Book 1 in the Refiner's Fire series. The daughter of a wealthy slave-holding family from Richmond, Virginia, Caroline Fletcher is raised in a culture that believes slavery is God-ordained and biblically acceptable. But upon awakening to the cruelty and injustice it encompasses, Caroline's eyes are opened for the first time to the men and women who have cared tirelessly for her. Her journey of maturity and faith will draw her into the abolitionist movement, where she is confronted with the risks and sacrifices her beliefs entail.
As the 20th century came to a close, a petite, stay-at-home mom took on a giant that was poisoning our young girls. Patti Garibay knew something was not right, and after seeing a shocking agenda, she knew it was time to take a stand against the Girl Scouts of the United States of America. Though the battle was intense at times, Patti and her husband Pat were not prepared for all that God had planned to do with a small ember of passion. What started as a gathering of concerned parents and girls around a small kitchen table has now grown to be one of the largest scout-type organizations in the world. The Garibays' story chronicles the twenty-five-year journey of American Heritage Girls from its humble beginnings, the insurmountable problems, and the joy of seeing the providential hand of God map out every detail. Seeing lives changed and making sure each girl knows they are loved was enough for Patti to suit up and get in the battle. Armored with trust and obedience, Patti's message resonates with others who have a passion for making a difference yet struggle with the fear of inadequacy. With Christ, all things are possible.
Amy Carmichael was the eldest daughter of a large Christ-centered family in Millisle, Ireland. She was impressed at an early age that “nothing is important but that which is eternal.” This understanding proved to be a foundation for her service to the Lord among the mill workers of Ireland, the Japanese briefly, and then India where she began her ministry to children in 1895 and where she remained until her death in 1951.
In this hugely entertaining sequel to the New York Times bestselling memoir An Appetite for Wonder, Richard Dawkins delves deeply into his intellectual life spent kick-starting new conversations about science, culture, and religion and writing yet another of the most audacious and widely read books of the twentieth century—The God Delusion. Called “one of the best nonfiction writers alive today” (Stephen Pinker) and a “prize-fighter” (Nature), Richard Dawkins cheerfully, mischievously, looks back on a lifetime of tireless intellectual adventure and engagement. Exploring the halls of intellectual inquiry and stardom he encountered after the publication of his seminal work, The Selfish Gene; affectionately lampooning the world of academia, publishing, and television; and studding the pages with funny stories about the great men and women he’s known, Dawkins offers a candid look at the events and ideas that encouraged him to shift his attention to the intersection of culture, religion, and science. He also invites the reader to look more closely at the brilliant succession of ten influential books that grew naturally out of his busy life, highlighting the ideas that connect them and excavating their origins. On the publication of his tenth book, the smash hit, The God Delusion, a “resounding trumpet blast for truth” (Matt Ridley), Richard Dawkins was catapulted from mere intellectual stardom into a circle of celebrity thinkers dubbed, “The New Atheists”—including Christopher Hitchens, Sam Harris, and Daniel Dennett. Throughout A Brief Candle in the Dark, Dawkins shares with us his infectious sense of wonder at the natural world, his enjoyment of the absurdities of human interaction, and his bracing awareness of life’s brevity: all of which have made a deep imprint on our culture.
A prescient warning of a future we now inhabit, where fake news stories and Internet conspiracy theories play to a disaffected American populace “A glorious book . . . A spirited defense of science . . . From the first page to the last, this book is a manifesto for clear thought.”—Los Angeles Times How can we make intelligent decisions about our increasingly technology-driven lives if we don’t understand the difference between the myths of pseudoscience and the testable hypotheses of science? Pulitzer Prize-winning author and distinguished astronomer Carl Sagan argues that scientific thinking is critical not only to the pursuit of truth but to the very well-being of our democratic institutions. Casting a wide net through history and culture, Sagan examines and authoritatively debunks such celebrated fallacies of the past as witchcraft, faith healing, demons, and UFOs. And yet, disturbingly, in today's so-called information age, pseudoscience is burgeoning with stories of alien abduction, channeling past lives, and communal hallucinations commanding growing attention and respect. As Sagan demonstrates with lucid eloquence, the siren song of unreason is not just a cultural wrong turn but a dangerous plunge into darkness that threatens our most basic freedoms. Praise for The Demon-Haunted World “Powerful . . . A stirring defense of informed rationality. . . Rich in surprising information and beautiful writing.”—The Washington Post Book World “Compelling.”—USA Today “A clear vision of what good science means and why it makes a difference. . . . A testimonial to the power of science and a warning of the dangers of unrestrained credulity.”—The Sciences “Passionate.”—San Francisco Examiner-Chronicle
Born into poverty and violence, Lora's early life was one of extreme vulnerability. She was prostituted for the first time at the age of nine and suffered unspeakable treatment from those who should have protected her. The impact of this early trauma led to her institutionalization soon after she started college, an incarceration she would not have survived but for a courageous nurse who fought for her release. Fifty years later, after a long career as a successful mental health professional, and recognized as leading educator and sought-after public speaker, Lora revisited the grounds of the Illinois state mental hospital where she was once kept in inhumane, degrading, and life-threatening circumstances. This profound and compelling memoir traces her life as a survivor of child abuse, sex trafficking, illegal pharmacological drug research, and institutional abuse. Having experienced such horrifying and traumatic events, how did she survive? And to what purpose? Seeking the resolution to these unanswered questions, Lora's experiences illuminate and validate the power of love and the strength of the indomitable human spirit that lives within each one of us. This is her story.
Paris, 1890. When Sherlock Holmes finds himself chasing an art dealer through the streets of Paris, he’s certain he’s smoked out one of the principals of a cunning forgery ring responsible for the theft of some of the Louvre’s greatest masterpieces. But for once, Holmes is dead wrong. He doesn’t know that the dealer, Theo Van Gogh, is rushing to the side of his brother, who lies dying of a gunshot wound in Auvers. He doesn’t know that the dealer’s brother is a penniless misfit artist named Vincent, known to few and mourned by even fewer. Officialdom pronounces the death a suicide, but a few minutes at the scene convinces Holmes it was murder. And he’s bulldog-determined to discover why a penniless painter who harmed no one had to be killed–and who killed him. Who could profit from Vincent’s death? How is the murder entwined with his own forgery investigation? Holmes must retrace the last months of Vincent’s life, testing his mettle against men like the brutal Paul Gauguin and the secretive Toulouse-Lautrec, all the while searching for the girl Olympia, whom Vincent named with his dying breath. She can provide the truth, but can anyone provide the proof? From the madhouse of St. Remy to the rooftops of Paris, Holmes hunts a killer—while the killer hunts him.
One day, an unlit candle wandered off into the forest to dream, pray and meditate on what could be. He pondered the possibility of a different kingdom, one where the light of hope would prevail, and the light of love would be constant. The Story of the Little Candle is an easy to follow tale that can help children face challenges in a positive manner, and empower them to overcome difficulties. Children will easily identify with the main character, who finds his light from within, defeats the dark king, and illuminates the entire kingdom. This powerful story can inspire kids to address issues such as bullying, self-image, social skills and learning challenges, while encouraging reading, creativity and visioning skills.
This book explains how some entities can survive and flourish in an institutional environment that is both fragile and hostile. Despite daunting odds, some institutions have managed to succeed and effectively deliver core services, earn legitimacy in the eyes of the citizenry, and forge resilience in the face of an otherwise tumultuous and prohibitive operational context. A review of some case studies demonstrates that it is possible for a society such as Pakistan's to have effective organizations even in the face of a dismal overall picture. Nine Pakistani institutions from the public and private sector, which are generally regarded as successful have been selected for the purpose of this research. These are: Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), Institute of Business Administration (IBA), Motorway Police, Benazir Income Support Program (BISP), National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), Punjab Education Foundation, Edhi Foundation, Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital, and Rescue 1122.
