When Roger Housden decided to travel to Iran and finally see the subject of his youthful fascination, he was in his sixties. By then, he thought he had seen the world. He was wrong. It was a quest that changed him forever. In Iran, Housden met with artists, writers, film makers and religious scholars who embody the long Iranian tradition of humanism, and shared with him their belief in scholarship and artistry. From the bustle of modern Tehran to the paradise gardens of Shiraz to the spectacular mosques and ancient palaces of Isfahan, Housden met Iranians who were warm, welcoming, generous, intellectually curious, and altogether alive with their love for one another, and for the faith and tradition that holds them together. Saved by Beauty weaves a richly textured story of many threads. It is a deeply poetic and perceptive appreciation of a culture that has endured for over three thousand years, while it also portrays the creative and spiritual cultures within contemporary Iran. While there, Roger Housden was brought face to face with the reality that beauty and truth, deceit and violence, are inextricably mingled in the affairs of human life, and was forever altered by it.

Looks at the life and work of the provocative Catholic social reformer from the personal point of view of someone who knew her well, her granddaughter.

Zahnd issues a challenge to Christians to discover new vitality through re-envisioning, reimagining, and reforming the church according to the pattern of the cruciform. Using stories from the lives of St. Francis of Assisi and from his own life, he teaches believers to stay on the journey to discover the kingdom of God in a fuller, richer way.

The female stars of the television show "Saved by the Bell" discuss nutrition, exercise, relaxation, makeup, and hair care.

Culture, Not Politics We live in a politicized time. Culture wars and increasingly partisan conflicts have reduced public discourse to shouting matches between ideologues. But rather than merely bemoaning the vulgarity and sloganeering of this era, says acclaimed author and editor Gregory Wolfe, we should seek to enrich the language of civil discourse. And the best way to do that, Wolfe believes, is to draw nourishment from the deepest sources of culture: art and religious faith. Wolfe has been called “one of the most incisive and persuasive voices of our generation,” and this penetrating and wide-ranging book makes a powerful case for the importance of beauty and imagination to cultural renewal. He begins by tracing his own journey from a young culture warrior bent on attacking the modern world to a career devoted to nurturing the creation of culture through contemporary literature and art that renew the Western tradition. Along the way, Wolfe finds in Renaissance Christian humanists like Erasmus and Thomas More—and their belief that imagination and the arts are needed to offset the danger of ideological abstractions— a “distant mirror” in which to see our own times.

It costs us not to look our best! Dressing poorly costs us interviews, first impressions, money . . . and a whole lot more. But you can look good all the time, asserts Amy E. Goodman, the magazine maven and style expert who’s a regular on NBC’s Today show. Her one-stop fashion and beauty book cuts through the information overload to teach you how to dress to impress whatever your age, lifestyle, or size—while staying true to yourself and your budget. Who can afford clothes and makeup that don’t fit or flatter? Since every piece needs to count, Amy uses snappy, clear comparisons to show how to regain control of your wardrobe and beauty shelf by simplifying your choices. Cleverly organized like a woman’s closet, wear this, toss that! outlines the 30 pieces of clothing and 30 accessories plus beauty basics every woman must own. Then Amy builds beyond the essentials, walking you through your closet, rack by rack, shelf by shelf, and drawer by drawer, telling you what to wear and what to toss. By sorting through the items you already have and taking inventory of what you need, you can build upon what you own and finally create the winning total look you’ve always dreamed of! Amy provides immediate style answers for real women: • 700 wear/toss items • Over 1,000 product suggestions • You-heard-it-here-first steals and deals • On-sale items to avoid regardless of price • Styling tips for every body type • The ultimate shoe guide: you’ll never question which footwear is right again! • 24 “save-me” products to rescue you from any fashion emergency Filled with candid tips from pro stylists and designers, along with Amy’s unfiltered guidance, wear this, toss that! will inspire you to invest in yourself, shake off the wardrobe blahs, and wake up your looks from head to toe. Step into your closet. Do you have: A ruffled tank that sweetly frames your faceor a blouse with overpowering ruffles? A long cardigan that graces over your curves or a super drapey wrap that resembles a blanket? A pencil skirt that lands just above your knees or a bell skirt that bunches at your middle? A cropped, straight-leg pant with a flat front or wrinkled, baggy cargo pants? A shade of red lipstick that says “bombshell” or one that’s says “I’m trying too hard”? If any of these questions make you cringe, then wear this, toss that! is your go-to guide. It’s for women of any size, age, or lifestyle who realize they just don’t like the clothes, accessories, or makeup they’re wearing and want to make a change. Almost instantly you’ll learn what works, what’s got to go, and why.

"A loving testament to the work and reward of the best friendships, the kind where your arms can’t distinguish burden from embrace.” — People New York Times Bestselling author Ann Patchett’s first work of nonfiction chronicling her decades-long friendship with the critically acclaimed and recently deceased author, Lucy Grealy. Ann Patchett and the late Lucy Grealy met in college in 1981, and, after enrolling in the Iowa Writer’s Workshop, began a friendship that would be as defining to both of their lives as their work. In Gealy's critically acclaimed and hugely successful memoir, Autobiography of a Face, she wrote about losing part of her jaw to childhood cancer, years of chemotherapy and radiation, and endless reconstructive surgeries. In Truth & Beauty, the story isn't Lucy's life or Ann's life, but the parts of their lives they shared together. This is a portrait of unwavering commitment that spans twenty years, from the long cold winters of the Midwest, to surgical wards, to book parties in New York. Through love, fame, drugs, and despair, this is what it means to be part of two lives that are intertwined...and what happens when one is left behind. This is a tender, brutal book about loving the person we cannot save. It is about loyalty and being uplifted by the sheer effervescence of someone who knew how to live life to the fullest.