Philosophy of science Books

Book SynopsisTheories of Emotion is a philosophical introduction to the most influential theories of emotion of the past 60 years in philosophy, psychology, and biology. This multi-disciplinary approach provides the reader with a one-stop shop for encountering the key debates and cutting-edge ideas in what is becoming a central focus of contemporary thought.An introductory chapter on definitions of emotion is followed by three main sections on the way emotions are expressed, subjectively experienced, and related to action and motivation. This accessible but probing approach integrates philosophical analysis with innovative research in psychology and cognitive science, contextualizing current debates in the history of ideas from Darwin to pragmatism. Each section is introduced by a detailed illustration of a foundational thinker's work on emotion (Charles Darwin, William James, and John Dewey, respectively), showing how their insights and discoveries have shaped current views and suggesting wTrade ReviewCampeggiani’s book offers an overview of theories of emotions which combines philosophical depth, empirical grounding, and historical foundations. A rare combination of virtues. It would be an excellent companion for a graduate class on emotions, because of the balance it strikes between covering theoretical basics and mapping the contours of the very latest debates in philosophy and the affective sciences. * Andrea Scarantino, Professor of Philosophy, Georgia State University, USA *This is the best introduction to the philosophy of emotion I have read. It covers an impressive amount of topics and debates in an accessible and engaging manner. It is historically accurate and conceptually precise, while also addressing very recent developments in emotion theory. A must read for any student of emotion! * Giovanna Colombetti, Professor of Philosophy, University of Exeter, UK *Table of ContentsAbout this book Acknowledgments Introduction: Defining Emotions Part I: 1. Expression 2. Alternatives and Criticism: Biology or Culture? 3. Debate I: The Emotions of Others Part II: 4. Experience 5. Alternatives and Criticism: Emotions and Values 6. Debate II: Sense and Sensibility in Decision-Making Part III: 7. Action 8. Debate III: Emotions Towards Fictional Characters Further Readings Notes References Index of names

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Book SynopsisAccording to Michel Serres, a process of ''hominescence'' has taken place throughout human history. Hominescence can be described as a type of adolescence; humanity in a state of growing, a state of constant change, on the threshold of something unpredictable. We are destined never to be the same again but what does the future hold? In this innovative and passionately original work of philosophy, Serres describes the future of man as an adolescence, transitioning from childhood to adulthood, or luminescence, when a dark body becomes light. After considering the radical changes that humanity has experienced over the last fifty years, Serres analyzes the new relationship that man has with diverse concepts, like the dead, his own body, agriculture, and new communication networks. He alerts us to the consequences of these changes, particularly on the danger of growing inequalities between rich and poor countries. Should we rejoice in the future, ignore it, or even dread it? Unlike otherTrade ReviewThis fascinating text will interest readers across the entire spectrum of scholarship and human endeavor. Summing Up: Essential. All readers. * CHOICE *Produced in certain collectivities, in the course of their history, by their sciences and their technologies, in their economy and their politics, these ruptures affect, beneath these cultural components, the ‘nature’ of humans and of the world. That is why I call such ruptures hominescent. This study provides a powerful, innovative analysis of a new form of being human, ‘hominescence’. In the three domains, corporeal, worldly and in relation to other kinds of otherness, Michel Serres pursues enquiries begun over forty year ago, in his innovative reading of the system of Gottfried Leibniz. These enquiries gain from their expansion into the current context of digital tele-communications, and the internet of things, transgenic modifications and the resulting new ontologies of large numbers and quasi objects. -- Joanna Hodge, Professor of Philosophy, Manchester Metropolitan University, UKHominescence is Michel Serres’s best book – a profound mediation on the prodigious transformations the human species has faced in the past fifty years, which have altered our relation to death, to our bodies, our technologies, our planet, and even to thought itself. -- Daniel W. Smith, Professor of Philosophy, Purdue University, USAIn Hominescence, Michel Serres draws together themes which span decades of his work to illuminate the critical moment of human history where we cease to be natured and become forces of naturing. He offers a bold vision of the renewed relationship between the sciences and humanities to think beyond the crisis. -- Steven D. Brown, Professor of Social and Organizational Psychology, The Open University, UK * 20/02/2019 *Table of ContentsDeaths The Body How Our Body Changed The First Loop of Hominescence Three Global Houses The Greatest Contemporary Discovery Ego: Who Signs These Pages? The World The Greatest Contemporary Event Ancient and New Common Houses The Evolutionary House The Second Loop of Hominescence Who, ego? The Others The Event of Communication Contemporary Humanity The End of Networks: the Universal House The Third Loop of Hominescence The Others and the Death of the Ego Peace

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Book SynopsisNEW EDITIONThe Science Delusion is the belief that science already understands the nature of reality. The fundamental questions are answered, leaving only the details to be filled in. In this book (published in the US as Science Set Free), Dr Rupert Sheldrake, one of the world's most innovative scientists, shows that science is being constricted by assumptions that have hardened into dogmas. The 'scientific worldview' has become a belief system. All reality is material or physical. The world is a machine, made up of dead matter. Nature is purposeless. Consciousness is nothing but the physical activity of the brain. Free will is an illusion. God exists only as an idea in human minds, imprisoned within our skulls.Sheldrake examines these dogmas scientifically, and shows persuasively that science would be better off without them: freer, more interesting, and more fun.In The God Delusion Richard Dawkins used science to bash God, but here Rupert Sheldrake shows that Dawkins' understanding of what science can do is old-fashioned and itself a delusion. 'Rupert Sheldrake does science, humanity and the world at large a considerable favour.'The Independent'Certainly we need to accept the limitations of much current dogma and keep our minds open as we reasonably can. Sheldrake may help us do so through this well-written, challenging and always interesting book.' Financial TimesTrade Review'Sheldrake powerfully reminds us that science must be pursued with an open mind.' * Robert Jackson, former UK Minister for Science *'This is a terrific, engrossing book that throws open the shutters to reveal our world to be so much more intriguing and profound than could ever have been supposed.' * Dr James Le Fanu, author of The Rise and Fall of Modern Medicine *'The author, a biologist, takes issue with the idea that science already understands the nature of reality - and in doing so, frees up the spirit of enquiry.' * The Times *'There is something rather odd about the current state of science. For Rupert Sheldrake, [it is] facing a 'credibility crunch' on many fronts. He presents this challenging argument by identifying 'ten core beliefs that most scientists take for granted.' He then interrogates each in turn by reformulating it, in the spirit of radical scepticism, as a question. This Socratic method of inquiry proves surprisingly illuminating. A serious mind-expanding book.' * James le Fanu, The Spectator *'Certainly we need to accept the limitations of much current dogma and keep our minds open as we reasonably can. Sheldrake may help us do so through this well-written, challenging and always interesting book.' * Crispin Tickell, Financial Times *'Rupert Sheldrake does science, humanity and the world at large a considerable favour.' * Colin Tudge, The Independent *Rupert Sheldrake shows very convincingly the way that time and again scientists refuse to look at anything outside a very limited set of possibilities. Sheldrake shows powerfully how some professional skeptics simply have no interest in looking into claims for anything outside of our current scientific understanding. A valuable and powerful message. * www.popularscience.co.uk *'Isn't it nice to have some mystery back? Isn't it nice to have doubts?' * Esquire *'We must somehow find different, more realistic ways of understanding human beings - and indeed other animals - as the active wholes that they are, rather than pretending to see them as meaningless consignments of chemicals. Rupert Sheldrake, who has long called for this development, spells out this need forcibly in his new book. He shows how materialism has gradually hardened into a kind of anti-Christian principle, claiming authority to dictate theories and to veto inquiries on topics that don't suit it, such as unorthodox medicine, let along religion. He shows just how unworkable the assumptions behind today's fashionable habits have become. The 'science delusion' of his title is the current popular confidence in certain fixed assumptions - the exaltation of today's science, not as the busy, constantly changing workshop that it actually is but as a final, infallible oracle preaching a crude kind of materialism... His insistence on the need to attend to possible wider ways of thinking is surely right.' * Mary Midgley, The Guardian *'A fascinating, humane and refreshing book that any layman can enjoy, in which he takes ten supposed scientific 'laws' and turns them, instead, into questions... Dr Sheldrake wants to bring energy and excitement back into science... he has already done more than any other scientist alive to broaden the appeal of the discipline, and readers should get their teeth into the important and astounding book.' * Country Life *'This is a delightful, interesting, informative, highly readable and much needed book and we definitely recommend it.' * Greenspirit.org.uk *'This is a book about science and understanding the world that I have been hoping to read for years. It should be on every science student's course.' * The Oldie *'This book is worth reading because of the depth of focus that the author brings to bear not only on the mind and our fixed opinions but also on our unthinking acceptance of the world, as we like to see it, along with our unquestioned assumptions.' * The Middle Way: Journal of the Buddhist Society *'Sheldrake will be seen as a prophet.' * The Sunday Times *An entertaining read. * The Sunday Times *Whether or not we want to follow Sheldrake's further speculations on topics such as morphic resonance, his insistence on the need to attend to possible wider ways of thinking is surely right. * Guardian *The maverick scientist questions the orthodox of "scientific worldview". * Observer *

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Book SynopsisThis remarkable work offers an analytical exploration of the nature of divine eternity and God's relationship to time.

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Book SynopsisThis is the story of John Draper, Andrew White, and the conflict thesis: a centuries-old misconception that religion and science are at odds with one another.Renowned scientist John William Draper (1811-1882) and celebrated historian-politician Andrew Dickson White (1832-1918) were certain that Enlightened Science and Dogmatic Christianity were mortal enemies--and they said as much to anyone who would listen. More than a century later, their grand and sweeping version of history dominates our landscape; Draper and White''s conflict thesis is still found in countless textbooks, lecture series, movies, novels, and more. Yet, as it would later be discovered, they were mistaken. Their work has been torn to shreds by the experts, who have declared it totally at odds with reality. So how, if this is the case, does their wrongheaded narrative still live on? Who were these two men, and what, exactly, did they say? What is it about their God-versus-Science conflict thesis that convinced so many? And what--since both claimed to love Science and love Christ--were they actually trying to achieve in the first place? In this book, physicist David Hutchings and historian of science and religion James C. Ungureanu dissect the work of Draper and White. They take readers on a journey through time, diving into the formation and fallacy of the conflict thesis and its polarizing impact on society.The result is a tale of Flat Earths, of anesthetic, and of autopsies; of Creation and Evolution; of laser-eyed lizards and infinite worlds. It is a story of miracles and mathematicians; souls and Great Libraries; the Greeks, the scientific method, the Not-So-Dark-After-All Ages... and, of course, of popes and unicorns.Trade ReviewThe book is an important contribution to the study of the warfare thesis. This book is a comprehensive story, and not discrete chapters. As a result, its content will likely be utilized in many different contexts and read for many years to come. * Brent Purkaple, Perspectives on Science and Christian Faith *In Of Popes and Unicorns David Hutching and James Ungureanu give us brief biographies of Draper and White before diving into their books to test their assertions. They do a thorough, readable, and at times very witty, job of dismantling the conflict thesis, showing that many of Draper and White's historical arguments are not just muddle headed or over-simplifications but rather are based on falsehoods and evidence that simply isn't there. The 'conflict thesis' has long been discarded as inadequate scholarship. In some historical instances it is just plain false, in others it does not do justice to the complexity of the history involved. This is all well known among academic historians of science, but David Hutchings and James Ungureanu have done a very good job of making the facts page-turningly-accessible to a wider audience. * Mark McCartney, Solas *The book's engaging tone and adept use of anecdote and metaphor recommends it for a popular audience. * Victoria Lorrimar, Trinity College Queensland, Australian College of Theology, Brisbane, Australia, Metascience *The real strength of this book is in its accessibility. It's a fun read and written in a fairly light-hearted and even conversational style, punctuated by quirky historical episodes and interesting analogies. I had never heard of the fictional (and then, oddly, non-fictional) hamlet of Agloe, New York, but the authors tell the strange story of an invented town that then came - to - be, before putting it to use to illustrate a point. There are also enough topical references and jokes to make what could be a dull exposition on historiography a lively tour of science through history. * Tim O'Neill, History for Atheists, Goodreads *Enjoyable and light-hearted ... an extremely useful jumping-off point for further reading. * Paul Dicken, The American Conservative *Extremely informative and highly entertaining. The authors have not only dispelled the myths that support the conflict thesis, theyve also explained where those myths came from and how they became so pervasive. * James Hannam, author of The Genesis of Science *Our understanding of history and what it passes down to us, at least from our frame of reference, is vested in our cultural context and the voices of those who reinforce it. The book sets to challenge this—or perhaps, one might say, to set the record straight. As its authors lift the lid on the historical narrative of the relationship between science and the church, they tell a story of those who have influenced this and laid out a conflict between the two—a conflict which Hutchings and Ungureanu argue is false. Science and faith, they show, can sit more comfortably together in our collective search for truth than one might first think, and we are much worse off when they do not. Itâs important that we look back and reflect from time to time; Of Popes and Unicorns helps us do this in a thought-provoking way. But, above all, it's simply a good, enjoyable read. * Paul Hardaker FInstP, FRMetS, Cmet, CEO of the Institute of Physics and Chair of the Board for Sense About Science *In this robust critique, Hutchings and Ungureanu provide many fascinating insights into the historical roots of the idea that there is some intrinsic conflict between science and religion. What is truly startling is the way that this false narrative continues to permeate popular culture. In an engaging style, the book demonstrates that fake news is nothing new and shows how the creative conspiracy theories of the 19th century continue to exert their long tentacles into present-day thinking. * Denis Alexander, Emeritus Director of the Faraday Institute for Science and Religion and Emeritus Fellow, University of Cambridge *This is a gripping, powerful, and vital story of the most successful and damaging conspiracy theory ever conceived. The sleuthing of Hutchings and Ungureanu is as engaging as the best detective writing and as meticulously researched. This is a book that every teacher, scientist, historian, and pastor needs to read. And, students: I wish I had this given to me when I was 14. Read it now. It really matters. * Tom McLeish, FRS, Professor of Natural Philosophy, University of York *In this highly entertaining account of one of the greatest intellectual deceptions ever inflicted upon the public, Hutchings and Ungureanu describe the main characters (with all their attendant eccentricities) who created and/or promulgated the conflict thesis. Despite the best efforts of historians of science to overturn it, this conflict remains stubbornly embedded in our collective consciousness, harming both religion and science. I can only hope that this book is widely read and that it plays its part in undoing that damage. * Ard A. Louis, Professor of Theoretical Physics, University of Oxford *The book's engaging tone and adept use of anecdote and metaphor recommends it for a popular audience. It contains the appropriate level of detail- Draper and White are presented in a nuanced way without defaulting to the strawman argumentation with which these figures have so often been charged....ideally this book would be read by scientists or general readers who have accepted the conflict thesis as a matter of fact. * Victoria Lorrimar, Metascience *The book's engaging tone and adept use of anecdote and metaphor recommends it for a popular audience. * Victoria Lorrimar, Metascience *Table of ContentsList of Illustrations Acknowledgments Chapter 1: Fooling the World Chapter 2: Lone Voices? Chapter 3: Flat Wrong Chapter 4: Walnuts for Brains Chapter 5: Tales from the Gap Chapter 6: Myths, Myths, Everywhere Chapter 7: Bridges Badly Built Chapter 8: Old Dogma, New Tricks Chapter 9: Agloe and How to Get Rid of It Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisThe definitive account of the great Bohr-Einstein debate and its continuing legacyIn 1927, Niels Bohr and Albert Einstein began a debate about the interpretation and meaning of the new quantum theory. This would become one of the most famous debates in the history of science. At stake were an understanding of the purpose, and defense of the integrity, of science. What (if any) limits should we place on our expectations for what science can tell us about physical reality?Our protagonists slowly disappeared from the vanguard of physics, as its centre of gravity shifted from a war-ravaged Continental Europe to a bold, pragmatic, post-war America. What Einstein and Bohr had considered to be matters of the utmost importance were now set aside. Their debate was regarded either as settled in Bohr''s favour or as superfluous to real physics.But the debate was not resolved. The problems of interpretation and meaning persisted, at least in the minds of a few stubborn physicists, such as David Bo

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"An excellent overview of the philosophy of science from the early 20th century onward. . . . Recommended." * Choice *"Godfrey-Smith displays consistent clarity. It is truly refreshing to read a text that is thorough, clear, and penetrating. Students with little or no background in philosophy or philosophy of science will find this book to be extremely worthwhile. Professionals in other fields and other disciplines will appreciate the breadth and depth. . . . Whether you teach philosophy of science, or whether you are simple interested in issues relating science, philosophy, history, and other fields, I am confident that you’ll find Theory and Reality an accessible and rewarding read." -- James Sage * Metapsychology *"Godfrey-Smith presents a clear, comprehensive, and accessible introductory survey of the major problems and movements in the philosophy of science. It is an excellent book to use on its own in a lower-level philosophy of science course or as a supplement to some anthology of primary texts in a more sophisticated upper-level course. It would also suit anyone who has interest in the subject but little patience for jargon-heavy professional philosophy. . . . His exposition is accented by insightful commentary and criticism, and by examples from the history of science all with a keen sense of humor." * Science Education *"A stimulating introduction to nearly every department of general philosophy of science. . . . Godfrey-Smith’s attempt to inject new vigor and liveliness into philosophy of science is quite successful, as evidenced by the charmingly opinionated style of presentation and the ease with which he ties latter-day perspectives on science back to the classic positivist tradition and the history of science. . . . A very fresh and well-conceived book." * Journal of the History of the Behavioral Sciences *Table of ContentsPreface Chapter 1 Introduction Chapter 2 Empiricism Chapter 3 Evidence and Induction Chapter 4 Popper: Conjecture and Refutation Chapter 5 Kuhn’s Revolution Chapter 6 Theories and Frameworks Chapter 7 The Challenge from Sociology of Science Chapter 8 Science Is Political Chapter 9 Naturalistic Philosophy Chapter 10 Scientific Realism Chapter 11 Explanation, Laws, and Causes Chapter 12 Bayesianism and New Views of Evidence Chapter 13 Truth, Simplicity, and Other Problems Chapter 14 The Future Glossary Websites References Index

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Book SynopsisA flexible and comprehensive introduction to the main currents in philosophy of science.

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Book SynopsisEvidence-Based Technical Analysis examines how you can apply the scientific method, and recently developed statistical tests, to determine the true effectiveness of technical trading signals. Throughout the book, expert David Aronson provides you with comprehensive coverage of this new methodology, which is specifically designed for evaluating the performance of rules/signals that are discovered by data mining.Trade Review"…his book is well written and contains a great deal of information that is of value…." (The Technical Analyst, May/June 2007)Table of ContentsAcknowledgments. About the Author. Introduction. PART I Methodological, Psychological, Philosophical, and Statistical Foundations. CHAPTER 1 Objective Rules and Their Evaluation. CHAPTER 2 The Illusory Validity of Subjective Technical Analysis. CHAPTER 3 The Scientific Method and Technical Analysis. CHAPTER 4 Statistical Analysis. CHAPTER 5 Hypothesis Tests and Confidence Intervals. CHAPTER 6 Data-Mining Bias: The Fool’s Gold of Objective TA. CHAPTER 7 Theories of Nonrandom Price Motion. PART II Case Study: Signal Rules for the S&P 500 Index. CHAPTER 8 Case Study of Rule Data Mining for the S&P 500. CHAPTER 9 Case Study Results and the Future of TA. APPENDIX Proof That Detrending Is Equivalent to Benchmarking Based on Position Bias. Notes. Index.

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Book SynopsisDescribes the acceleration, deceleration, and inertial movement; fluid dynamics; and the motions of the earth, moon, planets, and comets. This title deals with the fundamental three laws of motion and the law of universal gravity. It is suitable for scientists, scholars, and students.Table of ContentsPreface A GUIDE TO NEWTON'S PRINCIPIA Contents of the Guide Abbreviations CHAPTER ONE: A Brief History of the Principia CHAPTER TWO: Translating the Principia CHAPTER THREE: Some General Aspects of the Principia CHAPTER FOUR: Some Fundamental Concepts of the Principia CHAPTER FIVE : Axioms, or the Laws of Motion CHAPTER SIX: The Structure of Book 1 CHAPTER SEVEN: The Structure of Book 2 CHAPTER EIGHT: The Structure of Book 3 CHAPTER NINE : The Concluding General Scholium CHAPTER TEN: How to Read the Principia CHAPTER ELEVEN : Conclusion THE PRINCIPIA (Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy) Halley's Ode to Newton Newton's Preface to the First Edition Newton's Preface to the Second Edition Cotes s Preface to the Second Edition Newton's Preface to the Third Edition Definitions Axioms, or the Laws of Motion BOOK 1: THE MOTION OF BODIES BOOK 2: THE MOTION OF BODIES BOOK 3: THE SYSTEM OF THE WORLD General Scholium Index

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Book SynopsisRenowned philosopher of science David Z Albert offers an innovative approach to understanding the fundamental physical underpinnings of quantum mechanics. Albert shows how we can discern all the baffling features of quantum theory in a simple picture of the pushings and pullings of concrete and high-dimensional, fundamental physical “stuff.”Trade ReviewThe physical interpretation of quantum mechanics has been a controversial riddle since the 1920s, when Niels Bohr argued that the atom’s inner workings could not be described in physical terms. Today, many philosophers and physicists disagree, but there’s no consensus on an alternative. Philosopher David Albert’s provocative book argues, in three essays, that Bohr’s quantum-measurement problem starts to make sense if the wave function is understood as the fundamental physical ‘stuff’ of the Universe. -- Andrew Robinson * Nature *An enormously significant contribution to the philosophy of physics and to metaphysics more generally. In his usual charming and deceptively easy-to-follow style, Albert proposes a novel account of the relation between the fundamental and the non-fundamental—one of the central issues in metaphysics. This is sure to generate a great deal of discussion in the field. -- Barry Loewer, Distinguished Professor of Philosophy, Rutgers UniversityA must-read for anyone interested in the philosophy of physics or adjacent portions of metaphysics. Wave-function realism’s offensive is advanced, its defenses bolstered, its intuitive core reimagined. Insightful and deep and challenging and (of course) fun—vintage Albert. -- Theodore Sider, author of The Tools of Metaphysics and the Metaphysics of ScienceAlbert presents a strikingly original picture of the structure of quantum mechanics and how it describes the world. He shows, by construction, what it is that unifies approaches like the Ghirardi-Rimini-Weber theory, Bohmian mechanics, and the many-worlds formulations. For those who understand the quantum measurement problem and have begun to think carefully about how to solve it, this is an essential read. -- Jeffrey Barrett, author of The Conceptual Foundations of Quantum MechanicsFor a quarter of a century, David Albert has been one of the chief advocates of the wave-function-realist interpretation of quantum mechanics. In this beautifully written and provocative new book, Albert presents the case, as he sees it, for wave-function realism and its surprising higher-dimensional metaphysical framework. -- Alyssa Ney, author of The World in the Wave Function: A Metaphysics for Quantum PhysicsQuantum-mechanical phenomena prove that somehow or other classical physics—and even ‘common sense’—have led us massively astray about the fundamental structure of the world. Albert, in his inimitable conversational style, digs deeply into the argument that our intuitive notion of the structure of physical space lies at the root of the problem. -- Tim Maudlin, author of Philosophy of Physics: Quantum Theory

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Book SynopsisThis lively account of the foundations of quantum mechanics is at once elementary and deeply challenging. It is an introduction accessible to anyone with high school mathematics and, at the same time, a rigorous discussion of the most important recent advances in our understanding of quantum physics, a number of them made by the author himself.Trade ReviewOver the past two decades, philosophers of physics have worked long and hard…to extract the philosophical pith from the theoretical physics. There are now a number of excellent books which explain the issues at a reasonably advanced level to non-physicists. Albert’s is among the best of the bunch. -- David Papineau * Times Literary Supplement *A lively, lucid, elementary, yet deeply challenging account. The layperson and seasoned philosopher and scientist alike could do no better in their attempts to get out of the quantum muddle than to read this book. -- Frank Arntzenius, University of Southern CaliforniaThis is a wholly original, engaging, and provocative work on the conceptual foundations of quantum mechanics, written in David Albert’s inimitable style. -- Jeffrey Bub, University of MarylandTable of ContentsPreface 1. Superposition 2. The Mathematical Formalism and the Standard Way of Thinking about It 3. Nonlocality 4. The Measurement Problem 5. The Collapse of the Wave Function 6. The Dynamics by Itself 7. Bohm's Theory 8. Self-Measurement Appendix: The Kochen-Healy-Dieks Interpretations Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisThe New Biology argues that mechanical reductionism, though helpful in answering many biological questions, cannot on its own explain complex biological systems. Promoting a more holistic approach, the authors contend that both mechanistic and organicist views are invaluable frameworks for understanding life.Trade ReviewA feisty, engaging, and highly readable exploration of contemporary trends in biology. This book makes a compelling case for recovering organicist approaches to biology if we are to understand the complexity of life and biological systems. -- Alister McGrath, Andreas Idreos Professor of Science and Religion, University of Oxford Since the time of Aristotle, the nature of living systems has been a topic of major philosophical and scientific debate, enhanced by the rise of molecular biology and the sciences of emergent complexity during the twentieth century. In lucid prose, Reiss and Ruse reveal how the debate is extremely relevant to our lives today. -- Bruce Weber, coauthor of Darwinism Evolving The mechanism-holism debate undergirds much of the history and philosophy of biology, but it is often cast as a stale topic fraught with abstractions about the properties of life. This book offers us a lively, engaging, and occasionally provocative rethink about an age-old topic that is very much alive and relevant to contemporary biology today. -- Vassiliki Betty Smocovitis, University of Florida A fascinating exploration. Reiss and Ruse offer a clear roadmap for a better understanding of complexity and emergence across the life sciences, vital for evolution, behavioral science, science education, and science's conversation with faith. -- Joe Cain, Professor, University College London Science is often portrayed as an objective quest for truth, not influenced by the social, cultural, historical, and religious contexts in which it is practiced. In this splendid book, Michael Ruse and Michael Reiss show that science has always been, and will likely always be, in reciprocal influence, and in continuous interaction, with the many ways through which we perceive the world. Reading this book will make you see science in a brand new way. -- Kostas Kampourakis, coauthor of Uncertainty: How It Makes Science Advance This is an informative, clearly written, and timely exploration of the historical roots and the current uses and misuses of the notions of mechanism and organicism. The insights in this book could lead to richer methodologies and better coping mechanisms across health, gender, race, ecological sustainability, and religion. -- Eva Jablonka, author of Picturing the Mind: Consciousness through the Lens of Evolution

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewOne of Science Friday's Best Science Books of 2015, chosen by Maria Popova One of The Independent.ie Irish Writers' Top Reads 2015 One of Brainpickings' The Best Science Books of 2015 "The Physicist and the Philosopher is an extraordinarily rich and wide-ranging work. Canales has rescued from near oblivion a fascinating, highly significant debate that is still relevant in an age which has begun uneasily to question the hegemony of science and its uncontrollable child, technology."--John Banville, London Review of Books "In illuminating a historic 1922 debate between Albert Einstein and Henri Bergson about the nature of time, Canales marks a turning point in the power of philosophy to influence science."--Publishers Weekly "Sparks--both incendiary and illuminating--fly from the collision of two giants!"--Booklist, starred review "This fascinating, scholarly, readable look at physics and epistemology will interest readers of science, history, philosophy, and biography."--Library Journal, starred review "Whether or not you agree, this humane and melancholy account of how two talents misunderstood each other will linger in the mind."--New Scientist "[Canales] weaves a tale around Europe and to America... [Her] subject raises important core philosophical issues, like the scope of philosophy itself."--Michael Ruse, The Chronicle of Higher Education "This fascinating book traces a debate about the nature of time... Canales has done a masterful job of research and explication. Her account of the debate is lively, the background of it is interesting, and the debate's ramifications as filtered through other minds are downright exciting. Anyone interested in physics or philosophy will have a field day with this book."--Kelly Cherry, The Smart Set "Canales does sterling work investigating these engagements ... [A] stimulating book."--Graham Farmelo, Nature "In The Physicist and the Philosopher, Canales recounts how Bergson challenged Einstein's theories, arguing that time is not a fourth dimension definable by scientists but a 'vital impulse,' the source of creativity. It was an incendiary topic at the time, and it shaped a split between science and humanities that persisted for decades--though Einstein was generally seen as the winner and Bergson is all but forgotten."--Nancy Szokan, Washington Post "A book remarkable both for its profound research and for its elegance in presentation. Intellectual history should always be so accessible."--Benjamin Franklin Martin, Key Reporter "[General and professional readers] will learn much from a study that is accessible and edifying to a great diversity of readers."--Choice "The Physicist and the Philosopher ... is at least three things: a monument to precise scholarship, an exemplar of logical clarity, and a fine example of excellent writing. I have rarely learned more from a book."--Peter A.Y. Gunter, Physics in Perspective "Brilliant."--James Gleick, Bits in the Ether "A masterwork of cultural forensics."--Maria Popova, Brainpickings "It's hard to imagine that any single author will ever outdo this account of the recent history of our concepts of time."--Chris Nunn, Journal of Consciousness Studies "A gripping critique of Einstein's thought and a convincing rehabilitation of Bergsonian time, freed from the tyranny of mathematics."--Hilary Davies, The TabletTable of ContentsPreface vii PART 1. THE DEBATE CHAPTER 1 Untimely 3 CHAPTER 2 "More Einsteinian than Einstein" 16 CHAPTER 3 Science or Philosophy? 38 PART 2. THE MEN CHAPTER 4 The Twin Paradox 53 CHAPTER 5 Bergson's Achilles' Heel 62 CHAPTER 6 Worth Mentioning? 73 CHAPTER 7 Bergson Writes to Lorentz 87 CHAPTER 8 Bergson Meets Michelson 98 CHAPTER 9 The Debate Spreads 114 CHAPTER 10 Back from Paris 131 CHAPTER 11 Two Months Later 139 CHAPTER 12 Logical Positivism 153 CHAPTER 13 The Immediate Aftermath 162 CHAPTER 14 An Imaginary Dialogue 172 CHAPTER 15 "Full-Blooded" Time 179 CHAPTER 16 The Previous Spring 195 CHAPTER 17 The Church 203 CHAPTER 18 The End of Universal Time 218 CHAPTER 19 Quantum Mechanics 230 PART 3. THE THINGS CHAPTER 20 Things 241 CHAPTER 21 Clocks and Wristwatches 252 CHAPTER 22 Telegraph, Telephone, and Radio 265 CHAPTER 23 Atoms and Molecules 274 CHAPTER 24 Einstein's Films: Reversible 283 CHAPTER 25 Bergson's Movies: Out of Control 292 CHAPTER 26 Microbes and Ghosts 303 CHAPTER 27 One New Point: Recording Devices 315 PART 4. THE WORDS CHAPTER 28 Bergson's Last Comments 327 CHAPTER 29 Einstein's Last Thoughts 337 Postface 349 Acknowledgments 359 Notes 363 Bibliography 423 Index 451

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"One of Waterstones' Books of the Year 2020: Popular Science""Shortlisted for the Royal Society Insight Investment Prize for Science Books""One of the Financial Times' Summer Books of 2020: Science""One of the Financial Times' Best Books of 2020: Science""One of Symmetry Magazine's Top Physics Books of 2020""Many distinguished physicists have set out to explain their weird and wonderful world to lay readers but few have done so with the simple elegance of Al-Khalili, a physics professor at the University of Surrey best known for his radio and television programmes about science. He calls this book 'an ode to physics'; it is also an ode to joy in science."---Clive Cookson, Financial Times"Jim Al-Khalili's The World According to Physics is a thrilling ride . . . [it] makes cutting-edge physics easily understandable and makes it clear why he fell in love with the subject as a teenager."---Richard Webb, New Scientist"Broadcaster and quantum physicist Jim Al-Khalili is a superb guide to the fundamental principles of quantum theory, relativity and thermodynamics." * Mail on Sunday *"Al-Khalili shows how physics can enrich our understanding not just of the world around us, but of ourselves, too."---Hannah Shaddock, Radio Times"A deeply insightful exploration into reality itself."---Jonathan Wells, Gentleman's Journal"A fantastic book . . . [it] helped me to remember what I first loved about the subject."---Daniel Bennett, BBC Science Focus Podcast"A quantum physicist and BBC host introduces modern physics by explaining its fundamental concepts of space, time, energy, and matter, then describing the field’s three pillars—quantum theory, relativity, and thermodynamics." * Publishers Weekly *"This book is a refreshing, equations-free, occasionally philosophical take on what physics is all about that should appeal to physicists and the public alike." * Nature Astronomy *"Ever wanted to get into quantum physics, but been afraid to try? This book might be the answer. Bestselling author and BBC host Jim Al-Kahlili invites us to understand reality and the universe better as he explains modern physics to us."---Claire Handscombe, Book Riot"People should enjoy physics, says Al-Khalili, and you can’t help thinking as you are propelled along through the historical and familiar principles, as well as more recent and emerging ideas, that he is entirely correct. . . . The beauty of [Al-Khalili's] approach is that it keeps open the sense of wonder, discovery and possibility that is so attractive to the non-specialist reader."---Nick Smith, Engineering & Technology"Teachers will be able to mine Al-Khalili’s text for wonderful facts and examples that are scattered throughout the book. . . . Al-Khalili has melded his expertise in physics and as a science communicator to very good effect indeed."---Rick Marshall, Physics Education"Al-Khalili travels from the quantum to the cosmological in exploring the science of matter, energy, space and time that underlie all our everyday experiences and technologies."---Mike Perricone, Symmetry Magazine"This very insightful book illustrates why physics matters to everyone and calls on anyone and everyone to engage in the profound adventure of pursuing truth in the world around us."---Ali Kaya, Abakcus

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Book SynopsisToday, art and science are often defined in opposition to each other: one involves the creation of individual aesthetic objects, and the other the discovery of general laws of nature. Throughout human history, however, the boundaries have been less clearly drawn: knowledge and artifacts have often issued from the same source, the head and hands of the artisan. And artists and scientists have always been linked, on a fundamental level, by their reliance on creative thinking. Art and Science is the only book to survey the vital relationship between these two fields of endeavour in its full scope, from prehistory to the present day. Individual chapters explore how science has shaped architecture in every culture and civilisation; how mathematical principles and materials science have underpinned the decorative arts; how the psychology of perception has spurred the development of painting; how graphic design and illustration have evolved in tandem with methTrade Review"An accessible work, rich and well researched." -- La Monde "Attractive, heavily illustrated, and up-to-date, this gift book provides a quick synopsis of human achievement during the past few millennia. While it falls gracefully into the category of coffee-table book, it is not all fluff...the book deftly covers all the expected historical developments without rendering them dull." -- Library Journal "An abundantly illustrated history of the dynamic interaction between the arts and sciences shows hows it has shaped our world, from prehistory to the present." -- Publishers WeeklyTable of ContentsContents: The art and science dialogue A dynamic history Science in architecture Decoration: a path to hi-tech Painting and cognition The language of graphic design Technique and the performing arts An art and science symbiosis Bibliography Index of names Index of subjects Credits

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Book SynopsisA theoretical physicist and feminist theorist, Karen Barad elaborates her theory of agential realism, a schema that is at once a new epistemology, ontology, and ethics.Trade Review“Meeting the Universe Halfway is highly original, exciting, and important. In this book Karen Barad puts her expertise in feminist studies and quantum physics to superb use, offering agential realism as an important alternative to representationalism.”—Arthur Zajonc, coauthor of The Quantum Challenge: Modern Research on the Foundation of Quantum Mechanics“Meeting the Universe Halfway is the most important and exciting book in science studies that I have read in a long time. Karen Barad provides an original and satisfying response to a perennial problem in philosophy and cultural theory: how to grasp matter and meaning or causality and discourse together, without either erasing one of them or introducing an unbridgeable dualism. These theoretical abstractions come alive in Barad’s vivid examples; she shows that uncompromisingly rigorous analysis of difficult theoretical issues need not sacrifice concreteness or accessibility. Her methodological lessons from the diffraction of light and her convincing interpretations of familiar puzzles and recent experimental results in quantum physics also display how science and science studies can genuinely learn from one another. What other book could be a ‘must read’ in such diverse fields as science studies, foundations of quantum mechanics, feminist and queer theory, and philosophical metaphysics and epistemology?”—Joseph Rouse, Wesleyan University“Karen Barad’s Meeting the Universe Halfway makes fundamental contributions to science studies, philosophy, feminist theory, and physics—it is a rare book that can do that. This is an important, ambitious, readable, risk-taking, and very smart book, one to savor and grow with. Barad elaborates Niels Bohr’s philosophy-physics in the light of feminist science studies to propose an account of material-discursive practices in scientific knowledge. Eschewing all romantic appropriations of quantum physics that evade strong knowledge claims, Barad argues that Bohr’s interpretation of the experimental-theoretical nexus of quantum mechanics is crucial to understanding how observations and agencies of observation cannot be independent. ‘Agencies of observation’ are not liberal opinion-bearers, but situated entities made up of humans and non-humans in specific relationship. Reality is not independent of our explorations of it; and reality is not a matter of opinion, but of the material consequences of some cuts and not others made in the fabric of the world. As Barad reminds us, identities are always formed in intra-action. Ethical practices and consequences are intrinsic to the web. These issues are at the heart of debates about ‘constructivism,’ ‘realism,’ and the import of science studies, including feminist science studies, for configuring the nature of objective knowledge and the kinds of authorized actors in public worlds deeply shaped by science and technology.”—Donna Haraway, author of Modest_Witness@Second_Millennium.FemaleMan©_Meets_OncoMouse™: Feminism and Technoscience“Meeting the Universe Halfway is an ambitious, thought-provoking, challenging book. . . . The book is a provocative, generative, contribution to our attempts to provide effective tools to describe and understand the rapidly changing world we are part of. It deserves wide analysis and discussion. My intent here is to argue that it merits the serious attention of historians, philosophers, sociologists of science, and science studies and STS scholars.” -- S. S. Schweber * ISIS *Table of ContentsPreface and Acknowledgments ix Part I. Entangled Beginnings Introduction: The Science and Ethics of Mattering 3 1. Meeting the Universe Halfway 39 2. Diffractions: Differences, Contingencies, and Entanglements That Matter 71 Part II. Intra-Actions Matter 3. Niels Bohr's Philosophy-Physics: Quantum Physics and the Nature of Knowledge and Reality 97 4. Agential Realism: How Material-Discursive Practices Matter 132 Part III. Entanglements and Re(Con)figurations 5. Getting Real: Technoscientific Practices and the Materialization of Reality 189 6. Spacetime Re(con)figurings: Naturalcultural Forces and Changing Topologies of Power 223 7. Quantum Entanglements: Experimental Metaphysics and the Nature of Nature 247 8. The Ontology of Knowing, the Intra-activity of Becoming, and the Ethics of Mattering 353 Appendix A. Cascade Experiment, by Alice Fulton 397 Appendix B. The Uncertainty Principle is Not the Basis of Bohr's Complementarity 399 Appendix C. Controversy concerning the Relationship between Bohr's Principle of Complementarity and Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle 402 Notes 405 References 477 Index 493

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Book SynopsisA new understanding of the role of myth and archetypal principles in our lives, based on the insights of a new cosmology.Trade Review'The radically expanded cosmological perspective that Keiron Le Grice has set out in The Archetypal Cosmos reflects a paradigm shift of enormous relevance for the future of psychology and psychotherapy. Le Grice has performed an invaluable service in carefully thinking through and articulating a spiritually informed view of the cosmos that integrates these developments … A lucid and groundbreaking synthesis.' — Stanislav Grof, author of Psychology of the Future and When the Impossible Happens'Le Grice has a gift, perhaps even a genius, for extremely clear assessments, expositions, and formulations of complex ideas -- all grounded in a deeper vision of things, which makes this clarity possible.'-- Richard Tarnas, author of The Passion of the Western Mind and Cosmos and Psyche'Keiron Le Grice's book is a fantastic achievement, combining complex theories from leading figures in psychology and the physical sciences -- especially Carl Jung, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, and David Bohm. Le Grice's original synthesis demonstrates how profoundly these figures belong together in a new unified world view. With both the excellence of the writing and the high-powered nature of the ideas, The Archetypal Cosmos is destined to be an essential element in the contemporary planetary canon.'-- Brian Swimme, Professor of Cosmology, California Institute of Integral Studies'Humanity has much to gain from this synthesis between planetary cycles and the dynamics and patterns of human experience.'--Ruth Parnell, Nexus, April/May 2011.'The book takes the reader on an epic journey through many contrasting landscapes of thought.'The book is a brilliant synthesis of new ideas, and readers will have to decide for themselves whether the argument is ultimately compelling. It is certainly stated in a comprehensive manner.'--David Lorimer, Scientific Medical Network Review, Summer 2011'This is a book of considerable importance and relevance to the times we live in; for what it does is to bridge and overcome the longstanding historic gap between inner and outer worlds, thereby demolishing the West's Cartesian dualism in all its aspects. No mean thing, to put it lightly; and in doing this it heralds a new age which its author believes has already begun.'Keiron Le Grice's The Archetypal Cosmos has an immense amount to offer, having given this reviewer much food for thought.'--Jack Herbert, Temenos Academy

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Book SynopsisScientific literacy is an essential aspect of any undergraduate education. Recipes for Science responds to this need by providing an accessible introduction to the nature of science and scientific methods appropriate for any beginning college student. The book is adaptable to a wide variety of different courses, such as introductions to scientific reasoning, methods courses in scientific disciplines, science education, and philosophy of science.Special features of Recipes for Science include contemporary and historical case studies from many fields of physical, life, and social sciences; visual aids to clarify and illustrate ideas; text boxes to explore related topics; plenty of exercises to support student recall and application of concepts; suggestions for further readings at the end of each chapter; a glossary with helpful definitions of key terms; and a companion website with course syllabi, internet resources, PowerPoint presentations, lecture notes, addi

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Book SynopsisNobel laureate Erwin Schrödinger's What is Life? is one of the great science classics of the twentieth century. The philosopher Karl Popper hailed it as a 'beautiful and important book' by 'a great man to whom I owe a personal debt for many exciting discussions'.Table of ContentsPreface; 1. The classical physicist's approach to the subject; 2. The hereditary mechanism; 3. Mutations; 4. The quantum-mechanical evidence; 5. Delbruck's model discussed and tested; 6. Order, disorder and entropy; 7. Is life based on the laws of physics?; Epilogue: on determinism and free will; Mind and Matter: 1. The physical basis of consciousness; 2. The future of understanding; 3. The principle of objectivation; 4. The arithmetical paradox: the oneness of mind; 5. Science and religion; 6. The mystery of the sensual qualities; Autobiographical sketches (translated from the German by Schrödinger's granddaughter Verena).

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Book SynopsisThe eighteenth-century naturalist Erasmus Darwin (grandfather of Charles) argued that plants are animate, living beings and attributed them sensation, movement, and a certain degree of mental activity, emphasizing the continuity between humankind and plant existence. Two centuries later, the understanding of plants as active and communicative organisms has reemerged in such diverse fields as plant neurobiology, philosophical posthumanism, and ecocriticism. The Language of Plants brings together groundbreaking essays from across the disciplines to foster a dialogue between the biological sciences and the humanities and to reconsider our relation to the vegetal world in new ethical and political terms.Viewing plants as sophisticated information-processing organisms with complex communication strategies (they can sense and respond to environmental cues and play an active role in their own survival and reproduction through chemical languages) radically transforms our notion of plants as unresponsive beings, ready to be instrumentally appropriated. By providing multifaceted understandings of plants, informed by the latest developments in evolutionary ecology, the philosophy of biology, and ecocritical theory, The Language of Plants promotes the freedom of imagination necessary for a new ecological awareness and more sustainable interactions with diverse life forms.Contributors: Joni Adamson, Arizona State U; Nancy E. Baker, Sarah Lawrence College; Karen L. F. Houle, U of Guelph; Luce Irigaray, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Paris; Erin James, U of Idaho; Richard Karban, U of California at Davis; André Kessler, Cornell U; Isabel Kranz, U of Vienna; Michael Marder, U of the Basque Country (UPV-EHU); Timothy Morton, Rice U; Christian Nansen, U of California at Davis; Robert A. Raguso, Cornell U; Catriona Sandilands, York U.Trade Review"The Language of Plants boasts a consistent and compelling through-line: what kind of 'languages' plants use and how the plant languages themselves might change the languages humans use to talk about plants. A collection of high-quality essays like this one constitutes a very timely introduction and intervention in critical plant studies."—Jeffrey T. Nealon, author of Plant Theory: Biopower and Vegetable Life"The Language of Plants is an excellent and important collection of original essays that intervene in the exceptionally rapidly growing field of critical plant studies, contributing to a contemporary movement to de-center the human, overcome dualistic thinking, and grant agency, intelligence, and consciousness to matter."—Cheryll Glotfelty, co-editor of The Bioregional Imagination: Literature, Ecology, and Place"Any individuals concerned for plants and the environment will find this a worthwhile, thought-provoking book."—CHOICE"From notions of plant intelligence to decoding the lexicon of compounds that allows vegetal life to communicate with friends, foes and themselves, this mind-expanding work opens up new ways of apprehending the world."—The Sydney Morning Herald"The editors have gathered essays from the realms of science, literature and philosophy to make a provocative read in hopes of deepening the appreciation of the interdependence of humans and plants. "—The AgeTable of ContentsContentsIntroductionMonica Gagliano, John C. Ryan, and Patrícia Vieira Part I. Science1. The Language of Plant Communication (and How it Compares to Animal Communication)Richard Karban2. Speaking in Chemical Tongues: Decoding the Language of Plant VolatilesRobert A. Raguso and André Kessler3. Unravelling the “Radiometric Signals” from Green LeavesChristian Nansen4. Breaking the Silence: Green Mudras and the Faculty of Language in PlantsMonica GaglianoPart II. Philosophy5. To Hear Plants SpeakMichael Marder6. What the Vegetal World Says to UsLuce Irigaray7. The Intelligence of Plants and the Problem of Language: A Wittgensteinian ApproachNancy E. Baker8. A Tree By Any Other Name: Language-use and Linguistic ResponsibilityKaren L. F. Houle9. What Vegetables Are Saying about ThemselvesTimothy MortonPart III. Literature10. The Language of Flowers in Popular Culture and BotanyIsabel Kranz11. Phytographia: Literature as Plant WritingPatrícia Vieira12. Insinuations: Thinking Plant Politics with The Day of the TriffidsJoni Adamson and Catriona Sandilands13. What the Plant Says: Plant Narrators and the Ecosocial ImaginaryErin James14. In the Key of Green?: The Silent Voices of Plants in PoetryJohn C. RyanAcknowledgmentsContributorsIndex

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Book SynopsisExplores the wealth of evidence for the reality of the biofield. Examining the wealth of evidence supporting the reality of the human biofield, Eric Leskowitz, M.D., explores the role of life energy in healing therapies and outlines its many manifestations at the individual, group, and global levels. He shows how energy therapies have been taboo in the West, from the French Royal Academy’s suppression of Franz Mesmer’s animal magnetism, to the FDA’s persecution of Wilhelm Reich and his orgone box therapy, to Wikipedia’s biased coverage of energy psychology. He then reveals irrefutable evidence for the clinical benefits of energy-based therapies and describes the obstacles he faced in his own attempts to bring these holistic approaches into the world of academic medicine. The author’s detailed exploration of phantom limb pain shows that this phenomenon is not a psychosomatic creation of the brain but is a tangible energetic st

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Book SynopsisFritjof Capra and Ugo Mattei argue that at the root of many of the environmental, economic, and social crises we face today is a legal system based on an obsolete worldview. Capra, a bestselling author, physicist, and systems theorist, and Mattei, a distinguished legal scholar, explain how, by incorporating concepts from modern science, the law can become an integral part of bringing about a better world, rather than facilitating its destruction.This is the first book to trace the fascinating parallel history of law and science from antiquity to modern times, showing how the two disciplines have always influenced each other - until recently. In the past few decades, science has shifted from seeing the natural world as a kind of cosmic machine best understood by analyzing each cog and sprocket to a systems perspective that views the world as a vast network of fluid communities and studies their dynamic interactions. The concept of ecology exemplifies this approach. But law is stuck in the old mechanistic paradigm: the world is simply a collection of discrete parts, and ownership of these parts is an individual right, protected by the state. Capra and Mattei show that this has led to overconsumption, pollution, and a general disregard on the part of the powerful for the common good.Capra and Mattei outline the basic concepts and structures of a legal order consistent with the ecological principles that sustain life on this planet. This is a profound and visionary reconceptualization of the very foundations of the Western legal system, a kind of Copernican revolution in the law, with profound implications for the future of our planet.

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Book Synopsis‘The most important book of 2022.’ Dr. Robert Malone Desmet’s work on mass formation theory was brought to the world’s attention on The Joe Rogan Experience and in major alternative news outlets around the globe. Read this book to get beyond the sound bites! In The Psychology of Totalitarianism, world-renowned Professor of Clinical Psychology Mattias Desmet deconstructs the societal conditions that allow collective hypnosis to take hold. By analysing the global pandemic, he identifies the phenomenon of ‘mass formation’ and illustrates how humanity is being forcibly, unconsciously led into a reality of technocratic totalitarianism, which aggressively excludes alternative views and relies on destructive groupthink, vilifying non-conformist thought as ‘dissident.’ Building on Hannah Arendt’s essential work on totalitarianism, The Origins of Totalitarianism, Desmet offers a sharp critique of the cultural ‘groupthink’ that existed pre-pandemic but has steadily and inexorably advanced during the Covid crisis. He cautions against the dangers of our current societal landscape, media consumption, and reliance on manipulative technologies, offering simple solutions – both individual and collective – to prevent the willing sacrifice of our ability to think critically. The Psychology of Totalitarianism serves as an indispensable and fundamental guide to understanding this key moment in history. ‘Mattias Desmet's [theory of mass formation hypnosis] is great. . . . Once I kind of started to look for it, I saw it everywhere.’ Eric ClaptonTrade Review"As I walk through the halls of a major US medical center, I see eyes that divert themselves away from me as I pass. When we engage in our usual discussions on patients, the topic of COVID-19 vaccination brings a halting response: ‘We don’t want to talk about it.’ I see fear, shame, and a never-ending cycle of groupthink that has been more contagious among physicians than aerosolized SARS-CoV-2 in a crowded elevator. Mattias Desmet, like a guided missile, has hit the target. The medical community is in mass formation and this led to a much larger penumbra that has enveloped the general population. In this book, Desmet has constructed an explanatory framework from which the cohesive fabric is suspended that clearly and concisely explains what is happening and what the next steps are that each and every one of us need to take to break the ‘spell’ and restore normalcy. A must read for our time.” —Peter A. McCullough, MD, MPH; chief medical advisor, Truth for Health Foundation"Transcending medical controversies, this book offers an indispensable window into the social phenomenon we call COVID." —Charles Eisenstein, author of Sacred Economics and The Coronation"Mattias Desmet is the world’s expert on the phenomenon of mass formation—and one of the most sincere, thoughtful, and important intellectuals of the twenty-first century. If you want to understand why and how the coronavirus pandemic response unfolded the way it did at a societal level and—even more importantly—how to prevent such a travesty from happening again, The Psychology of Totalitarianism is essential reading. Desmet shows us how to reclaim our humanity in an increasingly dehumanized and mechanized world." —Dr. Reiner Fuellmich, trial attorney; cofounder, Berlin’s Corona Investigative Committee"In this masterful book, Desmet asks how we have arrived at the doorstep of totalitarianism. Taking the reader on a wild, scholarly ride through history, science, and psychology, he delivers answers both necessary and unexpected." —Heather Heying, PhD, evolutionary biologist; coauthor of A Hunter-Gatherer’s Guide to the 21st Century"Desmet is waking a lot of people up to the dangerous place we are now with a brilliant distillation of how we ended up here." —Robert F. Kennedy, Jr."Mattias Desmet’s theory of mass formation is the most important lens through which we can understand the COVID-19 pandemic and the social aberrations that accompanied it. In The Psychology of Totalitarianism, Desmet explains how and why people will willingly give up their freedom, how the masses can give rise to a totalitarian leader, and—most importantly—how we can resist these phenomena and maintain our common humanity. This is the most important book of 2022." —Dr. Robert Malone, author of Lies My Gov’t Told Me"Mattias Desmet’s [theory of mass formation hypnosis] is great. . . . Once I kind of started to look for it, I saw it everywhere." —Eric Clapton"The foundational thinkers on mass formation are joined by Mattias Desmet, who now stands shoulder to shoulder with the likes of Arendt, Jung and Freud. His understanding and analysis of contemporary group behavior in a destabilized society, presents a fascinating window into the minds of the most complex beings on the planet. Desmet’s seminal work underlines the increasingly dangerous behavior of humanity—and that it must be understood and reversed if we are to survive as a species." —David Marks, writer and documentary producer"One of the most important books I’ve ever read." —Ivor Cummins, The Fat Emperor Podcast

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Book Synopsis‘Fascinating’ – Brian Cox, Mail on Sunday Books of the Year Where are we? Who are we? Do our beliefs, hopes and dreams hold any significance out there in the void? Can human purpose and meaning ever fit into a scientific worldview? Award-winning author Sean Carroll brings his extraordinary intellect to bear on the realms of knowledge, the laws of nature and the most profound questions about life, death and our place in it all. From Darwin and Einstein to the origins of life, consciousness and the universe itself, Carroll combines cosmos-sprawling science and profound thought in a quest to explain our world. Destined to sit alongside the works of our greatest thinkers, The Big Picture demonstrates that while our lives may be forever dwarfed by the immensity of the universe, they can be redeemed by our capacity to comprehend it and give it meaning.Trade Review‘It’s very much in the tradition of Carl Sagan’s Cosmos, which is one of my all-time favourite science books. Books like that are not only about science, they put science in the wider context of our society…they explain and present not only the things we’ve learned about a relatively esoteric subject, but link those discoveries to our experience. Learning about nature teaches us about ourselves and how we should behave. I think that the best science books make that connection.’ -- Professor Brian Cox, ‘science writers on the books that inspired them’, Guardian‘An extraordinarily ambitious synthesis of science and philosophy…The Big Picture impresses. Carroll is a lively and sympathetic author who writes as well about biology and philosophy as he does about his own field of physics.’ * Clive Cookson, Financial Times *‘Bold...rich in detail and absorbing.’ * Tim Radford, Guardian *‘Sean Carroll’s lucid The Big Picture reveals how the universe works and our place in it. Carroll, a philosophically sophisticated physicist, discusses consciousness without gimmicks, and deftly shows how current physics is so solid that it rules out ESP for ever.’ * Observer *‘A humane and compelling story for our increasingly secular age.’ * Manjit Kumar, Literary Review *‘A highly enjoyable and lucid tour through a wide range of topics…even if you don’t agree with what [Carroll] says, you are unlikely to be enraged by such an urbane and engaging lecturer; more likely, you will be enthralled.’ * Wall Street Journal *‘Language, philosophy, quantum mechanics, general relativity – they’re all in The Big Picture. Sean Carroll is a fantastically erudite and entertaining writer.’ -- Elizabeth Kolbert, author of New York Times bestseller The Sixth Extinction‘Weaving the threads of astronomy, physics, chemistry, biology, and philosophy into a seamless narrative tapestry, Sean Carroll enthralls us with what we’ve figured out in the universe and humbles us with what we don’t yet understand. Yet in the end, it’s the meaning of it all that feeds your soul of curiosity.’ -- Neil deGrasse Tyson, host of Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey‘Carroll beautifully articulates the world view suggested by contemporary naturalism. Thorny issues like free will, the direction of time, and the source of morality are clarified with elegance and insight... This is a book that should be read by everybody.’ -- Carlo Rovelli, author of Seven Brief Lessons on Physics‘A tour de force that offers a comprehensive snapshot of the human situation in our infinitely strange universe, and it does this with highly accessible language and engaging storytelling.’ * Salon.com *‘Carroll’s new book reveals how physicists’ quest to better understand the fundamental laws of nature has led to astonishing insights into life, the universe, and everything.’ -- Sabine Hossenfelder, Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies‘[Carroll] sets out to show how various phenomena, including thought, choice, consciousness, and value, hang together with the scientific account of reality that has been developed in physics in the past 100 years. He attempts to do all this without relying on specialized jargon from philosophy and physics and succeeds spectacularly in achieving both aims.’ * Science *‘From the Big Bang to the meaning of human existence, The Big Picture is exactly that – a magisterial, yet deeply fascinating, grand tour through the issues that really matter. Blending science and philosophy, Sean Carroll gives us a humane perspective on the universe and our place in it. As gripping as it is important, The Big Picture can change the way you think about the world.’ -- Neil Shubin, author of Your Inner Fish‘Instead of feeling humbled and insignificant when gazing upward on a clear starry night, Carroll takes us by the hand and shows us how fantastic the inanimate physical Universe is and how special each animate human can be. It is lucid, spirited, and penetrating.’ -- Michael Gazzaniga, author of Who's in Charge? and Tales from Both Sides of the Brain‘In this timely exploration of the universe and its mysteries – both physical and metaphysical – Sean Carroll illuminates the world around us with clarity, beauty and, ultimately, with much needed wisdom.’ -- Deborah Blum, director, Knight Science Journalism Program at MIT, author of The Poisoner’s Handbook‘A nuanced inquiry into ‘how our desire to matter fits in with the nature of reality at its deepest levels,’ in which Carroll offers an assuring dose of what he calls "existential therapy" reconciling the various and often seemingly contradictory dimensions of our experience.’ -- Maria Popova, Brain Pickings‘Sean Carroll is a leading theoretical cosmologist with the added ability to write about his subject with unusual clarity, flare, and wit.’ -- Alan Lightman, author of The Accidental Universe and Einstein’s Dreams‘Carroll is the perfect guide to this wondrous journey of discovery. A brilliantly lucid exposition of profound philosophical and scientific issues...’ * Kirkus Reviews (starred review) *

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Book SynopsisPaul Feyerabend's globally acclaimed work, which sparked and continues to stimulate fierce debate, examines the deficiencies of many widespread ideas about scientific progress and the nature of knowledge. Feyerabend argues that scientific advances can only be understood in a historical context. He looks at the way the philosophy of science has consistently overemphasized practice over method, and considers the possibility that anarchism could replace rationalism in the theory of knowledge.This updated edition of the classic text includes a new introduction by Ian Hacking, one of the most important contemporary philosophers of science. Hacking reflects on both Feyerabend's life and personality as well as the broader significance of the book for current discussions.Trade ReviewA devastating attack on the claims of philosophy to legislate for scientific practice. * New Society *A brilliant polemic. * New Scientist *Since it was first published in 1975, Against Method has followed Popper's The Logic of Scientific Discovery and Kuhn's The Structure of Scientific Revolutions into becoming a classic text in the debate about scientific methodology and scientific reasoning. * The Philosopher *A powerful critique. * London Review of Books *Against Method is more than a book: it is an event. * Archives de Philosophie *

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Book SynopsisIn this landmark new book, Iain McGilchrist addresses some of the oldest and hardest questions humanity faces – ones that, however, have a practical urgency for all of us today. Who are we? What is the world? How can we understand consciousness, matter, space and time? Is the cosmos without purpose or value? Can we really neglect the sacred and divine? In doing so, he argues that we have become enslaved to an account of things dominated by the brain’s left hemisphere, one that blinds us to an awe-inspiring reality that is all around us, had we but eyes to see it. He suggests that in order to understand ourselves and the world we need science and intuition, reason and imagination, not just one or two; that they are in any case far from being in conflict; and that the brain’s right hemisphere plays the most important part in each. And he shows us how to recognise the ‘signature’ of the left hemisphere in our thinking, so as to avoid making decisions that bring disaster in their wake. Following the paths of cutting-edge neurology, philosophy and physics, he reveals how each leads us to a similar vision of the world, one that is both profound and beautiful – and happens to be in line with the deepest traditions of human wisdom. It is a vision that returns the world to life, and us to a better way of living in it: one we must embrace if we are to survive.Trade Review'It's very simple: this is one of the most important books ever published. And, yes, I do mean ever. It is a thrilling exposition of the nature of reality, and a devastating repudiation of the strident, banal orthodoxy that says it is childish and disreputable to believe that the world is alive with wonder and mystery. For McGilchrist the universe is a constantly evolving symphony; a gradual unfolding of an epic story. We urgently need to attune our ears to this music; to re-enchant the world and ourselves, and to confound those who say that there is only noise. No one else could have written this book. McGilchrist's range is as vast as the subject; which is everything. He is impeccably rigorous, fearlessly honest, and compellingly readable. Put everything else aside. Read this now to know what sort of creature you are and what sort of place you inhabit.' Professor Charles Foster, Oxford University, author of Being a Human and Being a Beast. 'The Matter with Things is a work of remarkable inspiration and erudition, written with the soul and subtlety of a poet, the precision of a philosopher, and the no nonsense grounding of a true scientist. In its pages, neuropsychology comes into conversation with philosophy, physics with poetry. Its author shows not just how our divided mind and brain makes us human, but how this gives us the potential both to understand and to misunderstand the world. Iain McGilchrist's book considers both great sources of awe and admiration: the starry heavens above as well as the mental life within. The author first offers intertwined analyses of brain function, cognition, and the structure of knowledge. Then he climbs his three-fold cord to a place from which one can survey the ultimate mysteries-the relationship of mind to matter, the concept of life, the contested role of purpose in the universe, and the nature of the sacred. McGilchrist is the most generous and talented of writers: his fluid account, brilliantly and beautifully argued-and meticulously researched-brings us along with him, step by step, until we too can discern the horizons of a reconfigured world. McGilchrist's appreciation of ambiguity and paradox only enhances the clarity and vitality of his thought. This is a book of surpassing, even world-historical ambition, and-still more rare-one that delivers on its promise.' Louis Sass, Distinguished Professor, Rutgers University; author of Madness and Modernism and of The Paradoxes of DelusionA magnificent achievement. The Master and His Emissary, Iain McGilchrist's earlier tour de force, ranks as a game-changer. It doesn't so much undermine common understandings of rationality as reframe them. The Matter with Things builds on that foundation, confirming the author's status as a leading contemporary polymath. With rarely matched clarity as well as deep learning, McGilchrist demonstrates not just that there is more to the world than matter, but also that there is more to matter itself than grasped by the shallow materialisms of our age.'; Rupert Shortt, Von Hugel Institute, University of Cambridge; and author of 'Outgrowing Dawkins: God for Grown-Ups' 'If we draw only on the left side of the brain, our culture paints a narrow picture composed via the hyper-specialism which bedevils contemporary intellectual life. In this sorry state, we badly need that now-almost-vanishingly rare personage, the true polymath. In Iain McGilchrist, in the nick of time, we have one. In this book, he draws quite magnificently on his post-disciplinary erudition precisely to explain how very much we lose when we draw only on the left hemisphere. If you want to understand why curiosity is in vogue but wonder is not; or why we aim directly at happiness and in doing so ineluctably become less happy; or why we like to talk about 'the environment' while Nature, upon which we utterly depend, we quietly desecrate; if you yearn to comprehend and question the rise of a desperate clinging to 'identity' within both the Left and the Right of politics; or if the way our civilisation tends to model human beings as machines disturbs or hurts you, then please read this book; for it sheds a profound light on these and so many other literally vital questions. If it were widely heeded, then perhaps, even at this late hour, our civilisation's merry march to a slow and brutal suicide might be halted. For this book is that most valuable of possible books: The Matter With Things is nothing less than a work of genius, diagnosing our dire predicament in full, and offering a way, instead.' Rupert Read, Professor of Philosophy, University of East Anglia; author of Wittgenstein's Liberatory Philosophy, This Civilisation is Finished and Parents for a Future.

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Book SynopsisInterdisciplinarity is an inflationary concept in the discourses of higher education and science policy. Yet, some recent structural reforms in European and US universities reflect fundamental changes in the organization of knowledge production and teaching. This publication takes a fresh look at the meaning given to the concept of interdisciplinarity with these reforms. It presents examples of different forms of interdisciplinary research and teaching. These case studies are put in the broader context of reflections on developments in the organization of universities and their implications for knowledge production.

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Book SynopsisThe scientific and rational conclusion that intelligence and not chaos is the driving force behind the universe.

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Book SynopsisIn this enlightening and entertaining book, author and Skeptical Inquirer editor Kendrick Frazier takes readers on a journey to the contentious boundary zone between science and its antagonists: pseudoscience (pretend science) and anti-science (open hostility to science). Pseudoscience romps in the shadows of science but takes on the guise of science to excite, sell, mislead, and deceive the public. Anti-science denigrates, even denies, findings of science for ideological ends. In this dangerous age of misinformation (and dis-information), we need science’s remarkable truth-seeking tools more than ever to help counter society’s crazier impulses in which opinion, beliefs, and lies trump facts, evidence, and truth.In one sense, Shadows of Science is Frazier’s love letter to science, one of humanity’s greatest inventions, one we should exalt for its unique ability to find provisional truths about nature. In congenial prose he reports on recent discoveries and describes how science works and how its error-correcting mechanisms lead eventually to new knowledge. He tells the stories of some of our champions of science and reason. He describes the little-appreciated values of science, how it embraces uncertainty and humility, and its emphasis on fact-based observation and experiment. Pseudoscience adopts some of science’s language and has a beguiling appeal, but there the similarities end. Frazier has professionally reported on frontier scientific discoveries and observed and exposed the pretensions and dangers of pseudoscience and anti-science his entire career. Here he shares his experiences, his knowledge and insights, and his love and passion for our ability to learn what’s real about the natural world—and to identify and expose fake science, pretend science, and anti-science in all their multifarious forms.

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Book SynopsisThroughout the ages, people have experienced the life-giving and healing forces in water. Water is integral to life, and surrounds us in nature and in our own bodies. But not all water is the same. Water can carry good energies, and bad energies. How can we understand water enough to know the difference?Theodor Schwenk, the renowned author of Sensitive Chaos, founded an institute for water research in the Black Forest in Germany. He developed the Drop Picture Method, which displays the characteristics of water clearly for the non-specialist. Today, the Institute continues his work and here presents momentous findings about the quality of our drinking water, groundwater, spring water and river water.Stunningly illustrated in colour, this book offers a unique insight into the world of water.Trade Review'Many of the photographs are beautiful...any book which brings a greater public awareness of the questions surrounding water and our relationship with it is to be welcomed.'--Robert Schuck, Light magazine, Winter 2006'This book makes a wonderful present! It presents in a clear way the nature of water and revealed out of the work of Theodor Schwenk. It is simply and richly laid out with colour, black and white photos and drawings of water phenomena. For me, the piece de resistance of the book are the wonderfully photographed images of time sequences stages of water dropping into still water.'-- Richard Swann, Star and Furrow, Winter 2005'A clear description of the drop picture method ... the book is beautifully illustrated throughout with fine photographs of water and studies of drop formations. It serves as a very valuable introduction to water's properties. For anyone who wants to understand water's life and formative power and something of its mysterious nature, the book is an excellent beginning.'-- Margaret Jonas, New View, December 2005'This book puts water and its patterns in perspective, concluding that we must understand the true nature of water as part of an effort to comprehend the cyclical workings of nature. In an age dominated by linear thinking and manipulation of nature, the significance of this lesson cannot be overstressed. This beautifully illustrated book will engage the reader both scientifically and aesthetically.'-- Scientific & Medical Network Review, December 2005Table of ContentsForeword 7Introduction 91. Water in Different Realms 112. Water Phenomena 253. The Drop Picture Method 454. Research Results Using the Drop Picture Method 635. Basic Research: Drop Phenomena 80Conclusion 93Appendix: The Institute of Flow Sciences, Herrischried 95Glossary 101Photograph acknowledgments 103References 103Bibliography 104Index 107

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Book SynopsisWhat is time? What does it mean for time to pass? Is it possible to travel in time? What is the difference between the past and future? Until the work of Newton, these questions were purely topics of philosophical speculation. Since then we''ve learned a great deal about time, and its study has moved from a subject of philosophical reflection to instead became part of the subject matter of physics. This Very Short Introduction introduces readers to the current physical understanding of the direction of time, from the Second Law of Thermodynamics to the emergence of complexity and life. Jenann Ismael charts the line of development in physical theory from Newton, via Einstein''s Theory of Relativity, to the current day. Einstein''s innovations led to a vision of time very different from the familiar time of everyday sense. In this new vision, time is one of the dimensions in which the universe is extended alongside the spatial dimensions. The universe appears as a static block of events, in which there is no more a difference between past and future than there is between east and west. Discussing the controversy and philosophical confusion which surrounded the reception of this new vision, Ismael also covers the contemporary mixture of statistical mechanics, cognitive science, and phenomenology that point the way to reconciling the familiar time of everyday sense with the vision of time presented in Einstein''s theories. Very Short Introductions: Brilliant, Sharp, Inspiring ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.Table of ContentsIntroduction 1: History up through Newton 2: From space and time to space-time: the era of Einstein 3: Philosophical implications of the relativistic conception of time 4: The direction of time 5: The time of human experience 6: The big picture and new horizons Further Reading Index

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Book Synopsis''The consciousness of knowing little, need not beget a distrust of that which he does not know.''In Natural Theology William Paley set out to prove the existence of God from the evidence of the beauty and order of the natural world. Famously beginning by comparing the world to a watch, whose design is self-evident, he goes on to provide examples from biology, anatomy, and astronomy in order to demonstrate the intricacy and ingenuity of design that could only come from a wise and benevolent deity. Paley''s legalistic approach and skilful use of metaphor and analogy were hugely successful, and equally controversial. Charles Darwin, whose investigations led to very different conclusions in the Origin of Species, was greatly influenced by the book''s cumulative structure and accessible style.This edition reprints the original text of 1802, and sets the book in the context of the theological, philosophical, and scientific debates of the nineteenth century. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 yeTrade ReviewThis is an astonishing book, made all the more accessible by some excellent modern footnotes * John Habgood, Church TImes *

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Book SynopsisFree yourself from cosmological tyranny! Everything started in a Big Bang? Invisible dark matter? Black holes? Why accept such a weird cosmos? For all those who wonder about this bizarre universe, and those who want to overthrow the Big Bang, this handbook gives you ''just the facts'': the observations that have shaped these ideas and theories. While the Big Bang holds the attention of scientists, it isn''t perfect. The authors pull back the curtains, and show how cosmology really works. With this, you will know your enemy, cosmic revolutionary - arm yourself for the scientific arena where ideas must fight for survival! This uniquely-framed tour of modern cosmology gives a deeper understanding of the inner workings of this fascinating field. The portrait painted is realistic and raw, not idealized and airbrushed - it is science in all its messy detail, which doesn''t pretend to have all the answers.Trade Review'Overthrowing all of modern cosmology isn't easy, but it could happen. Maybe you will be the one to do it! If you're up for the challenge, Luke A. Barnes and Geraint F. Lewis tell you exactly what you have to accomplish. Even if you don't topple the stodgy edifice of modern science, you'll certainly learn some exciting things about the universe along the way.' Sean Carroll, author of Something Deeply Hidden: Quantum Worlds and the Emergence of Spacetime'If you are looking for a fun rendezvous with the universe, this is the book for you! Barnes and Lewis help you understand the basics of cosmology with simplicity and clarity - quite a feat given the complexity of our universe.' Priyamvada Natarajan, author of Mapping the Heavens: The Radical Scientific Ideas that Reveal the Cosmos'… a great starting point for budding astronomers or cosmologists who want to be able to 'debunk' would-be revolutionaries - or answer the 'but how do we know …' they're likely to get asked.' Chris North, BBC Sky at Night Magazine'A must-read for anyone interested in better understanding why cosmologists believe all those very strange things about the Universe. Mind you, new Galileo, you will still need a degree in physics and professional research training if you want to overthrow the Big Bang model, but this book might very well be the first step towards your goal.' Sunny Vagnozzi, Nature Astronomy'The general educated public has heard about many key terms of modern science: 'evolution,' 'virus,' 'quantum theory,' and the 'big bang,' for example. But the framework and methodology of science are barely understood by most … Here, Barnes (Western Sydney Univ.) and Lewis (Sydney Institute for Astronomy) inform the general reader about many fascinating aspects of astronomy, astrophysics, and cosmology. The book is full of scientific facts and clarifying figures. More importantly, it clarifies the routes that lead to major scientific results … Readers will gain a more than nodding acquaintance with the basics of astrophysics, including magnetic monopoles, dark matter, the inflationary model, and related key concepts … books like this will inform and educate those who respect science and are willing to learn about good science and how it is done. This should be required reading for all college students, regardless of their major.' V. V. Raman, Choice'The book is well written and includes a bit more 'how' (do we know) in addition to the 'what' of the standard model of cosmology … I enjoyed reading this book; it's a breezy but careful introduction to where we are in our understanding of the Universe and how we got there.' Phillip Helbig, The ObservatoryTable of ContentsPreface; Acknowledgements; 1. Understanding science; 2. How dark is the night?; 3. Run for the hills!; 4. Going gently into that good night; 5. An ever-changing universe; 6. The wood for the trees; 7. We are (mostly) made of stars; 8. Ripples in the night sky; Notes; Further reading; Index.

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Book SynopsisThe Discourse on the Method for Reasoning Well and for Seeking Truth in the Sciences offers a concise presentation and defense of René Descartes' method of intellectual inquiry - a method that greatly influenced both philosophical and scientific reasoning in the early modern world. Descartes's timeless writing strikes an uncommon balance of novelty and familiarity, offering arguments concerning knowledge, science, and metaphysics (including the famous ""I think, therefore I am"") that are as compelling in the 21st century as they were in the 17th.Ian Johnston's new translation of the original French text is modern, clear, and thoroughly annotated, ideal for readers unfamiliar with Descartes' intellectual context. An approachable introduction engages both the historical and the philosophical aspects of the text, helping the reader to understand the concepts and arguments contained therein.Trade Review“Ian Johnston’s new translation of Descartes’s famous Discourse on Method will stand with the best and most readable translations now available in English. For readers coming to Descartes’s work for the first time, Andrew Bailey’s introduction nicely situates the text both philosophically and historically.”- Kurt Smith, Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania“Descartes’s Discourse on Method is incredibly rich: it motivates readers to think critically, it introduces Descartes’s ethics as well as his metaphysics, and it aims to show the power of reasoning well. Ian Johnston’s translation is clear and accessible to students while remaining true to the original text.”- Lisa Shapiro, Simon Fraser UniversityTable of Contents Acknowledgements Introduction Who Was René Descartes? What Was Descartes' Overall Philosophical Project? What Is the Structure of the Discourse? Some Useful Background Information Some Common Misconceptions How Important and Influential Is the Discourse? Suggestions for Critical Reflection Suggestions for Further Reading Discourse on Method Part I Part II Part III Part IV Part V Part VI

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