Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness in individuals older than 65 years of age. The authors of this book discuss the role of genetics, sunlight, diet, cardiovascular factors, smoking and alcohol as possible risk factors for AMD. Furthermore, the dry form is more common and accounts for about 85-90% of AMD patients in the USA, while Japanese AMD patients predominantely progress to wet-form or polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV). The function of a serine protein gene, HTRA1, in wet-form AMD patients is explored in detail. Conversely, the final chapter evaluates the therapeutic effects of high omega-3 fatty acids as anti-inflammatory agents in dry AMD patients. The preliminary findings indicate a promising therapeutic regime for dry AMD and perhaps for other retinopathies as well.

An interfaith spiritual community has joined together to share their stories of how the Divine has touched their lives in simple and profound ways. They have created a lovely, illustrated book of stories with many simple voices that express the amazing moments in their lives in their own words. Let them speak for themselves: We are everyday people. We are nurses, construction workers, teachers, students, office workers, consultants, retail sellers, life coaches, healers, businessmen, and ministers. We are working, out-of-work, job hunting, and retired. We are 13 and 75 years old and in-between. We are making a fortune; we are homeless. We are healthy; we have severe health problems. We are male and female; black and white; straight and gay. We are just like everyone everywhere. Probably, we are just like you. We have stories to tell. Some stories are sad; some stories are hilarious. All these stories are tales of those blessed moments in our lives when we knew with absolute certainty that the Divine had intervened in our lives. We use different words, from different religions, from different belief systems, to describe that indescribable moment of knowing the touch of the Divine. We understand prosperity. It may seem impossible but abundance is there for each of us for the taking. We each testify to that fact in our everyday lives in these prosperity stories. We invite you to share our experience of these most profound and delightful moments. You are invited to share the joy and fellowship of our spiritual community by holding this book in your hand and reading our words and looking at our drawings. We hope that the joy and hopefulness we experience as a community shines through to you.