Buddhism is much more diverse and multifaceted than many people think. Shin ('Pure Land') Buddhism manages to be, simultaneously, one of the most widely practiced forms of this tradition (the largest Buddhist school in Japan) and the least understood in the West. From the beginning, Shin was a highly sophisticated lay form of Buddhism. This thoughtful short outline of its spirituality, while disclaiming academic originality is distinguished by its clarity, enthusiasm, and indeed its high level of accuracy. Written by a Shin priest, it shows very well why this form of Buddhism-real Buddhism, a form of Buddhism very different from the many popular images of it current in the West-might appeal to modern seekers depressed and frustrated with the decadent and sterile world around them. It also suggests why Shin Buddhism has so much to offer in fruitful dialogue and collaboration with its Christian brothers and sisters. Paraskevopoulos' little book is a delightful read, 'adorned with the fragrance of light' to quote a Buddhist text.
From the New York Times bestselling author of Start With Why and Leaders Eat Last, a bold framework for leadership in today’s ever-changing world. How do we win a game that has no end? Finite games, like football or chess, have known players, fixed rules and a clear endpoint. The winners and losers are easily identified. Infinite games, games with no finish line, like business or politics, or life itself, have players who come and go. The rules of an infinite game are changeable while infinite games have no defined endpoint. There are no winners or losers—only ahead and behind. The question is, how do we play to succeed in the game we’re in? In this revelatory new book, Simon Sinek offers a framework for leading with an infinite mindset. On one hand, none of us can resist the fleeting thrills of a promotion earned or a tournament won, yet these rewards fade quickly. In pursuit of a Just Cause, we will commit to a vision of a future world so appealing that we will build it week after week, month after month, year after year. Although we do not know the exact form this world will take, working toward it gives our work and our life meaning. Leaders who embrace an infinite mindset build stronger, more innovative, more inspiring organizations. Ultimately, they are the ones who lead us into the future.
Some things are better left alone. When Riyun Molliro stops a superior from committing war crimes, it comes at a cost: his career. With opportunities running out, it looks like that act of basic decency will be the end of his mercenary life, the only real option in the Outer Sphere. Then comes the call he’s been desperate for, an opportunity that could turn everything around. How hard could it be to find a powerful business executive’s missing daughter? The answer to that question opens doors better left closed. Pick up the high-octane thriller Call of Destiny, and begin your wild trek through the Infinite Realms.
For as long as she can remember, Wren Gray’s goal has been to please her parents. But as high school graduation nears, so does an uncomfortable realization: Pleasing her parents once overlapped with pleasing herself, but now . . . not so much. Wren needs to honor her own desires, but how can she if she doesn’t even know what they are? Charlie Parker, on the other hand, is painfully aware of his heart’s desire. A gentle boy with a troubled past, Charlie has loved Wren since the day he first saw her. But a girl like Wren would never fall for a guy like Charlie—at least not the sort of guy Charlie believes himself to be. And yet certain things are written in the stars. And in the summer after high school, Wren and Charlie’s souls will collide. But souls are complicated, as are the bodies that house them . . . Sexy, romantic, and oh-so-true to life, this is an unforgettable look at first love from one of young adult fiction’s greatest writers. Praise for The Infinite Moment of Us STARRED REVIEW "The scenes of sexual intimacy are described with innocently erotic frankness, offering an ideal (if not idealized) model for readers on the cusp; this is Forever... for a new generation, offering character depth Cath and Michael never achieved. Summer love has never been so good." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review "In contrast to unhealthy depictions of sex and relationships that teenagers (and adults) are often exposed to in media and entertainment, Myracle offers up a passionate romance built on a bedrock of love, respect, and trust. And it’s difficult to see that as a bad thing." —Publishers Weekly "Two mature recent high school graduates fall in love and bring out the best in each other in Lauren Myracle's thoughtful exploration of an intimate relationship...the relationship between Wren and Charlie always remains realistic and involving." —Shelf Awareness "This charming romance has multidimensional characters, straightforward sexuality, and a pace that lets readers fall in love with the main characters. Myracle expertly captures the intense connection of first love, from the need to spend every moment together to trying to figure out how to communicate with one another." —School Library Journal "The single-focus intensity of Wren and Charlie’s feelings is spot-on for the age group... chapters move between both their perspectives as they grow into the relationship, offering readers of both sexes a rather compelling example of the how-to’s of intimacy." —The Bulletin of The Center for Children’s Books
“There are at least two kinds of games,” states James P. Carse as he begins this extraordinary book. “One could be called finite; the other infinite. A finite game is played for the purpose of winning, an infinite game for the purpose of continuing the play.” Finite games are the familiar contests of everyday life; they are played in order to be won, which is when they end. But infinite games are more mysterious. Their object is not winning, but ensuring the continuation of play. The rules may change, the boundaries may change, even the participants may change—as long as the game is never allowed to come to an end. What are infinite games? How do they affect the ways we play our finite games? What are we doing when we play—finitely or infinitely? And how can infinite games affect the ways in which we live our lives? Carse explores these questions with stunning elegance, teasing out of his distinctions a universe of observation and insight, noting where and why and how we play, finitely and infinitely. He surveys our world—from the finite games of the playing field and playing board to the infinite games found in culture and religion—leaving all we think we know illuminated and transformed. Along the way, Carse finds new ways of understanding everything, from how an actress portrays a role to how we engage in sex, from the nature of evil to the nature of science. Finite games, he shows, may offer wealth and status, power and glory, but infinite games offer something far more subtle and far grander. Carse has written a book rich in insight and aphorism. Already an international literary event, Finite and Infinite Games is certain to be argued about and celebrated for years to come. Reading it is the first step in learning to play the infinite game.
The road that runs through all our lives, paved with treasured memories of family, food, and fun, is our infinite feast, of holidays and special occasions and all the other days in between. All generations will be glad to see these old and new recipes, such as Tomato Okra Casserole, Nanaimo Bars, Paradise Almond Chicken, and Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcakes. The book is divided seasonally, from the new year to the harvest moon, with chapters such as "The Winter Feast," "Holiday in Venice," "Patio Party," and "Silver Bells."
For a thousand years, infinity has proven to be a difficult and illuminating challenge for mathematicians and theologians. It certainly is the strangest idea that humans have ever thought. Where did it come from and what is it telling us about our Universe? Can there actually be infinities? Is matter infinitely divisible into ever-smaller pieces? But infinity is also the place where things happen that don't. All manner of strange paradoxes and fantasies characterize an infinite universe. If our Universe is infinite then an infinite number of exact copies of you are, at this very moment, reading an identical sentence on an identical planet somewhere else in the Universe. Now Infinity is the darling of cutting edge research, the measuring stick used by physicists, cosmologists, and mathematicians to determine the accuracy of their theories. From the paradox of Zeno’s arrow to string theory, Cambridge professor John Barrow takes us on a grand tour of this most elusive of ideas and describes with clarifying subtlety how this subject has shaped, and continues to shape, our very sense of the world in which we live. The Infinite Book is a thoroughly entertaining and completely accessible account of the biggest subject of them all–infinity.
Thirteen new stories by the celebrated writer, including two which he considers his greatest achievements to date, artfully blend elements from many literary geares.
Real-life psychic, near-death, and paranormal experiences are combined with cutting-edge science and vivid adventure stories in this energetic look at why extreme athletes and mountaineers take the risks that allow them to push the limits of consciousness, and what they encounter there. In the life-or-death world of extreme adventure sports, there is one thing that athletes often keep quiet about: the “forbidden” territory of paranormal experiences. Ranging from fleeting moments of transcendence to full-blown encounters with ghosts and everything in between—visions, near-death experiences, psychic communication—many extreme athletes have experienced these moments of connection with the beyond, but have been reluctant to talk about them. In Explorers of the Infinite, award-winning outdoors journalist and lifelong adventure sports devotee Maria Coffey probes the mystical and paranormal experiences of mountaineers, snowboarders, surfers, and more. She reviews cutting-edge science, and consults the history of philosophy and spirituality to answer the question: Could the state of intense “aliveness” that is the allure of extreme sports for so many actually be a route to a connection with the beyond? Coffey investigates the scientific explanations for mystical phenomena, ranging from simple explanations to theories from consciousness studies and quantum physics, and leaves us wondering where science ends and spirituality begins. An energetic, you-are-there look at the spiritual lives of extreme athletes, Explorers of the Infinite asks why extreme athletes take the risks that allow them to push the limits of consciousness, what they encounter there, and what we can learn from them.
