From the sands of Alexandria via the Renaissance palaces of the Medicis to our own time, this spiritual adventure story traces the profound influence of Hermes Trismegistus--the "thrice-great one"--on the Western mind. For centuries, his name ranked among the most illustrious of the ancient world.

Considered by some a contemporary of Moses and a forerunner of Christ, this almost mythical figure arose in Alexandria during the fourth century B.C. from a fusion of the Egyptian god Thoth and the Greek god Hermes. Master of magic, writing, science, and philosophy, Hermes was thought to have...

'He writes a clear, light prose, and he makes his interests, however bizarre, seem important.' - "Punch"
'One of the more earnest and interesting writers of his generation.' - "The Guardian"
'He has the kind of story-telling power which could charm the birds off the trees.' - "The Journal" (Newcastle upon Tyne)
Gerard Sorme has been hired by a New York publisher to edit a book on Esmond Donelly, notorious 18th-century Irish rake, friend of Rousseau, Boswell and Horace Walpole, and author of a bawdy work on the deflowering of virgins. Sorme's quest for information on Donelly...

Why are we here? Human beings have asked themselves this question for centuries. Modern science largely argues that human beings are chance products of a purposeless universe, but other traditions believe humanity has an essential role and responsibility in creation.

Lachman brings together many strands of esoteric, spiritual, and philosophical thought to form a counter-argument to the nihilism that permeates the twenty-first century. Offering a radical alternative to postmodern apathy, he argues that we humans are indeed the "caretakers" of the universe, entrusted with a daunting...

A history of how mystical and spiritual influences have shaped Russia's identity and politics and what it means for the future of world civilization