“Accidental Genius: Using Writing to Generate Your Best Ideas, Insight, and Content” by Mark Levy

"When it comes to creating ideas, we hold ourselves back. That’s because inside each of us is an internal editor whose job is to forever polish our thoughts so we sound smart and in control and so we fit into society. But what happens when we encounter problems where such conventional thinking fails us? How do we get unstuck? For Mark Levy, the answer is freewriting, a technique he’s used for years to solve all types of business problems and generate ideas for books, articles, and blog posts. Freewriting is deceptively simple: start writing as fast as you can, for as long as you can, about a subject you care deeply about, while ignoring...>>

“Anthology of World Scriptures” by Robert E. Van Voorst

"With Anthology of World Scriptures you will encounter the most notable and instructive sacred texts from major world religions, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Shinto, Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. You'll also examine scriptures from new religious movements including Baha'i, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, the Christian Science Church, and the Unification Church. You'll study scriptural readings in context, see how each religion is actually practiced today, as well as be introduced to its history, teachings, organization, ethics, and rituals. To help you understand the readings, you'll find introductions, study questions, glossaries, extensive footnotes explaining more challenging parts of the readings, scriptural charts, and suggestions for further reading."...>>

“The Short Path to Enlightenment: Instructions for Immediate Awakening” by Paul Brunton

"People who enjoy Eckhart Tolle (The Power of Now, A New Earth), Michael A. Singer (The Untethered Soul), or Adyashanti (Emptiness Dancing) will enjoy and benefit greatly from The Short Path to Enlightenment. These accessible teachings distill the essence of Advaita Vedanta, Zen, Sufism, Dzogchen—Brunton calls them “Short Path” teachings. A simple recognition, a brief moment of grace, can make what seemed like a far-off spiritual goal actual here and now. But we need reliable pointers for how and where to look. This compilation of gems distills the essence and effective practices of this path in direct, jargon-free language useful to followers of any or no particular tradition. “The true gift of this wonderful book,” says...>>

“American Heathens: The Politics of Identity in a Pagan Religious Movement” by Jennifer Snook

"American Heathens is the first in-depth ethnographic study about the largely misunderstood practice of American Heathenry (Germanic Paganism). Jennifer Snook—who has been Pagan since her early teens and a Heathen since eighteen—traces the development and trajectory of Heathenry as a new religious movement in America, one in which all identities are political and all politics matter. Snook explores the complexities of pagan reconstruction and racial, ethnic and gender identity in today’s divisive political climate. She considers the impact of social media on Heathen collectivities, and offers a glimpse of the world of Heathen meanings, rituals, and philosophy. In American Heathens, Snook presents the stories and perspectives of modern practitioners in engaging detail. She treats Heathens as...>>