In September 2013, the body of 12-year-old Asunta Basterra (born in China and adopted while still a baby) was found abandoned at the side of a woodland path near Santiago de Compostela in Spain. Some days later, her parents were arrested as the prime suspects of the murder, and, after a long and complicated trial, which left various matters unsolved, were each sentenced to 18 years in prison. This is the first book in English about the murder and trial, and the only book to include the whole story as told in the author’s interviews with Asunta’s mother in prison (the only authorized visit in her four years in prison), the lawyers of both parties, the policemen and women who were directly involved in the arrest and the investigation, Asunta’s ballet teacher and journalists who covered the story from beginning to end.

Thousands know the controversy surrounding the Turin Shroud, but few in the English-speaking world have heard of the Oviedo Cloth. It too is a possible relic of Jesus' burial, and the marks on the Shroud and on the Cloth (which is thought to have been wrapped around Jesus' head) are consistent with each other. Yet the Oviedo Cloth has been in its current home in he cathedral town of Oviedo, in northern Spain, since the eleventh century, so there is additional reason to doubt the carbon-dating of the Turin Shroud to the fourteenth century. The author examines the claims for the authenticity of the Cloth, both scientific and historical. His treatment of the Turin Shroud is in relation to the Cloth and the new evidence which it provides. The closing chapter sets out the implications of these findings for the Church today, and answers some of the sensational claims made in the more excitable Shroud books of the last few years. The argument is always based on historical foundations, rather than religious ones, thus avoiding the danger of influence from prior convictions. This book will interest all who want a reasoned introduction to a subject which has caused fierce disputes among scholars, and all who are concerned with the relationship of faith and fact will be enlightened by this study.

The Image of Edessa, also later known as the Mandylion, was a relic of Christ, a cloth imprinted with his features which he had used to wipe his face, and subsequently used to cure King Agbar of Edessa, the first Christian ruler. This book collects and provides parallel translations of all the available written evidence for the image, along with detailed analysis of the history of the image. Guscin deftly seperates fact from legend, for while the story of King Agbar is certainly mythical, an image of some sort did definitely exist by the mid tenth century when it was translated to Constantinople.

The Image of Edessa was an image of Christ, which, according to tradition, was of miraculous origin. It was taken from Edessa to Constantinople in 944, and disappeared from known history in the aftermath of the Fourth Crusade in 1204. It generated, however, a vast amount of literature and hundreds of copies in churches all over the Byzantine world. This book is a study of the literature, paintings, icons and other aspects related to the Image of Edessa. It examines how it was used as a tool to express Christ’s humanity and for various other purposes, and how some of the related literature became completely decontextualised and used as a magical charm, especially in the West.

What is it about unsolved murders that still fascinates us long after the cases have gone cold? Is it simply that we enjoy being able to come up with our own theories about what happened to the unfortunate victims? Or are we intrigued by the terrifying possibility that the killers are still out there somewhere? The Faceless Villain: Volume One is the first in a three volume series that explores the most mysterious and disturbing unsolved murders of the twentieth century. This volume is comprised of the years 1900 through 1959, and includes all of the best known cases of the period, as well as many more lesser-known murders, all presented in a compelling chronological narrative that takes the reader on a grisly journey through the blood-soaked avenues of early twentieth century crime. Featuring: The Peasenhall Murder. The Seal Chart Murder. The Atlanta Ripper. The Villisca Axe Murders. The Axeman of New Orleans. The Green Bicycle Case. Little Lord Fauntleroy. Hinterkaifeck Farm. The St. Aubin Street Massacre. The Wallace Case. The Atlas Vampire. The Brighton Trunk Crime. The Cleveland Torso Murderer. The Horror in Room 1046. Who Put Bella in the Wych Elm? The Pitchfork Murder. The Sodder Children. The Phantom Killer. The Black Dahlia. Somerton Man. The Grimes Sisters. The Boy in the Box. And Much More!

In the early years of life, the environments that interact with a child-including families, schools, and communities-play a key role in the child's brain development. Early child development and overall children's developmental trajectories have long-term implications for health, happiness, and earning potential as these children become adults. Importantly, failing to reach developmental potential contributes to global cycles of poverty, inequality, and social exclusion. There is little public understanding of the importance of a child's first years and the critical developmental opportunity to reach optimal functioning. As such, global data on early child developments are crucial to inform the public and demand evidence-based policies and high-quality programs for children around the world. This book includes initiatives assessing the impact of programs and interventions related to children's health, education, and participation that inform evidence-based policies worldwide. Importantly, this book raises global awareness of the importance of children's first years of life and the crucial role of child-environment interactions where the child lives, plays, and grows. The culturally diverse content comprises international representation of studies and classifications tools. International experts contributed high-quality reviews that collate valuable information and guide the adoption of a rights-based approach in early child development globally.

Consumers' Purchase Intentions and Their Behavior reviews the relevant literature on purchase intentions in marketing, and more generally on the intentions-behavior relationship in social psychology, since purchase intentions are a particular form of the more general construct of intentions. Starting with the importance of purchase intentions to marketing managers, the author then focuses on reviewing the literature that provides an understanding of how strong is the relationship between purchase intentions and purchasing, what factors influence the strength of the relationship between purchase intentions and purchasing, and how a marketing manager should best use purchase intentions to forecast future sales.