This first collection of writings to fully represent and analyze the 1980s features contributions by more than 30 writers, including Christopher Lasch, Eric Bogosian, and Hilton Kramer, who had enormous influence on the politics and culture of the time.

Composition teachers throughout the English-speaking world have been pushing this book on their students since it was first published in 1957. Co-author White later revised it, and it remains the most compact and lucid handbook we have for matters of basic principles of composition, grammar, word usage and misusage, and writing style.

Elizabeth Berg (Talk Before Sleep) is a can-do kid. Forget the common wisdom—that writing is difficult and getting published nearly impossible without contacts or an agent. "What you need most," she says, "is a fierce desire to put things down on paper." And if a gentle nudge will help you on your way, well, Berg wishes to provide just that, cheerfully, with Escaping into the Open. For Berg, writing—and success—comes easily. In fact, she says, "What I like doing best is writing.... I feel like a drug addict with an exceptionally wise drug of choice."

It is refreshing to come across a book so positive and friendly—even if a there is a little too much emphasis on the author's own experience (did she really have to include a five-page essay by an envious friend and three pages of topics about which she herself has successfully written?). Still, how could one not appreciate a writing guide that espouses napping, eating chocolate-covered cherries, and standing by your "man(uscript)," and that likens passionate, risky writing—the only kind that's worth anything—to great sex? Berg encourages her reader to look (and listen and feel) deeply, to learn from children, and not to let life interfere with writing any more than it has to. She addresses—sometimes with help from her friends—writing classes, writing groups, and the writing life. In a chapter called "If you're a man, be a woman," she offers up 30 pages of writing exercises. Berg is personable, whimsical, amazed by her good fortune, and direct. "There's only one person who can stop you," she says gravely at book's end, "and we both know who that is." —Jane Steinberg

A rich resource on the applications of aromatherapy and its uses in everyday life, including aromas for the home, business environments, and essences for the elderly.

In this highly readable collection, Robert Thurman brings together the jewels of Tibetan literature that have made their own distinctive contribution to "the great river of Buddhism." He introduces the selection with an overview of essential Buddhist thought, orienting the reader with a history of Buddhism's development, from its origins in India, expansion across Asia, and flowering on Tibetan soil. Explaining the distinctive attainment of Tibetan Buddhist civilization as "the vivid sense of Buddhas in ordinary, daily reality," Thurman guides readers through selections that speak to the possibility of liberation for all beings. Stressing also the importance of the teacher or mentor figure in Tibetan Buddhist practice, he presents key texts from teachers whose words serve as inspiration to those seeking the path toward enlightenment. Excerpts culled from the vastness of the Tibetan canon include the hymns to the liberator goddess Tara, pieces from The Tibetan Book of the Dead, writings on mentor worship from the first Panchen Lama, and selections from esoteric tantric practice texts. The volume ends with the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize lecture by Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso, illustrating the enduring relevance of this ancient wisdom for modern life. —Uma Kukathas

The Everything German Practice Book with CD has all it takes for beginner and intermediate speakers to take their proficiency to the next level. Divided into 10 easy-to-follow sections, this fun and accessible guide boasts more than 200 exercises designed to speed the reader's mastery of:
Grammar, syntax, and sentence structureVocabulary-building methodsPronunciation and usage techniqueComprehension in reading and speaking
Plus! The Everything German Practice Book with CD also features interactive audio exercises for a complete learning experience.

Want to know more about other people's religions? Look no further than this exceptional introductory volume. The Everything World's Religions Book is an encyclopedic resource describing, in plain English, all major and scores of minor religions throughout the world and throughout history, citing: Their origins and history; Geographic spread; Customs and practices; Ceremonies and celebrations; Leaders past and present

The book that changed the consciousness of a country—and the world. Landmark, groundbreaking, classic—these adjectives barely describe the earthshaking and long-lasting effects of Betty Friedan's The Feminine Mystique. This is the book that defined "the problem that has no name," that launched the Second Wave of the feminist movement, and has been awakening women and men with its insights into social relations, which still remain fresh, ever since. A national bestseller, with over 1 million copies sold.

A selection of Eileen Caddy's inspirational writings which she offers as an aid to contact with the divine source and a complete teaching in how to live a spiritual life.