Bücher veröffentlicht von Ebookit.com

Everyone had an agenda and it just seemed like coincidence-and of little consequence-that they happened to end up in the small town of Cedar Falls nestled at the base of Bakers Mountain, deep in the ancient Taconic Mountain range. Completely involved, even obsessed, with their own pursuits, it was hardly surprising the visitors would be unaware of older agendas both within the dying town and up in the forests and ridges of the mountain looming above.There was the discontented novelist fleeing his job and his family, hoping to regain his mojo with a young girlfriend and a new book; a mother in search of her long-estranged daughter, but finding first an unlikely romance with the proprietor who loved his failing bowling establishment like a child-at least when he wasn''t making plans to burn it down for the insurance; a soap opera queen who thought she was stopping by for a simple PR gig for the PETA folks when the town was plagued by thousands of bats in search of a new home. Instead found herself revisiting Gretchen Foley, the frightened disturbed child she had been before emerging as the famous Amber Steele.There were the two Native American friends who came to climb the mountain in search of the fabled quartz Spirit Stones of their Mohican ancestors, the young man who wanted to retrace the steps of his grandfather who once lived along the river that flowed through town. But instead he would come to grief and need to be carried down the mountain by the mysterious and seemingly ageless Boudine sisters who had led secluded lives high on the mountain as long as anyone could remember. Few knew where these strange women had their cabin, but the dying Randle Marsh did, and it was said that he visited the sisters often; was he trying to live on endlessly as dark rumors suggested the sisters did? The rustic Wayne Funt knew where they lived too, but he would leave them strictly alone until he and his dog Duke played a major role in the mayhem that broke out during the raging Christmas snowstorm that buried the town and the mountain.This collision of clashing agendas was presided over by a sheriff who did the best he could to navigate a safe landing for as many as he could who shared the wild ride on this memorable, often frightening year. And if the result could often be laced with humor and absurdity, it was always tempered-sometimes tragically-with what has always been true: sometimes, deep in the heart of the New England mountains, there are things going on, things both lighter than air and darker than starless night.

The Hubble telescope captures stunning new images of our universe....Rovers comb the surface of Mars....NASA discovers an approaching asteroid threatening the Earth....As never before in history, today''s society is on a quest to learn more about our place in the universe. Technological advances have allowed us to make great strides in deepening our understanding of the universe around us and our unique position in it. Drawing from his astrophysics background and work in space communications, the author of "Not By Chance!" explores a number of strange cosmic "coincidences" which enable our existence on this small terrestrial ball. Written in a popular and engaging manner, this book explores the position of our planet, the inclination of the Earth''s axis, our proximity to the Moon and its size, along with a host of other factors which all point to the existence of a wise and powerful designer of the universe. This caring architect has clearly invested a great deal of effort in ensuring our survival on the planet we inhabit. There are just too many coincidences to be explained away as occurring only by chance.It is hoped that the material presented will compel the reader to ponder these inevitable questions: Who is the designer? Why does he have such a great concern for us? How does he reveal himself to humankind?With these and similar fundamental questions about the meaning of life and our existence, we''ll enter the final portion of the book. In it we shall try to discover the identity of the creator of the universe. Are science and faith mutually exclusive, or are they perhaps complementary?"Not By Chance!" offers a provocative read for those seeking answers about their place in the universe. Drawing on scientific and biblical evidence, it contextualizes readers'' lives in the grand scheme of things and compels them to take control of their eternal destiny.

New Book Addresses Crippling Nature of Irrational Belief in the 21st CenturyChristian Volz''s Six Ethics takes both a philosophical and a pragmatic approach to addressing the dangers posed by irrational belief, and proposes a framework for creating a legal and social environment where rationality and spirituality might be reconciled.In the 21st century, as international business continues to expand and the Internet and other means of global communications, as well as immigration, continue to bring people from different cultures and groups into contact, individuals need to be prepared to live side-by-side with others who have very different belief systems as well as be self-aware of the sources and principles of their own beliefs. Six Ethics: A Rights-Based Approach to Establishing an Objective Common Morality is the result of author Christian Volz''s quest to understand the nature of belief and the relationship of beliefs and ethics in the face of 21st century issues.Volz explains that the late nineteenth century intellectual revolution known as modernism is characterized by the maturing of the concepts of human rights, civil liberties, personal freedoms and, most especially, the constituents of essential human dignity. This new, modern approach has defined these concepts based on science and the cumulative history of human ethics guided by reason and compassion, and has largely enshrined them in the U.N. Universal Declaration of Human Rights."I believe," Volz says, "that there is a dangerous underestimation of the peril posed to the world''s democratic societies and institutions by religious radicals and fundamentalists, of all stripes, who believe that they retain the moral authority to selectively edit these evolved concepts of human rights and dignity. Many conservative people of faith continue to reject science and reason as the basis whereby we measure, evaluate, and make decisions about the material world and the temporal relations among human beings, with potentially disastrous consequences for the future of our planet. If we are to effectively counter these religious, authoritarian-conservative movements, it is helpful to understand how we got to where we are."Citing numerous contemporary and historical sourcesΓÇöfrom Christopher Hitchens and Richard Dawkins to John Locke and Alexis de TocquevilleΓÇöSix Ethics addresses a broad range of topics, interrelated by their essential relationship to human dignity and rights. These include: the origins and development of ethical, religious and scientific thought; how otherwise rational people can be so easily seduced to embrace irrational beliefs and the societal consequences when they do so; and why anyone believes anything. In doing so, he touches on many fields of study, including a consideration of genetic, psychological, sociological and political influences upon how people think within the context of a group.Six Ethics proposes what Volz refers to as Rational Progressivism as a framework within which societies might advance toward genuine equality and true freedom of conscience for a diverse population.

For anyone interested in learning to meditate but not sure how to begin, comes this book from psychologist and meditation expert Dr. Robert Puff, contributing writer for Psychology Today and a practicing meditator himself for over thirty years. You'll learn the value of meditation for physical and mental health, several different types of non-religious meditation, detailed instructions on how to practice each, and answers to all the questions asked by beginners. Think of it as "base camp" for starting your personal journey to enlightenment.

When Rex calls after years of being incommunicado, his best friend Grant is hesitant to accept his invitation. Just like the old days, Rex knows the buttons to push. He has invited Annie, the woman Grant thought he was going to marry. Former friends and lost loves reconnect on a long, playful and soul searching weekend in Palm Springs. Each discovering they hold hopes long forgotten, each hold fears that the best times of their lives may have already passed by. The mending of emotional fences take them further than they thought possible. Rekindled feelings and new awakenings show them some paths not previously considered. After all these years, all these lives, all this time, is it possible that the best of their lives is yet to come?All agree to meet, and sparks of longing, anger, uncertainty and love combine to commence considerable flames burning in all of them. The introduction of a couple of new personalities to the mix, give them additional viewpoints to their lives to consider.Annie''s friend Kat, gives her wisdom to help stabilize the situation. An intuitive, Isobelle, meets and gives the wayward friends a great deal to think about in how they are to address the future. Grant''s aching for Annie, Rex''s hunger for crazy adventures, Annie''s longing for a normal life, and Isobelle''s sudden attraction to Grant, make for an exciting mingling of everyone''s emotions, and the hopes of a future void of the uncertainty they have all been holding.