A beautifully crafted volume on the world-renowned gardens of Lotusland—the first such book in more than two decades and the first ever magnificent tribute to this international treasure. Variously labeled Eden, one of the 100 gardens you must visit before your die, and among the 10 best botanical gardens in the world, Madame Ganna Walska’s Lotusland is magic mixed with paradise in the hills of Montecito, California. Walska, a well-known Polish opera singer and socialite, purchased the estate in 1941 and spent 43 years creating Lotusland. The collections of exotic plants on the 37-acre property are an expression of her penchant for the dramatic, the unexpected, and the whimsical. Home to more than 3,400 types of plants, including at least 35,000 specimens, it is recognized not just for the diversity of its collections, but for the extraordinary design sensibility informing the many one-of-a-kind individual gardens that comprise the whole. As pleasing as its aesthetic and sensorial qualities are, Lotusland is also an important center for scientific research and conservation. A leader in the field of sustainable practices, it is the first botanical garden in the United States to become entirely organic.

This book is an account of fiction that originated from the author's imagination and is a general parody, drawing attention to a situation of utter chaos that follows when a nation turns into an absolute banana republic.

Lotusland is one of the most dramatic gardens in the world. This spectacular book eloquently chronicles the gardens and the life story of the eccentric Madame Ganna Walska, the legendary woman who spent more than forty years and untold millions developing these gardens.

The era is 1200 CE, when the intruders from the west ravaged Bharat; a small kingdom in its eastern part was entering its golden period. The kingdom of Kalinga though a maritime superpower remained secluded and reclusive to the other nations of Bharat. This was not by chance, but by choice, as this holy land was fulfilling a prophecy that could become the basis of existence for the entire humankind after the Kali Yuga ends. The first book of the Konark Secret Duology is the tale of Bishnu Maharana, the chief architect of the Konark Temple. This is his journey about how he became a master architect and the secrets he unravels while constructing this shrine. Was this temple just a grand monument or were there secrets behind its construction? Why was an unusual technique being used for its creation, when there were tried and tested methods? Did this monument hold some secret within itself? Was Bishnu Maharana an architect or a man of secrets?

Three people from different cultures--Sung Wing On, a Chinese refugee, Maria Magdalena Ortiz, a Mexican beauty ostracized from her village, and Clifford Creighton, a Baltimore aristocrat--and their descendants play an integral role in the growth of Los Angeles

Pilgrims in Lotus Land explores the remarkable growth of evangelicalism in an intensely secular province during the twentieth century. Robert Burkinshaw explains why evangelicalism held such appeal, paying particular attention to the distinctive character

"I found [this book] to express profound insight in a very readable style. This story of the key events that shaped [the author's] life, conveyed in bold relief and vivid imagery, is educational and inspiring. [King] illustrates the essential principles of reparative therapy clearly and with good humor. I would recommend this book for my clients." -Dr. Joseph Nicolosi, Ph.D. Psychologist and Director, Thomas Aquinas Psychological Clinic, Encino, California Jackson King uses a combination of psychological research, spiritual teachings, and personal experience to examine the environmental conditioning of male homosexuality and how it applied to his life. Confused and unhappy with the prospect of this lifestyle and in search of a way out, the elusive exit had to make sense to his questioning mind. That is where reparative therapy came in. It laid the pieces of the puzzle into place, helping King to understand the root cause of this condition. The end result was a newfound self-awareness that led to the freedom he was seeking. An enlightening journey of self-discovery-King's insightful story is told from a realistic perspective; inspiring the reader through shared experiences that are often humorous, thought-provoking, and always informative.

The first in an epic new fantasy series, introducing an unforgettable new heroine and a stunningly original dystopian steampunk world with a flavor of feudal Japan. A DYING LAND The Shima Imperium verges on the brink of environmental collapse; an island nation once rich in tradition and myth, now decimated by clockwork industrialization and the machine-worshipers of the Lotus Guild. The skies are red as blood, the land is choked with toxic pollution, and the great spirit animals that once roamed its wilds have departed forever. AN IMPOSSIBLE QUEST The hunters of Shima's imperial court are charged by their Shogun to capture a thunder tiger – a legendary creature, half-eagle, half-tiger. But any fool knows the beasts have been extinct for more than a century, and the price of failing the Shogun is death. A HIDDEN GIFT Yukiko is a child of the Fox clan, possessed of a talent that if discovered, would see her executed by the Lotus Guild. Accompanying her father on the Shogun's hunt, she finds herself stranded: a young woman alone in Shima's last wilderness, with only a furious, crippled thunder tiger for company. Even though she can hear his thoughts, even though she saved his life, all she knows for certain is he'd rather see her dead than help her. But together, the pair will form an indomitable friendship, and rise to challenge the might of an empire.