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Heidegger’s Conception of Freedom: Beyond Cause and Effect
by Matthew J. BarnardThis book is the first monograph in English exclusively dedicated to the exegesis of Martin Heidegger’s radical conception of freedom which was developed in response to the human experience of existential guilt and mortality explained through the phenomena of transcendence and truth. The book is additionally distinctive in that it is the first to approach these issues with the purpose of clarifying the texts involved rather than constructing a novel conception of agency or freedom on the basis of those texts. Heidegger’s Conception of Freedom is ideal for scholars and researchers of philosophy and especially for those focusing on Heidegger's thought, existentialism and phenomenology.
Babayaga: A Novel of Witches in Paris
by Toby BarlowBy the author of Sharp Teeth, a novel of love, spies, and witches in 1950s Paris—and a cop turned into a fleaWill is a young American ad executive in Paris. Except his agency is a front for the CIA. It's 1959 and the cold war is going strong. But Will doesn't think he's a warrior—he's just a good-hearted Detroit ad guy who can't seem to figure out Parisian girls. Zoya is a beautiful young woman wandering les boulevards, sad-eyed, coming off a bad breakup. In fact, she impaled her ex on a spike. Zoya, it turns out, has been a beautiful young woman for hundreds of years; she and her far more traditionally witchy-looking companion, Elga, have been thriving unnoticed in the bloody froth of Europe's wars. Inspector Vidot is a hardworking Paris police detective who cherishes quiet nights at home. But when he follows a lead from a grisly murder to the abode of an ugly old woman, he finds himself turned into a flea. Oliver is a patrician, fun-loving American who has come to France to start a literary journal with the help of friends in D.C. who ask a few favors in return. He's in well over his head, but it's nothing that a cocktail can't fix. Right? Add a few chance encounters, a chorus of some more angry witches, a strung-out jazzman or two, a weaponized LSD program, and a cache of rifles buried in the Bois de Bologne—and that's a novel! But while Toby Barlow's Babayaga may start as just a joyful romp though the City of Light, it quickly grows into a daring, moving exploration of love, mortality, and responsibility.
Rumi's Little Book of Love and Laughter: Teaching Stories and Fables
by Coleman BarksRowdy, ecstatic, and sometimes stern, these teaching stories and fables reveal new and very human properties in Rumi's vision. Included here are the notorious "Latin parts" that Reynold Nicholson felt were too unseemly to appear in English in his 1920s translation. For Rumi, anything that human beings do--however compulsive--affords a glimpse into the inner life.Here are more than 40 fables or teaching stories that deal with love, laughter, death, betrayal, and the soul. The stories are exuberant, earthy, and bursting with vitality--much like a painting by Hieronymus Bosch or Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. The characters are guilty, lecherous, tricky, ribald, and finally possessors of opened souls.Barks writes: "These teaching stories are a kind of scrimshaw--intricately carved, busy figures, confused and threatening, and weirdly funny.This is an entertaining collection from one of the greatest spiritual poets of all time, rendered by his most popular translator."The minute I heard my first love story, I started looking for you, not knowing how blind that was. Lovers don't finally meet somewhere. They're in each other all along."--Rumi
React in Depth
by Morten BarklundA guide to the advanced React skills used by the very best React developers.React in Depth teaches the React libraries, tools and techniques that are vital to build amazing apps. You&’ll put each skill you learn into practice with hands-on projects like a goal-focused task manager, expenses tracker, and custom UI library. In React in Depth you will learn how to: • Assess technologies in the React ecosystem • Implement advanced component patterns to improve React code • Optimize React performance for a smooth user experience • Use developer tooling for better code maintenance and debugging • Work with TypeScript for type safety • Use CSS in JavaScript for efficient styling • Manage data in React, including remote data and reactive caching • Unit test React components for quality assurance and bug prevention • Use popular React frameworks for building production-ready applications React in Depth focuses on the modern best practices of React development, with full and up-to-date coverage of the latest features and changes to the React ecosystem. This book highlights the advanced techniques that turn a React pro into a React wizard, and how you can future-proof your career by mastering new React technologies as they emerge. About the technology What does knowing React in depth mean? It means writing clean, modular code that you can test and refactor. It means applying design patterns and architectural principles to real-world problems. It means collaborating effectively with other developers and harnessing the power of React&’s rich ecosystem. That&’s exactly what this book delivers! About the book React in Depth teaches you the best practices of React development, with up-to-date coverage of the React ecosystem. In it, you&’ll learn how to put NextJS, Remix, TypeScript, and more in your React toolbox. You&’ll explore advanced topics like component patterns, optimization techniques, and developer tooling. Along the way, you&’ll collect pro tips for creating applications that can scale without sacrificing performance or stability. Each skill is proven with hands-on examples, from a weather app to a Wordle clone. What's inside • Optimize React performance • Use CSS in JavaScript • Manage data in React • Unit test React components About the reader For web developers familiar with the basics of React. About the author Morten Barklund works as a staff fullstack engineer at Corti, a leading AI healthtech startup. Table of Contents 1 Developer&’s guide to the React Ecosystem 2 Advanced component patterns 3 Optimizing React performance 4 Better code maintenance with developer tooling 5 TypeScript: Next-level JavaScript 6 Mastering TypeScript with React 7 CSS in JavaScript 8 Data management in React 9 Remote data and reactive caching 10 Unit-testing React 11 React website frameworks 12 Project: Build an expense tracker with Remix 13 Project: Create a React UI library 14 Project: Develop a word game in React
Warlords of Wyrdwood: The Forsaken Trilogy, Book 2 (The Forsaken Trilogy #2)
by RJ Barker'You fear the forest.. It is not foolish.' His words rang like bells in the clearing, each face reacting to their din. 'But the forest does not hate you, it does not hunt you. It simply does not care about you.'The Forester known as Cahan led the village of Harn in rebellion against the all-powerful, oppressive forces of the Rai. A great victory was won, but to avoid retaliation, he must now lead the people of Harn into the forest.Cahan never wanted this responsibility, but fate and his gods have conspired against him. Without him, the people will be helpless against the great beasts and poisonous traps of the forest - not to mention worse things that dwell there. A corruption grows in the fungi and decay of the Wyrdwood, a magic unlike any Cahan has ever seen - can he resist its deadly pull, while avoiding his pursuers, and trying to turn his charges into true people of the Wyrdwood?Warlords of Wyrdwood is book two in a new fantasy trilogy set within the bounds of a forest straight out of darkest folklore - with outlaws fighting an evil empire and warring deities. RJ Barker is the British Fantasy Society Award-winning author of The Bone Ships and Age of Assassins.'An experienced novelist at the top of his game - this is Avatar meets Dune, on shrooms' Five stars from SFX on Gods of the Wyrdwood'A sweeping story of destiny and redemption. Weighty, deliberate, tender and brutal, this is a big, wonderful book and an utterly involving read' Daily Mail on Gods of the Wyrdwood
Warlords of Wyrdwood: The Forsaken Trilogy, Book 2 (The Forsaken Trilogy #2)
by RJ Barker'You fear the forest.. It is not foolish.' His words rang like bells in the clearing, each face reacting to their din. 'But the forest does not hate you, it does not hunt you. It simply does not care about you.'The Forester known as Cahan led the village of Harn in rebellion against the all-powerful, oppressive forces of the Rai. A great victory was won, but to avoid retaliation, he must now lead the people of Harn into the forest.Cahan never wanted this responsibility, but fate and his gods have conspired against him. Without him, the people will be helpless against the great beasts and poisonous traps of the forest - not to mention worse things that dwell there. A corruption grows in the fungi and decay of the Wyrdwood, a magic unlike any Cahan has ever seen - can he resist its deadly pull, while avoiding his pursuers, and trying to turn his charges into true people of the Wyrdwood?Warlords of Wyrdwood is book two in a new fantasy trilogy set within the bounds of a forest straight out of darkest folklore - with outlaws fighting an evil empire and warring deities. RJ Barker is the British Fantasy Society Award-winning author of The Bone Ships and Age of Assassins.'An experienced novelist at the top of his game - this is Avatar meets Dune, on shrooms' Five stars from SFX on Gods of the Wyrdwood'A sweeping story of destiny and redemption. Weighty, deliberate, tender and brutal, this is a big, wonderful book and an utterly involving read' Daily Mail on Gods of the Wyrdwood
Warlords of Wyrdwood (The Forsaken Trilogy #2)
by RJ Barker"You fear the forest.. It is not foolish." His words rang like bells in the clearing, each face reacting to their din. "But the forest does not hate you, it does not hunt you. It simply does not care about you." From British Fantasy Award-winning author RJ Barker comes the second installment in a new epic fantasy trilogy set in a forest straight out of darkest folklore with outlaws fighting an evil empire and warring deities. The Forester known as Cahan led the village of Harn in rebellion against the all-powerful, oppressive forces of the Rai. A great victory was won, but to avoid retaliation he must lead the people of Harn into the Wyrdwood. Cahan never wanted this responsibility, but fate has its eye on him, and without him the people will be helpless against the terrors of the forest. But in the ground of Crua, a dark god is growing in power using the strength of decay. It is something new, something worse than the magics of the Rai, and it has its claws in Cahan. The people of Harn need him, and they will need new allies if they are to have any hope of surviving in the depths of the Wyrdwood. Especially if the man they consider a hero, the Forester, Cahan Du-Nahere, is as lost to them as he believes.Praise for Gods of the Wyrdwood "An experienced novelist at the top of his game—this is Avatar meets Dune, on shrooms." —SFX "A sweeping story of destiny and redemption. Weighty, deliberate, tender and brutal, this is a big, wonderful book and an utterly involving read." —Daily Mail For more from RJ Barker, check out:The Wounded KingdomAge of Assassins Blood of Assassins King of AssassinsThe Tide Child TrilogyThe Bone Ships Call of the Bone Ships The Bone Ship's Wake
State of Fear: Policing a Postcolonial City
by Joshua BarkerIn State of Fear, Joshua Barker reckons with how fear and violence are produced and reproduced through everyday practices of rule and control. Examining the ethnographic and historical genealogies of Indonesian policing, Barker focuses on the city of Bandung, which is permeated by anxieties about security, in spite of the fact that it’s a relatively safe city according to the data. Drawing from his fieldwork there during the latter years of the authoritarian New Order regime, Barker traces the complex relationship between the state and vigilante groups like neighborhood watch patrols and street gangs. Through interviews with police officers, vigilantes, and street-level toughs, he uncovers a struggle between two visions of social control that continues to animate policing in Indonesia: the modern, bureaucratic approach favored by the state, and a territorial approach that divides the city into fiefdoms overseen by charismatic individuals of authority. Synthesizing insights from in-depth ethnographic, historical, and theoretical work, Barker reveals how authoritarianism can take root not just from the top down but also from the bottom up.
I Definitely Don't Like Winter
by Fiona BarkerHank and Hoog are best friends, but will their friendship survive the coming winter? A heartwarming friendship story perfect for the season!Hank and Hoog are best friends! They do everything together in the summertime. But one morning, a single crisp brown leaf falls on the ground. Hank is devastated. Winter is coming... and Hank DEFINITELY hates winter. But Hoog LOVES winter: the snow, festive spirit, and snuggles.Will their friendship survive the chilly weather?I Definitely Don't Like Winter is a humorous and heartwarming picture book about the friendship and what it means to meet in the middle with someone you love.The perfect read-aloud story for warm- and cold-weather lovers alike!
Sad Animal Facts
by Brooke BarkerNew York Times Bestseller!A delightful and quirky compendium of the Animal Kingdom’s more unfortunate truths, with over 150 hand-drawn illustrations.Ever wonder what a mayfly thinks of its one-day lifespan? (They’re curious what a sunset is.) Or how a jellyfish feels about not having a heart? (Sorry, but they’re not sorry.)This melancholy menagerie pairs the more unsavory facts of animal life with their hilarious thoughts and reactions. Sneakily informative, and wildly witty, SAD ANIMAL FACTS will have you crying with laughter.
The Age of Melt: What Glaciers, Ice Mummies, and Ancient Artifacts Teach Us about Climate, Culture, and a Future without Ice
by Lisa BarilA thought-provoking scientific narrative investigating ice patch archaeology and the role of glaciers in the development of human culture. Glaciers figure prominently in both ancient and contemporary narratives around the world. They inspire art and literature. They spark both fear and awe. And they give and take life. In The Age of Melt, environmental journalist Lisa Baril explores the deep-rooted cultural connection between humans and ice through time. Thousands of organic artifacts are emerging from patches of melting ice in mountain ranges around the world. Archaeologists are in a race against time to find them before they disappear forever. In entertaining and enlightening prose, Baril travels from the Alps to the Andes, investigating what these artifacts teach us about climate and culture. But this is not a chronicle of loss. The Age of Melt explores what these artifacts reveal about culture, wilderness, and what we gain when we rethink our relationship to the world and its most precious and ephemeral substance—ice.
XOMG Pop! Sparkle Queens: This is who we are!
by Maria S. BarboMeet pop's newest superstars! This official guide to XOMG Pop has all the stats and facts kids want to know about the musical sensation.Discover the true story behind XOMG Pop -- the rising stars and teen music sensations -- in this full-color photographic memoir!Learn everything there is to know about Brooklynn, Dallas, Tinie T., and Penelope! Find out how these four future superstars decided to follow their singing and dancing dreams. With exclusive content and full-color photos on every page, this biographic scrapbook is a must-have for XOMG Pop fans everywhere!
Income Statement Semantic Models: Building Enterprise-Grade Income Statement Models with Power BI
by Chris BarberThis comprehensive guide will teach you how to build an income statement semantic model, also known as the profit and loss (P&L) statement. Author Chris Barber— a business intelligence (BI) consultant, Microsoft MVP, and chartered accountant (ACMA, CGMA)—helps you master everything from designing conceptual models to building semantic models based on these designs. You will learn how to build a re-usable solution based on the trial balance and how to expand upon this to build enterprise-grade solutions. If you want to leverage the Microsoft BI platform to understand profit within your organization, this is the resource you need. What You Will Learn Modeling and the income statement: Learn what modelling the income statement entails, why it is important, and how income statements are constructed Calculating account balances: Learn how to optimally calculate account balances using a Star Schema Producing external income statement semantic models: Learn how to produce external income statement semantic models as they enable income statements to be analyzed from a range of perspectives and can be explored to reveal the underlying accounts and journal entries Producing internal income statement semantic models: Learn how to create multiple income statement layouts and further contextualize financial information by including percentages and non-financial information, and learn about the various security and self-service considerations Who This Book Is For Technical users (solution architects, Microsoft Fabric developers, Power BI developers) who require a comprehensive methodology for income statement semantic models because of the modeling complexities and knowledge needed of the accounting process; and finance (management accountants) who have hit the limits of Excel and have started using Power BI, but are unsure how income statement semantic models are built
A Written Republic: Cicero's Philosophical Politics
by Yelena BarazIn the 40s BCE, during his forced retirement from politics under Caesar's dictatorship, Cicero turned to philosophy, producing a massive and important body of work. As he was acutely aware, this was an unusual undertaking for a Roman statesman because Romans were often hostile to philosophy, perceiving it as foreign and incompatible with fulfilling one's duty as a citizen. How, then, are we to understand Cicero's decision to pursue philosophy in the context of the political, intellectual, and cultural life of the late Roman republic? In A Written Republic, Yelena Baraz takes up this question and makes the case that philosophy for Cicero was not a retreat from politics but a continuation of politics by other means, an alternative way of living a political life and serving the state under newly restricted conditions. Baraz examines the rhetorical battle that Cicero stages in his philosophical prefaces--a battle between the forces that would oppose or support his project. He presents his philosophy as intimately connected to the new political circumstances and his exclusion from politics. His goal--to benefit the state by providing new moral resources for the Roman elite--was traditional, even if his method of translating Greek philosophical knowledge into Latin and combining Greek sources with Roman heritage was unorthodox. A Written Republic provides a new perspective on Cicero's conception of his philosophical project while also adding to the broader picture of late-Roman political, intellectual, and cultural life.
I Love You, Michael Collins (Penworthy Picks Middle School Ser.)
by Lauren Baratz-LogstedAmazon Editors' Pick Best Books of June 2017Semifinalist: GoodReads Choice Awards 2017 Best Middle Grade and Children's BookNational Council for Social Studies/Children's Book Council Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People 2018The Planetary Society Recommended Space Books for Kids of All Ages 2017The National Science and Engineering Council of Canada list of books for Science Literacy Week 20182018-2019 Keystone to Reading Elementary Book Award Intermediate Grade list 2018-19 Maine Student Book Award Reading List2018-2019 Florida Sunshine State Young Readers Award List, Grades 3-5It’s 1969 and the country is gearing up for what looks to be the most exciting moment in U.S. history: men landing on the moon. Ten-year-old Mamie’s class is given an assignment to write letters to the astronauts. All the girls write to Neil Armstrong ("So cute!") and all the boys write to Buzz Aldrin ("So cool!"). Only Mamie writes to Michael Collins, the astronaut who will come so close but never achieve everyone else's dream of walking on the moon, because he is the one who must stay with the ship. After school ends, Mamie keeps writing to Michael Collins, taking comfort in telling someone about what's going on with her family as, one by one, they leave the house thinking that someone else is taking care of her—until she is all alone except for her cat and her best friend, Buster. And as the date of the launch nears, Mamie can't help but wonder: Does no one stay with the ship anymore? With I LOVE YOU, MICHAEL COLLINS, Lauren Baratz-Logsted has created a heartwarming story about family and being true to yourself.A Margaret Ferguson Book
How to Read and Write Critically (Student Success)
by Alex BarattaTo succeed in any assessment, you need to demonstrate critical thinking – but what does it mean to be ‘critical’? This book takes a hands-on approach to helping you think, read and write critically. Packed with examples from different disciplines and subjects, it talks through dozens of written extracts so you can see what criticality actually looks like. The book: · Equips you with tools for making an argument, explaining your reasoning and using examples to illustrate your points. · Enables you to structure coherent arguments and choose appropriate language. · Helps you interpret and apply feedback from your lecturers. For undergraduate students studying in any discipline, this clear guide takes the confusion out of reading and writing critically so you can approach your assessments with confidence.
How to Read and Write Critically (Student Success)
by Alex BarattaTo succeed in any assessment, you need to demonstrate critical thinking – but what does it mean to be ‘critical’? This book takes a hands-on approach to helping you think, read and write critically. Packed with examples from different disciplines and subjects, it talks through dozens of written extracts so you can see what criticality actually looks like. The book: · Equips you with tools for making an argument, explaining your reasoning and using examples to illustrate your points. · Enables you to structure coherent arguments and choose appropriate language. · Helps you interpret and apply feedback from your lecturers. For undergraduate students studying in any discipline, this clear guide takes the confusion out of reading and writing critically so you can approach your assessments with confidence.
Read Critically (Super Quick Skills)
by Alex BarattaCritical reading is the foundation of good research. Read Critically gives you the knowledge and tools you need to be able to extract meaning from texts and judge its quality, relevance and significance. Understand your assignment question Know how to think critically, and in turn read critically Write critically and ace your assignment. Super Quick Skills provides the essential building blocks you need to succeed at university - fast. Packed with practical, positive advice on core academic and life skills, you’ll discover focused tips and strategies to use straight away. Whether it’s writing great essays, understanding referencing or managing your wellbeing, find out how to build good habits and progress your skills throughout your studies. Learn core skills quickly Apply them right away and see results Succeed in your studies and in life Super Quick Skills gives you the foundations you need to confidently navigate the ups and downs of university life.
Read Critically (Super Quick Skills)
by Alex BarattaCritical reading is the foundation of good research. Read Critically gives you the knowledge and tools you need to be able to extract meaning from texts and judge its quality, relevance and significance. Understand your assignment question Know how to think critically, and in turn read critically Write critically and ace your assignment. Super Quick Skills provides the essential building blocks you need to succeed at university - fast. Packed with practical, positive advice on core academic and life skills, you’ll discover focused tips and strategies to use straight away. Whether it’s writing great essays, understanding referencing or managing your wellbeing, find out how to build good habits and progress your skills throughout your studies. Learn core skills quickly Apply them right away and see results Succeed in your studies and in life Super Quick Skills gives you the foundations you need to confidently navigate the ups and downs of university life.
The Nine Phases of Marriage: How to Make It, Break It, Keep It
by Susan Shapiro BarashFrom the author of Toxic Friends-a groundbreaking look at how to understand your marriage and create a more satisfying relationshipEvery marriage goes through nine phases. It is only by understanding the course our marriages run that we can truly begin to craft the perfect relationship. In The Nine Phases of Marriage, Susan Shapiro Barash breaks down and analyzes these phases, which are:- Phase One: Passion and Longing - Phase Two: Conforming: The Perfect Wife- Phase Three: Real Life: Child Centricity- Phase Four: Tension: One Bed: Two Dreams- Phase Five: Distance: Two Beds: Two Rooms- Phase Six: Fracturing: Midlife Divorce - Phase Seven: Second Chances: Remarriage and Renegotiating - Phase Eight: Balance: Concessions- Phase Nine: Successful CouplingWith this essential knowledge, spouses can successfully navigate the natural pitfalls and perils of their marriages and embark on a true partnership.
Hiromi's Hands
by Lynne BaraschAsian/Pacific American Award for Literature - Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA)The true story of Hiromi Suzuki, a Japanese American girl who defied tradition to train at her family's restaurant, and who became one of the first female sushi chefs in New York.Growing up in New York City, Hiromi Suzuki missed spending time with her father, a sushi chef who worked long hours in the family's Japanese restaurant. So one day when she was eight years old, Hiromi begged her father to take her to the Fulton Fish Market, where he bought fresh fish. Hiromi was fascinated by what she saw and learned; by the time she was thirteen, she was ready to take the next step. She asked her father to teach her to make sushi. Little did Hiromi realize that her request would lead her to the forefront of a minor culinary revolution, as women claimed their place in the once all-male world of sushi chefs. Lynne Barasch was inspired to write this story by her daughter, who has been friends with Hiromi Suzuki since they both were in kindergarten. Hiromi's Hands is the true story of a young girl's determination to follow her dream, and a tribute to the loving family who supported her. Readers will cheer for Hiromi's success, and maybe decide to taste some sushi, too!
Global Childhoods in International Perspective: Universality, Diversity and Inequalities (SAGE Studies in International Sociology)
by Claudio Baraldi Lucia Rabello De CastroGlobal Childhoods in International Perspective gathers a wide spectrum of contributors from Europe, the U.S., South Asia, South Africa and Latin America, who, attuned with present dilemmas in the area of childhood studies, discuss some key theoretical and empirical aspects of child scholarship, such as identity, child wellbeing, child mobility and migration, intergenerational relationships and child abuse. Through these expert contributions, the book explores the many ways in which the relationship between universality and particularities of childhood plays an important role in describing global childhoods. The book highlights childhood as a cross-cutting issue in global sociology with chapters on globalization and schooling in Burkina Faso, child abuse and neglect in India, identity and integration among children of African immigrants in France, social class mobility of Filipino migrant children in Italy and France, and an investigation into Kyrgyz childhoods. Ideal reading for researchers, practitioners and students interested in both childhood studies and the other areas including community research, sociology of education, social stratification, and the sociology of migration.
Global Childhoods in International Perspective: Universality, Diversity and Inequalities (SAGE Studies in International Sociology)
by Claudio Baraldi Lucia Rabello De CastroGlobal Childhoods in International Perspective gathers a wide spectrum of contributors from Europe, the U.S., South Asia, South Africa and Latin America, who, attuned with present dilemmas in the area of childhood studies, discuss some key theoretical and empirical aspects of child scholarship, such as identity, child wellbeing, child mobility and migration, intergenerational relationships and child abuse. Through these expert contributions, the book explores the many ways in which the relationship between universality and particularities of childhood plays an important role in describing global childhoods. The book highlights childhood as a cross-cutting issue in global sociology with chapters on globalization and schooling in Burkina Faso, child abuse and neglect in India, identity and integration among children of African immigrants in France, social class mobility of Filipino migrant children in Italy and France, and an investigation into Kyrgyz childhoods. Ideal reading for researchers, practitioners and students interested in both childhood studies and the other areas including community research, sociology of education, social stratification, and the sociology of migration.
Tasting the Sky: A Palestinian Childhood
by Ibtisam BarakatWinner, Arab American National Museum Book Award for Children's/YA Literature, among other awards and honors."When a war ends it does not go away," my mother says."It hides inside us . . . Just forget!" But I do not want to do what Mother says . . . I want to remember.In this groundbreaking memoir set in Ramallah during the aftermath of the 1967 Six-Day War, Ibtisam Barakat captures what it is like to be a child whose world is shattered by war. With candor and courage, she stitches together memories of her childhood: fear and confusion as bombs explode near her home and she is separated from her family; the harshness of life as a Palestinian refugee; her unexpected joy when she discovers Alef, the first letter of the Arabic alphabet. This is the beginning of her passionate connection to words, and as language becomes her refuge, allowing her to piece together the fragments of her world, it becomes her true home.Transcending the particulars of politics, this illuminating and timely book provides a telling glimpse into a little-known culture that has become an increasingly important part of the puzzle of world peace.