One of the Seven Wonders of the World, the lost legendary Lighthouse of Pharos has remained a source of intrigue and mystery to archeologists for centuries. Archeology student Milo Standberry has longed to delve into the mystery of the lighthouse, and he's about to get his chance. His archeology professor, Albert Palmore, believes he knows the location of the lighthouse and decides to take an expedition to Alexandria, Egypt. Along with the beautiful Tracy Peach and the Royal League of Agema, a small faction of passionate pioneers, they set out to excavate the ancient treasure. When they find nothing but dust, the team tries to keep its spirits up, but that's hard when surrounded by the hot sun and sprawling desert. But to everyone's surprise, roaming spirits of ancient times suddenly appear-and they can penetrate into the deepest corner of the human psyche to interfere . or to help. As Milo and his comrades struggle to find the meaning of life amidst the pandemonium of myth and legend, they uncover the shocking truth about Pharos and startling revelations of the history of humanity itself.

Piloting Through Chaos?The Explorer?s Mind presents two books in one, giving readers a fresh way to learn about and navigate the world. Book I introduces the principle of integrity. Integrity is a basic connecting principle of the universe. It can explain what holds things together and why they fall apart. Piloting Through Chaos teaches how to apply this principle practically in a new and effective system of negotiation. Book II will appeal to adventurers and explorers of both the external and inner worlds. The Explorer?s Mind guides us through 8 interconnected realms: the Past, Wisdom, Beauty, Life Force, Discovery/Invention/Innovation, Philanthropy, the Networked Brain, and the Future. The ?intertidal? zones, where these realms interpenetrate, open a treasure trove of creativity and innovation. Taken together Books I and II provide readers with a road map to a more abundant life and offer a guide on the journey.

The proceeding is a collection of research papers presented, at the 8th International Conference on Robotics, Vision, Signal Processing and Power Applications (ROVISP 2013), by researchers, scientists, engineers, academicians as well as industrial professionals from all around the globe. The topics of interest are as follows but are not limited to: • Robotics, Control, Mechatronics and Automation • Vision, Image, and Signal Processing • Artificial Intelligence and Computer Applications • Electronic Design and Applications • Telecommunication Systems and Applications • Power System and Industrial Applications

The 20th century French composer Olivier Messiaen was a devout Roman Catholic and notably claimed that his music was an expression of his faith. Unsurprisingly, many performers and listeners consider Messiaen's strong religiosity central to their appreciation of the composer's music. Music scholars have devoted much energy to exploring how Messiaen's music was an extension of his religious beliefs. Yet, these works tend to discuss Messiaen's Catholicism solely in terms of personal religious identity and ignore the composer's broader connections to the cultural landscape of Roman Catholicism in France. In Olivier Messiaen: Texts, Contexts, and Intertexts (1937-1948) the late French literature scholar Richard Burton examines nine of Messiaen's works in the context of the broader French Catholic intellectual tradition. Drawing on an expansive knowledge of the Catholic literature and the surrealist tradition, Burton reveals that Messiaen's middle-period compositions are filled with intertextual references to the Bible and other theological writings, which Messiaen, given his reputation for falsifying facts, may have gone to great lengths to obscure. As a Catholic, Messiaen is presented as somewhat removed from the ethos of his time and place, taking no part in the social side of Catholicism that found expression in the Pétainist litany of 'Patrie, Famille, Travail'. Rather, Messiaen regarded himself as having a 'vertical' relationship with God, which could make him seem unworldly and even uncaring. With insights into the artistic careers of Messiaen's notable contemporaries and historical perspectives on the breakdown of French politics during World War II, Burton creates a vivid picture of the previously unexamined spiritual and philosophical inspirations behind Messiaen's pivotal mid-century compositions.

Grade level: 4, 5, 6, e, i.

"Between these two extremes, the main body of the book deals largely with opera, from Wagner's 'Tristan' and 'Parsifal' to Harrison Birtwistle's 'Sir Gawain and the Green Knight'. Some works have never been performed, such as Hubert Parry's 'Guenever' and Rutland Boughton's Arthurian cycle, while others have only recently been staged or revived, such as Isaac Albeniz's 'Merlin' and Ernest Chausson's 'Le roi Artus', both striking post-Wagnerian works in very different styles - 'Merlin', for instance, beginning with a passage based on Gregorian chant. The range of music is wider than one might at first suspect."--BOOK JACKET.