New Releases by Jean-Pierre Isbouts

How can organizations and the individuals within them flourish? And what is the nature of effective modern leadership in today''s volatile world? Those questions are crucial for creating workplaces that are not only efficient but also humane, resilient, and adaptable. Ten case studies, written by doctoral graduates of Fielding''s Organization Development and Change (ODC) program, address these topics from a variety of angles. In the process, these authors address ideas such as the Quantum Intelligence Process, the need for organizational agility in small businesses, and the importance of relationships in successful entrepreneurship. The book also examines the unique role of women leaders in the technology sector, the stories of leaders in academic healthcare centers, and the challenges of mid-career transition for Chinese multinational executives. Other chapters explore the various types of collaborative processes that can lead to innovative approaches and breakthroughs. In sum, this book is a must-have for any manager or executive interested in state-of-the-art research on organization development and change.

Bestselling biblical historian Jean-Pierre Isbouts weaves the origin stories of Christianity and the Lord''s Prayer into a reinvigorating and urgent rallying cry for unity in the modern church. Modern Christianity is in the midst of a veritable schism along the fault lines of society''s culture wars. Only if we understand the origins of this split can we find our way to unity. Though few may realize it today, Jesus’s ministry unfolded in a crisis very similar to the one society is now battling. In fact, were it not for the truly catastrophic conditions in early 1st century Galilee, his reimagining of the three quintessential virtues of the Torah – social justice; compassion toward one another; and an abiding love of God – would have likely failed to attract a wide following. Brilliantly tracing Jesus’s vision for the “Kingdom of God” from its origin up through modern times, Dr. Isbouts leads us to a possible antidote for the fiercely partisan moment in which we find ourselves: the Our Father. Then taking readers on a historically exhilarating tour of the Lord’s Prayer, The Fractured Kingdom shows us why the only doctrine Christians agree on might be our last hope for forging a more equal, compassionate, and loving society. What results is an eminently readable and undeniably essential work that addresses some of the most pressing issues now confronting communities of faith around the world.

Some 75 years after the discovery of the first texts in the Judean Desert, the Dead Sea Scrolls still make headlines. This book brings you the story of their unearthing, the ongoing archaeological work in the caves, and the details of who may have written the texts. Some highlights include: The history of the momentous discovery; A look at modern technology employed by archaeologists and historians in the search for the scrolls; and overviews of the biblical books of the scrolls and the ways they impacted Christianity.-- From statement at Amazon.

Follow the fascinating threads of human history in this monumental volume, amply illustrated with maps, archival imagery, and revealing photographs. History comes to life in this comprehensive overview of humankind, from earliest times to the present day. Each page is filled with stunning visuals and thought-provoking text that make this book an instant classic. From the Babylonian Empire to the Persian Gulf War, from the Xia and Shang Dynasties of Bronze Age China to the new space race, from Egyptian hieroglyphics to the digital age--here, in vivid color and crisp narrative, is the sweeping story of the history of civilization. Every chapter includes: Notable dates Salient quotations from the time Explanatory maps Fascinating sidebar stories Photographs of artifacts & landscapes Art works depicting dramatic scenes Visually driven, rich and far-reaching yet friendly and browsable, with iconic National Geographic maps, illustrations, and images enhancing the pages, this new book is a history-lover''s dream. You can complete your collection of recent National Geographic history books with National Geographic History at a Glance and More Bad Days in History by Michael Farquhar -- and you will treasure earlier National Geographic titles by this author, including The Biblical World,In the Footsteps of Jesus, and Archaeology of the Bible.

The story of the exploration and birth of America is told afresh through the unique prism of hand-colored maps and engravings of the period. Before photography and television, it was printed and hand-colored maps that brought home the thrill of undiscovered lands and the possibilities of exploration, while guiding armies on all sides through the Indian Wars and the clashes of the American Revolution. Only by looking through the prism of these maps, can we truly understand how and why America developed the way it did. Mapping America illuminates with scene-setting text and more than 150 color images—from the exotic and fanciful maps of Renaissance explorers to the magnificent maps of the Golden Age and the thrilling battle-maps and charts of the American Revolutionary War, in addition to paintings from the masters of eighteenth century art, scores of photographs, and detailed diagrams. In total, this informative and lushly illustrated volume developed by rare maps collector Neal Asbury, host of “Neal Asbury’s Made in America,” and National Geographic historian Jean-Pierre Isbouts offers a new and immersive look at the ambition, the struggle, and the glory that attended and defined the exploration and making of America.

This immersive dive into the life and work of Salvador Dali unlocks the secret of this creative genius and reveals for the first time how his erotically charged paintings changed the world of modern art. In turns beloved and reviled, twentieth-century painter, filmmaker, and designer Salvador Dali set Europe and the United States ablaze with his uncompromising genius, sexual sadism, and flirtations with megalomania. His shocking behavior and work frequently alienated critics; his views were so outrageous, even prominent Surrealists tried to ostracize him. Still, every morning he experienced “an exquisite joy—the joy of being Salvador Dalí,” and because of his remarkable talent, Dali rose to unprecedented levels of fame—forever shifting the landscape of the art world and the nature of celebrity itself. In this stunning volume, rich with more than 150 full-color images, noted art historians Jean-Pierre Isbouts and Christopher Heath Brown discuss the historical, social, and political conditions that shaped Dali''s work, identify the impact of modern as well as old master art, and present an unflinching view of the master''s personal relationships and motivations. With their deeply compelling narrative, Isbouts and Brown uncover how Dalí''s visual wit and enduring cult of personality still impacts fashion, literature, and art, from Andy Warhol to Lady Gaga, and answer why, in an age of shock and awe, Dali''s art still manages to distress, perplex, and entertain. An unparalleled guide to Dali and a critical resource for anyone keen to understand the development of modern art, The Dali Legacy is complemented by a contextualizing foreword from Frank Hunter, director of the Salvador Dali Archives.

The topic of attribution and authentication of art works is a well-known one and is currently the subject of heated debate. To arrive at a univocal scientific truth, however, it is necessary to integrate historical-humanistic and technical-experimental skills with a subjective and objective evaluation. The first part of the volume deals with experimentation relating to three valuable artifacts of different material composition: a painting, a sculpture, a codex. The second part of the research regards the emblematic case of the Mona Lisa and its uniqueness. The question connected to this study is: "Is there a second Mona Lisa?" Is the Isleworth Mona Lisa, also known as the Earlier Mona Lisa, a second version of the Louvre Mona Lisa painted by the Renaissance genius Leonardo da Vinci? In order to provide an answer regarding attribution, a methodological path was applied to the painting on canvas "Mona Lisa with columns" (St. Petersburg), establishing that it was a copy, albeit a well-executed one. Numerous versions and copies of the Mona Lisa were also studied, basing their examination on the in-depth archival-bibliographic research of the many paintings on the same subject. The findings highlighted the distinction between two authentic versions by Leonardo, i.e. the Louvre Mona Lisa and the Isleworth Mona Lisa and two copies, i.e. the Prado and the Reynolds Mona Lisas. The latter two, considered to be the most complete and qualitatively better that many others are, in fact, either copies of previous Mona Lisas or of the two authentic versions. The final considerations are dedicated to the chronological sequence of historical sources, stylistic and aesthetic analyses, artistic techniques and experimental investigations to prove the authentication of the Isleworth Mona Lisa by Leonardo.

For the 500th anniversary of Leonardo da Vinci’s death comes an immersive journey through five centuries of history to define the Leonardo mystique and uncover how the elusive Renaissance artist became a global pop icon. Virtually everyone would agree that Leonardo da Vinci was the most important artist of the High Renaissance. It was Leonardo who singlehandedly created the defining features of Western art: a realism based on subtle shading; depth using atmospheric effects; and dramatic contrasts between light and dark. But how did Leonardo, a painter of very few works who died in obscurity in France, become the internationally renowned icon he is today, with the Mona Lisa and the Last Supper the most visited artworks in the world, attracting nearly a billion visitors each year, and Salvator Mundi selling as the most expensive artwork of all time, for nearly half a billion dollars? This extraordinary volume, lavishly illustrated with 130 color images, is the first book to unravel these mysteries by diving deep into the art, literature, science, and politics of Europe from the Renaissance through today. It gives illuminating context to both Leonardo and his accomplishments; explores why Leonardo’s fame vastly overshadowed that of his contemporaries and disciples; and ultimately reveals why despite finishing very few works, his celebrity has survived, even thrived, through five centuries of history.

In Secret of Eternity, historian and social scientist Dr. Jean-Pierre Isbouts sets out to create an operational model of the afterlife, using quantum physics, neuroscience, electromagnetic energy, philosophy, Chakra and Chigong, near-death experiences, and psychic observations. In doing so, he shows that to understand the afterlife, we have to take the topic out of its religious context and treat it as a natural extension of human biology. Written in the highly accessible style that made him a bestselling National Geographic author, and with a near-encyclopedic command of the material, Dr. Isbouts guides the reader step by step through the evidence, culminating in an actual tour through the "spiritual universe"--which, he argues, is actually our home base from whence we came, and to which we will return.In the last chapter, he compares this afterlife model to Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Hindu and Buddhists concepts of heaven. His conclusion is that whereas religious concepts have much in common, including their belief in the "proximity to the Source of life," there is much that eludes our earthly grasp of the spiritual universe.Immersive, witty, and illustrated with astonishing observations by the renowned British psychic Sue Dunderdale Jones, Secret of Eternity is the first modern attempt to use all that humankind has learned to produce a scientific reconstruction of the afterlife that may sway even the staunchest reductionist skeptics.Jean-Pierre Isbouts is doctoral professor in the Social Sciences PhD program of Fielding Graduate University in Santa Barbara, CA, and an award-winning director of historical documentaries for ABC, PBS, History Channel, A&E and overseas networks. His National Geographic hardcover books on biblical history that have sold over 1.5 million copies

Provocative and original, this fresh look at Leonardo da Vinci''s formative years in Florence and Milan provides a radically different scenario of how he created his signature style that would transform Western art forever. The traditional view of Leonardo da Vinci''s career is that he enjoyed a promising start in Florence and then moved to Milan to become the celebrated court artist of Duke Ludovico Sforza. Young Leonardo presents a very different view. It reveals how the young Leonardo struggled against the prevailing style of his master Verrocchio, was stymied in his efforts to produce his first masterpiece in Florence, and left for Milan on little more than a wing and a prayer. Once there, he was long ignored by Duke Ludovico, and enjoyed only tepid Sforza support after his great equestrian project came to nothing. Meanwhile, all the major Sforza commissions went to artists whose names are now forgotten. Isbouts and Brown depict Leonardo''s seminal years in Milan from an entirely new perspective: that of the Sforza court. They show that much of the Sforza patronage was directed on vast projects, such as the Milan Cathedral, favoring a close circle of local artists to which Leonardo never gained entry. As a result, his exceptional talent remained largely unrecognized right up to the Last Supper. The authors also explore a mysterious link between the Last Supper and the fresco of the Crucifixion on the opposite wall, a work that up to now has fully escaped public attention. Finally, they present a sensational theory: that two long-ignored, life-sized copies of the Last Supper, now in Belgium and the U.K., were actually commissioned by the French King Louis XII and painted under Leonardo''s direct supervision. Young Leonardo is a fascinating window into the artist''s mind as he slowly develops the groundbreaking techniques that will produce the High Renaissance and change the course of European art.

From time immemorial, prayer has provided comfort in our darkest hours, stirred us to action beyond what we thought possible, and shown us the way through seemingly insurmountable challenges. In this engaging tour of world history, author and historian Jean-Pierre Isbouts takes us on an inspiring tour of ten prayers that played a pivotal role in world events--from the divine inspiration of Joan of Arc to Martin Luther''s powerful hymn, "A Mighty Fortress is our God"; from Abraham''s poignant plea to save his son to George Washington''s prayerful words to the newly formed American states; from Constantine the Great''s prayer before battle to Gandhi''s deeply moving "prayer of peace." Ten Prayers That Changed the World delves into the moments in history where faith and prayer intersected with the course of mankind. 2016 Best Book Award in Spirituality.

From ancient holy sites, to buried relics and treasures, National Geographic uncovers the history and the archaeological discoveries from Scripture and the biblical world. Richly illustrated and written from an objective and nondenominational perspective, author Jean-Pierre Isbouts uses the latest scientific and archaeological discoveries to place biblical stories in the framework of human history. Chapters, beginning with the dawn of human civilization and ending with present day and the future of archaeology, chronicle hundreds of sites and artifacts found in Sumer, Babylon, the Second Temple, along the route of the Exodus, and in many other regions across the Middle East. Timelines bridge hundreds of years and several empires, maps give readers a visual sense of location, while hundreds of photos and illustrations of rare artifacts and ancient places add to the visual splendor. lt concludes with details of what remains to be found and the evolving dynamic of biblical faith in an increasingly scientific world in which archaeologists make daily breakthroughs.

Focuses on the rich social and cultural history of Christianity through the ages, from its roots in Palestine to its development as a global movement.

Following the announcement of another Mona Lisa portrait by Leonardo da Vinci, held in a Swiss bank vault for over 40 years, this book is the first to analyze the meaning of this astonishing discovery, and how it radically changes our understanding of the Mona Lisa in the Louvre. By tracing Leonardo''s movements in Florence on an almost day-to-day basis, Drs. Isbouts and Brown are able to reconstruct the fascinating chronology of the Mona Lisa portrait, and show how the subject ultimately became an obsession in the latter part of Leonardo''s life. The authors posit that whereas the Swiss Mona Lisa is clearly a portrait drawn from life of a young Florentine woman, the Louvre Mona Lisa is the culmination of Leonardo''s lifelong quest for the mystery of motherhood, as expressed in his more than ten paintings of the Madonna motif. Written as narrative history, yet grounded in modern scholarship, The Mona Lisa Myth not only shatters the portrait''s mythology, but also offers a bold new interpretation of the world''s most famous painting that will revolutionize our understanding of Leonardo life and work.

Fifteen-year-old varsity cheerleader Alysia Jayne, a beautiful California blonde with the lithe body of an Olympic gymnast, is in an escalating spiral of drug abuse, truancy and deception. One morning in 2003, she is roused from her bed by strangers, handcuffed, and rushed across the Mexican border. Here, she is incarcerated in a disciplinary school for delinquents, called Casa by the Sea, hidden behind whitewashed walls near the resort town of Ensenada. For the next six weeks, she undergoes a brutal treatment right out of "A Clockwork Orange", designed to crush the spirit and self-confidence of its young inmates. Growing rumors of abuse and violence at the Casa facility soon prompt a full-scale raid by the Mexican Federales and the FBI, an event that forces Alysia to acknowledge the still precarious fragility of her sense of self. She voluntarily submits to another severe treatment program at Ivy Ridge Academy in Upstate New York. Clinging to her tenuous relationship with other girls in the program (though forbidden to speak), Alysia gradually develops the courage to confront the roots of her destructive behavior, and win her way back into the loving arms of her family. Candid, humorous and shocking at times, "Wild Thing" is a remarkably mature memoir of a teenager lost in the temptations of America''s public schools.

Presents a family guide to the Bible that, told through historic art and artifacts, tells the stories of biblical characters and highlights their greater meaning for mankind.

Featuring the latest archaeological and historical discoveries, this guide illustrates the people and events that shaped the life of Jesus, from his birth in Bethlehem to his death in Jerusalem.

From Moses to Muhammad by historian Jean-Pierre Isbouts explores the shared origins of Judaism, Christianity and Islam through the unique prism of both the Bible and the Qur''an. The book positions the literary and cultural origins of Judaism, Christianity and Islam in the context of the Babylonian, Egyptian, Greco-Roman and pre-Islamic civilizations. Among others, the author describes the use of Mesopotamian literary motifs by the Torah; the adoption of Greco-Roman iconography, as well as the Roman basilica form, by early Christianity; and the retention of pre-Islamic practices by early Islam, such as the circumambulation around the Ka''bah, the holy shrine in Mecca. In addition, Dr. Isbouts compares a number of narratives that all three traditions have in common, including the stories of Abraham, Joseph and Moses; and in the case of the Qur''an, the narratives about Jesus and his mother, Mary.

This exploration of the life of Christ as a grass-roots reformer draws on new evidence from historical and archeological records, in addition to close readings of the canonical and Gnostic Gospels.