General-Order

trexler's study of preconquest sexuality is thorough and thought-provoking. he investigates countless indigenous and spanish sources to come up with a compelling argument that berdaches--indigenous males who cross-dressed and perfomed female sex and social roles--were part of the majority of indigenous cultures. he also demonstrates how those individuals were viewed by their peers and by the spanish, and how the spanish/european fear of homosexuality, specifically "passive" homosexuality, is responsible for the disappearance of the berdache. this book was highly readable for the more novice reader, but incredibly well documented (one hundred pages of notes) for the more academic reader. this book will likely go down as the definitive study on pre-conquest indigenous (homo)sexuality.

As someone who has been handed an existing Dreamweaver website to administer, I found this book to be extremely useful. Knowing nothing about the software, I was able to reference the book to quickly fix problems and carry out updates. To really use Dreamweaver a proper tutorial would be required, which this is not. It's targeted at those who need to work with Dreamweaver without a great deal of background knowledge and succeeds 100%.

Peters life and with jesus. HIs death, and birth. ALl told in this book. Was crucified upside down.

All my life I had wanted to vist the Skellig rocks and on buying this book one Tuesday arived at Portmagee on the Saturday morning. This book tell,s it like it is plus I managed to take the boat trip with the author. If you love birds and islands you have to get this book. Also when reading this play Phil Coulter lowly in the back ground mise eireann and Mna na h-Eireann it captures the mood and the haunting feeling of the place.

This book is well-named, as it is evident right from the start that Teresa of Avila was indeed passionate about her God. Though the reader must obviously adjust for historical setting, Teresa's experience and relation of deeply spiritual prayer is powerful enough to make one examine one's own prayer life. Such an examination is both exhilirating and intimidating, but Teresa's writings are encouraging to Christians regardless of where they find themselves in their pilgrimage. The shortness of this book make it the perfect companion for daily devotions, or personal retreats.

This survey of Celtic Saints provides an important analysis of the continuing relevance of the saints and their spiritual message. Ireland, Scotland, Wales and parts of Europe are surveyed in an examination which blends history with spiritual insights.

In a fine piece of scholarship, Thomas Conlan has written a book about samurai warfare that instantly cuts through the hoary myths that have skewed so many Japanese histories written in English. Here are the real samurai -- professional soldiers and policemen whose loyalty could be purchased or won with promise, flesh-and-blood men just as afraid of dying as anyone else, and just as ambitious and covetous. With a clear eye and an agile pen, Conlan -- one of the "new" practitioners of Japanese history to emerge in the last decade -- culls primary sources and proves that the samurai did not rush to their work, but rather preferred to fight from afar. This is an important history -- clearly written and beautifully illustrated -- important not only to the historiography of the era, but to the scholarship of WWII as well. It is easy to see now how the Imperial Japanese Army piped the perverted the "traditions" it used to send so many men to their deaths.

In his book, Syria and the New World Order, Dr Quilliam offers a brilliant anaylsis of Syrian foreign policy using theories of international relations and political economy. He examines dometic, regional, and international factors as determinants of Syrian foreign policy, which, according to his anaylsis, is driven by realism. Using an 'omnibalancing model', he argues that Syria has been consistent in its search for a comprehensive settlement to the Arab-Israeli conflict. He presents Syria's role in the Second Gulf War, and the peace process (of which he provides a succinct account until 1997) as two examples of Syria's adjustment to the changes in the international arena since the collapse of the Soviet Union and the advent of the New World Order. The author's contribution lies in his sound understanding of theories of international relations which he applies skillfuly to the Syrian case in order to prove his argument.

Olney H. Richmond was the chief of the Order of the Magi, which he officially resurrected in the upper Midwest in the late 19th century. Richmond was a Civil War veteran who was told of the Order by a mysterious stranger one night while he stood guard duty at Nashville. This stranger told him that he was to be his successor and eventually passed on to him the teachings of the Magi. Further, he told Richmond that he would pass through many battles in the course of the war, but that no harm would come to him. This proved true.

This Order of the Magi was the star religion of the ancient Chaldeans. It is said that this tradition existed 20,000 years before the birth of Christ. Indeed it was held that the three Magi of the Bible were members of this order- and that Christ himself later became an initiate. Richmond held that the Order had centers in not only Chaldea, but also Egypt and Persia. Moreover, he held that Pythagoras was a Grand Master of the Order (by way of the Egyptian temple.)

This book contains a collection of lectures delivered by Richmond on the history, philosophy, and practices of the Order. An interesting aspect of the Order was it's extensive use of magic squares and playing cards in divination. Richmond seems to have been a natural mathematician of considerable ability (as was also attested by his skill and mathematical analysis of the game of checkers during the 19th century heyday of that sport.)

This book was a pleasant surprise- I had thought that the Grand Temple Order of the Magi had once again passed from the memory of the world.

Rarely does a book of this calibre come along that brings to so much light the mind and heart of "the footprint of Our Lady", St. Clare of Assisi. This book will be enjoyed by anyone who enjoys the writings of Mother Mary Francis, P.C.C. Sr. Teresa Francis, as a Poor Clare herself and having lived the life established by St. Clare, has a profound grasp of this beautiful spirituality and has been able to clarify many issues important to St. Clare, which seem to be confusing to those who do not understand this form of life. Unlike several books available on the market, Sr. Teresa Francis does not apologize for the thoughts and ideas of St. Clare. Rather, she shows their beauty and vitality in their most radical form. This Living Mirror is proof that there is no gap between the woman and her Order that lived in the 12th century and the Order that lives today.

Wonderfully refreshing and a must for any lover of St. Clare or the contemplative life.