This second volume, The Architecture of the Body and the Order of Life, advances Ibn Sīnā’s vision of medicine from structural description to systemic understanding. Beginning with the classification of organs and their hierarchical organization, the text unfolds a comprehensive anatomy of bones, joints, and muscles, revealing how form is inseparable from function. Each structure is presented not as an isolated part but as an element within a coordinated whole, defined by its power (quwwa) and action (ʿamal). The volume then deepens into the dynamic principles that animate this architecture: the movement of the vital spirit (rūḥ ḥayawānī), the integration of sensory and motor systems, and the balance of the humors that sustain life. In doing so, Ibn Sīnā portrays the human body as a living system governed by equilibrium, interdependence, and continuous motion-anticipating a systems-based understanding of physiology in which health emerges from the harmony of structure, energy, and function.
Originally delivered as a series of lectures in Yan’an in 1938, On Protracted War stands as one of the most influential strategic treatises of the twentieth century. Written during the early stages of the Sino-Japanese War, Mao Zedong systematically dismantles both defeatist “national subjugation” narratives and impulsive “quick victory” fantasies, arguing instead that China’s path to liberation lies in a deliberately protracted struggle. Through a dialectical analysis of strength and weakness, territory and population, and justice versus barbarism, Mao outlines a three-stage progression-strategic defense, stalemate, and counteroffensive-while elevating political mobilization, guerrilla tactics, and human agency over mere material superiority. This 2026 edition, prepared by the Institute for Integrated Systems Thinking, pairs a meticulous formal translation with an original foreword that reframes Mao’s military theory through a contemporary Systems Thinking Framework. By drawing structural parallels to Ibn Khaldūn’s sociology of power and treating time, work, and social energy as dynamic variables, the volume reveals the text’s enduring relevance not only as a manual of asymmetric warfare, but as a profound study of how weaker systems can achieve systemic transformation through strategic patience, collective solidarity, and adaptive resilience.
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In southeastern Morocco, around the oasis of Tafilalet, the Ait Khabbash people weave brightly colored carpets, embroider indigo head coverings, paint their faces with saffron, and wear ornate jewelry. Their extraordinarily detailed arts are rich in cultural symbolism; they are always breathtakingly beautiful—and they are typically made by women. Like other Amazigh (Berber) groups (but in contrast to the Arab societies of North Africa), the Ait Khabbash have entrusted their artistic responsibilities to women. Cynthia Becker spent years in Morocco living among these women and, through family connections and female fellowship, achieved unprecedented access to the artistic rituals of the Ait Khabbash. The result is more than a stunning examination of the arts themselves, it is also an illumination of women’s roles in Islamic North Africa and the many ways in which women negotiate complex social and religious issues.
Buy the Book: Amazigh Arts in Morocco: Women Shaping Berber Identity; by Cynthia Becker (Author)
Bound to Happen Books was founded in April of 2021 when Nicole, Rachel, and Lyn recognized a need in our community. A few of them, actually: a need for a bookstore to provide new releases and popular titles; a need for a store that prioritizes authors, experiences, and stories not represented in our community; and a need for a rad space for folks to come together and do more as a group than any of us could as individuals.
Through a partnership with Process General Store, Bound to Happen Books was able to open the collective doors of 1008 Main Street in Stevens Point in June of 2021, and we are only continuing to grow and add new chapters to our story.