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In Love with the Amish Nanny: An Uplifting Inspirational Romance
by Rebecca KertzShe could never marry for love. But what about for a family? Still grieving her beloved fiancé&’s death, Katie Mast is not interested in finding a new husband—even if the matchmaker believes widower Micah Bontrager and his three children are perfect for her. But Katie&’s compassion knows no bounds and she agrees to nanny the little ones. Could this arrangement lead to a life—and love—she thought could never exist again?From Love Inspired: Uplifting stories of faith, forgiveness and hope.
In Love with the World: A Monk's Journey Through the Bardos of Living and Dying
by Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche Helen TworkovA rare, intimate account of a world-renowned Buddhist monk’s near-death experience and the life-changing wisdom he gained from it“One of the most inspiring books I have ever read.”—Pema Chödrön, author of When Things Fall Apart“This book has the potential to change the reader’s life forever.”—George Saunders, author of Lincoln in the BardoAt thirty-six years old, Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche was a rising star within his generation of Tibetan masters and the respected abbot of three monasteries. Then one night, telling no one, he slipped out of his monastery in India with the intention of spending the next four years on a wandering retreat, following the ancient practice of holy mendicants. His goal was to throw off his titles and roles in order to explore the deepest aspects of his being. He immediately discovered that a lifetime of Buddhist education and practice had not prepared him to deal with dirty fellow travelers or the screeching of a railway car. He found he was too attached to his identity as a monk to remove his robes right away or to sleep on the Varanasi station floor, and instead paid for a bed in a cheap hostel. But when he ran out of money, he began his life as an itinerant beggar in earnest. Soon he became deathly ill from food poisoning—and his journey took a startling turn. His meditation practice had prepared him to face death, and now he had the opportunity to test the strength of his training. In this powerful and unusually candid account of the inner life of a Buddhist master, Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche offers us the invaluable lessons he learned from his near-death experience. By sharing with readers the meditation practices that sustain him, he shows us how we can transform our fear of dying into joyful living.Praise for In Love with the World “Vivid, compelling . . . This book is a rarity in spiritual literature: Reading the intimate story of this wise and devoted Buddhist monk directly infuses our own transformational journey with fresh meaning, luminosity, and life.”—Tara Brach, author of Radical Acceptance and True Refuge “In Love with the World is a magnificent story—moving and inspiring, profound and utterly human. It will certainly be a dharma classic.”—Jack Kornfield, author of A Path with Heart “This book makes me think enlightenment is possible.”—Russell Brand
In My Brother's Image
by Eugene L. PoganyIn My Brother's Image is the extraordinary story of Eugene Pogany's father and uncle-identical twin brothers born in Hungary of Jewish parents but raised as devout Catholic converts until the Second World War unraveled their family. In eloquent prose, Pogany portrays how the Holocaust destroyed the brothers' close childhood bond: his father, a survivor of a Nazi internment camp, denounced Christianity and returned to the Judaism of his birth, while his uncle, who found shelter in an Italian monastic community during the war, became a Catholic priest. Even after emigrating to America the brothers remained estranged, each believing the other a traitor to their family's faith. This tragic memoir is a rich, moving family portrait as well as an objective historical account of the rupture between Jews and Catholics.
In My Father's Country
by Saima WahabBorn in Kabul, Afghanistan, at age three Saima Wahab watched while her father was arrested and taken from their home by the KGB. She would never see him again. When she was fifteen an uncle who lived in Portland, Oregon brought her to America. Having to learn an entire new language, she nonetheless graduated from high school in three years and went on to earn a bachelor's degree. In 2004 she signed on with a defense contractor to work as an interpreter in Afghanistan, never realizing that she would blaze the trail for a new kind of diplomacy, earning the trust of both high-ranking U.S. army officials and Afghan warlords alike. When she arrived in Afghanistan in the winter of 2004, Saima was the only college-educated female Pashto speaker in the entire country. She was stunned to learn how little U.S. and coalition forces knew about the Pashtun, who comprise 40% of the population and from whom the Taliban arose. The blessing of the Pashtun is essential, but the U.S. army was so unaware of the workings of this ancient, proud, insular ethic group, that they would routinely send Farsi interpreters into Pashtun villages. As a Pashtun-born American citizen, Saima found herself in an extraordinary position--to be able to explain the people of her native land to those of her adopted one, and vice versa, in a quest to forge new and lasting bonds between two misunderstood cultures. In My Father's Country follows her amazing transformation from child refugee to nervous Pashtun interpreter to intrepid "human terrain" specialist, venturing with her twenty-five-soldier force pro-tection into isolated Pashtun villages to engage hostile village elders in the first, very frank dialogue they had ever had with the Americans.From her posting at the forward operating base Farah in Afghanistan's blistering western frontier to the year she spent in Jalalabad translating for provincial governor "Hollywood Pashtun" Sherzai to the near-suicide missions of a year and a half in the Khost Province, where before every mission, she left instructions on how to dispose of her belongings, having to face the very real possibility of not coming back alive, Saima Wahab's is an incomparable story of one young woman's unwavering courage and undaunted spirit.
In My Father's House
by Dorothy Allied SolomonThe author describes the polygamous marriages of her father and grandfather, her husband's experiences in Vietnam, and her father's murder.
In My Father's House (Shiloh Legacy #1)
by Bodie Thoene Brock ThoeneAn unforgettable story and a wonderful new historical fiction series that moves from beautiful green mountains in the mid-America Valley of Shiloh to a neighborhood in an industrial town. A land of promise seems more like a land of hopelessness and tragedy, but the characters learn that God's eye always remains upon the sparrow.
In My Mosque
by M. O. YukselDon’t miss out on this beautiful celebration of Islam and mosques as spaces for spiritual gathering!Step in and discover all the rituals and wonder of the mosque in this lyrical debut picture book from M. O Yuksel, with gorgeous artwork from New York Times bestselling illustrator Hatem Aly. A great conversation starter in the home or classroom, this book is perfect for fans of All Are Welcome and The Proudest Blue.No matter who you are or where you’re from, everyone is welcome here. From grandmothers reading lines of the Qur’an and the imam telling stories of living as one, to meeting new friends and learning to help others, mosques are centers for friendship, community, and love.M. O. Yuksel’s beautiful text celebrates the joys and traditions found in every mosque around the world and is brought to life with stunning artwork by New York Times bestselling illustrator Hatem Aly (Yasmin series, The Proudest Blue, The Inquisitor’s Tale). The book also includes backmatter with an author’s note, a glossary, and more information about many historical and significant mosques around the world."This personable, sensory love letter to a range of children’s mosque experiences will engage new learners and resonate with those already familiar." —Publishers Weekly (starred review)"This marvelous, welcoming book on mosques, Muslims, and Islam is a must, offering foundational knowledge on the world’s second largest religion." —School Library Journal (starred review)"Young readers are welcomed to a mosque brimming with faithful family, friends, and community. Both text and art convey some tenets of Islam and emphasize the mosque's role as a place for faith and celebration." —Horn Book"Joyful characters describe what happens in simple, poetic language. Both a celebration of and an introduction to the mosque." —Kirkus"Joyful celebration of mosques around the world. Themes of family and friendship prevail, along with references to spirituality." —Providence JournalA School Library Journal Best Book of 2021 · A Chicago Public Library Best Book of 2021 · An ALA 2022 Notable Children’s Book · A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection · Society of Illustrators Original Art Show Selection · A New York Public Library 2021 Summer Recommendation Reading List Pick · A 2021 Nerdy Book Club Award Winner for Best Nonfiction Picture Book · A 2022 Texas Topaz Nonfiction Reading List title · An Ontario Library Association Best Bets Top Ten List · A Wisconsin State Reading Association 2022 Picture This Recommendation · A CCBC 2022 Best Choice of the Year · Winner of the 2021 Undies Award for Fanciest Case Cover · A 2022 Notable Book for a Global Society · Also Featured on: USA Today, PBS.org, Bookriot, Chicago Parents, The Horn Book!
In My Own Way: An Autobiography
by Alan WattsIn this new edition of his acclaimed autobiography — long out of print and rare until now — Alan Watts tracks his spiritual and philosophical evolution. A child of religious conservatives in rural England, he went on to become a freewheeling spiritual teacher who challenged Westerners to defy convention and think for themselves. Watts's portrait of himself shows that he was a philosophical renegade from early on in his intellectual life. Self-taught in many areas, he came to Buddhism through the teachings of Christmas Humphreys and D. T. Suzuki. Told in a nonlinear style, In My Own Way combines Watts's brand of unconventional philosophy with wry observations on Western culture and often hilarious accounts of gurus, celebrities, and psychedelic drug experiences. A charming foreword by Watts's father sets the tone of this warm, funny, and beautifully written story. Watts encouraged readers to “follow your own weird” — something he always did himself, as this remarkable account of his life shows.
In My Own Words
by HIS HOLINESS, THE DALAI LAMAHis Holiness the Dalai Lama is celebrated as Buddhism’s preeminent spiritual master and teacher, embodying the highest aspirations of this rich tradition that is more than 2,500 years old. With both profundity and simplicity, he has carried the nuanced teachings of the Buddha to the far corners of the globe, and in the process has touched and transformed millions of lives. Like the Buddha himself, the Dalai Lama, with his ever-smiling face, reaches out to people in ways that connect to their individual mental dispositions, abilities, and everyday realities. Buddhism, which never seeks to proselytize, has been made accessible by the Dalai Lama to both non-Buddhists and Buddhists alike so that we may all learn from one of the most valuable strands of our shared heritage. This fascinating book brings together extracts from some of His Holiness’s most powerful writings and talks. As he explains the elements of the Buddha’s teachings and the basic practices of meditation, he also engages and reconciles the innovations of modern science with Buddhist perspectives. Ultimately, His Holiness calls for the celebration of diversity and the recognition of interdependence that breeds a sense of Universal Responsibility—which must govern all of our relationships in this increasingly fragmented world. Serving as the perfect introduction to the Dalai Lama’s philosophy, both Buddhist and secular, In My Own Words is just the book for gleaning insights into the mind of one of the world’s greatest spiritual icons.
In My Time of Dying: How I Came Face to Face with the Idea of an Afterlife
by Sebastian JungerA near-fatal health emergency leads to this powerful reflection on death—and what might follow—by the bestselling author of Tribe and The Perfect Storm.For years as an award-winning war reporter, Sebastian Junger traveled to many front lines and frequently put his life at risk. And yet the closest he ever came to death was the summer of 2020 while spending a quiet afternoon at the New England home he shared with his wife and two young children. Crippled by abdominal pain, Junger was rushed to the hospital by ambulance. Once there, he began slipping away. As blackness encroached, he was visited by his dead father, inviting Junger to join him. &“It&’s okay,&” his father said. &“There&’s nothing to be scared of. I&’ll take care of you.&” That was the last thing Junger remembered until he came to the next day when he was told he had suffered a ruptured aneurysm that he should not have survived. This experience spurred Junger—a confirmed atheist raised by his physicist father to respect the empirical—to undertake a scientific, philosophical, and deeply personal examination of mortality and what happens after we die. How do we begin to process the brutal fact that any of us might perish unexpectedly on what begins as an ordinary day? How do we grapple with phenomena that science may be unable to explain? And what happens to a person, emotionally and spiritually, when forced to reckon with such existential questions? In My Time of Dying is part medical drama, part searing autobiography, and part rational inquiry into the ultimate unknowable mystery.
In Need of Protection
by Jill Elizabeth NelsonIn order to get the babythey’ll have to get through him first…A ruthless escaped convict will do anything to abduct his baby girl, and it’s US deputy marshal Ethan Ridgeway’s duty to protect the infant and her new guardian, Lara Werth. But as they flee from hired gunmen, Ethan must avoid falling for Lara and little Maisy. Because shielding the pair who are slowly capturing his heart might be Ethan’s hardest assignment yet…From Harlequin Love Inspired Suspense: Courage. Danger. Faith.
In Our Own Voices: Four Centuries of American Women's Religious Writing
by Rosemary Skinner Keller Rosemary Radford RuetherDrawing from primary source documents such as diaries, letters, speeches, sermons, essays, and books from seventeenth-century colonial settlements in North America to today, this volume recovers the contributions of women to American religion.
In Our Suffering, Lord Be Near: Prayers of Hope for the Hurting
by Ben LockeFind hope when your world is falling apart.Where do you turn in seasons of despair? What do you do when you don't know what to do?Hardship and adversity touch everyone--illness, grief, accidents, trauma, loneliness, relationship struggles, financial crises, sin, addiction, life stressors, and so much more can leave you feeling lost, hopeless, and isolated.You are not alone. When author Ben Locke was in his darkest valleys, he was determined to tell God exactly what he thought. He poured out his agony and anger--and was met with God's grace, love, forgiveness, and mercy. He discovered in those moments that God can handle it. All of it. And the prayers that poured out Ben's experience offer a road map for you to take your sorrows, grief, and troubles to God, knowing He will meet you in your time of suffering.In Our Suffering, Lord Be Near can be a light in the darkness if you ever:Feel like questioning, yelling at, doubting, or even denouncing GodWant to separate from the churchWonder if God is listening to your prayers and cares about your troublesDo not know what to do with your angerFear that life will be this way forever The psalm like prayers borne out of these experiences will meet you in your own moments of suffering. But they are more than prayers. They're cries for help and explosions of anger, mourning, weeping, grieving, celebrating, rejoicing, and praising. They're liturgies to heal your soul, balm for your wounds, and tender mercies for your heartache. This book will help you know that:God is with you, even if you don't feel Him or understand what is happeningGod offers you grace and mercy, no matter whatGod delivers you and gives you strength Let these words help you articulate your own sorrows, bring you to your knees, encourage you to confess your insufficiency, and express your most genuine emotions. In Our Suffering, Lord Be Near will help find hope in God when your world is falling apart. God can handle your suffering. So, tell Him.
In Paradise
by Peter MatthiessenA profoundly searching new novel by a writer of incomparable range, power, and achievement. In the winter of 1996, more than a hundred women and men of diverse nationality, background, and belief gather at the site of a former concentration camp for an unprecedented purpose: a weeklong retreat during which they will offer prayer and witness at the crematoria and meditate in all weathers on the selection platform, while eating and sleeping in the quarters of the Nazi officers who, half a century before, sent more than a million Jews to their deaths. Clements Olin, an American academic of Polish descent, has come along, ostensibly to complete research on the death of a survivor, even as he questions what a non-Jew can contribute to the understanding of so monstrous a catastrophe. As the days pass, tensions, both political and personal, surface among the participants, stripping away any easy pretense to healing or closure. Finding himself in the grip of emotions and impulses of bewildering intensity, Olin is forced to abandon his observer's role and to embrace a history his family has long suppressed--and with it the yearnings and contradictions of being fully alive. In Paradise is a brave and deeply thought-provoking novel by one of our most stunningly accomplished writers.
In Peril on the Sea: The Story of Ethel Bell and Her Children Robert and Mary
by Robert W Bell D. Bruce LockerbieIn Peril on the Sea is the story of missionary widow Ethel Bell and her children—Mary, 14, and Robert, 11—uprooted by the war from their West African station, find themselves on a small freighter bound for America. It is 1942. Sights and sounds of war envelop the world. And in the arena of the South Atlantic the infamous German submarine U-66 prowls the gray waters. Suddenly, on a peaceful August afternoon, a shrieking alarm pierces the stillness. Torpedoes explode. Fire engulfs the ship and within two minutes it disappears beneath the oil-slimed, shark infested waters. What follows is an almost unbelievable saga of death and despair as mother, daughter and son find themselves on an eight-by-ten foot raft along with two orphaned missionary children and fourteen male crew members. For twenty days aboard the bobbing vessel, Ethel Bell becomes pastor, peacekeeper, teacher, mediator and caregiver. But the story does not end with the surprising rescue. Years later, in a poignant moment, Robert Bell meets his "enemies" face to face. The war is over. God's love and forgiveness have triumphed.
In Peril on the Sea: The Story of Ethel Bell and Her Children Robert and Mary
by Robert W Bell D. Bruce LockerbieIn Peril on the Sea is the story of missionary widow Ethel Bell and her children—Mary, 14, and Robert, 11—uprooted by the war from their West African station, find themselves on a small freighter bound for America. It is 1942. Sights and sounds of war envelop the world. And in the arena of the South Atlantic the infamous German submarine U-66 prowls the gray waters. Suddenly, on a peaceful August afternoon, a shrieking alarm pierces the stillness. Torpedoes explode. Fire engulfs the ship and within two minutes it disappears beneath the oil-slimed, shark infested waters. What follows is an almost unbelievable saga of death and despair as mother, daughter and son find themselves on an eight-by-ten foot raft along with two orphaned missionary children and fourteen male crew members. For twenty days aboard the bobbing vessel, Ethel Bell becomes pastor, peacekeeper, teacher, mediator and caregiver. But the story does not end with the surprising rescue. Years later, in a poignant moment, Robert Bell meets his "enemies" face to face. The war is over. God's love and forgiveness have triumphed.
In Plain Sight: Muslims of the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem (The Middle Ages Series)
by Ann E. ZimoHow Muslims integrated themselves into the Kingdom of Jerusalem, founded in the wake of the First CrusadeIn Plain Sight draws from a wide array of interdisciplinary sources to show how Muslims, seemingly hostile to the entire crusading enterprise, integrated themselves into the kingdom founded in the wake of the First Crusade. The book examines how Muslims, whether Sunni or Shi‘a or Druze, fit into society in the crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem, uncovering the daily reality of their experience. Exploring how and to what extent Muslims interacted with the Frankish ruling elite, historian Ann E. Zimo presents a new vantage point from which to reconsider the popularly accepted notion that the crusades, and by extension the crusader states, were a locus of a monolithic clash between West and East or between Christianity and Islam. By untangling the relations between the Muslim communities and their rulers, Zimo offers a more fully realized image of a society too multifaceted to be reasonably reduced to a black-and-white binary opposition.Zimo not only re-reads the well-known Frankish sources, including narrative chronicles, letters, charters, and legal treatises, but combines them with an investigation of the Arabic documentary base, including chronicles, biographies, fatwa literature, pilgrimage guides, and treaties which are not translated and largely inaccessible to most historians of the crusades. She also draws from the enormous and growing body of scholarship generated by archaeologists whose work can often provide insights into the aspects of the past not recorded in the historical record. By casting such a wide evidentiary net, In Plain Sight sheds new light on Frankish society and how Muslims fit into it, offering major revisions to the current conception of population distribution within the kingdom and the nature of the Frankish polity itself.
In Praise of Ageing: Awakening to Old Age with Wisdom and Compassion
by Carmel Shalev'In this moving and tender meditation on the process of growing old, Carmel Shalev reveals ageing as a new beginning rather than a shameful ending of life.'' -- Stephen BatchelorDrawing on the insights of Buddhism, In Praise of Ageing invites the reader to meet the challenges of growing older with an open mind in order to age with grace, understanding and wisdom. Written by an Israeli human rights lawyer who specialized in bio-ethics, including end-of-life care, the book looks at the current cultural context of youth versus age, and weaves the author's personal experiences of her own and her parents' ageing with ancient Buddhist wisdom that accepts growing older as a natural process. All phenomena appear, fade and disappear. So, too, our lives proceed from birth to death. The four parts of the book address reality, vulnerability, identity and meaning. We can acknowledge reality, see the impermanence of the weakening body, and accept that we are subject to ageing, sickness and death. But we also must deal with the social prejudices against ageing that bring new vulnerabilities, such as the questions of identity that arise when we retire from the workforce. This book shows that it is nonetheless in our hands to shape our place in the world and find meaning as elders with love, compassion, joy and equanimity. Ageing, indeed, has its hardships. Yet we have a choice how to relate to our experience - with animosity or friendliness. If we open our minds to ageing with a compassionate, curious and courageous heart, we can find treasures of wisdom to share as our heritage to future generations.
In Praise of Copying
by Marcus BoonThis book is devoted to a deceptively simple but original argument: that copying is an essential part of being human, that the ability to copy is worthy of celebration, and that, without recognizing how integral copying is to being human, we cannot understand ourselves or the world we live in. In spite of the laws, stigmas, and anxieties attached to it, the word “copying” permeates contemporary culture, shaping discourse on issues from hip hop to digitization to gender reassignment, and is particularly crucial in legal debates concerning intellectual property and copyright. Yet as a philosophical concept, copying remains poorly understood. Working comparatively across cultures and times, Marcus Boon undertakes an examination of what this word means—historically, culturally, philosophically—and why it fills us with fear and fascination. He argues that the dominant legal-political structures that define copying today obscure much broader processes of imitation that have constituted human communities for ages and continue to shape various subcultures today. Drawing on contemporary art, music and film, the history of aesthetics, critical theory, and Buddhist philosophy and practice, In Praise of Copying seeks to show how and why copying works, what the sources of its power are, and the political stakes of renegotiating the way we value copying in the age of globalization.
In Praise of Dharmadhatu: Nagarjuna and Rangjung Dorje on Buddha Nature
by Nagarjuna Rangjung DorjeNagarjuna is famous in the West for his works not only on Madhyamaka but his poetic collection of praises, headed by In Praise of Dharmadhatu. This book explores the scope, contents, and significance of Nagarjuna's scriptural legacy in India and Tibet, focusing primarily on the title work. The translation of Nagarjuna's hymn to Buddha nature—here called dharmadhatu—shows how buddha nature is temporarily obscured by adventitious stains in ordinary sentient beings gradually uncovered through the path of bodhisattvas and finally revealed in full bloom as buddhahood. These themes are explored at a deeper level through a Buddhist history of mind's luminous nature and a translation of the text's earliest and most extensive commentary by the Third Karmapa Rangjung Dorje (1284–1339), supplemented by relevant excerpts from all other available commentaries. The book also provides an overview of the Third Karmapa's basic outlook, based on seven of his major texts. He is widely renowned as one of the major proponents of the shentong (other-empty) view. However, as this book demonstrates, this often problematic and misunderstood label needs to be replaced by a more nuanced approach which acknowledges the Karmapa's very finely tuned synthesis of the two great traditions of Indian mahayana Buddhism, Madhyamaka and Yogacara. These two, his distinct positions on Buddha nature, and the transformation of consciousness into enlightened wisdom also serve as the fundamental view for the entire vajrayana as it is understood and practiced in the Kagyu tradition to the present day.
In Praise of Disobedience: Clare of Assisi, A Novel (Other Voices of Italy)
by Dacia MarainiAn author receives a mysterious e-mail begging her to tell the story of Clare of Assisi, the thirteenth-century Italian saint. At first annoyed by the request, the author begins to research Saint Clare and becomes captivated by her life. We too are transported into the strange and beautiful world of medieval Italy, witnessing the daily rituals of convent life. At the center of that life is Saint Clare, a subversive and compelling figure full of contradictions: a physically disabled woman who travels widely in her imagination, someone unforgivingly harsh to herself yet infinitely generous to the women she supervises, a practitioner of self-abnegation who nevertheless knows her own worth. A visionary who liberated herself from the chains of materialism and patriarchy, Saint Clare here becomes an inspirational figure for a new generation of readers.
In Praise of Doubt: How to Have Convictions Without Becoming a Fanatic
by Peter Berger Anton ZijderveldIn Praise of Doubt explores how to survive the political, moral, and religious challenges raised by the extreme poles of relativism and fundamentalism.In this insightful and thought-provoking book, two world-renowned social scientists, Peter L. Berger and Anton C. Zijderveld, ask and answer Big Questions, offering invaluable guidance on how to have convictions without becoming a fanatic.“A book of great practical wisdom by authors who have profound insight into the intellectual dynamics governing contemporary life.” —Dallas Willard, author of Knowing Christ Today“The virus of fanaticism takes several forms. In Praise of Doubt targets two: fundamentalists and relativists. . . . Bracing . . . lay-friendly and seasoned with humor.” —The Boston Globe“The best parts of In Praise of Doubt explore the cultural battlegrounds where a consensus has broken down or not yet coalesced . . . Berger and Zijderveld are optimistic: They believe that moral progress is on the march and that moderation is a virtue everyone can agree on.” —The Wall Street Journal“This is . . . a serious attempt to explain how to find middle ground between conviction—religious and otherwise—and doubt . . . In fact, Berger and Zijderveld argue that doubt—especially as expressed in the idea of a loyal opposition—is at the heart of a democratic system.” —Los Angeles Times“This book addresses, both broadly and individually, how to balance dedication to strong religious and moral beliefs, while simultaneously being objective and discerning. This book grapples, in a thoughtful, entertaining way with these and other meaty philosophical questions.” —Reference & Research Book News
In Praise of Failure: Four Lessons in Humility
by Costica BradatanSquarely challenging a culture obsessed with success, an acclaimed philosopher argues that failure is vital to a life well lived, curing us of arrogance and self-deception and engendering humility instead.Our obsession with success is hard to overlook. Everywhere we compete, rank, and measure. Yet this relentless drive to be the best blinds us to something vitally important: the need to be humble in the face of life’s challenges. Costica Bradatan mounts his case for failure through the stories of four historical figures who led lives of impact and meaning—and assiduously courted failure. Their struggles show that engaging with our limitations can be not just therapeutic but transformative.In Praise of Failure explores several arenas of failure, from the social and political to the spiritual and biological. It begins by examining the defiant choices of the French mystic Simone Weil, who, in sympathy with exploited workers, took up factory jobs that her frail body could not sustain. From there we turn to Mahatma Gandhi, whose punishing quest for purity drove him to ever more extreme acts of self-abnegation. Next we meet the self-styled loser E. M. Cioran, who deliberately turned his back on social acceptability, and Yukio Mishima, who reveled in a distinctly Japanese preoccupation with the noble failure, before looking to Seneca to tease out the ingredients of a good life.Gleefully breaching the boundaries between argument and storytelling, scholarship and spiritual quest, Bradatan concludes that while success can make us shallow, our failures can lead us to humbler, more attentive, and better lived lives. We can do without success, but we are much poorer without the gifts of failure.
In Praise of Folly: With Illustrations After Hans Holbein, And A Portrait, Together With A Life Of Erasmus And His Epistle Addressed To Sir Thomas Mor
by Desiderius ErasmusThis sixteenth-century religious satire by a Renaissance critic and theologian is &“a masterpiece of humor and wise irony&” (Johan Huizinga, Dutch historian). At the onset of his hugely successful satire of medieval European society, Dutch scholar Desiderius Erasmus invokes the goddess Folly, daughter of Youth and Wealth, who was raised by Drunkenness and Ignorance. She&’s followed by idolatrous companions, including Self-love, Flattery, Pleasure, and Laziness. Through Folly&’s wry and humorous speech, Erasmus denounces the superstitions and nonsensical eccentricities of his contemporary theologians and churchmen, monastic life, and the condition of the Catholic Church. An immensely influential humanist text, In Praise of Folly helped lay the groundwork for the Protestant Reformation and marked a transitional time between medieval beliefs and modern ideals.