Other books that might interest you

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  That Morning Will Come

  Seamus Cashman

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  Cork born Seamus Cashman is the founder of one of Ireland's leading literary and cultural publishing houses, Wolfhound Press. Previous poetry collections are: Carnival and Clowns & Acrobats. He edited two landmark anthologies for young readers, The Wolfhound Press Book of Irish Poems for Young People (1975) still in print, and Something Beginning with P: new poems from Irish poets (2004). He is a publishing consultant and writing tutor. He lives in Portmarnock. 
  The new poems in this collection reflect Cashman's sense of place and of the spiritual groundings of daily life characteristic of his early poems. Secrets, a sequence of thirteen poems written following a visit to Palestine– such as 'The Seperation Wall', 'Random Contact', 'Exceptions To The Truth', – are passionate responses to contemporary political tragedy, abuse of human rights, and love of homeland (tír grá). Poems in section two, Opening Doors, dance between childhood and parenthood, catch glimpses in mirrors and are 'Flying Skies'. Here are accessible, confident poems by a poet whose lyrical voice captivates. 
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  Audiobook recorded by Adam Shanahan, Dublin, Ireland.

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  Maa Anand Sheela on Chances

  Rekha Balakrishna

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  I have been given more than a million chances in life, says controversy's favorite child Ma Anand Sheela

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  Folk Myths and Legends -...

  Odessa Nightshade

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  Since the dawn of civilization, storytelling has been an essential part of human culture. Long before written language, myths and legends were passed down through generations, shaping societies, preserving history, and explaining the mysteries of the world. These tales, often woven with elements of the supernatural, serve not only as entertainment but also as a means of teaching values, reinforcing traditions, and connecting people to their heritage. Whether told around a fire, painted on cave walls, or transcribed into sacred texts, myths and legends offer profound insights into the beliefs and customs of different cultures.  
  One of the most remarkable aspects of folklore is its universality. While each culture has its own unique stories, striking similarities emerge when comparing myths from different parts of the world. Themes of creation, heroism, trickery, love, and the afterlife appear across civilizations, suggesting a shared human experience. The flood myth, for example, exists in various forms in Mesopotamian, biblical, Hindu, and Indigenous traditions, each with its own interpretation but conveying a common theme of destruction and renewal. These recurring motifs highlight how storytelling transcends time and geography, reinforcing the idea that despite cultural differences, people everywhere grapple with similar questions about existence, morality, and destiny.  
  Myths and legends also serve as powerful tools for shaping identity and societal values. Many of history’s greatest civilizations—Greek, Norse, Egyptian, and Chinese, among others—built their cultural foundations upon stories of gods, heroes, and mythical creatures. These tales not only provided explanations for natural phenomena but also established codes of behavior, demonstrating the rewards of courage, loyalty, and wisdom while warning against greed, deceit, and hubris.

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  Operation Typhoon: The History...

  Phaistos Publishers

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  After the Fall of France and the unsatisfactory Battle of Britain came to a close, Hitler turned to the east and issued Führer Directive 21, his secret order for the invasion of the Soviet Union, on 18 December 1940. Prior to this the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, a non-aggression agreement, had enabled the two countries to divide the spoils after the invasion of Poland that had triggered the Second World War. Hitler, however, had always regarded this agreement as nothing more than a temporary tactical maneuver. In the early part of the Second World War, the arrangement had suited the two nations, with the Soviet Union preoccupied with its own issues while Hitler continued his aggression in Western Europe, exporting manufactured goods to the Soviet Union in return for grain and oil. But they were never easy bedfellows since their ideological differences were diametrically opposed. 
  For his part, Stalin seems uncharacteristically trusting of Hitler despite Soviet intelligence reports and London warning him of Germany’s intentions. Operation Barbarossa caught him unprepared. Over three and a half million troops - eighty% of the German Army, attacked along a front almost 3,000 km, supported by 2,700 aircraft, the largest invasion force ever seen. Soviet forces were hastily dispatched to the frontier in huge numbers, but the Germans pushed through quickly and decisively, and within three weeks of the launch of Operation Barbarossa, Hitler’s initial objectives had been achieved. While a legend exists today that Hitler's strategic fecklessness destroyed Germany's chances, despite the wise objections of the Wehrmacht general staff (OKW), the actual situation in 1941 resembled the precise reverse of this familiar historical trope. It seems the Fuhrer retained his full strategic acumen in 1941, until he ill-advisedly adopted the suggestions of the OKW and diverted forces in a winter campaign to seize the Soviet capital, leading to the Battle of Moscow .

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  Advanced English Collocations...

  Robert Allans

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  Why is it important to learn collocations and idioms? 
  An appreciation of collocations and idioms will help you to use the words you know more accurately. In other words, you’ll make (NOT do) fewer mistakes. 
  Sound more natural when you speak and write. 
  By saying, for example, go blank, rather than forget everything, you won’t just be understood, you will – quite rightly – sound like a fluent user of English. 
  Vary your speech and, probably more importantly, your writing 
  Instead of repeating everyday words like very, good or nice, you will be able to get access to wider range of language. 
  Mastering collocations, idioms and phrases means no more struggle, pausing or confusion while dealing with any of the major skills of the language (writing, reading, speaking and listening). This is the most effective method to use English words in a correct but natural way.

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  The Gospel Crux - The Hidden...

  J K Vaidyan

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  The Gospel Crux is a fresh look at the teachings of Jesus in the context of their Hebrew origins.The current versions are not working. If they were, the world around us would not keep going to pieces every now and then. Lost in translation, disoriented through cultural appropriation and transmitted across millennia, the versions handed down to us are both enhanced and redacted, far removed from its original context and blurred by the passage of time.Hebrew is a language rich in metaphors and literary devices like synonymous parallelism and hyperbole that emphasize and reinforce key messages. It does not easily lend itself to translation into Greek, Latin or English. The Gospel Crux re-interprets Hebrew words and metaphors used by Jesus to explore what his teachings would have meant to those hearing him firsthand. Words and phrases like Gospel, Heaven, Hell, Love, Soul, Holy Spirit and Eternal Life take on new meanings when viewed from this frame of reference.A key example is the command to love your neighbor as yourself. When asked “who is my neighbor”, Jesus relates the parable of the Good Samaritan. All the characters are strangers to each other. Love does not show up in this parable. Acts of service and of going the extra mile for a stranger are our takeaways. Jesus tops it up with the instruction to go and do likewise.This brings us to the concept of self. “Deny yourself. Take up your cross and follow me.” This is our understanding of what Jesus had said. “Deny yourself” is not two words. “Deny your Self” has three words. And the cross is the execution stake of self-negation. When all of this is read and understood together it reveals a well-kept secret of Jewish, Buddhist, Hindu and Lao Tzu’s philosophies. That our “I” is a story we tell ourselves.Through this alternate rendering of the words of Jesus, The Gospel Crux explores how we can find the peace of God that surpasses all understanding in our lives; the truth that will set your “I” free.

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