With intrepid good spirits, author Bill Elliott interviews the world's foremost spiritual figures, acquainting us with their exuberant earthly charms as well as their insight and intelligence. Propelled since childhood by the untimely deaths of his parents, Elliott traveled the globe to meet with these luminaries and directly find out their answers to the fundamental questions of existence: What is life's purpose? What is God or Ultimate Reality? Why do people suffer? Does a part of us live on after death? The list of people he met is both diverse and impressive. Not only do they represent every major religious tradition, from Rober Schuller, Rabbi Harold Kushner, and Norman Vincent Peale to His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Jack Kornfield, but also an exciting variety of perspectives, from Ram Dass to Mother Teresa to psychologist B.F. Skinner. Time and again, the sages included here warmed to Elliott's heartfelt longing for meaning in the world. Their views are framed by Elliott's endearing voice, engaging and perceptive, and by his wonderfully warm sense of humor. Tying Rocks to Clouds is sometimes sad, often funny, and always filled with freshness and joy as it reveals wisdom collected from across the world.
By the New York Times bestselling author of The Bone Clocks | Shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize This enhanced eBook edition contains never-before-seen footage from the major motion picture, behind-the-scenes material shot during production, and interviews with the author, directors (Tom Tykwer, Andy Wachowski, and Lana Wachowski), and actors (including Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Hugh Grant, Hugo Weaving, and James D’Arcy) discussing both the book and the film.* A postmodern visionary and one of the leading voices in twenty-first-century fiction, David Mitchell combines flat-out adventure, a Nabokovian love of puzzles, a keen eye for character, and a taste for mind-bending, philosophical and scientific speculation in the tradition of Umberto Eco, Haruki Murakami, and Philip K. Dick. The result is brilliantly original fiction as profound as it is playful. In this groundbreaking novel, an influential favorite among a new generation of writers, Mitchell explores with daring artistry fundamental questions of reality and identity. Cloud Atlas begins in 1850 with Adam Ewing, an American notary voyaging from the Chatham Isles to his home in California. Along the way, Ewing is befriended by a physician, Dr. Goose, who begins to treat him for a rare species of brain parasite. . . . Abruptly, the action jumps to Belgium in 1931, where Robert Frobisher, a disinherited bisexual composer, contrives his way into the household of an infirm maestro who has a beguiling wife and a nubile daughter. . . . From there we jump to the West Coast in the 1970s and a troubled reporter named Luisa Rey, who stumbles upon a web of corporate greed and murder that threatens to claim her life. . . . And onward, with dazzling virtuosity, to an inglorious present-day England; to a Korean superstate of the near future where neocapitalism has run amok; and, finally, to a postapocalyptic Iron Age Hawaii in the last days of history. But the story doesn’t end even there. The narrative then boomerangs back through centuries and space, returning by the same route, in reverse, to its starting point. Along the way, Mitchell reveals how his disparate characters connect, how their fates intertwine, and how their souls drift across time like clouds across the sky. As wild as a videogame, as mysterious as a Zen koan, Cloud Atlas is an unforgettable tour de force that, like its incomparable author, has transcended its cult classic status to become a worldwide phenomenon. Praise for Cloud Atlas “[David] Mitchell is, clearly, a genius. He writes as though at the helm of some perpetual dream machine, can evidently do anything, and his ambition is written in magma across this novel’s every page.”—The New York Times Book Review “One of those how-the-holy-hell-did-he-do-it? modern classics that no doubt is—and should be—read by any student of contemporary literature.”—Dave Eggers “Wildly entertaining . . . a head rush, both action-packed and chillingly ruminative.”—People “The novel as series of nested dolls or Chinese boxes, a puzzle-book, and yet—not just dazzling, amusing, or clever but heartbreaking and passionate, too. I’ve never read anything quite like it, and I’m grateful to have lived, for a while, in all its many worlds.”—Michael Chabon “Cloud Atlas ought to make [Mitchell] famous on both sides of the Atlantic as a writer whose fearlessness is matched by his talent.”—The Washington Post Book World *Video may not play on all readers. Please check your user manual for details.
Let history drop behind as we explore the sacred confines of a temple city built by a race that was here long before us; before our species was even a glimmer in the cosmic eye, and whose work is still evident, usable, and heuristic. Dominated by a mountain, sculpted as a pregnant women, with a lion at her feet and a rearing serpent behind, the site is still alive with eddies of spiritual energy. Between the colossal lady and lion is a saddle in the mountain beautified by mazes of stone, sparkling sand terraces, and the gardens of windswept splendor with the rock everywhere seeming to be incised with aesthetic, undecipherable hieroglyphics. The site is beautiful, bolstering, and enlivened; geometrically tuned to the cosmos, whose forces it appropriates to utilize in various ways. Join in as we uncover a few of the marvels of an authentically magical place with a psychedelic consciousness adapted to tuning into the ancient mysteries; giving a new dynamism to the on-going story if a truly sacred mountain.
"On 4 October 1966, a C7-A Caribou airplane flying through blinding cloud cover crashed into Hon Cong Mountain near the base camp of the 1st Air Cavalry Division at An Khe. There were thirty-one people aboard the aircraft, an air crew of four along with twenty-seven passengers. Thirteen people died in the crash. I was one of the survivors." Joe Tedeschi lives his experience with you in A Rock in the Clouds. Taking you through the life events that led to that fateful day, he describes the horror of the crash and relates the aftermath of recovering from his injuries and continuing his life as a career Army officer. As his journey reveals his faith-based purpose and destiny, he hopes to bring hope and inspiration to other Vietnam-era veterans, their families, and people of faith.
This book is Volume 1 of the EUROCK 2018 proceedings. Geomechanics and Geodynamics of Rock Masses contains contributions presented at EUROCK 2018, the 2018 International Symposium of the International Society for Rock Mechanics (ISRM 2018, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 22-26 May 2018). Dedicated to recent advances and achievements in the fields of geomechanics and geotechnology, the main topics of the book include: - Physical and mechanical properties of fractured rock (laboratory testing and rock properties, field measurements and site investigations) - Geophysics in rock mechanics - Rock mass strength and failure - Nonlinear problems in rock mechanics - Effect of joint water on the behavior of rock foundation - Numerical modeling and back analysis - Mineral resources development: methods and rock mechanics problems - Rock mechanics and underground construction in mining, hydropower industry and civil engineering - Rock mechanics in petroleum engineering - Geodynamics and monitoring of rock mass behavior - Risks and hazards - Geomechanics of technogenic deposits Geomechanics and Geodynamics of Rock Masses will be of interest to researchers and professionals involved in the various branches of rock mechanics and rock engineering. EUROCK 2018, organized by the Saint Petersburg Mining University, is a continuation of the successful series of ISRM symposia in Europe, which began in 1992 in Chester, UK.
As the lambent light from the slumbering fire dances across the roof of the cave, a young girl wakes from a dream. Kec's dream tells her that her clan is in jeopardy, and that Mother Earth expects her to do something to save her people. A magic child will be sent to help her. Far away, Strong Branch, a powerful Shaman of his people, has his own dream. The Great Spirit sends him a warning about a future of conflict and killing. Kec's people are very simple, but they are strong and powerful enough to have survived the ice ages of Pleistocene Europe, by force, for over one-hundred-thousand years. Strong Branch's people are late comers from an alien world far to the South. They bring an advanced technology that allows them to utilize the environment in ways Kec's people never could. As the population of the aliens has grown over a period of more than twenty-thousand years, the stress on the environment has become critical. Kec and Strong Branch must play their parts in a microcosm of the greater struggle for survival. The conclusion of their struggle will establish a new story and a new history for each of their peoples.
IGNEOUS ROCKS AND PROCESSES A practical introduction to igneous petrology for students and practitioners The newly revised Second Edition of Igneous Rocks and Processes: A Practical Guide, delivers an authoritative introduction to igneous petrology and helps students to develop key skills and confidence in identifying igneous materials and in naming and interpreting unknown igneous rocks presented to them. It serves as both a conventional course text and a practical laboratory manual. The authors review igneous nomenclature and subsequently describe specific compositional categories of magmatic rocks. Each chapter covers definitions, mineralogy, eruption and emplacement processes, textures and crystallization processes, geotectonic distribution, geochemistry, and aspects of magma genesis. Additional chapters address phase equilibrium experiments and physical volcanology. This latest edition offers readers extensively updated chapters, as well as access to a companion website with supplementary material. It also provides: Thorough introductions to magmas, magmatic rocks, and magma differentiation Exercises for each chapter, with answers provided at the end A detailed summary of techniques and optical data for mineral identification using a polarizing microscope An introduction to petrographic calculations and an extensive glossary Perfect for geoscience students taking courses in igneous petrology, Igneous Rocks and Processes: A Practical Guide, second edition will also earn a place in the libraries of postgraduate students and researchers in the field.
Easily use 5-Minute Bible Activities any time--Whether before, during, or after your Bible lesson! Engage kids with quick and easy-to-use Sunday School activities accompanied by valuable reproducible lessons to strengthen their relationship with God! Features over 40 quick-prep Bible lessons, activities and unique crafts perfect for ages 5-10. Fully-reproducible. 96 pages. Enjoy having over dozens of Bible activities on the awesome power of faith at your fingertips! Packed with great Bible crafts and Sunday School activities, this full-reproducible Bible activity book has everything you need to engage your students in meaningful ways that will strengthen their faith in God--and each Bible activity takes less than 5 minutes! Each Bible craft and activity includes a Bible lesson, step-by-step instructions, and reproducible patterns. Use for Kids Sunday school, VBS, homeschool or anytime you want to make a valuable impression on your kids. Get all 7 books in this incredible series! Have a blast exploring stories of the New Testament with fun Sunday school games, crafts, and activities! 5-Minute Sunday School Activities: Built On a Rock will excite your students about Jesus, how God built the early Christian Church, and His awesome plan for salvation! Includes memory verses and interactive crafts to illustrate important Bible lessons and help students apply these values to their everyday lives. Each Bible Activity Includes: WHAT YOU NEED: (A material list of everyday supplies) BEFORE CLASS: Helpful ideas for pre-craft preparation WHAT TO DO: A step-by-step guide to complete the Bible craft WHAT TO SAY: Teaching and talking points to help kids relate to the Bible lesson Note: Comes with a Bible lesson, memory verse, and discussion question for each craft. Whether you use them for Sunday School, kids church or in your home, easily share Scripture and stories from the Bible that will make a permanent impression on your students. 7 Key Features of the 5-Minute Bible Activities Series from Rainbow Publishers 1. Age-Appropriate Bible Activities! Super-easy crafts and activities to engage your students in important Bible lessons. Includes fun, kid-friendly discussion questions to get even the toughest kids thinking! 2. Packed with More than 40 Sunday School Activities and Bible Lessons! More than 40 lessons, crafts, and activities that teach meaningful Bible stories in just five minutes! Each of these Bible activities can be squeezed into any short window of time--Before your Sunday school lesson. In the last five minutes of class. During the snack break. As filler when the adult service is running late. And more! 3. Flexible and Fully-Customizable Sunday School Lessons (Includes "Extra Time" Suggestions) "Extra Time" suggestions are given for each activity, including engaging questions for group sharing, journaling ideas, and exciting games. Easily use these suggestion sections to turn each Bible activity into a complete lesson. 4. Easy-to-Use Format Step-by-step instructions and clear sections on "What you Need," "Before Class," and "What to Do" makes lessons easy-to-do! 5. Cut Down Prep-Time to Minutes! Enjoy prepping interactive Bible activities and crafts in a snap! Each action-packed Bible activity is perforated and fully-reproducible, making prep time as painless as the push of a button on your copier! 6. Quick and Easy Kids Craft Ideas Filled with simple instructions that can be explained in seconds so you can devote more time to teaching Bible stories. Loaded with original activities, unique crafts, and reflection exercises that kids can tackle on their own. 7. Budget-Friendly Sunday School Crafts Stocked with perforated, reproducible, and ready-made handouts. Templates for arts and crafts with household materials that are easy on the wallet!
