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A Certain Ambiguity: A Mathematical Novel
By Gaurav Suri, Hartosh Singh Bal. 2010
While taking a class on infinity at Stanford in the late 1980s, Ravi Kapoor discovers that he is confronting the…
same mathematical and philosophical dilemmas that his mathematician grandfather had faced many decades earlier--and that had landed him in jail. Charged under an obscure blasphemy law in a small New Jersey town in 1919, Vijay Sahni is challenged by a skeptical judge to defend his belief that the certainty of mathematics can be extended to all human knowledge--including religion. Together, the two men discover the power--and the fallibility--of what has long been considered the pinnacle of human certainty, Euclidean geometry. As grandfather and grandson struggle with the question of whether there can ever be absolute certainty in mathematics or life, they are forced to reconsider their fundamental beliefs and choices. Their stories hinge on their explorations of parallel developments in the study of geometry and infinity--and the mathematics throughout is as rigorous and fascinating as the narrative and characters are compelling and complex. Moving and enlightening, A Certain Ambiguity is a story about what it means to face the extent--and the limits--of human knowledge.The Tortoise in Asia
By Tony Grey. 2015
Based on a popular legend in Gansu, the far western province of China, The Tortoise in Asia recounts the exploits…
of Marcus, a young Roman centurion schooled in the Greek classics who, after a devastating loss in a battle with the Parthians, is taken prisoner, marched along the Silk Road, and pressed into service as a border guard on the eastern frontier. After a daring escape, Marcus has many adventures working with the Hun army as a mercenary. Throughout this harrowing journey, Marcus learns about Chinese philosophies, uncovering the startling similarities between these philosophies and those of Greece.The Demon's Sermon on the Martial Arts: A Graphic Novel
By Issai Chozanshi. 2013
A visually thrilling graphic novel adaptation of classic martial arts parables on swordsmanship and strategy—written by a real-life samurai …
The Demon&’s Sermon on the Martial Arts is a classic collection of martial arts tales, written by the eighteenth-century samurai Issai Chozanshi. Featuring demons, insects, birds, cats, and numerous other creatures, the stories here may seem whimsical, but they contain essential teachings that offer insight into the fundamental principles of the martial arts. This graphic novel version based on Chozanshi&’s text brings these tales alive in a captivating and immediately accessible way. Infused with Chozanshi&’s deep understanding of Taoism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Shinto, the tales elucidate the nature of conflict, the importance of following one&’s own nature, yin and yang, the cultivation and transformation of ch&’i (life energy), and the attainment of mushin (no-mind). Ultimately, the reader learns in a visually exciting way that the path of the sword is a path of self-knowledge and leads to an understanding of life itself.The 47 Ronin: A Graphic Novel
By Sean Michael Wilson. 2013
A graphic novel depiction of the most dramatic example of bushido—the samurai code—in Japanese historyIn the eighteenth century, forty-seven samurai…
avenged the death of their master in a plot that would take over two years to complete. After succeeding in their mission, the masterless samurai—known as ronin—all committed ritual suicide. The story, which is a national legend, remains the most potent example of Japan&’s deeply rooted cultural imperative of honor, persistence, loyalty, and sacrifice.The historical event has inspired many writers and artists over the years and numerous fictionalized versions and adaptations have emerged. In The 47 Ronin, Sean Michael Wilson has created a historically factual portrait, enhanced by evocative and often lyrical drawings by Akiko Shimojima. While there are other depictions of the story in manga form, this version stands out as being the most accurate and most compelling. Wilson and Shimojima have made the characters nuanced and relatable.The Harlem Hellfighters
By Max Brooks. 2014
From bestselling author Max Brooks, the riveting story of the highly decorated, barrier-breaking, historic black regiment—the Harlem HellfightersIn 1919, the…
369th infantry regiment marched home triumphantly from World War I. They had spent more time in combat than any other American unit, never losing a foot of ground to the enemy, or a man to capture, and winning countless decorations. Though they returned as heroes, this African American unit faced tremendous discrimination, even from their own government. The Harlem Hellfighters, as the Germans called them, fought courageously on—and off—the battlefield to make Europe, and America, safe for democracy. In THE HARLEM HELLFIGHTERS, bestselling author Max Brooks and acclaimed illustrator Caanan White bring this history to life. From the enlistment lines in Harlem to the training camp at Spartanburg, South Carolina, to the trenches in France, they tell the heroic story of the 369th in an action-packed and powerful tale of honor and heart.The Songbirds of Colliers Row: A heartwarming wartime family saga
By Jennifer Hart. 2017
From the ashes of war rose a song of hope...A warm-hearted, nostalgic and uplifting saga, The Songbirds of Colliers Row…
by Jennifer Hart is perfect for fans of Call the Midwife, Donna Douglas, Kate Thompson's Secrets of the Singer Girls and for anyone with a song in their heart...A village without a voice. That's what the locals are saying about Llandegwen, deep in the Welsh valleys. The village choir, once a source of pride for the small mining community, has been forced to disband; the elderly choirmaster heartbroken by the empty seats belonging to those who'll never return from the battlefields. The arrival of a young war widow from the East End with her little boy sets tongues wagging, not least when rumours abound that she's looking to revive the choir. Can the community set aside their grief and lift their voices, and the village's hopes, once more?(P)2017 Headline Publishing Group LtdCovenant with Death
By John Harris. 1961
They joined for their country. They fought for each other.When war breaks out in 1914, Mark Fenner and his Sheffield…
friends immediately flock to Kitchener's call. Amid waving flags and boozy celebration, the three men - Fen, his best friend Locky and self-assured Frank, rival for the woman Fen loves - enlist as volunteers to take on the Germans and win glory.Through ramshackle training in sodden England and a stint in arid Egypt, rebellious but brave Fen proves himself to be a natural leader, only undermined by on-going friction with Frank. Headed by terse, tough Sergeant Major Bold, this group of young men form steel-strong bonds, and yearn to face the great adventure of the Western Front.Then, on one summer's day in 1916, Fen and his band of brothers are sent to the Somme, and this very ordinary hero discovers what it means to fight for your life.Stirringly told from the down-to-earth view of everyday soldiers, Covenant with Death is acclaimed as one of the greatest novels about war ever written. Now with a new foreword by Louis de Bernières, author of Captain Corelli's Mandolin.Le Problème Spinoza
By Irvin Yalom. 2019
Amsterdam, février 1941. Le Reichleiter Rosenberg, chargé de la confiscation des biens culturels des juifs dans les territoires occupés, fait…
main basse sur la bibliothèque de Baruch Spinoza. Qui était donc ce philosophe, excommunié en 1656 par la communauté juive d'Amsterdam et banni de sa propre famille, pour exercer une telle fascination sur l'idéologue du parti nazi trois siècles après sa mort ? La plume romanesque d'Irvin Yalom nous plonge au cœur de l'histoire et explore la vie intérieure de Spinoza, inventeur d'une éthique de la joie, qui influença des générations de penseurs, et celle d'Alfred Rosenberg, qui joua un rôle décisif dans l'extermination des juifs d'EuropeBook of the Hopi
By Frank Waters. 1977
Thirty Hopi elders cooperated with the author to describe the Hopis' world view. They shared their legends and rituals and…
the beliefs underlying them. The result is a philosophy much different from those of European culturesThe Great Swindle: Prize-winning historical fiction by a master of suspense
By Pierre Lemaitre. 2015
October 1918: the war on the Western Front is all but over. Desperate for one last chance of promotion, the…
ambitious Lieutenant Henri d'Aulnay Pradelle sends two scouts over the top, and secretly shoots them in the back to incite his men to heroic action once more.And so is set in motion a series of devastating events that will inextricably bind together the fates and fortunes of Pradelle and the two soldiers who witness his crime: Albert Maillard and Édouard Péricourt.Back in civilian life, Albert and Édouard struggle to adjust to a society whose reverence for its dead cannot quite match its resentment for those who survived. But the two soldiers conspire to enact an audacious form of revenge against the country that abandoned them to penury and despair, with a scheme to swindle the whole of France on an epic scale.Meanwhile, believing her brother killed in action, Édouard's sister Madeleine has married Pradelle, who is running a little scam of his own...(P)2015 MacLehose PressThe Songbirds of Colliers Row: A heartwarming wartime family saga
By Jennifer Hart. 2017
A warm-hearted, nostalgic and uplifting saga, The Songbirds of Colliers Row by Jennifer Hart will delight fans of Nadine Dorries,…
Donna Douglas, Anne Baker and Mary Gibson.From the ashes of war rose a song of hope...A village without a voice. That's what the locals are saying about Llandegwen, deep in the Welsh valleys. The village choir, once a source of pride for the small mining community, has been forced to disband; the elderly choirmaster heartbroken by the empty seats belonging to those who'll never return from the battlefields. The arrival of a young war widow from the East End with her little boy sets tongues wagging, not least when rumours abound that she's looking to revive the choir. Can the community set aside their grief and lift their voices, and the village's hopes, once more?The Great Swindle: Prize-winning historical fiction by a master of suspense
By Pierre Lemaitre. 2015
Now a major French film Au revoir là-haut - Prix Goncourt-winning masterpiece by the writer who brought you Alex, Irène…
and Camille.October 1918: the war on the Western Front is all but over. Desperate for one last chance of promotion, the ambitious Lieutenant Henri d'Aulnay Pradelle sends two scouts over the top, and secretly shoots them in the back to incite his men to heroic action once more.And so is set in motion a series of devastating events that will inextricably bind together the fates and fortunes of Pradelle and the two soldiers who witness his crime: Albert Maillard and Édouard Péricourt.Back in civilian life, Albert and Édouard struggle to adjust to a society whose reverence for its dead cannot quite match its resentment for those who survived. But the two soldiers conspire to enact an audacious form of revenge against the country that abandoned them to penury and despair, with a scheme to swindle the whole of France on an epic scale.Meanwhile, believing her brother killed in action, Édouard's sister Madeleine has married Pradelle, who is running a little scam of his own...The Great Swindle: Prize-winning historical fiction by a master of suspense
By Pierre Lemaitre. 2015
Now a major French film Au revoir là-haut - Prix Goncourt-winning masterpiece by the writer who brought you Alex, Irène…
and Camille.October 1918: the war on the Western Front is all but over. Desperate for one last chance of promotion, the ambitious Lieutenant Henri d'Aulnay Pradelle sends two scouts over the top, and secretly shoots them in the back to incite his men to heroic action once more.And so is set in motion a series of devastating events that will inextricably bind together the fates and fortunes of Pradelle and the two soldiers who witness his crime: Albert Maillard and Édouard Péricourt.Back in civilian life, Albert and Édouard struggle to adjust to a society whose reverence for its dead cannot quite match its resentment for those who survived. But the two soldiers conspire to enact an audacious form of revenge against the country that abandoned them to penury and despair, with a scheme to swindle the whole of France on an epic scale.Meanwhile, believing her brother killed in action, Édouard's sister Madeleine has married Pradelle, who is running a little scam of his own...Covenant with Death
By John Harris. 1961
Stirringly told from the view of everyday soldiers, Covenant with Death is acclaimed as one of the greatest novels about…
war ever written. With a new foreword by Louis de Bernières, author of Captain Corelli's Mandolin.They joined for their country. They fought for each other.When war breaks out in 1914, Mark Fenner and his Sheffield friends immediately flock to Kitchener's call. Amid waving flags and boozy celebration, the three men - Fen, his best friend Locky and self-assured Frank, rival for the woman Fen loves - enlist as volunteers to take on the Germans and win glory.Through ramshackle training in sodden England and a stint in arid Egypt, rebellious but brave Fen proves himself to be a natural leader, only undermined by on-going friction with Frank. Headed by terse, tough Sergeant Major Bold, this group of young men form steel-strong bonds, and yearn to face the great adventure of the Western Front.Then, on one summer's day in 1916, Fen and his band of brothers are sent to the Somme, and this very ordinary hero discovers what it means to fight for your life.'Laden with knowledge yet sparely written, Covenant with Death is the work of an author immersed in the lives of those who fought'The Times'The last line ought to be carved in stone somewhere . . . Find it. Read it. You'll be a better person for having done so'Peter Hitchens, Daily MailAn anti-war book right up there with Remarque's All Quiet on the Western FrontShortlist (The Greatest War Novels of all Time)'Covenant With Death . . . showed with unbearable actuality what happened to a newly formed Sheffield regiment on the first day of the battle of the Somme'Christopher Hitchens, Guardian'The blood and guts, the nightmare stink of cordite . . . appalling realism'The Times'Only one novel about the war since 1945 has the power and feeling of veracity to compare with the works of the 1920s and 30s . . . Covenant with Death by John Harris'The Western Front Organisation'A superb novel'Daily Mirror'John Harris's neglected masterpiece of a novel, Covenant With Death, is the success that it is because it follows a group of Sheffield workers from their flag-waving sign-up to the hecatomb on the Somme'The Atlantic'True and terrible'Observer'An outstanding achievement'Sunday Express'I absolutely loved it. Hester is one heck of a woman!' Heidi Swain'A charming book seasoned with romance and a…
sprinkling of danger' Western MailCan Hester help her family escape desperate poverty and fulfil her dreams?1908: Hester always loved her mother best, her father had always been a hard man to like, spending more time (and money) in the local than with his family. After her mother's sudden death, followed by an injury forcing her father to give up his job as the ferryman, Hester is placed in the position of care-giver for her young brother and sister. As the years pass Hester must row the ferry night and day to keep them all from starvation, while her hopes of working in a kitchen and one day becoming a cook, slip further and further away. But just how far is Hester willing to go to make her dream a reality? And as the threat of war comes ever closer to the Cornish coast, will it bring opportunities or despair for Hester and her family?A gripping family saga perfect for fans of Sheila Newberry, Glenda Young and Mollie Walton. Escape to the Cornish coast and discover a strong woman who will do anything for her family and for her dreams... Readers are already falling in love with Hester:'This was a superb read, and I thoroughly enjoyed every moment' Being Anne'A sublime novel, written deftly, and with a keen attention to detail' Netgalley reviewer'Lovely family saga book' Netgalley reviewerWho Was Confucius? (Who Was?)
By Michael Burgan, Who Hq. 2020
Learn more about China's most famous teacher and philosopher, whose ideas are still influential today.Born in 551 BC, Confucius was…
a young man when he set his heart and mind on learning as much as he could. By his thirties, he'd become a brilliant teacher who shared his knowledge of several subjects, including arithmetic, history, and poetry, with his students. Confucius wanted to make sure that everyone in China had access to an education and devoted his whole life to learning and teaching so he could transform and improve society. His lessons--now known as Confucianism--are practiced by over six million people in the world. They focus on loving humanity, worshiping ancestors, respecting elders, and self-discipline. Confucianism has become the system that governs a total way of life in East Asia.Teresa, My Love: An Imagined Life of the Saint of Avila (To The Point)
By Julia Kristeva. 2015
Mixing fiction, history, psychoanalysis, and personal fantasy, Teresa, My Love turns a past world into a modern marvel, following Sylvia…
Leclercq, a French psychoanalyst, academic, and incurable insomniac, as she falls for the sixteenth-century Saint Teresa of Avila and becomes consumed with charting her life. Traveling to Spain, Leclercq, Julia Kristeva's probing alter ego, visits the sites and embodiments of the famous mystic and awakens to her own desire for faith, connection, and rebellion. One of Kristeva's most passionate and transporting works, Teresa, My Love interchanges biography, autobiography, analysis, dramatic dialogue, musical scores, and images of paintings and sculpture to engage the reader in Leclercq's—and Kristeva's—journey. Born in 1515, Teresa of Avila outwitted the Spanish Inquisition and was a key reformer of the Carmelite Order. Her experience of ecstasy, which she intimately described in her writings, released her from her body and led to a complete realization of her consciousness, a state Kristeva explores in relation to present-day political failures, religious fundamentalism, and cultural malaise. Incorporating notes from her own psychoanalytic practice, as well as literary and philosophical references, Kristeva builds a fascinating dual diagnosis of contemporary society and the individual psyche while sharing unprecedented insights into her own character.Born in 1515, Teresa of Avila survived the Spanish Inquisition and was a key reformer of the Carmelite Order. Her…
experience of ecstasy, which she intimately described in her writings, released her from her body and led to a complete realization of her consciousness, a state Julia Kristeva explores as it was expressed in Teresa's writing. Incorporating notes from her own psychoanalytic practice, as well as literary and philosophical references, Kristeva builds a fascinating dual diagnosis of contemporary society and the individual psyche while sharing unprecedented insights into her own character. Through her dazzlingly varied formats Kristeva tests the borderlines of atheism and the need for faith, feminism and the need for a benign patriarchy.Ficciones de la revolución mexicana
By Ignacio Solares. 2009
Colección de cuentos en los que pasan Madero, Huerta, Felipe Ángeles, Rodolfo Fierro, Carranza, Obregón, León Toral. La magistral pluma…
de Ignacio Solares, ganador del Premio Fernando Benítez, nos acerca a un personaje histórico fundamental de México. De Madero y Huerta a Felipe Ángeles y Rodolfo Fierro, pasando por Carranza, Obregón, León Toral y muchos otros personajes, en cada cuento Ignacio Solares inquieta, deslumbra, sorprende a sus lectores con tramas en las que el destino reparte los balazos de manera distinta a la que consignan las versiones oficiales, los hechos ya no coinciden con las efemérides y los infiernos privados abren sus puertas al público, por si hubiera quien se atreva a trasponerlas. Revolución es una palabra que se extingue, dicen. Tiende a entrar en desuso. Sus oxidados bonos van siempre a la baja. Y sin embargo, los sueños que genera siguen teniendo poderes avasalladores y en ellos permanecen vivos los caudillos, los tiranos, la masa anónima que combatió por motivos concretos, o incluso sin ellos, y regó con sangre páginas de la historia y de las historias que integran este volumen. Lo que ha dicho la crítica: "Diecisiete variaciones, invenciones, diecisiete formas de recrear de manera novedosa una historia por demás manoseada. [...]Son cuentos que se dejan leer y proporcionan disfrute al lector". -Fernando García Ramírez, Letras Libres. "Con el humor que lo caracteriza, Ignacio Solares incursiona en el 'hubiera' para contar una historia distinta de Emiliano Zapata en Chinameca; el general Rodolfo Fierro practicaría la compasión humana; el destino de Pino Suárez no hubiera sido tan trágico y las soldaderas hubieran sido fusiladas por el gran adorador de las Mujeres: Pancho Villa".-Yanet Aguilar Sosa, El Universal.In the Trenches: A Russian Woman Soldier's Story of World War I
By Tatiana L. Dubinskaya. 1916
Tatiana L. Dubinskaya&’s autobiographical novel of life in the Russian army marked the first major work published by a female…
World War I soldier in the Soviet Union. Often compared to All Quiet on the Western Front, Dubinskaya&’s stark and unsparing story presents a rare look at women in combat and one of the few works of fiction set on the eastern front. Zinaida, a Russian schoolgirl, runs away from home to join the army. Sent to the front, she endures the horrors of trench warfare and the hardships of military life. Undercurrents of revolutionary thinking filter into the ranks as morale begins to crumble. Zinaida must come to grips with the havoc unleashed by the czar&’s overthrow and the new socialist government&’s attempts to impose revolutionary reforms on the army. Destabilization and desertion follow, and her regiment joins the chaotic mass retreat of the Russian army in the summer of 1917. In addition to Dubinskaya&’s original novel, this edition includes selections from her 1936 autobiographical work, Machine Gunner, which she rewrote to satisfy Stalinist censors.