Ideas that Shaped the Western World is based on the author's thesis that Ideas cause behavior. The fundamental beliefs an individual or a group holds greatly influence their thoughts and actions. For example, when people believed the earth was flat, they dared not venture far from land for fear of falling off into the abyss of space; and when our New England ancestors believed in witchcraft, they dutifully hanged 'witches, ' apparently without any pangs of conscience. The things people believe to be true today are equally important in their thoughts and behavior. In this easily readable book...

The Idea of Divinity is the third and most recently published of a series of books based on the belief that ideas cause behavior - that the things people believe to be true strongly influence and often determine one's actual behavior. The thesis of this volume is that the idea of divinity is innate in human nature. In chapter one the author seeks to validate his thesis based on the research of other scholars, and by the examination and analysis of various primitive cultures. In the remaining chapters Dr. Crowder seeks to identify and trace the origin, growth, and development of the idea of...

sub-title -- The Challenge and Response of A Purpose-Driven Life The Cold War had heated up and the President had sent his assistant, Sam Radford, on a mission to Paris to try to negotiate a settlement and prevent a major catastrophe threatening to destroy civilization. In the meantime, Sam's personal life -- his previous romance with Sylvia and his marriage to, and love for, Sheila -- struggled under the pressures of his mission. Could Sam's marriage survive the many separations required by his mission? Could Sylvia, who had known Sam since high school, carve out a niche in his life? Could...