This stunning start to a fantasy series combines elements of dystopia, gothic literature, and poetry. When Monoria's institutionalized for burning her house down--with her family in it--she hopes this means that the voice in her mind isn't real. But a scientist informs her that she's infected with a parasite, an abomination originating from the mystic world. As part of the Secularists, an organization intent on eradicating anything mystical, the scientist promises to kill the parasite. Monoria allows him to run tests, but as his methods turn questionable, she realizes that he might not have her best interests at heart nor be telling her the whole truth. The parasite is dangerous, but it also might be her only ally. It warns her than the Secularists will do anything to achieve their goal, even harming anyone who gets in their way. As the scientist nears a cure, she must decide who to trust--the scientist determined to destroy mysticism or the parasite that threatens to consume her soul.
We are born into this world as a triune being with a body, soul, and spirit. Our physical body allows us to live within the physical realm, and our soul is the director of all our mental and physical labor. It is our spirit that gives life or allows us to be alive, which, in turn, allows our conscious soul and physical body to live, breathe, and move. Upon death, our physical body remains in this physical realm; however, our soul and spirit will continue on for all eternity within the spiritual realm. Our spirit and soul are two separate immaterial entities and need to be separated for the purpose of the human spirit to become the gateway for the entrance of God's Holy Spirit into the human spirit. This is the born-again experience that leads a person to become a "new creation of God." The spiritual rebirth of the human spirit is the only way one can enter God's heavenly kingdom, and the only way the human spirit can go through the spiritual rebirth is by allowing God's Holy Spirit entrance into their spirit. The only way that God's Holy Spirit will enter a person's spirit is by that person believing that Jesus Christ, God incarnate, died for their sins and the sins of the world, thus removing the penalty of judgment of God's wrath upon those who chose to believe and accept Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. This book gives biblical support for the reality of the triune composition of humanity and the function and destiny of each.
From the team that brought you The Obstacle Is the Way and Ego Is the Enemy, a daily devotional of Stoic meditations—an instant Wall Street Journal and USA Today Bestseller. Why have history's greatest minds—from George Washington to Frederick the Great to Ralph Waldo Emerson, along with today's top performers from Super Bowl-winning football coaches to CEOs and celebrities—embraced the wisdom of the ancient Stoics? Because they realize that the most valuable wisdom is timeless and that philosophy is for living a better life, not a classroom exercise. The Daily Stoic offers 366 days of Stoic insights and exercises, featuring all-new translations from the Emperor Marcus Aurelius, the playwright Seneca, or slave-turned-philosopher Epictetus, as well as lesser-known luminaries like Zeno, Cleanthes, and Musonius Rufus. Every day of the year you'll find one of their pithy, powerful quotations, as well as historical anecdotes, provocative commentary, and a helpful glossary of Greek terms. By following these teachings over the course of a year (and, indeed, for years to come) you'll find the serenity, self-knowledge, and resilience you need to live well.
Modern civilization, Bauman argues, promised to make our lives understandable and open to our control. This has not happened and today we no longer believe it ever will. In this book, now available in paperback, Bauman argues that our postmodern age is the time for reconciliation with ambivalence, we must learn how to live in an incurably ambiguous world.
This two-volume history of counterinsurgency covers all the major and many of the lesser known examples of this widespread and enduring form of conflict, addressing the various measures employed in the attempt to overcome the insurgency and examining the individuals and organizations responsible for everything from counterterrorism to infrastructure building. How and when should counterinsurgency be pursued as insurgency is growing in frequency and, conversely, while conventional warfare continues to decline as a means by which political rivals seek to impose their will upon each other? What lessons from the past should today's policymakers, strategists, military leaders, and soldiers in the field keep in mind while facing off against 21st-century insurgents? This two-volume set offers a comprehensive history of modern counterinsurgency, covering the key examples of this widespread and enduring form of conflict. It identifies the political, military, social, and economic measures employed in attempting to overcome insurgency, examining the work of the individuals and organizations involved, demonstrating how success and failure dictated change from established policy, and carefully analyzing the results. Readers will gain valuable insight from the detailed assessments of the history of counterinsurgency that demonstrate which strategies have succeeded and which have failed—and why. After an introductory essay on the subject, each chapter provides historical background to the insurgency being addressed before focusing on the specific policies pursued and actions taken by the counterinsurgency force. Each section also provides an assessment of those operations, including in most cases an analysis of lessons learned and, where appropriate, their relevance to counterinsurgency operations today. The set's coverage spans modern counterinsurgencies from Europe to Asia to Africa since 1900 and includes the ongoing counterinsurgency operations in Afghanistan today. Its wide, international approach to the subject makes the set a prime resource for readers seeking specific information on a particular conflict or a better understanding of the general theories and practices of counterinsurgency.
Traditional coaching methods have focused entirely on the individual--sometimes even at the expense of improving measurable business results for the company. Now, authors John Hoover and Paul J. Gorrell, both notable leaders and talent experts, show managers how they can use contextual coaching to ensure both individuals and organizations experience the highest probability for success. Contextual coaching uses a dual-focus systems approach to align coaching processes with the strategies, cultural imperatives, talent management systems, communication practices, and competency requirements of an entire organization. The Coaching Connection teaches readers how to apply this methodology by taking all of these factors into consideration within their own organizational context. When coaching initiatives are successful, individual and organizational interests become one. Including a 360-degree assessment covering the ten most essential skill sets of well-balanced and effective leaders, as well as systems for measuring and managing talent, The Coaching Connection helps companies improve both their people--and their bottom line results.
The Last Crusades chronicles the dysfunctional relations between the West and Islam that led up to 9/11. It provides an in-depth historical preview of how Palestine was overtaken by Zionists with the help of the British. It graphically illustrates how Zionists forcefully ran the Palestinians out of Palestine and established the state of Israel with the help of Europe and the U.S. The book is presented in an autobiography format, chronicling the author’s return to the Middle East after becoming a professional ESL teacher and working in Saudi Arabia for 12 years. He watched the horror of 9/11 before going to work one morning, and was propelled from that experience to theorize how he would write this book against the backdrop of 9/11, and subsequent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and how these conflicts have augmented and expanded confrontation between the West, Israel, Palestine, and the entire Islamic world. He hopes this book will decrease the threat of a possible third world war in the Middle East.
"After more than a decade and a half, the results are in. The U.S. government has been unable to achieve its goals in Afghanistan. Even worse, what state it has been able to achieve there is completely unsustainable and certain to fall apart when the occupation is finally called off, and America does come home. The politicans, generals, and intelligence officers behind this unending catastrophe, who always promise they can fix these problems with just a little bit more time, money and military force, have lost all credibility. The truth is America's Afghan war is an irredeemable disaster. It was meant to be a trap in the first place. America is not only failing to defeat its enemies, but is destroying itself, just as Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda always intended. Fool's Errand is an attempt to present the American people with the reality of this forgotten war, because only the ignorance of pride and refusal to admit they have been deceived can prevent Americans from realizing they have supported a policy that is destructive to the United States as well as Afghanistan." -- from Introduction.
