A Boy and His Comet: Dancing Through the Rain

In A Boy and His Comet: Dancing Through the Rain, we meet a young man facing seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Dismissed and discouraged by his high school counselor, he’s told that college is a far-fetched dream. His senior year becomes a survival challenge, living alone in the woods without basic amenities, grappling with the shame of his situation and the painful legacy of parental abuse he’s forced to keep hidden.

At 17, free from the constraints of his tumultuous home life, he is confronted with temptations — drugs, alcohol, and sex — testing his resolve to maintain his personal values. This book is a poignant tale of an American boy who, against all odds, breaks free from a cycle of dysfunction to chart his own course to extraordinary success, ultimately becoming a self-made millionaire.

A Boy and His Comet is an emotional journey that will take you through the full spectrum of feelings. You’ll share in his laughter and tears, marvel at his resilience, and cheer as he navigates the trials of his youth, self-finances his college education, finds love with a kindred spirit, and together, they build their own version of the American Dream. This story is more than a read; it’s an experience of hope, perseverance, and the unyielding power of the human spirit.

A Day of Infamy Revisited

Tragic events can often be the catalyst and inspiration for the creation of meaningful works of art. In this case, it was the September 11th catastrophe of 2001 which provided the stimulus that would ultimately lead me down a totally unforeseen path, revealing an attitude never previously observed. Other than a proclivity for drawing geometric shapes, no artistic tendencies had even been evident.

The one constant theme in my work is the recurring use of nines and elevens to generate images. Other symbols and characters are also employed; sometimes intentional, sometimes not.

People who have explored my world have seen different things. Take the journey and see what you can uncover. Remember, in the future, be open to the possibility that sometimes unexpected abilities can appear anytime in one’s life. Be ready to embrace the opportunity these possibilities present and take them down your own personal road of discovery.

A Sword Over the Nile: A Brief History of the Copts Under Islamic Rule

“With Egypt’s Copts targeted as part of a bloody and systematic campaign of genocide against the ancient churches of the Middle East, Adel Guindy has produced a timely and authoritative account of their story. It deserves to be widely read.”

• — Professor Lord Alton, Professor of Citizenship at Liverpool John Moores University

Actualitas: Philosophy-Art for the 21st Century

Philosophy offers more than a momentary diversion; it provides valuable insights for gaining personal control and making important decisions. Imagine a lone leaf drifting in an autumn breeze, coasting on an updraft before floating to the ground, eventually broken down by the elements and recirculated into the soil. Embracing personal responsibility without scapegoats exemplifies the essence of carpe diem – seize the day.

Throughout history, philosophy has grappled with the concept of fear, though modern times have seen this domain largely conceded to pseudosciences, often offering solutions through natural and synthetic drugs.

Aristotle had much to say about fear: ‘…the things we fear are fearful and such things are, broadly speaking, evils: e.g. disgrace, poverty, sickness, friendlessness, death… Probably one ought not to fear poverty or disease, nor in general anything that is not… one’s own fault…’

African Financial Ecosystem

Historically and contextually, various integration models were experimented with by colonial powers, but these systems largely collapsed post-independence. For instance, the French attempted to maintain cohesion but prioritized their own interests, leading to fragmentation.

Efforts in East and West Africa similarly faltered, as each nation pursued its own agenda without a unified political will. South Africa made a notable attempt, but integration never materialized; it would have required a different approach, such as the adoption of a SADC currency.

The recent endeavors of AES countries and Zimbabwe’s new currency inject fresh dynamics into this ecosystem. Concurrently, the rise of new technologies presents both challenges and opportunities for financial integration.

Public organizations and pan-African institutions play crucial roles in navigating this journey, where the political dimension holds significant sway. Additionally, international dynamics, exemplified by initiatives like those of the BRICs, further influence the landscape.

Taken together, these elements paint an intriguing picture, fostering discussions on the African ecosystem and brainstorming plausible solutions. The ultimate aim is to achieve, within a reasonable timeframe, a monetary union and a common African currency.

Angel and the Orphan

From eating raw potatoes in abandonment to being personally served cake by a future African President, experience the extraordinary life of an orphan child through a tapestry of divine interventions and mystical adventures. Driven by his quest to understand the enigmatic voice that has persistently guided and saved him from the jaws of death, each chapter unfolds a series of astonishing true stories.

Witness harrowing accounts of kidnapping, murder, and suicide, juxtaposed against uplifting moments, like growing up as a white child in an Aboriginal orphanage, miraculously surviving an Al-Shabaab terrorist attack, and working as a compassionate paramedic. Journey alongside him as he solves the 110-year-old mystery of a missing police officer and champions the cause of Albino children targeted by witchdoctors in Africa.

Spanning continents – from Northern Ireland and Austria to the USA, Africa, and Canada – these magical yet deeply human stories are not just a testament to one man’s resilience but also an exploration of the unseen forces that guide us all. Take this global odyssey and witness the miraculous in the mundane, the divine in the everyday.

Aristotle: Form and Matter Edification

Aristotle: Form and Matter Edification offers an in-depth exploration of Aristotle’s central metaphysical concepts. This scholarly work meticulously reconstructs Aristotle’s theories, presenting them through the rigorous lens of analytic geometry and metaphysics. Fortin successfully bridges ancient philosophical thought with modern scientific inquiry, making complex ideas accessible and relevant for contemporary scholars.

In this treatise, Fortin delves into the intricate relationship between form and matter, which lies at the heart of Aristotelian ontology. He thoroughly examines Aristotle’s notions of substance, expanse, and quantity, elucidating how these foundational principles underpin existence and change. The text traverses various dimensions of being, from the indivisible unity of numbers to the tangible perceptions of visual and auditory experiences, offering a comprehensive understanding of Aristotle’s enduring impact on both ancient and modern science and philosophy.

Fortin’s focus on the dynamic nature of human intellect underscores the timeless relevance of Aristotelian thought. Aristotle: Form and Matter Edification is an essential read for serious students of philosophy and science, providing a rigorous and thoughtful analysis of Aristotle’s work. This volume not only pays homage to Aristotle’s intellectual legacy but also invites readers to engage with the perennial questions of existence, substance, and the nature of reality.

Back to the Trees and Caves

After dedicating over three decades to managing wilderness areas for the USDA Forest Service, Jonathan Klein comes to a sobering realization: the wilderness within the lower forty-eight is, at best, a theatrical semblance of the real essence of wild. Upon retirement at age sixty, Klein embarks on a solo canoe journey across the untamed expanses of northern Canada, yearning to uncover the authentic wilderness that eludes him. Back to the Trees and Caves unfolds this riveting 700-mile adventure from Saskatchewan to Hudson Bay, across landscapes untouched by time.

The voyage is far from tranquil. Klein battles violent storms, navigates raging rapids, and crosses lake expanses that mirror oceans. After seven grueling weeks, an utterly exhausted Klein reaches Churchill, Manitoba, but not without facing a life-and-death encounter with an apex predator, a confrontation that brings him face to face with the harsh yet majestic reality of the wild.

As Klein paddles through the endless miles, the journey morphs into more than a physical quest; it becomes a conduit for profound reflections on the intrinsic value of wild places. Not just for the wandering souls of humans, but as irreplaceable havens for the myriad wild creatures that inhabit them. The narrative encapsulates Klein’s evolving insights on the sanctity of these landscapes and the imperative to shield them from the unrelenting grasp of human consumption.

Basic Algebra

BASIC ALGEBRA

This is the best book around to teach the essentials of pre-algebra and first-year algebra in an easy-to-follow, low-anxiety way.

Basic Algebra makes complex ideas simple:

• Teaching material is broken down into one- or two-page lessons, each explaining a single principle.

• Clear explanations mean a minimum of intervention is required.

• Can be used for self-instruction or as a classroom text.

• A special section with practice exercises follows each lesson.

• Chapter checkout tests reinforce individual lessons.

Basic Decimals

BASIC DECIMALS

This book presents an easy-to-read format for the student who has difficulty with conventional math texts. There are graphic models, a step-by-step instructional format, both guided and unguided practice exercises – and an emphasis on world problems throughout.

The focus here is on hidden problems students typically have with decimals:

• • Misplacing the decimal point
• • Omitting zeros when adding and subtracting
• • Subtracting from a whole number

Students use the four operations with decimals, plus rounding decimals and making estimates – important topics in the current curricula and on tests.

Basic Fractions

BASIC FRACTIONS

This book consists of 38 evenly paced lessons written at a low reading level for easy comprehension.  Each lesson has:

• A single key concept

• Real-life word problems

• Examples, illustrations, and exercise questions

• Each exercise section has two levels of practice

• Guided practice with hints

• Independent practice

Contents include: equivalent fractions, simplifying fractions, working with mixed numbers, finding the least common denominator, using fractions in the four operations and in word problems.

Boy Refugee

Boy Refugee: A Memoir from a Long-Forgotten War is the story of a young refugee boy in the aftermath of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. The story chronicles his escape from war-ravaged Bangladesh to the relative safety of a barbed-wired internment camp in the foothills of the Himalayas, his day-to-day life as a civilian prisoner of war, and his thousand-mile, two-year-long journey back to Pakistan.