Book announcement - 6 introductory booklets on Kindle

 

The following booklets are now available on Kindle as ebooks (only):

The Bahá'í Faith - A Short Introduction

The Bahá'í Faith - A Short Introduction for Christians

The Bahá'í Faith - A Short Introduction for Muslims

The Bahá'í Faith - A Short Introduction for Hindus 

The Bahá'í Faith - A Short Introduction for the Seeker 

The Bahá'í Faith - A Short Introduction for Women

What is Kindle? See here.

These booklets are intended to give an introduction to the Faith to readers of various backgroungs and to provide additional sources of further relevant information including links. Some colour pictures are included.

And there are two additional related booklets:

Bahá'í Books - A Short Introduction (Covers some 60 books)

The Bahá'í Faith and the Cosmos – A Short Introduction (What the teachings say about life elsewhere)

All are priced at US$0.99 but the first 7 will be free on December 18th.

What is Kindle?

 This is a brief introduction to Kindle.

Kindle is a service by Amazon which allows ebooks to be created and sold. Usually they cost much less than a printed version and some are free. And there is no shipping or mail charge. They can be downloaded immediately to an app and read on your phone or read online. The Kindle app can be found in the usual places.

Paying for a ebook requires a bank card (VISA, Mastercard etc) unless it is free. The minimum cost for an ebook is $0.99 but $3-$10 is common. 

It is estimated that there are about 9 million ebooks on Kindle.

To buy an ebook you will need to create an Amazon account if you don't have one.

Once you are set up, to get an ebook you login to Amazon, find the book in the Kindle store and click the button to buy. When you go into the app you will find the ebook in your library.

Links

Amazon Kindle home page

Kindle app for Android

100th anniversary of the passing of ʻAbdu'l-Bahá

 

The Bahá'í world is commemorating the 100th anniversary of the passing of ʻAbdu'l-Bahá. A representative from Guyana traveled to the event. Here is report from BWNS.

In addition construction is proceeding rapidly on the new beautiful and impressive shrine of ʻAbdu'l-Bahá mid-way between Haifa and Akka. Here is a short documentary about the project.

Money for combating climate change

 According to a UN report back in June:

"Significant investments are needed and international cooperation is critical. More than a decade ago, developed countries committed to jointly mobilize $100 billion per year by 2020 in support of climate action in developing countries."

Unsurprisingly the money has yet to appear. It sounds a lot but the world military expenditure is around $2000 billion per year - twenty times the amount. And that money has been spent already. And it keeps flowing.

If we could put an end to war we could divert a part of this to beneficial uses. Think of the money which could be available for fixing the world, education, health, housing for the poor and so on.

It is strange that this issue is hardly mentioned by world leaders. Why is this?

The Bahá'í Faith - A Short Introduction for Women

 The last book (6th) has been added to the series on Kindle. The title is "The Bahá'í Faith - A Short Introduction for Women". The cost remains at US$0.99.  All are free on first weekend in October...

Having a booklet for women may seem odd especially given that the writer is a man but the importance of women in shaping the world today persuaded me to do one anyway, although inadequate. At least it was reviewed by a woman...

The six titles now in the series are:

The Bahá'í Faith - A Short Introduction (revised in August)

The Bahá'í Faith - A Short Introduction for Christians

The Bahá'í Faith - A Short Introduction for Muslims

The Bahá'í Faith - A Short Introduction for Hindus 

The Bahá'í Faith - A Short Introduction for the Seeker 

The Bahá'í Faith - A Short Introduction for Women

And two related booklets:

Bahá'í Books - A Short Introduction

The Bahá'í Faith and the Cosmos – A Short Introduction

It is hoped these books will engage the interest of those interested in such things and lead them on to more comprehensive sources of knowledge.

Next year may see the addition of more but that remains to be seen.

Vaccinate to keep others safe - new research

 

A report from Imperial College London says:

"New research has found that double vaccinated people were three times less likely than unvaccinated people to test positive for the corona-virus."

And other recent research finds that:

"Fully vaccinated people who catch COVID-19 appear to be less infectious and clear the virus quicker than unvaccinated people, early research suggests."

So to put it simply vaccinated people are much less likely to get infected by COVID and, if they do catch it, they are less likely to spread it to others.

Even more reason to get vaccinated.

The Bahá'í Faith and the Cosmos

 

Another new title has been added to the collection of ebooks on Kindle at the usual price of $0.99. The title is "The Bahá'í Faith and the Cosmos - A Short Introduction". 

The description is:

"This booklet briefly explains some Bahá'í teachings on space exploration, the universe, extraterrestrial life and the place of mankind in it all. Recent scientific findings are used provide background on exoplanets and extremophiles."

The booklet explores the statement made by Bahá’u’lláh:

“Know thou that every fixed star hath its own planets, and every planet its own creatures, whose number no man can compute.”

By looking at recent scientific research we demonstrate that the first part has already become widely accepted as likely. 

The second part is not yet accepted but is increasingly considered plausible.

COVID19 in Guyana - August 2021

Our case numbers are rising with an average over 100. The ICU numbers have exceeded 30. Possibly complacency and the delta variant combined to cause another wave. Due to mainly ill-advised vaccine hesitancy about half the adult population remain unvaccinated. 

Windows needs a grandfather mode

 I have an elderly friend who is a daily user of the internet. Currently he uses a Windows 10 laptop. 

However he has memory problems and his eyesight is imperfect. He finds the experience with Windows very frustrating at times.

His problems I would try to summarise as follows:

- unwanted and unexpected changes in the user interface

- complicated login procedure with PIN, passwords etc

- unresponsive computer due to updates being processed

- text being too small including that of error messages

- too many unwanted features

- on booting up the computer appears ready but is not

He finds it very confusing when unexpected things happen. He needs things too be simple, straight forward and the interface to stay the same from year to year.

The persecution of the Bahá'ís in Iran intensifies

 

In May the Bahá'í International Community reported:

"...a recent intensification of the persecution of the Baha’is in Iran appears to be underway, 

signaling the implementation of a larger plan by the Iranian government to increase the persecution of the community, the largest non-Muslim religious minority in the country. 

A campaign of raids on Baha’i homes and baseless arrests of Baha’is is currently unfolding across Iran. So far, dozens of Baha'i homes have been raided by authorities in Baharestan, Isfahan, and Shiraz, resulting in the detention of over 20 Baha’is and more who can be called to prison at any time."

And this month:

"The Baha’i International Community is calling for the Iranian government to be held accountable for its campaign of hate speech against the Baha’is in Iran. 

In recent months, the four-decades long state-sponsored campaign of hate speech and propaganda has reached new levels, increasing in both sophistication and scale."

"More than 200 Baha’is were executed in the 1980s; today, they are denied public sector jobs, higher education, their livelihoods are often disrupted, their cemeteries desecrated, and they are vilified in state and semi-official media as well as from the pulpit and in schools and other educational institutions."

COVID19 in Guyana - July 2021

 Nothing much new to report. Things continue as last month. I shall discontinue these updates unless there is real news. Case numbers seem to be dropping very slowly.

Another two books added to the series

 The title "The Bahá'í Faith - A Short Introduction for Seekers" has been added to the series on Kindle.

Plus the booklet "Bahá'í Books - A Short Introduction" has been added as an associated title. The cost remains at US$0.99 for both.

The first booklet is intended as a short introduction to the Bahá'í Faith for the spiritual seeker and for those of mystical inclination.

The second briefly introduces some 60 books of interest to the inquirer. It tries to include especially those available for free download though there are many good books included for which this is not true. This is partly because readers around the world are currently experiencing difficulties with traditional mail system due to the pandemic.

The Bahá'í Faith - A Short Introduction: the series

When I started this series I had intended to write four booklets only. They were intended as short, concise overviews for those from particular religious backgrounds with which I have some familiarity (Not religious, Christian, Muslim and Hindu). 

Here is the link to the whole series. If this link does not work for you then search in Kindle for "mancey Bahai".  The cost of all booklets is the minimum $0.99.

Having now completed my original, modest, intention, I plan to continue to add a few more, to the best of my ability.

Here are the titles which are soon to be added:

The Bahá'í Faith - A Short Introduction for Seekers

The Bahá'í Faith - A Short Introduction for Women

Bahá'í Books - A Short Introduction

In addition the first booklet is being revised and expanded. It will soon be updated.

These booklets are mainly intended for those investigating the Faith for the first time. They may also be of interest to Bahá'ís seeking some background information, literature suggestions or online resources.

One or more books are likely to be free on Bahá'í Holy Days. This may help if you have no card... There is of course a Holy Day on July 9.

COVID19 in Guyana - June 2021

 

Not much seems to have changed since May except that the vaccine role-out has continued. The case numbers continue at about the same level. ICU cases have declined slightly.

The vaccines acquired recently have been Sputnik. This has been a bit controversial but I will not attempt to get into that here.

Fourth book published on Kindle

This booklet is intended as a short introduction to the Bahá'í Faith for those of a Hindu background. It is fourth in the series of booklets.

The main teaching of Bahá'í Faith is that mankind is one people and that religion is essentially one and progressive.

The Bahá'í Faith is established in more than 100,000 localities in virtually every country and territory around the world. Please investigate.

As before the book is $0.99. Here is the link to the whole series. If this link does not work for you then search in Kindle for "mancey Bahai". 

One or more books are likely to be free on Bahá'í Holy Days. This may help if you have no card...

There is a Holy Day early in July. 😊

Flooding

We are in the midst of our May-June rainy season. The ITCZ has us in its grip. Unfortunately heavy rain has coincided with higher than usual tides and there is wide-spread flooding. 

The water level in our area is not exceptional. It used to reach this level perhaps once a year, ten years ago. However it has reached close to this level may be 5 times so far this year. I would blame this on climate change and sea-level rise.

COVID19 in Guyana - May 2021

Our daily new cases may have leveled off but at a relatively high level (100+). The number in ICU has reached 22. 

Not alot seems to have changed otherwise regarding behaviour. Minibuses are reportedly carrying a nearly full load of passengers again.

The main news is that vaccine role-out has continued with persons 18 years and older being vaccinated (about 245,000 first dose total). 

Some introductory books on the Bahá’í Faith

These books are selected mainly from those which are freely available for downloading. 

(F means free download, E non-free ebook, P printed book.)  

1. Bahá’í Faith: The Emerging Global Religion. William S. Hatcher and J. Douglas Martin. Bahá'í Publishing (US). A through and well-researched introduction. 253 pages. (FP)

2. Bahá’ís, The. Popular magazine-format introduction to the Bahá’í Faith. Available from Bahá'í Publishing (US) here. (FP)

3. Baháʼu'lláh and the New Era. J.E. Esselmont. Bahá'í Publishing Trust (UK). An excellent and readable general introduction. Has been popular for many years. 233 pages. (FP)*

4. God Speaks Again: An Introduction to the Bahá'í Faith. Kenneth E. Bowers. Bahá'í Publishing (US). In placing the life of Baha’u’llah at the center of the story, he reveals an authentically inspiring figure and the inseparable connection between a new religion and an extraordinary human being touched by His Creator. 296 pages. (EP)

5. Introduction to the Bahá'í Faith. A good general introduction. 183 pages. Downloadable here. (F)

6. New Garden, The. Hushmand Fathea’zam. Bahá'í Publishing Trust of India. A popular, inexpensive, readable, multi-religion introduction. (P)

7. Prescription for Living. Rúhíyyih Rabbání. Bahá'í Publishing Trust of India. Handling life from a Bahá'í perspective. (FP)

8. Release the Sun. William Sears. Bahá'í Publishing (US). While Christians anticipated the return of Jesus Christ, a wave of expectation swept through Islam that the "Lord of the Age" would soon appear. A very readable account of exciting events. 323 pages. (EP)

9. Station and Claims of Baha'u'llah. Michael Sours. Bahá'í Publishing (US). Explores Baha'u'llah's challenging claims about His Revelation and the day we are living in… in the context of His teachings concerning the oneness of the Founders of the world's great religions. 231 pages. (P)

10. 1844: Convergence in Prophecy for Judaism, Christianity, Islam and the Bahá'í Faith. Eileen Maddocks. Introduces the Faith using prophecies from three religions. Available on Amazon.(EP) 

Most of these are available from Bahá'í Ebooks. Some are available at the publishers below:

Bahá'í Literature & Publication Trust (India) - www.bahaipublishingtrust.in

Bahá'í Publishing Trust or Bahá'í Publishing (US) - www.bahaibookstore.com/

Third booklet now on Kindle

Title:  The Bahá'í Faith - A Short Introduction for Muslims

As before the book is $0.99. Please search in Kindle for "mancey Bahai". 

Book description:

"This booklet is intended as a short introduction to the Bahá'í Faith for those of an Islamic background. 

Its main teaching is that mankind is one people and that religion is essentially one and progressive.

The Bahá'í Faith is established in more than 100,000 localities in virtually every country and territory around the world. Please investigate."

COVID19 in Guyana - April 2021

 

Our daily new cases may have peaked (see graph). This is definitely the most serious wave so far. The number in ICU has reached over 15. 

Not alot seems to have changed otherwise regarding behaviour. There are some reports of people being charged for attending parties. However minibuses are reportedly carrying a full load of passengers again.

The main news is that vaccine role-out has gathered momentum with persons of any age being vaccinated (about 100,000 total). 

COVID19 in Guyana - March 2021

 

Our daily new cases has been trending upward. The number in ICU is back up to 10 or so. 

Not much seems to have changed otherwise regarding behaviour.

The main news is that vaccine role-out has gathered momentum since March 15. Health workers and many over 60 persons being vaccinated (about 20,000). My wife and myself got our vaccination on Monday. No serious side effects.

Earthquake in Guyana

 A significant tremor on Sunday January 31st, centred in the South Rupununi, was felt throughout Guyana. We felt the vibration here on the coast. Some damage to structures were reported but no loss of life. For details see this report in the Guyana Chronicle.

COVID19 in Guyana - February 2021

 

Our daily new cases has continued at about the same level. The number in ICU is not high. New variants are suspected but not confirmed so far as I know.

Several thousand doses of vaccine were received and given to health workers. Some had a mild fever for a day but that is a small price to pay for protection. Am ready and waiting for my vaccine... 😀

Not much seems to have changed otherwise.

Second book published on Kindle

 

As before the book is $0.99. If this link does not work for you them search in Kindle for "mancey Bahai". 

Book description:

"This booklet is intended as a short introduction to the Bahá'í Faith for those of a Christian background. 

Its main teaching is that mankind is one people and that religion is essentially one and progressive.

The Bahá'í Faith is established in more than 100,000 localities in virtually every country and territory around the world. Please investigate."

COVID19 in Guyana - January 2021

Our daily new cases has surged again to levels a little below that of the first wave, so far. The number in ICU is not high. New variants are suspected but not confirmed.

Not much seems to have changed otherwise. Mask wearing has become a fact of life in the city.

Our neighbour, Surinam, also has a surge.

 

Writing ebooks - introductory booklets on the Bahá’í Faith

Health issues plus lockdown has given me time to write. Initially I intended to take four booklets written by a close friend (Moeen Kiani) who left this world a few years ago and make them more accessible by converting them into ebooks on Kindle. They were all short introductory booklets on the Bahá’í Faith. However this has proved to be complicated and I decided to write similar booklets from scratch.

The first booklet is for a general reader of no particular religion and uses science and religion as an introduction. The next booklet will be from a Christian perspective.

The booklets are Kindle ebooks at $0.99. They can be located by searching for my name or using this link.

Creating Kindle ebooks is not that difficult but there is a learning curve and much time can be wasted. I am happy to give advice, if needed, especially to Guyanese writers.

Book description:

This booklet is intended as a short introduction to the Bahá'í Faith for those who do not think of themselves as religious. 

Its main teaching is that mankind is one people and that religion is essentially one and progressive.

The Bahá'í Faith is established in more than 100,000 localities in virtually every country and territory around the world. Please investigate.

Update - late January. Second book added.