This volume features in-depth, oral interviews with eleven incarcerated women, each of whom offers a narrative of her life and her reading experiences within prison walls. The women share powerful stories about their complex and diverse efforts to negotiate difficult relationships, exercise agency in restrictive circumstances, and find meaning and beauty in the midst of pain. Their shared emphases on abuse, poverty, addiction, and mental illness illuminate the pathways that lead many women to prison and suggest possibilities for addressing the profound social problems that fuel crime. Framing the narratives within an analytic introduction and reflective afterword, Megan Sweeney highlights the crucial intellectual work that the incarcerated women perform despite myriad restrictions on reading and education in U.S. prisons. These women use the limited reading materials available to them as sources of guidance and support and as tools for self-reflection and self-education. Through their creative engagements with books, the women learn to reframe their own life stories, situate their experiences in relation to broader social patterns, deepen their understanding of others, experiment with new ways of being, and maintain a sense of connection with their fellow citizens on both sides of the prison fence.

This volume features in-depth, oral interviews with eleven incarcerated women, each of whom offers a narrative of her life and her reading experiences within prison walls. The women share powerful stories about their complex and diverse efforts to negotiate difficult relationships, exercise agency in restrictive circumstances, and find meaning and beauty in the midst of pain. Their shared emphases on abuse, poverty, addiction, and mental illness illuminate the pathways that lead many women to prison and suggest possibilities for addressing the profound social problems that fuel crime. Framing the narratives within an analytic introduction and reflective afterword, Megan Sweeney highlights the crucial intellectual work that the incarcerated women perform despite myriad restrictions on reading and education in U.S. prisons. These women use the limited reading materials available to them as sources of guidance and support and as tools for self-reflection and self-education. Through their creative engagements with books, the women learn to reframe their own life stories, situate their experiences in relation to broader social patterns, deepen their understanding of others, experiment with new ways of being, and maintain a sense of connection with their fellow citizens on both sides of the prison fence.

Travel with Sean Gladding between the lines of the Scriptures to listen to the conversations of people wrestling with the Story of God for the first time. Whether by campfire in Babylon, at table in Asia Minor or by candlelight in Rome, you'll hear a tale that is at once familiar and surprising.

It takes more than 10 billion years to create just the right conditions on one planet for life to begin. It takes another three billion years of evolving life forms until it finally happens, a primate super species emerges: mankind. In conjunction with History Channel's hit television series by the same name, Mankind is a sweeping history of humans from the birth of the Earth and hunting antelope in Africa's Rift Valley to the present day with the completion of the Genome project and the birth of the seven billionth human. Like a Hollywood action movie, Mankind is a fast-moving, adventurous history of key events from each major historical epoch that directly affect us today such as the invention of iron, the beginning of Buddhism, the crucifixion of Jesus, the fall of Rome, the invention of the printing press, the Industrial Revolution, and the invention of the computer. With more than 300 color photographs and maps, Mankind is not only a visual overview of the broad story of civilization, but it also includes illustrated pop-out sidebars explaining distinctions between science and history, such as why there is 700 times more iron than bronze buried in the earth, why pepper is the only food we can taste with our skin, and how a wobble in the earth's axis helped bring down the Egyptian Empire. This is the most exciting and entertaining history of mankind ever produced.

The Beautiful Story Within Me is a lyrical tale of love and redemption. Bringing the classic adage, "Don't judge a book by its cover" to life with a surprising twist, the vibrantly illustrated book, rooted in simple Biblical truth, is an enchanting adventure for both children and adults. For anyone who has ever felt inadequate: Your story is beautiful! You are seen, known, and truly loved. Reviews: The Beautiful Story Within Me teaches children (and adults) that there is beauty and worth within each one of us, no matter what we look like on the outside. In a creative way, it shows how the Lord loves and values us, even when others don't. The book provides a hopeful message children truly need to hear. -May Patterson, Author, Blogger, and Speaker The Beautiful Story Within Me touches the heart and soul with each word. Reminding us that we are uniquely created and given special gifts, this book inspires and encourages. A great book to give as a gift. -Melissa Henderson, Author

A STORY OF GOD AND ALL OF US is a sweeping narrative that dramatises some of the most important events and characters in the Bible. The book reads like a fine novel, dramatising the sweep of biblical events, making the men and women of scripture come alive in vivid detail and dialogue. All are historically and theologically accurate. The Bible, a ten-hour mini-series on the History Channel will be based on the story, and the script has been reviewed by a number of Christian church leaders and seminarians for authenticity. Many prominent biblical characters will be portrayed in the story: Moses, David, Daniel, John the Baptist and of course, Jesus. The book will also highlight the prophetic significance of the empires that controlled Israel (Egyptians, Babylonians, Persians and Romans), as well as the many Old Testament prophecies of the Messiah.

Encourage young readers to use their imagination, and look within others, and themselves, to discover all that they have to offer. A stunningly illustrated children’s picture book, with captivating poetic text by Rachel Moulden. It teaches your little ones that there is more to people than meets the eye, you just have to look. Children, who love nature and rhymes will adore this charming educational book, which includes: • Vibrant illustrations by Jodie Howard • Repetition, language, sounds and rhythm of rhyming text, helping children to develop their vocabulary and support their language development • A strong message that there is more to someone than meets the eye if you take the time to look Are you as joyful and bright as a daffodil? Or as bold and brave as a tiger? In You I See highlights and celebrates the colorful layers and attributes we all can have. With enthralling, rhyming text by singer-songwriter Rachel “Maiday” Moulden and gorgeous illustrations by Jodie Howard, this enchanting children’s storybook brings the magic of rhyme and nature together. Whether you are looking for a bedtime storybook, a children’s gift for a special occasion, or simply a book to share with your child, this delightful kid’s book will make the perfect addition to the bookshelf. It includes cheerful, simple text that is perfect for reading together and out loud, which has many early learning benefits.