An extraordinary achievement in terms of its artistic rendering of the human body, its masterful carving of details, and its profound philosophical meaning, Balthasar Griessmann's large ivory goblet in the J. Paul Getty Museum celebrates wine and explores the benefits and risks of its consumption. Culminating with an allegory of youth, it challenges the viewer to think about the degree to which pleasure and duty play their parts in our making life choices. This handsome gift book is illustrated with stunning photographic details and includes an essay that traces the visual and literary sources that inspired Griessmann's designs. Although long considered a master of German Baroque ivory carving, Griessmann was identified by name only fifteen years ago. This photo essay and analysis is the first overview of Griessmann in the English language.

“Pollan shines a light on our own nature as well as on our implication in the natural world.” —The New York Times “A wry, informed pastoral.” —The New Yorker The book that helped make Michael Pollan, the New York Times bestselling author of How to Change Your Mind, Cooked and The Omnivore’s Dilemma, one of the most trusted food experts in America Every schoolchild learns about the mutually beneficial dance of honeybees and flowers: The bee collects nectar and pollen to make honey and, in the process, spreads the flowers’ genes far and wide. In The Botany of Desire, Michael Pollan ingeniously demonstrates how people and domesticated plants have formed a similarly reciprocal relationship. He masterfully links four fundamental human desires—sweetness, beauty, intoxication, and control—with the plants that satisfy them: the apple, the tulip, marijuana, and the potato. In telling the stories of four familiar species, Pollan illustrates how the plants have evolved to satisfy humankind’s most basic yearnings. And just as we’ve benefited from these plants, we have also done well by them. So who is really domesticating whom?

Elegant essays by eminent scholars discussing the Gita as a living, dynamic text.

Walking in the Spirit is a journey into what the Bible teaches about life in the Holy Spirit. Author Kenneth Berding uses the apostle Paul and his words in Romans 8 to model what it looks like to live both empowered and set free by the Spirit. Written at an accessible level, Berding speaks to a wide audience as he seeks to connect readers to the life of the Spirit. His practical guide covers a variety of topics, showing readers how to set their minds on the things of the Spirit, put to death the deeds of the body, be led by the Spirit, know the fatherhood of God, and hope and pray in the Spirit. Berding applies the Bible to life through many of his own personal experiences, helping readers make connections to their own spiritual journeys. Discussion questions for each chapter facilitate personal reflection and small-group study.

Strawberries and cream might be a popular dessert but save some topping for this decadent collection of stories by Jerry Wheeler, a writer who enjoys his blend of the sweet and the sticky. From the titular tale of a farmer in low-slung jeans growing a peculiar crop to gypsy magic that brings out the "bear" in a bottom to the tale of a grand hunt by an immortal who feeds off the talent, as well as flesh, of musicians, Strawberries and Other Erotic Fruits promises readers words that will conjure desire like a mythical aphrodisiac. But there's a price to pay for such magic, as several of the men in these stories learn. Turn a page, unbutton, relax, and sink your teeth into this book. The taste will linger for days.