Historia & samhälle

The Dao De Jing (also called the Tao Te Ching) was written more than 2,500 years ago and is considered one of the most important books in world literature. Coming in at only 5,000 Chinese characters, its timeless wisdom has inspired millions of people around the world and serves as one of the cornerstones of the Taoist religion.It has been translated into English many, many times, but this new work by the best-selling writing team of Jeff Pepper and Xiao Hui Wang is much more than a translation. The authors have taken the unusual step of not just giving you the English translation, but also showing, word by word, how one gets from the original Chinese characters to the English version.Each of the 81 short chapters contains a beautiful English translation, followed by a word-by-word and line-by-line breakdown of the chapter, showing the original Chinese, the pinyin (phonetic spelling in English characters), a word-for-word literal translation into English, and occasional helpful notes to help the reader better understand the translation. The result is a book that can be read casually, or studied carefully, or anything in between.This new translation expresses the DDJ in simple language that anyone can access. In their Authors' Notes they say: "This is a book for ordinary people, not scholars. Many DDJ translations have been created by scholars for other scholars, and while we have studied many of them and owe a debt of gratitude to those scholars, we feel that the DDJ's message is simple, practical and universal, and we want everyone to have the chance to benefit from it. We try to follow the guidance of Laozi in Chapter 70, who tells us, in his usual elliptical way: "My words are very easy to understand, very easy to practice. In this world, they can't be understood, and can't be practiced."It's impossible to do a 100% literal translation of the DDJ. Ordinary modern Chinese is quite different from Western languages, and the language used in this book is even more different. To start with, the original DDJ is extremely compact. Its verses have very few connecting words, forcing the reader to think deeply about the verse in order to tease out its underlying meaning or meanings. Some words can, depending on context, serve as nouns, verbs, adjectives or adverbs. Verbs in Chinese generally have no past, present or future tense, nouns have no gender (male/female), and no number (singular/plural). And to make things even more difficult, helpful little words like prepositions and pronouns are often missing entirely. As a result, translating literally from Chinese to English usually results in gibberish. Pepper and Wang have added just enough connecting words so that the sentence makes sense, while still expressing Laozi's thoughts as concisely as possible. They've also tried really hard to avoid the temptation to add things that weren't already there in order to make the sentence more readable.A Pocket Edition of this book is also available. The Pocket Edition contains only the English translation, not the original Chinese or the detailed translation notes. It's only 114 pages vs. 380 pages, and it's a smaller size (5"x8" instead of 6"x9"), making it a better fit for the pants pocket.

A provocative look at how today's trade conflicts are caused by governments promoting the interests of elites at the expense of workers

The definitive behind-the-scenes history of video games’ explosion into the twenty-first century and the war for industry power“A zippy read through a truly deep research job. You won’t want to put this one down.”—Eddie Adlum, publisher, RePlay MagazineAs video games evolve, only the fittest companies survive. Making a blockbuster once cost millions of dollars; now it can cost hundreds of millions, but with a $160 billion market worldwide, the biggest players are willing to bet the bank.Steven L. Kent has been playing video games since Pong and writing about the industry since the Nintendo Entertainment System. In volume 1 of The Ultimate History of Video Games, he chronicled the industry’s first thirty years. In volume 2, he narrates gaming’s entrance into the twenty-first century, as Nintendo, Sega, Sony, and Microsoft battle to capture the global market.The home console boom of the ’90s turned hobby companies like Nintendo and Sega into Hollywood-studio-sized business titans. But by the end of the decade, they would face new, more powerful competitors. In boardrooms on both sides of the Pacific, engineers and executives began, with enormous budgets and total secrecy, to plan the next evolution of home consoles. The PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube, and Sega Dreamcast all made radically different bets on what gamers would want. And then, to the shock of the world, Bill Gates announced the development of the one console to beat them all—even if Microsoft had to burn a few billion dollars to do it. In this book, you will learn about• the cutthroat environment at Microsoft as rival teams created console systems• the day the head of Sega of America told the creator of Sonic the Hedgehog to “f**k off”• how “lateral thinking with withered technology” put Nintendo back on top• and much more!Gripping and comprehensive, The Ultimate History of Video Games: Volume 2 explores the origins of modern consoles and of the franchises—from Grand Theft Auto and Halo to Call of Duty and Guitar Hero—that would define gaming in the new millennium.

Project Runway meets Mulan in this sweeping fantasy about a young girl who poses as a boy to compete for the role of imperial tailor and embarks on an impossible journey to sew three magic dresses, from the sun, the moon, and the stars.

Using the most current research and her approachable style, Dr. Rosier shows those with ADHD and their families how to create new thinking habits, identify unhelpful thought and emotional patterns, and apply strategies to change them.

This sourcebook is a season-by-season fashion evolution of the Forties, featuring original photos and illustrations. Includes analysis of the social, economic and cultural factors that influenced this period, and information about the major designers.

A major new work of feminism from the MacArthur Award-winning economist

Interact with magical fairy folk and incorporate them into your own witchcraft practice with this detailed account of the ancient wisdom and traditions of fairies and witchcraft.

The definitive history of the military's decades-long investigation into mental powers and phenomena, from the author of Pulitzer Prize finalist The Pentagon's Brain and international bestseller Area 51.

A publishing sensation in German, the publication of Victor Klemperer's diaries brings to light one of the most extraordinary documents of the Nazi period.

For everyone who has been hurt by life - here is a book that heals. The 20th Anniversary edition with a new introduction.

Acclaimed &i>New York Times&/i> science writer Carl Zimmer investigates what current science has to say on the most fundamental of questions: what is life? What does it mean to be alive?

An empowering anthology of original essays and writing celebrating fat and queer bodies and lives, showcasing writing from up-and-coming and established writers. This book challenges negative and damaging representations of queer and fat bodies, empowering and providing support to those at this intersection.

Frank, funny and feisty, this must-read book is packed full of inspiring ways to live and thrive in your best non-binary life. Readers will come away empowered and armed with practical advice on how to navigate everything from relationships to fashion to work.

An urgent and passionate plea for a new and ecologically sustainable vision of the good life.

From German unification to the birth of the Bundesliga and beyond, this book tells the history of Germany's cult football club and its famously left wing fan base

In How (Not) to Read the Bible, pastor and bestselling author Dan Kimball tackles one of the most pressing apologetic challenges of the twenty-first-century church--how do we read and interpret the Bible? He looks at five of the most common challenges, including questions about science, violence, and the treatment of women.