Series in Philosophy
Books in Philosophy
50 Ideas You Really Need to Know Religion
The need to understand religion and the role it plays in our world has never been more pressing. The beliefs and actions of the planet's 2 billion Christians, 1.2 billion Muslims, 800 million Hindus and 700 million followers of other religions has an impact on every aspect of war and peace, ethics, politics, reproduction, family and social structure across every civilization and continent. 50 Religion Ideas You Really Need to Know aims to lift the clouds of confusion surrounding religion and to address its key issues. What is the 'Golden Rule' and how does it unite religious people? How did the divisions arise between Catholics and Protestants and what do they mean for us today? What are the differences between Anglicanism, Methodism, Baptism and Presbyterianism? What separates Sunni Muslims from Shi'a Muslims? What does it mean to be Jewish? Award-winning writer Peter Stanford answers these and a myriad other questions in 50 Religion Ideas You Really Need to Know . Both readable and informative, it will appeal to anyone who wants to understand one of the most powerful and enduring forces shaping our world.
A Dance to the Music of Time: Valley of Bones, Soldier's Art & Military Philosophers
Anthony Powell's universally acclaimed epic encompasses a four-volume panorama of twentieth century London. Hailed by Time as "brilliant literary comedy as well as a brilliant sketch of the times," A Dance to the Music of Time opens just after World War I. Amid the fever of the 1920s and the first chill of the 1930s, Nick Jenkins and his friends confront sex, society, business, and art. In the second volume they move to London in a whirl of marriage and adulteries, fashions and frivolities, personal triumphs and failures. These books "provide an unsurpassed picture, at once gay and melancholy, of social and artistic life in Britain between the wars" (Arthur Schlesinger, Jr.). The third volume follows Nick into army life and evokes London during the blitz. In the climactic final volume, England has won the war and must now count the losses. In this third volume of A Dance to the Music of Time , we again meet Widmerpool, doggedly rising in rank; Jenkins, shifted from one dismal army post to another; Stringham, heroically emerging from alcoholism; Templer, still on his eternal sexual quest. Here, too, we are introduced to Pamela Flitton, one of the most beautiful and dangerous women in modern fiction. Wickedly barbed in its wit, uncanny in its seismographic recording of human emotions and social currents, this saga stands as an unsurpassed rendering of England's finest yet most costly hour. Includes these novels: The Valley of Bones The Soldier's Art The Military Philosophers "Anthony Powell is the best living English novelist by far. His admirers are addicts, let us face it, held in thrall by a magician."— Chicago Tribune "A book which creates a world and explores it in depth, which ponders changing relationships and values, which creates brilliantly living and diverse characters and then watches them grow and change in their milieu. . . . Powell's world is as large and as complex as Proust's."—Elizabeth Janeway, New York Times "One of the most important works of fiction since the Second World War. . . . The novel looked, as it began, something like a comedy of manners; then, for a while, like a tragedy of manners; now like a vastly entertaining, deeply melancholy, yet somehow courageous statement about human experience."—Naomi Bliven, New Yorker
A Man of the People (in Asimov's)
April 1995. Cover art by Mark Harrison, illustrating "A Man of the People" by Ursula K. Le Guin . Other stories in this issue: “When the Old Gods Die” by Mike Resnick ”George's Shirt” by Avram Davidson ”Farthest Man from Earth” by John C. Wright ”The Rainses'” by Nisi Shawl ”Into the Tunnel!” by Brian W. Aldiss ”From Whom All Blessings Flow” by Stephen Dedman ”Casting at Pegasus” by Mary Rosenblum ”The Bone-Carver's Tale” by Jeff VanderMeer ”Life on the Moon” by Tony Daniel ”Noses” by Eliot Fintushel ”Mortimer Gray's "History of Death" by Brian Stableford plus poetry by William John Watkins, Bruce Boston, Robert Frazier FEATURES “Hey , Writers - Make Us Feel Better!” (editorial) by Janet Asimov; “... And Then There Were Six” (Reflections)” by Robert Silverberg; “On Books” (reviews) by Norman Spinrad. Editor: Gardner Dozois
A Search for Meaning: From the Surface of a Small Planet
This award winning nonfiction book, A Search for Meaning from the Surface of a Small Planet, is both sober and lighthearted, sometimes awed and sometimes irreverent (toward both science and religion)-but always intensely personal, rational, stretching and pressing toward a wedding of scientific understanding and mystical thought. Although Don Pendleton (1927-1995) did not come draped with academic honors or letters, his extensive background in science and communications-as a telegrapher, an aerospace engineer, a metaphysical scholar, and author, gave him the ability to take a reader very far beyond themselves, whether it be in fiction or in nonfiction. In this book, Pendleton dramatically investigates the sciences, religions and philosophies with a view toward dignifying the human experience and provides a frame work in which the individual reader may validate his/her own life and dreams relating to the whole. Don's slant into the material is unique; often humorous; the findings evocative; conclusions satisfying for the rationalist; inspiring; and, perhaps, even transformational for the true seeker. For those who wish to be challenged by innovative thinking and daring ideas-reaching with their minds to coax out an understanding of the world as well as the meaning of their own lives-will find this book takes them on a spiritual search as well as an intellectual one "Don Pendleton was not only a writer with a strong sense of how to use language, but he was also an interdisciplinarian whose interests are far-ranging. A SEARCH FOR MEANING is nothing less than an attempt to synthesize metaphysics and physics. Yet, the tenor of the book invites a broad audience to read, to think about, to puzzle over the many questions he asks in his quest to understand the meaning of ‘meaning.' Integrating many domains of knowledge, Pendleton touches on questions of religion, God, relativity, and brain research, among other fields...all in all, this book is a must-read for a general audience." -Gabriele Rico, Ph.D., author of the best-selling, Writing the Natural Way, Professor of English and Creative Arts at San Jose State University, and Independent E-book Awards Judge, 2002. A Search for Meaning From the Surface of a Small Planet won the Independent E-book 2002 Best of Nonfiction Award and the Digital Literature Best of Nonfiction, 2002. Available in Tradepaper and Kindle.
Attempt at a Critique of All Revelation
The Attempt at a Critique of All Revelation (1792) was the first published work of Johann Gottlieb Fichte (1762–1814), the founder of the German idealist movement in philosophy. It predated the system of philosophy which Fichte developed during his years in Jena, and for that reason - and possibly also because of its religious orientation - later commentators have tended to overlook the work in their treatments of Fichte's philosophy. It is, however, already representative of the most interesting aspects of Fichte's thought. It displays an affinity with his later moral psychology, introduces (in theological form) Fichte's distinctively 'second-person' conception of moral requirements, and employs the 'synthetic method' which is crucial to the transcendental systems Fichte developed during his Jena period. This volume offers a clear and accessible translation of the work by Garrett Green, while an introduction by Allen Wood sets the work in its historical and philosophical contexts.
Being Bad
Being Bad will change the way you think about the social and academic worlds of Black boys. In a poignant and harrowing journey from systems of education to systems of criminal justice, the author follows her brother, Chris, who has been designated a “bad kid” by his school, a “person of interest” by the police, and a “gangster” by society. Readers first meet Chris in a Chicago jail, where he is being held in connection with a string of street robberies. We then learn about Chris through insiders’ accounts that stretch across time to reveal key events preceding this tragic moment. Together, these stories explore such timely issues as the under-education of Black males, the place and importance of scapegoats in our culture, the on-the-ground reality of zero tolerance, the role of mainstream media in constructing Black masculinity, and the critical relationships between schools and prisons. No other book combines rigorous research, personal narrative, and compelling storytelling to examine the educational experiences of young Black males. Book Features: The natural history of an African American teenager navigating a labyrinth of social worlds. A detailed, concrete example of the school-to-prison pipeline phenomenon. Rare insightsof an African American family making sense of, and healing from, school wounds. Suggested resources of reliable places where educators can learn and do more. “Other books have focusedon the school-to-prison pipeline or the educational experiences of young African American males, but I know of none that bring the combination of rigorous research, up-close personal vantage point, and skilled storytelling provided by Laura in Being Bad .” — Gregory Michie , chicago public school teacher, author of Holler If You Hear Me , senior research associate at the Center for Policy Studies and Social Justice, Concordia University Chicago “Refusing to separate the threads that bind the oppressive fabric of contemporary urban life, Laura has crafted a story that is at once astutely critical, funny, engaging, tearful, dialogue-filled, profoundly theoretical, despairing, and filled with hope. Being Bad is a challenge and a gift to students, families, policymakers, soon-to-be teachers, social workers, and ethnographers.” — Michelle Fine , distinguished professor, Graduate Center, CUNY "Perhaps more than any other study on this topic, this book brings to life the complicated, fleshed, lived experience of those most directly and collaterally impacted by the politics of schooling and its relationship to our growing prison nation.” — Garrett Albert Duncan , associate professor of Education and African & African-American Studies, Washington University in St. Louis
Boethius And Aquinas
In this study of the relationship between Boethius and Thomas Aquinas, Ralph McInerny dispels the notion that Aquinas misunderstood the early philosopher and argues instead that he learned from Boethius, assimilated his ideas, and proved to be a reliable interpreter of his thought. McInerny makes his point that "Boethius taught what Thomas says he taught" through a careful analysis of Aquinas's commentary on the De trinitate and De hebdomadibus of Boethius .
Chasing Science
Join science fiction master Frederik Pohl as he takes readers on a wonder-filled non-fictional journey from the ends of the earth to the edges of the universe. Part memoir, part travel guide, and part science primer, Chasing Science is Pohl's way of sharing the thrills and excitement of his life-long love affair with science. With the skill and storytelling zest that has made his award-winning science fiction popular the world over, Pohl brings to readers of Chasing Science all the excitement and fun that he's had throughout his life, as he has observed first-hand the process of scientific discovery. From tours of museums and national laboratories to a journey into the heart of a volcano, Pohl shows readers of all ages how and where they can experience the thrill of seeing various kinds of science, up close and personal. This book is a perfect item for visitors to any of the several hundred hands-on science museums--like The Exploratorium in San Francisco, the Field Museum in Chicago, and others--across the country, a complete list of which appears as an appendix.
Citizens Dissent
Wendell Berry and David James Duncan each share their views about the Iraq war in 2 interesting essays.
Congratulations, By the Way
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • This inspiring meditation on kindness from the author of Lincoln in the Bardo is based on his popular commencement address. Three months after George Saunders gave a graduation address at Syracuse University, a transcript of that speech was posted on the website of The New York Times, where its simple, uplifting message struck a deep chord. Within days, it had been shared more than one million times. Why? Because Saunders’s words tap into a desire in all of us to lead kinder, more fulfilling lives. Powerful, funny, and wise, Congratulations, by the way is an inspiring message from one of today’s most influential and original writers. Praise for Congratulations, by the way “As slender as a psalm, and as heavy.” — The New York Times “The graduating college senior in your life probably just wants money. But if you want to impart some heartfelt, plainspoken wisdom in addition to a check, you can't do much better than [ Congratulations, by the way ].” — Entertainment Weekly “The loving selflessness that [George Saunders] advises and the interconnectedness that he recognizes couldn’t be purer or simpler—or more challenging.” — Kirkus Reviews “Warm and tender.” — Publishers Weekly
Controversies in the Classroom
This book features the most important and exciting writing from the past 15 years of Radical Teacher magazine. Focusing on the personal experience of teachers and the practical realities of teaching, the essays cover Teaching About War; Teaching About Globalization; Teaching About Race, Ethnicity, and Language; Teaching About Gender and Sexualities; and Threats to Public Education: Testing, Tracking, and Privatization . This is a must read for all teachers who are committed to creative pedagogy and social justice. Contributors : Bernadette Anand, Nancy Barnes, Lilia I. Bartolomé, Bill Bigelow, Lawrence Blum, Marjorie Feld, Michelle Fine, H. Bruce Franklin, Stan Karp, Kevin K. Kumashiro, Pepi Leistyna, Arthur MacEwan, Sarah Napier, Bob Peterson, Nicole Polier, Patti Capel Swartz, Maria Sweeney, Rita Verma, and Kathleen Weiler. "For the many teachers who bring dreams of a better world to their classrooms, these richly helpful pages teach us how to do our work better." ― Ira Shor , Graduate Center, City University of New York “The radical teachers who tell their stories and present their ideas in this collection…are hoping to engage the young in inquiries that they didn’t ever imagine might interest them, and leave them wanting more.” ―From the Foreword by Deborah Meier , educational reformer, writer, and activist “In a time of ongoing conservative attacks on critically democratic education, more than ever we need resources to remind us of what the dangers we face are and what we can do about them.” ― Michael W. Apple , University of Wisconsin, Madison “For teachers with the courage and conviction to address the most important and controversial issues of our time, this book will be a source of inspiration and guidance.” ― Pedro A. Noguera , Executive Director, Metropolitan Center for Urban Education, New York University “This powerful collection of essays on teaching about war, globalization, race, sexuality, and threats to public education is a wake-up call to educators at all levels: We can make a difference!” ― Jean Anyon , Graduate Center of the City University of New York, author of Radical Possibilities “Controversial issues are precisely among the topics that young people need to learn about, explore, and debate if they are to become productive and hopeful citizens. Controversies in the Classroom is a gold mine of ideas and strategies to help them do just that.” ― Sonia Nieto , Professor Emerita, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Conversations
The renowned novelist and chronicler of the Nazi concentration camps, Primo Levi together with Tullio Regge, a leading physicist in the development of quantum mechanics, engage in a conversation that will enlighten and amuse the reader.