Art Poems Books

Art Poems

£1.00/€1.25/US$1.50

Books Books from Franco Acquaro Alfred Bloom Caroline Brazier David Brazier Gina Clayton Joan Court Georg and Brenda Feuerstein Mary Midgley Douglas Osto Jim Pym Clark Strand

Books

by Mary Midgley Coming soon . . .

“Darwin. Hobbes and the Solitary Self�

EARTHY REALISM edited by MARY MIDGLEY

GAIA, named after the ancient Greek mother- goddess, is the notion that the Earth and the life on it form an active, selfmaintaining whole. By its use of personification it attacks the view that the physical world is inert and lifeless. It has a scientific side, as shown by the new university departments of earth science which bring biology and geology together to study the continuity of the cycle. It also has a visionary or spiritual aspect. What the contributors to this book believe is needed is to bring these two angles together. With global warming now an accepted fact, the lessons of GAIA have never been more relevant and urgent.

Publisher Imprint Academic

Publication date

2007

ISBN 1845400801

THE ESSENTIAL MARY MIDGLEY edited by DAVID MIDGLEY

This unrivalled introduction to a great philosopher and brilliant writer incorporates carefully selected excerpts from Mary Midgley's bestselling books, including Wickedness, Beast and Man, Science and Poetry, and The Myths We Live By. With a specially written foreword by James Lovelock, this classic text presents a superb and eminently readable insight into questions she has returned to time and again in her renowned sharp prose. This anthology discusses major topics, such as the roots of human nature, reason and imagination, the myths of science and the importance of holism in thinking about science and the environment.

Publisher Routledge

Publication date 2005

ISBN 0-415-34642-8

THE OWL OF MINERVA by MARY MIDGLEY The daughter of a pacifist rector who answered "No " when his congregation asked him "Is everything in the bible true?," perhaps Mary Midgley was destined to become a philosopher. Yet few would have thought this inquisitive, untidy, natureloving child would become "one of the sharpest critical pens in the west." This is her remarkable story. Probably the only philosopher to have been in Vienna on the eve of its invasion by Nazi Germany in 1938 and dance in Trafalgar Square on VE day seven years later, she studied philosophy at Oxford in the same year as Iris Murdoch, Elizabeth Anscombe and Philippa Foot, all of whom became close friends. Midgley tells us in vivid and humorous fashion how they cut a swathe through the arid landscape of 1950s British philosophy. Writing and arguing - often with each other; about the grand themes of character, beauty and the meaning of rudeness while the spectral figure of Ludwig Wittgenstein hovered in the background.

Publisher Routledge

Publication date 2005

ISBN 0-415-36788-3

THE MYTHS WE LIVE BY by MARY MIDGLEY

The Myths We Live By is a powerful, clearly written book that shows us what goes wrong when we try to apply the metaphors of science to the problems of our lives. Essential reading for anyone concerned about how to understand the world today.

Publisher Routledge

Publication date 2003

ISBN 0-415-34077-2

SCIENCE AND POETRY by MARY MIDGLEY

Science and Poetry is a much needed and clear investigation of why and how science has so powerfully shaped the way we understand ourselves, our behavior towards others and our place in the world.

With her customary sharp insight and clear prose, renowned moral philosopher Mary Midgley shows how the roots of the problem lie in the fragmented atom-like picture of science we inherited from the 17th century. Breaking the world up into small parts and observing them in isolation may work in science, but she clearly spells out how this kind of approach can be disastrous when turned towards understanding ourselves, the environment and other people. Drawing on examples from the Gaia hypothesis to the recent debate over memes, Mary Midgley spells out the unfortunate legacy of this situation: misguided attempts to reduce mind to body, political and moral individualism, and a needless backlash against science.

Publisher Routledge

Publication date 2003

ISBN 0-415-27632-2

UTOPIAS, DOLPHINS and COMPUTERS by MARY MIDGLEY Why do the big philosophical questions so often strike us as far-fetched and little to with everyday life? Mary Midgley shows that it need not be that way; she shows that there is a need for philosophy in the real world. Her popularity as one of our foremost philosophers is based on a no-nonsense, down-to-earth approach to fundamental human problems, philosphical or otherwise. In Utopias, Dolphins and Computers she makes her case for philosophy as a difficult but necessary tool for solving some of the most pressing issues facing contemporary society.

How should we treat animals? Why are we so confused about the value of education? What is at stake in feminism? Why should we sustain our environment? Why do we think intelligent computers will save us? Mary Midgley argues that philosophy not only can, but should be used in thinking about these questions.

Utopias, Dolphins and Computers will make fascinating reading for philosophers, educationalists, feminists, environmentalists

Publisher Routledge

Publication date 1996

ISBN 0-415-13378-5

THE ETHICAL PRIMATE: HUMANS, FREEDOM AND MORALITY by MARY MIDGLEY In The Ethical Primate, renowned philosopher Mary Midgley tackles important questions about human freedom and morality. Scientists and philosophers have found it difficult to understand how each human being can be both a living part of the natural world and, at the same time, a genuinely free agent. Midgley explores their responses to this seeming paradox and argues that our evolutionary origin, properly understood, explains why human freedom and morality have come about.

With its forceful argument that the arts and poetry can help us reconcile some of these problems, Science and Poetry is essential reading for all those interested in philosophy and the relation between science and the arts.

Publisher Routledge

Publication date 1996

ISBN 0-415-13224-X

SCIENCE AS SALVATION: A Modern Myth and Its Meaning by MARY MIDGLEY

Science as Salvation discusses the high spiritual ambitions which tend to gather around the notion of science. Officially, science claims only the modest function of establishing facts. Yet people still hope for something much grander from it--namely, the myths by which to shape and support life in an increasingly confusing age. Science as Salvation examines the need for and the use of myth in science and explores the relationship between science and religion. She argues that we need to develop a realistic understanding of scientific imagination and its importance. Taking them seriously as symptoms of a genuine hunger for myth, this book suggests that the proper function of science may need to include wider perspectives, which would make it plain that such desperate, compensatory dramas are unnecessary.

Publisher Routledge

Publication date 1992

ISBN 0-415-10773-3

WISDOM, INFORMATION AND WONDER: WHAT IS KNOWLEDGE FOR? by MARY MIDGLEY

In Wisdom, Information and Wonder, Mary Midgley tackles the question at the root of our civilization: What is knowledge for?

The author rejects the fragmentary and specialized way in which information is conveyed in today's high technology world and argues cogently for the primary importance of understanding over the acquisition of information. Thinking itself, she argues, needs to strengthen the connection between theory and practice. Midgley challenges us to re-examine the protective barriers built to isolate "science" from other forms of inquiry, and each particular science from its neighbors. More urgently still, philosophy itself needs to stop being treated as an obscure specialty, and take up its role as the key to understanding. This will be an important book for anyone concerned with the plight of education and institutionalized knowledge, and the fate of learning in the future. With its forceful argument that the arts and poetry can help us reconcile some of these problems, Science and Poetry is essential reading for all those interested in philosophy and the relation between science and the arts.

Publisher Routledge

Publication date 1989

ISBN 0-415-02830-2

CAN'T WE MAKE MORAL JUDGEMENTS? by MARY MIDGLEY In this book, Mary Midgely turns a spotlight on the fashionable view that we no longer need or use moral judgements. She shows how the question of whether or not we can make moral judgements must inevitably affect our attitudes to the law and its institutions, but also to events that occur in our daily lives.

Publisher Routledge

Publication date 1989

ISBN 1-85399-166-X

EVOLUTION AS A RELIGION by MARY MIDGLEY [Reprinted in 2002 with new intro]

According to a profile in The Guardian , Mary Midgley is 'the foremost scourge of scientific pretensions in this country; someone whose wit is admired even by those who feel she sometimes oversteps the mark'. Considered one of Britain's finest philosophers, Midgley exposes the illogical logic of poor doctrines that shelter themselves behind the prestige of science. Always at home when taking on the high priests of evolutionary theory - Dawkins, Wilson, and their acolytes - she has famously described evolution as 'the creation-myth of our age'. In Evolution as a Religion she examines how science comes to be used as a substitute for religion and points out how badly that role distorts it. As ever, her argument is flawlessly insightful: a punchy, compelling, lively indictment of these misuses of science. Both the book and its author are true classics of our time. Go on, treat yourself!

Publisher Routledge

Publication date 1985

ISBN 0-415-27832-5

WICKEDNESS by MARY MIDGLEY

To look into the darkness of the human soul is a frightening venture. Here Mary Midgley does so, with her customary brilliance and clarity. In "Wickedness" she sets out to delineate not so much the nature of wickedness as its actual "sources," Midgley's analysis proves that the capacity for real wickedness is an inevitable part of human nature. This is not however a blanket acceptance of evil. She provides us with a framework that accepts its existence yet offers humankind the possibility of rejecting this part of our nature. Out of this dark journey she returns with an offering to us: an understanding of human nature that enhances our very humanity. To read "Wickedness" is to understand Mary Midgley's reputation as one of the world's greatest moral philosophers.

Publisher Routledge

Publication date 1984

ISBN 0-415-25398-5

ANIMALS AND WHY THEY MATTER by MARY MIDGLEY

In Animals and Why They Matter, Mary Midgley examines the barriers that our traditions have erected between human beings and animals, and reveals that the too-often ridiculed subject of animal rights is an issue crucially related to such problems within the human community as racism, sexism, and age discrimination.

Publisher Routledge

Publication date 1983

ISBN 0-8203-2041-2

HEART & MIND by MARY MIDGLEY

Throughout our lives we are making moral choices. Some decisions simply direct our everyday comings and goings; others affect our individual destinies. How do we make those choices? Where does our sense of right and wrong come from, and how can we make more informed decisions? In clear, entertaining prose Mary Midgley takes us to the heart of the matter: the human experience that is central to all decision-making. Avoiding the distortions of her predecessors, she offers us an optimistic and holistic view of what it means to be human, acknowledging the complex interconnections of emotion and intellect, while presenting us with the freedom to be ourselves.

Publisher Routledge

Publication date 1981

ISBN 0-415-30449-0

BEAST AND MAN by MARY MIDGLEY [Revised edition 1995]

Philosophers have traditionally concentrated on the qualities that make human beings different from other species. In "Beast and Man" Mary Midgley, one of our foremost intellectuals, stresses continuities. What makes people tick? Largely, she asserts, the same things as animals. She tells us humans are rather more like other animals than we previously allowed ourselves to believe, and reminds us just how primitive we are in comparison to the sophistication of many animals. A veritable classic for our age, "Beast and Man" has helped change the way we think about ourselves and the world in which we live.

Publisher Routledge

Publication date 1978

ISBN 0-415-28987-4

Poem to Amida, Kuan Shi Yin and Pachamama the Earth Herself

by Richard Meyers Following a period of illness:

Having sought to remain intact I now know the cracks are beginning to Show and my fledgling self feels in peril - I need the strength of you arms to help me stay sentient as I haphazardly unravel.

There is only You reading these words Hawthorn May blossom the hedgerow glows Blackcap and Wren sing mightily 2 Swifts fly past like black lightening Fierce sound staccato rapid overdrive My neighbour’s potted palm weeps in exile Train shudders past half a mile away and is gone W3 bus barks its way up the distant hill My neighbour is swearing at his mother Their Staffordshire bullterriers are barking.

Pride has held me clasped tight as a pippin A field poppy distributes tomorrow’s news Each confined universe held improbably Immaculately conceived by wonder I fling forth myself finally light as aspen seed Dispersing into your wide open arms.

Gate hinge squeaks A letter hits the doormat addressed to me Think I'll make a cup of tea Read a book in the garden.

In

this book I have written about ordinary love rather than about an ideal. I have not defined love in such a way as to exclude ordinary life, nor to only write about something practised by superhuman beings, nor to lay down demands that people must reach a certain level of spiritual development before they can say that they love. Everybody loves. People may love God, love chocolate, love their country, their spouse, their motorcycle, or their cat; they may love passionately, tepidly, foolishly, partially or madly, possessively or unpossessively. People love. In particular, ordinary people love and it has a profound effect upon their lives. This, therefore, is a book about the psychology and culture of ordinary people. Loving may lift a person or destroy them. Typically it does a bit of both. This is the universal situation that I have tried to address.

In philosophy there is always the way of Plato, who started from perfected ideas, and that of Aristotle, who started from day to day actualities. In that sense this book is more Aristotelian than Platonist (despite drawing heavily on Iris Murdoch). In the same vein, it is also more Other Power than Self Power, more concerned with the nature of the ordinary individual than that of absolute truth. The essence of Buddhism does lie in putting something ideal at the centre of one's spiritual universe and then taking it for granted that that ideal will work its power upon one, but this notion rests squarely upon the assumption that one is oneself imperfect and such an imperfect being can, nonetheless, love, each in his or her own way. It matters what we love and how we love - it is consequential - but nothing in this matter is easily predictable.

The path of love, worldly or spiritual, is uncertain. It is a journey. The travelling is more important than the destination. Love, in practice, is always conjugated in the imperfect mode, so this is what I have tried to write about.

LOVE AND ITS DISAPPOINTMENT by DAVID BRAZIER

What is life about? Love. Does love run smoothly? No. To whom does this matter? Everybody. Simply facts with enormous implications.

Rooted in common knowledge, this book advances in clear and specific terms a radical and practical theory of human functioning, exploring the relationships between beauty and love, frustration and creativity, perception and healing. Essential reading for psychotherapists, it is also full of insights for the critic of culture and society.

Publisher O-books

Publication date 2009

ISBN 1846942099

WHO LOVES DIES WELL by DHARMAVIDYA

Who Loves Dies Well is a moving introduction to Pureland Buddhism. Under-represented in literature, Pureland Buddhism, also called Amida Buddhism, is closely concerned with the complex relationship between life and death. It is both about going to heaven and about heaven on earth; a thoroughly spiritual form of Buddhism, yet very practical in its recognition of human limitations. It does not insist on perfection nor encourage guilt at our failings. It is for ordinary people - for all of us who make mistakes and weep with the sorrows of life.

Read here the intimacy of Buddhist spiritual life, unique yet universal, laid bare by confrontation with death and a son's love for his mother in her final days.

Publisher O-books

Publication date 2007

ISBN 1 84694 045 3

THE NEW BUDDHISM by DAVID BRAZIER

This is a manifesto for a more active, compassionate, and socially engaged Buddhism-one grounded in the Buddha''s original intention. The New Buddhism asserts that Buddha was a radical critic of society, and that his vision of a new social order transcended racial and economic divisions. Brazier takes a new look at many aspects of Buddhism and reinterprets them in light of the Buddha''s social aims. Western and Eastern visions of enlightenment are juxtaposed, and the author draws a line between ''extinction Buddhism'' and ''liberation Buddhism''-the former seeks to release the individual from the world, while the latter seeks to perfect the world by freeing it from the forces of greed, hatred, and delusion. The New Buddhism states clearly and boldly that Buddhism should be-and originally was-about engagement with the world. This illuminating guide brings Buddhism to the West and into contemporary life in an accessible and thought-provoking way. It shows that for genuine renewal, Buddhism must be about more than contemplation and personal growth but also about the practice of truth, and having compassion for all.

Publisher Constable & Robinson

Publication date May 2001

available from amazon.com

THE FEELING BUDDHA by DAVID BRAZIER This account explains how the Buddha's path of wisdom and loving kindness grew out of the challenges he encountered in life. It explores enlightenment, nirvana, and the Four Noble Truths, presenting a picture of the Buddha as a very human figure whose success lay not in his perfection, but in his method of positively utilizing the energy generated by personal suffering.

Publisher Constable & Robinson

Publication date 1997

ISBN 1 84119 351 8

OTHER-CENTRED THERAPY by CAROLINE BRAZIER

Practical, innovative and grounded in theory of Buddhist psychology, Other-Centred Therapy presents a positive and outwardly orientated view of therapeutic process which is unique, yet suited to the integration of both Eastern and Western methodologies.

Drawing on twenty years as a therapist and trainer, the book offers the reader not only a straightforward, jargon-free presentation, but also examples of the method in practice. Set out as a learning programme, this practical guide includes exercises and discussion points which will help the reader to integrate learning into their working style. This book will be of interest to students and practicing counsellors and psychotherapists, but will also provide plenty of material for the general reader. The structured presentation will make it an invaluable tool for trainers in these fields. A down to earth approach to good therapeutic practice, this book nevertheless critiques many of the popular assumptions of the profession and takes a fresh look at the important foundations of its work.

Publisher O-books

Publication date 31 Oct 2009

ISBN 978-1-84694-237-2

LISTENING TO THE OTHER by CAROLINE BRAZIER

This practical book offers a new perspective on listening skills. Intended as a support to anyone whose professional or voluntary roles involve listening to others, it will have wide appeal to groups such as counsellors, advice workers, nurses, educators, clergy, complementary therapists or voluntary sector workers. The book provides a systematic approach to developing skills. It also explores the role of the listener in different contexts and the particular issues associated with working in situations where the usual boundaries of counselling are not in place. It suggests ways of offering a caring response to others and helping them to move towards healthier ways of relating and functioning in the world. Written in an easy style which avoids jargon, the book contains exercises which the reader may use to integrate the subject matter. Activities are framed in ways which make them accessible to the reader, who is studying alone, but the book is also suitable for groups to follow, and to this purpose, some guidance is given on ways of learning and practising skills in a group.

Publisher O-books

Publication date 2009

ISBN 1-84694-191-7

GUILT: An Exploration by CAROLINE BRAZIER

This book is a journey; an exploration into those areas of life which both fascinate and repel us. Through the weaving together of an account of a group of young people, fine grained analysis of the emotional and ethical basis of guilt, and illustration drawn from a variety of life circumstances, the reader is drawn into the complexity of a subject which troubles many people in the modern world. The book deals sensitively with some of the most challenging areas of human experience, confronting the reader with situations in which there are no easy answers. Yet the writing retains a joy in life. At times both humorous and emotive, it reveals the beauty of the everyday and the pathos of the ordinary. A book that crosses boundaries, this is one of the few books on the topic which will have you reading into the small hours of the morning, eager to discover the secret worlds of the characters whose lives illustrate its themes.

Publisher O-books

Publication date 2009

ISBN 1-84694-160-3

THE OTHER BUDDHISM by CAROLINE BRAZIER

The Pureland schools are the largest Buddhist denominations in Japan, and yet this approach to Buddhism is hardly known in the West. Pureland centres on our relationship with Amida Buddha, the embodiment of measureless love, light and life. It offers a fresh view of spirituality, recognising us in our mundane lives, whilst lifting us into relationship with the eternal. As ordinary people, we cannot fathom our own depths nor can we know the immensity of the universe. We can but stand in awe and reach out to what we intuitively know to be beyond the small orbit of our lives. Pureland is a path of simplicity and beauty, poetry and nature. It is the path of faith.

Publisher O-books

Publication date 2007

ISBN 1-84694-052-1

BUDDHIST PSYCHOLOGY by CAROLINE BRAZIER

Western therapeutic approaches have often put considerable emphasis on building self-esteem and enhancing a positive sense of self. This book challenges the assumption behind this approach. Most of us protect ourselves against being fully alive. Because we fear loss and pain, we escape by withdrawing from experiences and distracting ourselves with amusements. We fall into habitual ways of acting and limit our experience to the familiar. We create an identity which we think of as a 'self', and in so doing imprison our life-energy. For 2500 years Buddhism has developed an understanding of the way that we can easily fall into a deluded view. It has shown how the mind clings to false perceptions and tries to create permanence out of an ever changing world. Written by a practising therapist and committed Buddhist, this book explores the practical relevance of Buddhist teachings on psychology to our everyday experience. By letting go of our attachment to self, we open ourselves to full engagement with life and with others. We step out of our self-made prison.

Publisher Constable & Robinson

Publication date 29th May 2003

ISBN 1-84119-733-3

ZEN THERAPY by DAVID BRAZIER In a readable and practical manner, Brazier demystifies Buddhist psychology, presents Zen as a therapy, provides numerous examples of its effectiveness from psychotherapeutic practice, challenges some basic assumptions of western psychology, and makes a significant contribution to the integration of Eastern and Western thought.

Publisher Constable & Robinson

Publication date 1995

ISBN

1-841-193-526

BEYOND CARL ROGERS by DAVID BRAZIER A collection of writings developing the ideas of Dr Carl Rogers, originator of Person Centred Approach. This book is edited by David Brazier and includes his chapter "The Necessary Condition is Love”

Publisher Constable & Robinson

Publication date 1993

ISBN

0-09-472610-8

HOW TO BELIEVE IN GOD by CLARK STRAND

An accomplished master of both Eastern and Western mystical practices takes on the most troublesome and provocative passages from Judeo-Christian scripture, transforming the Bible into a manual of spiritual liberation for the twenty-first-century seeker.

Offering a revolutionary new model of approaching the Bible, he frees those sacred scriptures from superstition, dogma, and tribalism, and in the process recovers their universal teaching on salvation and belief. Drawing on his personal experiences, including his Bible Belt upbringing, his years as a Buddhist monk, and his life as a father and husband in a small rural community, Strand makes even the most subtle spiritual teaching heartfelt and accessible. How to Believe in God illuminates a clear path to reclaiming a God that leaves nothing out and leaves no one behind. His open, gentle, pioneering approach to faith allows everyone—from churchgoing Christians to those with no religious affiliation at all—to experience the Bible in new and exciting ways.

Publisher Doubleday Religion

Publication date

31 Mar 2009

ISBN 0-7679-2069-4

Whatever we do‌ A Haiku Quartet by Dennis Oliver 2009

Whatever we do Winter will come, and with it less colour, less heat.

Whatever we do Spring will come, and flood the world: Irresistible.

Whatever we do Summer will come, and with it abundance and joy.

Whatever we do Fall follows, and will greet us with death descending.

Whatever we do.

FORGIVENESS IN THE WAKE OF SEVERE VIOLENCE by FRANCO ACQUARO

In the wake of severe violence, some extraordinary victims seek a direct en counter with their transgressor. Facilitated VictimOffender Dialogues (VOD) are a restorative justice intervention designed to provide such an awesome existential encounter.

This research project examined the experiences of five adults who participated in a VOD and who came to forgive their transgressors. Their stories are viewed through the qualitative research methodology known as narrative analysis. The resultant themes are compared to the dominant narratives, counter narratives, and emerging narratives found in the VOD and forgiveness research corpus. Implications for future research and practice recommendations are offered. This research is intended for lay persons and professionals interested in restorative justice, VOD, violence, forgiveness, and narrative analysis.

Publisher VDM

Publication date 2007

ISBN

3-836435321

THE ESSENTIAL SHINRAN edited by DR. ALFRED BLOOM In The Essential Shinran, Dr. Alfred Bloom makes a masterful presentation of the life and thought of Shinran. The book is a virtual feast of prime statements carefully selected from traditional Shinshu textual sources and thematically arranged to illustrate key points. The main text begins with a modern overview of Shinran's life and legacy. This is followed by over 300 selected passages from the biographical literature and from Shinshu doctrinal works, with insightful notes by the author. Each of the items quoted is consecutively numbered for ease of reference,

Publisher World Wisdom Inc.

Publication date 2007

ISBN 1-93331621-5

LIVING IN AMIDA’S UNIVERSAL LIGHT edited by DR. ALFRED BLOOM

Shin Buddhism arises from the teachings of Shinran, a profoundly compelling spiritual authority of 13th century Japan. In contrast to monastic Japanese Buddhist traditions, which attracted the more learned and aristocratic elements of Japanese society, Shinran taught men in all walks of life to find solace and strength in Amida Buddha, a compassionate aspect of the Cosmic Buddha who renounced his own enlightenment until all men are saved through his power. These essays by leading Shin scholars and practitioners shed light on this tradition, which is largely unknown in the West. Dr. Bloom, one of the world’s foremost scholars of the tradition and an ordained Shin priest, has edited a book which illuminates this path to liberation and provides the reader with deep insight into the soul of Amida’s Universal Vow.

Publisher World Wisdom Inc.

Publication date 2004

ISBN 0-941532-54-2

RELIGION AND MAN: Indian and Far Eastern Religious Traditions by ROBERT D. BAIRD & DR. ALFRED BLOOM

The present volume provides an introduction to the scholarly study of some of the religious traditions involved in human history.

The authors have sought to provide accurate descriptions of the rituals, myths, symbolic devices, belief systems, and social organizations of the world's religions. They have also provided sensitive interpretations of the ethos and the spiritual directions to which these various symbolic forms have pointed. In doing so, the authors show how a religious tradition can be studied in such a way that both data and interpretation, fact and meaning, detail and the patterns unifying the detail into a dynamic whole can be recognized and appreciated.

Publisher Harpercollins

Publication date 1972

ISBN 0-06-040448-5

Thirlmere by Marilyn Ricci

Barely light. Through a purling wood, a five-bar gate, and there it is lapping over shingle to my sandalled feet.

Saved

by Marilyn Ricci

A fine line of rain approaches.

High swallows dip, rise. A chorus of pines.

Each leaf, branch, root, singing.

'Write it out,' she said.

In the open.

So I did.

Saved it onto a CD. It swings on creaking string between raspberries and gooseberries, keeping crows away.

Jasmine b.18th August 2009 (3510g : 49 cm) by Kaspalita Thompson

Your heartbeat is like a humming birds wing, slowed down On a natural history programme, so we can hear The beaten air, like a tiny drum, vivace.

Gently you are taken from your mothers womb The surgeon’s, pale, gloved hands lifts you into the light And startled by the cool hospital air, you breathe Four hours away, we click through photos of your face The still frames of your first expressions come to life Like pictures in an old Victorian flick book A kineograph of smiles, of your curious dark eyes Of your damp, dark hair, clinging to your sweet red face Your mother’s joy, her unpretentious smile, mirrored In yours, radiant, like a collection of bright stars Or a shock of fragrant white flowers in springtime

TEXTBOOK ON IMMIGRATION AND ASYLUM LAW [Third Edition] by Gina Clayton Immigration and asylum are possibly two of the most contentious topics in current public life. Increasing political debate and numerous legal developments have meant that these issues are rarely out of the media, and public interest runs high. This unique book is the first to offer students new to the subject a complete guide to both immigration and asylum law, setting the standard for textbooks in this area. The author's passion for the subject shines through, making this a fresh and engaging read for both undergraduate and postgraduate students. Clear analysis and comment on the political context and social impact of the law brings the topic to life and encourages the reader to develop a critical viewpoint. The author expertly navigates and clarifies the complexities of this area of the law, breaking down the text into manageable sections and making use of diagrams and case summaries to help students grasp the key issues and facts. Further reading suggestions and end of chapter questions encourage students to build on their knowledge.

Online Resource Centre : An Online Resource Centre accompanies the book, featuring updates in the law, problem questions, web links, and additional material useful for the study of immigration and asylum law.

Publisher Oxford University Press¦USA

Publication date 2008

ISBN 0-199238668

IN THE SHADOW OF MAHATMA GANDHI by JOAN COURT

The author’s life affirming autobiography takes as its starting point a solitary and loveless childhood spent with an abusive, alcoholic mother. Despite this traumatic beginning she went on to complete nursing training, served as a midwife in London during the war, and then joined a Quaker unit in India, where she established a midwifery service in Calcutta. It was there that she met Mahatma Gandhi in 1946.

Since 1977 the author has lived in Cambridge, where she read for a degree in Social Anthropology and became involved in the animal rights movement. She has written and broadcast on the subjects of child abuse and cruelty to animals, and – never hesitating to challenge the established order – passionately defends all those, both human and non-human, who are at the mercy of powerful individuals and institutions.

Publisher Selene

ISBN 0-954345207

Publication date 2002

THE BUNNY HUGGING TERRORIST by JOAN COURT

The redoubtable Joan Court has produced the second volume in her amazing autobiography in which she describes her fight for animal rights after her move to Cambridge in 1977. This is a really good read and is a must for anyone interested in the history of the movement and in the life of an inspirational woman.

This book describes her deep commitment to campaigns in order to reduce and combat the exploitation and suffering of animals in research laboratories, factory farming, live exports and slaughter houses.

Publisher Selene

Publication date 2009

available from Amida Trust

GREEN DHARMA by GEORG and BRENDA FEUERSTEIN

Green Dharma is a clarion call to Buddhist teachers and practitioners to translate the Buddhist wisdom teachings into a viable green lifestyle, which treats both the inner and outer environment with reverence. This book is a must-read for anyone seeking to practice the Buddha Dharma or indeed any other spiritual tradition in a meaningful and responsible manner at a time of worldwide environmental crisis ( Sixth Mass Extinction ). Owing to the present environmental emergency, we have decided to make our latest book entitled Green Dharma available as a PDF document free of charge. It was written especially (but not exclusively) for Buddhist Yoga practitioners.

FREE DOWNLOAD

http://www.traditionalyogastudies.com/green_dharma.html

LISTENING TO THE LIGHT by JIM PYM This book is an essential contemporary introduction to Quakerism. Using many quotations from Britain Yearly Meeting's Faith and Practice and other prominent sources, Pym summarizes Quaker thought and spiritual practice without over-simplifying it.

This book is a useful guide both for inquirers and seasoned Friends who long for an accessible, clear and contemplative presentation of the core elements of our faith today. Includes advices and queries, a fine bibliography and other resources in the appendices.

Publisher Rider Books

Publication date 1999

ISBN

0712670203

YOU DON’T HAVE TO SIT ON THE FLOOR by JIM PYM

... to be a Buddhist. Nor do you have to wear special clothes, speak a foreign language or eat different food. You don't have to do most of the things you might have thought were essential. Author Jim Pym explains why... Buddhism has come to the West bearing trappings of oriental culture and tradition, yet very little of this is necessary to be a Buddhist, and it is often presented as if we have to take the whole package or nothing. What the Buddha taught is the Dharma, a way of life that leads us out of suffering. He did not ask us to accept anything just because it is traditional, taught by a teacher or found in a holy book, but only if it is good and helpful in making our lives harmonious.

Publisher Ulysses Press

Publication date 2002

ISBN

0712604472

THUS I HAVE HEARD FROM RENNYO SHONIN an annotated translation by ZUIO HISAO INAGAKI

Rennyo (1415-1499) was a descendant of Shinran and the eighth chief abbot (monshu) of the Jodo Shinshu school of Buddhism. While Shinran Shonin is the "Founder", Rennyo Shonin is called "the Restorer" , because of his great contribution in explaining the essentials of the teaching of Shinran and his missionary spirit, who made from Jodo Shinshu, one of the most important traditions in Japan. This book contains oral teachings from Master Rennyo, given on various occasions to people of different personalities and origins. It is a lively book, where Master Rennyo speaks directly to his audience, people like you and me, and everything he says is as useful today as it was in his times.

Publisher Dharma Lion Publications

Publication date

April 2008

available from publisher

POWER, WEALTH and WOMEN in INDIAN MAHAYANA BUDDHISM by DOUGLAS OSTO

This book examines the concepts of power, wealth and women in the important Mahayana Buddhist scripture known as the Gandavyuha-sutra, and relates these to the text’s social context in ancient Indian during the Buddhist Middle Period (0–500 CE).

Employing contemporary textual theory, worldview analysis and structural narrative theory, the author puts forward a new approach to the study of Mahayana Buddhist sources, the ‘systems approach’, by which literature is viewed as embedded in a social system.

Consequently, he analyses the Gandavyuha in the contexts of reality, society and the individual, and applies these notions to the key themes of power, wealth and women. The study reveals that the spiritual hierarchy represented within the Gandavyuha replicates the political hierarchies in India during Buddhism’s Middle Period, that the role of wealth mirrors its significance as a sign of spiritual status in Indian Buddhist society, and that the substantial number of female spiritual guides in the narrative reflects the importance of royal women patrons of Indian Buddhism at the time.

This book will appeal to higher-level undergraduates, postgraduates and scholars of religious studies, Buddhist studies, Asian studies, South Asian studies and Indology.

Publisher Routledge

Publication date 2008

ISBN 0-415-48073-4

Sumaya Budkovska 2009