The Question of the Gift is the first collection of new interdisciplinary essays on the gift. Bringing together scholars from a variety of fields, including anthropology, literary criticism, economics, philosophy and classics, it provides new paradigms and poses new questions concerning the theory and practice of gift exchange. In addressing these questions, contributors not only challenge the conventions of their fields, but also combine ideas and methods from both the social sciences and humanities to forge innovative ways of confronting this universal phenomenon.

The Question of the Gift is the first collection of new interdisciplinary essays on the gift. Bringing together scholars from a variety of fields, including anthropology, literary criticism, economics, philosophy and classics, it provides new paradigms and poses new questions concerning the theory and practice of gift exchange. In addressing these questions, contributors not only challenge the conventions of their fields, but also combine ideas and methods from both the social sciences and humanities to forge innovative ways of confronting this universal phenomenon.

"The Gift of the Magi" is a short story by O. Henry first published in 1905. The story tells of a young husband and wife and how they deal with the challenge of buying secret Christmas gifts for each other with very little money. As a sentimental story with a moral lesson about gift-giving, it has been popular for adaptation, especially for presentation at Christmas time.

Take a moment to close your eyes and imagine an old man sitting in a rocking chair deep in thought. See the dull grey hair on his balding head, the creases on his brow, and the stains on his worn-out shirt. This man is a student of Franz Bardon's system of magical training, and has been since the day he first came across IIH in his early twenties. As he rocks back and forth, he desperately tries to figure out why he is still stuck on Step 1. Throughout his lifetime, he read many articles about the exercises of IIH, frequently corresponded with renowned Bardon-trained magicians like William Mistele and Rawn Clark, and even supplemented his training with additional exercises from Dzogchen, Huna, and Western esotericism. Yet, despite these efforts, he never did move on to Step 2. With the information contained in this book, you can avoid the fate of the old man you have just pictured. This book will teach you many things that will help you make real progress in your training, including: Why you should throw out all your books on Qabalah Why you should learn how to practice nishkama karma instead of Golden Dawn rituals like the LBRP Why you should not draw magical symbols on the cover of your magical journal Why a rudimentary understanding of economics can help you decide what magical exercises to practice Why a cryptic statement by a Zen master can help you avoid buying Bardon-related books Why you should not ask the author of this book questions about the spirits of PME Why the way you urinate affects the speed of your magical advancement Why writing a particular number on a piece of paper and taping it over your desk can help you train better In 56 simple and to the point chapters, Virgil covers the common mistakes that keep students stuck on Step 1 their entire lives and discusses the one key principle that underlies all effective approaches to Bardon system training. Note: This book was written specifically for students of Franz Bardon's system of magical training. While students of other systems are welcome to read it, they may need to adapt the teachings contained herein to fit the systems they study.

Women who have maintained their sexual purity often ask, “Is it really that important for me to wait until I get married?” Meanwhile, single women who have been sexually active mourn the loss of their innocence, wishing they could somehow start again. Women want to protect the purity that is God’s gift to them, and they also long to be loved. This volatile combination makes them vulnerable to temptation. That is why it is vital that women know not only that God wants them to wait, but why God wants them to do so. They need solid reasons, conviction, and a strategy that will prepare them to live out their sexual purity as God intends. Filled with powerful true stories of hope and healing, Gift-Wrapped by God provides compelling emotional and spiritual reasons for choosing God’s path of sexual purity, as well as practical help for following it. Whether women have held onto their sexual innocence, have become prematurely sexually active, or have had their purity taken by force, they can express and fulfill their desire to come to their wedding day--and live out every day–-sexually pure and whole.

A comprehensive guide to giving well to family members Giving is at the core of family life--and with current law allowing up to $5,120,000 in tax-free gifts, at least through December 2012, the ultra-affluent are faced with the task of giving at perhaps largest scale in history. Beyond the tax saving and wealth management implications, giving to family members opens up a slew of thorny questions, the biggest of which is, "How do I prepare recipients of such large gifts?" With that question and others in mind, Hughes, Massenzio, and Whitaker have written The Cycle of the Gift in three main parts: "The Who of Giving," "The How of Giving," and "The What and Why of Giving." The first part focuses on the people most deeply involved in family giving, especially the recipients and givers (parents, grandparents, spouses, trustees). The second part, "The How of Giving," addresses the delicate balance of givers who want to maintain some level of control and recipients who want some level of freedom in accepting and growing their gifts. The final part, "The What and Why of Giving" describes various types of gifts, from money to business interests to values and rituals. The authors also introduce their "family bank" concept as a model that combines loans, trusts, and outright gifts. It embodies a framework and set of practices for long-term family growth. Even families without great wealth--or those who have already made large gifts to their children and grandchilren--can benefit from the human wisdom and practical advice found in The Cycle of the Gift.

Starting with the premise that the work of art is a gift and not a commodity, this revolutionary book ranges across anthropology, literature, economics, and psychology to show how the 'commerce of the creative spirit' functions in the lives of artists and in culture as a whole.