Magda Herzberger is a force of nature. To meet Magda is to encounter a bundle of energy whose indefatigable spirit and beauty both inside and out belies her being witness to one of the darkest chapters in human history. From her riveting autobiography "Survival" to the published collections of her captivating poetry, she has guided us into a world that seems almost unimaginable-its highs, its lows, its mysteries, its contradictions. And in the process she provides us with insights that make all us all richer. Now she takes those life experiences and provides us with a compelling blueprint, both spiritual and practical, in how to tackle life's unpredictable and at times tortuous challenges. In the stress of our twentieth century world, we face a drug culture that seeks escapism because the pain of reality is just too great or the high of a dangerous, temporary fix is too irresistible to pass up. Even among the more mainstream population, we have become accustomed to treatments and medications that promise to help us tackle physical and mental challenges and often a sense of hopelessness and being overwhelmed by the challenges of life. In America alone it is estimated that we spend close to half a trillion dollars each year to find ways to treat our psychological frailties. In "Surviving Hard Times," Magda shares with us the lessons of an extraordinary life that combines her story of hard grit and her relentless sense of purpose. The hard times she experienced are raw and unvarnished, and now she wants to pass on her insights to all of us.

Zionism is driven by the search for a homeland for the stateless and persecuted Jewish people. Yet it has infamously clashed with the rights of the Arabs in Palestine and become so controversial that deep understanding and reasoned public debate is increasingly difficult. Prominent British writer Jacqueline Rose uses her political and analytical skills to take an unprecedented look at Zionism--one of the most powerful ideologies of modern times. Rose enters the inner world of the movement and asks a new set of questions. How did Zionism take shape as an identity? And why does it seem so immutable? Rose argues that Zionism colours Israel's most profound self-image. In the most provocative part of her book, Rose proposes that the link between the Holocaust and the founding of the Jewish state--so often used to justify Israel's policies--needs to be rethought.