Download or read book Defying the Gods written by Scott McCartney and published by Scribner. This book was released on 1994 with total page 356 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In Defying the Gods, Scott McCartney takes the reader inside the world of organ transplants, focusing on four patients at the Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas. Baylor is home to one of the top three leading transplant teams in the country - a pair of "Top Gun" cutters who have stretched the boundaries of science to save lives. Defying the Gods shows not only what goes on inside the operating room, but also details the circumstances that brought the patients and the organs to the operating table - because for every triumphant successful transplant, there is the death of the person who donated the organ. McCartney follows the four patients on this difficult journey, from the weeks or even months of anguished waiting on the list of potential recipients, to the stressful recovery period when both doctors and patients watch tensely to see if the organ will be rejected by the patient's body - which in some cases means death. McCartney also profiles the transplant surgeons, who consider themselves on the cutting edge of medicine as they constantly push back the borders of death, and explains and critiques the transplant system: Who decides who gets one of the small number of available organs, and how is that decision made? Are doctors' and hospitals' hands tied by the laws regulating the collection and allocation of organs, or do they manipulate those laws? How important is it for patients to pass what doctors call the "wallet biopsy"? What can we do to assure an adequate supply of organs in the future? Defying the Gods is the definitive account of the history, science, and ethics that make transplants possible, covering the terrible choices transplantation presents for families, themoral dilemmas facing doctors, and the ongoing debate over how best to allocate the limited organs to those who need them. It is both suspenseful and moving, addressing important medical issues on a most human level.

Download or read book Defying the gods written by and published by . This book was released on 2021 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Defying the Gods written by Scott McCartney and published by . This book was released on 1924-12-01 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Accidental Gods written by Anna Della Subin and published by Metropolitan Books. This book was released on 2021-12-07 with total page 435 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: NAMED A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR BY ESQUIRE, THE IRISH TIMES AND THE TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT A provocative history of men who were worshipped as gods that illuminates the connection between power and religion and the role of divinity in a secular age Ever since 1492, when Christopher Columbus made landfall in the New World and was hailed as a heavenly being, the accidental god has haunted the modern age. From Haile Selassie, acclaimed as the Living God in Jamaica, to Britain’s Prince Philip, who became the unlikely center of a new religion on a South Pacific island, men made divine—always men—have appeared on every continent. And because these deifications always emerge at moments of turbulence—civil wars, imperial conquest, revolutions—they have much to teach us. In a revelatory history spanning five centuries, a cast of surprising deities helps to shed light on the thorny questions of how our modern concept of “religion” was invented; why religion and politics are perpetually entangled in our supposedly secular age; and how the power to call someone divine has been used and abused by both oppressors and the oppressed. From nationalist uprisings in India to Nigerien spirit possession cults, Anna Della Subin explores how deification has been a means of defiance for colonized peoples. Conversely, we see how Columbus, Cortés, and other white explorers amplified stories of their godhood to justify their dominion over native peoples, setting into motion the currents of racism and exclusion that have plagued the New World ever since they touched its shores. At once deeply learned and delightfully antic, Accidental Gods offers an unusual keyhole through which to observe the creation of our modern world. It is that rare thing: a lyrical, entertaining work of ideas, one that marks the debut of a remarkable literary career.

Download or read book A Time of Lost Gods written by Emily Ng and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 2020-05-12 with total page 223 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Traversing visible and invisible realms, A Time of Lost Gods attends to profound rereadings of politics, religion, and madness in the cosmic accounts of spirit mediumship. Drawing on research across a temple, a psychiatric unit, and the home altars of spirit mediums in a rural county of China’s Central Plain, it asks: What ghostly forms emerge after the death of Mao and the so-called end of history? The story of religion in China since the market reforms of the late 1970s is often told through its destruction under Mao and relative flourishing thereafter. Here, those who engage in mediumship offer a different history of the present. They approach Mao’s reign not simply as an earthly secular rule, but an exceptional interval of divine sovereignty, after which the cosmos collapsed into chaos. Caught between a fading era and an ever-receding horizon, those “left behind” by labor outmigration refigure the evacuated hometown as an ethical-spiritual center to come, amidst a proliferation of madness-inducing spirits. Following pronouncements of China’s rise, and in the wake of what Chinese intellectuals termed semicolonialism, the stories here tell of spirit mediums, patients, and psychiatrists caught in a shared dilemma, in a time when gods have lost their way.

Download or read book Overthrowing the Old Gods written by Don Webb and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2013-11-02 with total page 316 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: New commentaries on Aleister Crowley’s Book of the Law reveal how it is connected to both Right- and Left-Hand Paths • Examines each line of the Book of the Law in the light of modern psychology, Egyptology, Gurdjieff’s teachings, and contemporary Left-Hand Path thought • Explores Crowley’s identification with the First Beast of Revelations as well as his adoption of the Loki archetype for becoming a vessel of love for all humanity • Recasts the Cairo Working as a text of personal sovereignty and a relevant tool for personal transformation • Includes commentary on the Book of the Law by Dr. Michael A. Aquino, who served as High Priest of the Temple of Set from 1975 to 1996 Received by Aleister Crowley in April 1904 in Cairo, Egypt, the Book of the Law is the most provocative record of magical working in several hundred years, affecting not only organizations directly associated with Crowley such as the Ordo Templi Orientis but also modern Wicca, Chaos Magic, and the Temple of Set. Boldly defying Crowley’s warning not to comment on the Book of the Law, Ipsissimus Don Webb provides in-depth interpretation from both Black and White Magical perspectives, including commentary from Dr. Michael A. Aquino, who served as High Priest of the Temple of Set from 1975 to 1996. Webb examines each line of the Book in the light of modern psychology, Egyptology, existentialism, and competing occult systems such as the teachings of G. I. Gurdjieff and contemporary Left-Hand Path thought. Discarding the common image of Crowley formulated in a spiritually unsophisticated time when the devotee of the Left-Hand Path was dismissed as a selfish evil doer, Webb unveils a new side of Crowley based on his adoption of the Loki archetype and his aim to become a vessel of love for all humanity. In so doing, he shows how the Book of the Law is connected to both Right- and Left-Hand Paths and reveals how Crowley’s magical path of mastery over the self and Cosmos overthrew the gods of old religion, which had kept humanity asleep to dream the nightmare of history. Providing in-depth analysis of Crowley’s sources and his self-identification with the First Beast of Revelation from a profound esoteric perspective, Webb takes his views out of the Golden Dawn matrix within which he received the Book of the Law and radically recasts the Cairo Working as a text of personal sovereignty and a relevant tool for personal transformation.

Download or read book Coping With the Gods written by Henk Versnel and published by BRILL. This book was released on 2011-05-10 with total page 609 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Abandoning monolithic approaches and embracing the possibility of inconsistencies and incongruities in Greek thought, behaviour, and culture, this book investigates how ancient Greeks could validate the complementarity of dissonant, if not contradictory, representations in e.g.polytheism, theodicy, divine omnipotence and ruler cult.

Download or read book Fates Monsters written by S Cinders and published by Independently Published. This book was released on 2023-01-24 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There is a fine line between gods and monsters, and once I figure out what that is, you'll be the first to know. Shai, God of Destiny Imagine showing up at the pearly gates only to find out that your name isn't on the list. You know THE LIST. The one that either ensures fluffy white wings and pillowy clouds, or an eternity of fire and brimstone. Yeah, that list, and my name isn't on it. Thankfully, a leggy goddess shows up and saves my bacon. Only the job she has for me is a heck of a lot harder than what I'd bargained for. And that beautiful goddess, she seems to have a personal vendetta against me. It's almost as if we've met before, but that's crazy, isn't it? Brigid, the Goddess of Fertility It's just my luck that the god who caused my fall from glory just happens to be my brand new employee. Only he doesn't remember anything about our past, or his part in it. How can I remain impartial when half the time I want to knock his block off and the other half I am daydreaming about those steamy, err, library sessions? A god can't change his stripes, can he? Find out in this hilarious romantic comedy where two star crossed gods learn there are some things worth fighting for. Because if they fail... Well, let's just say their punishment is a fate far worse than anything Shai and Brigid could have imagined on their own. And they are pretty creative-especially with bedroom games.

Download or read book Black Gods of the Asphalt written by Onaje X. O. Woodbine and published by Columbia University Press. This book was released on 2016-05-24 with total page 254 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: J-Rod moves like a small tank on the court, his face mean, staring down his opponents. "I play just like my father," he says. "Before my father died, he was a problem on the court. I'm a problem." Playing basketball for him fuses past and present, conjuring his father's memory into a force that opponents can feel in each bone-snapping drive to the basket. On the street, every ballplayer has a story. Onaje X. O. Woodbine, a former streetball player who became an all-star Ivy Leaguer, brings the sights and sounds, hopes and dreams of street basketball to life. He shows that big games have a trickster figure and a master of black talk whose commentary interprets the game for audiences. The beats of hip-hop and reggae make up the soundtrack, and the ballplayers are half-men, half-heroes, defying the ghetto's limitations with their flights to the basket. Basketball is popular among young black American men but not because, as many claim, they are "pushed by poverty" or "pulled" by white institutions to play it. Black men choose to participate in basketball because of the transcendent experience of the game. Through interviews with and observations of urban basketball players, Onaje X. O. Woodbine composes a rare portrait of a passionate, committed, and resilient group of athletes who use the court to mine what urban life cannot corrupt. If people turn to religion to reimagine their place in the world, then black streetball players are indeed the hierophants of the asphalt.

Download or read book Fates of Destiny written by S Cinders and published by Independently Published. This book was released on 2022-12-22 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: After a massive falling out, Shai, the God of Destiny, and Brigid, the Goddess of Fertility, agree to stay the heck away from one another despite their insane chemistry. Only life can't be that simple, even for the gods. The fates have another plan for our star-crossed lovers, and it's a bumpy ride. When it's discovered that Shai and Brigid are responsible for the cluster-fork situation with the gods and goddesses inadvertently being dosed with destiny powder. They are taken before the Holy Counsel and sentenced to turn around the failing Suit's Division. With a handful of shady employees and no powers, it's not looking good. However, if they succeed, they will each be reinstated to their full power. But if they fail... Well, let's just say it's a fate far worse than anything Shai and Brigid could have imagined on their own. And they are pretty creative-especially with bedroom games. Our story features scenes of explicit naughtiness and some power exchange between our two gods.

Download or read book The Crimson Gods written by Chris M. Christian and published by Lochmoor Productions. This book was released on 2021-10-18 with total page 299 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When powerful siblings discover a terrifying truth, will they embrace a new destiny or turn to darkness? Ashaya Blacksun has had a weight lifted from her shoulders. Freed by her father's abdication of his crown, the former princess's delight over choosing her own path is barely dimmed by her strange and haunting dreams. But when her beloved twin brother doesn't return home from a ranging expedition, the unconventional young woman fears something has gone terribly wrong. Born into royalty, Sirich Blacksun quietly seethes that he's no longer heir to the throne. Still determined to maintain a position of leadership, he sets out to investigate the disturbing news of carnage in the south. But when he crosses paths with a powerful figure straight out of lore, the temptation to ignore his beloved father's bold vision in favor of his own ambition becomes increasingly difficult to resist. Defying tradition by sneaking off to find her missing twin, Ashaya's travels over deadly terrain are plagued by intensifying visions that point to a dark fate. And as Sirich's strange new companion shows him a new way forward, the frustrated would-be king faces a frightening choice. As these scions of nobility grapple with a new reality, will their quest for truth end in tragedy? The Crimson Gods is the first book in the sweeping Crimson Gods medieval fantasy series. If you like fierce characters, ancient fables, and stunning twists, then you'll love Chris M. Christian's breathtaking epic. Buy The Crimson Gods to taste the blood of deities today!

Download or read book Olympian Confessions written by Erin Kinsella and published by Tychis Media. This book was released on 2016-01-06 with total page 231 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Persephone is a goddess without a title even though her relatives include the Lord of Light, Goddess of Wisdom, and the Queen of the Gods. She’s only known as the daughter of her mother, something that leaves her feeling frustrated. She longs to escape Mount Olympus to discover who she truly is. Hades is the god of the Underworld, and when family obligations force him to attend a festival, he sees Persephone and knows what he’s looking at: a vibrant young goddess aching to break free. So begins an unlikely and tentative friendship that allows Persephone to cultivate her curiosity and blossom as a goddess in her own right. The two escape to the Underworld together, infuriating Persephone’s mother, the goddess Demeter. Crops die and mortals begin to starve as a consequence of Demeter’s wrath, and Persephone has two choices: Take charge of her own life or abandon the person she has become by returning to Olympus. Passions swirl, violence erupts, and the fate of the world is at stake as gods and goddesses let loose in Olympian Confessions.

Download or read book Gods of Jade and Shadow written by Silvia Moreno-Garcia and published by Del Rey. This book was released on 2019-07-23 with total page 384 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Mayan god of death sends a young woman on a harrowing, life-changing journey in this dark, one-of-a-kind fairy tale inspired by Mexican folklore. “A spellbinding fairy tale rooted in Mexican mythology . . . Gods of Jade and Shadow is a magical fairy tale about identity, freedom, and love, and it's like nothing you've read before.”—Bustle NEBULA AWARD FINALIST • NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY NPR • Tordotcom • The New York Public Library • BookRiot The Jazz Age is in full swing, but Casiopea Tun is too busy cleaning the floors of her wealthy grandfather’s house to listen to any fast tunes. Nevertheless, she dreams of a life far from her dusty small town in southern Mexico. A life she can call her own. Yet this new life seems as distant as the stars, until the day she finds a curious wooden box in her grandfather’s room. She opens it—and accidentally frees the spirit of the Mayan god of death, who requests her help in recovering his throne from his treacherous brother. Failure will mean Casiopea’s demise, but success could make her dreams come true. In the company of the strangely alluring god and armed with her wits, Casiopea begins an adventure that will take her on a cross-country odyssey from the jungles of Yucatán to the bright lights of Mexico City—and deep into the darkness of the Mayan underworld. Praise for Gods of Jade and Shadow “A dark, dazzling fairy tale . . . a whirlwind tour of a 1920s Mexico vivid with jazz, the memories of revolution, and gods, demons, and magic.”—NPR “Snappy dialog, stellar worldbuilding, lyrical prose, and a slow-burn romance make this a standout. . . . Purchase where Naomi Novik, Nnedi Okorafor, and N. K. Jemisin are popular.”—Library Journal (starred review) “A magical novel of duality, tradition, and change . . . Moreno-Garcia’s seamless blend of mythology and history provides a ripe setting for Casiopea’s stellar journey of self-discovery, which culminates in a dramatic denouement. Readers will gladly immerse themselves in Moreno-Garcia’s rich and complex tale of desperate hopes and complicated relationships.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Download or read book The Gospel of Loki written by Joanne M. Harris and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2015-05-05 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “A surprise from the author of Chocolat,” New York Times bestselling author Joanne M. Harris, “this pacy adult fantasy is narrated by Loki, the Norse god of fire and mischief” (Vogue). This novel is a brilliant first-person narrative of the rise and fall of the Norse gods—retold from the point of view of the world’s ultimate trickster, Loki. A #1 bestseller in the UK, The Gospel of Loki tells the story of Loki’s recruitment from the underworld of Chaos, his many exploits on behalf of his one-eyed master, Odin, through to his eventual betrayal of the gods and the fall of Asgard itself. Using her lifelong passion for the Norse myths, New York Times bestseller Joanne M. Harris has created a vibrant and powerful fantasy novel that the Sunday Sun recommends “to her long-standing audience with wit, style, and obvious enjoyment;” The Sunday Times claims it “lively and fun;” and The Metro adds that “Harris has enormous fun with her antihero...this mythical bad boy should beguile fans of Neil Gaiman.”

Download or read book The Sex Life of the Gods written by Michael E. Knerr and published by Library of Alexandria. This book was released on with total page 167 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Encyclopedia Mythologica Gods and Heroes Pop Up written by Matthew Reinhart and published by National Geographic Books. This book was released on 2010-01-04 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The creators of the New York Times best-selling Encyclopedia Prehistorica series offer a mythic look at the mysteries of the past with an entire pantheon of remarkable pop-ups. For all of recorded history, humans have sought to understand Earth’s mysteries in the realm of the divine — and aspired to conduct themselves as heroes. Only gods, of course, could push the sun across the sky,forge entire continents, and impel mountains to touch the clouds. In this stunning volume, the incomparable team of Matthew Reinhart and Robert Sabuda take us to Ra-Atum’s land in Ancient Egypt; above the Grecian clouds to Zeus’s Mount Olympus; up to Norse god Odin’s frozen north; to the Far East, where the Jade Emperor sits in the heavens; into the wilds of Oceania, where Pele’s volcanic rage simmers below the earth; and to many more lands and times, all rich with sacred myths and legends.

Download or read book What on Earth Is God Doing written by Renald Showers and published by Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry. This book was released on 2003-01-01 with total page 144 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Walk from creation to eternity in a way guaranteed to change your view of the world. You'll finally understand the war Satan is waging against God and how that conflict has affected history, including the persecution of Jewish people and Christians.