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  Saint Francis - A Biography of a...

  Robert West

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  In this Christian Encounter Series biography, author Robert West explores the life of Saint Francis, a man who lived entirely devoted to God. 
  Francis of Assisi has inspired the church for centuries. Francis took the gospel literally, following all that Jesus said and did without limit, and his devotion led to a life filled with miracles and wonders. 
  Born to a wealthy cloth merchant in Assisi, Italy, Francis didn’t seem destined for the life of prayer and poverty that he chose. Bankrolled by his father, and with natural good looks and personality, Francis indulged in worldly pleasure. He had a ready wit, sang merrily, and delighted in fine clothes and showy display. Serious illness brought the young Francis to see the emptiness of his frolicking ways and led him to a life of prayer and unbridled devotion to Scripture. He gave over all his possessions to the poor and embraced a life of simplicity and poverty, transforming him from a self-centered youth to a man living for God and a model of complete obedience. 
  Christian Encounters, a series of biographies from Thomas Nelson Publishers, highlights important lives from all ages and areas of the Church. Some are familiar faces. Others are unexpected guests. But all, through their relationships, struggles, prayers, and desires, uniquely illuminate our shared experience. 
    
   

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  Before the Law - From their pens...

  Franz Kafka

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  Franz Kafka was born on 3rd July 1883 in Prague, then in Bohemia, the eldest of 6, into a middle-class Jewish family. 
  Life for the young Kafka and his passion for literature was often made an ordeal by his over-bearing and domineering entrepreneur of a father.   
  In 1889 Kafka was sent to the Deutsche Knabenschule, an elementary school in Prague. His father would only allow him to be educated in German-speaking schools and even went so far as to limit visits to the synagogue to four a year. 
  In 1901 he graduated from the classics-oriented Altstädter Gymnasium. Kafka did well there and across a large range of subjects.  He now enrolled at the Charles Ferdinand University, to study chemistry, but quickly switched to law for which he obtained his degree in June 1906 and then performed the mandatory year of unpaid service as clerk at the civil and criminal courts. 
  A job at an Italian insurance company left him little time to write and after a year he took another job with the Worker's Accident Insurance Institute for the Kingdom of Bohemia where he stayed until ill health led to his resignation in 1922. 
  Although he saw work as a means to pay the bills and to allow him time to write, he received several promotions and was noted as a good employee. 
  By 1917 Kafka was suffering from tuberculosis, which required frequent periods of convalescence. Interspersed with this, were several intense affairs before he settled in Berlin with Dora Diamant, a 25-year-old kindergarten teacher who herself having left the ghetto now influenced Kafka's interest in the book of Jewish law, the Talmud. 
   
   
  Kafka’s on-going health was littered with problems. Apart from TB there were several other ailments, including migraines, insomnia, boils, depression, all usually brought on by excessive stresses and strains. He attempted to counteract all of this by naturopathic treatments, a vegetarian diet and consuming large quantities of unpasteurized milk. 
  His tuberculosis still worsened. He returned to Prague, where he died on 3rd June 1924. He was 40.

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  5 Puritan Women - Portraits of...

  Jenny-Lyn de Klerk

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  What the Lives of 5 Puritan Women Teach about Holy Living and Devotion to God
  The writings of the Puritans have had a recent resurgence, but many Puritan women have often been overlooked or misunderstood. As mothers, daughters, grandmothers, and wives, the vibrant faith of Puritan women has much to teach modern day readers.
  In 5 Puritan Women: Portraits of Faith and Love, Jenny-Lyn de Klerk shows how the lives and writings of Christian women encourage the beauty of holy living and provide practical wisdom for the home and the church. Each chapter portrays a different Puritan woman—Agnes Beaumont, Lucy Hutchinson, Mary Rich, Anne Bradstreet, and Lady Brilliana Harley—telling their stories of devotion, lament, and family. By studying their faith journeys, modern readers can learn more about their roles in church history and glean insights into the Christian life. 
  
  - Accessible Introduction: An affordable, easy-to-read format to introduce readers to the neglected writings of Puritan women
  - Applicable: Explains the need for, and the value of, studying Puritan women today and highlights spiritual disciplines that these women demonstrate
  - Women in Church History: Broadens the reader's understanding of women's roles in furthering God's kingdom throughout history
  - Foreword by Karen Swallow Prior

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  Tough Guys in the Room - Al...

  Howard Jackson

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  ‘WEAK IS NOT WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO REMEMBER ABOUT ME.’Al Capone.Back then, hot headed gangsters, not so gentle dames and bullet riddled corpses filled the newspaper headlines. And some of the stories below the headlines were even true. The 1920s was a period in American history when even the respectable were unwilling to stay sober. And not so fast cars carried assassins across Chicago, a city that for many captures the essence of the USA.In TOUGH GUYS IN THE ROOM, the story of Al Capone and his rivals is told in separate and stand-alone topics that cover key figures and events. The crimes and conflict are remembered, and the context that shaped those events and protagonists is explained. The police and the law abiding that made a doomed attempt to impose Prohibition also make an appearance. TOUGH GUYS IN THE ROOM offers a detached and impartial perspective on what happened between the Chicago gangs of the 1920s. There are also some surprises.TOUGH GUYS IN THE ROOM is a must for fans of gangsterdom. This account of what happened in Chicago is kept simple but that does not prevent author Howard Jackson from taking an independent line on the St Valentine’s Day massacre and the character of Al Capone.

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  The Director Should've Shot You...

  Alan Dean Foster

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  Author Alan Dean Foster is a Grand Master of Media Tie-In Fiction. He has written both original tie-ins and script novelizations since the 1970s, bringing his straightforwardness—a favorite to readers but a nuisance to directors—to his many projects. For Foster, Hollywood is a unique world that has allowed him to chat with Catwoman, ask out Diana Rigg, attend a movie screening with Alice Cooper, and have burgers and milkshakes with John Carpenter. 
   
    
   
  In The Director Should've Shot You, Foster shares all the colorful stories behind his adaptations of films, TV shows, and video games. He had the honor of working on big-name properties like Star Trek, Terminator, and The Thing. He served as ghost writer for the novelization of the original Star Wars and got to write the sequel—sort of. And in between his work for Hollywood, he managed to become a hugely successful science fiction and fantasy author with series like the Adventures of Pip & Flinx and the Icerigger Trilogy. 
   
   
   
  With humor and wit, Foster retraces his path to "Grand Master," with all the successes, disappointments, and lumps he's taken along the way. In the process, he shines a spotlight on the unusual world of studio marketing in Hollywood. The result is a memoir that will have you looking at some of your favorite films in a whole new light.

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  Eccentric Icons - Celebrities...

  John Harpoon

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  Eccentricity has always held a peculiar charm, especially when it intertwines with fame. The world has an undeniable fascination with individuals who deviate from societal norms, and celebrities—already basking in the spotlight—amplify that intrigue when their beliefs and behaviors stray into the unconventional. These outliers captivate audiences not merely for their talents but for the mystique surrounding their lives and choices. From deeply spiritual practices to alien encounters, and from promoting conspiracy theories to endorsing esoteric health trends, eccentric icons represent a kaleidoscope of human curiosity and creativity. 
  The appeal of celebrity eccentricity lies in its ability to humanize those we often place on pedestals. At their core, their quirks reveal a vulnerability, a need to search for meaning beyond the superficial trappings of fame. This quest for deeper truths resonates with audiences, as it mirrors our own journeys to make sense of the unknown. When a globally recognized musician advocates for meditation or a Hollywood star discusses their belief in extraterrestrial life, it bridges the gap between their extraordinary existence and the ordinary lives of their fans. These moments of relatability foster a sense of connection that fuels fascination.

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