In this lively and intellectually engaging book, Galit Hasan-Rokem shows that religion is shaped not only in the halls of theological disputation and institutions of divine study, but also in ordinary events of everyday life. Common aspects of human relations offer a major source for the symbols of religious texts and rituals of late antique Judaism as well as its partner in narrative dialogues, early Christianity, Hasan-Rokem argues. Focusing on the "neighborhood" of the Galilee that is the birthplace of many major religious and cultural developments, this book brings to life the riddles, parables, and folktales passed down in Rabbinic stories from the first half of the first millennium of the Common Era.

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A tabloid sex scandal leads to murder in the Nobel laureate’s politically charged thriller set among the wealthy elite of 1990s Peru. Through the 1990s, Peruvian president Alberto Fujimori oversaw a deeply corrupt society. Those among the elite enjoyed privilege beyond imagining. But two couples from Lima’s upper class are about to become embroiled in a disturbing vortex of erotic adventures and politically driven blackmail. Enrique, a high-profile businessman, receives a visit from notorious tabloid editor Rolando Garro, who attempts to blackmail him with graphic pictures from an old business trip. When Enrique refuses to pay, the images are on the front page. Meanwhile, Enrique’s wife is in the midst of a passionate affair with the wife of Enrique’s lawyer and best friend. When Garro shows up murdered, the two couples must navigate the unspoken laws and customs of Peru’s criminal underworld, while the magazine staff embarks on its greatest exposé yet. A twisting, unpredictable tale, The Neighborhood is at once a scathing indictment of Fujimori’s regime and a crime thriller that evokes the vulgarity of freedom in a corrupt system.

Quinito's neighbors all have important roles to play in the community.

Do ghosts really exist, or is "ghostly phenomena" just strange stuff that gets blamed on dead people? Giving you the real story, professional ghostbuster and skeptic Adam Selzer of Weird Chicago Tours delves into a mysterious death at a former funeral parlor, nightly ghost sightings at Hull House, and more. Proving that not all ghost hunters are kooks (some are just geeks gone wild), Selzer showcases true spooky tales worldwide, a history of hauntings, the art of ghost hunting, and cool evidence of paranormal phenomena and the supernatural. These ghost stories will make you want to investigate that cemetery down the road to see if it's haunted—or just dark and creepy.