Other books that might interest you

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  William Carey - Obliged to Go

  Janet Benge, Geoff Benge

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  William Carey watched from the dock as the magnificent sailing ship headed for the English Channel without him. Tears filled his eyes, and deep disappointment filled his heart. What would he tell the missionary society? So much work awaited him half a world away. He must get to India--and soon! William's amazing journey to India would prove to be just the beginning of a missionary quest filled with hardship and heartache as well as tremendous victories. Often referred to as "the father of modern missions," William Carey displayed a single-minded determination to set his face like a flint to the task of bringing the gospel to those lost in darkness. His life of service and sacrifice is a guidpost for Christians of all generations.

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  The Temples of Egypt - Sacred...

  Omar Khalil

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  Temples in ancient Egypt were far more than mere places of worship. They stood at the very heart of Egyptian civilization, functioning as both spiritual centers and instruments of political and social order. Each temple was seen as a dwelling place for a god or goddess, and the rituals performed within their walls were believed to maintain the cosmic balance known as ma’at. The presence of a temple in a city or region signaled divine favor and legitimacy, reinforcing the bond between the gods and the ruling pharaoh. 
  Pharaohs were considered divine intermediaries between the gods and the people, and their authority was deeply rooted in religious belief. Temples were a direct reflection of this divine connection. Often constructed by pharaohs to honor specific deities, temples helped assert royal power and ensure harmony across the land. Through grand architecture and lavish offerings, rulers demonstrated their piety and reaffirmed their right to govern. This link between kingship and temple worship made temples central to the ideological framework of the state. 
  Beyond their religious significance, temples also played a pivotal role in the social life of ancient Egyptians. They were the sites of numerous festivals and ceremonial events that brought entire communities together. These occasions were marked by processions, music, dancing, and the display of sacred statues, all of which reinforced communal identity and devotion. The most prominent of these was the Opet Festival in Thebes, during which statues of Amun, Mut, and Khonsu were transported from Karnak to Luxor Temple in a public procession along the Nile. Such festivals reminded people of the gods’ presence and the pharaoh’s divine role in upholding order.

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  How the New Deal Built Florida...

  David J. Nelson

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  Countering the conventional narrative that Florida's tourism industry suffered during the Great Depression, this book shows that the 1930s were the starting point for much that characterizes modern Florida's tourism. David Nelson argues that state and federal government programs designed to reboot the economy during this decade are crucial to understanding the state today. 
   
   
   
  Nelson examines the impact of three connected initiatives—the federal New Deal, its Civilian Conservation Corps program (CCC), and the CCC's creation of the Florida Park Service. He reveals that the CCC designed state parks to reinforce the popular image of Florida as a tropical, exotic, and safe paradise. The CCC often removed native flora and fauna, introduced exotic species, and created artificial landscapes that were then presented as natural. Nelson discusses how Florida business leaders benefitted from federally funded development and the ways residents and business owners rejected or supported the commercialization and shifting cultural identity of their state. 
   
   
   
  A detailed look at a unique era in which the state government sponsored the tourism industry, helped commodify natural resources, and boosted mythical ideas of the "Real Florida" that endure today, this book makes the case that the creation of the Florida Park Service is the story of modern Florida.

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  Freezing Cold Takes - NFL...

  Fred Segal

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  Since 2015, Fred Segal has chronicled "unprophetic" sports predictions on the internet. His Freezing Cold Takes social media pages feature quotes and predictions from members of the sports world that have aged poorly or were, in hindsight, flat-out wrong. The pages have become a guilty pleasure for hundreds of thousands of sports fans who love to see sports media's infamous "hot takes" that went cold. 
   
   
    
  Segal focuses on the NFL, and provides a vast collection of poorly aged predictions and analysis from NFL media members and personalities about some of the most famous teams and players in the league's history. He also explores ill-fated commentary related to draft picks, hiring decisions, and some of the NFL's most notable games. But this book is not simply a list of quotes. It delves through content mined from internet archives and original interviews with media, players, and coaches. Segal provides important background surrounding each featured mistake to offer essential context as to why the ill-fated prediction was made as well as why the personality who made the prediction is eating their words. 
   
   
   
  Together, the fourteen chapters—each spotlighting Freezing Cold Takes about a specific team or topic within a certain defined period—create a wholly unique and endlessly entertaining lens through which to explore NFL history.

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  The Great Famine of the 14th...

  Sarah Willards

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  The Great Famine of the 14th century did not erupt suddenly; it was the result of a long-simmering crisis deeply rooted in environmental, agricultural, and demographic factors. Europe, by the early 1300s, was already teetering on the edge of unsustainability. For decades, the continent had experienced a population boom, pushing communities to cultivate every inch of arable land. Marginal lands—forests, wetlands, and rocky hills—were cleared to make room for crops, but the soil was thin and poorly suited for long-term farming. This overuse exhausted the land, reducing yields and straining food supplies even in stable years. 
  At the same time, Europe entered a period of climatic deterioration now known as the Little Ice Age. Beginning in the early 14th century, temperatures across the continent began to drop slightly but consistently. This seemingly minor shift had devastating effects on agriculture. Cooler, wetter summers shortened the growing season and increased rainfall, which flooded fields and rotted seeds before they could sprout. Harsh winters extended well into the spring, delaying planting and shrinking the harvest window. These erratic weather patterns culminated in a series of catastrophic crop failures between 1315 and 1317. 
  Adding to these environmental pressures was a demographic crisis. By the turn of the century, Europe’s population had grown to levels unseen in centuries. Villages were packed, and food demand had reached unprecedented highs. Yet agricultural output could not keep pace. The productivity of medieval farming methods had plateaued, and innovations were slow to arrive. The result was a fragile system stretched beyond its limits. Even a single poor harvest could lead to hunger; multiple bad years spelled disaster.

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  African Americans and the...

  Editors Charles River

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  The American Revolution is replete with seminal moments that every American learns in school, from the “shot heard ‘round the world” to the Declaration of Independence, but the events that led up to the fighting at Lexington & Concord were borne out of 10 years of division between the British and their American colonies over everything from colonial representation in governments to taxation, the nature of searches, and the quartering of British regulars in private houses. From 1764-1775, a chain of events that included lightning rods like the Townshend Acts led to bloodshed in the form of the Boston Massacre, while the Boston Tea Party became a symbol of nonviolent protest.  
  	The political and military nature of the Revolutionary War was just as full of intrigue. While disorganized militias fought the Battles of Lexington & Concord, George Washington would lead the Continental Army in the field while men like Thomas Jefferson drafted the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia and Benjamin Franklin negotiated overseas in France. Benedict Arnold would become one of his nation’s most vital war heroes and its most notorious traitor, French forces would play a crucial role at the end of the war, and the Treaty of Paris would conclude the Revolution with one last great surprise.  
  	Perhaps not surprisingly, the Revolution was far more complex than often depicted, both demographically and politically. Not all the British colonies in North America joined the rebel colonies - East and West Florida remained British (although Britain almost lost both to Spain), while the Bahamas, Bermuda, and the Caribbean colonies remained in the empire. The colonies in what is now Canada also remained loyal, namely Quebec, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, and Rupert’s Land. 

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