Of all the figures in the Bible, David arguably stands out as the most perplexing and enigmatic. He was many things: a warrior who subdued Goliath and the Philistines; a king who united a nation; a poet who created beautiful, sensitive verse; a loyal servant of God who proposed the great Temple and founded the Messianic line; a schemer, deceiver, and adulterer who freely indulged his very human appetites. David Wolpe, whom Newsweek called “the most influential rabbi in America,” takes a fresh look at biblical David in an attempt to find coherence in his seemingly contradictory actions and impulses. The author questions why David holds such an exalted place in history and legend, and then proceeds to unravel his complex character based on information found in the book of Samuel and later literature. What emerges is a fascinating portrait of an exceptional human being who, despite his many flaws, was truly beloved by God.

Moses Fleetwood Walker was the first black American to play baseball in a major league. He achieved college baseball stardom at Oberlin College in the 1880s. Teammates as well as opponents harassed him; Cap Anson, the Chicago White Stockings star, is blamed for driving Walker and the few other blacks in the major leagues out of the game, but he could not have done so alone. A gifted athlete, inventor, civil rights activist, author, and entrepreneur, Walker lived precariously along America’s racial fault lines. He died in 1924, thwarted in ambition and talent and frustrated by both the American dream and the national pastime.

Insightful correspondence from a New Yorker among the Hamptons on the eve of war

An Expository Journey through the Book of James Helps Christians Move from Double-Mindedness to Wholeness Everyone longs for wholeness and honesty in their lives. In reality, people are often double-minded—pulled between good and bad—in their speech, actions, and character. These rifts can be spiritually and relationally devastating. So how does God heal a fractured heart? This analysis of the New Testament book of James helps readers identify double-mindedness in their own lives and understand God's grace as he "pulls apart the divided heart to make it whole." Explaining James's challenging epistle chapter by chapter, David Gibson helps readers embrace the painful yet profound process of redemption, defeat double-mindedness, and experience wholeness in every area of their lives. Theologically Rich: Thoroughly examines major themes in the book of James, including double-mindedness, pride, spiritual maturity, suffering, and God's grace Winsome and Accessible: This clear, expository study is ideal for pastors and laypeople, including college students and those involved in small groups or adult Sunday School Written by David Gibson: Author of Living Life Backward: How Ecclesiastes Teaches Us to Live in Light of the End Includes Study Questions: Each chapter ends with questions for deeper reflection

The Journey into the Divided Heart is a challenging guide that will push you spiritually to a new level of taking responsibility and defining your personal role in the process of healing your hurting heart. Though highly practical and spiritually directive, this book zooms out to give you a convicting overview of the human heart. In its state of being divided, our heart tends toward God as its healer but also toward itself as provider and protector simultaneously. You will learn your defense mechanisms, be led in decision-making journaling and prayers, and you will be given an overview of nine powerful, biblical, and clinical interventions that will lead you to living life to its fullest (John 10:10). This book is a must read for anyone looking for true lasting change, as well as a role-defining text for counselors and pastors who are looking to integrate cutting-edge clinical counseling with an unwavering faith-based, non-religious approach to working with the brokenhearted.

America today is at a political impasse; we face a nation divided and discontented. Acclaimed political commentator E.J. Dionne argues that Americans can't agree on who we are as a nation because we can't agree on who we've been, or what it is, philosophically and spiritually, that makes us "Americans." Dionne places our current quarrels in the long-standing tradition of struggle between two core values: the love of individualism and our reverence for community. Both make us who we are, and to ignore either one is to distort our national character. He sees the current Tea Party as a representation of hyper-individualism, and takes on their agenda-serving distortions of history, from the Revolution to the Civil War and the constitutional role of government. Tea Partiers have reacted fiercely to President Obama, who seeks to restore a communitarian balance - a cause in American liberalism which Dionne traces through recent decades. The ability of the American system to self-correct may be one of its greatest assets, but we have been caught in cycles of over-correcting. Dionne seeks, through an understanding of our factious past, to rediscover the idea of true progress, and the confidence that it can be achieved.