In a series of essays that explore the notion of what brings significance to our existences, clarifying why we have this longing beyond the present moment and an insatiable dissatisfaction with where we are, scholar Frank Martela tackles the subject of finding meaning in life. With beautiful decorative elements and an engaging design, the book approaches its subject in a readily digestible form. It grapples with some of life’s most pressing questions, like "Is happiness a worthy goal?" and "What is the foundation for meaning in a secular society?" and "Is life an existential void?" yet Martela answers these questions and more in a relaxed, conversational tone and with a wry sense of humor, placing some of life’s greatest philosophical concerns and quandaries into a modern-day context. Martela quickly and concisely gets to the heart of the matter: your place in the world and how to find meaning in life as countless thinkers and philosophers have done before, yet the emphasis here is on what we do with the life we have and how we can make it more meaningful. Part prescriptive and part armchair philosophy book, A Wonderful Life is accessible to everyone, from the well-read scholar to the apprentice as well as anyone curious about how to extract the greatest meaning and sense of purpose from their existence.

Even the most ardent fans of It's a Wonderful Life will be surprised and delighted by the insightful discussions of film details, cast anecdotes, curiosities, and gaffes found in this charming guide. Providing a fresh perspective, this companion includes a handy film chronology and an overview of the plot, a complete breakdown of the musical score, a fun and challenging quiz, a DVD bookmarking feature designed to give instant access to favorite scenes and other points of interest, informative historical sidebars, the complete lyrics to "Buffalo Gals," and never-before-seen maps and diagrams of downtown Bedford Falls, downtown Pottersville, the Building and Loan, and 320 Sycamore. In addition, film lovers will learn why George should have spent Christmas Eve in jail, who crashes the Bailey family Christmas Eve gathering, the story behind the sudden demise of Mr. Gower's son, how to make a flaming rum punch, the real-life site of the Bedford Falls High School "swim-gym," and other fascinating trivia related to the classic.

Full of wonderful stills from the movie, this elegant book recounts the storyline and history of this Academy-Awarding winning Valentine Davies tale in words and pictures.

From the brilliant mind of Japanese artist Bunpei Yorifuji comes Wonderful Life with the Elements, an illustrated guide to the periodic table that gives chemistry a friendly face. In this super periodic table, every element is a unique character whose properties are represented visually: heavy elements are fat, man-made elements are robots, and noble gases sport impressive afros. Every detail is significant, from the length of an element's beard to the clothes on its back. You'll also learn about each element's discovery, its common uses, and other vital stats like whether it floats—or explodes—in water. Why bother trudging through a traditional periodic table? In this periodic paradise, the elements are people too. And once you've met them, you'll never forget them.

Tells the entire story of the film's production and presents us with an extraordinary wealth of original material. More than 200 photos.

"[An] extraordinary book. . . . Mr. Gould is an exceptional combination of scientist and science writer. . . . He is thus exceptionally well placed to tell these stories, and he tells them with fervor and intelligence."—James Gleick, New York Times Book Review High in the Canadian Rockies is a small limestone quarry formed 530 million years ago called the Burgess Shale. It hold the remains of an ancient sea where dozens of strange creatures lived—a forgotten corner of evolution preserved in awesome detail. In this book Stephen Jay Gould explores what the Burgess Shale tells us about evolution and the nature of history.

Cherie Y. Mullins is the wife of Evangelist Roger Mullins. She is the daughter of the late Leo and Beverly Forse, of Binghamton, NY. As she grew up, they were members of the well-known Lit-tle White Church of Conklin, NY. Her family and church foundations play a tremendous role in her life of ministry with her husband today. As a couple, they have served the Lord faithfully in full-time evangelism, Christian music, and missionary work since 1969. They reside in McDonough, GA and are members of Glen Haven Baptist Church. She studied piano from first grade through high school and continues using her musical talent today. During their years on the road, she sang and played the piano as “Mama” in The Mullins Family as they traveled America in evangelism and gos-pel music from 1978 – 1994. Her family has recorded forty music projects which include a piano solo CD by Cherie. To-day, she works daily in the office of Hope for the World Albania with her husband, Roger and their daughter, Cindy. Since 1994, they have been ministering to thousands of orphan children of Albania, hundreds of senior citizens and the handicapped through Hope for the World as Directors of this ministry. This book is her third in a series under the title of “The Making of a Wonderful Life” . The first was subtitled “Recording Reflections” and specifically pertained to two of the family’s recording projects produced in the 90’s. Her second book was subtitled “Family Foundations” and covered Cherie’s childhood days through the beginning of Bible College for her husband. This book, subti-tled Joyous Journey takes you through their lives from 1970—1994 in which they were involved full-time as a family in church ministry, evangelism and gospel music. Cherie believes she has one more book to write which will portray their years since 1994 in the field of foreign mission work in the country of Albania with Hope for the World. They have fo-cused on assisting orphans, widows, and handicapped and sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. She believes that book will be subtitled “Mission Memoirs”, or something very similar. She hopes to have that one published within a couple of years. It is her desire that as you read this book, you will get to know her family personally and understand all that went into The Making of “their” Won-derful Life through this volume subtitled “Joyous Journey”.