New Book Release: The Radical American Judaism of Mordecai M. Kaplan

The Radical American Judaism of Mordecai M. Kaplan by Mel Scult

Mordecai M. Kaplan, founder of the Jewish Reconstructionist movement, is the only rabbi to have been excommunicated by the Orthodox rabbinical establishment in America. Kaplan was indeed a heretic, rejecting such fundamental Jewish beliefs as the concept of the chosen people and a supernatural God. Although he valued the Jewish community and was a committed Zionist, his primary concern was the spiritual fulfillment of the individual. Drawing on Kaplan's 27-volume diary, Mel Scult describes the development of Kaplan's radical theology in dialogue with the thinkers and writers who mattered to him most, from Spinoza to Emerson and from Ahad Ha-Am and Matthew Arnold to Felix Adler, John Dewey, and Abraham Joshua Heschel. This gracefully argued book, with its sensitive insights into the beliefs of a revolutionary Jewish thinker, makes a powerful contribution to modern Judaism and to contemporary American religious thought.

New Book Release: Murder Me Tender

Murder Me Tender by Max Griffin

Rick's brooding over his missing wife doesn't stop him from inviting Brandon to move into his mansion in the hills of southwest Wisconsin. When the sheriff finds bodies at the estate, it's a race against time to save Rick from accusations of murder.

Brandon struggles with poverty and longs to be a doctor. He falls in with Rick, an older, closeted, banker whose wealthy wife Victoria is mysteriously missing. Romance blooms between the two men and all seems well, until the sheriff discovers Victoria's body at the family estate, Lindermont Manor. Danger and scandal abound as Brandon has to decipher the clues to save Rick from prison. The shocking truth about the murder changes their lives forever.

New Book Release: Nicky Fifth Explores New Jersey's Great Outdoors

Nicky Fifth Explores New Jersey's Great Outdoors by Lisa Willever

While Nicky Fifth and T-Bone eagerly await their new roles as New Jersey’s Official Junior Ambassadors, they discover a side of the state that most people take for granted — our amazing Great Outdoors. Despite Nicky’s reservations, they include Wanda Heiss, a new friend and T-Bone’s not-so-secret crush, on their Garden State adventures. Follow Nicky, T-Bone, and Wanda as they explore our state parks and forests while learning about the people who made them possible, including special guest, Governor Brendan Byrne.

New Book Release: Real Encounters

Real Encounters, Different Dimensions and Otherworldly Beings by Brad Steiger and Sherry Steiger

From mysterious strangers and unpredictable beings to weird behavior and paranormal phenomena, the investigative team of Brad and Sherry Steiger explores more than 130 claims of visits from the unexplained, including ghosts, phantoms, aliens, and otherworldly beings. The book covers accounts of the supernatural from throughout the ages, and the breadth of the duo's findings and encounters will have even nonbelievers intrigued to discover what bold claim is next. Some of the accounts they relate tell of undersea cities hiding advanced technology developed by secret societies, physical energies activated by the psyche, out-of-body travelers, unidentified terrestrial life-forms such as orbs, and visitors from other dimensional frequencies or levels.

New Book Release: Strange as Angels

Strange as Angels by Lucy Blue

How far will an angel fall for love?

Tristram is an angel, a seraph who has spent eternity avoiding any emotional involvement with human beings. His perfect record is broken when he meets Chelsea, an artist who has recently lost the man she considered her soulmate to cancer. Touched by the intensity of her grief, Tristram first wants to save Chelsea from her own sadness. Then he falls in love. But while she’s very much attracted to this beautiful stranger, Chelsea still feels connected to the man she lost – and the last love she wants is an angel.

New Book Release: Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach

Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach: Life, Mission, and Legacy by Natan Ophir

Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach (1925–1994) is considered the most influential composer of Jewish religious music of the 20th century and a progenitor of the modern neo-Hasidic renaissance. To date, there has been no systematic study of his life and very little scholarly analysis of his teachings, innovations, and music.

This book examines Shlomo’s life and career via the prism of the historical and cultural developments of his time, including the Holocaust, the Six-Day War, the hippie phenomenon, the New Age movement, and other events that were channeling the course of Jewish life. It also attempts to understand the roots of the Carlebach phenomenon and its wide-range appeal. Above all, this book provides a new framework to evaluate and appreciate the unique form of heartfelt Judaism, joyful optimism, and soulful rejuvenation that Reb Shlomo inspired.

New Book Release: Handy Chemistry

The Handy Chemistry Answer Book by Ian C. Stewart and Justin P. Lomont

Simplifying the complex chemical reactions that take place every day through the well-stated answers for more than 900 common chemistry questions, this reference is the go-to guide for students and professionals alike. The book covers everything from the history, major personalities, and groundbreaking reactions and equations in chemistry to laboratory techniques throughout history and the latest developments in the field. Chemistry is an essential aspect of all life that connects with and impacts all branches of science, making this readable resource invaluable across numerous disciplines while remaining accessible at any level of chemistry background. From the quest to make gold and early models of the atom to solar cells, bio-based fuels, and green chemistry and sustainability, chemistry is often at the forefront of technological change and this reference breaks down the essentials into an easily understood format.