GSXR Compilation 119

1. Hidden in Plain Sight: The Tragedy of Children's Rights from Ben Franklin to Lionel Tate (The Public Square Book Series) - Barbara Bennett Woodhouse 2008

Hidden in Plain Sight tells the tragic untold story of children's rights in America. It asks why the United States today, alone among nations, rejects the most universally embraced human-rights document in history, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. This book is a call to arms for America to again be a leader in human rights, and to join the rest of the civilized world in recognizing that the thirst for justice is not for adults alone.

Barbara Bennett Woodhouse explores the meaning of children's rights throughout American history, interweaving the childhood stories of iconic figures such as Benjamin Franklin with those of children less known but no less courageous, like the heroic youngsters who marched for civil rights. How did America become a place where twelve-year-old Lionel Tate could be sentenced to life in prison without parole for the 1999 death of a young playmate? In answering questions like this, Woodhouse challenges those who misguidedly believe that America's children already have more rights than they need, or that children's rights pose a threat to parental autonomy or family values. She reveals why fundamental human rights and principles of dignity, equality, privacy, protection, and voice are essential to a child's journey into adulthood, and why understanding rights for children leads to a better understanding of human rights for all.

Compassionate, wise, and deeply moving, Hidden in Plain Sight will force an examination of our national resistance--and moral responsibility--to recognize children's rights.

2. Torture and Democracy - Darius Rejali

This is the most comprehensive, and most comprehensively chilling, study of modern torture yet written. Darius Rejali, one of the world's leading experts on torture, takes the reader from the late nineteenth century to the aftermath of Abu Ghraib, from slavery and the electric chair to electrotorture in American inner cities, and from French and British colonial prison cells and the Spanish-American War to the fields of Vietnam, the wars of the Middle East, and the new democracies of Latin America and Europe.

As Rejali traces the development and application of one torture technique after another in these settings, he reaches startling conclusions. As the twentieth century progressed, he argues, democracies not only tortured, but set the international pace for torture. Dictatorships may have tortured more, and more indiscriminately, but the United States, Britain, and France pioneered and exported techniques that have become the lingua franca of modern torture: methods that leave no marks. Under the watchful eyes of reporters and human rights activists, low-level authorities in the world's oldest democracies were the first to learn that to scar a victim was to advertise iniquity and invite scandal. Long before the CIA even existed, police and soldiers turned instead to "clean" techniques, such as torture by electricity, ice, water, noise, drugs, and stress positions. As democracy and human rights spread after World War II, so too did these methods.

Rejali makes this troubling case in fluid, arresting prose and on the basis of unprecedented research--conducted in multiple languages and on several continents--begun years before most of us had ever heard of Osama bin Laden or Abu Ghraib. The author of a major study of Iranian torture, Rejali also tackles the controversial question of whether torture really works, answering the new apologists for torture point by point. A brave and disturbing book, this is the benchmark against which all future studies of modern torture will be measured.

3. The New Constitutional Order - Mark Tushnet 2004

In his 1996 State of the Union Address, President Bill Clinton announced that the "age of big government is over." Some Republicans accused him of cynically appropriating their themes, while many Democrats thought he was betraying the principles of the New Deal and the Great Society. Mark Tushnet argues that Clinton was stating an observed fact: the emergence of a new constitutional order in which the aspiration to achieve justice directly through law has been substantially chastened.

Tushnet argues that the constitutional arrangements that prevailed in the United States from the 1930s to the 1990s have ended. We are now in a new constitutional order--one characterized by divided government, ideologically organized parties, and subdued constitutional ambition. Contrary to arguments that describe a threatened return to a pre-New Deal constitutional order, however, this book presents evidence that our current regime's animating principle is not the old belief that government cannot solve any problems but rather that government cannot solve any more problems.

Tushnet examines the institutional arrangements that support the new constitutional order as well as Supreme Court decisions that reflect it. He also considers recent developments in constitutional scholarship, focusing on the idea of minimalism as appropriate to a regime with chastened ambitions. Tushnet discusses what we know so far about the impact of globalization on domestic constitutional law, particularly in the areas of international human rights and federalism. He concludes with predictions about the type of regulation we can expect from the new order.

This is a major new analysis of the constitutional arrangements in the United States. Though it will not be received without controversy, it offers real explanatory and predictive power and provides important insights to both legal theorists and political scientists.

4. Gun Control (Library in a Book) - Revised edition - Harry Henderson 2005

Since high-profile mass shooting incidents such as Columbine High School have occurred, the debate over gun control has continued to be an important local issue in many areas. Developments have continued in the courts without a discernable outcome, like the resurgence of Second Amendment litigation in the past few years. In civil court, the attempts to sue gun makers for negligent distribution or marketing of their products have met with mixed success and gun makers, aided by the Republican majority (and some moderate Democrats), seem poised to pass federal legislation that would shield gun manufacturers from negligent marketing claims. Gun Control, Revised Edition explores all aspects of this complex and important issue in a balanced manner. Including an overview of the topic that provides historical context, this authoritative reference focuses mainly on developments within the United States. The revised edition has been expanded to offer greater coverage of how gun-related issues are being handled in other parts of the world, as well as more detail on the global proliferation of small arms such as AK-47 rifles and grenade launchers. This highly informative resource includes an annotated bibliography, chronology, glossary, biographical listing, a chapter on how to research the topic, laws and court cases, and a list of applicable organizations and agencies, making it the perfect one-stop source for the gun control debate.

5. Qi Dao - Tibetan Shamanic Qigong: The Art of Being in the Flow - Lama Somananda Tantrapa 2007

In this ground-breaking book, Lama Somananda Tantrapa shares the ancient wisdom of Tibetan Shamanic Qigong in a simple and practical way. Discovering, testing and applying its principles will remarkably enhance your vitality with greater attentiveness, awareness and presence. It will help you transform and enlighten your life by developing a culture of movement that is naturally graceful and harmonious. It will also provide you with profound psychological and spiritual insights into the true nature of health, relationships and other issues that teach you to approach life challenges as learning opportunities rather than problems. By practicing Qi Dao, you will unify your body, mind and spirit, empowering your whole being to live in harmony with the flow of the entire universe

6. Quantum-Touch: The Power to Heal (Third Edition) - richard gordon 2006

Quantum-Touch is the touch-based healing technique that uses the chi of both practitioner and client, bringing them into harmony to allow the body to heal itself. Quantum-Touch differs from other healing techniques because it does not require long years of study and presents none of the common hurdles of understanding or application; anyone can learn to use it to become a healer, both of others and of self. In this new edition of his best-selling guide, Richard Gordon leads the reader step by step, clearly explaining how to use breathing and body-focusing techniques to raise one's energy levels. Once that is achieved, the healer can correct posture and alignment, reduce pain and inflammation, help balance emotional distress, and even heal pets. Above all, Quantum-Touch can be used in tandem with all other healing modalities, including Western medicine, and its efficacy has been attested to by physicians, acupuncturists, chiropractors, and other healing professionals. "A signifcant breakthrough in hands-on healing."
- Alternative Medicine Magazine "Quantum-Touch appears to be the first technique that may truly allow us all to become healers."
- C. Norman Shealy, M.D., Ph.D., Founding President of the American Holistic Medical Association "Quantum-Touch is a remarkably effective and easily learned method of generating powerful healing energy...I highly recommend this book."
- Dr. William S. Eidelman "Quantum-Touch is a powerful hands-on healing technique that can be used effectively by lay people as well as professionals. I highly recommend it."
- Dr. Patricia Warkus "You actually have to see this work to know how good it is. Bones move into alignment with just a light touch, and it speeds up the healing process."
- Darla Parr, D.C. "I am thrilled at the simplicity and the effectiveness of this technique. Quantum-Touch is a great awakening."
- John Jacob, PhD

7. The Book on Karuna Reiki: Advanced Healing Energy for Our Evolving World - Laurelle Shanti Gaia 2001

The Book On Karuna Reiki® Advanced Healing Energy for Our Evolving World By Laurelle Shanti Gaia Karuna Reiki® is a healing energy that assists us in awakening to Universal compassion and the wisdom of our soul. Compassion is a state of consciousness, which when combined with energy, has great transformational power. In this book you will learn about: * The historical and spiritual origins of Karuna Reiki.
* Uses for the Karuna symbols.
* Discerning spiritual guidance.
* Using Karuna energy with crystals and gemstones.
* Working with Archangel realms, spiritual masters, and Divine temples.
* Visualization and prayer in healing; including sample prayers.
* The evolving human subtle energy system.
* Cellular and soul level healing. Karuna techniques assist in healing or facilitating:
Addictive Behavior, Allergies, Anxiety, Bleeding. Cellular Memory Release, Chakra Balancing, Chemotherapy, Delusion and Denial, Developing Healthy Habits, Ancestors, Future, Karmic Issues, Mental Focus and Grounding, Physical Injuries-Emergencies, Resistance to Healing, and Spiritual Growth How to give a Karuna session including, preparing sacred space, the healing altar, preparing the client Personal, physical preparations for spiritual work This book is written for anyone interested in Karuna Reiki®. It is a GREAT supplemental training manual for Karuna Reiki® Master Teachers to use in their classes.

8. Genesis of the Grail Kings: The Explosive Story of Genetic Cloning and the Ancient Bloodline of Jesus - Laurence Gardner 2000

Our race, Homo sapien sapien seems to have evolved out of nowhere--confounding anthropologists for years, and dubbed Darwin's "Missing Link." Yet the answer has been with us all along . Genesis reveals Adam and Eve as not the first man and woman on the earth--but the first of a kind. The result of exhaustive archaeological, anthropological, and theological research, Genesis of the Grail Kings exposes 'Biblical myth' as manipulated fact, revealing: * Adam and Eve as the first kind of a particular breed of humans, resulting from genetic cloning of a human-like species with extraterrestials * Adam's emergence heralded a highly advanced Mesopotamian culture--the world's oldest and greatest * All Biblical figures as pharaohic descendants * Joseph, the father of Jesus, as an alchemist, not humble carpenter * When the Israelites made their exodus from Egypt, their spiritual leader was not Moses but Miriam--a queen and high priestess. * Moses was the Pharaoh Amenhotep IV, married to both Queen Nefertiti and Miriam * Moses' son was King Tut, the "boy king" * The Ten Commandments derive from an Egyptian Book of the Dead spell. A startling piece of detective work that combines history, literary criticism, esoterica and archaeology, Genesis of the Grail Kings is the ultimate story of earthly kingship from its Mesopotamian foundation. Drawing on files and secret archives of the ancient Dragon Sovereignty, it reveals the shocking relevance of the Messianic bloodline, explaining in detail the true heritage of the Holy Grail. Including documented records of the hermetic Phoenix, the Philosopher's Stone and the Tables of Testimony, Gardner gives stunning insight into Darwin's 'Missing Link,' active longevity, the transmutation of gold, and the anti-gravitational science of the pharaohs. Genesis of the Grail Kings is essential reading for anyone eager to know the true, untold history of civilization

9. The Ayurveda Encyclopedia: Natural Secrets to Healing, Prevention & Longevity 2007

Although there is no shortage of books that attempt to explain Ayurveda medicine (a system that originated in India about 5000 years ago) to a popular audience, the author, instructor at the Ayurveda Holistic Health Center in Bayville, NY, claims that this is the first English-language textbook on the subject. However, he does little to simplify this complicated system and goes into too much detail not only for average readers but for health practitioners who want to learn more about this form of treatment. Many of his statements seem far-fetched (e.g., can the color orange really help with menstrual cramps?). Organization is poor; for instance, information on therapies for diabetes is spread throughout the book rather than being concentrated in the section on diseases. Perhaps the most useful information here is the list of Ayurvedic resources and the glossary containing clear definitions of many of the terms used.