There often comes a time when we are called to question the purpose of our lives. This goes beyond the mundane everyday to seek the foundation on which the good life is lived. After fruitless searches in the religions, self-help psychology, and philosophy, the author was confronted by a spiritual opening.Through 76 short chapters, the reader is offered an example of a spiritual way in the spirit world where growth comes more through direct experience than logical thinking and reaso...

Is murder ever morally right? And is a murderer necessarily bad? These two questions waltz through the maddening mind of Michael, the brilliant, terrifying, fiendishly smart creation at the centre of this winking dark gem of a literary thriller. Michael lost his wife in a terrorist attack on a London train. Since then, he has been seeing a therapist to help him come to terms with his grief - and his anger. He can't get over the fact that the man he holds responsible has seemingly got away ...

Although asylum has generated unparalleled levels of public and political concern over the past decade, there has been astonishingly little field research on the topic. This is a study of the legal process of claiming asylum from an anthropological perspective, focusing on the role of expert evidence from 'country experts' such as anthropologists. It describes how such evidence is used in assessments of asylum claims by the Home Office and by adjudicators and tribunals hearing asylum appea...

Anthony Trollope's "Barchester Towers" is a masterful exploration of ecclesiastical politics and social dynamics within a fictional cathedral city in Victorian England. The novel employs a rich prose style, marked by keen observation and dry humor, as it intricately weaves the lives of its characters with the profound yet often contentious themes of ambition, morality, and the societal expectations of the time. The narrative presents a vivid tableau of clerical rivalries and the complexiti...

This book presents original research on the controversies surrounding animal sacrifice in South Asia through the lens of court cases. It focuses on the parties involved in these cases: on their discourses, motivations, and contrasting points of view. Through an examination of judicial files, court decisions and newspaper articles, and interviews with protagonists, the book explores how the question of animal sacrifice is dealt with through administrative, legislative, and judicial practice...

When a grieving man searches for culpability in the death of his wife, a passenger on trains blown up by terrorists, he settles on a politician. The bombers, to his mind, were only the end point in a long chain of proximate causes – to blame them would be like blaming the trigger mechanisms on the bombs. The ultimate cause, he believes, the person responsible for first setting events into motion, is the politician whose policies and practices have had profound and violent impact abroad. An...

Drawing on new research material from ten European countries, Asylum Determination in Europe: Ethnographic Perspectives brings together a range of detailed accounts of the legal and bureaucratic processes by which asylum claims are decided. The book includes a legal overview of European asylum determination procedures, followed by sections on the diverse actors involved, the means by which they communicate, and the ways in which they make life and death decisions on a daily basis....

In "Morals Versus Art," Anthony Comstock navigates the intricate interplay between morality and artistic expression, asserting that aesthetic pursuits often clash with societal values. Comstock's literary style is characterized by a vigorous polemical approach, blending incisive critique with rich rhetorical flourishes. Rooted in the late 19th-century cultural context, the book exemplifies the Victorian moralistic backlash against the rise of modernism and its perceived threats to social o...

In "The Small House at Allington," Anthony Trollope masterfully weaves a complex narrative that explores themes of love, ambition, and societal expectations in Victorian England. Written in his signature fluid prose, the novel delves into the lives of the Bramleigh family, particularly focusing on the dilemmas faced by the charming but impulsive Lydia. Trollope's nuanced characterizations and his acute observations on the mores of the period provide a rich context for understanding not onl...

Anthony Trollope's "Chronicles of Barsetshire - Complete Edition" is a masterful collection of six novels intricately woven together to portray the social fabric and evolving dynamics of a fictional English county during the Victorian era. Through a rich tapestry of characters'—from the ambitious clergyman to the genteel but impoverished nobility'—Trollope explores themes of ambition, morality, and the interplay between personal desires and societal expectations. His narrative style balanc...

In "Rachel Ray," Anthony Trollope embarks on an intricate exploration of social class, gender dynamics, and the complexities of love within Victorian England. The narrative unfolds around the eponymous heroine, Rachel, whose journey towards self-discovery and romantic fulfillment is punctuated by the constraints of societal expectations. Trollope employs his signature style of keen psychological insight and richly drawn characters, interspersed with humor and irony, offering readers a pene...

In "La Vendée," Anthony Trollope masterfully weaves a rich tapestry of historical fiction set against the tumultuous backdrop of the French Revolution. The novel delves into the complexities of human emotion and ideological conflict by depicting the Royalist uprising in the Vendée region. With his signature narrative style, Trollope combines intricate characterizations and vivid descriptions to immerse readers in the profound struggle between loyalty to the monarchy and the revolutionary f...