The Book of Five Rings is one of the most insightful texts on the subtle arts of confrontation and victory to emerge from Asian culture. Written not only for martial artists but for anyone who wants to apply the timeless principles of this text to their life, the book analyzes the process of struggle and mastery over conflict that underlies every level of human interaction. The Book of Five Rings was composed in 1643 by the famed duelist and undefeated samurai Miyamoto Musashi. Thomas Cleary's translation is immediately accessible, with an introduction that presents the spiritual background of the warrior tradition. Along with Musashi's text, Cleary translates here another important Japanese classic on leadership and strategy, The Book of Family Traditions on the Art of War by Yagyu Munenori, which highlights the ethical and spiritual insights of Taoism and Zen as they apply to the way of the warrior. Views: 207
Dead witch? As if.With no memory of recent events, I'm fighting a losing battle. With a serial killer. My team work closely to not only find him, but to help me harness the magic of the ley line. With my magic failing, my memories forgotten, and my team the only thing keeping me alive, I don't have much time left.Not only is the serial killer threatening me, but the terrorist group Paranormals For Freedom (PFF) are about to play their hand. Unsure if the two cases are connected, my team and I have to work double time to stop them all before more innocent lives are taken. Fighting the killer, the PFF, and my own death demons, I'm barely hanging on. Can I regroup in time to save London? Views: 207
After a spycam is discovered in a secure community, the homeowners association hires HEARTS to track down the culprit. Investigator Eva Thompson fits the description of every victim so far and volunteers to move into a vacant condo to draw out the suspect from within. But until they know what's behind the peeping, no one feels safe sending Eva as a decoy alone. Joshua Simmons is Eva's ex and the one man she can't quite escape. As the county medical examiner, he frequently consults with HEARTS and cases—and uses that connection to keep close to the woman he's still not over. When Eva needs a fake husband to work alongside her as a decoy, Josh agrees on one condition: that Eva won't do anything to put herself in harm's way. Living together stirs up old feelings and old passions. And while Eva and Joshua try to sort out their demons, a voyeur is on the loose and getting braver by the day. Views: 207
With "a touch of genius," this round-robin mystery follow-up to The Floating Admiral features famous detectives including Lord Peter Wimsey (TheTimes Literary Supplement). Following the success of The Floating Admiral, in which certain members of the Detection Club—including Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, and G. K. Chesterton—collaborated on a whodunit, six writers pooled their talents to create another coauthored mystery. This time the premise had an added twist: authors would swap their detective characters, allowing for some extremely entertaining parodies of one another's sleuths. When a ruthless British newspaper tycoon is shot dead in his home, the high-level suspects include the assistant commissioner of Scotland Yard, casting doubt on the impartiality of a formal police investigation. As a solution, the home secretary brings in four brilliant detectives to solve the murder: Mrs. Bradley, Sir John... Views: 207
From a New York Times-bestselling author, a stirring account of the siege of Acre in 1291, when the last Christian stronghold fell to the Muslim army The 1291 siege of Acre was the Alamo of the Christian Crusades — the final bloody battle for the Holy Land. After a desperate six weeks, the beleaguered citadel surrendered to the Mamluks, bringing an end to Christendom's two-hundred year adventure in the Middle East.In The Accursed Tower, Roger Crowley delivers a lively narrative of the lead-up to the siege and a vivid, blow-by-blow account of the climactic battle. Drawing on extant Arabic sources as well as untranslated Latin documents, he argues that Acre is notable for technical advances in military planning and siege warfare, and extraordinary for its individual heroism and savage slaughter. A gripping depiction of the crusader era told through its dramatic last moments, The Accursed Tower offers an essential new view on a crucial... Views: 207
