Originally banned in China but later named one of that nation’s most influential books, a searing novel that portrays one man’s transformation from the spoiled son of a landlord to a kindhearted peasant. “A work of astounding emotional power.” —Dai Sijie, author of Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress From the author of Brothers and China in Ten Words: this celebrated contemporary classic of Chinese literature was also adapted for film by Zhang Yimou. After squandering his family’s fortune in gambling dens and brothels, the young, deeply penitent Fugui settles down to do the honest work of a farmer. Forced by the Nationalist Army to leave behind his family, he witnesses the horrors and privations of the Civil War, only to return years later to face a string of hardships brought on by the ravages of the Cultural Revolution. Left with an ox as the companion of his final years, Fugui stands as a model of gritty authenticity, buoyed by his appreciation for life in this narrative of humbling power.

“Stephen Levine has worked creatively to help thousands of people approach their own deaths with equanimity, truth, and an open heart. I can think of no one better qualified to help us enrich our lives through embracing the mystery of death.”—Ram Dass “A Year to Live is a poetic and deeply passionate exploration into what creates human suffering. It is also a lyrical and generous-spirited guide to life.”—San Francisco Examiner In A Year to Live, Stephen Levine, author of the perennial bestseller Who Dies?, teaches us how to live each moment, each hour, each day mindfully—as if it were all that was left. On his deathbed, Socrates exhorted his followers to practice dying as the highest form of wisdom. Levine decided to live this way himself for a whole year, and now he shares with us how such immediacy radically changes our view of the world and forces us to examine our priorities. Most of us go to extraordinary lengths to ignore, laugh off, or deny our grief over the fact that we are going to die, but preparing for death is one of the most rational and rewarding acts of a lifetime. It is an exercise that gives us the opportunity to deal with unfinished business and enter into a new and vibrant relationship with life. Levine provides us with a year-long program of intensely practical strategies and powerful guided meditations to help with this work, so that whenever the ultimate moment does arrive for each of us, we will not feel that it has come too soon.

The power of design to create a life worth living even in a refugee camp: designs, inventions, and artworks from the Azraq Refugee Camp in Jordan. This book shows how, even in the most difficult conditions--forced displacement, trauma, and struggle--design can help create a life worth living. Design to Live documents designs, inventions, and artworks created by Syrian refugees living in the Azraq Refugee Camp in Jordan. Through these ingenious and creative innovations--including the vertical garden, an arrangement necessitated by regulations that forbid planting in the ground; a front hall, fashioned to protect privacy; a baby swing made from recycled desks; and a chess set carved from a broomstick--refugees defy the material scarcity, unforgiving desert climate, and cultural isolation of the camp. Written in close collaboration with the residents of the camp, with text in both English and Arabic, Design to Live, reflects two perspectives on the camp: people living and working in Azraq and designers reflecting on humanitarian architecture within the broader field of socially engaged art and design. Architectural drawings, illustrations, photographs, narratives, and stories offer vivid testimony to the imaginative and artful ways that residents alter and reconstruct the standardized humanitarian design of the camp--and provide models that can be replicated elsewhere. The book is the product of a three-year project undertaken by MIT Future Heritage Lab, researchers and students with Syrian refugees at the Azraq Refugee Camp, CARE, Jordan, and the German-Jordanian University. Copublication with Future Heritage Lab, MIT

“This is a book of help and comfort for all ages...a simple, sincere and honest philosophy of living, gleaned from the world’s finest inspirational writings.” A book in the form of, essentially, a long letter of guidance and inspiration to help the children she believed she would soon leave, Something to Live By was born in Dorothea S. Kopplin’s mind some 20 years ago prior to first publication of this book in 1945, when doctors told her she would not live long enough to be able to nurture her children as she would have wanted to. With this book, she created an uplifting collection of beautiful poems and quotes, inspiring them to live a harmonious life. Mrs. Kopplin’s writings tell us about her strong bonding with her children: her parenting was full of happiness, courage, fortitude, love, sorrow, family bonding, forgiveness and above all a deep understanding of human life. She had fathomed the depths of spirituality as well as deciphered that materialism is not the only way to happiness in life. She believed in the power of the Almighty not just through reading of the scriptures but by service to humanity. In short, the book, apart from being educational, is inspiring and motivating.

Previously published as How Not to Die Alone Smart, darkly funny, and life-affirming, for fans of Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine, Something to Live For is the bighearted debut novel we all need, a story about love, loneliness, and the importance of taking a chance when we feel we have the most to lose. "Off-beat and winning...Gives resiliency and the triumph of the human spirit a good name." --The Wall Street Journal All Andrew wants is to be normal. That's why his coworkers believe he has the perfect wife and two children waiting at home for him after a long day. But the truth is, his life isn't exactly as people think . . . and his little white lie is about to catch up with him. Because in all of Andrew's efforts to fit in, he's forgotten one important thing: how to really live. And maybe, it's finally time for him to start. "Roper illuminates Andrew's interior life to reveal not what an odd duck he is, but what odd ducks we all are." --The New York Times Book Review

Winner of the 2010 National Book Critics Circle Award for Biography How to get along with people, how to deal with violence, how to adjust to losing someone you love—such questions arise in most people’s lives. They are all versions of a bigger question: how do you live? How do you do the good or honorable thing, while flourishing and feeling happy? This question obsessed Renaissance writers, none more than Michel Eyquem de Monatigne, perhaps the first truly modern individual. A nobleman, public official and wine-grower, he wrote free-roaming explorations of his thought and experience, unlike anything written before. He called them “essays,” meaning “attempts” or “tries.” Into them, he put whatever was in his head: his tastes in wine and food, his childhood memories, the way his dog’s ears twitched when it was dreaming, as well as the appalling events of the religious civil wars raging around him. The Essays was an instant bestseller and, over four hundred years later, Montaigne’s honesty and charm still draw people to him. Readers come in search of companionship, wisdom and entertainment—and in search of themselves. This book, a spirited and singular biography, relates the story of his life by way of the questions he posed and the answers he explored. It traces his bizarre upbringing, youthful career and sexual adventures, his travels, and his friendships with the scholar and poet Étienne de La Boétie and with his adopted “daughter,” Marie de Gournay. And we also meet his readers—who for centuries have found in Montaigne an inexhaustible source of answers to the haunting question, “how to live?”

There's a big difference between being alive and knowing how to truly live. Live, from New York Times bestselling author Sadie Robertson, addresses life's most difficult issues and choices in fun, practical, and biblical ways, leading you to engage with God's truth in a world that is growing more overwhelming and confusing. To be alive is something that happens to you, but to truly live is something you choose to do each day. As Sadie says, "When you truly learn to live the life God offers, your whole existence becomes a verb." In Live, Sadie inspires teens and young adults to thrive by making choices that will lead them into the fullness God has for them, not into the emptiness the world offers find confidence, deal with haters, live in the moment, and discover the power of words identify the difference between what leads to life and what leads to death wholeheartedly embrace God's ways and God's truth Live is the perfect gift for young, Christian women on birthdays, for graduation, or as a "just because" for self-care and self-discovery. With full-color photography and captivating design, Live helps teens and young adults feel empowered and inspired. Whether you have a long-time relationship with God or are new to faith, Live is a joyful encouragement to make the most of each moment, make wise decisions, and always seek the truth of the Bible. Filled with stories and biblical principles, Live celebrates what we all have in common—the opportunity to not simply be alive but to truly live. Sadie is a wholesome and trusted role model and enthusiastic voice for her generation, reaching millions of teens, young adults, and parents through her books, social platforms, and hit podcast, WHOA That's Good. Look for additional inspirational, bestselling books from Sadie: Live Fearless Live on Purpose Who Are You Following? Who Are You Following? Guided Journal