Pearly Gates

A man arrives at the gates of heaven holding a faith that’s not his own; another clutches a suitcase he’s unwilling to give up. One woman demands to be sent back, while another asks for a new name. Hands empty or full, hearts joyful or disappointed or appalled, these people and others approach the twelve open gates of heaven, only to discover the truth about their loves…

Cyberspace may seem an unlikely gateway for the soul, but as science commentator Wertheim argues in this "wonderfully provocative" ("Kirkus Reviews") book, cyberspace has in recent years become a repository for immense spiritual yearning. 37 illustrations.

This entertaining and insightful novel both skewers and celebrates small-town New Zealand. Pat `Pearly' Gates has achieved a lot in his life and evinces considerable satisfaction in his achievements. He has a reputation as a former Otago rugby player and believes he would have been an All Black but for sporting injuries. He runs a successful real-estate agency in a provincial South Island town, of which he is the second-term mayor. Popular, happily married, well established, he cuts an impressive figure, especially in his own eyes. But will his pride and complacency come before a fall?

Q. Why are there almost as many jokes about death as there are about sex? A. Because they both scare the pants off us. Thomas Cathcart and Daniel Klein first made a name for themselves with the outrageously funny New York Times bestseller Plato and a Platypus Walk into a Bar.... Now they turn their attention to the Big "D" and share the timeless wisdom of the great philosophers, theologians, psychotherapists, and wiseguys. From angels to zombies and everything in between, Cathcart and Klein offer a fearless and irreverent history of how we approach death, why we embrace life, and whether there really is a hereafter. As hilarious as it is enlightening, Heidegger and a Hippo Walk Through Those Pearly Gates is a must-read for anyone and everyone who ever expects to die. And now, you can read Daniel Klein's further musings on life and philosophy in Travels with Epicurus and Every Time I Find the Meaning of Life, They Change it.

When it comes to the Bible, you have no idea what you don't really know. For ages, misconceptions about what it supposedly says and signifies have been passed down, repeated, and taken as Gospel. Now, for true believers and skeptics alike, Christian author J. Stephen Lang dispels common misunderstandings, shatters the inventions of modern translator, and corrects misguided assumptions by going to the source: the Bible itself.

A HEAVENLY NOVEL WITH A HUMOROUS TWIST In this light-hearted and poignant tale, author Richard Miller ponders the questions that learned scholars have mused over for years. Why are we here and what really matters? People on a quest for the answers have looked to the stars for guidance. They have solicited advice from clergy. They have gone on retreats and walkabouts. In Outside the Pearly Gates, Saint Peter asks newly arrived Alan Geddes five critical questions that will put a different spin on 'What really matters.' These are the questions that will also determine whether he can journey beyond the Pearly Gates to a joyous place where it's always seventy-two degrees and you don't need any sleep.Does Alan have the right answers? Do you?

Reprint of the original, first published in 1876.

JOHNSTONE COUNTRY. RUSTLERS’ PARADISE. An unholy trio of cutthroat rustlers turn a routine horse drive into an epic showdown between good and evil—with a little divine justice from gunfighting legend Perley Gates . . . At first, the job sounds easy: lead a small herd of horses across the Arkansas–Texas border to the Double-D ranch near Texarkana. No problem—at least not for a man like Perley Gates. In fact, he’s looking forward to the 150-mile journey with his old sidekick Possum Smith and young Sonny Rice, and doesn’t expect any trouble along the way. Unfortunately, trouble has a way of finding Perley Gates. This time, it’s a trigger-happy trio of horse thieves who take one look at old Possum, young Sonny, and the low-key Perley, and decide they’re three very easy targets. But in the Old West, nothing comes easy. Except death . . . So begins one hell of a showdown. On one side are the forces of evil itself, with notorious gunslinger Spade Devlin gunning for blood. On the other side are a few good men, a town under seige—and a merciless angel of vengeance named Perley Gates. . . . Live Free. Read Hard.

This New York Times bestseller is the hilarious philosophy course everyone wishes they’d had in school. Outrageously funny, Plato and a Platypus Walk into a Bar... has been a breakout bestseller ever since authors—and born vaudevillians—Thomas Cathcart and Daniel Klein did their schtick on NPR’s Weekend Edition. Lively, original, and powerfully informative, Plato and a Platypus Walk Into a Bar... is a not-so-reverent crash course through the great philosophical thinkers and traditions, from Existentialism (What do Hegel and Bette Midler have in common?) to Logic (Sherlock Holmes never deduced anything). Philosophy 101 for those who like to take the heavy stuff lightly, this is a joy to read—and finally, it all makes sense! And now, you can read Daniel Klein's further musings on life and philosophy in Travels with Epicurus and Every Time I Find the Meaning of Life, They Change it.

A new kind of hero in the Old West tradition, Perley Gates is as honest and good as his heavenly name. But don’t make him mad. Because when Perley Gates gets mad, people get hurt. Once every year, Perley Gates and his brothers lead the Triple-G crew on its annual cattle drive. It’s a treacherous journey along the Great Western Trail, with a herd of two-thousand cows on one side and many opportunities for trouble on the other. This year, trouble shows up in the form of a beautiful young woman, her little baby, and her bizarre traveling companion—a colorful old cuss who goes by the name of Possom Smith. They’re heading to a settlement called Butcher Bottom, and risking their necks to get there. Perley—being the gentleman he is—offers to escort the trio to their destination. But there are a few minor details they “forgot” to tell Perley . . . The woman is a widow whose husband had enemies. The old man is hiding a small fortune that might get them killed. And Perley is stuck in the middle trying to decide who’s good, who’s bad—and who deserves to die first . . . Live Free. Read Hard.