Showing results by narrator "Neil Gardner" in All Categories

The breaking of the Enigma machine is one of the most heroic stories of the Second World War and highlights the crucial work of the codebreakers of Bletchley Park, which prevented Britain's certain defeat in 1941. But there was another German cipher machine, used by Hitler himself to convey messages to his top generals in the field. A machine more complex and secure than Enigma. A machine that could never be broken.

Ritual is perhaps the oldest, and certainly the most enigmatic, thread in human culture. Seemingly pointless ceremonies pervade every known society: from handshakes to hexes, hazings to parades, birthdays to graduations. And yet, though rituals exist in every culture and can persist nearly unchanged for centuries, their logic has remained a mystery until now. Today, a fearless new generation of anthropologists is venturing into this shadowy realm.

What do Christians hope for? To leave this wicked world and go to 'heaven'? For the 'kingdom of God' to grow gradually on earth? What do we mean by the 'resurrection of the body'? And how does all this affect the way we live in the here and now? Tom Wright addresses these questions in this lively and thoroughly biblical book. He describes the persistent confusion about 'the last things' in both Church and world.

If Christ is our Lord, then we are his servants, and if he is our teacher, then we are his pupils. Following Christ is a multi-faceted responsibility. We should remember: Every true disciple is a listener. We are both rational and emotional. We can discern God's call and will. Love is the first fruit of the Spirit, a core ingredient of discipleship.

Our world has innumerable boundaries, ranging from the obvious - like an ocean - to subtle differences in language or climate. Most of us cross invisible lines all the time, but don't stop to consider them. In Invisible Lines, geographer Maxim Samson presents 30 such unseen boundaries, intriguing and unexpected examples of the myriad ways in which we collectively engage with and experience the world.

Most of us give little thought to the back of the book - it's just where you go to look things up. But here, hiding in plain sight, is an unlikely realm of ambition and obsession, sparring and politicking, pleasure and play. Here we might find 'Butchers, to be avoided', or 'Cows that sh-te Fire', or even catch 'Calvin in his chamber with a Nonne'. This is the secret world of the index: an unsung but extraordinary everyday tool, with an illustrious but little-known past. Here, for the first time, its story is told.

Ed Shaw shares his pain in dealing with same-sex attraction—and yet he is committed to what the Bible says and what the church has always taught about marriage and sex. He shows us that obedience to Jesus is ultimately the only way to experience life to the full. He also challenges missteps that the church has often made in its understanding of the Christian life and of sexuality. We have been shaped by the world around us, and urgently need to re-examine the values that drive our discipleship in the light of the Bible.

Within our heads, we carry around an infinite and endlessly unfolding map of the world. Navigation is one of the most ancient neural abilities we have - older even than language - and in Dark and Magical Places, Christopher Kemp embarks on a journey to discover the remarkable extent of what our minds can do.

How to Keep Dinosaurs is a best-selling guide, packed with the sort of information keen dinosaur keepers crave - from feeding and housing to curing common ailments, breeding and showing your animal. The author, a zoologist with extensive experience of dinosaurs, has provided a timely and much-needed source book for all those who keep dinosaurs and for the huge numbers who are contemplating getting one. It is as essential to every dinosaur keeper as a stout shovel and a tranquilliser rifle.

The relationship between humans and cats has never been simple. Cats are mysterious and contradictory, independent and affectionate, predator and prey. Their true nature continues to elude us, and their subtle and complex behavioural problems can often seem unsolvable or incomprehensible. Charming, surprising, and offering illuminating insight into a range of disorders, Béata’s book calls for greater compassion and provides a new way of understanding cat psychiatry so we can care for the mental, and physical wellness of our beloved pets.

The church at Philippi is considered to be one of the model churches of the New Testament. But if this were a report at a shareholders' meeting, we might be asking ourselves whether the chairman has really got this right? Is something being hidden? It seems too good to be true! If this were an athlete stating this, we might be asking ourselves whether there has been some performance-enhancing substance in the diet! And if this were an end-of-term report, we might be asking ourselves if the teacher had got the right child. Can a church really be that good?

What is consciousness? Is the mind a machine? What makes us persons? How can we find the path to human maturity? These are among the fundamental questions that Rowan Williams helps us to think about in this deeply engaging exploration of what it means to be human.

When Chester discovers he can mind jump, his sister Amy wastes no time in putting his new skills to work boosting the viewing figures on her video blog. And when a TV company takes them global, he does his most daring mind jump yet, into the brain of Tito the gorilla. The trouble is, when he tries to return to his own body - it's gone! Has it been stolen? But who would want it, and why? And how come Chester suddenly has the urge to search Amy's hair for fleas?

Our lives are full of challenges, drawing on our reserves of physical and mental energy as we strive for what matters to us, and those we care for. As we progress through each new day we develop new skills, undergo new experiences, and grow as individuals. But how do we harness all that experience, how do we find the energy to take life by the scruff of the neck and discover the strength and truth of what were capable of achieving?

Christianity is not a religion, but God's good news for the world. This implies that it has both a divine origin and a human relevance: it comes from God and it speaks to our condition. So, before we ask, 'What is the gospel?', we need to ask, 'What is a human being?' Radical indeed is the discipleship which takes all of this and Christ's lordship seriously. It's nothing short of a life-changing message.

The Millionaire's Map is a quick guidebook that enables the listener to understand the principles of the Law of Attraction. It describes the author's personal experience on the subject and defines a plan to follow. The audiobook is brief as it is the author's intention that the listener quickly understands the principles in their life and quickly applies them. Many works on the Law of Attraction exist but with little or no factual evidence from the author. Here you will have a recent real life example.

Powerful book about success.it contains great principles about success and purpose. You just have to everything God wanted you to be. You must prosper. You must be fruitful. You must live in abundance. Everything is a must.

Anders Bortne has a nice life in Oslo. Married to a wonderful woman, with two delightful children, his days are occupied by his creative work. Not all is well though, Anders has been sleepless for 16 years, and it is taking its toll on his life and his family. No remedy has gone untested: sleeping pills, yoga, herbs, acupuncture, hypnosis, but none has worked. What do we know about the most important hours of the day? What is the history of sleep, and how is our health affected?

Global in scope, but homing in on the role ordinary people play in conflict and division, Reconciliation enables Christians to engage confidently in a ministry bequeathed to us by Christ himself.

In A Mucky Business, Tim Farron, former Leader of the Liberal Democrats Party and friends, explore and defend why Christianity and politics should and must work together. If Christians are to love their neighbours, they need to engage with the issues that affect everyone. Why should Christians leave their beliefs at the door when they enter public life? No one else does!