Though many of the philosophical and spiritual texts tend to be academic and out-of-reach, this introduction to Kabbalah is remarkable in its ability to discuss God and the meaning of life with frank clarity. Aaron fills this discussion with his own personal anecdotes and stories, managing to explain the more difficult concepts in everyday terms and encouraging readers to seek love, harmony, and wholeness--the keys to happiness and spiritual satisfaction.

A revisionist account of diplomatic maneuvering among the Allies, the Axis Powers, and such neutral states as the Vatican and Switzerland during World War II. The authors maintain that there was a great deal more collusion among all the parties involved than their governments have since admitted.

Abbey's nostalgic early (1956) novel is about a rebellious throwback to the cowboy heroes of another age. The anarchistic Jack Burns, who gets himself arrested so he can help his draft-dodging pal break out of jail, is a symbol of the simpler, unregulated life of personal freedom that the Old West represents for Abbey. The novel was made into a highly successful movie, LONELY ARE THE BRAVE, starring Kirk Douglas.

Abdo, through interviews with street preachers, scholars, and various leaders, has conducted a sociological study of Islam in Egypt. It exposes the peaceful movements within Islam that are working--successfully--to integrate religious values and the modern world. The result is a portrait of an Egyptian identity that challenges Western stereotypes of religious extremism.

In Abe's bizarre, satirical fable, a man chooses to give up all the trappings of normal life and seek anonymity by retreating to a cardboard box that he carries on his back, becoming an observer but never participating in the contemporary world he views from his refuge.

Tiasha Abelar's account of her apprenticeship with a female colleague of don Juan, a training which used mental and physical exercises rather than psychoactive plants. This virtual sorcerers' manual is a pioneering work of women's spirituality.

A collection of unintentionally funny answers given by students. For example: "A goblet is a male turkey," "The people didn't like King James II and after three years they decomposed him," "An abstract noun is one that cannot be heard, seen, touched, or smelt," and "Socrates died from an overdose of wedlock." Illustrated with b&w drawings.

Abish's novel is set in contemporary Mexico, among the social and intellectual elite. The cast of characters includes a literary critic who is no longer taken seriously, his estranged wife, the American writer with whom she is having an affair, the writer's runaway daughter, and an unscrupulous art dealer.

This debut novel (which is not a romance) follows the adolescence of Rachel, the oldest daughter of an Hasidic Jew and his unhappy wife. The author portrays the growing friction between the girl's strict religious upbringing--complete with arranged marriage--and her independent spirit and reckless curiosity.