Other books that might interest you

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  For the Record - and other Poems...

  Gillian Bickley

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  This collection of poems was written during almost thirty years' residence in Hong Kong. Most are on explicitly Hong Kong topics, and reflect the writer's personal experience and knowledge of Hong Kong. Those who have emigrated or who have spent a period of time overseas will empathise with the expatriate experience described. Other poems narrate and reflect on personal events and concerns which will resonate with many.  
  “Gillian Bickley has the sharp eye and strong stomach of the true realist. ... brilliantly observed.... ‘Tobacco’ is about as close as any poet comes to word-perfect... Not even the American minimalist William Carlos Williams could zero in on and capture a detail with more panache. ...A thought-provoking and entertaining contribution to Hong Kong literature. Bickley succeeds in conveying the character of the Fragrant Harbour with humorous rigour.” — David Wilson, Sunday Morning Post, 21 September 2003 
  “In For the Record and other Poems of Hong Kong, Gillian Bickley inhabits a world of movement, traffic, construction and buildings, but her poetry sees through this to a nature of flying, singing birds and lush green trees existing in harmony or sometimes at odds with modern day Hong Kong. Her work offers a counterpoint of the survival and continuity of nature against which our busy everyday lives are measured. Bickley's Hong Kong is both a universal and a personal one and, like Italo Calvino's book The City, she captures a Hong Kong of the mind, the one city that we all share as a physical space against the myriad cities that we experience and perceive distinctly as our own. She skillfully fuses the human and the natural world". — Dave McKirdy, poet, The Asian Review of Books, 21 September 2003.

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  Oyo Empire - The Yoruba...

  Rolf Hedger

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  The Oyo Empire, one of the most powerful and influential states in West Africa, has a rich and complex history that spans centuries. Located in what is today southwestern Nigeria, the empire was a major force in the region, known for its military prowess, sophisticated political system, and extensive trade networks. The history of the Oyo Empire dates back to the 14th century, when it emerged as one of the leading Yoruba kingdoms in the area. Over time, Oyo became a dominant power in West Africa, shaping the political, economic, and cultural landscape of the region. 
  At its height, the Oyo Empire controlled a vast territory stretching across modern-day Nigeria and parts of Benin and Togo. The empire was strategically positioned along important trade routes, allowing it to thrive economically and maintain strong ties with neighboring kingdoms. Its economy was based primarily on agriculture, with crops such as yams, millet, and sorghum being grown in abundance. Additionally, the Oyo people were involved in long-distance trade, exchanging goods like kola nuts, textiles, and metalwork with other African states and even European traders. 
  Politically, the Oyo Empire was an advanced and well-organized state. The Alafin, the emperor of Oyo, was the supreme ruler and held significant authority over the empire. However, the Alafin did not rule alone. The Oyo Mesi, a council of chiefs, played a critical role in governance, advising the Alafin and ensuring the balance of power. This system of governance allowed the empire to remain stable for centuries, even as it faced external threats and internal challenges. The military was also a key component of the empire’s strength, with the Oyo army being one of the most formidable in West Africa. The empire’s military success was due in part to its highly disciplined forces, as well as the use of cavalry, which gave it a tactical advantage over its enemies.

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  Sentience - The Invention of...

  Nicholas Humphrey

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  The story of a quest to uncover the evolutionary history of consciousness from one of the world's leading theoretical psychologists. 
   
   
   
  We feel, therefore we are. Conscious sensations ground our sense of self. They are crucial to our idea of ourselves as psychic beings: present, existent, and mattering. But is it only humans who feel this way? Do other animals? Will future machines? Weaving together intellectual adventure and cutting-edge science, Nicholas Humphrey describes in Sentience his quest for answers: from his discovery of blindsight in monkeys and his pioneering work on social intelligence to breakthroughs in the philosophy of mind. 
   
   
   
  The goal is to solve the hard problem: to explain the wondrous, eerie fact of "phenomenal consciousness"—the redness of a poppy, the sweetness of honey, the pain of a bee sting. What does this magical dimension of experience amount to? What is it for? And why has it evolved? Humphrey presents here his new solution. He proposes that phenomenal consciousness, far from being primitive, is a relatively late and sophisticated evolutionary development. The implications for the existence of sentience in nonhuman animals are startling and provocative.

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  Our Vietnam Wars Volume 2 - As...

  William F. Brown

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  Want to know what Vietnam was really like? 
  From a Marine sniper in Hue, to a medevac dust-off pilot going into a hot LZ, Navy Corpsmen, A-6 pilots taking out bridges and SAM sites in North Vietnam, a nurse on the USS Repose, combat medics deep in the jungle, machine gunners in I-Corps, mechanics working on the rolling deck of a big carrier on Yankee Station, squad leaders on infantry sweeps in “the Arizona Territory,” truck convoys under fire, riverine patrol boats in the Delta, Coast Guard “Jolly Green” search and rescue helicopters pulling downed pilots from the jungle, tank platoons in an all-out armor assault, Loach pilots in hunter-killer teams, and many more -- from the Delta to the DMZ, this book puts you in their boots. 
  Some of us were drafted. Some enlisted. Some were true war heroes, but most were just trying to survive. As everyone “in-country” knew, Vietnam was all about luck, good or bad. If you were there, you understand. If you weren’t, grab a copy and start reading, anywhere in the book. The stories are like Doritos. Try a few and you won’t be able to stop. 
  Like any war, none of us who served had much if any control over our fates. We went where they told us to go, did what they told us to do, and over 58,200 of us paid the ultimate price. Now, 50 years later, the war continues to take its toll on many who did come home, with PTSD and Agent Orange induced diabetes, heart disease, neuropathy, leukemia, Hodgkin’s Disease, and many forms of cancer. As they say, “Vietnam is the gift that keeps on giving.” 
  This is the audio edition of Volume 2 of my popular 4-volume book series, Our Vietnam Wars. It was so titled because everyone who served there fought a different war depending on the year, our branch and unit, location, sex, race, and rank. This volume 60 Stories, 271 photographs you can't appreciate from just the audio book alone. The book has 4.6 Stars on 631 Amazon customer reviews.

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  The Original Peer Support...

  Gregorio Lewis

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  The Original Peer Support Recovery & Coping Skills Workbook & Curriculum is a book by someone who believes in recovery with all his heart. That guy's name is Gregorio Lewis. 
  Sometimes, life happens and things change. This author walked his talk straight into the gutter-living a fairly desperate and upsetting, yet transformative life while homeless-until a mere 3 years and two months ago. Now, living a new life. Truly alive and well in the heart of Mexico. He's evidence that if you want to get better, do the work, experience the improvements. 
  This workbook and curriculum is for people like me: the poor, the unwanted, the blamed, the hurt, the labeled, the outcast, and the rejected. This workbook and curriculum is for people like you: the carers, the lovers, the educators, the agents-of change and the healers. Everything you read in this book was learned and earned the hard way. 
  Recovery is some of the hardest work possible. Do it, and keep doing it and maybe, just maybe, your dreams will also come true.

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  Standing with the Vulnerable - A...

  Gil Odendaal

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  The world has needs. Children are orphaned, refugees are displaced and families are devastated by natural disasters. But God is greater than those needs, and he works through his people to accomplish healing and transformation. God calls us to integral mission, obeying both the Great Commission and the Great Commandment in ministering to people's spiritual, physical, emotional and social well-being. This curriculum from World Relief is designed to mobilize the church to engage the great causes of our day, stand with the vulnerable and meet the needs of our neighbors as Jesus did. These ten sessions show how shaping our fundamental beliefs and values lead to better actions and results.Together we can alleviate poverty, welcome the stranger and transform communities at home and around the world. Join with others in learning how to love God, love your neighbors and put that love into action.

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