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  Deep Reading - Practices to...

  Rachel M. De Smith Roberts,...

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  This book helps readers develop practices that will result in deep, formative, and faithful reading so they can contribute to the flourishing of their communities and cultivate their own spiritual and intellectual depth. 
   
   
   
  The authors present reading as a remedy for three prevalent cultural vices—distraction, hostility, and consumerism—that impact the possibility of formative reading. Informed by James K. A. Smith's work on "the spiritual power of habit," Deep Reading provides resources for engaging in formative and culturally subversive reading practices that teach readers how to resist vices, love virtue, and desire the good. 
   
   
   
  Rather than emphasizing the spiritual benefits of reading specific texts such as Dante's Divine Comedy or Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the authors focus on the practice of reading itself. They examine practices many teachers, students, and avid readers employ—such as reading lists, reading logs, and discussion—and demonstrate how such practices can be more effectively and intentionally harnessed to result in deepreading. The practices apply to any work that is meant to be read deeply.

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  Viracocha: The History and...

  Editors Charles River

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  Although the Inca’s oral traditions suggested that the history of the region began with their empire, the various gods and the religious ceremonies of the peoples that inhabited the Inca’s lands before their arrival were assimilated into the Inca Empire and were incorporated into Inca religion. However, under Inca rule, all those gods were to be subordinate to those gods of the Incas themselves, so as to ensure that imperial authority was clear and without dispute among all quarters of the empire.  
  	Viracocha was the primary god in the Inca pantheon as the origin and creator of all things. His son, the god Inti, or the Sun, was married to Mama Quilla, the Moon, who was also created by Viracocha. According to one myth, Inti was the father of Manco Cápac, the founder of the Inca ruling dynasty, but it was believed by some that Viracocha himself fathered Manco Cápac. In practice, the Inca centered their religious worship on Inti, and this god's High Priest was the second most important person in Inca society. The god Inti was honored at an annual celebration held each June, and the Inti Raymi festival included sacrifices, feasts and sexual abstinence. This cosmology was imposed throughout the empire, and temples to the Sun were constructed and staffed by religious officials who were allotted farmland called “lands of the Sun.” Other local cults were provided with produce from these lands as well.  
  	The main temple of Inca religion was the Coricancha or Sun Temple in Cuzco, in which was kept the great golden disk of the Sun. The disk was appropriated by the Spanish in 1571 and sent off to the Pope. While it has disappeared, perhaps lost somewhere during the tortuous route to Spain, it remains alive in the fabulous world of adventure story writers, New Age mystics and manufacturers of souvenirs. It became a major element in the iconography of the 19th century independence movement in South America.

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  The Things We Make - The Unknown...

  Bill Hammack

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  Discover the secret method used to build the world . . . 
   
   
   
  For millennia, humans have used one simple method to solve problems. Whether it's planting crops, building skyscrapers, developing photographs, or designing the first microchip, all creators follow the same steps to engineer progress. But this powerful method, the "engineering method", is an all but hidden process that few of us have heard of—let alone understand—but that influences every aspect of our lives. 
   
   
   
  Bill Hammack, a Carl Sagan Award–winning professor of engineering and viral "The Engineer Guy" on YouTube, has a lifelong passion for the things we make, and how we make them. Now, for the first time, he reveals the invisible method behind every invention and takes us on a whirlwind tour of how humans built the world we know today. From the grand stone arches of medieval cathedrals to the mundane modern soda can, Hammack explains the golden rule of thumb that underlies every new building technique, every technological advancement, and every creative solution that leads us one step closer to a better, more functional world. Spanning centuries and cultures, Hammack offers a fascinating perspective on how humans engineer solutions in a world full of problems.

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  The Black Butterfly - The...

  Lawrence T. Brown

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  The world gasped in April 2015 as Baltimore erupted and Black Lives Matter activists, incensed by Freddie Gray's brutal death in police custody, shut down highways and marched on city streets. In The Black Butterfly—a reference to the fact that Baltimore's majority-Black population spreads out on both sides of the coveted strip of real estate running down the center of the city like a butterfly's wings—Lawrence T. Brown reveals that ongoing historical trauma caused by a combination of policies, practices, systems, and budgets is at the root of uprisings and crises in hypersegregated cities around the country. 
   
   
   
  Putting Baltimore under a microscope, Brown looks closely at the causes of segregation, many of which exist in current legislation and regulatory policy. Drawing on social science research, policy analysis, and archival materials, Brown reveals the long history of racial segregation's impact on health, from toxic pollution to police brutality. 
   
   
   
  Brown offers a clear five-step plan for activists, nonprofits, and public officials to achieve racial equity. Brown offers up a wide range of innovative solutions to help heal and restore redlined Black neighborhoods, including municipal reparations. The Black Butterfly demonstrates that America cannot reflect that Black lives matter until we see how Black neighborhoods matter.

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  Sacred Texts and Teachings - The...

  Joseph Arston

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  The Jewish scriptures, known collectively as the Tanakh, serve as the foundation of Jewish religious and cultural identity. These sacred texts, developed over centuries, provide insight into the beliefs, laws, and traditions that have shaped Jewish communities. The origins of these scriptures trace back to ancient Israel, where oral traditions and early writings formed the basis of what would become the Hebrew Bible. 
  The Torah, also known as the Five Books of Moses, is the most revered section of Jewish scripture. It is believed to have been divinely revealed to Moses on Mount Sinai and encompasses the laws, history, and ethical teachings central to Judaism. The Torah consists of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, each of which outlines the early history of the Israelites and their covenant with God. These texts were initially passed down through oral tradition before being written and compiled into a unified body of scripture. 
  In addition to the Torah, other ancient Hebrew texts played a significant role in shaping Jewish scripture. The writings of the Prophets (Nevi’im) and the sacred poetry and wisdom literature found in the Writings (Ketuvim) were added over time. The historical context of these texts reflects the struggles, triumphs, and spiritual evolution of the Jewish people. The Book of Judges and the Books of Kings, for example, document the rise and fall of Israelite leaders, while the Psalms offer poetic expressions of devotion and supplication.

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  Autoportrait

  Jesse Ball

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  Jesse Ball has produced fourteen acclaimed works of deeply empathetic absurdism in poetry and fiction. Now, he offers listeners his first memoir, one that showcases his "humane curiosity" (James Wood) and invites the listener into a raw and personal account of love, grief, and memory. Inspired by the memoir Édouard Levé put to paper shortly before his death, Autoportrait is an extraordinarily frank and intimate work from one of America's most brilliant young authors. 
   
   
   
  The subtle power of Ball's voice conjures the richness of everyday life. In each chapter, half-remembered moments are woven together with the joys and triumphs—and the mistakes and humiliations, too—that somehow tell us who we are, why we are here. Held at the same height as tragic accounts of illness or death are moments of startling beauty, banality, or humor: "I wake in the morning, I sit, I walk long distances. If there is somewhere to swim, I may swim. If I have a bicycle, I will ride it, especially to meet someone. There is no more preparing for me to do, other than preparing for death, and I do that by laughing. Not laughing at death, of course. Laughing at myself." 
   
    
   
  An extraordinary memoir that reminds us what is possible, Autoportrait will leave you feeling utterly invigorated, inspired, and a little afraid.

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