Irish poet Catherine Phil MacCarthy's fourth collection of poems, The Invisible Threshold explores from several angles the idea of 'threshold' or the 'liminal', the state of being in transition from one moment to the next. These poems celebrate life with a deep sense of wonder. They capture transformational moments of experience where mortality and loss, as well as the ties between the body and spirit, are explored. Reconciliation with a mother's death brings "a sense of first breath on the earth" ('Facing the Rising Sun') and acknowledges that grief delivers a new freedom, where intense life is "open to pure being" ('Turning South') and the abundant energies of summer. Catherine Phil MacCarthy was born in Co. Limerick, in 1954 and educated at University College Cork, Trinity College Dublin, and Central School of Speech and Drama, London. Her collections of poetry include This Hour of the Tide (1994), the blue globe (1998) and Suntrap (2007). She has also published a novel, One Room an Everywhere (2003). She won the Fish International Poetry Prize in 2010, and is a former editor of Poetry Ireland Review.

French philosopher and dramatist, Gabriel Marcel (1888-1973), who belonged to the movement of French existentialism, is one of the most insightful thinkers of the twentieth century. Unlike some of his contemporaries who took existentialism in an atheistic, even nihilistic, direction, Marcel approaches human existence from a theistic perspective, and gives priority to the themes of hope, fidelity and faith in the human search for meaning in a challenging world. Author of seventeen major works of philosophy, Marcel also wrote more than thirty plays, including tragedies and comedies, many of which were staged in theaters in Paris, Germany, Belgium, England, Ireland and the United States. Marcel regarded dramatic art as having priority in both a chronological and an intellectual sense. His plays deal with challenging experiences and issues of contention that arise between people, especially families, in day-to-day life. Describing his own style as "post-Ibsen," because it involves a sense of realism, depictions of passion and sincerity, and a sense of moral duty, Marcel''s plays rarely provide complete or settled answers to the difficulties they confront, but suggest possibilities both of interpretation and with regard to the choices on life''s journey. One of his aims is to allow audiences (and readers) not only to arrive at their own conclusions, but to feel the echo of the dramatic action in their own lives, and so provoke both insight and critical reflection on the dramas of existence. The plays in this new volume were written early in his career, and were published together under the title Le Seuil invisible (The Invisible Threshold) in 1913. The first play, Grace, explores the theme of religious conversion. The drama depicts a crisis between characters of genuine depth and sincerity, who are struggling with different interpretations of shared experiences. After a serious illness, Gerard, one of the main protagonists, undergoes a religious conversion, an experience which allows of two different and irreconcilable interpretations. The first is the interpretation of the scientific materialist; the second regards Gerard''s illness not as a cause but as an occasion to exercise the subject''s creative freedom. The play also raises the question of grace: the role that God may play in the choice of faith. Marcel asks us to consider the sincerity of our choices, and those attitudes and temptations that play a role in our motivations, in a profound dramatization of the experience of the religious as it emerges through challenging life situations. Similar themes are addressed but developed differently in the second play, The Sandcastle. Through the character of Moirans, this drama explores the confrontation between one''s beliefs and their consequences when faced with challenging family and social circumstances. The play asks us to think about what happens when our beliefs and theories, especially about religion, morality and politics, come up against situations in life that can test them. Marcel raises issues of moral character, commitment and sincerity, and introduces the role doubt plays in the way we form and hold our convictions. The springboard for the unfolding of the drama is Moirans'' egotism, and his growing realization of the difference between accepting Christianity in an intellectual and cultural sense, and a Christianity that is lived. This predicament then provokes his daughter, Clarisse, into some profound soul-searching of her own. Drama of this profundity offers audiences and readers a mirror that reflects their own problems, which leads to further awareness and understanding. Marcel''s dramatic works deal with the difficulties in acknowledging many of life''s most profound experiences, in reacting to them in an authentic way, and often illustrates our failures with regard to them. One of the major themes of both his dramatic and philosophical work is that life''s most profound, fulfilling experiences are being compromised more than ever in what he describes as the modern, broken world (le monde cassé), one unfortunately characterized by alienation, loss of meaning and feelings of despair. These new plays of Marcel''s, here translated into English for the first time, will appeal to all who are interested in the role of grace in everyday life, in the influence of culture on belief, the relationship between faith and reason, the choice of faith in a secular world, and the struggle between inauthentic and authentic existence. Marcel raises profound questions about these and related topics, but does not offer final answers. In his plays, he leaves that to us.

Cutting-edge science can make all the difference for salespeople in a time when they are facing a business world in transformation. In The Invisible Game: The Secrets and the Science of Winning Minds and Winning Deals, neuroscientist Kai-Markus Mueller and sales professional Gabriele Rehbock deliver a hands-on guide to the hidden dynamics that influence the outcomes of most business deals. In plain English, the book unpacks recently discovered insights from psychology, behavioural economics, and neuroscience and explains how to apply them to your advantage in real-life business situations. The authors show you how to influence buying decisions and how to successfully respond to challenging business situations in order to put you in control of the levers that drive sales success. You’ll also find Advanced strategies and tactics that offer a lasting edge in negotiations, sales and other business transactions Smart techniques to build rewarding customer relationships The psychology behind gains and losses revealing new keys to profitable pricing Real-life advice on how to counter a buyer’s intimidation tactics: time, uncertainty, fear, and silence An essential, step-by-step playbook for sales professionals, The Invisible Game will also earn a place on the bookshelves of entrepreneurs, business owners, and other independent professionals—like lawyers, accountants, freelancers, consultants, and programmers—who regularly sell their services to other businesses.

Adolescence marks a special and unique stage in human growth and development, but it can be an extremely challenging time for both parents and teenagers. In The Parents' and Educators' Manual of Teenage "Rebirth," author Bruce G. Bentley provides an understanding of how teenagers think, feel, and experience themselves in relation to others and the world with the goal of assisting them in their battle to master adolescence. To help those caring for teens gain a greater understanding of child and adolescent psychology, Bentley applies principles of those disciplines, along with psychologically pertinent literature, to real-life stories of puberty, bullying, aggressive behavior, abuse, and suicide. This manual provides parents and educators with effective tools to understand, inform, challenge, and guide teens through adolescence so they can develop an independent and strengthened adulthood. It also offers teens a descriptive road map of what they can expect and what they can do to help ease anxieties and fears as they encounter life's uncertainties; it helps them to be better prepared for the changes or "rebirths" into new realms of relationships and responsibilities. The Parents' and Educators' Manual of Teenage "Rebirth" aims to ease the journey through the dark, mysterious, and wonderful world of adolescence- with its joys and struggles-and beyond.