Wonder English

For the truly well-rounded "intellectual," nothing fascinates so much as the subversive, the contrarian, the suppressed, and the bizarre. Richard Zacks has unloosed his admittedly strange mind and astonishing research abilities upon the entire spectrum of human knowledge, ferreting out endlessly fascinating facts, and stories guaranteed to make you laugh, gasp in wonder, and occasionally shudder at the depths of human depravity. The result of his labors is this quasi-encyclopedia that provides alternative takes on art, business, crime, science, medicine, sex (lots of that), and many other facets of human experience.

Young Princess Diana is fierce and whip-smart, and she loves her island home of Themyscira. Her deepest wish is to be able to train with the rest of the Amazons and protect her homeland—but she's told it's out of the question. This is the year Diana hopes to persuade her mother, Queen Hippolyta, to let her learn how to fight when the world's most powerful women gather on Themyscira for a festival to celebrate their different cultures.

Tony Hsieh’s first successful venture was in middle school, selling personalized buttons. At Harvard, he made a profit compiling and selling study guides. In 1998, Hsieh sold his first company to Microsoft for $265 million. About a decade later, he sold online shoe empire Zappos to Amazon for $1.2 billion. The secret to his success? Making his employees happy. Drawing on interviews with a wide range of people whose lives Hsieh touched, Angel Au-Yeung and David Jeans craft a rich portrait of a man who was plagued by the pressure to succeed but who never lost his generous spirit.

Seasons of Wonder is a plea to view and encounter the divine not in terms of certitude but as a vast, unfolding mystery. Focused on the oft-forgotten idea that mystery and marvel are essential components of faith, each week reveals something to do - an easy activity centered around the wonder of being alive - as well as something to contemplate in conversation.

Dani Capelli has never truly belonged anywhere. And from her earliest days as a foster child in Queens, she would have been lost if it weren’t for her love of animals. Until high school, when she fell hard for the wrong boy, and found herself pregnant - and married - by graduation. Two daughters later, Dani realized her mistake and filed for divorce, and with the help of scholarships and loans - and a lot of macaroni and cheese dinners - she enrolled in vet school. Things were finally looking up, until her ex-husband became her late husband, in the most notorious way possible.

“I’ve always felt that the term fairy tale doesn’t quite capture the essence of these stories,” writes Emily Urquhart. “I prefer the term wonder tale, which is Irish in origin, for its suggestion of awe coupled with narrative. In a way, this is most of our stories.” In this startlingly original essay collection, Urquhart reveals the truths that underlie our imaginings: what we see in our heads when we read, how the sight of a ghost can heal, how the entrance to the underworld can be glimpsed in an oil painting or a winter storm—or the onset of a loved one’s dementia.

Ginger Stache firmly believes that we are at our best when we live with an attitude that life is an adventure - an outlook that sets the stage by believing that every moment has the potential to bring something amazing, a sight to behold, or a lesson to be learned. By walking you through her own adventures in Chasing Wonder, you will find the inspiration to begin your own. And what's more, you'll make space for God to move in marvelous and unexpected ways.

Cathal Kelly grew up in the '70s and '80s, decades when dressing like Michael Jackson seemed like a good idea and The Beachcombers - "an adventure show about logging" - seemed to make sense. But apart from fashion missteps and baffling TV plot lines, Kelly's youth was a time of wonder, obsession, and discovery. Navigating an often fraught family life, Kelly sought refuge in books, music, movies, games, and at least one backyard hole.

Wonder Woman and Philosophy: The Amazonian Mystique explores a wide range of philosophical questions surrounding the most popular female superhero of all time, from her creation as feminist propaganda during World War II up to the first female lead in the blockbuster DC movie franchise.

For a generation whose eyes are constantly trained on screens, encountering nature at all is increasingly difficult, much less seeing what it reveals about God. How can parents help children reengage with God's world that is full of amazement, creativity, and love? Eryn Lynum is a certified master naturalist, Bible teacher, and mom of four who wants to help families encounter and understand the connection between God and creation. She shares her own story of putting her kids in front of nature, and invites other parents to consider a similar journey.

The last thing Gwen Cooper wanted was another cat. She already had two, not to mention a phenomenally underpaying job and a recently broken heart. Then Gwen’s veterinarian called with a story about a three-week-old eyeless kitten who’d been abandoned. It was love at first sight.

A life of signs, wonders, and miracles awaits! When Christians hear the word “evangelism”, they are immediately uncomfortable. The call to “share your faith” puts many on edge because, while common evangelism “formulas” feel awkward and impersonal, without them one is left fumbling and ineffective. But what if there was a better way? What if evangelism could, in fact, be a prophetic encounter with the supernatural voice of God? In Prophetic Evangelism, author, missionary, and evangelist, Sean Smith reintroduce believers to Jesus’ “model” of evangelism.

Spike is an English bull terrier with a keen comedic eye for human foibles. He rockets to TV and internet fame after appearing on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, along with his master, Bud, who hosts a local morning show in High Point, North Carolina. Spike and Bud soon hit the fast track to bigger stardom when Bud signs on for a talk show in New York City.

In the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, planes and ships have vanished without a trace. Stories say something is taking these vehicles. Is it possible the legends are true?

The Mystery of the Hanging Garden of Babylon is an exciting story of detection involving legends, expert decipherment of ancient texts, and a vivid description of a little-known civilization. Recognized in ancient times as one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the legendary Hanging Garden of Babylon and its location still remains a mystery steeped in shadow and puzzling myths. In this remarkable volume Stephanie Dalley, a world expert on ancient Babylonian language, gathers for the first time all the material on this enigmatic World Wonder.

From the best-selling author of Seven Deadly Wonders and Contest comes a thrilling racing adventure. In the world of the near future, the most popular sport is hover car racing. Superfast and dangerous, its heroes are the racers: part fighter pilot, part race-car driver, all superstar. But to get to the Pro Circuit, you must first pass through the International Race School, a brutal cauldron of wild races on even wilder courses, where only the best of the best will survive.

This easy-to-use, empowering book provides everything needed to lay your foundation for connecting with loved ones in spirit. Build your skills through practical techniques and hands-on exercises. Explore the different types of mediumship, what it is and isn't, and its roots in spiritualism. Learn how to gather information from those you connect with in spirit and how to overcome common fears and challenges.

Curiosity is such a childish word, right? Not so fast. Just because we grow up, it doesn't mean we should lose our wonder about the world or the people around us. When we do, we lose so much, because curious is how God made us to be. Without curiosity a Christian's life is incomplete. His relationship with God is incomplete. His connections to others are incomplete. He doesn't know how to interact with the world around him - politics, media, art, entertainment, science, and so much more simply fly past or overwhelm him.

Kit Morgan has always hated change—he’s as steady as they come. At least, that’s what his friends think. Feeling trapped by a routine he never wanted but everyone expects, Kit is almost glad when his life suddenly falls apart—especially when it leads to him running into his middle school girlfriend, Skyler, who happens to need a fake fiancé for a family reunion. The two pick up where they left off seventeen years prior, and Kit reverts back to the friendly and fun-loving person she knew for the semester they were together.

Religion once formed the rhythms and structures of society: marking time with calendars, carving out space for contemplation, creating connection, reinforcing legacy and morality. Now, for many, religion no longer runs the show. So where shall we find our magic? How do we celebrate milestones? Which texts can focus our attention but still offer space for inquiry, communion, and the chance to dwell for a dazzling instant in what can’t be said?