The Emerald Tablet—an ancient document that contains the essence of the alchemical teachings—has had an important influence on many Western spiritual and religious traditions. Ostensibly concerned with turning base metals into gold, alchemy was in fact dedicated to transforming the lead of self into the gold of spirit. This brilliant history of alchemy traces its sources back to ancient Egypt, and presents alchemy as a useful, practical system of self-transformation. Each of the seven step...

Agriculture in southern Asia has undergone a radical transformation in recent years, one that continues to alter the political economy of the area. Beyond the familiar elements of the green revolution, there has been an increase in resource exploitation for food production, and a rise in the economic and political strength of food producers, as wel

Stories by English authors: London (Selected by Scribners) offers a collection of narratives that examine daily life through subtle humor, sharp observation, and reflections on social boundaries within a bustling city. The opening tale follows a club member whose routine is unsettled when a familiar server begins behaving in unexpected ways. What appears at first to be a minor inconvenience slowly reveals disconnect between those absorbed in their comfortable habits and those whose struggl...

This account by Bassma Kodmani details her passionate fight for democratic change in Syria. It is both her personal testimony and a unique historical document. As a westernised Syrian intellectual who, in 2011, became a figure of the Syrian opposition in exile, her candid narrative sheds fresh light on this conflict with its multiple twists and turns drawn from her direct involvement over a decade. Kodmani participated in and initiated meetings and negotiations with diplom...