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Candle Traditions explores the profound role of candles in spirituality and religion across cultures. The book illuminates how these simple objects serve as powerful conduits for prayer, meditation, and connection to the divine. It delves into the human need for ritual and symbolism, showcasing how candles amplify core tenets of faith and create sensory-rich environments conducive to spiritual experience. Did you know that candles are used not only as symbols of light and purity but also in rituals honoring the departed in ancestor veneration? The book begins with a historical overview, then branches into thematic sections examining candle usage in major world religions, rituals related to death and remembrance, and personal spiritual practices. The book uniquely combines historical analysis with cultural interpretation and sensory exploration to understand why candle traditions persist. By understanding the symbolism and power of candles, readers can enhance their own spiritual practices.

An eye-opening look at collecting and investing in today’s art market Art today is defined by its relationship to money as never before. Prices have been driven to unprecedented heights, conventional boundaries within the art world have collapsed, and artists think ever more strategically about how to advance their careers. Art is no longer simply made, but packaged, sold, and branded. In Art of the Deal, Noah Horowitz exposes the inner workings of the contemporary art market, explaining how this unique economy came to be, how it works, and where it's headed. In a new postscript, Horowitz reflects on the market’s continued ascent as well as its most urgent challenges.

Are you tired of feeling held back by self-doubt and lack of confidence?Do you want to build self-confidence, overcome obstacles, and achieve your goals faster and easier than you ever thought possible? The Power Habits® of Unstoppable Self-Confidence is the solution you've been looking for. Written by Dr. Noah St. John, “The Father of Afformations®” and “The Mental Health Coach to The Stars,” this book provides a step-by-step guide to building the habits and mindset needed to boost your self-confidence and achieve your goals. One of the key strategies you’ll discover is “The Power Habits® of Unconsciously Successful People.” Dr. Noah discovered these Power Habits over 25 years ago, when he realized that highly successful people are doing certain habits unconsciously, without thinking about them—which is why they’re so successful! With practical strategies, journaling prompts, and fill-in-the-blank checklists, this book will empower you to take control of your thoughts, beliefs, and actions, and turn your dreams into reality.

True Faith and Allegiance is a provocative account of nationalism and the politics of turning immigrants into citizens and Americans. Noah Pickus offers an alternative to the wild swings between emotionally fraught positions on immigration and citizenship of the past two decades. Drawing on political theory, history, and law, he argues for a renewed civic nationalism that melds principles and peoplehood. This tradition of civic nationalism held sway at America's founding and in the Progressive Era. Pickus explores how, from James Madison to Teddy Roosevelt, its proponents sought to combine reason and reverence and to balance inclusion and exclusion. He takes us through controversies over citizenship for blacks and the rights of aliens at the nation's founding, examines the interplay of ideas and institutions in the Americanization movement in the 1910s and 1920s, and charts how both left and right promoted a policy of neglect toward immigrants and toward citizenship in the second half of the twentieth century. True Faith and Allegiance shows that contemporary debates over a range of immigration and citizenship policies cannot be resolved by appeals to fixed notions of creed or culture, but require a supple civic nationalism that bridges the gap between immigrants' needs and American principles and practices. It is critical reading for scholars, policy makers, and all who care about immigrants and about America.

'Slice And Dice' masterfully bridges the gap between scientific principles and practical applications in the art of cutting and division. This innovative work explores how understanding the fundamentals of force, pressure, and material properties can revolutionize everything from kitchen techniques to time management strategies. Through a methodical approach, the book demonstrates how mastering division principles leads to enhanced efficiency and optimization across multiple disciplines. The book's journey begins with core scientific concepts, examining the physics behind cutting and molecular structures. It then progresses to practical applications in the culinary world, where readers learn how proper knife skills and cutting techniques directly influence food quality and presentation. The final section expands into time management, revealing how the principles of segmentation can boost productivity through effective scheduling and mise en place techniques. What sets this book apart is its unique integration of materials science, culinary arts, and productivity research, making complex concepts accessible through relatable examples and practical exercises. Written for both professionals and enthusiasts, it provides actionable insights while maintaining scientific accuracy. The combination of cutting-edge food science research with time-management analysis offers readers a comprehensive understanding of division principles that can be immediately applied in both kitchen and professional settings.

Helping Hands explores the profound impact of kindness, teamwork, and simple acts of assistance on personal well-being and community dynamics. It examines the science behind altruism, revealing how acts of generosity can boost happiness and resilience. The book also delves into the power of collaboration, illustrating how teamwork amplifies individual contributions and strengthens relationships. Did you know that even micro-volunteering, small and consistent acts of help, can lead to substantial improvements in our daily lives and broader society? The book’s value lies in its interconnected approach, demonstrating how kindness, teamwork, and helpfulness create synergistic effects, distinguishing it from resources that address these concepts separately. Helping Hands progresses methodically, first introducing foundational concepts, then developing these ideas through detailed exploration of altruism, collaboration, and micro-volunteering. Finally, it illustrates how these principles can be applied in various real-world contexts, providing practical strategies for integration into daily life. Using research and real-world examples, the book guides readers on cultivating a mindset of kindness, building effective teams, and seeking opportunities to offer assistance. By integrating these principles, readers can expect increased happiness, stronger relationships, and a greater sense of purpose, fostering personal growth and social change.

Reimagining higher education around the world: lessons from the creation of eight new colleges and universities in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and North America Higher education is perpetually in crisis, buffeted by increasing costs and a perceived lack of return on investment, campus culture that is criticized for stifling debate on controversial topics, and a growing sense that the liberal arts are outmoded and irrelevant. Some observers even put higher education on the brink of death. The New Global Universities offers a counterargument, telling the story of educational leaders who have chosen not to give up on higher education but to reimagine it. The book chronicles the development and launch of eight innovative colleges and universities in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and North America, describing the combination of intellectual courage, entrepreneurial audacity, and adaptive leadership needed to invent educational institutions today. The authors, both academic leaders who have been involved in launching ventures similar to the ones described, offer a unique inside perspective on these efforts. Bryan Penprase and Noah Pickus show how the founders of new colleges and universities establish distinctive brands in a sector dominated by centuries-old institutions, secure creative sources of funding, attract stellar faculty and students, and design appealing curriculums and campuses—all while managing tradeoffs and setbacks, balancing local needs and global aspirations, and wrestling with challenges to academic freedom. These new educational institutions include two universities in Asia and the Middle East built by well-established American parent institutions, others in Africa and North America that offer holistic reform from the ground up and leverage new technologies to lower costs, and still others that adapted the American liberal arts model to Asian and African contexts. Their experiences offer lessons for future founders of new universities—and for those who want to renew and rejuvenate existing ones.

"Cinematic Independence traces the emergence, demise, and rebirth of big-screen film exhibition in Nigeria. Film companies flocked to Nigeria in the years following independence, beginning a long history of interventions by Hollywood and corporate America. The 1980s and 90s saw a shuttering of cinemas, which were almost entirely replaced by television and direct-to-video movies. After 1999, the exhibition sector was again revitalized with the construction of multiplexes. Cinematic Independence is about the periods that straddle this disappearing act: the decades bracketing independence in 1960, and the years after 1999. At stake in both instances is the postcolony's role in global debates about the future of the movie theater. That it was eventually resurrected in the flashy form of the multiplex is not simply an achievement of commercial real estate but also a testament to cinema's persistence--its capacity to stave off annihilation or, in this case, come back from the dead"--