"Is there a love beyond sentiment and the trappings of romance? A feeling that doesn't get its power from the back and forth of longing and denial, oneness and otherness, bliss and the blues? If so, can words capture it? The search for such words led editors Nathwani and Vogt through hundreds of diverse voices. They sought original writings or first translations and ultimately assembled a tribute to the love that is spiritual and corporeal, beyond words and begging to be described, and simultaneously directed at a beloved and at the very idea of love. Superbly researched, collected, and arranged, this is a gift to anyone loved, anyone who loves to read, and to the lover within us all"--

This collection of timeless poetry celebrates the eternal spiritual truth within each heart. Since ancient times, this hidden essence has been symbolized by the number 108. There are 108 earthly desires, 108 human feelings, 108 delusions, 108 beads in the traditional meditation mala, and 108 sacred poems in this anthology. Filled with crystalline wisdom from the great poets, sages, saints, and mystics, this selection of poems is a collective expression of universal heart-filled wisdom. The poems span a wide range of cultures and civilizations — from India to Europe, Japan, and the Middle East — and each one offers a unique perspective about the path to awakening. Some of the poems express belief in a higher being. Some convey instantaneous awakening. Others lead the reader down a disciplined path of contemplation. Ordered according to a broad interpretation of the heart-centered chakra model, these remarkable poems guide the reader toward realization and offer timeless jewels of insight to spark awakening and enrich spiritual practice.

A dead man hangs from the portal of St Paul Chapel in Damascus. He was a Muslim officer and he was murdered. But when Detective Barudi sets out to interrogate the man’s mysterious widow, the Secret Service takes the case away from him. Barudi continues to investigate clandestinely and discovers the murderer’s motive: it is a blood feud between the Mushtak and Shahin clans, reaching back to the beginnings of the 20th century. And, linked to it, a love story that can have no happy ending, for reconciliation has no place within the old tribal structures. Rafik Schami dazzling novel spans a century of Syrian history in which politics and religions continue to torment an entire people. Simultaneously, his poetic stories from three generations tell of the courage of lovers who risk death sooner than deny their passions. He has also written a heartfelt tribute to his hometown Damascus and a great and moving hymn to the power of love.

Queer. Muslim. Arab American. A proudly Fat femme. Randa Jarrar is all of these things. In this "exuberant, defiant and introspective" memoir of a cross-country road trip, she explores how to claim joy in an unraveling and hostile America (The New York Times Book Review). Randa Jarrar is a fearless voice of dissent who has been called "politically incorrect" (Michelle Goldberg, The New York Times). As an American raised for a time in Egypt, and finding herself captivated by the story of a celebrated Egyptian belly dancer's journey across the United States in the 1940s, she sets off from her home in California to her parents' in Connecticut. Coloring this road trip are journeys abroad and recollections of a life lived with daring. Reclaiming her autonomy after a life of survival--domestic assault as a child, and later, as a wife; threats and doxxing after her viral tweet about Barbara Bush--Jarrar offers a bold look at domestic violence, single motherhood, and sexuality through the lens of the punished-yet-triumphant body. On the way, she schools a rest-stop racist, destroys Confederate flags in the desert, and visits the Chicago neighborhood where her immigrant parents first lived. Hailed as "one of the finest writers of her generation" (Laila Lalami), Jarrar delivers a euphoric and critical, funny and profound memoir that will speak to anyone who has felt erased, asserting: I am here. I am joyful.

A deeply-reported examination of why "doing what you love" is a recipe for exploitation, creating a new tyranny of work in which we cheerily acquiesce to doing jobs that take over our lives. You're told that if you "do what you love, you'll never work a day in your life." Whether it's working for "exposure" and "experience," or enduring poor treatment in the name of "being part of the family," all employees are pushed to make sacrifices for the privilege of being able to do what we love. In Work Won't Love You Back, Sarah Jaffe, a preeminent voice on labor, inequality, and social movements, examines this "labor of love" myth—the idea that certain work is not really work, and therefore should be done out of passion instead of pay. Told through the lives and experiences of workers in various industries—from the unpaid intern, to the overworked teacher, to the nonprofit worker and even the professional athlete—Jaffe reveals how all of us have been tricked into buying into a new tyranny of work. As Jaffe argues, understanding the trap of the labor of love will empower us to work less and demand what our work is worth. And once freed from those binds, we can finally figure out what actually gives us joy, pleasure, and satisfaction.

"No one has to tell a rose To spread its fragrance. We are sparks of splendor. Time to do what comes naturally. Rise and shine." Prema Mala is a journey through the heart and the various feelings found there. A compilation of poems, prayers and meditations based on teachings in the Bhakti tradition, this is a book that, hopefully, will not only be read, but ingested, taken into the heart and breathed into the soul. There are moments of triumphant connection and moments of despair that bond the reader and writer until they become linked in a sacred ritual of sorts with Supreme Love at its center. Writer and reader become a part of one soul tribe, each story and thought acknowledging that all of us, are in this together, attempting to navigate this great thing called life. With poems and stories on everything from yoga to spirituality, to despair and even struggles with race, this is not just one writer's story, but it is the story of the soul striving to make the ultimate offering of love to Love.

The Mala of God is a unique spiritual gift, an expression of the surrendered heart filled with prayer, devotion, and gratitude, yet imbued with the unsparing wisdom and power of non-dual self-inquiry. With profound simplicity, Advaita zen master Mooji unveils the intimate, mystical ways of the praying heart, and provides insight for those yearning to discover their true nature. Many of us seek inner peace and happiness, lasting self-realization and awakening, or a felt blissful oneness beyond the mere concept of unity. In our search for truth and enlightenment, we may find ourselves drawn deeply into sincere introspection or with a deep affinity for prayer as a means of self-discovery and communion with the Supreme. Using language familiar to many spiritual traditions, including Christianity and Sufism, this book bridges the seeming divide between devotion and non-dual self-inquiry. This beautiful collection can be read start to finish or opened to any page for insight into the moment—perfect for both the spiritual seeker with an interest in non-duality or one who is drawn to devotion and the power of prayer. Including over 100 powerful prayers and blessings, complemented by Mooji’s drawings and handwritten sayings throughout, The Mala of God provides wisdom and inspiration that sets your heart free.