Scattered over much of the world throughout most of theirhistory, are the Jews one people or many? How do they resemble andhow do they differ from Jews in other places and times? What havetheir relationships been to the cultures of their neighbors? Toaddress these and similar questions, some of the finest scholars ofour day have contributed their insights to Cultures of the Jews, awinner of the National Jewish Book Award upon its hardcoverpublication in 2002. Constructing their essays around specific cultural artifacts thatwere created in the period and locale under study, the contributorsdescribe the cultural interactions among different Jews–from rabbisand scholars to non-elite groups, including women–as well asbetween Jews and the surrounding non-Jewish world. What theyconclude is that although Jews have always had their own autonomoustraditions, Jewish identity cannot be considered the fixed productof either ancient ethnic or religious origins. Rather, it hasshifted and assumed new forms

For 2,000 years, Catholicism—the largest religion in the worldand in the United States—has shaped global history on a scaleunequal ed by any other institution. But until now, Catholicsinterested in their faith have been hard-pressed to find anaccessible, affirmative, and exciting history of the Church. Triumph is that history. Inside, you'll discover thespectacular story of the Church from Biblical times and the earlydays of St. Peter—the first pope—to the twilight years of John PaulII. It is a sweeping drama of Roman legions, great crusades, epicbattles, toppled empires, heroic saints, and enduring faith. And,there are stormy controversies: Dark Age skullduggery, theInquistition, the Renaissance popes, the Reformation, the Church'srefusal to accept sexual liberation and contemporary allegationslike those made in Hitler's Pope and Papal Sin. A brawling, colorful history full of inspiring pageantry andspirited polemic, Triumph will exhilarate, amuse, andinfuriate as it exto

Here, Roshi Kapleau addresses how Westerners can adapt andpractice Zen.

In this meticulously researched, unflinching, and reasonedstudy, National Book Award finalist David I. Kertzer presentsshocking revelations about the role played by the Vatican in thedevelopment of modern anti-Semitism. Working in long-sealed Vaticanarchives, Kertzer unearths startling evidence to undermine theChurch’s argument that it played no direct role in the spread ofmodern anti-Semitism. In doing so, he challenges the Vatican’srecent official statement on the subject, We Remember. Kertzer tells an unsettling story that has stirred up controversyaround the world and sheds a much-needed light on the past.

Salonica, located in northern Greece, was long a fascinatingcrossroads metropolis of different religions and ethnicities, whereEgyptian merchants, Spanish Jews, Orthodox Greeks, Sufi dervishes,and Albanian brigands all rubbed shoulders. Tensions sometimesflared, but tolerance largely prevailed until the twentieth centurywhen the Greek army marched in, Muslims were forced out, and theNazis deported and killed the Jews. As the acclaimed historian MarkMazower follows the city’s inhabitants through plague, invasion,famine, and the disastrous twentieth century, he resurrects afascinating and vanished world.

David Mamet's interest in anti-Semitism is not limited to themodern face of an ancient hatred but encompasses as well the waysin which many Jews have internalized that hatred. Using themetaphor of the Wicked Son at the Passover seder (the child whoasks, "What does this story mean to you?") Mamet confronts what hesees as an insidious predilection among some Jews to excludethemselves from the equation and to seek truth and meaninganywhere--in other religions, political movements, mindlessentertainment--but in Judaism itself. He also explores the ways inwhich the Jewish tradition has long been and still remains theWicked Son in the eyes of the world. Written with the searinghonesty and verbal brilliance that is the hallmark of Mamet's work,The Wicked Son is a powerfully thought-provoking look at one of themost destructive and tenacious forces in contemporary life.

The late author Arysio Santos was a highly regardedclimatologist, geologist, and nuclear physicist. He was also ascholar of history, folklore, languages, and the occult. In thisgroundbreaking study of Atlantis, he draws on all thesedisciplines, as well as ancient maps, Plato’s dialogues, andfolkloric narratives, to provide the most compelling case yet ofthe disappearance of an entire civilization. Professor Santos demonstrates that Plato’s dating of Atlantis’sdisappearance in 11,600 BP (before present) precisely correspondsto the catastrophic end of the Pleistocene Ice Age, as well as ahistoric flood event of cataclysmic proportions. The rising of thesea level by nearly 500 feet, he argues, submerged continent-sizedlands—including Atlantis, which he connects with the biblicalGarden of Eden. Provocative chapters cover such topics as thecontinent’s appearance in ancient maps, Indonesia as the true siteof Eden, American interpretations of Atlantis, the four rivers ofparadise, and more, giv

Max Weber's best-known and most controversial work, The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, first published in 1904, remains to this day a powerful and fascinating read. Weber's highly accessible style is just one of many reasons for his continuing popularity. The book contends that the Protestant ethic made possible and encouraged the development of capitalism in the West.

Colorstrology is a fascinating blend of astrology, numerology,and color theory that offers exciting new insights about our livesand relationships. Written by renowned astrologer Michele Bernhardtwith the artists at Pantone, Inc., the global authority on color,the system features 366 "birthday colors" that illustrate who weare and how we behave. For example, people born on January 29 (like Oprah Winfrey) sharethe color Keepsake Lilac; they are "ambitious" and "tender" and"born to make a difference . . . it is not uncommon to find [them]in front of an audience." People born on May 11 (like Salvador Dal) share the color Green Tea. They "have a vivid imagination and cansee new ideas and concepts more readily than others." Using Colorstrology, you'll quickly understand how to enhanceyour best personality traits with your birthday color. Thisfull-color book features detailed profiles of everyone you knowplus 366 perforated swatches so you can take your birthday colorwherever you go. PANTONE

Warriors of God is the rich and engaging account of the ThirdCrusade (1187-1192), a conflict that would shape world history forcenturies and which can still be felt in the Middle East andthroughout the world today. Acclaimed writer James Reston, Jr.,offers a gripping narrative of the epic battle that left Jerusalemin Muslim hands until the twentieth century, bringing an objectiveperspective to the gallantry, greed, and religious fervor thatfueled the bloody clash between Christians and Muslims. As he recounts this rousing story, Reston brings to life the twolegendary figures who led their armies against each other. Heoffers compelling portraits of Saladin, the wise and highlycultured leader who created a united empire, and Richard theLionheart, the romantic personification of chivalry who emergeshere in his full complexity and contradictions. From its rivetingscenes of blood-soaked battles to its pageant of fascinating,larger-than-life characters, Warriors of God is essential history,history that

Different styles of martial arts offer contradictoryinformation, philosophies, and techniques for the body in combat. Apractitioner of Judo might advocate grappling, reasoning that mostfights converge into close range after a short time, when anadvocate of Tae Kwon Do would argue that one should strive tomaintain one's distance in an encounter that would allow one to usethe legs, the most powerful weapon on the human body. As a lifelong student and teacher of multiple styles of martialarts, Steven Pearlman has sought to distill from these disciplinesnot a fusion of techniques, but rather a compilation of fundamentalprinciples that can guide the individual martial artist to theideal action. Through his exploration of a set of basic principlesthat range from the physical (spinal alignment, the triangularguard, breathing) to the spiritual (the void, the body-mind, thecharacter), Pearlman arrives at a system open to all martialartists without bastardizing the techniques of the originaldisciplines.

This remarkable book takes as its subject one of the most outstanding men that ever lived. The ultimate prodigy, Leonardo da Vinci was an artist of great originality and power, a scientist, and a powerful thinker. According to Sigmund Freud, he was also a flawed, repressed homosexual. The first psychosexual history to be published, Leonardo da Vinci was the only biography the great psychoanalyst wrote. When Jung first saw it, he told Freud it was 'wonderful', and it remained Freud's favourite composition. The text includes the first full emergence of the concept of narcissism and develops Freud's theories of homosexuality. While based upon controversial research, the book offers a fascinating insight into two men - the subject and the author. If you've ever wondered just what lies behind the Mona Lisa's enigmatic smile, read Freud on Leonardo. It's genius on genius.

From ancient Palestine through Europe and Asia, to America andmodern Israel, Max I. Dimont shows how the saga of the Jews isinterwoven with the story of virtually every nation on earth.--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

In this revelatory exploration of one of our most revered icons,a critically acclaimed author and professor takes us back to earlyChristianity to ask how a box of handwritten scrolls became theBible, and forward to see how the multibillion-dollar business thathas brought us Biblezines and Manga Bibles is selling down theBible's sacred capital. Showing us how a single official text wascreated from the proliferation of different *s, Beal tracesits path as it became embraced as the word of God and Book ofbooks. Among his surprising insights: * Christianity thrived for centuries without any Bible--there wasno official canon of *ures, much less a book big enough tohold them all. Congregations used various collections of scrollsand codices. * There is no "original" Bible, no single source text behind thethousands of different Bibles on the market today. The farther wego back in the Bible's history, the more versions we find. * The idea of the Bible as the literal Word of God is relativelynew--only about a century

Karl Barth was, without doubt, one of the most significant religious thinkers of modern times. His radical affirmation of the revealed truth of Christianity changed the course of Christian theology in the twentieth century and is a source of inspiration for countless believers.

An examination of the influence of the Bible on Western artand literature and on the Western creative imagination in general.Frye persuasively presents the Bible as a unique text distinct fromall other epics and sacred writings. No one has set forth soclearly, so subtly, or with such cogent energy as Frye the literaryaspect of our biblical heritage (New York Times Book Review).Indices.

Here is the unparalleled account of the most awesome and awfulchapter in the moral history of humanity. Lucid, chilling andcomprehensive, Lucy S. Dawidowicz’s classic tells the completestory of the Nazi Holocaust–from the insidious evolution of GermanAnti-Semitism to the ultimate tragedy of the Final Solution.

No religion in the modern world is as feared and misunderstoodas Islam. It haunts the popular imagination as an extreme faiththat promotes terrorism, authoritarian government, femaleoppression, and civil war. In a vital revision of this narrow viewof Islam and a distillation of years of thinking and writing aboutthe subject, Karen Armstrong’s short history demonstrates that theworld’s fastest-growing faith is a much more complex phenomenonthan its modern fundamentalist strain might suggest.

Holman Bible Publishers is pleased to offer its first student Bible featuring the popular Holman Christian Standard Bible translation, combining biblical accuracy with modern readability like never before. A visually driven product for a visually driven culture, The Holman Student Bible enhances the study of God's Word with colorful page designs, explanatory sidebars, engaging study questions, and many other reading helps that are especially relevant to the development of true faith among this new generation.

A history so funny, so true, so scary, it's bound to becalled a conspiracy. "Meticulous in its research, forensic in itsreasoning, robust in its argument, and often hilarious in itsdebunking, Voodoo Histories is a highly entertaining rumblewith the century's major conspiracy theorists and their theories"(John Lahr). From Pearl Harbor to 9/11 to the assassination of JFKto the Birthers, Aaronvitch probes and explores the majorconspiracy theories (and theorists) of our time. In doing so, heexamines why people believe these conspiracies and makes anargument for a true skepticism.

A modern-day Confessions of Saint Augustine, The Seven StoreyMountain is one of the most influential religious works of thetwentieth century. This edition contains an introduction byMerton's editor, Robert Giroux, and a note to the reader bybiographer William H. Shannon. It tells of the growing restlessnessof a brilliant and passionate young man whose search for peace andfaith leads him, at the age of twenty-six, to take vows in one ofthe most demanding Catholic orders--the Trappist monks. At theAbbey of Gethsemani, "the four walls of my new freedom," ThomasMerton struggles to withdraw from the world, but only after he hasfully immersed himself in it. The Seven Storey Mountain has been afavorite of readers ranging from Graham Greene to Claire BoothLuce, Eldridge Cleaver, and Frank McCourt. And, in the half-centurysince its original publication, this timeless spiritual tome hasbeen published in over twenty languages and has touched millions oflives.