Other books that might interest you

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  Cuckoo in the Nest - as featured...

  Fran Hill

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  It’s the heatwave summer of 1976 and 14-year-old would be poet Jackie Chadwick is newly fostered by the Walls. She desperately needs stability, but their insecure, jealous teenage daughter isn't happy about the cuckoo in the nest and sets about ousting her.

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  Aztec Astronomy and Astrology:...

  Editors Charles River

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  Nearly 500 years after the Spanish conquered their mighty empire, the Aztecs are often remembered today for their major capital, Tenochtitlan, as well as being fierce conquerors of the Valley of Mexico who often engaged in human sacrifice rituals. Unlike the Maya, the Aztecs are not widely viewed or remembered with nuance, in part because their own leader burned extant Aztec writings and rewrote a mythologized history explaining his empire’s dominance less than a century before the Spanish arrived. Naturally, Cortes and other Spaniards depicted the Aztecs as savages greatly in need of conversion to Catholicism. While the Maya are remembered for their astronomy, numeral system, and calendar, the Aztecs have primarily been remembered in a far narrower way, despite continuing to be a source of pride to Mexicans through the centuries. 
  	For the Aztec, astronomy was not a purely scientific pursuit but intimately linked to religious, mythological, and ideological elements that were of the highest importance. The celestial realm held a sacred nature, as did the many gods and goddesses that dwelt there, so for all Mesoamerican cultures, astronomy was a fundamental part of their daily lives. Thus, astronomy was present in their calendars, religion, and even agriculture, and in close relation to astronomy, the concept of time was also an essential part of their worldview. The Aztec recorded many of the astronomical events they observed in codices and hieroglyphic inscriptions, but the main evidence of their deep astronomical knowledge comes from their calendar system. This information was then used to plan the orientation of buildings and ceremonial centers, which were aligned to sunrises or sunsets corresponding to special dates, such as solstices or equinoxes. Observational calendars were also used to schedule agricultural activities, as well as rituals, festivals, and celebrations, on an annual cycle.

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  The Albigensian Crusade - Heresy...

  Harris Ropes

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  The Cathars emerged as one of the most distinctive and controversial religious movements of medieval Europe, particularly in the Languedoc region of modern-day southern France. Rooted in dualist beliefs, the Cathars rejected many of the core teachings of the Catholic Church, viewing the material world as the creation of an evil force and striving for spiritual purity. Their growing influence in the 12th and 13th centuries alarmed both the Church and secular rulers, eventually leading to their violent suppression during the Albigensian Crusade. 
  The origins of Catharism can be traced to earlier dualist traditions, particularly those of the Bogomils in the Balkans. These beliefs likely spread into western Europe through trade routes and missionary activity, finding fertile ground in the tolerant and prosperous culture of Languedoc. Cathar teachings were based on a stark division between the material and spiritual realms. They believed that the physical world was ruled by a malevolent force, often associated with Satan, while the true God presided over the spiritual world. This view led them to reject the Catholic Church, which they saw as corrupt and complicit in the worship of the material. Unlike the Church, which emphasized hierarchical structure, the Cathars maintained a simpler, more egalitarian approach to religious life. 
  Cathar society was structured around two primary groups: the Perfects and the Believers. The Perfects, considered the spiritual elite, led austere lives dedicated to prayer, fasting, and celibacy. They followed strict moral codes, renouncing wealth and worldly pleasures in pursuit of spiritual enlightenment. Believers, while not held to the same rigorous standards, supported the Perfects and aspired to receive the consolamentum, a ritual that purified the soul before death. Cathars rejected many Catholic sacraments, including baptism by water, believing instead in a form of spiritual baptism.

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  Creative Imagination

  Warren Hilton

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  "Creative Imagination" by Warren Hilton explores the power of the human mind in generating innovative ideas and solutions. Hilton delves into the process of harnessing one's imagination to enhance problem-solving skills and boost personal and professional creativity. Through practical insights and exercises, the book aims to inspire readers to unlock their creative potential and apply it to various aspects of life. Read in English, unabridged.

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  Bloody Aachen - The First German...

  Charles Whiting

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  A fascinating account of the first German city ever besieged by the U.S. Army and the monumental battle that took place amongst its ruined walls. 
   
   
   
  Aachen saw some of the fiercest fighting of the Second World War. Through the determined defense of their city the citizens of Aachen held off the oncoming American forces for six weeks, giving the Nazis time to mobilize their troops for what would become the Battle of the Bulge. Had it not been for dogged resistance of these men and women the last great German offensive in the West might have never occurred, potentially ending the war in Europe could have ended six months and saving the lives of thousands. 
   
   
   
  Yet, Charles Whiting's remarkable book, Bloody Aachen, is more than an account of a military operation. Through interviews with German and Dutch participants in the battle he builds an in-depth picture of who the defenders of the city were, informing us that many in this Catholic city were opposed to the Hitler regime and remained behind—against orders and against odds—determined to defend their homes, unwittingly aiding their Nazi enemies as they did so.

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  Outsourcing Duty - The Moral...

  Bradley J. Strawser, Michael J....

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  Are contemporary soldiers exploited by the state and society that they defend? More specifically, have America's professional service members disproportionately carried the moral weight of America's war-fighting decisions since the inception of an all-volunteer force? In this volume, Michael J. Robillard and Bradley J. Strawser examine the question of whether and how American soldiers have been exploited in this way. 
   
   
   
  Robillard and Strawser offer an original theory of "moral exploitation"—the notion that persons or groups can be wrongfully exploited by being made to shoulder an excessive amount of moral weight. They make the case that this exploitation accurately describes the relationship between the United States and the members of its military, and offer an in-depth analysis of some of the exploitative and misleading elements of present-day military recruitment, the moral burdens soldiers often bear, and the stifling effect that a "Thank You for Your Service" and "I support the troops" culture has had on serious public engagement about America's ongoing wars. Robillard and Strawser offer a critique of the pernicious divide between military members and the civilians who direct them. They conclude by arguing for several normative and prudential prescriptions to help close this ever-widening fissure between the US and its military, and within the US itself.

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