William Garrett – författare

Bad Karma: Thinking Twice About the Social Consequences of Reincarnation Theory is a cautionary study set in the context of the history of ideas. The thesis of the book is that rising popularity of reincarnation theory in American culture poses a significant danger- especially in light of the dramatic transitions brought about by the globalization of corporate values in the 21st century. America faces an immediate future in which displacement and social stratification will be a prominent feature of the social life. Viewed through the prism of reincarnation theory, desperate poverty may come to be seen not as an outrage to justice, but as an expression of justice- justice on a "deeper" level. Those born into wretched circumstances will be seen as having made choices as to their birth; brutal and deprived lives will be seen as people "working out their karma." The book opens with a philosophical analysis of the doctrines of both reincarnation and karma. The history of the doctrines in India will be reviewed, and various emergences of reincarnation doctrine in the West will be presented. Special attention brought to why none of these emergences took root in Western culture. Finally, the development of Buddhism in America is assessed, with special attention given to whether an American version of Buddhism necessarily entails a belief in reincarnation.

From the day its grand foundation was laid, Rosewood Plantation was special. A cotton-producing farm, it seems to be just like neighboring plantations on the surfacebut it has a secret to protect. It is a place of swelling adventure, filled with brave gentlemen, beautiful Southern belles, and a visitor from beyond. The residents of Lindbergh, Tennessee, consider the plantation to be home to more than just memories and history, and most have a chilling story to share about Rosewood.

Over the years, the plantation has known many owners, each one leaving his mark on the place. Each new generation has a new story to learn and to create, and each new person who lives there has a new experience. But throughout it all, the plantation itself endures, and this is its story.

Rosewood itself has its own personality and contribution to its own tale, and is in many ways its own character and story to tell. How much influence can a structure have on its story, its history, and its future? For one owner at least, the house has more power than might seem possible. Every owner had his own dreams for the place and the people who lived there, but William Clairbourne stood apart in his ambition.

Had he succeeded in his plans for Rosewood, it very well could have changed the outcome of the Civil War.