Fifteen-year-old Aki Simon has a theory. And it's mostly about sex. No, it isn't that kind of theory. Aki already knows she's bisexual—even if, until now, it's mostly been in the hypothetical sense. Aki has dated only guys so far, and her best friend, Lori, is the only person who knows she likes girls, too. Actually, Aki's theory is that she's got only one shot at living an interesting life—and that means she's got to stop sitting around and thinking so much. It's time for her to actually do something. Or at least try. So when Aki and Lori set off on a church youth-group trip to a small Mexican town for the summer and Aki meets Christa—slightly older, far more experienced—it seems her theory is prime for the testing. But it's not going to be easy. For one thing, how exactly do two girls have sex, anyway? And more important, how can you tell if you're in love? It's going to be a summer of testing theories—and the result may just be love.

Staggering from a bar into a dark, deserted alley, a man is stalked and attacked. Forty years later, December 2007, a letter reaches a Berkeley physics professor from her friend Cy Fapp, head of a Charleston private detective agency. As the story unfolds, these two seemingly unrelated events become linked to the 1938, true life disappearance of Sicilian physicist Ettore Majorana. Working from their agency in Charleston, South Carolina, Fapp and his two young associates, Jack and Ginger, are mystified by four seemingly unrelated cases. Through a series of bizarre coincidences, they discover a series of disappearances and murders over fifty years, taking place from Wisconsin to South Beach, Florida, from Italy to Berkeley, and from Charleston to Los Angeles, California. Jack and Ginger are propelled by their discoveries to link both their boss’s and the victims’ sudden interest in theoretical physics and parallel universes. Does this all mask an international conspiracy of serial killers? If not, how are the cases tied together? Is a major theoretical physics breakthrough at the heart of the mysteries? How has their boss, Cy Fapp, disappeared? And how, in the end, does a Berkeley professor come to hold the key to all the answers? Includes Readers Guide.

From the acclaimed author of Lies We Tell Ourselves comes an empowering YA novel of what happens when love may not be enough to conquer all. Toni and Gretchen are the couple everyone envied in high school. When they go off to different colleges—Toni to Harvard and Gretchen to NYU—they’re sure they’ll be fine. Where other long-distance relationships have fallen apart, theirs is bound to stay rock-solid. The reality of being apart, though, is very different than they expected. Toni, who identifies as genderqueer, meets a group of transgender upperclassmen and immediately finds a sense of belonging that has always been missing. Gretchen, meanwhile, struggles to remember who she is outside their relationship. As distance and Toni’s shifting gender identity begin to wear on their relationship, the couple must decide—have they grown apart for good, or is love enough to keep them together?

Over four lectures, Nicholas introduces us to the lives and sayings of the desert fathers, with a particular focus on the fascinating writings of Evagrius of Pontus (c. 345-399). In doing so, he makes the wisdom of the desert relevant to contemporary spiritual practice. The course begins by looking at the origins of Christian monasticism during the third century CE, when thousands of men and women renounced the world and withdrew to the deserts of Egypt, Syria and Palestine to seek God in a life of solitude and prayer. What inspired them to do this? What were they trying to achieve? In seeking answers to these questions, we will examine the lives and sayings of the so-called ‘desert fathers’, with a particular emphasis on the theological writings of Evagrius of Pontus (c. 345-399). Evagrius was described as being one ‘skilled in the discernment of spirits’. In his ascetical treatises, he elaborates a detailed programme for aspirants to the holy life comprising a foundation of stillness (hesychia), the cultivation of equanimity (apatheia) and, ultimately, unitive knowledge of the divine reality (gnosis). Particular attention will be given to his psycho-spiritual taxonomy of the ‘eight thoughts’, and the practice of contemplative prayer, as expounded in texts such as the Foundations, Praktikos, Eight Thoughts, and On Prayer. Session One – Monks of the Desert – Historical origins of Christian monasticism • the story of the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness • St Antony, the ‘first monk’ • fleeing the world to face the self • life in the desert • Pachomius and the beginnings of institutional monasticism. Session Two – The Ascetic Rationale – The theology of Origen of Alexandria • principles of monastic asceticism • the importance of humility and purity of heart • Evagrius of Pontus, theologian of the desert • stages on the path of spiritual progress • the cultivation of apatheia (equanimity). Session Three – The Eight Thoughts – On the subject of demons • the eight categories of obsessive thoughts: gluttony, lust, avarice, sadness, anger, acedia, vanity and pride • the practice of the discernment of thoughts. Session Four – On Prayer – Types of prayer in the Christian tradition • prayer in the Bible and the teachings of Jesus • the nature of the mind • the notion of ‘pure prayer’ in Evagrius • the legacy of the Desert Fathers. kingdom of god is within you meaning apophthegmata patrum founder of western christian monasticism the wisdom of the desert thomas merton monastic Benedict monks definition meaning of the sayings of the holy fathers the apophthegmata sayings of the desert fathers quotes book merton

This collection brings together new papers addressing the philosophical challenges that the concept of a Devil presents, bringing philosophical rigor to treatments of the Devil. Contributors approach the idea of the Devil from a variety of philosophical traditions, methodologies, and styles, providing a comprehensive philosophical overview that contemplates the existence, nature, and purpose of the Devil. While some papers take a classical approach to the Devil, drawing on biblical exegesis, other contributors approach the topic of the Devil from epistemological, metaphysical, phenomenological, and ethical perspectives. This volume will be relevant to researchers and scholars interested in philosophical conceptions of the Devil and related areas, such as philosophers of religion, theologians, and scholars working in philosophical theology and demonology.

A lively astronomy primer that uses cataclysmic scenarios to explain the universe?s most fascinating events. According to astronomer Philip Plait, the universe is an apocalypse waiting to happen But how much do we really need to fear from things like black holes, gamma-ray bursts, and supernovae? And if we should be scared, is there anything we can do to save ourselves? With humor and wit, Plait details the myriad doomsday events that the cosmos could send our way to destroy our planet and life as we know it. This authoritative yet accessible study is the ultimate astronomy lesson. Combining fascinating?and often alarming?scenarios that seem plucked from science fiction with the latest research and opinions, Plait illustrates why outer space is not as remote as most people think. Each chapter explores a different phenomenon, explaining it in easy-to-understand terms, and considering how life on earth and the planet itself would be affected should the event come to pass. Rather than sensationalizing the information, Plait analyzes the probability of these catastrophes occurring in our lifetimes and what we can do to stop them. With its entertaining tone and enlightening explanation of unfathomable concepts, Death from the Skies! will appeal to science buffs and beginners alike.