Terrorist groups and organized crime cartels pose an increasing threat of kidnapping throughout many regions in the word. At the same time, international travel has become more commonplace for both business and leisure purposes. Kidnapping and Abduction: Minimizing the Threat and Lessons in Survival provides a practical guide on the precautions travelers can take to avoid being kidnapped or derail a kidnapping attempt in progress. In the event this cannot be avoided, the book supplies advice on how to ensure survival during captivity. Readers will learn: The basic elements of kidnapping and abduction The motivations and mechanisms of kidnappers The hotspots where kidnapping/hostage taking is prevalent Vehicles best suited for avoidance of kidnap threat and proposals for up-armoring an existing vehicle How to recognize immediate threats and precautions to be taken in assessing threat level The types of weapons most favored by kidnappers and their threat level Available bullet-resistant materials and their use in stab- and bullet-resistant vests Resistance methodologies and weapons for self-defense Legislation in various countries pertaining to the carrying of weapons How to survive long-term abduction if kidnapped How to best assist the authorities once released Essential reading for anyone living, doing business, or traveling abroad or at sea, this practical handbook reveals tactics that best enable those vulnerable to protect against an attack—or in the worse-case scenario, increase their chances for survival.
During a fire, a patient walks away from a mental institution where she has been confined for fifteen years without justification. Her memory gone, she wanders for days before stumbling into a small town church where she is taken in by the minister and his wife. During a trip, Autumn sees the person who betrayed her and her memory returns in one horrifying moment. Fearing for her safety and the safety of those who befriended her, she accepts a position as a companion to Megan, the daughter of a ruthless lumber baron who rules his mountain and his family with an iron fist. Megan finds her new companion residing in her mother's rooms that have been closed for years. In spite of her resolve not to like this woman, Megan finds herself drawn to her. A Tangled Web takes place in the mountains of West Virginia and in New Orleans. It's a story of the devastation of virgin forest and the people who lived, worked, loved, and died there. It takes place at the turn of the century, when a growing America needed the lumber. After 51 years of marriage, raising four children and one grandchild, life began for Leannah O'Brian at 70, when she finally decided to pursue a lifelong dream of writing. "I had some children's short stories published over the years, but it was a hit and miss endeavor. I have a degree in interior design and am a Realtor by trade. My hobbies include reading, hiking, going to the beach, and drawing and painting." She lives in Port Orange, Florida. Publisher's website: http: //sbpra.com/LeannahOBrian
After inheriting an old house in Yorkshire, ex officer Guy Bennett is looking forward to the rural life. It’s not long, however, before he is approached by another ex officer whom he believes is working for the British Government. Intrigued, Guy is persuaded to carry out a number of ‘black operation’ - off the books - missions, in the belief that the targets are guilty but who would walk free without his ‘intervention’. A beautiful house, a beautiful woman (or two) ... and a Porsche 911 – Guy’s got it made. But one mission seems to stand out as different and Guy realizes that all is not as it should be. He seeks help from a retired General and the leader of the opposition but he soon starts to fear the influence of prominent right-wing sympathisers. The British secret service ask him to infiltrate this illegal organization – but at what risk? A tense, erotic tale.
The financial world is changing rapidly, and biblical scriptures and prophets warn of more economic stormy weather ahead. In the guidebook Built Upon a Rock, Brian Horne, a Certified Financial Planner and accountant, relies on his professional experience and spiritual upbringing to provide methods for protecting assets, investing and saving money, and avoiding financial pitfalls. Horne provides sound financial and biblical principles that will help you to understand the importance of achieving financial self-reliance during the tumultuous Last Days; foretold in the scriptures. With an easy-to-follow style, Horne teaches all Christians, both financial novices and experienced investors how to: Prepare Financially for the Last Days; set up a budget and create a debt-elimination calendar; save and invest your money using Biblical principles; properly invest in real estate or home ownership; invest your IRA and 401(k) wisely; find the proper insurance coverage for Life, Home, Auto; buy gold and silverwhy & when; prevent identity theft ; and improve a credit score. Built Upon a Rock shares practical advice coupled with spiritual insight that will help the reader distinguish between wants and needs and lead them to achieve peace of mind in uncertain times.
Terrorist groups and organized crime cartels pose an increasing threat of kidnapping throughout many regions in the word. At the same time, international travel has become more commonplace for both business and leisure purposes. Kidnapping and Abduction: Minimizing the Threat and Lessons in Survival provides a practical guide on the precautions travelers can take to avoid being kidnapped or derail a kidnapping attempt in progress. In the event this cannot be avoided, the book supplies advice on how to ensure survival during captivity. Readers will learn: The basic elements of kidnapping and abduction The motivations and mechanisms of kidnappers The hotspots where kidnapping/hostage taking is prevalent Vehicles best suited for avoidance of kidnap threat and proposals for up-armoring an existing vehicle How to recognize immediate threats and precautions to be taken in assessing threat level The types of weapons most favored by kidnappers and their threat level Available bullet-resistant materials and their use in stab- and bullet-resistant vests Resistance methodologies and weapons for self-defense Legislation in various countries pertaining to the carrying of weapons How to survive long-term abduction if kidnapped How to best assist the authorities once released Essential reading for anyone living, doing business, or traveling abroad or at sea, this practical handbook reveals tactics that best enable those vulnerable to protect against an attack—or in the worse-case scenario, increase their chances for survival.
Brian W. Fairbanks, Entertainment Editor at Paris Woman Journal in Paris, France, "has a talent for extracting the essence of a given subject and articulating it in a meaningful way."In I SAW THAT MOVIE, TOO, he extracts the essence from several hundred films, and articulates some of the most meaningful opinions on the cinema you'll ever read. In the foreword, he also offers a perceptive analysis of the way that movies, more importantly, the way we "see" movies, has changed from the time he was a young movie buff "obsessed by that light in the darkness" to the era of the multiplex and the DVD.As one reader says, he has "a sophisticated yet effortlessly readable style." Smart, insightful, always honest, but never pretentious, Fairbanks is a life-long film buff who backs up his opinions with a knowledge of both the art and artifice of cinema.
“Richly detailed and well-researched,” this story of one Native American chief’s resistance to American expansionism “unfolds like a political thriller” (Publishers Weekly). Toward the Setting Sun chronicles one of the most significant but least explored periods in American history—the nineteenth century forced removal of Native Americans from their lands—through the story of Chief John Ross, who came to be known as the Cherokee Moses. Son of a Scottish trader and a quarter-Cherokee woman, Ross was educated in white schools and was only one-eighth Indian by blood. But as Cherokee chief in the mid-nineteenth century, he would guide the tribe through its most turbulent period. The Cherokees’ plight lay at the epicenter of nearly all the key issues facing America at the time: western expansion, states’ rights, judicial power, and racial discrimination. Clashes between Ross and President Andrew Jackson raged from battlefields and meeting houses to the White House and Supreme Court. As whites settled illegally on the Nation’s land, the chief steadfastly refused to sign a removal treaty. But when a group of renegade Cherokees betrayed their chief and negotiated their own agreement, Ross was forced to lead his people west. In one of America’s great tragedies, thousands died during the Cherokees’ migration on the Trail of Tears. “Powerful and engaging . . . By focusing on the Ross family, Hicks brings narrative energy and original insight to a grim and important chapter of American life.” —Jon Meacham
How can the life and teachings of Jesus impact the most critical global problems in our world today? For the last twenty years, Brian McLaren has been unable to escape this life-shaping question. In Everything Must Change, he unveils a fresh and provocative vision of Jesus and his teachings, and how his message of hope can ignite purpose and passion to change the economic, environmental, military, political, and social crises that have overtaken our world. The Good News is more than a ticket to heaven. It is an invitation to personal change and a radical challenge for global transformation. Imagine what would happen: if we believed that God's will really could be done on earth and not just in heaven if the world's leading nations spent less on weapons and more on making peace, alleviating poverty, and caring for creation if a renewed understanding of Jesus and his message sparked a profound spiritual awakening in a global movement of faith, hope, and love If you are hungry for a fresh vision of what it means to be a person of faith, Everything Must Change shows what would happen when Jesus' Good News collides with a world in need.
This changes everything we thought we knew about John Steinbeck. After languishing in the CIA’s archives for 60 years, a letter is uncovered in John Steinbeck’s own hand that shatters everything history tells us about the author’s life. Written in 1952, to CIA Director Walter Bedell Smith, Steinbeck makes an offer to become an asset for the Agency during a trip to Europe later that year. More shocking than Steinbeck’s letter is Smith’s reply accepting John’s proposal. Discovered by author Brian Kannard, these letters create the tantalizing proposal that John Steinbeck was, in fact, a CIA spy. Utilizing information from Steinbeck’s FBI file, John’s own correspondence, and interviews with John’s son Thomas Steinbeck, playwright Edward Albee, a former CIA intelligence officer, and others, Steinbeck: Citizen Spy uncovers the secret life of American cultural icon and Nobel Prize–winner, John Steinbeck. •Did Steinbeck actively gather information for the intelligence community during his 1947 and 1963 trips to the Soviet Union? •Why was the controversial author of The Grapes of Wrath never called before the House Select Committee on Un-American Activities, despite alleged ties to Communist organizations? •Did the CIA influence Steinbeck to produce Cold War propaganda as part of Operation MOCKINGBIRD? •Why did the CIA admit to the Church Committee in 1975 that Steinbeck was a subject of their illegal mail-opening program known as HTLINGUAL? These and a host of other resources leave little doubt that there are depths yet unplumbed in the life of one of America’s most treasured authors. Just how heavily was Steinbeck involved in CIA operations? What did he know? And how much did he sacrifice for his country? Steinbeck: Citizen Spy brings us one step closer to the truth.
Encounter the Heart of God The Passion Translation® is a modern, easy-to-read Bible translation that unlocks the passion of God’s heart and expresses his fiery love—merging emotion and life-changing truth. The Masterpiece Edition of this translation includes 60 inspiring devotions penned by author Cheryl Ricker and 60 breathtaking illustrations from the hand of artist Ron DiCianni. This Bible will evoke an overwhelming response in every reader, unfolding the deep mysteries of the Scriptures. If you are hungry for God, The Passion Translation will help you encounter his heart and know him more intimately. Fall in love with God all over again. NEW FEATURES · Over 1000 new and revised in-depth footnotes with insightful study notes, commentary, word studies, cross references, and alternate translations · Updated text · 16 pages of full-color maps locating and identifying: o Jesus’ birth, early years, ministry, and last days o major New Testament stories and their political backgrounds o epic journeys and missions of the apostles Paul, Philip, and Peter o the early church and seven churches of Revelation o the territory of the Roman Empire o the Holy Land today and in the time of Jesus
Living Liturgy(TM) is your comprehensive go-to guide for preparing Sunday liturgy. The 2018 edition provides completely new content by a fresh team of expert authors. What you get is practical, sound, and inspiring preparation for your parish ministry. This best-selling annual resource is ideal for parish ministers, liturgists, pastors, planning committees, and RCIA programs. It offers the week's Sunday readings, plus insightful reflections and background for parish ministers of all types. Engaging new art by three remarkable artists complements the text. Written completely fresh each liturgical year, Living Liturgy(TM) gives your team members the spiritual preparation they need to become true ministers of the liturgy. Living Liturgy(TM) integrates daily living, prayer, and study in one inviting and easy-to-use resource. It is an indispensable guide that deepens and strengthens the worship experience for the whole parish. It includes featured liturgical texts, supports for ministry, and utility features. Consider it an essential resource to connecting the liturgy to leadership so that celebrating the liturgy and living a liturgical spirituality become the focus of each ministry. Featured Liturgical Texts - Collect - Gospel Acclamation - Gospel - Responsorial Psalm - First Reading - Second Reading Supports for Ministry - Reflecting on the Gospel - Living the Paschal Mystery - Focusing the Gospel, First Reading, Responsorial Psalm, Second Reading - About Liturgy - About Liturgical Music - About Initiation - Prompts for Homilists, Catechists, and RCIA Teams - Model Penitential Act - Homily Points - Model Universal Prayer (Prayer of the Faithful) - Engaging art drawn from the gospel message Utility Features - How to use this resource guide - Pronunciation guide - Calendar-dated - Perfect-bound - Readings in sense lines
The book of Revelation is one of the most complicated in the New Testament. The book calls for a prophetic reaction to the world and uses some of the most violent language of the entire Bible. Brian Blount's commentary provides a sure and confident guide through these difficult and sometimes troubling passages, seeing Revelation as a prophetic intervention and at the same time an awe-inspiring swirl of frightening violence and breathtaking hope. The New Testament Library offers authoritative ommentary on every book and major aspect of the New Testament, as well as classic volumes of scholarship. The commentaries in this series provide fresh translations based on the best available ancient manuscripts, offer critical portrayals of the historical world in which the books were created, pay careful attention to their literary esign, and present a theologically perceptive exposition of the text.
The Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD is one of the most comprehensive critical guides to jazz recordings available. For this revised and updated edition, some 2,000 listings have been added. Each entry is rated by leading critics Richard Cook and Brian Morton and includes musical and biographical details, full line-ups, and information on recording quality.
Puzzled by John? This exciting book illuminates the Gospel in a completely fresh way. Reading and working with it will deepen fellowship and skill in pastoral care. The text is mined for gems of insight into ourselves, and as a rich resource of ample illustrative material for preachers and teachers. Poetry, prose, and hymn references abound. Pastor John elucidates the first four chapters of John’s Gospel, presenting new insights into the text in a way that involves us in the story. When we read, we come nearer to Jesus, who is always with us anyway! A guide is provided for understanding ourselves, experienced by sharing with each other. Precise guidance is given for workshops, where all contribute something of themselves in the light of the text. This experience of John’s Gospel is illuminated using the latest way of reading the text. What the story means is conveyed in detailed Bible study. It becomes real for us, and this reality is explored by understanding the process of reading and observing our reactions to the text. John’s Christ becomes central to who we are.
In his commentary on the epistles of the Apostle John, Dr. Bailey develops the dominant message of love as well as the idea of Christian maturity. Through his examination of the three levels of Christian maturity described by John: little children, young men, and fathers, you will be encouraged to enter into a deeper relationship with our blessed Lord as you go on to know Him and obtain “the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”
The Holy Spirit has empowered every believer not only to proclaim but also to demonstrate the reality of the good news of the gospel by living a lifestyle of signs and wonders that puts Jesus on display. As we look for the Holy Spirit's activity happening around us, listen for His voice, and respond in obedience, we enable others to encounter the love and power of Jesus through us. We don't bring ministry, Pastor Brian Blount says; we simply step into it. But there is still risk involved: We have to step out of the boat and walk on the water of uncertainty for the sake of the kingdom. How can we overcome the fear of failure and rejection? Offering practical insights and tools through true personal stories, Brian helps believers stand on a firm biblical foundation in order to engage in the ministry of Jesus every day. Live boldly as you participate in the lively lifestyle of everyday evangelism!
For the first time, all five of John Napier’s works have been brought together in English in a single volume, making them more accessible than ever before. His four mathematical works were originally published in Latin: two in his lifetime (1550–1617), one shortly after he died, and one over 200 years later. The authors have prepared three introductory chapters, one covering Napier himself, one his mathematical works, and one his religious work. The former has been prepared by one of Napier’s descendants and contains many new findings about Napier’s life to provide the most complete biography of this enigmatic character, whose reputation has previously been overshadowed by rumour and speculation. The latter has been written by an academic who was awarded a PhD for his thesis on Napier at the University of Edinburgh, and it provides the most lucid and coherent coverage available of this abstruse and little understood work. The chapter on Napier’s mathematical texts has been authored by an experienced and respected academic, whose recent works have specialised in the history of mathematics and whose Journey through Mathematics was selected in March of 2012 as an Outstanding Title in Mathematics by Choice magazine, a publication of the American Library Association. All three authors have revisited the primary sources extensively and deliver new insights about Napier and his works, whilst revising the many myths and assumptions that surround his life and character.
WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY CRAIG BROWN, BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF ONE TWO THREE FOUR Everybody knows the Beatles: John, Paul, George, Ringo ... and Brian. The Fab Four's meteoric rise is one of the most famous rags-to-riches stories ever told. And behind it all was Brian Epstein, the 'fifth Beatle' and legendary manager, who transformed the group from a small-time club band into global superstars. What was his secret? How did one man lead these scruffy Liverpool lads to change the world of popular music forever? A Cellarful of Noise is Brian Epstein's original 1964 memoir of a life spent making music history. It includes thirty contemporary photographs which offer a glimpse of Brian and the Beatles on their way to phenomenal success. Eye-opening, moving and constantly entertaining, this is essential reading for every Beatles fan.
An alleged victim of the Son of Sam shares his search for the truth about who really tried to kill him in this true crime story. In 1976, a killer who called himself “The Son of Sam” shot and killed a half dozen people and wounded as many more in New York City. During his crime spree, the madman left bizarre letters mocking the police and promising more deaths. After months of terrorizing the city while garnering front-page headlines and international attention, a man named David Berkowitz was arrested. He confessed to the shootings, claiming to be obeying a demon that resided in a dog belonging to his neighbor “Sam.” Among the alleged victims was Carl Denaro. On the night he was shot, Denaro was hanging out with some friends at a bar when he met up with a woman named Rosemary Keenan. The couple left the bar and went to Keenan’s car for some privacy. However, a few minutes later, the windows of the car exploded as Denaro was shot in the head by an unseen assailant. Miraculously, Denaro survived the attack. When Berkowitz was arrested, he was charged with trying to kill Denaro. However, there was a twist. Although he confessed to the other shootings, after his conviction Berkowitz denied attacking Denaro. Now, after years of research, Denaro is convinced that Berkowitz was telling the truth, and that someone else tried to kill him . . . In “The Son of Sam” and Me, author Carl Denaro with co-author Brian Whitney (The “Supreme Gentleman” Killer) reveals his search for the truth and his shocking conclusion regarding the real shooter’s identity. Denaro also discusses his friendship and investigative partnership with Maury Terry, the author of The Ultimate Evil, which is considered the definitive case study on the theory that Berkowitz did not act alone. Includes never-revealed correspondence between Denaro and Berkowitz
Five hundred years ago Martin Luther posted his ninety-five theses or grievances to the door of the All Saints' Church of Wittenberg and condemned the Catholic Church’s teaching of indulgences as nothing but a scheme to raise money for the church. It is a supreme irony of history that, five hundred years later, it is now a subset of the Protestant Church that is defrauding the faithful. The Catholic Church’s teaching of indulgences and the evangelical movement’s teaching of tithing-to-be-blessed are substantially the same and lead to the same result: In both cases, the church walks away with a bag of money and the Christian walks away with a bag full of empty promises. This book explains why I am losing faith in the church, but finding faith in Christ. The reason for this is that I began finding answers to some of the most elusive questions about God. Something is preventing God from doing all the good that he would otherwise want to do. But here is the problem. How can God have limitations? If he has limitations, then he must not be divine. However, there is one thing that could prevent a good, all-powerful God from doing all the good that he would otherwise want to do that would not detract at all from his omnipotence. What this is and how it holds the key to unlocking some of the most perplexing mysteries of God is explained in this book.
Pastor Brian Zahnd began "to question the theology of a wrathful God who delights in punishing sinners, and has started to explore the real nature of Jesus and His Father. The book isn’t only an interesting look at the context of some modern theological ideas; it’s also offers some profound insight into God’s love and eternal plan." —Relevant Magazine (Named one of the Top 10 Books of 2017) God is wrath? Or God is Love? In his famous sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,” Puritan revivalist Jonathan Edwards shaped predominating American theology with a vision of God as angry, violent, and retributive. Three centuries later, Brian Zahnd was both mesmerized and terrified by Edwards’s wrathful God. Haunted by fear that crippled his relationship with God, Zahnd spent years praying for a divine experience of hell. What Zahnd experienced instead was the Father’s love—revealed perfectly through Jesus Christ—for all prodigal sons and daughters. In Sinners in the Hands of a Loving God, Zahnd asks important questions like: Is seeing God primarily as wrathful towards sinners true or biblical? Is fearing God a normal expected behavior? And where might the natural implications of this theological framework lead us? Thoughtfully wrestling with subjects like Old Testament genocide, the crucifixion of Jesus, eternal punishment in hell, and the final judgment in Revelation, Zanhd maintains that the summit of divine revelation for sinners is not God is wrath, but God is love.
Scholars have long puzzled over the distinctive themes and sequence of John’s narrative in contrast to the Synoptic Gospels. Brian Neil Peterson now offers a remarkable explanation for some of the most unusual features of John, including the early placement of Jesus’ “cleansing” of the temple, the emphasis on “signs” confirming Jesus’ identity, the prominence of Jesus’ “I Am” sayings, and a number of others. The Fourth Evangelist relied on models, motifs, and even the macrostructure of the Book of Ezekiel.
An affectionate homage...a loving reconstruction of an era of storytelling now lost." —The New York Times "[A] triumph...If a writer is going to put on Stevenson’s voice, he’d better, as the poets say, 'bring it.' Reader, Doyle has brought it...Adventures is a tonic for our bitter times." —Washington Post The young Robert Louis Stevenson, living in a boarding house in San Francisco in the 19th century while waiting for his beloved’s divorce from her feckless husband, dreamed of writing a soaring novel about his landlady’s adventurous and globe-trotting husband—but he never got around to it. And very soon thereafter he was married, headed home to Scotland, and on his way to becoming the most famous novelist in the world, after writing such classics as Treasure Island, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and Kidnapped. But now Brian Doyle brings Stevenson’s untold tale to life, braiding the adventures of seaman John Carson with those of a young Stevenson, wandering the streets of San Francisco, gathering material for his fiction, and yearning for his beloved across the bay. An adventure tale, an elegy to one of the greatest writers of our language, a time-traveling plunge into The City by the Bay during its own energetic youth, The Adventures of John Carson in Several Quarters of the World is entertaining, poignant, and sensual.
When the United States faces off against a Zairian warlord, no one could have predicted the outcome: apocalypse at the hands of the living dead. This story tracks the experiences of one Nadene Schafer, a 13-year-old girl with a strange and special talent, on her journey with other survivors who are trying to escape the zombie infested areas and survive on a day to day basis. They soon find out that this is no easy task, and that survival itself is fleeting.
John’s Gospel can be both inspiring and bewildering. This book enables insight into the Gospel in a fresh way. How is it that we respond to it as we do? Understanding is enhanced by studying the text and by being aware of the kind of responses we make. Reading and working with it will deepen fellowship and skill in pastoral care. John’s text is mined for gems of insight into ourselves and as a rich resource of ample illustrative material for preachers and teachers. This book elucidates chapters five to nine of the Gospel, presenting insights that involve us in the story. The content derives from years of teaching John’s Gospel in workshops and reflection groups in varying church contexts. Guidance is given in working in this way and in how we can share our insights with each other in the light of the text. This experience of John’s Gospel is illuminated using recent ways of reading. What the story means is conveyed in detailed Bible study. It becomes real for us. How this happens is explored by understanding the process of reading and by observing our reactions to the text. John’s Christ becomes central to who we are.
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