From the Internet:
Die Pharmaindustrie definiert die Gesundheit des Menschen gegenwärtig neu. Viele normale Entwicklungsphasen des Lebens – Geburt, Alter, Sexualität und Tod – werden systematisch zu Krankheiten umdefiniert. Global operierende Konzerne sponsern die Erfindung von “Krankheiten” und Behandlungsmethoden und schaffen so ihren Produkten die Märkte. Häufig genug stehen hinter alarmierenden, aufklärenden Nachrichten über Krankheiten finanzkräftige Marketingstrategien. In diesem Zusammenhang erscheinen beispielsweise Osteoporose, das sogenannte Zappelphilipp-Syndrom, Bluthochdruck und die männliche Menopause in neuem Licht.

Wo ist die Grenze zwischen seriöser Medizin und raffinierter Marketingkampagne?

From the Internet:
Knuddeln ist gesund, sagt die Wissenschaft. Das Wo, Wann und – ganz wichtig! – Wie will also gelernt sein. Kathleen Keating und Mimi Nolands kuschelige Eisbären zeigen, wie’s geht: Von der A-förmigen Umarmung für Anfänger über die klassische Bären-umarmung bis zum Zen-Knuddeln für Fortgeschrittene führen sie uns in die Kunst des Knuddelns ein. Ein unentbehrliches Kompendium – denn eins ist sicher: Knuddeln tut allen gut.

From the Internet:
Band 1 der Gesammelten Werke mit dem thematischen Schwerpunkt des Konzentrationslagers und der psychologischen und philosophischen Probleme der NS-Zeit und ihrer Folgen enthält den Text “…trotzdem Ja zum Leben sagen” / “Ein Psychologe erlebt das Konzentrationslager” sowie erstmalig aus dem privaten Nachlass veröffentlichte Briefe, die Frankl unmittelbar nach seiner Befreiung verfasst hat. Biografische Erläuterungen und historische Zeitdokumente ergänzen den Band.

From the Internet:
“Am Ufer des Rio Piedra saß ich und weinte” ist die Erzählung der Liebesgeschichte von Pilar und Martin, die sich von Kindesbeinen an kennen und eine tiefe Verbundenheit füreinander empfinden. Nachdem beide für Jahre ein eigenes Leben gelebt haben und nur spärlichen Kontakt hatten, treffen sie sich wieder und Martin gesteht Pilar seine Liebe. Gemeinsam verbringen sie einige Tage und langsam öffnet auch Pilar ihr Herz für ihn und für Gefühle und Gedanken, die sie jahrelang unterdrückt hat. Pilar findet in diesen Tagen zu sich selbst… Doch Martin liebt nicht nur Pilar, er liebt auch Gott und sein Leben wird von seinem Glauben geleitet. Mehr wird an dieser Stelle nicht verraten…

From the Internet:
Paulo Coelho’s enchanting novel has inspired a devoted following around the world, and this tenth anniversary edition, with a new introduction from the author, will only increase that following. This story, dazzling in its powerful simplicity and inspiring wisdom, is about an Andalusian shepherd boy named Santiago who travels from his homeland in Spain to the Egyptian desert in search of a treasure buried in the Pyramids. Along the way he meets a Gypsy woman, a man who calls himself king, and an alchemist, all of whom point Santiago in the direction of his quest. No one knows what the treasure is, or if Santiago will be able to surmount the obstacles along the way. But what starts out as a journey to find worldly goods turns into a discovery of the treasures found within. Lush, evocative, and deeply humane, the story of Santiago is an eternal testament to the transforming power of our dreams and the importance of listening to our hearts.

From the Internet:
The autobiography of Palden Gyatso, who was arrested in 1959 after taking part in a non-violent demonstration for Tibetan independence. After a failed escape bid he was starved and tortured. Following his release in 1992, after 33 years of captivity, he fled to India and began to reveal the true extent of the Chinese oppression in Tibet.

This book is a story about endurance and perseverance, Pladen Gyatso wrote about his 32 years in Chinese prisions, what is also interesting about this book is to try and understand why and how the chinese communist government gradually invaded Tibet until the unleashed a wave of represion and murder. If we go into the mind of the gatekeeper we will find fanatism and brainwashing as a means to control the citizens.

From the Internet:
For those who have seen Bowling For Columbine this book by Michael Moore will be required reading. Moore studied for the Catholic seminary and has a strong commitment to social justice out of the gospel tradition. In his inimical “take no prisoner” approach, Moore confronts head-on the underlying issues of poverty, racism and injustice in the American context. As befits the man, his writing style is immediately engaging, confronting and, at times, hilarious. Unlike other more erudite publications, SWM’s message is accessible and very readable.

The title itself is derived from his contention that the major wars and violence of the last 500 years are in fact caused by white males, not people of dark complexions. Starting out with how George W Bush came to power, Moore goes on to detail the backgrounds of the Bush Cabinet and their past involvements with the oil and automotive industry (one member has an oil tanker named after her). From here, he critiques American foreign and domestic policy. At times his comments are scathing and his wit, razor sharp. Other issues tackled include the gap between rich and poor, American insularism and capital punishment. Make a point of reading the introduction to see how the book found itself No.1 on the New York’s bestsellers list after September 11 2002 through the actions of one librarian. Order your copy soon as it keeps selling out. But don’t be surprised at the reaction from others in the shop when you pronounce the title!

From the Internet:
A murder in the silent after-hour halls of the Louvre museum reveals a sinister plot to uncover a secret that has been protected by a clandestine society since the days of Christ. The victim is a high-ranking agent of this ancient society who, in the moments before his death, manages to leave gruesome clues at the scene that only his granddaughter, noted cryptographer Sophie Neveu, and Robert Langdon, a famed symbologist, can untangle. The duo become both suspects and detectives searching for not only Neveu’s grandfather’s murderer but also the stunning secret of the ages he was charged to protect. Mere steps ahead of the authorities and the deadly competition, the mystery leads Neveu and Langdon on a breathless flight through France, England, and history itself. Brown (Angels and Demons) has created a page-turning thriller that also provides an amazing interpretation of Western history. Brown’s hero and heroine embark on a lofty and intriguing exploration of some of Western culture’s greatest mysteries–from the nature of the Mona Lisa’s smile to the secret of the Holy Grail. Though some will quibble with the veracity of Brown’s conjectures, therein lies the fun. The Da Vinci Code is an enthralling read that provides rich food for thought.

From the Internet:
Walter Faber, engineer, is a man for whom only the tangible, calculable, verifiable exists. Dubbed Homo Faber (Man the Maker) by associates, he is devoted to the service of a purely technological world. This devoted service is not, however, without cost: on a flight to South America Faber succumbs to what he interprets as “fatigue phenomena,” and we see him lose touch with reality. A return to New York and to his American mistress only convinces him of a need for further rest. Accordingly he boards a ship for Europe, where he encounters a girl who, for reasons of which he is unaware, strongly attracts him. They travel together to France, Italy, and finally Greece, where chance and fate, in an ironic twist on a theme of classic tragedy, make a blind man see.

From the Internet:
When world-renowned Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is summoned to a Swiss research facility to analyze a mysterious symbol — seared into the chest of a murdered physicist — he discovers evidence of the unimaginable: the resurgence of an ancient secret brotherhood known as the Illuminati… the most powerful underground organization ever to walk the earth. The Illuminati has surfaced from the shadows to carry out the final phase of its legendary vendetta against its most hated enemy… the Catholic Church.

Langdon’s worst fears are confirmed on the eve of the Vatican’s holy conclave, when a messenger of the Illuminati announces he has hidden an unstoppable time bomb at the very heart of Vatican City. With the countdown under way, Langdon jets to Rome to join forces with Vittoria Vetra, a beautiful and mysterious Italian scientist, to assist the Vatican in a desperate bid for survival.

Embarking on a frantic hunt through sealed crypts, dangerous catacombs, deserted cathedrals, and even to the heart of the most secretive vault on earth, Langdon and Vetra follow a 400-year old trail of ancient symbols that snakes across Rome toward the long-forgotten Illuminati lair… a secret location that contains the only hope for Vatican salvation.

An explosive international thriller, Angels & Demons careens from enlightening epiphanies to dark truths as the battle between science and religion turns to war.