Higher Worlds

How did our forebears begin to think about religion as a distinct domain, separate from other activities that were once inseparable from it? Starting at the birth of Christianity - a religion inextricably bound to Western thought - Jack Miles reveals how the West's "common sense" understanding of religion emerged and then changed as insular Europe discovered the rest of the world. Finally, in a moving postscript, he shows how this very story continues today in the minds and hearts of individual religious or irreligious men and women.

Why are the New Zealand All Blacks the best rugby team in the world? How does the Kirov Ballet produce generation after generation of exceptional ballerinas? How did Southwest Airlines evolve from being an idiosyncratic Texan airline to become one of the most successful businesses internationally? How does the Finnish School Education System deliver great results by breaking conventions? Powerhouse uncovers the performance secrets of some of the most impressive organizations around the world and reveals the key principles they have in common....

Mecklenburgh Square has always been a radical address. Nestled in the heart of Bloomsbury, these townhouses have borne witness to the lives of some of the century's most revolutionary cultural figures - many of whom were extraordinary women. United by their desire to experiment with new ways of living - and, therefore, of being - these authors and thinkers were trailblazers in their commitment to creative independence.

Return to the Twilight Court with Princess Seren Firethorn! From the soaring spires of Castle Unseelie to the grandeur of the Court of the Nine Sons, Seren Firethorn seems destined to encounter dragons. But even surrounded by the fierce fairies, it's her uncle, the Unseelie King, who truly troubles her. Under the sea, manipulated by politics and plots, Seren strives to discover what Uisdean is really after. But each truth only reveals another layer of lies, creating a knot so tangled only dragon claws could sever it. From the Author:Extinguish in order 1.Fairy-Struck (Free) 2. Pixie-Led 3. ...

At more than 100 million user accounts created and over $10 billion made, it is not only the most-subscribed MMORPG in the world, but the highest-grossing video game of all time. Ten years after its launch, Blizzard Entertainment's World of Warcraft is less a game and more a world unto itself, and it's a world Daniel Lisi knows well. More time in his high school years was spent in Azeroth than in his hometown of Irvine, California—a home he happened to share with Blizzard itself.

In 1932, Hazel Ying Lee, a nineteen-year-old American daughter of Chinese immigrants, sat in on a friend's flight lesson. It changed her life. In less than a year, a girl with a wicked sense of humor, a newfound love of flying, and a tough can-do attitude earned her pilot's license and headed for China to help against invading Japanese forces. In time, Hazel would become the first Asian American to fly with the Women Airforce Service Pilots. As thrilling as it may have been, it wasn't easy.

For better or worse - be it militarily, politically, economically, technologically, or culturally - Americans have had a profound role in shaping the wider world beyond them. The United States has been a savior to some, a curse to others, but either way such views are often based on a caricature of American actions and intentions. American foreign relations, then, is a subject of immense global importance that provokes strong emotions and much debate, but often based on deep misunderstanding.

Brendan believed having a supervillain father was his biggest problem. Then he attended Dutchman Springs Academy… The Supervillain High Boxed Set contains the complete editions of the first three books of the YA science fiction series, including Supervillain High, The Headmaster’s Shadow, and The Vault of a Thousand Worlds. Check out what reviewers have described as “fun,” “action-packed,” and “a blast!” Blurb for Supervillain High: Did you see the guy in the video wearing the purple tights and mask robbing that bank? That’s Brendan’s dad. He’s a supervillain. The law ...

It is 1984 in Chile, in the middle of the Pinochet dictatorship. A member of the secret police walks into the office of a dissident magazine and finds a reporter, who records his testimony. The narrator of Nona Fernández's mesmerizing and terrifying novel The Twilight Zone is a child when she first sees this man's face on the magazine's cover with the words "I Tortured People". His complicity in the worst crimes of the regime and his commitment to speaking about them haunt the narrator into her adulthood and career as a writer and documentarian.

Humans are pattern-matching creatures, and astrology is the universe's grandest pattern-matching game. In this refreshing work of history and analysis, data scientist Alexander Boxer examines classical texts on astrology to expose its underlying scientific and mathematical framework.

The planet is gripped in a state of frenzied panic as Vesta, an asteroid of apocalyptic proportions, is on a direct collision course with Earth. There is no place to hide. There is no way to stop it. When the countdown to oblivion begins, the doomsday clock's persistence poisons people's minds. Humanity becomes feral. Rain, a 16-year-old from Maine, watches in horror as her peaceful, coastal town descends into cataclysmic chaos. Hysteria mounts, civility vanishes, and no one is safe. Just when Rain thinks things can't get any worse, a new nightmare reveals itself: she may be descended from ...

At the heart of Israel Rosenfield and Edward Ziff's inquiry is the nature of brain function. The sensory world is disordered and chaotic. There are no labels for tables, chairs, or airplanes, and indeed there are no colors, sounds, or smells, only photons, airwaves, odorant molecules, and so on, which are unlabeled and impossible to "know." To make sense of this chaos, the brain must simplify the sensory inputs by creating, or inventing, the colors, sounds, smells, forms, and faces that are perceived in consciousness, which become a proxy for the chaotic world in which we live.

Discover the keys to high self-esteem and inner strength in weeks, even if societal pressures have knocked you down countless times. Do you feel consumed by self-doubt and anxiety? Struggling to appreciate your worth in a world celebrating perfection? Is your voice often drowned out? If so, you've come to the right place. Society paints unrealistic pictures of success, leaving many feeling inadequate. But you don't have to live in the shadow of these expectations.

A battle rages for the heart and soul of America. For one group, the idea of "American Exceptionalism" is dead. Some never tire of lecturing us about how out of step America is with the rest of the world and how the country needs to get with it. Worse, America, they say, is bad for the world. Its freedom and prosperity are merely historical accidents.

Things are looking up for Mr. and Mrs. Cho. Their dream of franchising their Korean plate lunch restaurants across Hawai'i seems within reach after a visit from Guy Fieri boosts the profile of Cho's Delicatessen. Their daughter, Grace, is busy finishing her senior year of college, while her older brother, Jacob, just moved to Seoul to teach English. But when a viral video shows Jacob trying—and failing—to cross the Korean demilitarized zone, nothing can protect the family from suspicion and the restaurant from waning sales.

A fantasy romance of soulbonds, forbidden love, and power that refuses to be tamed. Elowen’s light magic stirs beneath her skin, igniting ancient runes and awakening a force long feared by the ruling council. Cast out, she finds herself in a dangerous alliance with the two boys she once called family: Darius, heir to Thorn Keep, and Lucien, the blade sworn to protect him. Both want her. Both would fight for her. And Elowen? If she waits too long to choose, there may be nothing left to fight for. As shadow creatures rise and ancient corruption spreads, Elowen must survive a brutal fire ...

A shattered kingdom. A new homeland. A Guardian born of legend. Cali Flynn has led her people to the wild frontier of Ruith, seeking peace after the fall of Edelaine. But as they rebuild from the ashes, long-buried evils begin to stir, and a message from the distant city of Edrym forces Cali to confront secrets that could unravel everything she thought she knew. As new alliances form and dark forces rise, Cali must choose between the safety of her people and the greater fight waiting in the shadows. With ancient magic awakening, powerful relics returning, and whispers of the Blackguard on ...

I’ve lived a warrior’s life defined by death, cage fights, and submission to my vampire master. So when commanded to infiltrate the underground fighting pits of Manhattan and retrieve a coveted tome, my mission takes priority. But that resolve is tested upon crossing paths with an infuriating werewolf who seeks the artifact for his own pack’s survival. Though we are sworn enemies, an electric attraction sparks between us that I find difficulty resisting. Noah's defiant spirit and the thrilling risk of our affair make me feel alive in ways I’ve never experienced. Compelled into a ...

October 6, 1944. Twenty-year-old Army Air Corps Second Lieutenant David "Mac" Warren MacArthur was on a strafing mission over Greece when a round of 88-mm German anti-aircraft flak turned his P-38 Lightning into a comet of fire and smoke. Dave parachuted to safety as the Lightning lived up to her name and struck the Adriatic Sea like a bolt of flames. In minutes, he was plucked from the water - only to find himself on the wrong end of a German rifle pointing straight at his head.

Since first domesticating the chicken thousands of years ago, humans have become exceptionally adept at raising them for food. Yet most people rarely interact with chickens or know much about them. In Under the Henfluence, culture reporter Tove Danovich explores the lives of these quirky, mysterious birds who stole her heart the moment her first box of chicks arrived at the post office.