Do you feel overwhelmed at the thought of another Christmas, holiday season, or birthday? Do you ever wish you could effortlessly know what gifts make people happy? Are there times when you just can't think of what to get someone and you end up giving them a gift card, yet again? Ever hear of an amazingly unique gift someone gave, and wonder how they ever thought of it? In The Art of Gift Giving you will learn simple skills and discover useful resources that make birthdays and holidays something to look forward to -- as fun opportunities to show the people you care about how well you know and appreciate them. You will learn how to listen, be creative, and present gifts that always touch and bring happiness to the people in your life. You will become a Master Gift Giver

This major study breaks new ground, going beyond the issue most discussed in charismatic circles (the working of the Holy Spirit) to tackle questions relating to the person of the Holy Spirit and his relationships to the Father and the Son, as well as his relationship to people. Smail's theological horizons are impressively broad, embracing historical orthodoxy and including the Roman and Eastern Orthodox traditions, as well as contemporary theology. He combines full theological literacy with personal insight into renewal, thus illuminating a contemporary experience of the Holy Spirit with the sovereignty of God in salvation. In The Giving Gift he offers a positive understanding of Christian tradition in its relation to Scripture and a new approach to prayer as a gift that God makes by his Spirit. He also provides an attempt to understand the work of the Spirit in the church throughout the ages and in different traditions, emphasising in particular the role and contribution of the Eastern Orthodox churches. Thomas A. Smail served as Rector of Sanderstead, South London. Previous to that he was Vice-Principal of St John's College, Nottingham and a Director of the Fountain Trust. He is the author of Reflected Glory and The Forgotten Father.

"You never get a second chance to make a first impression." Have you ever heard this saying? Before we get a chance to say a word, our gestures and manners have already spoken for us. Though some of the rules of good manners change, others remain constant. This book is about the constants: the least you need to know to make a good first impression. As Clarence Thomas once said, "Good manners will open doors that the best education cannot." Use this book as a master key to open those doors.

At age thirty-five, Cami Walker was burdened by a battle with multiple sclerosis, a chronic neurological condition that made it difficult for her to walk, work, or enjoy her life. Seeking a remedy for her depression after being hospitalized, she received an uncommon prescription from an African medicine woman: give to others for 29 days. 29 Gifts is the insightful story of the author's life change as she embraces and reflects on the naturally reciprocal process of giving and receiving. Many of Walker's gifts were simple?a phone call, spare change, a Kleenex. Yet the acts were transformative. By day 29, not only had Walker's health and happiness improved, but she had created a worldwide giving movement. The book also includes personal essays from others whose lives changed for the better by giving, plus pages for the reader to record their own journey. More than a memoir, 29 Gifts offers inspiring lessons on how a simple daily practice of altruism can dramatically alter your outlook on the world.

First published in 1990. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

'Joan Aiken's invention seemed inexhaustible, her high spirits a blessing, her sheer storytelling zest a phenomenon' PHILLIP PULLMAN 'One of the most important and interesting children's fiction writers of the last fifty years' NEIL GAIMAN 'The Gift Giving is the perfect selection of stories to introduce readers to this precious and incredible author' KIRAN MILLWOOD HARGRAVE 'The voice that tells these stories is braver than us, unflappable; someone who knows the ways of the world and loves it anyway. She is one of the writers I admire most in the world' KATHERINE RUNDELL 'Favourite stories, like unexpected presents, are things that you can keep and cherish all your life, carry with you, in memory, in your mind's ear, and bring out, at any time, when you are feeling lonely, or need cheering up, or, like friends, just because you are fond of them' Joan Aiken is justly famous for her Wolves of Willoughby Chase series, but her greatest love was for short stories, which she wrote prolifically throughout her long career. From a princess turned into a pirate parrot to a procession of Father Christmases chased down Fifth Avenue by a rackety horse and cart; from the ghost of a crusader's dog, to a captured mermaid in a flying machine, there is something for everybody in this enthralling collection. These stories showcase Aiken's unique talents - the way she mixed magic and myth with humour to create a kind of modern fairytale. Her stories will appeal to readers of all ages for many years to come. WITH BEAUTIFUL ILLUSTRATIONS BY PETER BAILEY