeda’s lectures on nine of Nichiren’s letters: “On the Offering of a Mud Pie” “A Father Takes Faith” “How Those Initially Aspiring to the Way Can Attain Buddhahood through the Lotus Sutra” “Letter to the Lay Priest Nakaoki” “Letter to Konichi-bo” “The Good Medicine for All Ills” “The Four Debts of Gratitude” “On the Treasure Tower” “Letter from Teradomari” President Ikeda elucidates the importance of studying Nichiren’s writings as the foundation of Nichiren Buddhism as practiced by the Soka Gakkai International. His lectures bring Nichiren’s immense wisdom, compassion, and courage into focus for the present age. In reading and studying these lectures, we learn how to apply in daily life Nichiren’s profound philosophy for inner transformation and victory for both ourselves and others. The Teachings for Victory will empower you to develop the strength and wisdom to bring forth your inherent potential.Gleaned from more than fifty years of SGI President Ikeda’s works, The Wisdom for Creating Happiness and Peace provides a…
window into the SGI president’s thought and philosophy. His words are a boundless source of inspiration. They embody a universal message of hope and courage for a world increasingly beset with sorrow and suffering. Chapters in this volume: “What Is Human Revolution?”; “It Is the Heart That Is Important”; “Buddhism Is About Winning”; “Transforming Karma Into Mission”; “Illness Gives Rise to the Resolve to Attain the Way”; “The Principle of Cherry, Plum, Peach, and Damson”; “You Will Grow Younger, and Your Good Fortune Will Accumulate”; “Faith for Overcoming Obstacles”; “Faith for a Harmonious Family”; “Making the Most of Each Day”; “Message for Youth”.By Daisaku Ikeda. 2016
Buddhist philosopher, peace activist and octogenarian Daisaku Ikeda has spent a lifetime studying and teaching about life’s universal sufferings of…
birth, aging, sickness and death. His life exemplifies the health and happiness possible from a compassionate practice of Nichiren Buddhism. In The Third Stage of Life, a dialogue with two Japanese journalists, he shares his insights on how to make one’s golden years a “third youth.” What’s the secret to living long? What are the keys to a healthy life? Is aging a period of decline or an opportunity to bring one’s life to a satisfying conclusion? What example can we set for in others in our third stage of life? Drawing on the lives of many individuals down through the ages, Mr. Ikeda discusses these and many other questions that affect us as we grow older. From the practical to the spiritual to the personal—as when his wife of sixty years joins the discussion in later chapters—The Third Stage of Life will inspire you to keep challenging and lead a life that shines.By Daisaku Ikeda. 2016
In this collection of essays for women, SGI President Ikeda sings the praises of the “mothers of kosen-rufu” for their…
strength, wisdom, and faith. Filled with stories of women he’s met or women from history, Shine Like the Morning Sun explores Buddhist philosophy from myriad angles. Women of all ages will discover guidelines to live by and inspiration to spread sunshine in their families, communities, and the SGI’s movement for peace and happiness.By Daisaku Ikeda. 2016
Always concerned about the most basic problems confronting humanity, SGI President Ikeda here once again explores the four universal sufferings…
of birth, aging, sickness, and death. In conversation with doctors and nurses, the SGI leader skillfully weaves Buddhist insights with the practical knowledge and personal experiences of his dialogue partners. • What can we learn from our illnesses? • How is the patient’s attitude crucial to healing? • How do parents affect their children’s health? • How much are our lives determined by our genes? What are constructive ways to approach aging? • What are keys for effective health care? • What roles do faith and SGI activities play in a long and fulfilling life? The answers to these and other questions in On Health and Long Life provide valuable perspectives to caring for the most valuable of treasures: our lives themselves.By Benjamin Laird. 2017
The Rule of St Benedict, written around 1500 years ago by the Italian monk St Benedict of Nursia, is a…
slim handbook for monastic life – a subject many modern readers would regard as relatively niche. It is, however, also a model of the organized and clearly expressed thought produced by good reasoning skills – a mainstay of critical thinking. Reasoning is all about making a good case for something, through logical arguments, neatly and systematically organised. In Benedict’s case, his main concern was to lay out a set of rules and practices that would allow monasteries to run as well-organised communities. Communal living presented huge challenges, and yet it was also, Benedict believed, the best way for monks to sustain themselves, their religion, and the learning and teaching that went with it. His Rule laid out concise but detailed chapters on the best way to achieve this, including provisions for all areas of personal and communal discipline, right down to how tasks might be allotted to individual monks. Providing a complete roadmap for successfully running a community, the concise brilliance of The Rule has even been suggested by some business professors as useful model for running small businesses today.By Mark Scarlata. 2017
C.S. Lewis’s Mere Christianity is a perfect example of one of the most effective aspects of critical thinking skills: the…
use of reasoning to build a strong, logical argument. ¶Lewis originally wrote the book as a series of radio talks given from 1942-1944, at the height of World War II. The talks were designed to lay out the most basic tenets of Christianity for listeners, and to use these to make a logical argument for Christian belief and Christian ethics. While Lewis was not an academically-trained theologian or philosopher (specializing instead in literature), his own experience of converting from atheism to Christianity, along with his wide reading and incisive questioning, power a charming but persuasive argument for his own beliefs. ¶Whether or not one agrees with Lewis’s arguments or shares his faith, Mere Christianity exemplifies one of the most useful aspects of good reasoning: accessibility. When using reasoning to construct a convincing argument, it is crucial that your audience follow you, and Lewis was a master at constructing well-organised arguments that are immediately understandable to readers. The beautifully written Mere Christianity is a masterclass in cogently walking an audience through an elegant and well thought-through piece of reasoning.By Jonathan Teubner. 2017
St. Augustine’s Confessions is one of the most important works in the history of literature and Christian thought. Written around…
397, when Augustine was the Christian bishop of Hippo (in modern-day Algeria), the Confessions were designed both to spiritually educate those who already shared Augustine’s faith, and to convert those who did not. Augustine did this through the original maneuver of writing what is now recognized as being the first Western autobiography – letting readers share in his own experiences of youth, sin, and eventual conversion. The Confessions are a perfect example of using reasoning to subtly bring readers around to a particular point of view – with Augustine inviting them to accompany him on his own spiritual journey towards God so they could make their own conversion. Carefully structured, the Confessions run from describing the first 43 years of Augustine’s life in North Africa and Italy, to discussing the nature of memory, before moving on to analyzing the Bible itself. In order, the sections form a carefully structured argument, moving from the personal to the philosophical to the contemplative. In the hundreds of years since they were first published, theuy have persuaded hundreds of thousands of readers to recognize towards the same God that Augustine himself worshipped.By Ian Jackson, John Donaldson. 2017
David Hume’s Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion is a philosophical classic that displays a powerful mastery of the critical thinking skills…
of reasoning and evaluation. Hume’s subject, the question of the existence and possible nature of God, was, and still is, a persistent topic of philosophical and theological debate. What makes Hume’s text a classic of reasoning, though, is less what he says, than how he says it. As he noted in his preface to the book, the question of ‘natural religion’ was unanswerable: so ‘obscure and uncertain’ that ‘human reason can reach no fixed determination with regard to it.’ Hume chose, as a result, to cast his thoughts on the topic in the form of a dialogue – allowing different points of view to be reasoned out, evaluated and answered by different characters. Considering and judging different or opposing points of view, as Hume’s characters do, is an important part of reasoning, and is vital to building strong persuasive arguments. Even if, as Hume suggests, there can be no final answer to what a god might be like, Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion shows high-level reasoning and evaluation at their best.By Tom Flynn, S. C. Hitchcock. 2009
Filled with wit, humor, and clear metaphor, this exploration into atheism is written specifically for young adults, though any adult…
interested in learning more about atheism will find value within. Not just focused on atheism, this crash course in logical thinking addresses the issues of indoctrination, whether it be religious, political, or commercial, and makes the case that morality is created through reasoning and logic, not through divine communication. Many hot topics are touched upon, such as traditional arguments for God’s existence, the relationship of evolution and religious belief, the incompatible nature of science and religion, and the harmfulness of both Christianity and Islam.By Zoltan Haraszti. 2016
The founders of the Massachusetts Bay Colony came to the New World seeking religious freedom, and their first publication was…
a hymnal: The Bay Psalm Book, printed just twenty years after the Pilgrims' arrival. This book, with which the Pilgrims literally sang their praises to God, presents a translation of the Psalms from Hebrew, transposed into metrical rhyme for congregational singing. An instant success, the book was adopted throughout the colonies and remained in use for well over a century. Only eleven known original editions survive, one of which recently sold at auction for a record $14.2 million, making it the most expensive book in the world. This facsimile of a rare first edition includes a companion volume, The Enigma of the Bay Psalm Book, which provides an academic study of the psalter's history and contents. Both books are encompassed in this single volume, offering readers and collectors a personal edition of a major icon of book history and a great artifact of American culture.By John Bunyan. 2013
Beloved religion is the great bond of human society and it were well if itself were kept within…
the bond of unity and that it may so be let us according to the text use our utmost endeavours to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace These words contain a counsel and a caution the counsel is That we endeavour the unity of the Spirit the caution is That we do it in the bond of peace as if I should say I would have you live in unity but yet I would have you to be careful that you do not purchase unity with the breach of charity John Bunyan was an Christian writer preacher and Reformed BaptistChronicling the spectacular rise to power of General Abdul Rashid Dostum, this is an intimate profile of the one of…
the most powerful warlords to have dominated Afghanistan in the years since the Soviet withdrawal in the late 1980s. His rise from simple peasant villager to warrior against the repressive policies of the Taliban and Al Qaeda is told by one of the few outsiders to be accepted into Dostum's stronghold in the northern deserts of Afghanistan. Thanks to this unprecedented access, author Brian Glyn Williams was able to conduct lengthy interviews with Dostum and his family, as well as his subcommanders, local chieftains, mullahs, Taliban enemies, prisoners of war, and women's rights activists. What emerges is an intensely personal account of the Mongol warlord, detailing his childhood, motivations, hopes for his country, and conviction that it is time for a new generation of Western-trained technocrats to shape his country's destiny. With the drawing down of U.S. troops in 2014 and Dostum poised to reenter the world stage to fight a resurgent Taliban, this timely analysis provides important historical context to the controversy swirling around Afghanistan's warlord culture and is an essential contribution to the debate on Afghanistan's future.