Influence from Mesopotamia on adjacent civilizations has often been proposed on the basis of scattered similarities. For the first time a wide-ranging assessment from 3000 BC to the Middle Ages investigates how similarities arose in Egypt, Palestine, Anatolia, and Greece. The development of writing for accountancy, astronomy, devination, and belles lettres emanated from Mesopotamians who took their academic traditions into countries beyond their political control. Each country soon transformed what it received into its own, individual culture. When cuneiform writing disappeared, Babylonian cults and literature, now in Aramaic and Greek, flourished during the Roman Empire. The Manichaeans adapted the old traditions which then perished under persecution, but traces persist in Hermetic works, court narratives and romances, and in the Arabian Nights. When ancient Mesopotamia was rediscovered in the last century, British scholars were at the forefront of international research. Public excitement has been reflected in pictures and poems, films and fashion.

An experienced, published writer teaches a Creative Christian Writing Class.

Craft a meaningful life story! A written legacy of your life--one that encompasses experiences, lessons learned, failures and triumphs--is a gift your family and friends will cherish for years to come. Writing this story may seem daunting, but it doesn't have to be. Writing Your Legacy is a step-by-step guide to chronicling a life story that reflects your true self. Through a series of 35 guided themes, as well as supplementary exercises, you'll explore milestones, relationships, career paths, and major choices, and leave an eloquent record of your life for future generations. You'll also learn how to: • Become the hero of your story • Employ vibrant sensory details • Discover your unique voice • Dig up memories from your childhood and teen years • Overcome writer's block, address common fears, and stay motivated • Prepare your story for publication Writing your life story can grant you insight and clarity, help you heal past wounds, and serve as a treasured account you'll be proud to share. Your story deserves to be told. Capture the spirit of your life with Writing Your Legacy.

Everyone wants to be happy. But what does that really mean? Increasingly, scientific evidence shows us that true satisfaction and well-being come only from within. Dr. Andrew Weil has proven that the best way to maintain optimum physical health is to draw on both conventional and alternative medicine. Now, in Spontaneous Happiness, he gives us the foundation for attaining and sustaining optimum emotional health. Rooted in Dr. Weil's pioneering work in integrative medicine, the book suggests a reinterpretation of the notion of happiness, discusses the limitations of the biomedical model in treating depression, and elaborates on the inseparability of body and mind. Dr. Weil offers an array of scientifically proven strategies from Eastern and Western psychology to counteract low mood and enhance contentment, comfort, resilience, serenity, and emotional balance. Drawn from psychotherapy, mindfulness training, Buddhist psychology, nutritional science, and more, these strategies include body-oriented therapies to support emotional wellness, techniques for managing stress and anxiety and changing mental habits that keep us stuck in negative patterns, and advice on developing a spiritual dimension in our lives. Lastly, Dr. Weil presents an eight-week program that can be customized according to specific needs, with short- and long-term advice on nutrition, exercise, supplements, environment, lifestyle, and much more. Whether you are struggling with depression or simply want to feel happier, Dr. Weil's revolutionary approach will shift the paradigm of emotional health and help you achieve greater contentment in your life.

With 80 million grandparents in the United States, you are one of many seniors searching for help in being a Godly grandparent. Pass the Legacy: 7 Keys for Grandparents Making a Difference is a book to encourage, inform and equip you in your important role while living in a culture that tells you your purpose is minimal. Many seniors desire to be Godly grandparents of their families. They simply do not know how. As you read this book, you will be empowered to live into the utmost calling God has on your life: to pass a legacy of faith in Jesus Christ to your grandchildren. What an awesome calling for someone living in a generation that struggles to find purpose in life. As you grab “The Seven Keys”, prepare to run an amazing race with the Lord. You will be living into His calling for you. Are you worried about your lovely granddaughter as she navigates this tumultuous world? Maybe you are concerned about your grown son. He seems to be moving farther and farther from the Lord. Then check out these “Seven Keys”. They are basic steps that can propel you towards leaving the most precious legacy of all: a legacy of faith in the Lord. FIRST KEY: Surrender Your Heart to Jesus Christ In order to pass a legacy of faith you must BE a person of faith! People are in one of three categories: those living in Egypt, those wandering around the desert or those abiding in the Promised Land. Discern which category describes you and learn the next step towards a life surrendered to the Lord. SECOND KEY: Read the Bible Daily Since we live in a noisy world, we must choose to set aside Quiet Time. By daily resting in God’s Word, we strengthen our spirits. Learn effective ways to delve into the Bible so that you can implement these Godly truths into your life. Then you will be powerfully prepared to encourage faith in your loved ones. THIRD KEY: Pray Fervently “Babushka Time”! Be like the Russian grandmothers in World War II who fell to their knees praying fervently for their loved ones. Discover powerful ways to prayerfully protect and guide the children and grandchildren the Lord has placed in your life and under your care. FOURTH KEY: Pursue Healthy Relationships with Loved Ones In a culture crowded with smart phones, computers and heavy schedules; relationships are diminished. This key encourages and equips grandparents and parents with grown children to run hard after healthy relationships with their children so that they can pass faith in Christ to the next generation. FIFTH KEY: Heal Broken Relationships We live in a tumultuous world. Many of us have strained, or broken, relationships with our children and grandchildren. Learn three steps towards resolving issues and mending broken relationships with loved ones. SIXTH KEY: Leave a Well-Written Legacy of Love With the world becoming heavily infiltrated by technology, the written word is decreasing. Study ways to write letters, create journals and scribe blessings to family members such that you communicate God’s love to your children and grandchildren. SEVENTH KEY: Pass Your Faith Every person has a God-story to tell. Maybe your story is how you accepted the Lord when you were eight years old, or forty eight years old. Maybe your God-story is that you have always struggled with faith in Christ. Regardless, you have a story that is worthy to be told to your children and grandchildren. God’s highest vision for grandparents is to pass a legacy of faith in His Son, Jesus Christ, to your loved ones. In this world where most seniors retire, God is calling YOU to become a life-changer in the lives of your children and grandchildren. You can make a difference by impacting their hearts for the Lord. Grab these keys and run the race marked divinely for you by God. Never has there been a more important job to do. Never has the need been more urgent.

Have you ever walked into a hotel room and wondered who stayed there through the years and what took place before you entered? In her debut short story collection, Merle Saferstein captures the essence of the famed Hollywood Beach Hotel and brings to life the characters that have crossed the threshold of Room 732. Set against the backdrop of Florida's Atlantic Ocean, Room 732 reflects the hotel's transformation from an elegant getaway during the '20s and '30s to a U. S. Navy training and indoctrination center during World War II. After the war, the upscale hotel re-opened. Then, in 1971, Florida Bible College moved in, followed by timeshares and condos. More recently, the ever-changing edifice was restored to the vacation resort it was originally intended to be. Woven through intimate letters, journal entries, and private conversations, each story explores the threads of connection, communication, and life experiences and echoes the culture of the times. Breathing life into the walls of Room 732, the characters experience a range of emotions as they live with the effects of war, the joy of discovering faith, the death of a loved one, the challenges of marriage, and the intimacy in relationships.You will meet two strangers who become friends, a seasoned Naval officer who is preparing sailors for war, and a young married woman who explores her innermost thoughts. You also will encounter a divorced father who is spending time with his daughter after a long absence, two cousins who have come to the hotel on a special mission, and many other individuals who have stories to tell.

Craft a meaningful life story! A written legacy of your life--one that encompasses experiences, lessons learned, failures and triumphs--is a gift your family and friends will cherish for years to come. Writing this story may seem daunting, but it doesn't have to be. Writing Your Legacy is a step-by-step guide to chronicling a life story that reflects your true self. Through a series of 35 guided themes, as well as supplementary exercises, you'll explore milestones, relationships, career paths, and major choices, and leave an eloquent record of your life for future generations. You'll also learn how to: • Become the hero of your story • Employ vibrant sensory details • Discover your unique voice • Dig up memories from your childhood and teen years • Overcome writer's block, address common fears, and stay motivated • Prepare your story for publication Writing your life story can grant you insight and clarity, help you heal past wounds, and serve as a treasured account you'll be proud to share. Your story deserves to be told. Capture the spirit of your life with Writing Your Legacy.

The Olmec civilization was so powerful that it is known as the “mother culture” of Mesoamerica. Olmecs were forward thinking people. They created traditions that influenced succeeding cultures. They also left legacies that we take advantage of even today. This book showcases some of the most interesting legacies the Olmecs left behind - writing, counting and calendars. You will see images of their giant sculptures too!