Written during the golden age of Chinese philosophy, andcomposed partly in prose and partly in verse, the Tao TeChing is surely the most terse and economical of the world’sgreat religious texts. In a series of short, profound chapters itelucidates the idea of the Tao, or the Way–an idea that in itsethical, practical, and spiritual dimensions has become essentialto the life of China’s enormously powerful civilization. In theprocess of this elucidation, Lao-tzu both clarifies and deepensthose central religious mysteries around which our life on earthrevolves.

Paul McAuley is one of the most exciting new talents to emerge in science fiction over the last several years, acclaimed for his richly imagined scientific concepts as well as for his clear and stylish storytelling. Now McAuley enters the twenty-first century with a vivid and prescient novel in which science, politics, greed, and terrorism compete for nothing less than THE SEC RET OF LIFE. 2026: Something is growing in the Pacific Ocean, a strange fungus-like organism that may ultimately threaten Earth's entire food chain. Christened "the slick," the bizarre phenomenon is soon the subject of intense, top-secret scientific analysis, which rapidly discovers that the slick contains unique DNA unlike any other lifeform on the planet. Where has the slick come from? A Chinese-manned mission to Mars is rumored to have discovered life deep beneath the Martian icecap, but the Chinese aren't talking. Could this mysterious discovery have something to do with the possibly extraterrestrial organism spreading throu

One of America's best-known philosophers offers a succinct,easy-to-follow guide for applying philosophical theory to reallife. Disillusionment with psychology is leading more and more peopleto formal philosophy for clues about how to think about life. Butmost of us who try to grapple with concepts such as reality, truth,common sense, consciousness, and society lack the rigorous trainingto discuss them with any confidence. John Searle brings thesenotions down from their abstract heights to the terra firma ofreal-world understanding, so that those with no knowledge ofphilosophy can understand how these principles play out in oureveryday lives. The author stresses that there is a real world outthere to deal with, and condemns the belief that the reality of ourworld is dependent on our perception of it. "A remarkable feat. This is the book for anyone who wants tolearn about the big philosophical questions." -Owen Flanagan, DukeUniversity "This book is a major event. John Searle has brought t

For many of us, life seems like a puzzle with pieces missing. Weform plans and then change them; we choose one path, then another,trying to find the right mate and career, hoping we’ve made theright decision and that it will all work out. At some point, we mayeven ask the important questions: What is the purpose of my life?How shall I spend it? This book provides some answers to finally bring your lifeinto sharper focus. First, we have to understand that we are hereto fulfill not one but four fundamental purposes: Learning Life’s Lessons Finding Your Career and Calling Fulfilling Your Hidden Life Path Attending to This Arising Moment The Four Purposes of Life was born from Dan Millman’sdecades-long search to make sense of life. He distills decades ofexperience into a concise map of the journey — the full scope ofwhat we’re each here to accomplish here on planet Earth. You will learn: the higher purpose of daily life twelve required l