Ayla: Echoes of Dissent


Book Description

Ayla: Echoes of Dissent, the thrilling first instalment in the Ayla: Chronicles of Rebellion series, stands out with its unique blend of dystopian fiction, young adult adventure, and stories of social justice. This captivating light novel offers a fresh perspective, making it a must-read for fans of these genres. In the heart of a sprawling digital metropolis, where an unseen elite holds sway, Ayla, a resilient young woman from the underground working class, begins to see through the intricate illusions spun by the ruling class. They use religion and patriotism as tools of control, but Ayla’s life takes a dramatic turn when she stumbles upon an undercover market and overhears conversations of dissent. Driven by a pivotal incident of injustice, Ayla embarks on a profound transformation, evolving from a passive observer to an active change-maker. She unites a diverse group of allies, all united by their shared pursuit of truth, equality, and the dismantling of corrupt power structures. As they delve deeper into their society's dark secrets, they uncover the elite’s deep-seated corruption and exploitation, leading to a climactic showdown. Set in a world of high-tech surveillance and societal manipulation, Ayla: Echoes of Dissent explores themes of resistance, courage, and the fight for justice, echoing the challenges of our current social climate. Ayla’s journey is a testament to self-discovery and empowerment as she leads her allies in spreading their message, gaining support, and confronting mounting challenges. Their movement swells, culminating in a dramatic clash of ideals and a battle for the city’s soul. With its rich world-building, compelling characters, and gripping narrative, this light novel offers a fresh, engaging take on dystopian fiction. Ayla’s story is a powerful testament to the unyielding spirit of those who dare to stand up against oppression. Embark on a thrilling journey with Ayla in the first book of the Ayla: Chronicles of Rebellion series. Experience the beginning of an epic struggle for truth and justice and witness the unyielding spirit of those who dare to stand up against oppression. Join us in this adventure and be part of the change.




An Introduction to Mormonism


Book Description

Highly visible, yet a mystery in terms of its core beliefs and theological structure, the Church of Latter-day Saints is one of the fastest growing religious movements in the world. This important book provides a timely introduction to the basic history, doctrines and practices of The LDS - the 'Mormon' Church.




Power and its Logic


Book Description

Power is the essence of politics. Whoever seeks to understand and master it must understand its logic. Drawing on two decades of international experience in political consulting, Dominik Meier and Christian Blum give profound and honest insights into the inner workings of power. Introducing their Power Leadership Approach, the authors provide a conceptual analysis of power and present the tools to successfully exercise it in the political domain. "Power and its Logic" is a guidebook for politicians, business leaders, civil society pioneers, public affairs consultants and for every citizen who wants to understand the unwritten rules of politics.




Book of Mormon Student Manual


Book Description




The Psychology of War and Peace


Book Description

Can a Baby Be an Enemy? Our world is in a deep, prolonged crisis. The threat of global nuclear war, the chronic condition of local wars, the imperilled environment, and mass star vation are among the major forms this crisis takes. The dangers of massive overkill, overexploitation of the environment, and overpopulation are well known, but surprisingly little has been said about their potential interac tions, their bearing upon each other. If there were to be a nuclear confronta tion between today's superpowers, it might not take place in today's world, but in a far less friendly habitat, such as the world may be some decades hence. And it need hardly be added that the era of this particular super power configuration may be waning rapidly, its place to be taken by other international arrangements not necessarily less threatening. To understand and cope with our situation we need correspondingly serious reflection. This volume forms a welcome part of that process. Un avoidably, a large part of our thinking about the issues of human survival must be oriented to physical and biological aspects of the total danger. But it has not escaped the authors of this book that, coupled with these aspects, there are profound psychological dangers, such as loss of the sense of futu rity, moral deterioration, and a fatalistic decline in the will to struggle to protect our home, the Earth.




Warhawks 2 - Nepus Menace


Book Description

A ruthless empire on the brink of galactic domination. A desperate fight for survival on two distant worlds. Their only hope: a fragile alliance forged in the fires of resistance. The Nepus - a warrior race known for its relentless conquests - has set its sights on the Milky Way galaxy. They strike with terrifying efficiency, leaving behind a trail of broken civilizations and ravaged worlds. On the peaceful planet of Tagum Mastui, young Jeta Mor vows to avenge her family, igniting a spark of rebellion against the brutal occupiers. Meanwhile, on Waguta Solay, a world brimming with technological marvels, engineer Dex Tral discovers the Nepus true intentions, setting in motion a desperate race to expose their sinister plans. As the Nepus grip tightens, these unlikely heroes must forge a tenuous alliance across systems, uniting their fragmented forces and battling against an enemy that seems invincible. Their fight for freedom will test the limits of courage, reveal the true cost of liberty, and decide the fate of countless worlds.




War and Peace in Islam


Book Description

Written by a number of Islamic religious authorities and Muslim scholars, this work presents the views and teachings of mainstream Sunni and Shi’i Islam on the subject of jihad. It authoritatively presents jihad as it is understood by the majority of the world’s 1.7 billion Muslims in the world today, and supports this understanding with extensive detail and scholarship. No word in English evokes more fear and misunderstanding than "jihad." To date the books that have appeared on the subject in English by Western scholars have been either openly partisan and polemical or subtly traumatized by so many acts and images of terrorism in the name of jihad and by the historical memory of nearly 1,400 years of confrontation between Islam and Christianity. Though jihad is the central concern of War and Peace in Islam: The Uses and Abuses of Jihad, the range of the essays is not confined exclusively to the study of jihad. The work is divided into three parts: War and Its Practice, Peace and Its Practice, and Beyond Peace: The Practice of Forbearance, Mercy, Compassion and Love. The book aims to reveal the real meaning of jihad and to rectify many of the misunderstandings that surround both it and Islam’s relation with the “Other.”




Military Intervention and a Crisis of Democracy in Turkey


Book Description

Adnan Menderes' election to power in 1950 signalled a new epoch in the history of modern Turkey. For the first time a democratic government ruled the country, taking over Kemal Ataturk's political heirs, the People's Republican Party (CHP), and challenging the Kemalist elite's monopoly on the control of state institutions and society itself. However, this period was short-lived. In 1960, Turkey's army staged a coup d'etat and Menderes was hanged the following year. Here, Mogens Pelt beings by examining the era of the rule of the Democratic Party, and what led to its downfall. Among the chief accusations raised against Menderes by the army was that he had undermined the principles of the founder of modern Turkey, Ataturk, and that he had exploited religion for political purposes. Military Intervention and a Crisis Democracy in Turkey furthermore, and crucially, examines the legacy of the military intervention that brought this era of democratic rule to an end. Although the armed forces officially returned power to the civilians in 1961, this intervention - indeed, this crisis of democracy - allowed the military to become a major player in Turkey's political process, weakening the role of elected politicians. The officer corps claimed that the army was the legal guardian of Kemalism, and that it had the right and duty to intervene again, if the circumstances proscribed it and when it deemed that the values of Ataturk were threatened. Indeed, these were precisely that ground on which the armed forces justified its coup d'etats of 1971 and 1980. This unique exploration of the Menderes period sheds new light on the shaping of post-war Turkey and will be vital for those researching the Turkish Republic, and the influence of the military in its destiny.




Anatomy of a Civil War


Book Description

Anatomy of a Civil War demonstrates the destructive nature of war, ranging from the physical to the psychosocial, as well as war’s detrimental effects on the environment. Despite such horrific aspects, evidence suggests that civil war is likely to generate multilayered outcomes. To examine the transformative aspects of civil war, Mehmet Gurses draws on an original survey conducted in Turkey, where a Kurdish armed group, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), has been waging an intermittent insurgency for Kurdish self-rule since 1984. Findings from a probability sample of 2,100 individuals randomly selected from three major Kurdish-populated provinces in the eastern part of Turkey, coupled with insights from face-to-face in-depth interviews with dozens of individuals affected by violence, provide evidence for the multifaceted nature of exposure to violence during civil war. Just as the destructive nature of war manifests itself in various forms and shapes, wartime experiences can engender positive attitudes toward women, create a culture of political activism, and develop secular values at the individual level. In addition, wartime experiences seem to robustly predict greater support for political activism. Nonetheless, changes in gender relations and the rise of a secular political culture appear to be primarily shaped by wartime experiences interacting with insurgent ideology.




Popular Music and Public Diplomacy


Book Description

In the early years of the Cold War, Western nations increasingly adopted strategies of public diplomacy involving popular music. While the diplomatic use of popular music was initially limited to such genres as jazz, the second half of the 20th century saw a growing presence of various popular genres in diplomatic contexts, including rock, pop, bluegrass, flamenco, funk, disco, and hip-hop, among others. This volume illuminates the interrelation of popular music and public diplomacy from a transnational and transdisciplinary angle. The contributions argue that, as popular music has been a crucial factor in international relations, its diplomatic use has substantially impacted the global musical landscape of the 20th and 21st centuries.