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January 2013The Madmen of Bethlehem
by Osama Alaysa
Adopting the story-within-a-story structure of Arabian Nights, author Osama Alaysa weaves together a collection of stories portraying centuries of oppression endured by the Palestinian people. This remarkable novel eloquently brings together fictional characters alongside real-life historical figures in a complex portrayal of Bethlehem and the Dheisheh Refugee Camp in the West Bank. The common thread connecting each tale is madness, in all its manifestations. Psychological madness, in the sense of clinical mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, finds expression alongside acts of social and political madness. Together, these accounts of individuals and communities provide a gateway into the histories of the city of Bethlehem and Palestine. They paint a picture of the centuries of political oppression that the Palestinian people have endured, from the days of the Ottoman Empire to the years following the Oslo Accords, and all the way to 2012 (when the novel was written). The novel is divided into three sections, each containing multiple narratives. The first section, “The Book of a Genesis,” describes the physical spaces and origins of Bethlehem and Dheisheh Refugee Camp. These stories span the 19th and 20th centuries, transitioning smoothly from one tale to another to offer an intricate interpretation of the identity of these places. The second section, “The Book of the People Without a Book”, follows parallel narratives of the lives of the patients in a psychiatric hospital in Bethlehem, the mad men and women roaming the streets of the city, and those imprisoned by the Israeli authorities. All suffer abuse, but they also reaffirm their humanity through the relationships, romantic and otherwise, that they form. The third and final section, “An Ephemeral Book,” follows individuals—Palestinian and non-Palestinian—who are afflicted by madness following the Oslo Accords in 1993. These stories give voice to the perspectives of the long-marginalized Palestinian population, narrating the loss of land and the accompanying loss of sanity in the decades of despair and violence that followed the Nakba, the 1948 eviction of some 700,000 Palestinians from their homes. The novel’s mad characters—politicians, presidents, doctors, intellectuals, ordinary people and, yes, Dheisheh and Bethlehem themselves—burst out of their narrative threads, flowing from one story into the next. Alaysa’s crisp, lucid prose and deft storytelling chart a clear path through the chaos with dark humor and wit. The result is an important contribution to fiction on the Palestinian crisis that approaches the Palestinians, madness, and Palestinian spaces with compassion and depth.
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Marianne aus dem Schnee
by Hadassa Ashdot
Marianne aus dem Schnee von Hadassa Ashdot Die Geschichte handelt von drei befreundeten israelischen Soldaten: dem Sanitäter und desillusionierten Kibbuzbewohner Nadav, seinem Freund David, der zum Militär eingezogen wurde und zu den sozial Benachteiligten gehört und schließlich von Osama, dem Kommandanten der Einheit. Die drei müssen in einen Zypressenhain im Libanon flüchten, denn Osama ist schwer verwundet. Tagelang warten sie verzweifelt auf einen Rettungshubschrauber. Als schließlich die Rettung kommt, sind zwei der Männer bereits gestorben, nur Nadav überlebt. Erschüttert von diesem Erlebnis trennt er sich von seiner Freundin Marianne und macht sich auf den Weg in den Himalaja, um sich vom Gefühl der Schuld am Tod seiner Freunde und der eigenen Angst vor dem Tod zu befreien. Als er unter einer Schneelawine begraben wird, kann er gerade noch gerettet werden. Nun überkommen ihn noch tiefere Depressionen angesichts der neuerlichen Erfahrung des unausweichlichen Todes und den nach wie vor quälenden Erinnerungen. Doch seine frühere Geliebte Marianne ist ihm gefolgt. Sie können wieder zueinander finden und die Liebe erweist sich als das Licht am Ende des Tunnels, durch das Nadav schließlich seinen Weg zurück ins Leben findet. Sie ist die Kraft, die ihn schließlich von den Traumata heilen kann, die der Krieg ihm zugefügt hat. (über die Autorin siehe Geliehene Identität) Rechte in deutscher und anderen Sprachen noch erhältlich
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October 2014Wir erschossen auch Hunde
Stories
by Phil Klay, Hannes Meyer
2001 ziehen die USA in den Krieg. Gegen Bin Laden, gegen Hussein, und vor allem gegen den eigenen Bedeutungsverlust. Heute ist Saddam tot, Osama auch, doch die einzige Supermacht ist schwächer als je zuvor. In Wir erschossen auch Hunde erzählt Phil Klay von den jungen Männern, die in diesem Krieg den höchsten Preis zahlen mussten. Es sind knallharte Erzählungen von Häuserkämpfen in Falludscha, aussichtslosen Hilfsmissionen im Irak und dem Heimkehren in ein fremdgewordenes Land. Ein Land, das bei all dem Hintergrundrauschen aus Konsum und Entertainment kein Interesse am Leiden seiner Soldaten hat. Denn ihre traumatischen Erfahrungen beweisen nur die grenzenlose Ohnmacht und lassen etwas erahnen, was noch vor wenigen Jahren unvorstellbar schien: »America is broken, man.« Phil Klay kämpfte als US-Marine im Irak, davon handelt dieses Buch. In Wir erschossen auch Hunde gibt er eine authentische Vorstellung vom Krieg und dem, was er an Angst, Sehnsucht und allerletzter Euphorie mit sich bringt. Damit fragt er zur gleichen Zeit kompromisslos und bildgewaltig nach den Überlebenschancen einer dekadenten Supermacht.
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MARIANNE OF THE SNOW
A Psychological Novel on Shellshock Victims
by Hadassa Ashdot
Army psychologist Hadassa Ashdot has written a moving novel about the healing power of love and desire, about blind hatred and killing that destroy all good, about the longing for limitless freedom as opposed to cultural and social restrictions and taboos, and about deep loss giving way to light and hope. The story revolves around three Israeli fighters: Nadav, a medic and disillusioned Kibbutz member, and his friends David, enlisted man and one of Israel's “socially disadvantaged”, and Osama, the unit commander who comes from a small Druze village and is a member of this unique minority that serves in the Israeli army. The three are hiding in a cypress forest in Lebanon, where Osama is critically wounded, waiting for an army helicopter to come and rescue them. During their four days of desperate anticipation, the forest where they have taken refuge becomes a fateful and symbolic death trap in which their lives and fates are intertwined. By the time the helicopter arrives, two of the men lay dead, and Nadav, the protagonist, experiences first-hand the trauma of losing friends to war. Shaken by his friends' deaths and the horrific war experience that has turned his world upside down, Nadav leaves Marianne, the girl he loves, and sets out on a trek of self-purification in the Himalayas. But no salvation awaits him there. After being buried in a snow avalanche, from which he was rescued bruised and broken, he sinks into darkness and depression, enduring years of living death in an abyss of despair. Love, ultimately, proves to be the light at the end of the tunnel through which Nadav makes his way back to life - love, the only force capable of healing the deep wound that the war bestowed upon him. Marianne, a Finnish volunteer at the kibbutz, is the woman Nadav loved and left; but she nevertheless accompanies him through the Himalayan snows to which he escapes in an attempt to free himself of the pain and guilt of his friends' deaths. Nadav rediscovers Marianne in the calm affection of middle age, in the snows of Finland, and she is the balm that finally helps soothe the wounds of war. About the author, Hadassa Ashdot, see Borrowed Identity.
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May 2002Vom Gewaltmonopol zum Gewaltmarkt?
Die Privatisierung und Kommerzialisierung der Gewalt
by Erhard Eppler, Erhard Eppler
Daß seit dem 11. September 2001 nichts mehr so wäre wie zuvor, läßt sich mit Fug bezweifeln. Aber wir ahnen, daß die ersten Jahrzehnte des 21. Jahrhunderts von der Antwort geprägt sein könnten, die wir auf die neue Dimension des Terrors finden. Das rechtsstaatlich kontrollierte Gewaltmonopol des Staates kann als unschätzbare zivilisatorische Errungenschaft gelten, die sich, etwa durch soziale Gerechtigkeit, stützen und ergänzen, aber durch nichts überbieten läßt. Genau dieses Gewaltmonopol wird inzwischen ausgehöhlt, in einigen Teilen der Erde auch beseitigt durch die Privatisierung der Gewalt. Die Gewalt verlagert sich vom Staat zum Warlord, dem Kriegsherrn, der Unternehmer, illegaler Händler, Kommandeur und Lokaldiktator in einem ist. Der Terrorist Osama Bin Laden ist nicht das apokalyptische Tier aus dem Abgrund, sondern einer dieser Kriegsherren, allerdings einer, der weltweit zuschlagen kann, der Chef eines multinationalen Gewaltunternehmens. Was könnte es, so fragt dieses Buch, bedeuten, wenn wir, statt den »Krieg gegen den Terrorismus« zu proklamieren und dann Kriegsgegner auszusortieren, den Terror als die - für uns - gefährlichste Form privatisierter und kommerzialisierter Gewalt begreifen und bekämpfen? Erhard Eppler, Dr. phil., geb. 1926. Einige Stationen seines Politikerlebens: Mitglied des Bundestages 1961-1976, Bundesminister für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit 1968-1974. Im Suhrkamp Verlag erschienen u.a. Kavalleriepferde beim Hornsignal. Die Krise der Politik im Spiegel der Sprache (es 1788), Privatisierung der politischen Moral? (es 2185), und im Insel Verlag erschien 1996 Komplettes Stückwerk. Erfahrungen aus fünfzig Jahren Politik.
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Marianne de la Neige
by Hadassa Ashdot
Marianne de la Neige Roman psychologique sur les victimes du traumatisme du combat par Hadassa Ashdot Psychologue de l'armée, Hadassa Ashdot, nous livre un roman émouvant sur le pouvoir guérisseur de l'amour et du désir, de la haine aveugle et tueuse qui détruit ce qui est bon, sur la forte envie de liberté sans limite, opposée aux restrictions culturelles et sociales et aux tabous, et sur la perte profonde cédant la place à la lumière et l'espoir. L'histoire tourne autour de trois combattants israéliens – Nadav, un médecin et membre désillusionné du kibboutz, et ses amis David, un soldat de carrière qui fait partie des « socialement désavantagé » d'Israël, et Osama, un commandant d'unité, venant d'un petit village druze et membre de cette unique minorité servant dans l'armée israélienne. Les trois se cachent dans une forêt de cyprès au Liban, Osama, grièvement blessé, en attente d'un hélicoptère de l'armée venant les chercher pour les sauver. Durant ces quatre jours d'attente désespérée, la forêt dans laquelle ils avaient trouvé refuge devient un piège mortel fatidique et symbolique dans lequel leurs vies et leurs sorts sont entremêlés. Le temps que l'hélicoptère arrive, deux des hommes meurent et Nadav, le protagoniste, vit le traumatisme de la perte de ses amis durant la guerre. Secoué par la mort de ses amis et l'expérience horrible de la guerre, Nadav quitte Marianne, la fille qu'il aime et part vers un voyage de purification personnelle dans l'Himalaya. Mais aucun salut ne l'attend là-bas. Après avoir été enseveli sous une avalanche, de laquelle il a été secouru, meurtri et cassé, il sombre dans les ténèbres et la dépression, supportant des années de mort vivante et tombant dans le gouffre du désespoir. L'amour, finalement, s'avère être la lumière au bout du tunnel à travers laquelle Nadav fait son chemin de retour à la vie – l'amour, la seule force capable de guérir la blessure profonde causée par la guerre. Marianne, volontaire finlandaise dans le kibboutz, est la femme que Nadav a aimée et quittée; mais néanmoins, elle l'accompagne à travers les neiges de l'Himalaya dans lesquelles il cherche un refuge, dans une tentative de se libérer de la peine et de la culpabilité de la mort de ses amis. Nadav redécouvre Marianne dans l'affection calme d'une personne ayant atteint l'âge adulte, dans les neiges de Finlande, elle est le baume qui l'aide finalement à apaiser les blessures de guerre. Sur l'auteur Hadassa Ashdot, voir Identité Empruntée ci-dessus
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Children's & YAJanuary 2015Hatless
by Lateefa Buti / Illustrated by Doha Al Khteeb
Kuwaiti children’s book author Lateefa Buti’s well-crafted and beautifully illustrated children’s book, Hatless, encourages children (ages 6-9) to think independently and challenge rigid traditions and fixed rituals with innovation and creativity. The main character is a young girl named Hatless who lives in the City of Hats. Here, all of the people are born with hats that cover their heads and faces. The world inside of their hats is dark, silent, and odorless. Hatless feels trapped underneath her own hat. She wants to take off her hat, but she is afraid, until she realizes that whatever frightening things exist in the world around her are there whether or not she takes off her hat to see them. So Hatless removes her hat. As Hatless takes in the beauty of her surroundings, she cannot help but talk about what she sees, hears, and smells. The other inhabitants of the city ostracize her because she has become different from them. It is not long before they ask her to leave the City of Hats. Rather than giving up or getting angry, Hatless feels sad for her friends and neighbors who are afraid to experience the world outside of their hats. She comes up with an ingenious solution: if given another chance, she will wear a hat as long it is one she makes herself. The people of the City of Hats agree, so Hatless weaves a hat that covers her head and face but does not prevent her from seeing the outside world. She offers to loan the hat to the other inhabitants of the city. One by one, they try it on and are enchanted by the beautiful world around them. Since then, no child has been born wearing a hat. The people celebrate by tossing their old hats in the air. By bravely embracing these values, Hatless improves her own life and the lives of her fellow citizens. Buti’s language is eloquent and clear. She strikes a skilled narrative balance between revealing Hatless’s inner thoughts and letting the story unfold through her interactions with other characters. Careful descriptions are accompanied by beautiful illustrations that reward multiple readings of the book.
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In the Footsteps of Enayat Al-Zayyat
by Iman Mersal
‘In the Footsteps of Enayat Al-Zayyat’ is a book that traces the life of an unknown Egyptian writer who died in 1963, four years before the release of her only novel. The book does not follow a traditional style to present the biography of Al-Zayyat, or to restore consideration for a writer who was denied her rights. Mersal refuses to present a single story as if it is the truth and refuses to speak on behalf of the heroine or deal with her as a victim, but rather takes us on a journey to search for the individuality that is often marginalised in Arab societies. The book searches for a young woman whose family burned all her personal documents, including the draft of her second novel, and was completely absent in the collective archives. The narration derives its uniqueness from its ability to combine different literary genres such as fictional narration, academic research, investigation, readings, interviews, fiction, and fragments of the autobiography of the author of the novel. The book deals with the differences between the individuality of Enayat, who was born into an aristocratic family, graduated from a German school and wrote her narration during the domination of the speeches of the Nasserism period, and that of Mersal, a middle-class woman who formed her consciousness in the 1990s and achieved some of what Enayat dreamed of achieving but remained haunted by her tragedy. The book deals with important political, social and cultural issues, as we read the history of psychiatry in modern Egypt through the pills that Enayat swallowed to end her life on 3 January 1963, while her divorce summarises the continuing suffering of women with the Personal Status Law. We also see how the disappearance of a small square from her neighbourhood reveals the relationship between modernity and bureaucracy, and how the geography of Cairo changes, obliterated as the result of changes in political regimes. In the library of the German Archaeological Institute, where Enayat worked, we find an unwritten history of World War II and, in her unpublished second novel, we see unknown stories of German scientists fleeing Nazism to Cairo. We also see how Enayat’s neglected tomb reveals the life story of her great-grandfather, Ahmed Rashid Pasha, and the disasters buried in the genealogy tree.
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Children's & YAJanuary 2011The Boy Who Saw the Color of Air
by Abdo Wazen
In his first YA novel, cultural journalist and author Abdo Wazen writes about a blind teenager in Lebanon who finds strength and friendship among an unlikely group. Growing up in a small Lebanese village, Bassim’s blindness limits his engagement with the materials taught in his schools. Despite his family’s love and support, his opportunities seem limited. So at thirteen years old, Bassim leaves his village to join the Institute for the Blind in a Beirut suburb. There, he comes alive. He learns Braille and discovers talents he didn’t know he had. Bassim is empowered by his newfound abilities to read and write. Thanks to his newly developed self-confidence, Bassim decides to take a risk and submit a short story to a competition sponsored by the Ministry of Education. After winning the competition, he is hired to work at the Institute for the Blind. At the Institute, Bassim, a Sunni Muslim, forms a strong friendship with George, a Christian. Cooperation and collective support are central to the success of each student at the Institute, a principle that overcomes religious differences. In the book, the Institute comes to symbolize the positive changes that tolerance can bring to the country and society at large. The Boy Who Saw the Color of Air is also a book about Lebanon and its treatment of people with disabilities. It offers insight into the vital role of strong family support in individual success, the internal functioning of institutions like the Institute, as well as the unique religious and cultural environment of Beirut. Wazen’s lucid language and the linear structure he employs result in a coherent and easy-to-read narrative. The Boy Who Saw the Color of Air is an important contribution to a literature in which people with disabilities are underrepresented. In addition to offering a story of empowerment and friendship, this book also aims to educate readers about people with disabilities and shed light on the indispensable roles played by institutions like the Institute.
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Picture booksThe Lilac Girl
by Ibtisam Barakat (author), Sinan Hallak (illustrator)
Inspired by the life story of Palestinian artist, Tamam Al-Akhal, The Lilac Girl is the sixth book for younger readers by award-winning author, Ibtisam Barakat. The Lilac Girl is a beautifully illustrated short story relating the departure of Palestinian artist and educator, Tamam Al-Akhal, from her homeland, Jaffa. It portrays Tamam as a young girl who dreams about returning to her home, which she has been away from for 70 years, since the Palestinian exodus. Tamam discovers that she is talented in drawing, so she uses her imagination to draw her house in her mind. She decides one night to visit it, only to find another girl there, who won’t allow her inside and shuts the door in her face. Engulfed in sadness, Tamam sits outside and starts drawing her house on a piece of paper. As she does so, she notices that the colors of her house have escaped and followed her; the girl attempts to return the colors but in vain. Soon the house becomes pale and dull, like the nondescript hues of bare trees in the winter. Upon Tamam’s departure, she leaves the entire place drenched in the color of lilac. As a children’s story, The Lilac Girl works on multiple levels, educating with its heart-rending narrative but without preaching, accurately expressing the way Palestinians must have felt by not being allowed to return to their homeland. As the story’s central character, Tamam succeeds on certain levels in defeating the occupying forces and intruders through her yearning, which is made manifest through the power of imaginary artistic expression. In her mind she draws and paints a picture of hope, with colors escaping the physical realm of her former family abode, showing that they belong, not to the invaders, but the rightful occupiers of that dwelling. Far from being the only person to have lost their home and endured tremendous suffering, Tamam’s plight is representative of millions of people both then and now, emphasizing the notion that memories of our homeland live with us for eternity, no matter how far we are from them in a physical sense. The yearning to return home never subsides, never lessens with the passing of time but, with artistic expression, it is possible to find freedom and create beauty out of pain.
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Children's & YAThe Dinoraf
by Hessa Al Muhairi
An egg has hatched, and what comes out of it? A chicken? No. A turtle? No. It’s a dinosaur. But where is his family? The little dinosaur searches the animal kingdom for someone who looks like him and settles on the giraffe. In this picture book by educator and author Hessa Al Muhairi, with illustrations by Sura Ghazwan, a dinosaur sets out in search of animals like him. He finds plenty of animals, but none that look the same...until he meets the giraffe. This story explores identity and belonging and teaches children about accepting differences in carefully crafted language.
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Fiction2022The End of the Desert
by Said Khatibi
On a nice fall day of 1988, Zakiya Zaghwani was found lying dead at the edge of the desert, giving way to a quest to discover the circumstances surrounding her death. While looking for whoever was involved in the death of the young singer, nearby residents discover bit by bit their involvement in many things other than the crime itself. ///The story takes place in a town near the desert. And as with Khatibi’s previous novels, this one is also marked by a tight plot, revolving around the murder of a singer who works in a hotel. This sets off a series of complex investigations that defy easy conclusions and invite doubt about the involvement of more than one character. /// Through the narrators of the novel, who also happen to be its protagonists, the author delves into the history of colonialism and the Algerian War of Independence and its successors, describing the circumstances of the story whose events unfold throughout the month. As such, the characters suspected of killing the singer are not only accused of a criminal offense, but are also concerned, as it appears, with the great legacy that the War of Independence left, from different aspects.///The novel looks back at a critical period in the modern history of Algeria that witnessed the largest socio-political crisis following its independence in 1988. While the story avoids the immediate circumstances of the war, it rather invokes the events leading up to it and tracks its impact on the social life, while capturing the daily life of vulnerable and marginalized groups. /// Nonetheless, those residents’ vulnerability does not necessarily mean they are innocent. As it appears, they are all involved in a crime that is laden with symbolism and hints at the status of women in a society shackled by a heavy legacy of a violent, wounded masculinity. This approach to addressing social issues reflects a longing to break loose from the stereotypical discourse that sets heroism in a pre-defined mold and reduces the truth to only one of its dimensions.
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AUS NICHTS
by Ron Adam
AUS NICHTS – Ein futuristisch-apokalyptischer Thriller von Ron Adam Wie in einer griechischen Tragödie bewegen sich die Vereinigten Staaten auf eine nicht zu vermeidende Kollision zu: Die explosive Kombination von fanatischem Islamismus, Atomwaffen und den reichsten Energiereserven der Welt. Am 11. September 2001 demonstrierte Osama Bin Laden, wie US Dollars und amerikanische Technologie sich in einen Bumerang gegen die USA verwandeln und das Herz des mächtigsten Landes der Welt treffen können. Angesicht dessen ist es nicht schwer, sich vorzustellen, wie es wäre, wenn ein solcher Fanatismus sich nuklearer Waffen bemächtigen würde. Die Kriege der USA und ihrer Verbündeten in Afghanistan und im Irak kreisen geographisch den Iran ein und deuten damit auf dieses Land als eine weitere und wegen seines nuklearen Potentials vielleicht die stärkste Bedrohung für die westliche Welt hin. Aus Nichts handelt davon, wie die Welt, die durch einen regionalen Krieg am Persischen Golf und einen Umsturz in Russland, dem alten neuen Verbündeten des Iran, in einen nuklearen Holocaust geraten ist, überleben kann. Die Menschheit scheint vollständig ausgelöscht, doch die Besatzung eines amerikanischen U-Bootes überlebt unter Wasser. Die ausschließlich männlichen Besatzungsmitglieder merken, dass das weitere Überleben der menschlichen Gattung nun allein von ihnen abhängt. Nach neun Monaten unter Wasser ankern sie schließlich vor einer abgelegenen Insel im Pazifik und stellen fest, dass die Umweltbedingungen hier wieder menschliches Leben zulassen. Das Boot ist mit der neuesten Technologie ausgerüstet. Um das Überleben der Menschheit zu sichern, wurden sogar zwei Dutzend befruchtete tiefgefrorene Eizellen eingelagert, die dazu bestimmt sind, zu weiblichen menschlichen Nachkommen zu werden. Leider leben nun aber auf der Insel zunächst nur die mehr als einhundert Männer des U-Bootes, die ungeduldig darauf warten müssen, dass die kleinen Mädchen endlich zu Frauen heranreifen. Der Kampf über die Kontrolle der kostbaren „Ressourcen“ ist unvermeidlich. Die Männer müssen erkennen, dass die menschliche Natur auch hier nicht zu ändern ist. Der Autor Ron Adam hat als Kampfpilot und Flugausbilder in der israelischen Luftwaffe sowie als Marineoffizier in einen U-Boot eine beeindruckende militärische Karriere hinter sich. Heute ist er als Berater in der Luftfahrtindustrie tätig und verfasste bereits mehrere Bücher und Drehbücher. Ron Adam ist glücklich verheiratet und Vater dreier Kinder. Rechte für die deutsche Ausgabe sind noch erhältlich!
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Marianne de la nieve
by Hadassa Ashdot
Marianne de la nieve – Una novela psicológica por Hadassa Ashdot Hadassa Ashdot, una psicóloga del ejército escribió esta novela conmovedora acerca del poder curativo del amor y el deseo, sobre el odio ciego y la muerte que destruyen todo lo bueno, el anhelo ilimitado por la libertad como oposición a las restricciones culturales y sociales y tabúes, y acerca de una gran pérdida que cede para dar paso a la luz y la esperanza. La historia trata sobre tres combatientes israelíes - Nadav, un médico y desilusionado miembro de un kibutz; y sus amigos: David, un recluta y uno de los israelíes “socialmente rechazados”, y Osoma, el comandante de la unidad, quien viene de una pequeña aldea drusa y es un miembro de la única minoría que sirve en el ejército de Israel. Los tres estás escondidos en un bosque de cipreses en el Líbano, y Osama, se encuentra críticamente herido. Esperan por un helicóptero del ejército que venga y los rescate. Durante cuatro desesperados días mientras esperan al rescate, el bosque donde se han refugiado se convierte en una decisiva y simbólica trampa mortal en la cual sus vidas y destinos se entrelazan. Cuando el helicóptero llega, dos hombres yacen muertos, y Nadav, el protagonista, experimenta en vivo el trauma de perder amigos en la guerra. Choqueado por la muerte de sus amigos y la horrible experiencia de la guerra que ha girado su mundo al revés, Nadav deja a Marianne, la chica que ama, y se embarca en un viaje de auto purificación a los Himalayas. Pero ninguna salvación le aguarda en ese lugar. Después de que una avalancha de nieve lo deja enterrado, es rescatado magullado y maltrecho. Poco después se hunde en una oscura y profunda depresión, aguantando años de muerte viva en un abismo de desesperación. Al final, el amor, prueba ser la luz del final del túnel a través del cual Nadav hace su regreso a la vida. El amor, es la única fuerza capaz de curar una herida tan profunda que la guerra le dejó. Marianne, una voluntaria Finlandesa en el kibbutz, es la mujer que Nadav amó y abandonó, pero ella, no obstante, siempre lo acompañó durante las nieves de los Himalayas de las cuales escapa, en un intento de liberarse del dolor y la culpa por la muerte de sus amigos. Nadav redescubre a Marianne en el calmado cariño de la mediana edad, en las nieves de Finlandia, y ella es el bálsamo que finalmente le ayudan a apaciguar sus heridas de guerra. Acerca del autor, Hadassa Ashdot, ver arriba en Identidad perdida.
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FROM SCRATCH
A Futuristic Apocalyptic Thriller
by Ron Adam
Just as in a Greek tragedy, America is moving towards the inevitable collision with the ultimate threat: the fatal combination of fanatic Islam, nuclear arms, and the richest energy resources in the world. On September 11, 2001, Osama Bin Laden demonstrated to the world how US dollars and American technology could be easily turned around and used as a boomerang to strike into the heart of America. It is easy, though shattering, to imagine what can happen once such fanatic zeal is equipped with the monstrous power of nuclear weapons. A quick look at the map shows that the United States did learn the lesson, and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq were just the closing of the circle around the real threat – Iran. From Scratch takes you into the whirlpool that sweeps the world from a local war in the Persian Gulf through a military coup in Russia - Iran’s new old ally - to a veritable nuclear holocaust. An all-male US submarine crew that unwillingly played an active role in destroying mankind, finds out in the aftermath that the opposite task – to recreate the human race rests on their shoulders – From Scratch. They will emerge, after nine months underwater, at a remote Pacific Island where conditions can again support life. Equipped with cutting-edge technology, they carry with them two dozen frozen fertilized ova, each of which is destined to become a new "Eve", and who together will be the mothers of the new humankind. However, there are too many “Adams” on the island, and more than a hundred men are eagerly waiting for the 24 baby girls to mature into grown women. Therefore the struggle for control over the precious “resource” is predetermined. These men find out that human nature cannot be changed. Even after the ultimate war that destroyed everything, man will go on using sheer force in order to get what he wants and to resolve disputes. Despite the pessimistic scenario, the book is essentially optimistic, and is driven by faith in the law of history: although the good may suffer and pay a precious price, they will eventually prevail. The Author: A Fighter Pilot, Naval Officer, and Senior Hi-tech Engineer. Ron Adam has enjoyed an impressive military career, from Israeli Navy submarine and torpedo boat service to the Israeli Air Force as a fighter pilot, captain of an aircraft carrier, flight instructor, and electronic warfare staff officer. Holding a degree in Electronics Engineering, Adam has headed a 1.2 billion dollar defense program and has also established three high-tech start-ups. Today, Adam is a senior consultant to the aerospace industry, and shares his time between top-level engineering and writing of books and scripts. He is happily married and has 3 children. An English-Language eBook edition has been scheduled for publication in late 2017 by Samuel Wachtman's Sons ,Inc., CA. 180 pages, 15X21 cm
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Trusted Partner
Desde el Principio
by Ron Adam
Desde el Principio – Novela de suspense apocalíptica por Ron Adam Como en una tragedia griega, los Estados Unidos avanza inexorablemente hacia una colisión con la mayor de las amenazas: la combinación letal del islamismo fanático, armas nucleares y los mayores recursos energéticos del planeta. El 11 de septiembre de 2001, Osama Bin Laden demostró al mundo cómo aprovechar los dólares y la tecnología norteamericanos para utilizarlos como bumerang con el fin de asestar un golpe en el corazón de los Estados Unidos. Aunque sea terrible, no cuesta imaginarse qué puede suceder en cuanto ese celo fanático disponga del monstruoso poder de las armas nucleares. Una rápida mirada en el mapa muestra que los Estados Unidos han aprendido la lección y que las guerras en Afganistán y en Irak han venido a cerrar el círculo alrededor de la verdadera amenaza: Irán. Desde el principio le arrastra al torbellino que barre el mundo, desde una guerra local en el Golfo Pérsico pasando por un golpe militar en Rusia, la nueva vieja aliada de Irán, hasta un verdadero holocausto nuclear. La tripulación exclusivamente masculina de un submarino estadounidense que jugó involuntariamente un papel activo en la destrucción de la humanidad, comprueba después de los hechos que la tarea opuesta, reconstituir la raza humana Desde el principio reposa sobre sus hombros. Después de pasar sumergidos nueve meses, emergen en una remota isla del Pacífico en la que las condiciones pueden de nuevo soportar la vida. Equipados con tecnologías de punta, llevan con ellos dos docenas de óvulos fertilizados congelados, destinados a convertirse en nuevas Evas, que juntas serán las madres de la nueva humanidad. Lamentablemente, hay en la isla demasiados “Adanes”. Más de cien hombres esperan ansiosos que las 24 bebitas maduren y se conviertan en mujeres maduras y por lo tanto, la lucha por el control de tan precioso “recurso” está predeterminada. Estos hombres comprueban que no es posible cambiar la naturaleza humana. Incluso después de la terrible guerra que lo ha destruido todo, el hombre seguirá usando la fuerza bruta para obtener lo que desea y para resolver disputas. A pesar del escenario pesimista, el libro es esencialmente optimista y lo impulsa la fe en la ley de la historia: el bien a la larga se impondrá, aun cuando sea a costa de sufrimientos y a un tremendo precio. El autor es piloto de caza, oficial de marina y experimentado ingeniero de alta tecnología. Ron Adam tiene en su haber una brillante carrera militar y ha servido en un submarino y en un navío de la Marina Israelí y como piloto de caza, comandante de un portaaviones, instructor de vuelo y oficial de rango superior de guerra electrónica en la Fuerza Aérea israelí. Adam, licenciado en Ingeniería electrónica, ha dirigido un proyecto militar con un coste de 1200 millones de dólares y también ha establecido tres emprendimientos de alta tecnología. Hoy día Adam es un asesor ejecutivo de la industria aeroespacial y divide su tiempo entre la ingeniería de nivel superior y la escritura de libros y libretos. Está casado y tiene tres hijos.
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Trusted Partner
A Partir de Rien
by Ron Adam
A Partir de RienUn thriller apocalyptique par Ron Adam Tout comme dans les tragédies grecques, l’Amérique va droit à la collision inévitable avec l’ultime menace : la combinaison fatale de l’Islam fanatique avec les armes nucléaires et les ressources énergétiques les plus riches du monde. Le 11 septembre 2001, Osama Bin Laden a démontré au monde comment on pouvait aisément retourner les dollars américains et la technologie des Etats-Unis et les utiliser comme un boomerang frappant droit au cœur de l’Amérique. Il est à la fois facile et terrible d’imaginer ce qui peut arriver si un tel zèle fanatique réussit à s’équiper de la puissance monstrueuse des armes nucléaires.Un coup d’œil rapide à la carte montre que les Etats-Unis ont appris la leçon et que les guerres en Afghanistan et en Iraq doivent juste refermer le cercle autour de la menace véritable – l’Iran.A Partir de Rien vous entraîne dans le tourbillon qui balaie le monde, depuis une guerre locale dans le Golfe Persique, en passant par un coup d’état militaire en Russie - la nouvelle ancienne alliée de l’Iran – jusqu’à un véritable holocauste nucléaire.L'équipe d'un sous-marin américain, constituée d'hommes uniquement, qui sans le vouloir, a joué un rôle actif dans la destruction de l’humanité, découvre au lendemain de la catastrophe que c’est sur ses épaules qu’incombe d’accomplir la tâche opposée – recréer la race humaine – A Partir de Rien. Après neuf mois passés sous l’eau, ils vont émerger vers une île lointaine du Pacifique sur laquelle les conditions peuvent de nouveau supporter la vie. Equipés des technologies les plus sophistiquées, ils emportent avec eux deux douzaines d’ovaires fertilisés congelés, qui sont chacun destinés à devenir une nouvelle Eve, et qui, ensemble, constitueront les mères d’une nouvelle humanité.Cependant les « Adams » sont malheureusement trop nombreux sur cette île ! Plus d’une centaine d’hommes attendent impatiemment que les 24 petites filles grandissent pour mûrir et devenir des femmes, et le combat pour prendre contrôle de cette précieuse « ressource » est par conséquent inévitable.Ces hommes découvrent que la nature humaine ne peut être changée. Même après la guerre ultime qui a tout détruit, l’homme continuera à se servir de la force pure pour obtenir ce qu’il veut et pour résoudre les disputes.En dépit de sa trame pessimiste, le livre est essentiellement optimiste et est guidé par la foi dans la loi de l’histoire : il se peut que les bons doivent souffrir et payer un lourd tribut mais, à la fin du compte, ils gagneront.L’auteur : un pilote de chasse, officier naval et ingénieur supérieur de Hi-Tech. Ron Adam a mené une carrière militaire impressionnante, du service dans un sous-marin et un torpilleur de la marine israélienne en passant par l’aviation israélienne comme pilote de chasse, capitaine sur un porte-avions, instructeur de vol et officier du personnel de guerre électronique. Possédant un diplôme d’ingénieur en électronique, Adam a dirigé un programme de défense de 1,2 milliards de dollars et a également fondé trois entreprises start-up dans le high-tech. Aujourd’hui, Adam est ingénieur-conseil supérieur dans les industries aéronautiques et il partage son temps entre la technique de haut niveau et l’écriture de livres et de scénarios. Il est marié et a trois enfants.
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Peace studies & conflict resolutionJune 2009Hamas
Ideological Rigidity and Political Flexibility
by Paul Scham, Osama Abu-Irshaid
Very little of the recent voluminous literature in English that has discussed Hamas has focused on how to understand—and perhaps influence—its behavior from an Islamic point of view. We have analyzed Hamas’s statements and actions since its inception and have concluded that Hamas has indeed undergone significant political changes as well as certain slow, limited, and carefully calculated ideological shifts. It is now at the point where it is ready to explore arrangements that will allow it and Israel to coexist without episodic violence. Its readiness is based on the framework of Islamic law (shari‘a) in which Hamas is embedded. Shari‘a both provides the basis for the political actions that Hamas can take and defines which actions are forbidden to it.
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Humanities & Social SciencesNovember 2013Crime and Forgiveness
The Death Penalty in the Mental Horizon of Christian Europe (14th–18th Century)
by Adriano Prosperi
During the centuries of the ‘long Middle Ages’, a great public spectacle gradually acquired a structure: death by justice. In the night between the 1st and 2nd May 2011, the President of the United States Barack Obama made a special appearance on television and announced to the nation and the world the death of Osama bin Laden. His first words were: ‘Justice has been done’ – ‘justice’, which in Italian has the same etymological root as the verb ‘giustiziare’, to execute. This single sentence brings out the fundamental question underlying the function of justice: is it a physical elimination of the criminal or a punishment which enables that person to repent and achieve moral regeneration? Is it an act of revenge or forgiveness? In the light of this history, Adriano Prosperi investigates the complex links with condemned people which our culture gradually established, until it eventually arrived at a Christianization of death as punishment: a public spectacle where the Christian cross occupies a central place in a great, cruel festival, and where the offering up of the criminal’s life was celebrated on the scaffold as a way of expiating the individual’s sins and purifying the community from evil.
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EducationEngaged Pedagogy, Enraged Pedagogy
Reconciling Politics, Emotion, Religion, and Science for Critical Pedagogy
by Monchinski, T.
Students, teachers and schools are under attack.The assault comes in the guise of ‘accountability’ and ‘choice’, cloaking itself in the ‘scientifically-proven’ with an over-emphasis of data. It combines a vilification of organized labor along with a promotion of the irrational, while readily blurring the line between utopia and dystopia. The attack abuses education as it disseminates self-serving propaganda, simultaneously covering up inconvenient truths like the United States government’s long and storied relationships with Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden in the Wars on Terror. It suppresses solidarity and compassion while it champions a divisive form of selfish individualism.Engaged Pedagogy, Enraged Pedagogy seeks to counter these attacks and expose the ideological impulses behind them. Marshalling critical pedagogy and an ethic of care with the notions of justified anger and the intellectual warrior, the book explores the non-antagonisitc dualisms between faith and science, reason and emotion; it deconstructs social texts ranging from ‘80s action films to dystopian literature as it uncovers the ideologies that structure and order our lives; it explores and champions the democratic potential of dialogue, mutuality, and authority, while challenging left essentialism and identity politics. The book also features an interview with Joe Kincheloe, a seminal figure in the field of critical pedagogy.Tony Monchinski, PhD, is a high school teacher in New York State. His other works include, with John Gerassi, Unrepentant Radical Educator (Sense); Critical Pedagogy and the Everyday Classroom (Springer); Education in Hope: Critical Pedagogies and the Ethic of Care (Peter Lang); and the novels Eden and Crusade (Permuted Press). Tony is a writer and photographer for the bodybuilding magazine MuscleMag International.
