Anonymous Anonymous

This volume reproduces the 1932 Modern Library edition, for which Bennett A. Cerf chose the most famous and representative stories from Sir Richard F. Burton's multivolume translation, and includes Burton's extensive and acclaimed explanatory notes. The tales of told by Shahrazad over a thousand and one nights to delay her execution by the vengeful King Shahriyar have become among the most popular in both Eastern and Western literature, as recounted by Sir Francis Burton. From the epic adventures of "Aladdin and the Enchanted Lamp" to the farcical "Young Woman and her Five Lovers" and the social criticism of "The Tale of the Hunchback", the stories depict a fabulous world of all-powerful sorcerers, jinns imprisoned in bottles and enchanting princesses. But despite their imaginative extravagance, the Tales are anchored to everyday life by their realism, providing a full and intimate record of medieval Islam.'

The Quran (English pronunciation: /kɔrˈɑːn/; Arabic: القرآن‎ al-qurʾān, IPA: [qurˈʔaːn], literally meaning "the recitation"), also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Al-Coran, Coran, Kur'an, and Al-Qur'an, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims believe to be the verbatim word of God (Arabic: الله‎, Allah). The Quran is composed of verses (Ayat) that make up 114 chapters (suras) of unequal length which are classified either as Meccan (المكية) or Medinan (المدنية) depending upon the place and time of their claimed revelation. Muslims believe the Quran to be verbally revealed through the angel Jibrīl (Gabriel) from God to Muhammad gradually over a period of approximately 23 years beginning on 22 December 609 CE, when Muhammad was 40, and concluding in 632 CE, the year of his death. Muslims regard the Quran as the main miracle of Muhammad, the proof of his prophethood and the culmination of a series of divine messages that started with the messages revealed to Adam, regarded in Islam as the first prophet, and continued with Suhuf Ibrahim (Scrolls of Abraham), the Tawrat (Torah or Pentateuch) of Moses, the Zabur (Tehillim or Book of Psalms) of David, and the Injil (Gospel) of Jesus. The Quran assumes familiarity with major narratives recounted in Jewish and Christian scriptures, summarizing some, dwelling at length on others and in some cases presenting alternative accounts and interpretations of events. The Quran describes itself as a book of guidance, sometimes offering detailed accounts of specific historical events, and often emphasizing the moral significance of an event over its narrative sequence.

Miraculously preserved on clay tablets dating back as much as four thousand years, the poem of Gilgamesh, king of Uruk, is the world’s oldest epic, predating Homer by many centuries. The story tells of Gilgamesh’s adventures with the wild man Enkidu, and of his arduous journey to the ends of the earth in quest of the Babylonian Noah and the secret of immortality. Alongside its themes of family, friendship and the duties of kings, the Epic of Gilgamesh is, above all, about mankind’s eternal struggle with the fear of death.The Babylonian version has been known for over a century, but linguists are still deciphering new fragments in Akkadian and Sumerian.

Hurt people hurt people. Say there was a novel in which Holden Caulfield was an alcoholic and Lolita was a photographer’s assistant and, somehow, they met in Bright Lights, Big City. He’s blinded by love. She by ambition. Diary of an Oxygen Thief is an honest, hilarious, and heartrending novel, but above all, a very realistic account of what we do to each other and what we allow to have done to us.

Biblija ili Sveto pismo jest zbirka knjiga koje Hebreji i kršćani na svoj način smatraju svetima. Dijeli se u dva velika dijela: Stari i Novi zavjet. Kršćani Bibliju proučavaju kao svoju normativnu, za život smjerodavnu knjigu u kojoj oni nalaze poruku - riječ Božju. No, Biblija je uz to i spomenik historije čovječanstva, jedna od najstarijih knjiga, u kojoj je genij Hebreja na svoj način asimilirao i dalje obogatio razmišljanje i mudrost drevne Mezopotamije i Egipta, da je onda, obogaćenu grčkim genijem, po Novom zavjetu i daljnjem kršćanskom razmišljanju unese u tadašnji grčko-rimski svijet. Po postanku i jeziku, po sadržaju i stilu, po slikovitosti i metaforici, Biblija nije jedna knjiga, nego zbir knjiga koje su nastajale u razdoblju od 13. st. pr. Kr do 2. st. po Kr. Biblija je za kršćane sveta, inspirirana i kanonska knjiga. Za svakog čovjeka Biblija je istovremeno zbirka povijesnih isprava i književno djelo izvorne i neprolazne umjetničke snage. Ona pripada zajedničkoj kulturi čovječanstva. Stari zavjet u Bibliji Stvarnosti plod je mnogostruko udruženog rada hrvatskih bibličara i književnika. Kao polazišni tekst izabran je prijevod Antuna Sovića, s tim da je Petoknjižje preveo Silvije Grubišić, Psalme Filibert Gass, a Pjesmu nad pjesmama Nikola Miličević. Novi zavjet preveo je Ljudevit Rupčić.

This erotic anthology has something for everyone and caters to many different tastes and proclivities. Discover what interests or excites you. Explore which is your perfect story. Return to it again and again. We dare you. A virgin receives an especially satisfying gift at a masked ball... A duke offers to settle a man’s debt for one night with his wife... As an introduction to a secret club, a viscount’s heir is made over into a woman—and discovers her true self... Plus nine more sensual stories of libidinous lust, catering to the tastes of varying sexual appetites. Whatever your fancy, Aphrodite in Bloom is ready and willing to serve…

'The bride then came surrounded by her slave girls like the moon among stars or a matchless pearl set among others on a string.' When the beautiful Shahrazad gives herself to the bloody-handed King Shahriyar, she is not expected to survive beyond dawn. But using her wit and guile, she begins a sequence of stories that will last 1001 nights: stories of 'ifrits and money-changers, prices and slave girls, fishermen and queens, and magical gardens of paradise. This volume also includes the well-known tale of 'Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves'. Along with this landmark new translation, Robert Irwin's introduction discusses the many cultures The Arabian Nights has drawn on and the elaborate structure of the story-within-a-story that defines the collection, as well as the importance to the Nights of locked doors, sex, and the recurring themes of money, merchants and debts. This edition also contains suggestions for further reading, a glossary, maps and a chronology.

A New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice For eight weeks in 1945, as Berlin fell to the Russian army, a young woman kept a daily record of life in her apartment building and among its residents. The anonymous author depicts her fellow Berliners in all their humanity, as well as their cravenness, corrupted first by hunger and then by the Russians. A Woman in Berlin tells of the complex relationship between civilians and an occupying army and the shameful indignities to which women in a conquered city are always subject--the mass rape suffered by all, regardless of age or infirmity.

Welcome to the age of Anti-Social Media. Exchanging alcoholism for sex-addiction the controversial writer of underground cult classic DIARY OF AN OXYGEN THIEF retools his advertising skills to seduce women online. It's a pursuit that quickly becomes an obsession often requiring even more creativity than his award-winning ad campaigns, but don't worry there are plenty of breaks. For commercials. Dazzling, daunting and darkly hilarious CHAMELEON ON A KALEIDOSCOPE is a spectacular indictment of modern media and our increasing reliance on it.

Easwaran’s best-selling translation of the ancient wisdom texts called the Upanishads is reliable, readable, and profound. In the Upanishads, illumined sages share flashes of insight, the results of their investigation into consciousness itself. In extraordinary visions, they experience directly a transcendent Reality which is the essence, or Self, of each created being. They teach that each of us, each Self, is eternal, deathless, one with the power that created the universe. Easwaran’s best-selling translation of selections taken from the principal Upanishads and five others is reliable and accessible. It includes an overview of the cultural and historical setting, with chapter introductions, notes, and a Sanskrit glossary. But it is Easwaran’s understanding of the wisdom of the Upanishads, and their relevance to the modern reader, that makes this edition truly outstanding. Each sage, each Upanishad, appeals in different ways to the reader’s head and heart. As Easwaran writes, “The Upanishads belong not just to Hinduism. They are India’s most precious legacy to humanity, and in that spirit they are offered here.”

The Táin Bó Cúailnge, centre-piece of the eighth-century Ulster cycle of heroic tales, is Ireland's nearest approach to a great epic. It tells the story of a great cattle-raid, the invasion of Ulster by the armies of Medb and Ailill, queen and king of Connacht, and their allies, seeking to carry off the great Brown Bull of Cúailnge. The hero of the tale is Cúchulainn, the Hound of Ulster, who resists the invaders single-handed, while Ulster's warriors lie sick. Thomas Kinsella's presents a complete and living version of the story. His translation is based on the partial texts in two medieval manuscripts, with elements from other version, and adds a group of related stories which prepare for the action of the Táin. Illustrated with brush drawings by Louis le Brocquy, this edition provides a combination of medieval epic and modern art.

The New International Version is the world's most popular Bible in modern English and is renowned for its combination of accuracy and clarity of language.

A dark and edgy first-person cautionary tale about how one girl’s seemingly minor choices quickly spiraled into a life as a sex worker in the tradition of Go Ask Alice and Lucy in the Sky . She had a normal life, until one small decision changed everything. Suddenly, there were new possibilities and new experiences. But not all of those experiences were good. Read her shocking story in the diary she left behind.

His secret is his downfall. A riveting, first-person tale in the tradition of Go Ask Alice and Lucy in the Sky. The author of this fictional diary began writing for a class assignment, but soon it became much more to him. As the star player of his high school football team, he faces a lot of pressure and expectation. Not to mention the secret that he’s harboring inside. The secret that could change everything. And as David quickly learns, nothing stays secret forever. His innermost thoughts and feelings are chronicled in the diary he left behind.

December 18 Things are going from worse to impossible. I'm fighting a losing battle... Jay thought he could handle anything. The first time he took drugs was for fun. But what started as an escape quickly spiraled into a haze of addiction. That was just the beginning of the dangerous path that ultimately led Jay to take his own life. This is the journal he left behind.

Un destierro injusto.Intensas luchas de poder.Mujeres víctimas de la sociedad.Un héroe que se hace a sí mismo. ¿Sigues pensando que los clásicos son cosa del pasado?

58 pages, paperback, novela, with 7 page area for answering questions about symbolism in the text. 8 page glossary od vocab. words at back.

Googly-eyed critters make a variety of noises. (Googly eyes attached to last page.)

One man’s search for the truth about one of the most intriguing urban legends ever—the modern bogeyman, Slender Man—leads him down a dark, dangerous path in this creepy supernatural fantasy reminiscent of Night Film, House of Leaves, and Illuminae, that will make you question where the line between legend and fact begins A young man is desperate to find his missing friend . . . desperate enough to resort to the darkest means. But just how much is he willing to pay the Slender Man in order to save her? Told through a variety of narrative devices, including photos, journal entries, e-mails, articles, and other artifacts, this unique spine-tingling story is a brilliant and terrifying look at one of the most fascinating—and diabolical—mythical figures in modern times.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

A collection of rare texts from Ancient Egypt, newly translated for this essential edition   The fascination that Ancient Egypt holds in our minds has many sources, but at the heart of it lie hieroglyphics. This extraordinary writing system was for many years seen as the ultimate puzzle, before finally being cracked in the 1820s. Preserved carved in stone or inked on papyri, hieroglyphic writings give a unique insight into an awe-inspiring but also deeply mysterious culture.   For this collection, Toby Wilkinson has translated a rich selection of pieces, ranging from accounts of battles to hymns to stories to royal proclamations. Entertaining and revelatory, this is an essential resource for studying one of humankind’s great civilizations.   For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

The earliest of the four Hindu religious scriptures known as the Vedas, and the first extensive composition to survive in any Indo-European language, the Rig Veda is a collection of over 1000 individual Sanskrit hymns. A work of intricate beauty, it provides a unique insight into early Indian mythology, religion and culture. This selection of 18 of the hymns, chosen for their eloquence and wisdom, focuses on the enduring themes of creation, sacrifice, death, women, the sacred plant soma and the gods. Inspirational and profound, it provides a fascinating introduction to one of the founding texts of Hindu scripture, an awesome and venerable ancient work of Vedic ritual, prayer, philosophy, legend and faith.

An unprecedented behind-the-scenes portrait of the Trump presidency from the anonymous senior official whose first words of warning about the president rocked the nation's capital.

In the tradition of Go Ask Alice and Lucy in the Sky, a harrowing account of anorexia and addiction. She was a good girl from a good family, with everything she could want or need. But below the surface, she felt like she could never be good enough. Like she could never live up to the expectations that surrounded her. Like she couldn’t do anything to make a change. But there was one thing she could control completely: how much she ate. The less she ate, the better—stronger—she felt. But it’s a dangerous game, and there is such a thing as going too far… Her innermost thoughts and feelings are chronicled in the diary she left behind.

From the beginnings of Genesis to the end of Revelation, this new study Bible is filled with informative articles and full-color photographs of places and objects that will open readers' eyes to the historical context of the stories and people of the Scripture.

An eye-opening, thought-provoking and mind-blowing account from a genuine prison governor (warden) of what it’s really like behind bars. How do you bring order to the lawless? The Secret Prison Governor has spent decades surrounded by every type of prisoner known to man, from petty thiefs and common drug dealers to crime bosses and dangerous serial killers. Since starting as a rookie, he has experienced the reality of the UK’s harsh prison system and the hard challenge of ruling those within it. In his own words, the Secret Prison Governor spares no detail of prison life, whether that’s breaking up shiv fights, investigating and crushing vast networks of contraband, negotiating with hardened criminals or dealing with full-scale cellblock gang wars.This is the brutal truth of what life is really like behind bars.

'Raw, relentless ... Feverish' New Yorker 'This is a devastating book about harm. It's about the harm that is unleashed when one person swaps their humanity for what you can really only call evil' Sunday Times 'A controlled, exquisitely written book, it disturbs and disgusts, but it also mesmerises and, at certain moments, charms in its quiet brutality' Amia Srinivasan, Harper's Throughout her childhood and adolescence, the anonymous author of The Incest Diary was raped by her father. Beneath a veneer of normal family life, she grew up with this secret. In this memoir, the author revisits her early traumas and their aftermath to explore the ways in which her father's abuse shaped her, and still does. As a matter of psychic survival, she became both a sexual object and a detached observer, a dutiful daughter and the protector of a secret. And then, years later, she made herself write it down.

Tien jaar lang hebben twintig vertalers en tientallen adviseurs de bijbel opnieuw vertaald uit het Hebreeuws, Aramees en Grieks, Nooit eerder is er een zo indrukwekkend vertaalproject ter hand genomen. Nooit eerder is met zoveel kennis en respect de bijbel als literaire tekst benaderd. Nooit eerder is de taal van de bijbel zo intens bestudeerd, zo integer bediscussieerd, zo inventief en evenwichtig tot leven gebracht. De bijbel is literair gesproken een bonte verzameling boeken die haar weerga niet verhalen, retorische teksten, wetteksten, profetieën, brieven, evangeliën, liefdespoëzie, traktaten, gebeden - allemaal geschreven in een tijdsbestek van honderden jaren, verzameld, verder verteld, overgeschreven en ten slotte gedrukt en vertaald in honderden, duizenden versies en verspreid in miljoenen exemplaren. Deze vertaling heeft als uitgangspunt dat de tekst in de eerste plaats een literaire tekst is, maar vergeet natuurlijk niet dat het om een geloofsboek gaat. Katholieken en protestanten, wetenschappers en literatoren, in Nederland en Vlaanderen, hebben gezamenlijk hun werk verricht, met als resultaat een vertaling die nog generaties zal meegaan.

A riveting first-person tale of addiction, in the tradition of Go Ask Alice and Jay’s Journal.The author of this diary began journaling on her sixteenth birthday. She lived in an upper middle class neighborhood in Santa Monica with her mom, dad, and Berkeley-bound older brother. She was a good girl, living a good life...but one party changed everything. One party, where she took one taste—and liked it. Really liked it.Social drinking and drugging lead to more, faster, harder... She convinced herself that she was no different from anyone else who liked to party. But the evidence indicates Soon she was she hanging out with an edgy crowd, blowing off school and everything she used to care about, all to find her next high.But what goes up must come down, and everything—from her first swig, to her last breath—is chronicled in the diary she left behind.

The Egyptian Books of the Dead is unquestionably one of the most influential books in all of history. Embodying a ritual to be performed for the dead, with detailed instructions for the behavior of the disembodied spirit in the Land of the Gods, it served as the most important repository of religious authority for some three thousand years. Chapters were carved on the pyramids of the ancient 5th Dynasty, texts were written in papyrus, and selections were painted on mummy cases well into the Christian Era. In a certain sense it stood behind all Egyptian civilization. In the year 1888 Dr. E. Wallis Budge, then purchasing agent for the British Museum, followed rumors he heard of a spectacular archaeological find in Upper Egypt, and found in an 18th Dynasty tomb near Luxor "the largest roll of papyrus I had ever seen, tied with a thick band of papyrus, and in a perfect state of preservation." It was a copy of the Egyptian Book of the Dead, written around 1500 B.C. for Ani, Royal Scribe of Thebes, Overseer of the Granaries of the Lords of Abydos, and Scribe of the Offerings of the Lords of Thebes. The Papyrus of Ani, a full version of the Theban recension, is presented here by Dr. Budge, who later became perhaps the world's most renowned Egyptologist. Reproduced in full are a clear copy of the Egyptian hieroglyphs, and interlinear transliteration of their sounds (as reconstructed), a word-for-word translation, and separately a complete smooth translation. All this is preceded by an introduction of more than 150 pages. As a result of this multiple apparatus the reader has a unique opportunity to savor all aspects of the Book of the Dead, or as it is otherwise known, the Book of the Great Awakening.

This Amazon Kindle eBook is a carefully put together near-exact reproduction of the original edition of the title published in 1891 to expose spiritist frauds. This edition excludes all editorial comments, notes and noises that had come to be associated with some editions for nearly a century. In consequence the author's voice can be heard crystal clear once again. It does not assume or attribute authorship to any specific person or persons based on surmise but acknowledges that the book was anonymously written. The author exposes the methods employed by "mediums" like himself to defraud trusting human beings and avows his retirement from the vocation. While Harry Houdini was careful not to reveal many secrets he knew, this author tells all. In doing so he not only upsets the miserable work of many a charlatan, he also details the methods employed by honest prestidigitators. The author wrote that he would probably bring down on his head the curses of many hundreds of "mediums", for, if this work were very widely read, there would be few "mediums" save the lecturers who could do business, with any degree of safety from exposure. But in fact, when this book was first published in 1891, in print, spiritists and fraudulent mediums burnt every single copy of it they thought existed and went as far as to destroy the printing plates. They did fail to annihilate it though and copies resurfaced years after the book was branded "lost". Now that it has been carefully digitized and reillustrated it is hoped that the title will gain immortality as well as educate and entertain. The author does not wish to be understood as maintaining that there is nothing in spiritualism. Do not despair, he writes, for you will find in the chaff that is so plentiful some good grains. That one does not find it does not signify none ever will. And that this book should not stop anyone from investigating spiritualism, but they should continue their investigations with the book in a convenient pocket. He merely hopes that he has so fully explained the tricks employed by the frauds that they will find it a hard matter to capture your silver, and if you are ever "nailed to the cross" as they called it behind the backs of their dupes, it would be through means other than those used by the gentry treated of. He phantasizes that he will live again and if he live again he is sure others will, and it is probable that he will meet the friends that have preceded him, and it is more than likely he will be able to see and visit his friends on earth. But if he can return to earth and visit those he loved, he is positive he will NOT do so by performing feats with heated lamp chimneys, or by controlling a lecturer and attempting to deliver an impressive oration in the language of a coal heaver. He would not attempt to return through a "medium" through whom a sixty-eight-year-old Indian "control" converses to an audience like a prattling child. Nor does he believe that he or any other spirit can or would return through the organism of any other depraved arbiter. It is not at all probable, either, that he would go into the business of materializing lace for entertainment at a dollar a head, although he is familiar with the methods employed in that manifestation. No religion so satisfactory nor so reasonable and just in its teachings, to the writer's best understanding, but his own career and the fact that he met no professional "medium", male or female, in his long experience and extensive travels, who were not "crooked", leads him to conclude that from the professional you are to expect nothing of any value whatsoever. He urges the reader to investigate spiritualism for it will do no harm, but not through the professional "medium". He cautions against setting out with the intention of getting rich in worldly goods through their aid, attempting to find buried treasures, pots of gold, mines of silver or in fact anything one can better attend to personally …

The ancient civilization of Mesopotamia thrived between the rivers Tigris and Euphrates over 4,000 years ago. The myths collected here, originally written in cuneiform on clay tablets, include parallels with the biblical stories of the Creation and the Flood, and the famous Epic of Gilgamesh, the tale of a man of great strength, whose heroic quest for immortality is dashed through one moment of weakness. Recent developments in Akkadian grammar and lexicography mean that this new translation, complete with notes, a glossary of deities, place-names, and key terms, and illustrations of the mythical monsters featured in the text, will replace all other versions.

The Saga of the Greenlanders and Eirik the Red’s Saga contain the first ever descriptions of North America, a bountiful land of grapes and vines, discovered by Vikings five centuries before Christopher Columbus. Written down in the early thirteenth century, they recount the Icelandic settlement of Greenland by Eirik the Red, the chance discovery by seafaring adventurers of a mysterious new land, and Eirik’s son Leif the Lucky’s perilous voyages to explore it. Wrecked by storms, stricken by disease and plagued by navigational mishaps, some survived the North Atlantic to pass down this compelling tale of the first Europeans to talk with, trade with, and war with the Native Americans. Keneva Kunz's meticulous yet highly accessible translation is accompanied by an introduction by Gísli Sigurðsson, which discusses the historical reliability of the two sagas and the geographical placing of Vinland, and builds up a picture of the explorers' likely sea routes to the new world. This edition also contains maps, a family tree and an index of characters, a chronology and suggestions for further reading.

Spain has produced two books that changed world literature: Don Quixote and Lazarillo de Tormes, the first picaresque novel ever written and the inspired precursor to works as various as Vanity Fair and Huckleberry Finn. Banned by the Spanish Inquisition after publication in 1554, Lazarillo was soon translated throughout Europe, where it was widely copied. The book is a favorite to this day for its vigorous colloquial style and the earthy realism with which it exposes human hypocrisy. The bastard son of a prostitute, Lazarillo goes to work for a blind beggar, who beats and starves him, while teaching him some very useful dirty tricks. The boy then drifts in and out of the service of a succession of masters, each vividly sketched and together revealing the corrupt world of imperial Spain. Its miseries are made all the more apparent by the candor and surprising good cheer with which young Lazarillo recounts his ever more curious fate. This version of Lazarillo, by the prizewinning poet and translator W.S. Merwin, brings out the wonderful vitality and humor of this universal masterwork.

The Erotic Classic! In this celebrated work of erotic literature a "he" is forced to masquerade as a "she." When a young lord's mother is ordered to a convent, he accompanies her disguised as a girl, beautifully attired in flowing dress and billowing petticoats. But soon the secret is discovered, and once his identity is revealed, it is welcomed, by the Mother Superior and several of the young ladies in residence!

No matter how famous someone might be, the fact remains; most of the other seven billion people on Earth wouldn’t know him or her from the next person. Add this reality to one’s shrinking recognizability among the multiple billions down through history, and the worldly emphasis on standing out really falls flat; we’re all in this obscurity thing together. Ironically, the trouble with me and you and the rest of humanity is not a lack of self-confidence but that we have far too much self-importance. To live and die unnoticed would seem a grave injustice to many. It’s all too easy to think we’re somebody if our portfolio is strong, there are a few letters after our name, or we’re well-known at work, church, or school. As pride creeps in, we are tempted to want more recognition, more admiration, more influence, more, more, more. Few have ever given thought to wanting less. That’s why we need Embracing Obscurity. Putting the premise into immediate action, an established Christian author electing to remain anonymous writes about living and dying in simplicity, contending that true success, as modeled by Jesus, starts with humility, service, sacrifice, and surrender. Such a life involves mystery and banks on the hope that today is just a dress rehearsal for eternity. When we stop imitating the world and instead choose to embrace obscurity, real life -- chock full of significance, purpose, and renewed passion -- begins.

'Read! Your Lord is the Most Bountiful one who taught by the pen, who taught man what he did not know.'The Qur'an, believed by Muslims to be the word of God, was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad 1400 years ago. It is the supreme authority in Islam and the living source of all Islamic teaching; it is a sacred text and a book of guidance, that sets out the creed, rituals, ethics, and laws of the Islamic religion. It has been one of the most influential books in the history of literature. Recognized as the greatest literary masterpiece in Arabic, it has nevertheless remained difficult tounderstand in its English translations. This new translation is written in a contemporary idiom that remains faithful to the original, making it easy to read while retaining its powers of eloquence. Archaisms and cryptic language are avoided, and the Arabic meaning preserved by respecting the context of thediscourse. The message of the Qur'an was directly addressed to all people regardless of class, gender, or age, and this translation is equally accessible to everyone.ABOUT THE For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

The English Standard Version (ESV) Bible is an essentially literal Bible translation that combines word-for-word precision and accuracy with literary excellence, beauty, and depth of meaning. The ESV Bible is equipped with an enhanced navigation feature. Kindle's index feature can be used to navigate directly to any verse. This feature is not supported on the Kindle 1 or any Kindle applications.This edition includes cross-references within the text.

During ancient times, a king discovers that his wife is unfaithful. He executes her and her lover, and to ensure that he is never again betrayed, he takes a new wife each night and kills her in the morning. Eventually, he takes as his bride for the night a young woman who tells him a story that lasts all night long. When morning comes and she is to be killed, the story is not finished, and the king allows her to live through the following night so that he can hear how the story comes out. Of course, the story doesn't end the next night either, or the next night, or the next, until 1001 nights have passed, and the king decides to let her live and make her his queen. These are the stories of Ali Baba and the forty thieves, Aladdin and his magic lamp, and Sinbad the sailor - stories of flying carpets, gigantic birds, and mischievous genies - stories that have captured the Western imagination for hundreds of years. Compiled in the Middle Ages, The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night is the chief glory of Arabic literature.

The Poetic Edda comprises a treasure trove of mythic and spiritual verse holding an important place in Nordic culture, literature, and heritage. Its tales of strife and death form a repository, in poetic form, of Norse mythology and heroic lore, embodying both the ethical views and the cultural life of the North during the late heathen and early Christian times. Collected by an unidentified Icelander, probably during the twelfth or thirteenth century, The Poetic Edda was rediscovered in Iceland in the seventeenth century by Danish scholars. Even then its value as poetry, as a source of historical information, and as a collection of entertaining stories was recognized. This meticulous translation succeeds in reproducing the verse patterns, the rhythm, the mood, and the dignity of the original in a revision that Scandinavian Studies says "may well grace anyone's bookshelf."

Steve Jobs is a genius that changed the world. He founded Apple, launched the iMac, iPod, iPhone, iPad and other popular electronic devices around the world, profoundly changing peoples communication, entertainment, and lifestyle. He founded Pixar, and made an indelible contribution to the history of animated films. Please read this biography of Steve Jobs written especially for children, let us look into his crazy yet great life, see his passion towards aesthetics and technology, talent and persistent pursuit, breaking the norm, and achieving his dream.

Based on Viking Age poems, The Saga of the Volsungs combines mythology, legend and sheer human drama. At its heart are the heroic deeds of Sigurd the dragon slayer who acquires magical knowledge from one of Odin's Valkyries. Yet it is also set in a very human world, incorporating strands from the oral narratives of the fourth and fifth centuries, when Attila the Hun and other warriors fought on the northern frontiers of the Roman Empire. One of the great books of world literature, the saga is an unforgettable tale of princely jealousy, unrequited love, greed and vengeance. With its cursed treasure of the Rhine, sword reforged and magic ring of power, it was a major influence for writers including William Morris and J. R. R. Tolkien and for Wagner's Ring cycle.

Publisher's series: Penguin 60s Classics Miraculously preserved in clay tablets, the famous Babylonian Epic of Gilgamesh, from which this extract is taken, dates from the third millennium BC and is the finest surviving epic poem before Homer's Odyssey and Iliad. Both moral and god, Gilgamesh is superior to all men in looks and strength. He finds a companion in Enkidu and a firm friendship ensues. Enkidu's fate is sealed when their adventures incur the wrath of the gods and Gilgamesh is left to contemplate the inevitability of death. A stirring chronicle of heroic adventure and friendship.

Written in the thirteenth century, Njal's Saga is a story that explores perennial human problems-from failed marriages to divided loyalties, from the law's inability to curb human passions to the terrible consequences when decent men and women are swept up in a tide of violence beyond their control. It is populated by memorable and complex characters like Gunnar of Hlidarendi, a powerful warrior with an aversion to killing, and the not-so-villainous Mord Valgardsson. Full of dreams, strange prophecies, violent power struggles, and fragile peace agreements, Njal's Saga tells the compelling story of a fifty-year blood feud that, despite its distance from us in time and place, is driven by passions familiar to us all. This Penguin Classics edition includes an introduction, chronology, index of characters, plot summary, explanatory notes, maps, and suggestions for further reading.

This brilliant new treatment of the world's oldest epic is a literary event on par with Seamus Heaney's wildly popular Beowulf translation. Esteemed translator and best-selling author Stephen Mitchell energizes a heroic tale so old it predates Homer's Iliad by more than a millennium. In the ancient city of Uruk, the tyrannical King Gilgamesh tramples citizens "like a wild bull". The gods send an untamed man named Enkidu to control the ruthless king, but after fighting, Enkidu and Gilgamesh become great friends and embark on a series of adventures. They kill fearsome creatures before Enkidu succumbs to disease, leaving Gilgamesh despondent and alone. Eventually, Gilgamesh moves forward, and his quest becomes a soul-searching journey of self-discovery. Mitchell's treatment of this extraordinary work is the finest yet, surpassing previous versions in its preservation of the wisdom and beauty of the original. ©2004 Stephen Mitchell (P)2004 Recorded Books LLC

The manager of an exclusive boutique hotel (who shall remain nameless) exposes the low-life styles of the rich and famous in this titillating exposé. The anonymous author has encountered lavish drug parties, gorgeous call girls, naked guests falling out of windows, $9,000 bottles of wine, astronomical telephone porn bills, bathtubs of Evian, and on more than one occasion, dead sheep. And every dirty word of it is true. This is a trawl through the decadence and debauchery of the ultimate service industry—where money not only talks, but gets guests the best room, the best service, and also entitles them to behave in any way they please.