A collection of illuminating portraits profiles individuals from all walks of Christianity--mystics, theologians, mission leaders, criminals, priests, and others--who describe their individual path to faith, Christian practice, and beliefs, answering questions about the role of faith in their lives, organized religion, doubt, and other important issues. 15,000 first printing.

Product Description: From the ancient Greek symposia to Gertrude Stein's famous Paris gatherings, salons have always been the incubators of provocative-at times even dangerous-ideas: the frontiers of cultural change. People who might elsewhere have been socially ostracized were included in salons, welcomed for their wit, intelligence, charm, and insight...read more (view table of contents, read Amazon.com's description)

Product Description: Praised by The New York Times as "one of the most distinctive voices in magazine journalism, " the Utne Reader's mission has been to uncover the important and inspiring news that the major media overlooks. Now, with that same dedication, the editors of Utne have profiled more than sixty of the world's most original thinkers who are often right at the center of that news, focusing on their ideas, their inspiration, and their visions of the future...read more (view table of contents, read Amazon.com's description)

Essays compiled from 'The Utne Reader' feature such contemporary thinkers as Noam Chomsky, Ani DiFranco, bell hooks, Bobby McFerrin, Vandana Shiva, and Alice Waters.

Introduces Japanese cooking utensils, ingredients, and techniques, and offers recipes for soups, salads, rice, and main dishes from each region