Historie og samfunn

Now available in paperback: The Great Transformation is nothing less than a global account of the time when religion was born. 'A remarkable history... fascinating and highly readable... profoundly relevant.' Julie Wheelwright, Independent

Easwaran's best-selling translation of the Bhagavad Gita is reliable, readable, and profound. Easwaran's 55-page introduction places the Bhagavad Gita in its historical context, presents key concepts, and brings out the universality and timelessness of its teachings. This edition includes chapter introductions, notes and a Sanskrit glossary. Easwaran grew up in the Hindu tradition in India, learned Sanskrit from a young age, and became a professor of English literature before coming to the West. He is a gifted teacher and an authority on the Indian classics and world mysticism. The Bhagavad Gita opens, dramatically, on a battlefield, as the warrior Arjuna turns in anguish to his spiritual guide, Sri Krishna, for answers to the fundamental questions of life. Yet the Gita is not what it seems - it's not a dialogue between two mythical figures at the dawn of Indian history. "e;The battlefield is a perfect backdrop, but the Gita's subject is the war within, the struggle for self-mastery that every human being must wage if he or she is to emerge from life victorious."e;

A guide to the strategies of war. Spanning world civilisations, and synthesising dozens of political, philosophical, and religious texts, it features the subtle social game of everyday life. It contains examples of the genius and folly of those from Napoleon to Margaret Thatcher and Hannibal to Ulysses S Grant.

In this beautifully written book, Buddhist monk and Nobel Peace Prize nominee Thich Nhat Hanh explains how to acquire the skills of mindfulness. Once we have these skills, we can slow our lives down and discover how to live in the moment - even simple acts like washing the dishes or drinking a cup of tea may be transformed into acts of meditation.Thich Nhat Hanh's gentle anecdotes and practical exercises help us to arrive at greater self-understanding and peacefulness, whether we are beginners or advanced students. Irrespective of our particular religious beliefs, we can begin to reap the immense benefits that meditation has been scientifically proven to offer. We can all learn how to be mindful and experience the miracle of mindfulness for ourselves.

Ancient scriptures from the most popular book of all time, revolutionised to reveal its themes and narratives for a modern generation.

Reviews hundreds of translations of the Tao Te Ching. This title includes 81 distinct essays on how to apply the ancient wisdom of Lao Tzu to today's modern world.

The book that is providing a storm of controversy, from ';Israel's bravest historian' (John Pilger)Renowned Israeli historian, Ilan Pappe's groundbreaking book revisits the formation of the State of Israel. Between 1947 and 1949, over 400 Palestinian villages were deliberately destroyed, civilians were massacred and around a million men, women, and children were expelled from their homes at gunpoint. Denied for almost six decades, had it happened today it could only have been called "e;ethnic cleansing"e;. Decisively debunking the myth that the Palestinian population left of their own accord in the course of this war, Ilan Pappe offers impressive archival evidence to demonstrate that, from its very inception, a central plank in Israel's founding ideology was the forcible removal of the indigenous population. Indispensable for anyone interested in the current crisis in the Middle East.

Founded in the early twelfth century, allegedly to protect pilgrims to the Holy Land, the Knights Templar became famous for their pioneer banking system, crusading zeal, and strict vows of obedience, chastity and poverty. Having grown to some 15,000 men, they came to be perceived as a threat by Philip the Fair, who in 1307 disbanded the group and tortured their leaders for confessions. The French king accused the order of heresy, sodomy and blasphemy. Recent works of fiction and popular histories have created a resurgence of interest in the mysterious Knights Templar. Numerous contradictory and fantastic claims are made about them, adding to the enigma that already surrounds the warrior monks of France. In this unique collection of lecture material and writings from Rudolf Steiner, a new perspective emerges. Based on his spiritual perceptions, Steiner speaks of the Templars' connection to the esoteric tradition of St John, their relationship with the Holy Grail, and their spiritual dedication to Christ. He describes the secret order that existed within the Templars, and the strange rituals they performed. He also throws light on the Templars' attitude to the Roman Church, and the spiritual forces that inspired their torture and confessions.

The 33 Strategies Of War is an enlightening book by the renowned author, Robert Greene. Published in 2007 by Profile Books Ltd, this book is a masterclass in understanding the art of strategic thinking. The book belongs to the genre of self-help and strategy, providing readers with an in-depth understanding of the psychological dynamics that can lead to victory in any area of life. Greene's writing style is engaging and insightful, making the book a must-read for anyone interested in strategy, psychology, or history. The 33 Strategies Of War is not just a book, but a comprehensive guide to understanding and applying the principles of warfare in everyday life. The author's expertise and the publisher's commitment to quality make this book a valuable addition to any reader's collection.

The New Cambridge Shakespeare appeals to students worldwide for its up-to-date scholarship and emphasis on performance. The series features line-by-line commentaries and textual notes on the plays and poems. Introductions are regularly refreshed with accounts of new critical, stage and screen interpretations. This second edition of Macbeth provides a thorough reconsideration of one of Shakespeare's most popular plays. In his introduction, A. R. Braunmuller explores Macbeth's immediate theatrical and political contexts, particularly the Gunpowder Plot, and addresses such celebrated questions as: do the Witches compel Macbeth to murder; is Lady Macbeth herself in some sense a witch; is Macduff morally culpable? A new and well-illustrated account of the play in performance examines several cinematic versions, such as those by Kurosawa and Roman Polanski, as well as other dramatic adaptations. Several possible new sources are suggested and the presence of Thomas Middleton's writing in the play is also proposed.

The book that launched a movement: "Wilson speaks with a humane eloquence which calls to us all" (Oliver Sacks).

From breaking the law to breaking a promise, how do people lie and how can they be caught?

Mein Kampf is a seminal work penned by none other than Adolf Hitler. Published by Jaico Publishing House in 2006, this book delves into the mind of one of history's most controversial figures. The genre of this book is difficult to pin down, as it combines elements of autobiography, political ideology, and a historical examination of the early 20th century. Hitler's narrative offers a unique, albeit disturbing, insight into the formation of a totalitarian regime. Despite its controversial nature, Mein Kampf remains an important piece of historical literature, providing readers with a first-hand account of Hitler's political views and the ideological foundation of the Nazi Party. Please note that this book is written in English.

Jean Baudrillard meets Cookie Mueller in this gathering of French theory and new American fiction.Compiled in 2001 to commemorate the passing of an era, Hatred of Capitalism brings together highlights of Semiotext(e)'s most beloved and prescient works. Semiotext(e)'s three-decade history mirrors the history of American thought. Founded by French theorist and critic Sylvere Lotringer as a scholarly journal in 1974, Semiotext(e) quickly took on the mission of melding French theory with the American art world and punk underground. Its Foreign Agents, Native Agents, Active Agents and Double Agents imprints have brought together thinkers and writers as diverse as Gilles Deleuze, Assata Shakur, Bob Flanagan, Paul Virillio, Kate Millet, Jean Baudrillard, Michelle Tea, William S. Burroughs, Eileen Myles, Ulrike Meinhof, and Fanny Howe. In Hatred of Capitalism, editors Kraus and Lotringer bring these people together in the same volume for the first time.

Fathered by God maps out the path of manhood?not more rules, not another list of principles, not formulas, but a sure path men have followed for centuries before us.

This epic biography, a gripping insider's account, is a long-overdue chronicle of the life and times of Mohammad Reza Shah, who ruled from 1941 to 1979 as the last Iranian monarch. Gholam Reza Afkhami uses his unparalleled access to a large number of individuals-including high-ranking figures in the shah's regime, members of his family, and members of the opposition-to depict the unfolding of the shah's life against the forces and events that shaped the development of modern Iran. The first major biography of the Shah in twenty-five years, this richly detailed account provides a radically new perspective on key events in Iranian history, including the 1979 revolution, U.S.-Iran relations, and Iran's nuclear program. It also sheds new light on what now drives political and cultural currents in a country at the heart of today's most perplexing geopolitical dilemmas.

The Hero with a Thousand Faces, Author: Joseph Campbell, Publication Year: 2008-07-01, Publisher: New World Library, Language: eng

Providing trainees, practitioners and researchers with a comprehensive introduction to the latest findings in the field, this book sets out, in a jargon-free way, the evidence for the effectiveness of therapy and the factors associated with positive therapeutic outcomes.

Timothy Keller focuses on Jesus' best-known parable - the prodigal son - as a paradigm for the central messages of Christianity: grace, hope and salvation

This volume offers the first comprehensive guide in English to the myth and legend of the Russian Empire and other Slavic countries and peoples. There are few stories more stirring than those of ancient Russia.

"Fever of War" examines the impact of the deadly 1918 influenza epidemic on the American army, its medical officers, and their profession. The tragedy begins with overly confident medical officers who understated the severity of the epidemic.

In this new fifth edition, Sire offers student-friendly introductions to a variety of concepts: theism; deism; naturalism; Marxism; nihilism; existentialism; Eastern monism; New Age philosophy; and postmodernism.

Drawing on the unique resources of the Oxford English Dictionary and offering coverage of over 6,000 slang words and expressions from the Cockney 'abaht' to the American term 'zowie', this is the most lively and authoritative dictionary of slang from the 20th and 21st centuries.

Here, for the spiritual adventurers of our own age, is an accessible introduction to one of the most important of the Christian mystical writers. Jakob Boehme (1575-1624) was a humble shoemaker of Görlitz in eastern Germany who, in response to the visionary experiences that began for him as a teenager, wrote a series of theosophical treatises that explore the nature of God and humanity. His ability to give words to the ineffable has never been surpassed, and his influence can be felt in the generations of mystics who followed him, as well as in Pietists, German Romantics, Quakers, and American utopianists, among many others. Five of Boehme's most essential works are presented here in fresh translations that demonstrate why Underhill called him "one of the most astonishing cases in history of a natural genius for the transcendent."

Uncover the truth behind our food addiction - and learn how to break the cycle Many of us find ourselves powerless in front of a bag of crisps, a packet of biscuits, the last slice of pizza. Why is it that we simply can't say no?In The End of Overeating David Kessler, the man who took on the tobacco industry, exposes how modern food manufacturers have hijacked the brains of millions by turning our meals into perfectly engineered portions of fat, salt and sugar, turning us into addicts in the process. The result is a ticking time-bomb of growing obesity, heart conditions and a mass of health problems around the globe. Examining why we're so often powerless in the face of such food, Kessler reveals how our appetites have been and are increasingly hijacked by hyper-palatable foods that encourage us to keep eating - all the time. With a special focus on the growing problems in the UK and Europe, Kessler lays out a clear plan and vital tools for reclaiming control over our cravings.

Pulitzer Prize-winning reporting team, husband and wife Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn, take us on a journey through Africa and Asia to meet an extraordinary array of exceptional women struggling against terrible circumstances. More girls have been killed in the last fifty years, precisely because they are girls, than men were killed in all the wars of the twentieth century combined. More girls are killed in this routine 'gendercide' in any one decade than people were slaughtered in all the genocides of the twentieth century. In the nineteenth century, the central moral challenge was slavery. In the twentieth, it was totalitarianism. In the twenty-first, Kristof and WuDunn demonstrate, it will be the struggle for gender equality in the developing world. Fierce, moral, pragmatic, full of amazing stories of courage and inspiration, HALF THE SKY is essential reading for every global citizen.

Place the word Tao Into your heart. Use no other words. The Tao is constantly moving, the path that all life and the whole universe takes. There is nothing that is not part of it?harmonious living is to know and to move with the Tao?it is a way of life, the natural order of things, a force that flows through all life.365 Tao is a contemporary book of meditations on what it means to be wholly a part of the Taoist way, and thus to be completely in harmony with oneself and the surrounding world.Deng Ming-Dao is the author of eight books, including The Living I Ching, Chronicles of Tao, Everyday Tao, and Scholar Warrior. His books have been translated into fifteen languages. He studied qigong, philosophy, meditation, and internal martial arts with Taoist master Kwan Saihung for thirteen years, and with two other masters before that.