On Islam and Islamic civilization.

This short study of the life of the Blessed Prophet of Islam ( ) for high school and above is neither a new historical analysis nor yet another purely devotional sketch of the earthly career of God's last prophet. Written by Islam 's best ambassador in the West, this biography of the Prophet ( ) takes the spiritual dimensions into consideration as well as the more factual and historical elements of the life of the person who changed human history.

MILESTONES: On the Road Home is a collection of reflections on living together in grace and truth. Gleaned from Scripture, counseling experiences, and real-life examples, MILESTONES is biblical, insightful, and fiercely practical, offering guidance to challenge and encourage you on your road to intimacy with God and others. The questions for reflection, suggested prayers, and identified milestones for each chapter bring the message all the way hometo your heart!

"Beginning with one-day-old mom, who may feel like she is learning a new language, 'Mom Milestones' is a love letter to the myriad ways moms grow and adapt to motherhood."--Page 2 of cover.

Sayyid Qutb (1906-1966) was an influential Egyptian ideologue credited with establishing the theoretical basis for radical Islamism in the post colonial Sunni Muslim world. Lacking a pure understanding of the leader's life and work, the popular media has conflated Qutb's moral purpose with the aims of bin Laden and al-Qaeda. He is often portrayed as a terrorist, Islamo-Fascist, and advocate of murder. This book rescues Qutb from misrepresentation, tracing the evolution of his thought within the context of his time. An expert on social protest and political resistance in the modern Middle East, as well as Egyptian nationalism, John Calvert recounts Qutb's life from the small village in which he was raised to his execution at the behest of Abd al-Nasser's regime. His study remains sensitive to the cultural, political, social, and economic circumstances that shaped Qutb's thought-major developments that composed one of the most eventful periods in Egyptian history. These years witnessed the full flush of Britain's tutelary regime, the advent of Egyptian nationalism, and the political hegemony of the Free Officers. Qutb rubbed shoulders with Taha Husayn, Naguib Mahfouz, and Abd al-Nasser himself, though his Islamism originally had little to do with religion. Only in response to his harrowing experience in prison did Qutb come to regard Islam and kufr (infidelity) as oppositional, antithetical, and therefore mutually exclusive. Calvert shows how Qutb repackaged and reformulated the Islamic heritage to pose a challenge to authority, including those who claimed (falsely, he believed) to be Muslim.

The greatest thing Nicole Polizzi, aka "Snooki," ever did was by accident. But her son, Lorenzo, was never a mistake. When she and her boyfriend, Jionni, found out she was knocked up, they weren't married or engaged. She was only twenty-four and living with her parents -- and she had zero baby experience. With a reckless, party girl TV persona to deal with, she had a lot to learn and discover in becoming a mother. In this funny and frank book, Nicole shares her experiences, everything from the first sonogram to the nipple-cracking shock of breastfeeding. In each chapter, she tells the unvarnished truth about pregnancy symptoms ("The High Price of Gas"), the ridiculousness of her baby registry ("Butt Paste and Boogie Wipes") and the lowdown on postpartum life ("Shit Happens"). There's a ton of useful information, including a list of must-have baby products, MILF style tips, how to keep "I'm a whale" preggers bad body image in check, and how she got into the best shape of her life within six months of giving birth. Although Nicole had to give up partying, she's embracing motherhood the only way she knows how: with a fun-loving attitude -- and lots of leopard print!