If you have ever asked questions like What is reality? What do we actually know for sure? What is the truth? What is life?(other than just the name of a magazine that was published for many years), then these ramblings will be of interest. These ramblings offer a unique personal view of human life that engages the reader in an eclectic mix of four diverse points of view. Using a stream of consciousness-type style, the author draws on his reflection about his need for human connection; his passion for the creative arts, including music, literature, and painting; his understanding of human physiology, mental health, philosophy, science, and Buddhist thinking; and his experiences with sailing, individual competitive sports, and coaching. The work is divided into two sections. The first simply leads the reader through a labyrinth of symbols, facts, and perceptions that led to an essential beginning and end, where all is one and one is all. The second section offers some strategies for developing self-awareness and experiencing life differently. The object of the exercise of reading, thinking, reflecting, and possibly making notes to become more connected by being disconnected, by being the same but different, and by fitting by not fitting.

SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER ***The explosive fifth novel in the Red Rising Series*** The Number One New York Times bestselling author of Morning Star returns to the Red Rising universe with the thrilling sequel to Iron Gold. He broke the chains Then broke the world.... A decade ago Darrow led a revolution, and laid the foundations for a new world. Now he's an outlaw. Cast out of the very Republic he founded, with half his fleet destroyed, he wages a rogue war on Mercury. Outnumbered, outgunned but not out thought. Is he still the hero who broke the chains? Or will he become the agent of the world's destruction? Is it time for another legend to take his place? Lysander au Lune, the displaced heir to the old empire, has returned to the Core. First he must survive Gold backstabbing, then Darrow. Will he bring peace to mankind at the edge of his sword? And on Luna, Mustang, the embattled sovereign of the Republic, must save both democracy and her exiled husband millions of kilometres away. The only thing certain in the Solar System is treachery. And that the Rising is entering a new Dark Age. PRAISE FOR THE RED RISING SERIES: 'Pierce Brown's empire-crushing debut is a sprawling vision . . . Ender, Katniss, and now Darrow' - Scott Sigler, New York Times bestselling author of Pandemic '[A] top-notch debut novel . . . Red Rising ascends above a crowded dystopian field' - USA Today '[A] spectacular adventure . . . one heart-pounding ride . . . Pierce Brown's dizzyingly good debut novel evokes The Hunger Games, Lord of the Flies, and Ender's Game. . . . [Red Rising] has everything it needs to become meteoric' - Entertainment Weekly

NAUTILUS BOOK AWARD GOLD MEDALIST — BODY, MIND, SPIRIT PRACTICES “Combining an extraordinary range of scholarship with an accessible and entertaining writing style, The Infinite Staircase . . . provides a coherent and unified platform for a full human life.” —Midwest Book Review In this bold new book, high-tech’s best-known strategist makes a seminal contribution to the search for meaning in a secular era. Two questions fundamental to human existence have always been the metaphysical “where do I fit in the grand scheme of things?” and the ethical “how should I behave?” Religion is no longer a source of answers for many people, and nothing has replaced it. Moore uses his signature framework-based approach to answer these questions, taking us on an intellectual roller coaster ride through physics, chemistry, biology, the social sciences and the humanities. Along the way, he builds a metaphorical ladder that leads from the big bang to the need for ethical action in our daily lives. Combining an extraordinary range of scholarship with an accessible and entertaining writing style, The Infinite Staircase: What the Universe Tells Us About Life, Ethics, and Mortality provides a coherent and unified platform for a full human life.

This survey of twenty-one gardens by Steve Martino, whose work blends colorful, man-made elements with native plants to reflect the sun-drenched beauty of the desert, is sure to inspire gardeners, landscapers, and admirers of California and the Southwest. For more than thirty years, Steve Martino has been committed to the development and advancement of landscape architecture in the Southwest. His pioneering work with native plant material and the development of a desert-derived design aesthetic is widely recognized. A recurring theme of his work is the dramatic juxtaposition of man-made elements with ecological processes of the region. His love for the desert--the interplay of light and shadow, the colors, plants, and wildlife--inspires his work. As Martino explains, "Gardens consist of two worlds, the man-made and the natural one. I've described my design style as 'Weeds and Walls'--nature and man. I use native plants to make the transition from a building to the adjacent natural desert." Though Martino's work is deeply connected to the natural world, he also has a flair for the dramatic, which is apparent from his lively color selections, sculptural use of plants, and keen attention to lighting, shadows, and reflections. Boldly colored stucco walls frame compelling views of the desert and sky, expanding the outdoor living area while solving common site problems such as lack of privacy or shade. Interspersed are custom structures molded in translucent fiberglass in vivid hues--colorful arbors, outdoor showers, and internally lit benches.

You Are Cordially Invited...Come early, eat until your buttons pop, and dance until you drop! Miss Clawdy's Café has won the Jubilee blue ribbon every year since the dawn of time. This year, town matron Violet Prescott is going after that ribbon with an iron-clad determination only thinly disguised by her perfect coiffure and flawless manners, bless her heart. It's time for café owners Cathy and Marty and their best friend Trixie to pull out their secret weapon. And this is where a lifetime of friendship, combined with just the right recipe at just the right time, might carry the day—or blow everything to smithereens. Welcome to Cadillac, Texas, where the jalapeños are hot, the gossip is hotter, and at the end of the day, it's the priceless friendships that are left standing... "Funny, frank, and full of heart...one more welcome example of Brown's Texas-size talent for storytelling."—USA TODAY Happy Ever After on One Hot Cowboy Wedding "Brown revitalizes the Western romance with this fresh, funny, and sexy tale filled with likable, down-to-earth characters."—Booklist on Love Drunk Cowboy "Brown's novel will warm your heart and bring you characters so real, you'll swear they're flesh and bone...A 5 Star Comfort Read!"—Love Romance Passion on Getting Lucky

Roy Bean’s passion, as far back as his youth in Mason County, Kentucky, had been for gold. He tried his hand at being a merchant in Mexico, but then he killed a man in a gunfight and had to flee. A chance encounter with Jeff Kirker gives his life a new direction. Kirker masterminded the robbery of an Army payroll in California with the help of the bandit Joaquin Murieta and his gang. But he double-crossed Murieta and managed to hide the gold. Retrieving it will be dangerous, but it might be done with Bean’s help—and, of course, Bean will get his share. When Kirker is killed in a skirmish with Comanches on the Spanish Trail, he leaves behind some of the gold coins from the hidden cache, a map on one of the coins to where the payroll is buried, and a name: the Red Rosita. Bean has no alternative but to push on, but there is danger. Joaquin Murieta and his gang seem to be everywhere, and Bean is only one man against many. In this edge-of-your-seat yarn, Garwood proves himself to be a master of Western storytelling, making Roy Bean’s Gold a must-read for fans of the Old West.