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  How to Lose Yourself - An...

  The Buddha and His Followers

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  Inviting new translations of classical Buddhist texts about why the self is an illusion—and why giving it up can free us from suffering 
   
   
   
  From self-realization and self-promotion to self-help and the selfie, the modern world encourages us to be self-obsessed. We are even told that finding ourselves is the key to happiness. Better to lose yourself! More than 2,500 years ago, the Buddha argued that the self is an illusion—and that our belief in it is the cause of most, if not all, of our suffering. How to Lose Yourself presents lively, accessible, and expert new translations of ancient Buddhist writings about the central, unique, and powerful Buddhist teaching of "no-self." 
   
   
   
  Drawn from three important Buddhist traditions, these essential Indian, Tibetan, and Chinese writings provide a rich sampling of the ways Buddhist philosophers have understood the idea that we are selfless persons—and why this insight is so therapeutic. When we let go of the self, we are awakened to the presence of all things as they truly are, and we let go of the anxiety, fear, greed, and hatred that are the source of all suffering.

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  The Women Are Up to Something -...

  Benjamin J. B. Lipscomb

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  On the cusp of the Second World War, four women went to Oxford to begin their studies: a fiercely brilliant Catholic convert; a daughter of privilege longing to escape her stifling upbringing; an ardent Communist and aspiring novelist with a list of would-be lovers as long as her arm; and a quiet, messy lover of newts and mice who would become a great public intellectual of our time. They became lifelong friends. At the time, only a handful of women had ever made lives in philosophy. But when Oxford's men were drafted in the war, everything changed. 
   
   
   
  As Elizabeth Anscombe, Philippa Foot, Mary Midgley, and Iris Murdoch labored to make a place for themselves in a male-dominated world, as they made friendships and families, and as they drifted toward and away from each other, they never stopped insisting that some lives are better than others. They argued that courage and discernment and justice—and love—are the heart of a good life. 
   
   
   
  This book presents the first sustained engagement with these women's contributions: with the critique and the alternative they framed. Drawing on a cluster of recently opened archives and extensive correspondence and interviews with those who knew them best, Benjamin Lipscomb traces the lives and ideas of four friends who gave us a better way to think about ethics, and ourselves.

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  China's Church Divided - Bishop...

  Paul P. Mariani

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  During the Cultural Revolution, the Chinese state sought to eradicate religious life throughout the country. But by 1978, two years after the death of Mao Zedong, the Communist Party under Deng Xiaoping cautiously embraced the revival of religion. At the same time, the newly elected Pope John Paul II made a point of renewing outreach to China. Paul P. Mariani tracks the fate of Chinese Catholicism in the wake of these transformative leadership changes, focusing on the influential Catholic community in Shanghai. 
   
   
   
  Earlier policies of the 1950s had fractured the Catholic community into a state-approved "patriotic" church that answered to the government and an underground church loyal to Rome. Even after the Cultural Revolution, Mariani shows, this divide remained firmly intact. The resulting tensions were on vivid display in Shanghai, owing to the leadership of the Jesuit priest Louis Jin Luxian. Bishop Jin used his position to revitalize the local Catholic community, but his cooperation with the party put him ever at odds with underground church leaders. 
   
   
   
  Sensitive to the ideals, compromises, and disappointments of Catholics on both sides of the rift, China's Church Divided reveals how the community navigated the irreconcilable differences between a worldwide Church centered in Rome and a regime wary of foreign spiritual authority.

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  Unified Theory of Evolution A...

  Wang Dongyue, Translated by...

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  "Human nature is the expression of all beings; a human being is the miniature of the universe." 
  The author devoted more than 20 years to this book, proving a philosophical principle and making several critical comments on different theories regarding social problems we are now facing: what is the natural foundation of human subsistence or human phenomena? Why is the progression of civilization and its social development inevitably moving toward an endangering destination? And why are the mental attributes and knowledge system ultimately proved unhelpful or even appear negative? In sum, it rings the alarm through an insightful mode of ultimate investigation for the self-important humanity, and it also foresees the coming of the cloud for the described bright future. 
  Compared with Newton's theory of gravity, Einstein's theory of relativity applies to a more extensive range of space; similarly, Dongyue's theory of weakening compensation applies to a more comprehensive range of human cognition compared with Darwin's theory of biological evolution. In other words, Einstein's theory of relativity is a massive expansion of Newton's theory of gravitation, and Dongyue's theory of weakening compensation is also a tremendous expansion of Darwin's theory of biological evolution. This philosophical monograph is in a demonstrative method with a unique style of language that is quite different from other works in this field, which makes the reading a challenge to many.

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  Napoleon’s Escape from the...

  Editors Charles River

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  In addition to being unable to be reinforced or supplied by sea, Napoleon's ambitions to establish a permanent presence in Egypt were further frustrated by a number of uprisings. Early in 1799, Napoleon advanced against France’s erstwhile enemy, the Ottoman Empire, invading modern Syria (then the province of Damascus) and conquering the cities of Gaza, Jaffa, Arish and Haifa. However, with the plague running rampant through his army and his lines of supply from Egypt stretched dangerously thin, Napoleon was unable to destroy the fortified city of Acre and was forced to retreat. The retreat cost him almost all of his wounded as, harassed by enemy forces, he was forced to abandon most of his casualties to the Ottomans’ mercy, or lack thereof. Most of the wounded were tortured and beheaded. 
  	Napoleon harbored all kinds of delusions about his time in Egypt that were not based in reality, but he definitely left a lasting legacy in the region, one he would never live to see or appreciate. By shifting the theater of operations to Africa and the Middle East, Napoleon inadvertently ensured the Europeans would fight there in the future, and the French occupation impressed upon the locals the necessity of catching up to the modern world in terms of technology. Ancient tactics could not prevail against a modern army, no matter the numbers, but while that was a lesson Napoleon consistently taught his enemies in Egypt and the Levant to their detriment, the French also sped up the occupied populations’ technological advances as well. Perhaps more importantly, the Egyptian Scientific Institute introduced numerous modern innovations, perhaps most importantly the printing press, which in turn encouraged literacy. This brought about the emergence of nationalism and liberalism, leading eventually to the establishment of Egyptian independence and modernization under the rule of Muhammad Ali Pasha in the first half of the 19th century.

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  Understanding and Harnessing the...

  Elizabeth Ango Fomuso Ekellem

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  Unlock the transformative power of relationships and forgiveness with 'Understanding and Having the Gift of Men.' Dive into this enlightening guide that explores the pivotal roles of burden bearers, gatekeepers, destiny helpers, and the ultimate journey towards spiritual and personal growth. Embrace the path to healing, divine timing, and God's presence in every aspect of your life. Ideal for anyone seeking to deepen their faith and foster meaningful connections.

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