Restless Devices

We're being formed by our devices. Today's digital technologies are designed to captivate our attention and encroach on our boundaries, shaping how we relate to time and space, to ourselves and others, even to God. Our natural longing for relationship makes us vulnerable to the "industrializing" effects of social media. While we enjoy the benefits of digital tech, many of us feel troubled with its power and exhausted by its demands for permanent connectivity. Yet even as we grow disenchanted, attempting to resist the digital "powers that be" might seem like a losing battle. Sociologist Felicia Wu Song has spent years considering the personal and collective dynamics of digital ecosystems. She combines psychological, neurological, and sociological insights with theological reflection to explore two major questions: What kind of people are we becoming with personal technologies in hand? And who do we really want to be? Song unpacks the soft tyranny of the digital age, including the values embedded in our apps and the economic systems that drive our habits. She then explores pathways of meaningful resistance that can be found in Christian tradition—especially counter-narratives about human worth, embodiment, relationality, and time—and offers practical experiments for individual and communal change. In our current digital ecologies, small behavioral shifts are not enough to give us freedom. We need a sober and motivating vision of our prospects to help us imagine what kind of life we hope to live—and how we can get there.

Poetry. Liz Waldner's HOMING DEVICES is "more of a wiry museum than a book" that takes turns in language either for its own sense of aversion or for the quality of the ride. The book is restless in its methods but tricky at the same time, drawing upon both historical and contemporary myth, allusions to high and low culture and personal efforts throughout. "HOMING DEVICES awakened me to how often I'm unused when I read, here I'm occupied, confused, satisfied" --Eileen Miles.

Meet people who have fled their homelands. Hagar. Joseph. Ruth. Jesus. Here is a riveting story of seeking safety in another land. Here is a gripping journey of loss, alienation, and belonging. In The God Who Sees, immigration advocate Karen Gonzalez recounts her family’s migration from the instability of Guatemala to making a new life in Los Angeles and the suburbs of south Florida. In the midst of language barriers, cultural misunderstandings, and the tremendous pressure to assimilate, Gonzalez encounters Christ through a campus ministry program and begins to follow him. Here, too, is the sweeping epic of immigrants and refugees in Scripture. Abraham, Hagar, Joseph, Ruth: these intrepid heroes of the faith cross borders and seek refuge. As witnesses to God’s liberating power, they name the God they see at work, and they become grafted onto God’s family tree. Find resources for welcoming immigrants in your community and speaking out about an outdated immigration system. Find the power of Jesus, a refugee Savior who calls us to become citizens in a country not of this world.

Dr. Denise Sharon has put together an expert panel of authors on the topic of Restless Legs Syndrome and Movement Disorders. The comprehensive list of articles includes: Restless Legs Syndrome across the Globe, Neuroimaging in Restless Legs Syndrome, What's in the family of the RLS/WED patient?, Clinical Diagnosis and Diagnostic Criteria, Non-pharmacological management: myths vs. science, Sleep Bruxism, Leg Cramps, Hypnic Jerks, and more!

Most college students struggle tremendously with their bodies. Numerous issues related to the body plague higher education. Students struggle with sleep, mental health, eating disorders, sexual identity questions, clothing choices, obesity, and alcohol problems, among other concerns. Too often Christian colleges try to meet these challenges with rules instead of setting forth a vision of what it means to steward the body—a precious gift from God that has been bought with a price by Christ. Students, faculty, and staff at faith-based institutions need a theological framework and biblical wisdom by which they can better understand, nurture, and celebrate life in all its fullness. Stewarding Our Bodies draws from the expertise and experiences of researchers and practitioners both within and outside higher education to provide relevant insights and suggestions for those who desire to help students better bear God’s image. Most important of all, it sets forth a positive vision by which to understand the precious gift God has entrusted to us—our bodies.

Every Christian wants to grow into the person God made him to be. Every Christian has a healthier, more spiritually mature version of herself in mind. Every Christian looks upon the future's horizon and imagines a relationship with God ever-increasing in vibrancy and strength. But how does a Christian get there? How does a sapling with good intentions actually become an oak of righteousness? You might think the answer is "regularly read the Bible, pray often, and share the gospel consistently." And those practices are certainly part of it. But in this book, Mason King expands your thinking beyond basic spiritual practices (which typically emphasize what you must do) into a more holistic picture of what a full and flourishing life with God can look like when it is cultivated well (focusing instead on who you might become). In these pages, learn how you can become a vibrant, healthy Christian by regularly offering to God three main dimensions of your life—your attention, your emotions, and your limits—for when you are disciplined in cultivating these environments at the root, you will grow into the right kind of tree.

Rapid technical developments with lasers and other energy devices have continued over recent years, both in the different types of devices available and in what can be used for cosmetic and other treatments, including scar and tattoo removal, hair removal, cellulite, and lipolysis. In the second edition of Lasers and Energy Devices for the Skin, the top practitioners in the field have pooled their expertise to offer a broad and balanced perspective. Updated to encompass the latest refinements in the field, this volume: Explores the latest techniques in laser hair removal and scar removal Reviews advances in antiaging techniques for the skin of the face Covers the use of photodynamic therapy for skin tumors, psoriasis, localized scleroderma, viral warts, onichimycosis, and more Reviews currently available and novel approaches for noninvasive and intended selective destruction of fat Highlights the risks of pigmentary alterations and scarring following procedures on Asian skin Covers advances in liposuction brought about by the advent of tumescent anesthesia The book also discusses pain management during laser surgery and laser treatments and includes coverage of the importance of complying with safety standards, potential unsafe practices, and potential medicolegal problems. Providing the understanding needed to develop creative ways to use light-based technologies, the book gives readers easy access to practical treatment parameters.