R. A. Salvatore - Demon Wars II 02 - Transcendence
In Transcendence, the second book in his second DemonWars Saga, author R.A. Salvatore adds another layer to the events of book one, Ascendance, with a parallel plot line in the desert kingdom of Behren. He spotlights the Elven-trained Ranger Brynn Dharielle as she quests to claim her birthright and free the nomadic To-gai from the theocratic occupation of Behren and its dark kingpriest--Yakim Douan.
Transcendence is as much the story of Brynn's quest to free the oppressed To-gai as it is the tale of their oppressors. While events in Ascendance are heating up, Transcendence introduces the Yatol leader Douan who is single-mindedly preparing for his, yes, "transcendence" wherein the leader will die to be reborn. It's the secret behind this miracle and Douan's machinations to secure his lands in preparation for the rebirth that will eventually allow Brynn to free the To-gai from the Behrenese yoke. But Brynn's quest will unleash the deadly power of an ancient ally who will test her resolve to win her people's freedom.
Transcendence is excellent fantasy. Salvatore's characters stride across a grand stage that is epic in scale yet still detailed and personal. The juxtaposition of happenings in the first two books sets up what will be a thrilling conclusion as the political implications of each will undoubtedly collide in book three.

A Passion for Mathematics: Numbers, Puzzles, Madness, Religion, and the Quest for Reality
A singular collection of fascinating information for those who share a love of all things mathematical A Passion for Mathematics is a delightful, dizzying, and entertaining trip that includes an eclectic mix of history, biography, definitions, number theory, and mind-bending problems. Readers will encounter mad mathematicians, religious mathematicians, strange number sequences, obstinate numbers, curious constants, zany math problems, classic recreational puzzles, magic squares, fractal geese, monkeys typing Hamlet, infinity, and much, much more!
411 pages.

Alchemy has been with us since the beginning of recorded history. It has been present in almost every culture, from Old Kingdom Egypt and the China of Lao Tzu; from the Greece of Alexander the Great to the era of Islamic conquest; from the islands of the Indonesian archipelago to the twilight world of Victorian occultism. It has been called ‘the mightiest secret that a man [or woman] can possess’, yet it has also been derided as ‘the history of an error’. It has often been portrayed as a fraudulent, delusional quest for wealth and worldly power through the attempt to transmute base metals into gold, but has also been regarded as a Divine art, the highest gift of God, one that should only be practiced by the sincere seeker and the pure of heart.