New in the acclaimed Jewish Lives series: A biography of the rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, who became a symbol of the marriage between religion and social justice "Zelizer's book is absolutely riveting, both as a study of a truly important figure within Jewish thought and in providing insight into the politics of the 1960s."-Sandy Levinson, Balkinization "When I marched in Selma, I felt my legs were praying." So said Polish-born American rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel (1907-1972) of his involvement in the 1965 Selma civil rights march alongside Martin Luther King Jr. Heschel, who spoke with a fiery moralistic fervor, dedicated his career to the struggle to improve the human condition through faith. In this new biography, author Julian Zelizer tracks Heschel's early years and foundational influences-his childhood in Warsaw and early education in Hasidism, his studies in late 1920s and early 1930s Berlin, and the fortuitous opportunity, which brought him to the United States and saved him from the Holocaust, to teach at Hebrew Union College and the Jewish Theological Seminary. This deep and complex portrait places Heschel at the crucial intersection between religion and progressive politics in mid-twentieth-century America. To this day Heschel remains a symbol of the fight to make progressive Jewish values relevant in the secular world.

Everybody loves "Novice to Master" As you'll see in the glowing endorsements and reviews included below, this modern spiritual classic has been embraced by readers of all types.
In his singularly humorous and biitingly direct way, Zen abbot Soko Morinaga tells the story of his rigorous training at a Japanese Zen temple, his spiritual growth and his interactions with his students and others. Morinaga's voice is uniquely tuned to the truth of the condition of the human mind and spirit and his reflections and interpretations are unvarnished and succinct. His great gift is the ability to lift the spirit of the reader all the while exposing the humility and weakness in the lives of people, none more so than his own.
Read on to see what everyone from "Publishers Weekly" to well-known Buddhist figures and even "New York Times" bestselling author Anthony Swofford have to say about this one of a kind book

This is the latest edition of Opening the Dragon Gate--the authorized biography of contemporary Taoist master Wang Liping (1949-). Wang is an 18th generation transmitter of Dragon Gate Taoism. This book tells the true story of his apprenticeship in Taoist wizardry, as well as the specialized body of knowledge, mystical wisdom and ritualized practice accumulated and refined over eleven centuries. His story begins with a seemingly chance encounter with three Taoist elders when he was a young boy. What follows is a philosophical quest in a coming-of-age tale like no other, playing out in mountainside temples and remote reaches of China. Wang's story parallels that of the Dalai Lama, as--like Tibetan Buddhists--Dragon Gate Taoists identify, raise and train specially chosen youngsters to become the holders, guardians and transmitters of their ancient, esoteric spiritual wisdom. While few of us will become spiritual gurus like Wang, his story speaks clearly and concisely to modern readers who are on their own "chosen paths," seeking their own forms of self-cultivation, enlightenment, wisdom and a life of greater harmony and truth.

What can you do when your well-laid plans fall apart and life takes an unexpected turn?

Brenda Warner is best known as the outspoken wife of NFL superstar and "Dancing with the Stars" alum Kurt Warner. But years earlier, she found herself living through any woman's nightmare: a healthy baby tragically injured in the bathtub; a sudden end to a career she loved; betrayal and divorce; poverty; public humiliation; a deadly natural disaster that destroyed her foundation and shook her to her core. One shattering phone call at a time, Brenda Warner's life came to resemble little of her dream.

But each time her plans fell apart, Brenda faced a choice: to collapse in the face of tragedy or press forward and survive. She chose to keep going. In the process, she's learned that the unexpected is only one call away. Her story provides hope and encouragement for anyone facing life's challenges and shows us that our circumstances don't tell us who we are, nor are they a measure of God's love. God has a plan for us, even when our plans fail. Brenda's life is proof that sometimes the best dreams are not the ones we dream, but the ones that come true when we least expect them.

"Brenda Warner remains a soldier fi ghting for faith and life in the face of unexplainable devastation. The fortitude of this 'marine mom' will grab your heart. If you think Kurt Warner's journey is moving, do not wait to read the story of Brenda."

--Elizabeth Hasselbeck, co-host of "The View" and special contributor for "Good Morning America," "ABC News"

"We have all had the phone ring and our lives changed. Brenda Warner's moving and inspiring memoir reminds us all of the power of family, the miracles and misfortunes of life, and the foundation that faith plays in our all-too-human existences. Unflinching and fearless, she is the woman I want in my corner: safe, smart, and savvy. A heroine for us all."

--Jamie Lee Curtis, Author/actress/mother/sister

The Interior Castle by St. Teresa of Avila presents a remarkable description of the entire spiritual life from the first release from mortal sin into Sanctifying Grace through the Mystical Marriage of the soul with Christ as a journey through what she called The Interior Castle.

She sees the soul as a magnificent castle full of spacious and well-lit rooms or mansions each of which leads deeper into the heart of the castle to the seat of the King. However, St. Teresa laments that most people give all their attention to the outer wall of the castle the body ignoring the beauty of the soul within.

St. Teresa gives practical advice regarding the early struggles and the temptations to turn back which beset the beginner. She describes each of the seven mansions and urges us forward to love and serve the Divine Majesty, imparting her absolute conviction that progress toward God through prayer is worth vastly more than all the treasures of this earth.

Quantum Leap uses key events in the life of Polkinghorne to introduce the central ideas that make science and religion such a fascinating field of investigation. Sir John Polkinghorne is a British particle physicist who, after 25 years of research and discovery in academia, resigned his post to become an Anglican priest and theologian. He was a professor of mathematical physics at Cambridge University, and was elected to the Royal Society in 1974. As a physicist he participated in the research that led to the discovery of the quark, the smallest known particle. This cheerful biography-cum-appraisal of his life and work uses Polkinghorne's story to approach some of the most important questions: a scientist's view of God; why we pray, and what we expect; does the universe have a point?; moral and scientific laws; what happens next?

The life journey of a woman who-as a medical doctor, missionary nun, pioneer of gender equality, Anglican priest, and now a contemplative Catholic-influenced the lives of thousands. Una Kroll is one of the most outspoken campaigners for the ordination of women. She achieved a certain notoriety in 1978 at the Church of England's General Synod when its members turned down a proposal to prepare legislation to ordain women to the priesthood. Quoting from Matthew 7:9, she shouted from the gallery "We asked you for bread and you gave us a stone." 2014 marks the 20th anniversary of the ordination of women on the Church of England and 2015 will almost certainly see the consecration of women as bishops. This celebration will both rekindle interest in the history of the movement for women's ordination and also serve to further ignite debate for the same in the Roman Catholic Church. Una Kroll told BBC radio about the campaign for the full inclusion of women into the Anglican church and her role in it. Listen again at http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04p5f3c

Reagan's greatest virtue wasn't allegiance to country, but allegiance to God.

With warmth and insight, this best-selling book by Mary Beth Brown delves into the spiritual journey of America's 40th president and offers profound stories of the provisions God made in Ronald Reagan's life- from first making it as an actor to winning the presidency, from surviving an assassination attempt to eventually changing the face of politics and the world.

Supported by Ronald Reagan's own words and writings plus firsthand interviews with his family, friends, and co-workers, Brown weaves a magnificent story that inspires as it informs. Reagan's strong devotion to God will encourage believers to enter public service, allowing their faith to motivate their actions, and will draw focus to Christ's matchless sacrifice-forever near and dear to President Reagan's heart.

Charlotte Mason (1842-1923), orphaned and poor at the age of sixteen, nonetheless developed into an inspiring and original educational reformer of the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth century, a period of great intellectual vitality and cultural change. Enabled through the help of friends and colleagues she founded the Parents' National Educational Union (PNEU) in 1887 and established the 'The House of Education', the Teacher Training College for women in Ambleside in 1892. The clarity and coherence of her applied philosophy of education established the foundation for a simple, stimulating and deeply satisfying enjoyment of learning for children of all ages in countless homes and schools in Britain and the world. In her biography, Essex Cholmondeley draws on her own experiences of Mason's teaching, as well as her extensive literary output, to unfold her life and work. Whilst she and Elsie Kitching lacked full details of Mason's family history, a warm and lively personality emerges, able to inspire other people with her own splendid vision.

All the furniture in the house got wrecked except this one old wooden china cabinet in my grandmother's kitchen, which somehow remained standing despite all odds. One night, in the midst of a prayer, I glanced over at it and thought, If this cabinet could talk... What madness it had seen. The Lord spoke to me then. "You're both here, and you both survived, and just like this cabinet, you remain unbroken."

Tracy Elliott led a rough life. This honest memoir takes you into the heart of the gritty realities of the street and a life of addiction. But it is the story of a broken person's history and how God taught her that, in his loving eyes, she is whole.

As a young, orphaned girl growing up in her grandmother's house with five alcoholic uncles, Tracy witnessed constant violence and experienced abuse. Later in life, as a stripper in her mid-twenties, she lived hard and suffered the consequences. Now, she tells how her life was put back together by the grace of God.

Tracy says, "No matter where you came from and what you've done, God wants you. No one is unforgivable, and no one is beneath His grace. god loved me when I was seven years old in old brown clogs, He loved me when I was working in strip clubs, and He loves me still."

"Unbroken" is a moving story of a young woman who has discovered the power of God's loving forgiveness and grace―and who wants to share it with a hurting world.

No modern, well-versed literature lover can call their education complete without having read Augustine's Confessions. One of the most original works of world literature, it is the first autobiography ever written, influencing writers from Montaigne to Rousseau, Virginia Woolf to Stephen Greenblatt. It is here that we learn how one of the greatest saints in Christendom overcame a wild and reckless past. Yet English translators have emphasised the ecclesiastical virtues of this masterpiece, at the expense of its passion and literary vigour. Restoring the lyricism of Augustine's original language, Peter Constantine offers a masterful and elegant translation of Confessions.

The Renaissance popes were among the most enlightened and generous patrons of arts and letters in the Europe of their day. The diaries of Pius II give us an intimate glimpse of the life and thought of one of the greatest of the Renaissance popes. Pius II (1405-1464) began life as Aeneas Silvius Piccolomini in a small town near Siena and became a famous Latin poet and diplomat. Originally an opponent of the papacy as well as something of a libertine, Aeneas eventually reconciled himself with the Roman church and became a priest, then a cardinal. Finally he was elected Pope Pius II (1458) and dedicated his pontificate to organizing a pan-European crusade against the Ottoman Empire. Pius's Commentaries, the only autobiography ever written by a pope, was composed in elegant humanistic Latin modeled on Caesar and Cicero. This edition contains a fresh Latin text based on the last manuscript written in Pius's lifetime and an updated and corrected version of the 1937 translation by Florence Alden Gragg.

Ralph de la Vega, President and CEO of AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets, shares the lessons learned in business and in life along the journey from Cuba to Corporate America.

Ralph de la Vega arrived in the United States from Cuba in 1962. He was alone. He was scared. He was 10. Separated from his parents by Cuban authorities just moments before they were to board a plane to Miami, de la Vega was baptized early--and abruptly--in the waters of adversity. It would be four long years before his mother, father, and sister gained legal passage to America. But while the boy would never have chosen such circumstance, it's the man who can look back and say he would not have changed it.

In "Obstacles Welcome," de la Vega recounts his journey as a young Cuban immigrant to president and CEO of AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets, a subsidiary of AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T). A frontliner in the converging worlds of technology and communications, de la Vega takes readers behind the scenes of the Internet revolution, shares insights from the nation's top technology companies, and chronicles the incredible obstacles intrinsic to successfully merging the largest wireless operations in U.S. history--those of Cingular Wireless and AT&T Wireless.

"Obstacles Welcome" is an innovation manifesto for those committed to bigger thinking and greater results both professionally and personally. He clearly defines how to:

* Create a detailed action plan to boost success

* Identify and take calculated risks without fear

* Create a values-centric, decisive leadership style

* Transform vision into measurable results

* Recognize opportunities and overcome obstacles

* Communicate well and build alignment

* Unlearn thinking that hinders innovation

* Dream big and throw off mental limits once and for all

Opening a powerful cache of business strategy and in-the-trenches wisdom, de la Vega illustrates that within each obstacle we encounter, there's an opportunity that carries the potential to transform our thinking, our organizations, our communities, and our world.

PRAISE FOR OBSTACLES WELCOME

." . . T]hrough his compelling story, Ralph shows how to turn almost any challenge into the opportunity of a lifetime. This is great insight for any professional or any young person aspiring to learn how to overcome obstacles and accept new challenges." -- Randall Stephenson, Chairman & CEO, AT&T, Inc.

"I recommend this book to those looking to improve their opportunities, as well as those providing leadership in this diverse society." -- Ambassador Andrew Young, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, former Mayor of Atlanta, former president of the National Council of Churches

"His journey is an inspirational story of leadership vision and the ability to achieve success in the face of enormous challenges and obstacles." -- Gerry Czarnecki, President, CEO & Managing Partner, O2Media

"This book is a must-read for anyone not afraid to make your dreams come true, regardless of where you are in your professional or personal life." -- Ernest Bromley, Chairman and CEO, Bromley Communications, LLC

"Without a doubt, this is one of the most inspiring books and one of the best business publications that I've read in my 40-plus years in the communications business." -- John Graham, Chairman, Fleishman-Hillard Inc.

"Ralph de la Vega tells an All-American story for our times." -- Henry Cisneros, Executive Chairman, CityView; former U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development; former Mayor of San Antonio

From the author of the acclaimed biography Martin Luther: Renegade and Prophet, new perspectives on how Luther and others crafted his larger-than-life image Martin Luther was a controversial figure during his lifetime, eliciting strong emotions in friends and enemies alike, and his outsized persona has left an indelible mark on the world today. Living I Was Your Plague explores how Luther carefully crafted his own image and how he has been portrayed in his own times and ours, painting a unique portrait of the man who set in motion a revolution that sundered Western Christendom. Renowned Luther biographer Lyndal Roper examines how the painter Lucas Cranach produced images that made the reformer an instantly recognizable character whose biography became part of Lutheran devotional culture. She reveals what Luther's dreams have to say about his relationships and discusses how his masculinity was on the line in his devastatingly crude and often funny polemical attacks. Roper shows how Luther's hostility to the papacy was unshaken to the day he died, how his deep-rooted anti-Semitism infused his theology, and how his memorialization has given rise to a remarkable flood of kitsch, from "Here I Stand" socks to Playmobil Luther. Lavishly illustrated, Living I Was Your Plague is a splendid work of cultural history that sheds new light on the complex and enduring legacy of Luther and his image.

Sometimes if we try we can disconnect from tough problems around us, but eventually the network of fractures spreads to our front doors when a husband walks out, a loved-one is arrested, a friend betrays us, a church splits, a job is terminated, a diagnosis is bad, or a financial picture worsens. Suddenly with no place to hide from the reality we realize life is all cracked up. Through the lens of our pain everything seems broken, bruised, and battered. But, as best-selling author Patsy Clairmont points out, there's a redeemer of our pain--Jesus. The Redeemer of the broken and discarded who mends our hearts, and even gives us a reason to laugh again.

Telling inspirational stories of women's brokenness and healing, with tenderness and her trademark humor, Patsy Clairmont helps us realize that we're not alone in our struggles. Jesus buoys our spirits and refreshes our tired minds. As Patsy says, "life is so much easier to bear when its shared.'

From a brutal and impoverished background in Reading, England, Tom Hamblin became a believer as a teenager before serving as a missionary in the Far East. He and his wife Edna spent more than a decade leading expeditions into the heart of Borneo. Gradually they become convinced that the Lord was calling them to minister in the Arabic peninsula: in particular, to carry in thousands of Bibles in Arabic, Farsi and Urdu. They conveyed shipment after shipment into this region, never losing a copy and surmounting all restrictions. Customs guards turned a blind eye. Tom distributed Bibles very simply: walking around with a bag and waiting for people to ask him what he was doing. The Islamic world is widely regarded as closed to the gospel, but this is untrue. Tom discovered an extensive network of believers - very few churches, but many clandestine meetings for worship - and a huge hunger for the Truth. Under Their Very Eyes is the remarkable biography of a Bible smuggler to the Arab world that will stir the reader's spirit.

Many distinguished commendations.