Known as the father of the new science of positive psychology, Martin E.P. Seligman draws on more than twenty years of clinical research to demonstrate how optimism enhances the quality of life, and how anyone can learn to practice it. Offering many simple techniques, Dr. Seligman explains how to break an I-give-up habit, develop a more constructive explanatory style for interpreting your behavior, and experience the benefits of a more positive interior dialogue. These skills can help break up depression, boost your immune system, better develop your potential, and make you happier. With generous additional advice on how to encourage optimistic behavior at school, at work and in children, Learned Optimism is both profound and practical--and valuable for every phase of life. --Publisher.

''Mind blowingly brilliant'' PHILIPPA PERRY''Few other writers have such passion for granular detail, intellectual heft and boundless curiosity'' THE TIMES''As suspenseful and pacy as an episode of peak-era ER'' GUARDIANA near-fatal health emergency leads to this powerful reflection on death―and what might follow―by the bestselling author of Tribe and The Perfect Storm.For years as an award-winning war reporter, Sebastian Junger travelled to many front lines and frequently put his life at risk. And yet the closest he ever came to death was the summer of 2020 while spending a quiet afternoon at the New England home he shared with his wife and two young children. Crippled by abdominal pain, Junger was rushed to the hospital by ambulance. Once there, he began slipping away. As blackness encroached, he was visited by his dead father, inviting Junger to join him. “It’s okay,” his father said. “There’s nothing to be scared of. I’ll take care of you.” That was the last thing Junger remembered until he came to the next day when he was told he had suffered a ruptured aneurysm that he should not have survived.This experience spurred Junger―a confirmed atheist raised by his physicist father to respect the empirical―to undertake a scientific, philosophical, and deeply personal examination of mortality and what happens after we die. How do we begin to process the brutal fact that any of us might perish unexpectedly on what begins as an ordinary day? How do we grapple with phenomena that science may be unable to explain? And what happens to a person, emotionally and spiritually, when we are forced to reckon with such existential questions?In My Time of Dying is part medical drama, part searing autobiography, and part rational inquiry into the ultimate unknowable mystery.''Moving, compact, philosophically ambitious … A humbling volume'' OBSERVER‘Stunning … A powerful book that comes as close as anything I’ve read in explaining what it means to be human’ JAMES PATTERSON''An instant classic that filled me with wonder, gratitude and awe'' WILL SCHWALBE''A stunning account I didn’t so much read as inhale, awed and riveted and forever changed'' MICHAEL FINKEL

"In his final book before his death, Primo Levi returns once more to his time at Auschwitz in a moving meditation on memory, resiliency, and the struggle to comprehend unimaginable tragedy. Drawing on history, philosophy, and his own personal experiences, Levi asks if we have already begun to forget about the Holocaust. His last book before his death, Levi returns to the subject that would define his reputation as a writer and a witness. Levi breaks his book into eight essays, ranging from topics like the unreliability of memory to how violence twists both the victim and the victimizer. He shares how difficult it is for him to tell his experiences with his children and friends. He also debunks the myth that most of the Germans were in the dark about the Final Solution or that Jews never attempted to escape the camps. As the Holocaust recedes into the past and fewer and fewer survivors are left to tell their stories, The Drowned and the Saved is a vital first-person testament. Along with Elie Wiesel and Hannah Arendt, Primo Levi is remembered as one of the most powerful and perceptive writers on the Holocaust and the Jewish experience during World War II. This is an essential book both for students and literary readers. Reading Primo Levi is a lesson in the resiliency of the human spirit."--Publisher description.

Children have obligations to their parents: the Talmud says "one must honor him in life and one must honor him in death." Beside his father’s grave, a diligent but doubting son begins the mourner’s kaddish and realizes he needs to know more about the prayer issuing from his lips. So begins Leon Wieseltier’s National Jewish Book Award–winning autobiography, Kaddish, the spiritual journal of a man commanded by Jewish law to recite a prayer three times daily for a year and driven, by ardor of inquiry, to explore its origins. Here is one man’s urgent exploration of Jewish liturgy and law, from the 10th-century legend of a wayward ghost to the speculations of medieval scholars on the grief of God to the perplexities of a modern rabbi in the Kovno ghetto. Here too is a mourner’s unmannered response to the questions of fate, freedom, and faith stirred in death’s wake. Lyric, learned, and deeply moving, Wieseltier’s Kaddish is a narrative suffused with love: a son’s embracing the tradition bequeathed to him by his father, a scholar’s savoring they beauty he was taught to uncover, and a writer’s revealing it, proudly, unadorned, to the reader.

Europe was in the long slumber of the Dark Ages, the Roman Empire was in tatters, and the Greek language was all but forgotten, until a group of Arab, Jewish, and Christian scholars rediscovered and translated the works of Aristotle. His ideas spread across Europe like wildfire, offering the scientific point of view that the natural world, including the soul of man, was a proper subject of study. The Catholic Church convulsed, and riots took place at the universities of Paris and Oxford.

A lively collection of stories that gives voices and names to women from biblical and ancient times whom we seldom remember. This lively collection of four stories is a modern reclaiming of the Bible, a celebration of courageous and wise women from ancient tradition. These stories invite children of all ages and all faiths to remember, and to bring their own faith to life. With vivid prose and lush, full-color illustrations, this storybook introduces: Lillith, the first woman in the Garden of Eden, according to an ancient legend, shows her determination to have men and women treat each other as equals.Serach the musician, who, with her song, reveals to her grandfather Jacob that his son Joseph is still alive, and whose courage to speak out heals the wrongs of another generation.Bityah, who draws the baby Moses from the Nile and with a mother's bravery encourages him to become who he will be, proving that taking a risk to do what's right can change the world.Daughters of Z, who struggle against discrimination with great daring and extraordinary results. "

Excerpt from Jewish Folk-Lore in the Middle Ages We look with other eyes on the heaped up treasures of Jewish aggadah, on the diamonds which oriental fancy made brilliant by a fiery inspiration. Brought under this new light cast on them they glitter and gleam in a thousand colours like the dew in the flower when lighted by the sun. We value as a poetical story, or picturesque image, legends like the following: In the time when the Lord remembers His children, and sees them dwelling in sorrow and grief amongst We look with other eyes on the heaped up treasures of Jewish aggadah, on the diamonds which oriental fancy made brilliant by a fiery inspiration. Brought under this new light cast on them they glitter and glean in a thousand colours like the dew in the flower when lighted by the sun. We value as a poetical story, or picturesque image, legends like the following: "In the time when the Lord remembers His Children, and sees them dwelling in sorrow and grief amongst the nations, He sheds two tears, and they drop into the great ocean, and their noise is heard from one end of the world to the other. Hence the earthquake." What a wonderful picture to express, the sympathy of heaven and earth with the heartstricken grief of the people! Or take another: "In the same day when King Solomon married the daughter of Necho, the Egyptian king, the angel Michael descended from heaven and planted a reed in the great ocean; and there came up loam, and upon that Rome was afterwards built." And further: "On the day when Jeroboam first established the two golden calves to be worshipped by Israel, Romulus and Remus erected their tents." Only ill-will, or prejudiced misunderstandings could not see the historical truth in the symbolical explanation of the relation which exist between the fall of Judah and the rise of Rome. Under the form of an allegory, they said that the power of the Jewish nation is intimately connected with the true and unchanged religious belief, and a change in such belief necessarily brings about an avoidable decline. In the curious tales of Rabbah bar-bar Channah, we recognize further, now-a-days, Indian sailor and travellers' tales, and in some of them Buddhistic legends, as for instance, the story of the gigantic fish, which destroys sixty towns, and out of whose bones to his pupils one of his former existence. Innumerable are the examples on which our feet stumble as we tread through the forest thousands of years old, called Jewish literature, where palms and hyssop, trees and bushes, flowers and thorns are often inextricably intertwined. On the other hand, we have learned to-day to recognize only as legends, the absurd accusations hurled against the Jews during the middle ages: such as the use of blood in their ceremonials, the poisoning of wells, the piercing of the host, so that it bled, even the accusations that the Jews have been usurers to so great an extent as it was presumed. All these, and similar accusations, are the outcome of prejudice, they are cobwebs spun by poisonous spiders, which hide the true light, and render the approach to the Ghetto disgusting and obnoxious. But we sweep them away, we know that they are only floating material to be found everywhere in the air, waiting only for the right time and the right men to appropriate and make use of them. They are for us nothing more than one of the those numerous legends, devoid of every internal truth, and interesting only for the student of folk-psychology and folk-lore. One more legend refers to the seclusion of the Jews within the walls of their houses, who are said to care nothing for the movement of the times, and who let the waves of the rolling sea pass over their shelter. But be the walls as high as towers and the prejudice as powerful as ever, they never form a real barrier against the spirit, which pours in through a thousand invisible channels. "The sun shines for the righteous as well as...

Atheism and Other Addresses is a collection of essays and speeches by Joseph Lewis, a prominent American atheist and author. The book contains a series of thought-provoking arguments against religion and the existence of a deity, as well as critiques of various religious institutions and practices. The essays cover a range of topics, including the role of religion in society, the relationship between science and religion, and the ethics of atheism. Lewis also discusses his own personal journey towards atheism and his experiences as a non-believer in a predominantly religious society. Written in a clear and accessible style, Atheism and Other Addresses is a must-read for anyone interested in the ongoing debate between atheism and religion.1930. Partial Contents: Lincoln the Freethinker; Lincoln the Soldier; Jefferson the Freethinker; Franklin the Freethinker; Burbank - the Infidel; Bible and the Public Schools; Small Children Receive Religious Instruction? a Debate Between Rev. Walter M. Howlett and Joseph Lewis; Mexico and the Catholic Church; Gems from Ingersoll.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.

A classic tale adopted to a modern setting. We all, children and adults alike, have different inner voices telling us what to do. In this episode, David, 8, is tasked with babysitting his baby sister while Mommy goes to the store. (Daddy is in the other room.) David hears his friends playing ball outdoors. David's Bad King tells him to join them. His Good King says no! He is torn even more when his friends call him out to join them! What will David do?! What would you do? Based on an ancient parable of "the wisest man who ever lived."

This collection of commentaries, written during the recent Gaza war as it unfolded, represents an attempt of one Jew on behalf of Jews of Conscience everywhere, to come to grips with the state of Israel as it is rather than what it purports to be. Though written from a geographic distance, one feels the pain Palestinians experienced as a challenge to Jewish history. Have Jews survived the Holocaust only to recreate scenes of horror Israel now visits upon the Palestinian people? Or is there a way forward for Jews and Palestinians beyond mutual recrimination, displacement and war? Using the burning children of the Holocaust as the core of Jewish ethical post-Holocaust life, these commentaries ask Jews, the state of Israel and all those in solidarity with Jews and Jewish history to hold Israel accountable for its assault on Gaza and provide a vehicle for a future where Jews and Palestinians live together in justice and peace.

Biblical Excavations Volume 2 First Fruits: A Thanksgiving Study First Fruits: A Thanksgiving Study excavates a simple instruction from Deuteronomy 26, illuminating the story within. Words studies, mini-research projects, and probing questions reveal parallels between the feasts of Passover and Thanksgiving. The story of the founders, the journey they made, the obstacles they had to overcome, and the vision that drove them were rooted in the Hebrew Biblical narratives of Exodus and Deuteronomy. In this mini First Fruits curriculum, we will take a deep dive into Deuteronomy 26:1-11 to excavate the story and see how it can enhance our modern-day Thanksgiving celebration. This short study includes four lessons that may be completed by a student within one week or within a small study group over the course of several weeks. It is also appropriate for families with a range of ages. Modeling the art of asking good questions, the discussion prompts provide opportunities for deep thought and examination of the text. All the activities are adaptable for groups and individuals. Additionally, the study of harvest times aligns the common calendar with the Biblical feasts and festivals within the Hebrew calendar. Although the focus is on the Thanksgiving holiday, the study content and focus is applicable year-round. My Book of Hebrew Letters The Hebrew alphabet is more than symbols to help one communicate with another. According to Proverbs 8:22 and 30, these letters formed the Heavenly Word of God known as Wisdom and became the architect of creation. My Book of Hebrew Letters includes a Hebrew Letters Coloring Book and Hebrew Letters Journal. There are twenty-two coloring book pages, one for each consonant in the Hebrew alphabet, and the letters have been simplified for young children. The coloring book may be used alone, or it may be used along with the YouTube video series The Hebrew Alphabet Show, produced by Biblical Excavations. Each episode introduces a new Hebrew letter with it character (how it is written), name and some memorable information – all presented at a child’s level and in a fun talk-show style format that even an adult may enjoy. The Hebrew Letters Journal contains twenty-two journaling pages, one for each letter in A Relationship with the Hebrew Alphabet video series. Each video introduces a new Hebrew letter with its character (how it is written), name, meaning, number, related words, a scripture, and sometimes a few extra notes. Students may want to watch the video twice, completing the worksheet while viewing the second time. They may need to pause and toggle back and forth to gather the needed information. Once completed, they will have a journal full of deep knowledge regarding Hebrew letters and their meanings. Please note that A Relationship with the Hebrew Alphabet was originally designed for the Your Sabbath Invitation Curriculum. Whether or not you have purchased the curriculum, the teachings from these resources are invaluable to help one master the Hebrew alphabet.

Goldstein, Clifford

"Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is Shabbos..." (Exodus 20;9-10) The sages explain that each and every day's labor has a special connection to the upcoming Shabbos. My Jewish Days of the Week is a fun-filled journey toward the best day of all. It begins with a family Sunday spent in the garden, a busy Monday spent at school, and ends with Thursday grocery shopping and Friday cooking and cleaning. All week long, the characters prepare for the experience of ushering in and observing Shabbos. The catchy rhymes and old-world illustrations portray everyday life as a joyous adventure for toddlers. Naturally, Shabbos itself is given top billing as: a go-to-shul and walking day a story-telling, talking day a friend and neighbor meeting day a yummy challah-eating day! The text is set in a large clear font, and a glossary explains any words that may be unfamiliar to some of the readers. As an added bonus, a beautiful chart at the end of the book reviews all the days of the week in both English and Hebrew.

Excerpt from Are the Germans the Chosen People?: Address Delivered at the Business Men's Club, Cincinnati, January 28th, 1918 The statement has been made frequently of late years that the modern Germans in their claim that they are God's chosen people are the latter day counterpart of the ancient Jews, who are thus termed in the Bible. Preachers and writers in Germany make the direct comparison in unmistakable terms as when one of these preachers declares unreservedly: As was Israel among the heathen, so is Germany amongst the nations, the pious heart of Europe, and another asserts no less apodictically: In a moment we, the children of modern humanity, have become the heir of Israel, the people of the Old Testament. We shall be the bearers of God's promises, the living proof that it is not man who creates history, but God through man. The conviction that they are the chosen people -of these latter ages has become a leading article of German belief; it has imbued the German peo ple with a feeling of superiority over all other nations; they have become obsessed with the idea that they are God's favorites; they speak of God as the. German God, implying thereby that other peoples are without the pale of His special concern. It is, however, not only Germans who have instituted the comparison between themselves and ancient Israel in this matter of being God's chosen people, but leading speakers and thinkers in other lands, when discussing the state of the modern German mind, are fond of adducing the same comparison. It was only recently that I heard a distinguished American professor say this emphatically and without modification. As I listened to his words the thought presented itself forcibly to my mind that this frequently reiterated statement could and should be subjected to careful examination. For I felt that this comparison was super ficial and far from the truth inasmuch as the term chosen peo ple received an entirely different interpretation by the leading spirits of ancient Israel, namely the prophets, from that given it by the spokesmen of modern Germany as revealed in the writings and utterances of the foremost framers of opinion in that realm in recent days. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.