•Will your death be the end of you or is there something more? •Is it credible to have religious belief in the twenty-first century? •Can there be a deeper meaning to life? Pondering the Meaning of Life is a systematic review of the evidence that may allow us to answer these questions. There is no preaching and no saying what some God wants us to do. Written in a clear, accessible style, the only prerequisites are curiosity and a very basic understanding of religion. Whatever you may have thought to be true may be challenged, but there are other uplifting and exciting possibilities to be pondered. To seek for meaning in our lives is surely one of the most rewarding endeavors we can undertake.

-Will your death be the end of you or is there something more? -Is it credible to have religious belief in the twenty-first century? -Can there be a deeper meaning to life? Pondering the Meaning of Life is a systematic review of the evidence that may allow us to answer these questions. There is no preaching and no saying what some God wants us to do. Written in a clear, accessible style, the only prerequisites are curiosity and a very basic understanding of religion. Whatever you may have thought to be true may be challenged, but there are other uplifting and exciting possibilities to be pondered. To seek for meaning in our lives is surely one of the most rewarding endeavors we can undertake.

Have you ever just wondered about life? What is Life? Is there God? How do we fit into the universe? What is our relationship with other living things? What does it mean to be human? Doctor Ergo provides you with a firm background and vantage point from which to view those questions. You will gain a comprehensive perspective on Life and the human condition - from the Big Bang, through Life history on this planet, to the current condition of our human mind and species, and some solid thoughts on what Life....is. This is a Story of Life. In a Darwinian world, our mental capacity has enabled us to ascend to the pinnacle of the survival pyramid. Therefore, the essence of the story about our species centers on our mind. Our cognitive skills are built upon the neural architectures that originally developed for vision and for speech/hearing. We can be aware of the 2 sides of our mind through introspection of our own consciousness: Vision based - non-verbal emotions, feelings and intuitions coming from our vision-based cognition in our Right Brain. Speech based - words, thoughts, and reasoning coming from our speech-based cognition in our Left Brain. Vision developed quickly in the Cambrian Period (570 million years ago) when the earliest animals with body forms emerged. Vision enabled the animal to see the "world," and gave the animal a sense of "self," i.e. that which was viewing the world. Consequently the concepts of "world" and "self" are deeply embedded in the cognition that developed from the vision neurological architecture. Likewise, Darwinian survival necessitated identification of same-species animals (for protection and reproduction); hence the concept of "group" is also deeply embedded in the vision-based neurology. Our speech-based left brain has no equal anywhere else in Life on this planet. This is what has made possible the major advances of the human mind, separated us from the animals, and enabled us to conquer the planet. This Sensory Mind model clarifies Plato's writings and the psychological models that were developed by Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung. The personality types tested by Myers-Briggs, which are based on the theories of Carl Jung, are consistent with the Sensory Mind. Major trends in human history have been about the growth of our collective left brain in the governance of human affairs and its interplay with our vision-based (non-verbal) right mind. Our human "advances" have largely resulted from development of our speech-based mind, but the essence and truth of life comes to us from our vision-based mind. Our earliest groupings and civilizations were largely governed by vision-based animal grouping models. These have evolved into newer civilizations and human groupings that include participation and/or leadership of our left brain "group-think." We are very familiar with the concept of Darwinian survival and its role in the evolution of Life. However, Darwinian survival is simply the strategy or tactic that governs the advancement of Life. What is it that drives Life to engage in the Darwinian struggle for survival? There IS a Life Drive that fuels evolution...what is it? The Life Drive permeates all of life and is the force that drives Darwinian evolution. It is theorized that Life is a previously unidentified parameter in Einstein's Theory of Relativity and that it exists at the conditions opposite to the Big Bang conditions. Most religious and belief systems, whether god-based such as Judaism, Christianity, or Islam, or spiritually-based such as Buddhism or Taoism, are oriented towards the ultimate truth that is Life.

In this meditation on religion and science, Lightman explores the tension between our yearning for permanence and certainty, and the modern scientific discoveries that demonstrate the impermanent and uncertain nature of the world. As a physicist, he has always held a scientific view of the world. But one summer evening, while looking at the stars from a small boat at sea he was overcome by the sensation that he was merging with a grand and eternal unity, a hint of something absolute and immaterial. This is his exploration of these seemingly contradictory impulses, and the journey along the different paths of religion and science that become part of his quest. -- adapted from publisher info.

ÿWriting for Blissÿis most fundamentally about reflection, truth, and freedom. With techniques and prompts for both the seasoned and novice writer, it will lead you to tap into your creativity through storytelling and poetry,examine how life-changing experiences can inspire writing,pursue self-examination and self-discovery through the written word, and,understand how published writers have been transformed by writing.Poet and memoirist Raab (Lust) credits her lifelong love of writing and its therapeutic effects with inspiring her to write this thoughtful and detailed primer that targets pretty much anyone interested in writing a memoir. Most compelling here is Raab?s willingness to share her intimate stories (e.g., the loss of a relative, ongoing struggles with cancer, a difficult relationship with her mother). Her revelations are encouraging to writers who feel they need ?permission to take... a voyage of self-discovery.? The book?s seven-step plan includes plenty of guidance, including on learning to ?read like a writer,? and on addressing readers as if ?seated across the table .? Raab covers big topics such as the ?art and power of storytelling? and small details such as choosing pens and notebooks that you enjoy using. She also helps readers with the important step of ?finding your form.? --PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY "Writing for Blissÿis about the profound ways in which we may be transformed in and through the act of writing. I am grateful to Diana Raab for sharing it, and I trust that you will feel the same as you read on. May you savor the journey." --from the foreword by MARK FREEMAN, PhD "By listening to ourselves and being aware of what we are saying and feeling, the true story of our life's past experience is revealed. Diana Raab?s book gives us the insights by which we can achieve this through her life-coaching wisdom and our writing." --BERNIE SIEGEL, MD, author ofÿThe Art of Healing "Only a talented writer who has fought hard to overcome life?s many obstacles could take her readers by the hand and lead them through the writing process with such enormous compassion, amazing insight, and kindness. Diana Raab is a powerful, wise, intelligent guide well worth our following." --JAMES BROWN, author ofÿThe Los Angeles DiariesÿandÿThe River "Writing for Blissÿis far more than a 'how-to manual'; it enlightens the creative process with wisdom and a delightful sense of adventure. Bravo to Bliss!" --LINDA GRAY SEXTON, author ofÿSearching for Mercy Street: My Journey Back to My Mother, Anne Sexton "Uniquely blending inspiring insights with practical advice, Diana guides you on a path to discover the story that is truly inside you?and yearning to be told." --PATRICK SWEENEY, coauthor of the New York Times bestsellerÿSucceed on Your Own Terms DIANA RAAB, PhD, is an award-winning memoirist, poet, blogger, workshop facilitator, thought provoker, and survivor. She?s the author of eight books and over one thousand articles and poems. She lives in Southern California. Learn more at www.DianaRaab.com

This collection of essays was the last work planned by Ayn Rand before her death in 1982. In it, she summarizes her view of philosophy and deals with a broad spectrum of topics. According to Ayn Rand, the choice we make is not whether to have a philosophy, but which one to have: rational, conscious, and therefore practical; or contradictory, unidentified, and ultimately lethal. Written with all the clarity and eloquence that have placed Ayn Rand’s Objectivist philosophy in the mainstream of American thought, these essays range over such basic issues as education, morality, censorship, and inflation to prove that philosophy is the fundamental force in all our lives.