Planning a school or amateur Shakespeare production? The best way to experience the plays is to perform them, but getting started can be a challenge: The complete plays are too long and complex, while scene selections or simplified language are too limited. "The 30-Minute Shakespeare" is a new series of abridgements that tell the "story" of each play from start to finish while keeping the beauty of Shakespeare's language intact. Specific stage directions...

Born in Prague when it was part of the Austro-Hungarian empire and recognized today as a master of verse, poet Rainer Maria Rilke was considerably less well known in 1902 when he received a heartfelt letter from an aspiring poet. A 19-year-old student sent Rilke some of his verses, seeking an opinion of their worth. Rilke declined to offer a critique, instead encouraging the student to rely upon his own inner judgment: "Nobody can advise and help...

First published in 1926, "Seven Pillars of Wisdom" is the fascinating and brutal account of the Arab Revolt of 1916 to 1918 by T. E. Lawrence, more famously known as "Lawrence of Arabia". Written, rewritten, and edited over a period of several years from 1919 to 1926, Lawrence recounts his time serving in the British Forces in North Africa when he was based in Wadi Rum. He describes his role assisting in the organization and carrying out of attacks...

Based around a series of sermons by Andrew Murray, Absolute Surrender extols the need for 'absolute surrender' to God. Murray provides concrete steps for bringing about such surrender in one's life. He also describes both the fruit of surrendering, e.g. true experience of the Holy Spirit in one's life, and the different 'stages' one goes through on the 'path to Christian liberty'. Thus, anyone not fully experiencing Christian liberty can profit from...

The Book of Five Rings (五輪書, Go Rin no Sho) is a text on kenjutsu and the martial arts in general, written by the Japanese swordsman Miyamoto Musashi around 1645. Many translations have been made, and it enjoys an audience considerably broader than other martial artists and people across East Asia. For instance, some foreign business leaders find its discussion of conflict and taking the advantage to be relevant to their work in a business context....

Maria Montessori was an Italian physician and educator best known for the philosophy of education that bears her name, and her writing on scientific pedagogy. Her educational method is in use today in public and private schools throughout the world. In 1947 she returned to India and gave courses in Adyar and Ahmedabad. These courses led to the book The Absorbent Mind, in which Montessori described the development of the child from birth onwards and...

'Demian' is a psychological masterpiece of modern literature. This novel explores the duality of human nature and the alienation of man's soul. A powerful coming of age story.

Lady Chatterleys Lover, by D. H. Lawrence, is part of the Barnes & Noble Classics series, which offers quality editions at affordable prices to the student and the general reader, including new scholarship, thoughtful design, and pages of carefully crafted extras. Here are some of the remarkable features of Barnes & Noble Classics: • New introductions commissioned from todays top writers and scholars • Biographies of the authors • Chronologies...

The Science of Mind is the revolutionary religious proposal written by Ernest Shurtleff Holmes. Originally published in 1926, The Science of Mind posits that people can transform their lives by actively engaging their minds into religious activities. Holmes was the creator of the Religious Science spiritual movement, which was part of the larger New Thought movement. The group believed that science, philosophy, and religion could all be connected...

'Creative Mind and Success' is a guide to mental wellness and success. Like 'Science of the Mind', this book focuses on how the power of positive thinking can better your life, but it has more of a focus on financial well-being. This book is clearly a precursor to 'The Law of Attraction' and 'The Secret'. Earnest Shurtleff Holmes was the founder of the Church of Religious Science. Religious Science, like many New Thought faiths, emphasizes positive...