Best Selling Books by Kevin Lewis

"I’m not perfect," Mateo confessed. "Nobody is. But I try." Secure the Soul shuttles between the life of Mateo, a born-again ex-gang member in Guatemala and the gang prevention programs that work so hard to keep him alive. Along the way, this poignantly written ethnography uncovers the Christian underpinnings of Central American security. In the streets of Guatemala City—amid angry lynch mobs, overcrowded prisons, and paramilitary death squads—millions of dollars empower church missions, faith-based programs, and seemingly secular security projects to prevent gang violence through the practice of Christian piety. With Guatemala increasingly defined by both God and gangs, Secure the Soul details an emerging strategy of geopolitical significance: regional security by way of good Christian living.

Krav Maga, which means “contact combat” in Hebrew, is an easy-to-understand/remember aggressive system of self-defense. Idiot’s Guides®: Krav Maga will not only define what it is, but also review the principles and systems of techniques and training to ensure survival. Combining in-depth information and easy-to-understand illustrated instructions, this guide will be a wonderful tool to help train both men and women on how to protect themselves, deal with threatening situations, and reverse dangerous situations where they’re at a disadvantage. Idiot’s Guides®: Krav Maga covers: - The origination of Krav Maga: its history, birthplace, philosophy, and why it was created. - The core essentials of Krav Maga’s theory and practice. - A review of how to condition the body and mind to outside threats and violence. - An understanding of not only the physical aspect of Krav Maga, but how it is part of the bigger picture of personal protection. - The thought process of the attacker and how to avoid potentially dangerous situations, if possible. - How Krav Maga differs from martial arts, primarily in terms of not following handed down fighting rules and techniques. - A breakdown of the belts in Krav Maga (yellow, orange, green, blue, brown, black), what it takes to attain them, and the differences between them. - Step-by-step illustrated directions on the popular stances, positions, movements, kick/punch strikes, falls, joint locks, deflections, and techniques from the basics to advanced moves. - How to use body weight, your most powerful muscles, and momentum to defeat an attacker. - Instruction on protecting the body and weapons defense, in addition to mastering escapes.

Transition metal and rare earth compounds are investigated intensively because of important questions concerning fundamental research problems. More recently also their enormous potential for the development of new materials for photophysical and photochemical applications has been explored. Thus, it is important to focus on a deeper understanding of the elctronic energies, transition prohabilities, intermolecular interactions, etc.. This task has been accomplished by leading researchers in the field. They present introductions into, but also detailed reviews of the current state of knowledge of three different subjects.

Through a series of rich photographs, Art of Captivity / Arte del Cautiverio tells a compelling story about the war on drugs in Central America. Entirely bilingual in both English and Spanish, the book focuses on the country of Guatemala, now the principle point of transit for the cocaine that is produced in the Andes and bound for the United States and Canada. Alongside a spike in the use of crack cocaine, Guatemala City has witnessed the proliferation of Pentecostal drug rehabilitation centers. The centers are sites of abuse and torment, but also lifesaving institutions in a country that does not provide any other viable social service to those struggling with drug dependency. Art of Captivity / Arte del Cautiverio explores these centers as architectural forms, while also showcasing the cultural production that takes place inside them, including drawings and letters created by those held captive. This stunning work of visual ethnography humanizes those held inside these centers, breaks down stereotypes about drug use, and sets the conditions for a hemispheric conversation about prohibitionist practices – by revealing intimate portraits of a population held hostage by a war on drugs.

In Guatemala City today, Christianity isn't just a belief system--it is a counterinsurgency. Amidst postwar efforts at democratization, multinational mega-churches have conquered street corners and kitchen tables, guiding the faithful to build a sanctified city brick by brick. Drawing on rich interviews and extensive fieldwork, Kevin Lewis O'Neill tracks the culture and politics of one such church, looking at how neo-Pentecostal Christian practices have become acts of citizenship in a new, politically relevant era for Protestantism. Focusing on everyday practices--praying for Guatemala, speaking in tongues for the soul of the nation, organizing prayer campaigns to combat unprecedented levels of crime--O'Neill finds that Christian citizenship has re-politicized the faithful as they struggle to understand what it means to be a believer in a desperately violent Central American city. Innovative, imaginative, conceptually rich, City of God reaches across disciplinary borders as it illuminates the highly charged, evolving relationship between religion, democracy, and the state in Latin America.

Homeless, streetwise and running away from a past she would rather forget, Francesca Mills is just another face on the streets of London. When a violent encounter leads to a man’s death, however, she is forced to leave the harsh world that has become her home and forge a new life elsewhere. On the run, Frankie unknowingly stumbles across a dangerous secret, a secret so powerful that men will stop at nothing to protect it. She tries to build a new life, but you can only stay anonymous when no one wants to find you. Hunted by both the police and shadowy assailants with powerful connections, the odds are stacked against a woman who will do whatever it takes to protect herself – and those who mean most to her ...

"A necessary addition to the literature on Latin America's Pentecostals, whose number exceeds 100 million . . . a highly readable text." — Times Higher Education "It's not a process," one pastor insisted, "rehabilitation is a miracle." In the face of addiction and few state resources, Pentecostal pastors in Guatemala City are fighting what they understand to be a major crisis. Yet the treatment centers they operate produce this miracle of rehabilitation through extraordinary means: captivity. These men of faith snatch drug users off the streets, often at the request of family members, and then lock them up inside their centers for months, sometimes years. Hunted is based on more than ten years of fieldwork among these centers and the drug users that populate them. Over time, as Kevin Lewis O'Neill engaged both those in treatment and those who surveilled them, he grew increasingly concerned that he, too, had become a hunter, albeit one snatching up information. This thoughtful, intense book will reframe the arc of redemption we so often associate with drug rehabilitation, painting instead a seemingly endless cycle of hunt, capture, and release. "O'Neill uses his dramatic story of the manhunt to rethink Foucauldian pastoral power . . . [an] utterly brilliant book." — PoLAR: Political and Legal Anthropology Review "The theme of Kevin Lewis O'Neill's fascinating book, Hunted—i.e., drug addicts kidnapped and held in involuntary confinement in treatment centers run by Guatemalan Pentecostals—may strike readers as so outré or outrageous as to provoke a reaction . . . Hunted consists in brilliant participant-observer reportage." — Pneuma

The first book to expose how the Catholic Church systematically covers up scandal by moving abusers across borders. Clerical sexual abuse is as global as the Roman Catholic Church, with bishops moving credibly accused priests not simply between parishes but also across international borders. Unforgivable follows the movement of one such perpetrator from the Great Plains of central Minnesota to the Indigenous highlands of Guatemala, where this priest had access to children and even raised one as his own. Although Father David Roney is at the center of this particular story, author Kevin Lewis O'Neill offers ample evidence that offshoring priests is a common practice. These maneuvers and the callous indifference of the Church--even once caught red-handed--reveal the limits of justice. They also lay bare the disturbing fact that the scale of clerical sexual abuse is far bigger than anyone has yet considered. Rigorously researched and viscerally important, this book raises urgent questions about holding the Catholic Church accountable.

KJ decides one spring day he will run for Vice President of his 5th grade class. This will be an adventure he would remember for the rest of his life.

'There is another loneliness', wrote the American poet Emily Dickinson: 'Not want of friend occasions it, but nature sometimes, sometimes thought'. For Kevin Lewis, that 'other loneliness' is uniquely expressive of a rich and resonant state of being that is distinctive to the American psyche as well as central to the mythology of America itself. He calls this state of being 'lonesomeness'. It evokes the luminous landscapes of the West and the cathedral-like space of the Great Plains. It lies at the root of personal identity and is inseparable from notions of personal discovery and of communion with the varied topography of the United States, whether it be rural hinterland or industrial urban rustbelt.In this continuously stimulating reflection, Kevin Lewis explores - in religion, poetry, fiction, country songwriting and art - the multiple meanings of that peculiarly American notion of solitariness. Discussing quintessential American writers like Henry David Thoreau, Walt Whitman, Jack Kerouac and Ernest Hemingway - creative artists who have all embraced positive conceptions of solitude and wilderness - Lewis finds the apex of American lonesomeness in the melancholic and reflective paintings of Edward Hopper. Lewis argues that in expressive works like "Nighthawks" and "Morning Sun" one sees Hopper's solitude redeemed by 'something more': by the notion that in isolation the individual may yet be touched by transcendence. Kevin Lewis argues that those echoes of 'something else' reveal a great deal about the American character that we would do well to heed, as well as deep rooted cultural attitudes towards religion, individualism and self-belief.

Discover the Magic of Growing Together in "Rooted in Love: The Couple's Guide to Gardening Together" Welcome to a journey that intertwines the essence of love with the nurturing of a garden. "Rooted in Love: The Couple's Guide to Gardening Together" invites you and your loved one to explore the unique parallels between tending to your relationship and cultivating a garden side by side. This guide is more than just about gardening; it's about planting seeds of connection, understanding, and enduring love. Delve into the roots of your connection by uncovering the rich history and psychology behind shared hobbies, especially gardening. Understand how these activities can fortify your bond, setting a solid foundation for your shared journey. The book's initial chapters serve as the fertile ground from which your relationship can flourish. As you progress, you will discover how to prepare the soil of your relationship, selecting the right seeds that align with your coupled goals. The metaphorical representation of annuals, perennials, and biennials in relation to love will give you a fresh perspective on your partnership's growth potential. With practical advice on planning your garden layout, sharing responsibilities, and overcoming challenges, this guide ensures that both your garden and love life bloom. Experience the seasons of gardening and love, learning to cherish new beginnings, nurture growth, reap the rewards, and find rest and reflection in quieter times. Each season brings with it lessons on perseverance, patience, and the importance of celebration, enriching your relationship as you journey through life together. "Rooted in Love" also equips you with the tools of the trade, from essential gardening tools for couples to DIY projects that encourage togetherness. Further, explore organic gardening principles, garden design, and creating sanctuaries for wildlife, extending the analogy to fostering a sustainable, eco-friendly relationship. By the book's close, you and your partner will not only have a thriving garden but a fortified, evergreen relationship. "Rooted in Love" guides you in cultivating a shared space of growth, harmony, and endless possibility. Embark on this transformative journey together, and let your love and garden flourish side by side.

Come along for the ride as a busy toy locomotive makes its rounds through a bustling playroom. Sun's up! Morning's here. Up and at 'em, engineer! What works from dawn till dusk without a break until it delivers all its freight? A very busy steam engine! Featuring rhyming couplets and bright, bold illustrations, this story is sure to be a hit with young train lovers.

A gripping crime thriller, perfect for fans of Jessie Keane, Casey Kelleher or Martina Cole 'Fans of Martina Cole will love this' Heat DI Stacey Collins has seen the darker side of humanity all too often. A single mum and former child from the grim Blenheim estate, she knows only too well what terrors the world can hold. But even her jaded eyes have never witnessed a crime of such unspeakable horror. A body, broken and lifeless, is found in the gloom of a London church. Kidnapped and horrifically murdered, young Daniel Wright never knew his tormentor. And it is only the beginning. Soon Collins finds herself both haunted by the demons of her past and battling in the name of innocence itself. Some angels never find their path to heaven . . .

Managing a dental practice has become increasingly complex in recent years, after changes within both the National Health Service and the private sector. Modern dental practice requires that dentists meet demanding business and management challenges as well as employing their clinical expertise. However, most dentists receive little or no formal training in practice management. In this book established management principles are applied specifically to dentistry. It shows how to best serve the interests of patients by effective management of staff, finances, premises and resources. It assumes no prior knowledge, is concise and offers clear, practical advice. It is the definitive guide for dentists, vocational trainees, dental students, practice managers and administrators, and a useful reference for those undertaking the DGDP and MGDS examinations.

The Baxter brothers find a wonderful pumpkin for Halloween, but first they must catch up with it when it rolls down the hill.