What made the Renaissance tickWhy had it such a force that its thinking spread from a small group of scholars in Florence, working in their own brilliant ways but coming together in a small villa on the Florentine hillside where Marsilio Ficino (143399) lived, to affect the thinking of the whole of Europe, and eventually of America, for five hundred years and is continuing to do soCosimo de?Medici, the virtual ruler of Florence, had been attracted to the philosophy of Plato by Gemistos Plethon during the Council Florence in 1439 and had instructed his agents to gather together Plato?s works before Constantinople fell to the Turks in 1453. In 1462 he commissioned Marsilio Ficino to translate them from Greek into Latin for the benefit of the Latin speaking world, a task he completed in under five years according to his biographer Giovanni Corsi. This, the first volume in a four volume series, provides the first English translation of the 25 short commentaries on the dialogues and the 12 letters traditionally ascribed to Plato. Later volumes will provide translations of his longer commentaries on the Parmenides (2008), the Republic and Laws (2009) and Timaeus (2010). Though this book will be an essential buy for Renaissance scholars and historians, its freshness of thought and wisdom are as relevant today as they ever were to inspire a new generation seeking spiritual and philosophical direction in their lives.

Configure and extend Jenkins to architect, build, and automate efficient software delivery pipelinesAbout This BookConfigure and horizontally scale a Jenkins installation to support a development organization of any sizeImplement Continuous Integration, Continuous Delivery, and Continuous Deployment solutions in JenkinsA step-by-step guide to help you get the most out of the powerful automation orchestration platform that is Jenkins Who This Book Is For If you are a novice or intermediate-level Jenkins user who has used Jenkins before but are not familiar with architecting solutions and implementing it in your organization, then this is the book for you. A basic understanding of the core elements of Jenkins is required to make the best use of this book.What You Will LearnCreate and manage various types of build jobs, and implement automation tasks to support a software project of any kindGet to grips with the automated testing architecture, and scalable automated testing techniquesFacilitate the delivery of software across the SDLC by creating scalable automated deployment solutionsManage scalable automation pipelines in Jenkins using the latest build, test, and deployment strategiesImplement a scalable master / slave build automation platform, which can support Windows, Mac OSX, and Linux software solutionsCover troubleshooting and advanced configuration techniques for Jenkins slave nodesSupport a robust build and delivery system by implementing basic infrastructure as code solutions in configuration management tools such as Ansible In Detail With the software industry becoming more and more competitive, organizations are now integrating delivery automation and automated quality assurance practices into their business model. Jenkins represents a complete automation orchestration system, and can help converge once segregated groups into a cohesive product development and delivery team. By mastering the Jenkins platform and learning to architect and implement Continuous Integration, Continuous Delivery, and Continuous Deployment solutions, your organization can learn to outmanoeuvre and outpace the competition. This book will equip you with the best practices to implement advanced continuous delivery and deployment systems in Jenkins. The book begins with giving you high-level architectural fundamentals surrounding Jenkins and Continuous Integration. You will cover the different installation scenarios for Jenkins, and see how to install it as a service, as well as the advanced XML configurations. Then, you will proceed to learn more about the architecture and implementation of the Jenkins Master/Save node system, followed by creating and managing Jenkins build jobs effectively. Furthermore, you’ll explore Jenkins as an automation orchestration system, followed by implementing advanced automated testing techniques. The final chapters describe in depth the common integrations to Jenkins from third-party tools such as Jira, Artifactory, Amazon EC2, and getting the most out of the Jenkins REST-based API. By the end of this book, you will have all the knowledge necessary to be the definitive resource for managing and implementing advanced Jenkins automation solutions for your organization.Style and approach This book is a step-by-step guide to architecting and implementing automated build solutions, automated testing practices, and automated delivery methodologies. The topics covered are based on industry-proven techniques, and are explained in a simple and easy to understand manner.

Born and raised in Algeria with an active political life in the 70’s leading to his eventual emigration as a political refugee Elias Adam is the father of a family deeply affected by the new reality for economic and political migrants in Western Europe, victims of the new face of politics and some would say of Fear. This is his Book Of natural Rebellion

Over 100 hands-on recipes to quickly prepare LaTeX documents of various kinds to solve challenging tasksAbout This BookWork with modern document classes, such as KOMA-Script classesExplore the latest LaTeX packages, including TikZ, pgfplots, and biblatexAn example-driven approach to creating stunning graphics directly within LaTeX Who This Book Is For If you already know the basics of LaTeX and you like to get fast, efficient solutions, this is the perfect book for you. If you are an advanced reader, you can use this book's example-driven format to take your skillset to the next level. Some familiarity with the basic syntax of LaTeX and how to use the editor of your choice for compiling is required.What You Will LearnChoose the right document class for your project to customize its featuresUtilize fonts globally and locallyFrame, shape, arrange, and annotate imagesAdd a bibliography, a glossary, and an indexCreate colorful graphics including diagrams, flow charts, bar charts, trees, plots in 2d and 3d, time lines, and mindmapsSolve typical tasks for various sciences including math, physics, chemistry, electrotechnics, and computer scienceOptimize PDF output and enrich it with meta data, annotations, popups, animations, and fill-in fieldsExplore the outstanding capabilities of the newest engines and formats such as XeLaTeX, LuaLaTeX, and LaTeX3 In Detail LaTeX is a high-quality typesetting software and is very popular, especially among scientists. Its programming language gives you full control over every aspect of your documents, no matter how complex they are. LaTeX's huge amount of customizable templates and supporting packages cover most aspects of writing with embedded typographic expertise. With this book you will learn to leverage the capabilities of the latest document classes and explore the functionalities of the newest packages. The book starts with examples of common document types. It provides you with samples for tuning text design, using fonts, embedding images, and creating legible tables. Common document parts such as the bibliography, glossary, and index are covered, with LaTeX's modern approach. You will learn how to create excellent graphics directly within LaTeX, including diagrams and plots quickly and easily. Finally, you will discover how to use the new engines XeTeX and LuaTeX for advanced programming and calculating with LaTeX. The example-driven approach of this book is sure to increase your productivity.Style and approach This book guides you through the world of LaTeX based on over a hundred hands-on examples. These are explained in detail and are designed to take minimal time and to be self-compliant.

Over 40 recipes to accelerate the process of learning game design and solving development problems using Unreal EngineAbout This BookExplore the quickest way to tackle common challenges faced in Unreal EngineCreate your own content, levels, light scenes, and materials, and work with Blueprints and C++ *ingAn intermediate, fast-paced Unreal Engine guide with targeted recipes to design games within its framework Who This Book Is For This book is for those who are relatively experienced with Unreal Engine 4 and have knowledge of its fundamentals. Working knowledge of C++ is required.What You Will LearnDiscover editor functionalities for an in-depth insight into game designDevelop environments using terrain for outdoor areas and a workflow for interiors as well using brushesDesign various kinds of materials with unique features, such as mirrors and glowsExplore the various ways that lighting can be used in the engineBuild various level effects using Blueprints, Unreal's visual *ing systemSet up a development environment and develop custom functionality with C++ for your gamesCreate healthbars and main menus with animations using Slate, Unreal's UI solution, through the UMG EditorPackage and create an installer to get your project out into the world In Detail Unreal Engine is powerful tool with rich functionalities to create games. It equips you with the skills to easily build mobile and desktop games from scratch without worrying about which platform they will run on. You can focus on the individual complexities of game development such as animation and rendering. This book takes you on a journey to jumpstart your game design efforts. You will learn various aspects of the Unreal engine commonly encountered with practical examples of how it can be used, with numerous references for further study. You will start by getting acquainted with Unreal Engine 4 and building out levels for your game. This will be followed by recipes to help you create environments, place meshes, and implement your characters. You will then learn to work with lights, camera, and shadows to include special effects in your game. Moving on, you’ll learn Blueprint *ing and C++ programming to enable you to achieve trigger effects and add simple functionalities. By the end of the book, you will see how to create a healthbar and main menu, and then get your game ready to be deployed and published.Style and approach This book offers detailed, easy-to-follow recipes that will help you master a wide range of Unreal Engine 4's features. Every recipe provides step-by-step instructions, with explanations of how these features work, and alternative approaches and research materials so you can learn even more.

Design, test, and debug your apps using Android StudioAbout This BookSee what Material design is about and how to apply it your appsExplore the possibilities to develop apps that works on any type of deviceA step-by-step practical guide that will help you build improved applications, change their look, and debug them Who This Book Is For This book is for developers that are already familiar with programming concepts and have already started creating apps for the Android platform, for example, by using the Eclipse IDE. It is for developers who intend to use Android Studio as their primary IDE or want to use Android Studio more efficiently.What You Will LearnDevelop Android Studio applications using GenymotionApply the concepts of Material design to your applicationsUse memory monitoring tools to tweak performanceBuild applications for Android WearableCapture images, video, or audio within your Android appUse content providers to display dataBuild apps with a cloud-based backendCreate media-related apps that will run on phones, phablets, tablets, and TVs In Detail This book starts with an introduction of Android Studio and why you should use this IDE rather than Eclipse. Moving ahead, it teaches you to build a simple app that requires no backend setup but uses Google Cloud or Parse instead. After that, you will learn how to create an Android app that can send and receive text and images using Google Cloud or Parse as a backend. It explains the concepts of Material design and how to apply them to an Android app. Also, it shows you how to build an app that runs on an Android wear device. Later, it explains how to build an app that takes advantage of the latest Android SDK while still supporting older Android versions. It also demonstrates how the performance of an app can be improved and how memory management tools that come with the Android Studio IDE can help you achieve this. By the end of the book, you will be able to develop high quality apps with a minimum amount of effort using the Android Studio IDE.Style and approach This is a practical guide full of challenges and many real-world examples that demonstrate interesting development concepts. Besides smartphones and tablets, it also covers Android wearable devices and Android TV. Although strongly recommended, it is not necessary to own any Android device yourself.

Leverage the powerful Arduino and XBee platforms to monitor and control your surroundingsAbout This BookBuild your own low-power, wireless network using ready-made Arduino and XBee hardwareCreate a complex project using the Arduino prototyping platformA guide that explains the concepts and builds upon them with the help of examples to form projects Who This Book Is For This book is targeted at embedded system developers and hobbyists who have some working knowledge of Arduino and who wish to extend their projects using wireless connectivity.What You Will LearnInteract with XBee boards using the XCTU program on Windows, OS X, or LinuxMake your Arduino boards communicate wirelessly, using XBee modules in the advanced API modeCentrally collect and store measured sensor data, in the cloud or your own databaseConnect the coordinator Arduino to the Internet and send data to web servicesControl your environment automatically, based on sensor input from your networkInteract with off-the-shelf ZigBee Home Automation devicesMake your devices battery-powered and let them sleep to get months or even years of battery life In Detail Arduino has been established as the de facto standard microcontroller programming platform, being used for one-off do-it-yourself projects as well as prototypes for actual products. By providing a myriad of libraries, the Arduino community has made it very easy to interact with pretty much any piece of hardware out there. XBee offers a great range of low-power wireless solutions that are easy to work with, by taking all of the complexity of wireless (mesh) networking out of your hands and letting you focus on what to send without worrying about the how. Building wireless sensor networks is cost-effective as well as efficient as it will be done with Arduino support. The book starts with a brief introduction to various wireless protocols, concepts, and the XBee hardware that enables their use. Then the book expands to explain the Arduino boards to you, letting them read and send sensor data, collect that data centrally, and then even control your home from the Internet. Moving further more advanced topics such as interacting through the standard Zigbee Home Automation protocol, or making your application power-efficient are covered. By the end of the book, you will have all the tools needed to build complete, real-world solutions.Style and approach A hands-on guide, featuring a single home automation project that can be built as described or with endless variations. Every step is illustrated with complete examples and screenshots, allowing you to build the examples swiftly.

Make the most of R’s dynamic capabilities and implement web applications with ShinyAbout This BookPresent interactive data visualizations in R within the Shiny frameworkConstruct web dashboards in a simple, intuitive, but fully flexible environmentApply your skills to create a real-world web application with this step-by-step guide Who This Book Is For If you are a data scientist who needs a platform to show your results to a broader audience in an attractive and visual way, or a web developer with no prior experience in R or Shiny, this is the book for you.What You Will LearnComprehend many useful functions, such as lapply and apply, to process data in RWrite and structure different files to create a basic dashboardDevelop graphics in R using popular graphical libraries such as ggplot2 and GoogleVisMount a dashboard on a Linux ServerIntegrate Shiny with non-R-native visualization, such as D3.jsDesign and build a web application In Detail R is nowadays one of the most used tools in data science. However, along with Shiny, it is also gaining territory in the web application world, due to its simplicity and flexibility. Shiny is a framework that enables the creation of interactive visualizations written entirely in R and can be displayed in almost any ordinary web browser. It is a package from RStudio, which is an IDE for R. From the fundamentals of R to the administration of multi-concurrent, fully customized web applications, this book explains how to achieve your desired web application in an easy and gradual way. You will start by learning about the fundamentals of R, and will move on to looking at simple and practical examples. These examples will enable you to grasp many useful tools that will assist you in solving the usual problems that can be faced when developing data visualizations. You will then walk through the integration of Shiny with R in general and view the different visualization possibilities out there. Finally, you will put your skills to the test and create your first web application!Style and approach This is a comprehensive, step-by-step guide that will allow you to learn and make full use of R and Shiny’s capabilities in a gradual way, together with clear, applied examples.

Integrate Elasticsearch into Hadoop to effectively visualize and analyze your dataAbout This BookBuild production-ready analytics applications by integrating the Hadoop ecosystem with ElasticsearchLearn complex Elasticsearch queries and develop real-time monitoring Kibana dashboards to visualize your dataUse Elasticsearch and Kibana to search data in Hadoop easily with this comprehensive, step-by-step guide Who This Book Is For This book is targeted at Java developers with basic knowledge on Hadoop. No prior Elasticsearch experience is expected.What You Will LearnSet up the Elasticsearch-Hadoop environmentImport HDFS data into Elasticsearch with MapReduce jobsPerform full-text search and aggregations efficiently using ElasticsearchVisualize data and create interactive dashboards using KibanaCheck and detect anomalies in streaming data using Storm and ElasticsearchInject and classify real-time streaming data into ElasticsearchGet production-ready for Elasticsearch-Hadoop based projectsIntegrate with Hadoop eco-system such as Pig, Storm, Hive, and Spark In Detail The Hadoop ecosystem is a de-facto standard for processing terra-bytes and peta-bytes of data. Lucene-enabled Elasticsearch is becoming an industry standard for its full-text search and aggregation capabilities. Elasticsearch-Hadoop serves as a perfect tool to bridge the worlds of Elasticsearch and Hadoop ecosystem to get best out of both the worlds. Powered with Kibana, this stack makes it a cakewalk to get surprising insights out of your massive amount of Hadoop ecosystem in a flash. In this book, you'll learn to use Elasticsearch, Kibana and Elasticsearch-Hadoop effectively to analyze and understand your HDFS and streaming data. You begin with an in-depth understanding of the Hadoop, Elasticsearch, Marvel, and Kibana setup. Right after this, you will learn to successfully import Hadoop data into Elasticsearch by writing MapReduce job in a real-world example. This is then followed by a comprehensive look at Elasticsearch essentials, such as full-text search analysis, queries, filters and aggregations; after which you gain an understanding of creating various visualizations and interactive dashboard using Kibana. Classifying your real-world streaming data and identifying trends in it using Storm and Elasticsearch are some of the other topics that we'll cover. You will also gain an insight about key concepts of Elasticsearch and Elasticsearch-hadoop in distributed mode, advanced configurations along with some common configuration presets you may need for your production deployments. You will have “Go production checklist” and high-level view for cluster administration for post-production. Towards the end, you will learn to integrate Elasticsearch with other Hadoop eco-system tools, such as Pig, Hive and Spark.Style and approach A concise yet comprehensive approach has been adopted with real-time examples to help you grasp the concepts easily.

Ficino's commentary on Plato?s Timaeus offers the English reader, for the first time, an opportunity to share the insights of this highly influential Renaissance philosopher into one of Plato's most important and controversial works. Here are discussed the perennial questions which affect us all: What is the nature of the universeHow did it beginDoes it have a cause outside itselfWhat is our place in itWhat is the nature of mind, soul, matter and timeThe central portion of the work, focusing on number, harmony, and music, has exerted a strong influence on the history of Western musical theory. Ficino added an appendix which amplifies and elucidates Plato?s meanings and reveals fascinating detail about Ficino himself. This volume provides rich source material for all who are interested in philosophy, the history of cosmic theory, and Platonic and Renaissance studies. This completes the four volume series, including Gardens of Philosophy, 2006 (ISBN 9780856832406), Evermore Shall Be So, 2008 (9780856832567) and When Philosophers Rule, 2009 (9780856832574), which contain all Ficino?s commentaries not previously translated into English.

Enhance your SAP HANA skills using this step-by-step guide to creating and reporting data models for real-time analyticsAbout This BookThis book will help you to process analytical and transactional data in real time with the help of SAP HANA.Walk through the steps of the data modeling process and build various data models and artifacts in SAP HANA Studio.Packed with rich examples and use cases that are closely focused on developing real-time applications. Who This Book Is For If you are a SAP HANA data modeler, developer, implementation/migration consultant, project manager, or architect who is responsible for implementing/migrating to SAP HANA, then this book is for you.What You Will LearnGet to grips with the basic building blocks of Analytics/Data models in the SAP HANA environment.Discover various schemas, modeling principles, Joins, and the architecture of the SAP HANA engine.Build data models and artifacts in Sap HANA Studio.Design decision tables and understand the concept of transport management in the SAP HANA landscape.Work with the different views in SAP HANA Studio.Explore full-text search and fuzzy search in SAP HANA.Create your own scenarios and use cases using sample data and code. In Detail SAP HANA is an in-memory database created by SAP. SAP HANA breaks traditional database barriers to simplify IT landscapes, eliminating data preparation, pre-aggregation, and tuning. SAP HANA and in-memory computing allow you to instantly access huge volumes of structured and unstructured data, including text data, from different sources. Starting with data modeling, this fast-paced guide shows you how to add a system to SAP HANA Studio, create a schema, packages, and delivery unit. Moving on, you’ll get an understanding of real-time replication via SLT and learn how to use SAP HANA Studio to perform this. We’ll also have a quick look at SAP Business Object DATA service and SAP Direct Extractor for Data Load. After that, you will learn to create HANA artifacts—Analytical Privileges and Calculation View. At the end of the book, we will explore the SMART DATA access option and AFL library, and finally deliver pre-packaged functionality that can be used to build information models faster and easier.Style and approach This is an easy-to-follow, step-by-step, rapid guide to help you learn analytics in SAP HANA through ample hands-on exercises and use case scenarios.

Explore clustering algorithms used with Apache MahoutAbout This BookUse Mahout for clustering datasets and gain useful insightsExplore the different clustering algorithms used in day-to-day workA practical guide to create and evaluate your own clustering models using real world data sets Who This Book Is For This book is for developers who want to try out clustering on large datasets using Mahout. It will also be useful for those users who don’t have background in Mahout, but have knowledge of basic programming and are familiar with basics of machine learning and clustering. It will be helpful if you know about clustering techniques with some other tool.What You Will LearnExplore clustering algorithms and cluster evaluation techniquesLearn different types of clustering and distance measuring techniquesPerform clustering on your data using K-Means clusteringDiscover how canopy clustering is used as pre-process step for K-MeansUse the Fuzzy K-Means algorithm in Apache MahoutImplement Streaming K-Means clustering in MahoutLearn Spectral K-Means clustering implementation of Mahout In Detail As more and more organizations are discovering the use of big data analytics, interest in platforms that provide storage, computation, and analytic capabilities has increased. Apache Mahout caters to this need and paves the way for the implementation of complex algorithms in the field of machine learning to better analyse your data and get useful insights into it. Starting with the introduction of clustering algorithms, this book provides an insight into Apache Mahout and different algorithms it uses for clustering data. It provides a general introduction of the algorithms, such as K-Means, Fuzzy K-Means, StreamingKMeans, and how to use Mahout to cluster your data using a particular algorithm. You will study the different types of clustering and learn how to use Apache Mahout with real world data sets to implement and evaluate your clusters. This book will discuss about cluster improvement and visualization using Mahout APIs and also explore model-based clustering and topic modelling using Dirichlet process. Finally, you will learn how to build and deploy a model for production use.Style and approach This book is a hand's-on guide with examples using real-world datasets. Each chapter begins by explaining the algorithm in detail and follows up with showing how to use mahout for that algorithm using example data-sets.

If you have children, then you have dreams for them. You want to see them growing up happy, healthy, self-reliant, and confident in themselves and their abilities. You’ve also probably wondered if you'll be able to give them all this. There's good news: you can. Wayne Dyer shares the wisdom and guidance that have already helped millions of readers take charge of their lives and shows how to make all your hopes for your children come true. Learn valuable advice including Dyer’s original seven simple secrets for building your child's self-esteem every day; how to give very young children all the love they need without spoiling them; how to encourage risk-taking without fear of failure; action strategies for dealing with both your own anger and your child's; the right way (and the wrong way) to improve your child's behavior; the secrets of raising kids relatively free of illness; techniques that encourage children to enjoy life, and much more. It's all here – straightforward, commonsense advice that no parent can afford to do without.

A hilarious guide for those raised by wolves, born in a barn, or otherwise unacquainted with the standard rules of adulthood Once upon a time, young adults with a modicum of social skills and the basic know-how to run a household were let loose upon a grateful world. But no longer. How did this come aboutWhy are so-called "grown-ups" often unable to make their beds and clean up their own kitchensPerhaps Mom shouldn't have done all of Junior's science projects for him. Maybe Dad should have made Tiffany take that summer job in college instead of paying her way through Europe. But fear not! Christie Mellor is here to help you prepare for the real world with essential skills like these: How to poach a chicken (and what to do with it when you're done) How to make the perfect martini Twenty-five amazing uses for baking soda How not to annoy your friends when you break up with your boyfriend And so much more! In short, here's everything you need to know in order to jump into the deep end of the pool with the rest of the adults.

In this masterpiece of simplicity, Macrina Wiederkehr offers a series of meditations to bring us closer to a "God for all seasons," revised and expanded into this new edition. Designed for daily use as well as for retreats, Seasons of Your Heart is an eloquent and lyrical invitation to journey through the spiritual seasons of wonder, hope, love, mystery, and faith. Macrina Weiderkehr shares her "seasonal struggle with God" and encourages us to reconize those same peaks and valleys in our own spiritual life. Using biblical passages, poetry, and excerpts from her journal, Wiederkehr provides meditative ideas and prayers as "postures" for realizing and approaching the holy in our daily lives. These reflections and prayers, then, have grown out of a daily listening to God in the changing seasons of my spiritual life, "writes the author. "These reflections have grown out of my conviction that our God is not some Almighty Being beyond us, but a Mystery within."

In this tenth-anniversary edition of We Are Our Mothers' Daughters, renowned political commentator Cokie Roberts once again examines the nature of women's roles through the revealing lens of her personal experience. From mother to mechanic, sister to soldier, Roberts reveals how much progress has now been made and how much further we have to go. Updated and expanded to include a diverse new cast of women, this collection of essays offers tremendous insight into the opportunities and challenges that women encounter today. In a series of new profiles and revealing updates, Roberts reflects upon the number of female achievers who have graced the public stage in the past decade. In addition to the illuminating and sometimes surprising history of women in a variety of fields, several chapters also introduce us to some of the fascinating women she has encountered during the course of her reporting career including Hillary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi, Laura Bush, Billie Jean King, Michelle Rhee, and Dorothy Height. Looking into the future, Roberts focuses on the question of "What next?", exploring how several women including herself have begun to define themselves in the next stages of their lives. She also relates moving anecdotes about the women in her personal life, including her mother, former congresswoman Lindy Boggs. Sensitive, straightforward, and perceptive, We Are Our Mothers' Daughters celebrates the new diversity of choices and perspectives available to women today and affirms the bonds of sisterhood over the centuries a vital, powerful interconnection among all women, regardless of background.

It's no secret that our population is aging. In fact, it won't be long before one in four drivers will be over the age of 65. Research suggests we'll outlive our ability to drive by almost ten years but knowing when to stop or limit driving isn't always clear. The Driving Dilemma is a comprehensive resource for older drivers and their families facing questions about driving safety. Dr. Dugan provides clear, useful information about the effects of age, medical conditions, and medications on driving. She offers practical advice on how to discuss this issue with loved ones. Such talks can be difficult, and the book provides not only the facts, but also a research-based approach to communication, with useful sample dialogue *s that will help you discuss driving with your loved ones. Also included are state-by-state listings of available resources, making this book a total information source for families.

Evolution Is Not the Bible's Enemy Saving Darwin explores the history of the controversy that swirls around evolution science, from Darwin to current challenges, and shows why and how it is possible to believe in God and evolution at the same time.

One father, his children, and the loving life they share as a family. . . .Like all parents, Jorge Ramos is concerned about how his two children are absorbing the world around them. A loving and thoughtful father though he is, he wonders if he has done enough to prepare them for the future. He questions if they know enough about him as a person, and the family to which they belong. The Gift of Time is a moving and personal book in which one father reflects upon the world we live in and shares his love for his children in a series of letters that touch on everything from love and divorce to soccer and e-mail. Through his experience as a journalist who has seen both the horrors and the greatness that people are capable of, he offers his children the sound advice they need not only to live but to thrive in today's world.In a heartfelt and direct tone that has gained him the love and admiration of millions of fans across the country, Ramos writes about the issues that plague every parent's mind. In The Gift of Time, Ramos speaks both to his children and to the future generations of Americans on what they can expect, and what is expected of them, as they embark on their journey toward adulthood.

Throughout her life, Alexandra Stoddard has sought inspiration from writers, poets, and people she has met. In Grace Notes, she shares this wisdom and her own learnings, beautifully captured in brief, motivating observations, in 365 daily meditations of warmth, affirmation, encouragement, and optimism. Season by season, day by day, you'll explore different themes: joy, love, loss, risk, courage, wholeness, growth, play, and success. In addition to offering inspirational quotes from many cultures and two grace notes,each page provides space to write down your own sacred inspirations. With courage and confidence, Grace Notes takes you on a spiritual journey every day of your life and whenever you feel the need to be transported to serenity and grace.

Finding faith in a time of sorrow Beloved author Henri Nouwen reflects on the spiritual significance of death and life in this moving meditation dedicated to "all those who suffer the pain that death can bring and who search for new life."