Korea has an unusually diverse religious culture. In the north, Juche, which has taken on religious overtones, monopolizes articulations of beliefs and values as well as ritual practice. In the south, no single religion dominates, with over half saying that they have no specific religious affiliation. The remainder report being Protestant, Buddhist, and Catholic. Smaller in number but nonetheless noticeable are members of Korea's many home-grown new religious movements. Reflecting South Ko...

Tasan Chŏng Yagyong (1762–1836) is one of the most creative thinkers Korea has ever produced, one of the country’s first Christians, and a leading scholar in Confucian philosophy. Born in a staunchly Neo-Confucian society, in his early twenties he encountered writings by Catholic missionaries in China and was fascinated. However, when he later learned that the Catholic Church condemned the Confucian practice of placing a spirit tablet on a family altar to honor past generations, he left th...

In the tumultuous era of the Napoleonic Wars, embark on an unforgettable voyage with Peter Simple, a young and naive midshipman. Join him as he navigates the treacherous waters of the Royal Navy, facing both the exhilaration of battle and the harsh realities of life at sea. From the bustling streets of Portsmouth to the unforgiving Atlantic, Peter's adventures will test his courage, loyalty, and the very essence of his being. Witness the transformation of a wide-eyed boy into a seasoned sa...

Budgies, budgies, budgies. Beautiful and cheeky, delightful and enchanting, wild or tamed budgerigars are Australia's gift to the bird world.They sing and dance, and yawn as contagiously as humans. They are masters of mimicry. They grasp simple grammar, can count to six and have memories that belie their size. They've been coveted by royals and been companions to the great and famous as well as grannies in suburban kitchens around the world. They've been painted by masters, rendere...

Korea’s first significant encounter with the West occurred in the last quarter of the eighteenth century when a Korean Catholic community emerged on the peninsula. Decades of persecution followed, resulting in the deaths of thousands of Korean Catholics. Don Baker provides an invaluable analysis of late-Chosŏn (1392–1897) thought, politics, and society to help readers understand the response of Confucians to Catholicism and of Korean Catholics to years of violent harassment. His analysis i...

In this inaugural issue of Clinics in Perioperative Nursing Care, guest editors Joy Don Baker and Terri Goodman bring their considerable expertise to the topic of Essentials of Communication in Perioperative Nursing. Top experts addresses the increasing complexity and demands of perioperative practice that heighten the need for communicating effectively, whether to facilitate optimal patient outcomes or establish a friendly and productive work environment. In this issue, the authors addres...

Step into a world where memory glows like a lantern, creativity flows like the tide, and even winter's silence carries stories worth telling.Lines and Time: Reflections through Memories, Connections, and Becoming offers a collection of poems and short stories that speak to the soul. These pages trace the shape of a life through moments both fleeting and profound, mornings shared with hummingbirds, evenings warmed by firelight, and winters wrapped in wonder. With tenderness...

From a World War to a personal war this is the profoundly personal story of a preacher with PTSD and major depressive disorder. Don Baker shares his journey into the darknessthe black hole, as he calls itand how its shadow has haunted him for over seventy years. Insightful, vulnerable, and honest, this is a human story for human readers, for people who have tasted life and found it too often bitter and perplexing.

Leslie, the overachiever of the four Nurseketeers, is passionate about working in the operating room. Struggling with setting priorities and the inability to say no, Leslie can’t keep up with her studies, meet the expectations of her basketball coach, serve effectively as president of the Student Nurses’ Association, work part time, and remain fully engaged with the love of her life. Her dream of becoming a nurse is challenged when she fails the first exam of her senior year. Compounding h...

What is the influencer lifestyle? How do influencers win their fight for relevance and create a brand that catches fire, while still leading an authentic, healthy life? Influencing is a business built around likes and hate, which can take a huge psychological toll on those who choose to play the game. An Influencer’s World pulls back the curtain and shines a light on the often-misunderstood realities of this dynamic industry. Featuring dozens of interviews with trending influencer...

Everlasting Empire (Yongwonhan chekuk) is a Korean historical novel written as a murder mystery. The narrator frames the main story with his “discovery” of a 150-year-old manuscript. Because of problems verifying the authenticity of the manuscript, the narrator offers the book not as genuine history but as a story. This compelling tale is set at a pivotal moment in Korean history, when the nation’s last strong king was attempting to consolidate the authority of the monarc...

This is a book for the hurting and the heartbroken.The Bible says that no prophet emerged from Israel like Moses. Called a "friend of God," he knew God face-to-face. He earned this status through trial and error, through his failures and God's forgiveness. The Lord refined and remade Moses by giving him many "second chances."God works in all of our lives in this way, always offering "second chances." His goal for us is not a trouble-free life but transformation, to be molde...