Gifted hands

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Kwame Anthony Appiah

A moral manifesto that forces us to reconsider a world divided between the West and the Rest, Us and Them. We have grown accustomed in this anxious, post-9/11 era to constructing a world fissured by warring creeds and cultures. Much of humanity now seems separated by chasms of incomprehension. Kwame Anthony Appiah's landmark new work challenges the separatist doctrines espoused in books such as Samuel P. Huntington's "The Clash of Civilizations," Reviving the ancient philosophy of "Cosmopolitanism," a school of thought that dates to the Cynics of the fourth century bce, Appiah traces its influence on the ethical legacies of the Enlightenment, the French Revolution, Kant's dream of a "league of nations," and the UN's Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In doing so, Appiah shows how Western intellectuals and leaders, on both the left and the right, have wildly exaggerated the power of difference--and neglected the power of one. One world. One species. Challenging years of received wisdom, "Cosmopolitanism" is a resounding work of philosophy and global culture. About the series: Issues of Our Time: "Aware of the competition for the attention of readers, W. W. Norton & Company and I have created the "Issues of Our Time" as a lucid series of highly readable books through which some of today's most thoughtful intellectuals seek to challenge the general reader to reexamine received truths and grapple with powerful trends that are shaping the world in which we live. The series launches with Anthony Appiah, Alan Dershowitz, and Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen as the first of an illustrious group who will tackle some of the most plangent and central issues defining our society today throughbooks that deal with such issues as sexual and racial identities, the economics of the developing world, and the concept of citizenship in a truly globalized twenty-first-century world culture. Above all else, these books are designed to be read and enjoyed."--Henry Louis Gates Jr., W. E. B. DuBois Professor of the Humanities, Harvard University

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Jenny Schroedel

In The Everything Saints Book, 2nd Edition, you'll learn about the fascinating lives (and sometimes untimely deaths) of more than 85 saints-and the miracles ascribed to them. In this authoritative new edition, you'll find rare quotes, little-known facts, and captivating stories of heroism and personal sacrifice, including:Traditional SaintsEuropean, African, and Asian SaintsSoon-to-be SaintsDisappearing SaintsFrom Mary, the mother of Jesus, to early European saints like Saint Valentine, to modern men and women who are now being considered for sainthood, The Everything Saints Book, 2nd Edition, reveals the personalities and piety of these intriguing people-and the ways in which their unwavering devotion to God transformed their lives and the lives of those around them.Jenny Schroedel is a columnist for Boundless Webzine and has published numerous articles about spirituality and practical life. She is the author of The Everything Mary Book and a children's book, The Blackbird's Nest: Saint Kevin of Ireland.

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Larry Osborne

People don't set out to build their faith upon myths and spiritual urban legends. But somehow such falsehoods keep showing up in the way that many Christians think about life and God. These goofy ideas and beliefs are assumed by millions to be rock-solid truth . . . until life proves they're not. The sad result is often a spiritual disaster--confusion, feelings of betrayal, a distrust of Scripture, loss of faith, anger toward both the church and God. But it doesn't have to be so. In this delightfully personal and practical book, respected Bible teacher Larry Osborne confronts ten widely held beliefs that are both dumb and dangerous. Beliefs like these:- Faith can fix anything- God brings good luck- Forgiving means forgetting- Everything happens for a reason- A godly home guarantees good kids...and more.Get ready to be shocked, relieved, and inspired in the pages of Ten Dumb Things Smart Christians Believe. Because the truth is meant to set us free . . . not hurt us.From the Trade Paperback edition.

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Miguel de Beistegui

Martin Heidegger's involvement with National Socialism has been widely and often polemically explored. What has received remarkably little attention is Heidegger's relation to politics and his conception of the political, without which we cannot situate the extent and nature of his political involvement. Heidegger and the Political is one of the first major studies of this neglected aspect and forces us to reassess both the political in Heidegger's work and the very nature of the political itself.Engaging with key themes in Heidegger's work, Heidegger and the Political reassesses one of the key questions to confront philosophy this century.