Wonderful sightings of kingfishers, colourful butterflies, wild deer and beautiful wild flowers inspired me to recount the experiences from years ago. Family and friends' photographs are much appreciated and their company on walks too. Exploring the local countryside in the early nineteen fifties, when I was just eight years old, gave me a love of wild life, flora and fauna, and filled me with wonder, hearing the flock of lapwings calling 'Peewit!', and watching them circling, twisting and turning in the blue skies far above me. In those years children could wander freely, easily surviving the occasional mishap such as falling in the deep part of the stream that flowed across the moors to the River Soar. Sketching and painting also enjoyable activities from early childhood enabled me as a self-taught artist to try and capture the beauty of the landscape, where I walk so often, in my paintings as well as in my diary. However, my family struggling to read my handwritten diaries, (I found it difficult too in places!) encouraged me to typewrite them and this book is the result.

With its depiction of the downtrodden prostitutes, bootleggers, and hustlers of Perdido Street in the old French Quarter of 1930s New Orleans, "A Walk on the Wild Side" tells, in Algren's own words, "something about the natural toughness of women and men, in that order".

"I have always been intrigued by fringe science," writes Martin Gardner in the preface to this book, "perhaps for the same reason that I enjoy freak shows and circuses. Pseudoscientists, especially the extreme cranks, are fascinating creatures for psychological study. Moreover, I have found that one of the best ways to learn something about any branch of science is to find out where its crackpots go wrong."A unique combination of horse sense and drollery has made Martin Gardner the undisputed dean of the critics of pseudoscience. This bountiful collection of essays and articles will be wholeheartedly greeted by Gardner''s fans, as well as by new readers.This collection of articles - many of which first appeared in the Skeptical Inquirer, the New York Review of Books, and Free Inquiry - explores pseudoscience and strange religious beliefs with the author''s trademark wit and verve. Destined to be a classic of skeptical literature, this book covers a wide range of topics - including UFOs, rainmaking, ghosts, the Big Bang, ESP, Oral Roberts, as well as the early history of spiritualism and today''s bizarre "trance channeling" cults.

One of today's hot topics is the faith of "emerging adults" (the 18-30 age group). This book surveys the current research on emerging adulthood, describes the common changes emerging adults experience in their Christian faith as they move through their twenties, and discusses how emerging adults and their parents can successfully navigate those changes. In 2000, psychologist Jeffrey Arnett posited a new life stage—"emerging adulthood"—to describe the 18-30 age group. This age group was marked by a growing chasm between adolescence and the completion of traditional adult milestones. A number of scholarly studies of this age group have been done in the last decade. This book surveys that research, and offers an overview of how emerging adults view Christian faith. It explains how emerging adults reject or modify several of the Christian faith’s most common tenets and assumptions. And it offers guidance to parents, grandparents, ministers, and anyone who seeks to better understand the perplexing changes often seen in emerging adults’ religious faith and practice. In addition to presenting in reader-friendly form the conclusions of recent research on this age group, Wandering in the Wilderness weaves in the reflections of real-life emerging adults who responded to the author's request to share their own experiences of Christian faith. These provide powerful, poignant glimpses into the topic.

"I believe in possibility. Of magic, of omens, of compasses, of love. Some of it's a little bit true." Sixteen-year-old Tal is a Wanderer—a grifter whose life is built around the sound of wheels on the road, the customs of her camp, and the artful scams that keep her fed. With her brother, Wen, by her side, it's the only life she's ever known. It's the only one she's ever needed. Then, in a sleepy Southern town, the queen of cons picks the wrong mark when she meets Spencer Sway—the clean-cut Socially Secured boy who ends up hustling her instead of the other way around. For the first time, she sees a reason to stay. As her obligations to the camp begin to feel like a prison sentence, the pull to leave tradition behind has never been so strong. But the Wanderers live by signs, and all the signs all say that Tal and Spencer will end disaster and grief. Is a chance at freedom worth almost certain destruction? Wandering Wild is an achingly romantic journey of tradition and self-discovery—a magical debut.

Are you tired of the comparison game and trying to keep up? Are you worried that people will discover the real you and be disappointed? Sadie Robertson, New York Times bestselling author, has an important message for her generation: you don’t have to be held back by fear, anxiety, or loneliness anymore. In Live Fearless, Sadie takes you on a liberating journey out of fear and into freedom and a life of passion and purpose! No matter who you are, where you come from, or what your fears are, freedom is available to you in Jesus. The Bible is full of encouraging verses and stories to equip and inspire you in your daily battle against your fears. Sadie invites teens and young adults to set aside fear, anxiety, and comparison so they can become the joy-filled person God created them to be believe they are seen and known recognize and resolve FEAR—False Evidence Appearing Real be an agent of change by choosing compassion, connection, and acceptance Inside Live Fearless you’ll find interactive opportunities as Sadie asks you questions, presents challenges, delivers encouragement, and invites you to pray fun lists and practical ways to make changes, such as “7 Steps to Exhale Your Ugly” inspirational thoughts on how living fearlessly can change everything Live Fearless is the perfect gift for young Christian women on birthdays, for graduation, or as a “just because” gift to encourage self-care and confidence. It's time to fight your fears and live fearless. 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

Over his several decades of writing, Gardner has accomplished so much it's hard to believe there's just one of him. ... - Publishers WeeklyFor over fifty years Martin Gardner has been writing witty, entertaining, and highly intelligent articles on an amazing range of topics. Best known for his works on popular science and mathematics, and as an incisive skeptical commentator on the paranormal, Gardner is also an accomplished writer of children's literature, a novelist, and essayist on religion and philosophy. This collection of essays and book reviews takes its name from the bookend articles, The Wandering Jew and the Second Coming and The Faith of William Buckley, which in themselves demonstrate the extent of Gardner's interests.Besides the legend of the Wandering Jew, its relation to the Second Coming, and Bill Buckley's religious convictions, Gardner also takes on the subjects of astrology, psychic surgery, word play in the stories of L. Frank Baum (author of The Wizard of Oz), and the history of a forgotten children's magazine. In addition, there are reviews of books by astronomer Carl Sagan, philosopher Paul Edwards, and science fiction writer H. G. Wells, along with commentary on mathematics, Lewis Carroll, chess, Christian Science, science fads, and more.Longtime Gardner fans and intellectually curious newcomers will welcome this entertaining and literate collection by one of America's most brilliant essayists.Martin Gardner, the creator of Scientific American's Mathematical Games column, which he wrote for more than twenty-five years, is the author of almost one hundred books, including The Annotated Ancient Mariner, Martin Gardner's Favorite Poetic Parodies, From the Wandering Jew to William F. Buckley Jr., and Science: Good, Bad and Bogus. For many years he was also a contributing editor to the Skeptical Inquirer.