Other books that might interest you

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  Modern Japan - From Isolation to...

  Rolf Hedger

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  This meticulously researched work chronicles the dramatic evolution of Japanese society, politics, and culture across five crucial periods that shaped modern Japan. 
  The Edo Period (1603-1868) sets the stage for Japan's modernization, examining the isolationist Sakoku policy that limited foreign contact for over two centuries. Explore how this era of peace under Tokugawa rule fostered a unique urban culture, flourishing arts, and a complex social hierarchy. 
  The Meiji Era (1868-1912) unveils Japan's remarkable metamorphosis following the fall of the shogunate. Witness the rapid industrialization, constitutional monarchy, and wholesale adoption of Western technologies and institutions that transformed Japan. 
  The Taisho Era (1912-1926), though brief, represents a critical period of liberalization and cultural experimentation. Discover the blossoming of democratic ideals, the emergence of "Taisho democracy," and the cultural renaissance that saw Western influences blend with traditional Japanese aesthetics during this often-overlooked chapter of Japanese history. 
  The Showa Era (1926-1989) encompasses Japan's most tumultuous and consequential decades, from militarism and war to miraculous economic recovery. Follow Japan's journey through ultranationalism, World War II, Allied occupation, and its stunning rise as an economic superpower. 
  Imperial Japan (1868-1945) examines the nation's complex imperial period, from the restoration of Emperor Meiji to the aftermath of World War II. Understand the interplay between ancient imperial traditions and modern state-building that fueled Japan's rise as a colonial power and its fateful path to war. 
  Richly illustrated and accessibly written, this definitive five-in-one volume offers both newcomers and Japan enthusiasts a comprehensive understanding of the forces that shaped modern Japan.

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  Spirit Traffic - A Mother's...

  C. Jane Taylor

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  Spirit Traffic recounts how, at the age of 50, the author learned to ride a motorcycle, overcame the terror of navigating her steep dirt driveway in Vermont, and, three days after her son’s college graduation, set off with him and her yoga-teacher husband (his stepdad) on a 10,000-mile two-wheel adventure that took them all into uncharted territory—both as novice riders, and as a family. As if in the saddle of her dual-sport BMW, the reader will experience the good, the bad, and the heartbreak of her journey as a soon-to-be-empty-nester grappling with impermanence, sexuality, hot flashes, high winds, and tailgating tour buses.  
  Spirit Traffic is at once a colorful travelogue of a bucket-list bikers’ route across America and an unflinching memoir of a middle-aged mom conquering her fears (on and off the bike), unpacking a complicated childhood with an addict father and stoic mother, and ultimately, learning to let go of her only child. (Think Blue Highways meets Zen & The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance meets Operating Instructions meets Wild.) 
  With its first-person accounts of legendary rides such as the Burr Trail, Hell’s Backbone Road, and the Pacific Coast Highway, Spirit Traffic will find a ready audience among bikers. But as a midlife memoir, Spirit Traffic will also resonate for anyone who is navigating the departure of a child, negotiating the dynamic tensions of family, or simply yearning for life’s next adventure.

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  God gave Us a Special Needs...

  Dr. Lloyd C. Darby Ph.D.

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  I wrote this book because I wanted the world to know the story of my special needs son Lloyd C. Darby lll. Affectionately known as DJ, which stands for Darby Junior. When people triumph over their circumstances as my wife and I have, there are usually hidden lessons others can benefit from contained within the events. However, if we don’t share our stories with the world, no one will ever hear about them. That’s why it is so important to share our successes, and failures, to let others know they are not alone. Rather, a part of a bigger picture that is so significant, their message alone has the power to set people free. Whether through books, video, television, or the radio, we must communicate our thoughts and promote ideas and principles that produce a better society for all people. Due to the painful memories, and recreating various parts of my true story, I needed to make this book simple to understand. It is my sincere effort that this information can be absorbed quickly and to the point.

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  Life of Christ

  Giuseppe Ricciotti

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  Unabridged English Translation including 92 footnotes. 
  An instant best-seller in Italy, Vita di Gesù Cristo ("Life of Jesus Christ") was also highly praised by Catholic peer journals worldwide and has never since been out of print. The author, Giuseppe Ricciotti, was an archaeologist and Biblical scholar. After his seminary studies and completing mandatory military service, he was ordained a priest in 1913 and continued his studies at the University of Rome. During World War I he served as a military chaplain, volunteering for service at the front lines, for which he was later awarded a Silver Medal of Military Valor. After the war, he resumed his studies and graduated in 1919 with a degree in Biblical Studies. During World War II, he took in many refugees at the congregation's Motherhouse the Basilica of St. Peter in Chains. 
  Excerpt from the Author's Preface:  
  I have studied the ancient fact and not the modem theory, the solidity of the documents and not the flimsiness of any interpretation presently the fashion. The first vague notion of writing this book came to me many years ago in extraordinary circumstances. I had been carried to a field hospital set up in a wood of fir trees in a valley among the Alps. For some time, I hovered between life and death. And awaiting my fate, it suddenly came to me that if I should live, I might write a life of Christ; his Gospel, in fact, was on the straw mattress beside me. The thought never left me; it became a kind of spiritual necessity. I have studied the ancient fact and not the modem theory, the solidity of the documents and not the flimsiness of any interpretations presently the fashion. I have even dared to imitate the famous "dispassionateness” of the canonical Evangelists, who have neither an exclamation of joy when Jesus is born nor a word of lament when he dies. It has been my intention, then, to write a critical work.

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  Crusade to Heal America - The...

  Judith L. Pearson

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  “I am opposed to heart disease and cancer the way one is opposed to sin.” With that as her battle cry, health activist and philanthropist Mary Woodard Lasker had a singular goal: saving lives by increasing medical research. Together with her husband, advertising genius Albert, they created the Lasker Foundation, bestowing the Lasker Awards. Known as the “American Nobels,” these became the most prestigious research awards in America. The Laskers’ next step was transforming the sleepy and ineffectual American Society for the Control of Cancer, reinventing it as the American Cancer Society in 1944. But the real increase in medical research funding occurred when Mary discovered a revolutionary source: the federal government. “I’m just a catalytic agent,” she would insist, while she tirelessly lobbied Congress and presidents alike. She played a major role in expanding the National Institutes of Health from a single entity to the largest research facility in the world. A feminist who used her femininity wisely, Mary’s ultimate victory was bringing together two political adversaries to help launch the original cancer moonshot: the 1971 National Cancer Act. This deeply researched biography paints the portrait of a woman who was savvy, steely, and deliberate. Mary Lasker courageously positioned herself at the crossroads of politics, science, and medicine. At a time when women in research laboratories and the halls of Congress were anomalies, she smashed stereotypes.

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  Modern Nations - The Making of...

  Lillian Brooks

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  "Modern Nations: The Making of Australia, New Zealand, and Māori Identity (2 in 1)" explores the transformative journey of two nations as they evolved from colonial settlements into independent, modern states, while also examining the ongoing struggle for recognition and identity among Indigenous communities. This two-part volume captures the complex and often challenging histories that shaped Australia and New Zealand, revealing how these countries forged their national identities amidst cultural clashes, political shifts, and social change.  
  The first section, The Making of Modern New Zealand, traces New Zealand's path from British colony to sovereign nation, highlighting the impact of European settlement, the Treaty of Waitangi, and the ongoing fight for Māori rights and cultural preservation.  
  The second section, History of Australia, explores the formation of modern Australia — from its origins as a British penal colony to its emergence as a diverse and independent nation — while also acknowledging the profound and lasting effects of colonization on Aboriginal communities.  
  Together, these narratives provide a comprehensive understanding of how colonial histories, Indigenous resistance, and nation-building efforts have shaped the modern identities of Australia, New Zealand, and their Indigenous peoples. This book is an essential resource for anyone seeking to understand the dynamic and often contested histories that continue to influence these nations today.

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