Why live under a pagan sky? For thousands of years, humankind has dwelled under a dome of stars that have been grouped and identified according to ancient superstitions. Today, the official star constellations pay homage to the pagan gods and goddesses of a dark and chaotic world, a world before Christ, and yet these are the constellations that scouting groups and school children all around the world have been encouraged to learn for hundreds of years. Now, for the first time, the sky has been mapped in accordance with easy-to-find star patterns that tell the stories of the Christian faith. No telescope required. No sophisticated instruments needed. After presenting a few simple but very effective techniques for finding your way through the sky at night, the author takes you on a tour of the Christian constellations. Using new constellations inspired by stories from the Bible, you will be able to locate stars, planets, star clusters, and galaxies during any time of the night and at any time of the year. If you have ever wanted to know more about God's grandest creation but have never felt comfortable learning about ancient pagan idols, then this book will provide you with a healthy fresh start.

Under the ambitious leadership of President Xi Jinping, China is zealously transforming its wealth and economic power into potent tools of global political influence. But China's foreign policy initiatives, even the vaunted "Belt and Road," will be shaped and redefined as they confront theground realities of local and regional politics outside China. In China's Western Horizon, Daniel S. Markey, a scholar of international relations and former member of the U.S. State Department's policy planning staff, previews how China's efforts are likely to play out in its own "backyard:" theswath of Eurasia that includes South Asia, Central Asia, and the Middle East. Drawing from his extensive interviews, travels, and historical research, Markey describes how perceptions of China vary widely within states like Pakistan, Kazakhstan, and Iran.The region's powerful and privileged groups often expect to profit from their connections to China, while others fear commercial and political losses. Similarly, statesmen across Eurasia are scrambling to harness China's energy purchases, arms sales, and infrastructure investments as a means tooutdo their strategic competitors, like India and Saudi Arabia, while negotiating relations with Russia and America. On balance, Markey anticipates that China's deepening involvement will play to the advantage of regional strongmen and exacerbate the political tensions within and among Eurasianstates. To make the most of America's limited influence in China's backyard (and elsewhere), he argues that U.S. policymakers should pursue a selective and localized strategy to serve America's aims in Eurasia and to better compete with China over the long run.