“A compelling portrait of the relationship between a student and a teacher,” this spiritual memoir “raises important questions about the meaning of Judaism and the search for spirituality in this world” (Los Angeles Times) Jewish by birth, though from a secular family, Alan Morinis explored Hinduism and Buddhism as a young man. But in 1997, in the face of personal crisis, he turned to his Jewish heritage for guidance. In his reading he happened upon a Jewish spiritual tradition called Mussar. Gradually he realized that he had stumbled upon an insightful discipline for self-development, complete with meditative, contemplative, and other well-developed transformative practices designed to penetrate the deepest roots of the inner life. Eventually reaching the limits of what he could learn on his own, he decided to seek out a Mussar teacher. This was not an easy task, since almost the entire world of the Mussar tradition had been wiped out in the Holocaust. In time, he found an accomplished master who stood in an unbroken line of transmission of the Mussar tradition, and who lived in the center of a community of Orthodox Jews on Long Island. This book tells the story of Morinis’s journey to meet his teacher and what he learned from him, revealing the central teachings and practices that are the spiritual treasury and legacy of Mussar.

To help the reader understand the African-American family in its broad historical, social, and cultural context, the author traces the rich history of the black family from its roots in Africa, through slavery, Reconstruction, the Depression, the Civil Rights Movement, and up to the present.

“This book helps to set the record straight, not just through the facts of O'Dell's life, but through introducing the reader to O'Dell's powerful analysis.”—Bill Fletcher Jr., coauthor of Solidarity Divided “Jack O'Dell describes an 'easy journey…[and] an easy course' through his extraordinary life. But there was and is nothing easy about the roles Jack played—and continues to play—as strategist, tactician, mentor, and leader in so many campaigns for justice. As often behind the scenes as in front of the microphone, Jack fought for internationalism in the African-American freedom movement and held the internationalist movement accountable for fighting racism. Jack O'Dell resides among the greats in the pantheon of our movements and of our country. His words continue to shape our history.”—Phyllis Bennis, author of Challenging Empire: How People, Governments and the UN Defy U.S. Power "Jack O'Dell is one of the great unsung heroes of the Black Freedom Movement. Climbin' Jacob's Ladder offers a fascinating and inspiring chronicle of O'Dell's long career through his own writings. With a brilliant and exhaustive introduction by Nikhil Singh, one of the sharpest radical thinkers of his generation, this collection is a vital addendum and corrective to our existing knowledge of the 'long' Civil Rights Movement and its legacy."—Barbara Ransby, author of Ella Baker and the Black Freedom Movement: A Radical Democratic Vision

There are ten important questions everyone should ask; ; and the answers to these questions, which lead to ultimate ; truth, are a matter of reason, not of faith. Well-known Catholic philosopher and writer Peter ; Kreeft tackles each of these questions in a logical ; step-by-step way, like climbing the rungs of a ladder. ; Because questions are best answered by dialogue, Kreeft ; answers these fundamental questions in an imaginary ; conversation between two very different people who meet at ; the beach. Kreeft's characters begin at the ; beginning, at the bottom of the ladder, which is the ; passion for truth. When it comes to the most important ; questions a person can ask, no mere interest in ; philosophical dabbling will do. The passion for truth does ; not stop there, however, but carries the reader from one ; page to the next in this thought-provoking adventure of the ; mind. Among the topics, or "steps", that ; Kreeft's characters delve into include: Do you ; have the passion to know? Does truth ; exist? What is the meaning of life? What ; is love, and why is it so important for our ; lives? If there is a God, what proof is there for ; his existence? Has God revealed himself to us in a ; personal way? And many other important ; questions and topics to help climb the ladder to the truth ; about life.

Can there be anything new to say about the Bible? Gerald N. Epstein, a psychiatrist and educator, presents his mystical perspective on 16 Bible stories and their heroes and heroines. The challenges and choices faced by these Biblical archetypes mirror those that we face today. It is through the original imagery exercises provided here that these Biblical characters come alive in us.

Although foster youth have college aspirations similar to their peers, fewer than one in ten ultimately complete a two-year or four-year college degree. What are the major factors that influence their chances of succeeding? Climbing a Broken Ladder advances our knowledge of what can be done to improve college outcomes for a student group that has largely remained invisible in higher education. Drawing on data from one of the most extensive studies of young people in foster care, Nathanael J. Okpych examines a wide range of factors that contribute to the chances that foster youth enroll in college, persist in college, and ultimately complete a degree. Okpych also investigates how early trauma affects later college outcomes, as well as the impact of a significant child welfare policy that extends the age limit of foster care. The book concludes with data-driven and concrete recommendations for policy and practice to get more foster youth into and through college.

One of Russia’s most renowned literary figures and a Man Booker International Prize nominee, Ludmila Ulitskaya presents what may be her final novel. Jacob’s Ladder is a family saga spanning a century of recent Russian history—and represents the summation of the author’s career, devoted to sharing the absurd and tragic tales of twentieth-century life in her nation. Jumping between the diaries and letters of Jacob Ossetsky in Kiev in the early 1900s and the experiences of his granddaughter Nora in the theatrical world of Moscow in the 1970s and beyond, Jacob’s Ladder guides the reader through some of the most turbulent times in the history of Russia and Ukraine, and draws suggestive parallels between historical events of the early twentieth century and those of more recent memory. Spanning the seeming promise of the prerevolutionary years, to the dark Stalinist era, to the corruption and confusion of the present day, Jacob’s Ladder is a pageant of romance, betrayal, and memory. With a scale worthy of Tolstoy, it asks how much control any of us have over our lives—and how much is in fact determined by history, by chance, or indeed by the genes passed down by the generations that have preceded us into the world.

Jacob's ladder - Climbing it on God's terms provides a good case study of what God really has to say about prosperity. This book focuses on the practical and proven strategies for success that were uncovered by studying the life of Jacob. In the biblical legend Jacob was grandson and heir of Abraham. Jacob's actions have been recorded, and his methods can be emulated, and if your passion for success burns as bright as Jacob's did in him, you can achieve similar results. This book will help you detect where the rhythm of your life is being disrupted by events and circumstances that must be recognized and counteracted. You will learn how to honor the seasons of your life that dictate when and where to build a ladder and when to begin climbing. Jacob's Ladder - Climbing it on God's terms will help you discover the difference between choosing to call on God to help you navigate your way out of a bad situation and recognizing God as the tour guide of your life in all situations.

Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald (September 24, 1896 – December 21, 1940) was an American author of novels and short stories, whose works are the paradigmatic writings of the Jazz Age. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest American writers of the 20th century. Fitzgerald is considered a member of the "Lost Generation" of the 1920s. He finished four novels: "This Side of Paradise", "The Beautiful and Damned", "The Great Gatsby" (his most famous), and "Tender Is the Night". A fifth, unfinished novel, "The Love of the Last Tycoon", was published posthumously. Fitzgerald also wrote many short stories that treat themes of youth and promise along with age and despair. Fitzgerald's work has been adapted into films many times. His short story, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button", was the basis for a 2008 film. "Tender Is the Night" was filmed in 1962, and made into a television miniseries in 1985. "The Beautiful and Damned" was filmed in 1922 and 2010. "The Great Gatsby" has been the basis for numerous films of the same name, spanning nearly 90 years: 1926, 1949, 1974, 2000, and 2013 adaptations. In addition, Fitzgerald's own life from 1937 to 1940 was dramatized in 1958 in "Beloved Infidel".