The Rapids of a Great River begins with selections from the earliest known Tamil poetry dating from the second century CE. The writings of the Sangam period laid the foundation for the Tamil poetic tradition, and they continue to underlie and inform the works of Tamil poets even today. The first part of this anthology traverses the Sangam and bhakti periods and closes with pre-modern poems from the nineteenth century. The second part, a compilation of modern and contemporary poetry, opens with the work of the revolutionary poet Subramania Bharati. Breaking free from prescriptions, the new voices—which include Sri Lankan Tamils, women and dalits, among others—address the contemporary reader; the poems, underscored by a sharp rhetorical edge, grapple with the complexities of the modern political and social world. The selection is wide-ranging and the translations admirably echo the music, pace and resonance of the poems. This anthology links the old with the new, cementing the continuity of a richly textured tradition. There is something in the collection for every reader and each will make his or her own connections—at times startling, at other times familiar.

Life by itself is harsh and unrelenting, and it can weigh heavily on the soul and spirit of a person. Then you add the misinterpretations of Christ from the altars that follow the dictates of the Roman Empire, and life becomes even more complex. Yet religion plays an important role in the lives of people, and so it is important for us to use our faith to understand and embrace life. Dead Man’s Hand is an inspired commentary that can help get you back to the inheritance that Christ gave us—salvation and the lands of America—and it can guide you away from the altars that peddle falsehoods about Christ. Author Ronald Thomas explains how important it is to protect the family unit from the spiritual and physical dangers of the world, and he shows you how you will never know who Christ truly is unless you walk away from the altars of the men in colorful clothing, who want nothing more than your money. Christ is powerful, and his power hinges on one command: “Love me.” It is that simple, and there is only one Creator, one Lord, and one King. The message from the Father to each of us is to love him unconditionally just as he loves us.

"Mr. Donald Howard Becton III, the successful globe-trotting businessman and millionaire, is deader than a pair of socks. And he is presently on display for the world to see at the Olson-Hines Funeral Home. His wife, the educated and well-pedigreed Eileen, visits, and puts on a good show to get that nervous, rat terrier of a junior funeral hall director in training, Mr. Hines, to leave her alone with the corpse. Unfortunately, Eileen has a problem. No, not the pyromaniac daughter nor the bedwetting son; no, no one can find Becton's will, not even his golf-obsessed lawyer knows where it is. Perhaps clues to the dilemma can be found on the corpse? But, before a proper search can be made, Veronica shows up, a gaudily painted, silicone enhanced "lady" who also claims to be Becton's wife. Let's just say that that is not what Eileen expected. The two immediately despise each other and eventually go at it to hilarious means, leaving behind a very perplexed Mr. Hines (and one very battered corpse) at play's end."--Publisher's website.