Popular philosophy Books

Book SynopsisAutomating technologies threaten to usher in a workless future, but John Danaher argues that this can be a good thing. A world without work may be a kind of utopia, free of the misery of the job and full of opportunities for creativity and exploration. If we play our cards right, automation could be the path to idealized forms of human flourishing.Trade ReviewJohn Danaher proposes a novel claim: The end of work is a good thing and may lead to better alternatives for human flourishing. This line of argument and the method by which Danaher pursues and achieves it is both new and exciting. A very welcome and original contribution. -- David Gunkel, Northern Illinois UniversityThis is philosophy of technology at its best! Exquisitely clear, unflinchingly fair, and refreshingly original, Automation and Utopia is especially timely and important. -- Evan Selinger, Rochester Institute of TechnologyArmed with an astonishing breadth of knowledge, John Danaher engages with pressing public policy issues in order to lay out a fearless exposition of the radical opportunities that technology will soon enable. With the precision of analytical philosophy and accessible, confident prose, Automation and Utopia demonstrates yet again why Danaher is one of our most important pathfinders to a flourishing future. -- James Hughes, Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies[Danaher] is well versed in the opportunities and problems of a more automated future and his new book provides one of the most wide-ranging discussions of what might be in store…A stimulating and thought-provoking book, fizzing with ideas on a subject that will assume greater importance in the future. -- John Fanning * Dublin Review of Books *With the timeliness and significance of his well-crafted discussions, Danaher’s book will be of great interest to scholars across disciplines, tech developers and lawmakers, and concerned laypersons…One that we must take seriously in order to make the best of our future in a world increasingly dominated by technologies that have likely already outsmarted us. -- Daniel W. Tigard * Journal of Applied Philosophy *

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Book SynopsisPlato’s penchant for mythmaking sits uneasily beside his reputation as the inventor of rationalist philosophy. Hegel’s solution was to ignore the myths. Popper thought them disqualifying. Tae-Yeoun Keum responds by carving out a place for myth in the context of rationalism and shows how Plato’s tales inspired history’s great political thinkers.Trade ReviewWell suited to the moment. The convergence of pandemic conspiracy theories with populist narratives of globalist malfeasance shows that the desire for stories that give meaning to our collective experience is alive and kicking (if not exactly well)…Keum’s study is an exercise in demystification, showing the Platonist approach to myth to be more complex—and relevant—than we thought…Subtle and enriching. -- Knox Peden * Australian Book Review *Keum establishes both that narrative myth is a persistent tool for political theorists in modernity and antiquity, and that its use has given rise to continuing debates on the proper content and form of political theorizing. Those debates have sharpened as the dangers and power of political myth have become more apparent, but as she ably shows, the ambiguous role of myth in political theorizing has a long history and is inescapably bound into the texture of the canon of Western political thought. -- Carol Atack * Bryn Mawr Classical Review *Tak[es] up in a refreshingly original way the problem of political myth…[Keum’s] subtle and careful text suggests that myth and work on myth are both the cause of and the possible solution to the polarization of political life as it manifests itself in, and depends upon, culture. -- Isaac Ariail Reed * Hedgehog Review *A splendid achievement. -- Teresa Bejan * Mind *The breadth of Keum’s erudition with regard to the history of philosophy is impressive, as is the depth of her knowledge of the texts and thinkers treated throughout. -- Joseph Forte * Review of Metaphysics *Plato and the Mythic Tradition in Political Thought provides a fine, original, and persuasive case for a reconsideration of Plato’s myths and their bearing on political thought. Tae-Yeoun Keum’s reading of Plato as a political philosopher who sees the value of myth-making deserves a wide audience. -- Tushar Irani, author of Plato on the Value of PhilosophyTae-Yeoun Keum traces a rich tradition reflecting on Plato’s use of myth, revealing how attention to myth as a literary artifact can modulate its relationship to unchallenged social verities and serve in philosophical self-examination and social improvement. Her readings of More, Bacon, Leibniz, the German Idealists, and Cassirer are subtle and original in drawing out these themes. -- Melissa Lane, Princeton UniversityAn important book for our troubled times. Beginning with Plato and extending into Plato’s reception amongst modern theorists of myth, Keum’s guiding question is whether myth, in its ability to captivate the mind in what might be described as a non-rational way, can achieve forms of communication that strictly rational thought cannot, and whether there may be a normative role for myth to play in political discourse today. -- Angus Nicholls, Queen Mary University of LondonMyths do more than entertain. They direct our attention, structure our psyches, and regulate our societies. By taking the philosophical significance of myth seriously, Tae-Yeoun Keum rediscovers the depth of Plato’s writings and offers a remarkable new account of his legacy. Following in the rich tradition of Ernst Cassirer and Hans Blumenberg, Keum suggests that myth and reason are not opposites, but instead complementary parts of the human effort to understand. -- Bryan Garsten, Yale UniversityIn the history of political thought it is a well-worn conceit that politics must be founded on reason alone, while the last burning embers of myth must be extinguished. In this thoughtful and nuanced exploration of Plato’s legacy, Tae-Yeoun Keum seeks to qualify this prejudice, and she directs our attention to a more generous understanding of myth as an enduring—and perhaps even necessary—thread in the fabric of our collective life. -- Peter E. Gordon, Harvard University

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"One of New Statesman's Books of the Year 2019""In On Mercy, Malcolm Bull conducts a clever thought experiment on the question of whether mercy might not only be reconciled with justice but could displace it at the center of our political life."---David A. Skeel, Wall Street Journal"While Bull’s book is charmingly erudite . . . it is also an important work of political philosophy."---Joe Humphreys, Irish Times"Subtle, scholarly, and interesting. . . .in [this] book, mercy becomes a concept that can illuminate our history, our present, and the dilemmas on the horizon."---Chiara Ricciardone, The Philosopher"Malcolm Bull’s On Mercy . . . excavates the virtue of mercy as a means to dethroning the supreme values of our age that have failed us."---Thomas Meaney, New Statesman"Bull’s provocative essay provides fresh insights into some foundational issues in political philosophy and mounts a new and engaging challenge to the dominant justice-centered approaches to politics."---Steven Tudor, Criminal Law and Philosophy"Bull makes a more far-reaching case, though, than merely to plead for the significance of mercy-considerations to the political arguments of our age. . . . [A] fascinating essay."---Christopher Brooke, Mind"In short, Bull has given us a fascinating and helpful account of a topic that has been neglected within modern political science. It will repay careful study. And if the going gets difficult, Sunstein’s slim volume will provide light relief."---Jonathan Warner, European Legacy

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"I have read many critiques of liberalism, but none so original as Why We Are Restless."---Barton Swaim, Wall Street Journal"[Benjamin and Jenna Storey’s] book is an education in the irony and complexity of the modern quest for contentment, and in the pre-modern sources required for any understanding of how to actually achieve meaningful contentment. . . . I can’t recommend it enough."---Yuval Levin, National Review"[A] terrific book. Hard to understand modern secular culture if you don't know anything about Montaigne."---Timothy Keller, New York Times bestselling author"Throughout this excellent book, the Storeys provide a model for how the thought of the past can be made vital."---Diana Schaub, Claremont Review of Books"Unapologetically earnest . . . brave and countercultural."---Joe Moran, Times Higher Education"Written in an engaging and compact style, [Why We Are Restless] is essential reading for all observers of the persistent, often hidden, but increasingly visible unhappiness of contemporary life. Benjamin and Jenna Storey have done us the service of restoring some of the deepest arguments about human happiness that lie at the roots of modern politics."---Adam Thomas, Public Discourse""Why We Are Restless is a rich analysis of why we are unhappy and what we might begin to do about it.""---Nathaniel Peters, Law & Liberty"Beautifully written and carefully argued, it’s as searching as it is subtle. . . . [Why We Are Restless] does a magnificent job of summarizing four hugely important thinkers with impressive clarity, wit, and brevity and raises some profound questions about the modern quest for happiness in the process."---Andrew Wilson, Gospel Coalition"A powerful case that the invention of ‘immanent contentment’ in early modern France has everything to do with the infinite restlessness of the postmodern United States."---Delaney Thull, Fare Forward"A great read for pastors, theologians, and Christians who want to think deeply and critically about the culture."---Stephen Roberts, Modern Reformation"Culturally significant. . . . this study is a rich resource for reflection." * Paradigm Explorer *"Excellent. . . . Why We Are Restless stands out among other books like it by answering the question implied by its title with rigor and charity."---Matt Dinan, Hedgehog Review

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Finalist for the Zocalo Book Prize""A Seminary Co-Op Notable Book of the Year""A first rate work from a penetrating mind." * Publishers Weekly, starred review *"Spry and convincing. . . . [Cherry] is especially insightful on the asymmetry of forgiveness requests following incidents of racial violence. . . [A] nuanced view of how one might both cultivate possibilities of forgiveness – as requesters and extenders – and learn to live with its lack."---Rhoda Feng, Times Literary Supplement"Eminently readable and always engaging, Failures of Forgiveness brings a care and clarity to the complex concept at its heart, ultimately asking us to enlarge the ways we understand—and practice—forgiveness. For the desire to write prose that is at once accessible and precise, Cherry needn’t apologize. . . she accomplishes both.”"---Gregory Laski, Los Angeles Review of Books"Myisha Cherry will make you stop and (re)examine what you think you know about forgiveness."---Karla J. Strand, Ms. Magazine"A fascinating examination of forgiveness, its conceptions and misconceptions, and how we can best extend (or choose not to extend) forgiveness in our lives with reparative aims. . . .Well-written, thoughtful, and highly intelligent, this book has transformed my understanding of forgiveness."---Ilina Jha, Redbrick Culture"[A]n accessible, thoughtful book that offers a useful corrective to an overly narrow definition of forgiveness. . . . [Failures of Forgiveness] should propel subtle reflection and rich, deep conversation."---Paul Dornan, Presbyterian Outlook"Thoughtful. . . . [Failures of Forgiveness] will attract readers eager to delve into forgiveness in its many forms." * Library Journal *"A very helpful guide book for those who want to know how philosophy can help us to understand and practise forgiveness better today."---Stephen Cherry, Church Times

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Book SynopsisA history and sociological analysis of the semantics of speculation between 1870 and 1930, this book looks at how speculation was represented in popular discourse and analyzes the discursive struggles turning it into a legitimate economic practice.Trade Review"The history of how society came to view, describe, and understand economic speculation remains critically relevant today, when speculation played a pivotal role in the 2008 housing market crash and the fallout that is still ongoing. Spectacular Speculation is therefore a welcome and highly recommended addition to world history and economic studies shelves."—James A. Cox, Midwest Book Review"We are still living in the shadow of the 2007-2009 financial crisis, whose origins and aftermath will doubtless continue to interest scholars and the general public for generations to come. The thorough historical analysis carried out by Professor Stäheli, a unique and vital addition to the history and sociology of finance, not only illuminates the past; it gives us a new perspective on our present and future."—Christian De Cock, University of Essex"Spectacular Speculation is a stunningly original and perhaps disturbing account of euphoria and hysteria in world financial markets. Urs Stäheli masterfully links together sociology, history and finance."—Werner DeBondt, DePaul University

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Book SynopsisSerial Killers - Philosophy for Everyone investigates our profound intrigue with mass-murderers. Exploring existential, ethical and political questions through an examination of real and fictional serial killers, philosophy comes alive via an exploration of grisly death. Presents new philosophical theories about serial killing, and relates new research in cognitive science to the minds of serial killers Includes a philosophical look at real serial killers such as Ian Brady, Ted Bundy, John Wayne Gacy, Jeffrey Dahmer and the Zodiac killer, as well as fictional serial killers such as Dexter and Hannibal Lecter Offers a new phenomenological examination of the writings of the Zodiac Killer Contains an account of the disappearance of one of Ted Bundy''s victims submitted by the organization Families and Friends of Missing Persons and Violent Crime Victims Integrates the insights of philosophers, academics, crime writers and police officerTrade Review"I found this book enlightening in many ways and on some things I'm not going to make too many mistakes if I use such people in any of my stories. I should also point out that none of the material is too graphic and centres mostly on what makes serial killers tick even if there is no precise pattern." (SFCrowsnest.co.uk, 1 April 2011) "If you're a Dexter fan looking for someplace to start in learning about real-life serial killers, this is a solid and fairly complete volume to start with. At a slim 248 pages, it's also ideal for those who don't have the time to invest in a larger volume. As the title of the series implies, this really is a book that's accessible to everyone." (Digital Air Waves, November 2010) "There is very little to complain about here. The language used is simple and it certainly leaves the reader with plenty of food for thought." (Curious Book Fan, November 2010) "One thing I can say about this book, is it stays in your head, at least parts of it. Weeks after reading Serial Killers, Philosophy for Everyone, I still can't help but come back to the section concerning Dexter and how peoples outlook on a serial killer changes based on what they know of a serial killers background and family life. The book is definitely a conversation starter, having many since adding it to my coffee table books. You can always tell whose interested and who tries to pretend they don't see it." (Gatekeeper Chronicles blog, November 2010) Table of ContentsForeword viiiJohn M. Doris Acknowledgments xiS. Waller Introduction: Meditations on Murder, or What is so Philosophical about Serial Killers? 1S. Waller and William E. Deal Part I I THINK THEREFORE I KILL: The Philosophical Musings of Serial Killers 15 1 Man is the Most Dangerous Animal of All: A Philosophical Gaze into the Writings of the Zodiac Killer 17Andrew M. Winters 2 A Philosophy of Serial Killing: Sade, Nietzsche, and Brady at the Gates of Janus 29David Schmid 3 The Situation of the Jury: Attribution Bias in the Trials of Accused Serial Killers 41Mark Alfano Part II Can You Blame Them? Ethics, Evil, And Serial Killing 51 4 Serial Killers as Practical Moral Skeptics: A Historical Survey with Interviews 53Amanda Howard 5 Are Psychopathic Serial Killers Evil? Are They Blameworthy for What They Do? 66Manuel Vargas 6 Sympathy for the Devil: Can a Serial Killer Ever Be Good? 78Matthew Brophy Part III DANGEROUS INFATUATIONS: The Public Fascination with Serial Killers 91 7 The Allure of the Serial Killer 93Eric Dietrich and Tara Fox Hall 8 Dexter’s Dark World: The Serial Killer as Superhero 103Susan Amper Part IV A EULOGY FOR EMOTION: The Lack of Empathy and the Urge to Kill 115 9 Killing with Kindness: Nature, Nurture, and the Female Serial Killer 117Elizabeth Schechter and Harold Schechter 10 It Puts the Lotion in the Basket: The Language of Psychopathy 129Chris Keegan 11 Are Serial Killers Cold-Blooded Killers? 141Andrew Terjesen Part V Creepy Cognition: Talking and Thinking About Serial Killers 153 12 The Serial Killer was (Cognitively) Framed 155William E. Deal 13 Wolves and Widows: Naming, Metaphor, and the Language of Serial Murder 166Wendy M. Zirngibl 14 An Arresting Conversation: Police Philosophize about the Armed and Dangerous 178S. Waller (with Diane Amarillas and Karen Kos) Part VI Psycho-ology: Killer Mindsets and Meditations on Murder 189 15 Psychopathy and Will to Power: Ted Bundy and Dennis Rader 191Richard M. Gray 16 The Thread of Death, or the Compulsion to Kill 206J. S. Piven A Solemn Afterword: A Message from the Victim’s Network 218Mary Miller A Timeline of Serial Killers 222Amanda Howard Notes on Contributors 226

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Book SynopsisPhilosophy and gardens have been closely connected from the dawn of philosophy, with many drawing on their beauty and peace for philosophical inspiration. Gardens in turn give rise to a broad spectrum of philosophical questions. For the green-fingered thinker, this book reflects on a whole host of fascinating philosophical themes. Gardens and philosophy present a fascinating combination of subjects, historically important, and yet scarcely covered within the realms of philosophy Contributions come from a wide range of authors, ranging from garden writers and gardeners, to those working in architecture, archaeology, archival studies, art history, anthropology, classics and philosophy Essays cover a broad spectrum of topics, ranging from Epicurus and Confucius to the aesthetics and philosophy of Central Park Offers new perspectives on the experience and evaluation of gardens Trade Review“Intriguing ideas combined with a philosophical method of inquiry bring the benefits of gardening into the 21st century. Gardening Philosophy for Everyone: Cultivating Wisdomproduces what the title suggests – it cultivates and grows the body of knowledge about gardening, exploring the value of gardening past and present for multiple disciplines.” (Journal of Therapeutic Horticulture, 1 November 2012) "So pull up a chair, relax under a shady canopy and delve into the fascinating garden-related philosophies contained in this most interesting read." (Australian Horticulture, 1 March 2011)"A good mix of topics, ideas and arguments - a very good and meaty read." (Gardensandpeople.co.uk, 1 March 2011) "Reading this book has been an experience so enchanting, that I am eager to revisit each of the essays, to re submerge myself in their expertise. If one is a gardener, this is a publication reserved for cold winter nights or long plane rides; for the non-gardener, it is an engaging private symposium. One might also call it "variations on a theme of gardening", enriched by diverse intellectual disciplines and unexpected perspectives of the contributing authors." (Gardenguru, 29 March 2011) "Reading this book has been an experience so enchanting, that I am eager to revisit each of the essays, to re submerge myself in their expertise. If one is a gardener, this is a publication reserved for cold winter nights or long plane rides; for the non-gardener, it is an engaging private symposium. One might also call it "variations on a theme of gardening", enriched by diverse intellectual disciplines and unexpected perspectives of the contributing writers." (Bookpleasures.com, 26 March 2011) "There's nothing too 'difficult' philosophically in this book, so definitely one for any thoughtful gardeners, philosophers or not." (Wittgenstein's Watering Can, 21 April 2011) "Finally, we have a book which celebrates and examines the topic of gardens and gardening in a way that involves more than simply helping pick the perfect plant for your shady nook." (A Garden of Possibilities, 18 April 2011) "The book is comprised of numerous essays by different authors, each with their own unique angle. I am very impressed that Permaculture is mentioned at least once by name, and hunter-gatherers, foragers, and horticulturalists, are discussed in many of the essays. Also, each author brings their own definition of gardening, and some of them are broad enough to include the most cutting edge forest gardens as well as many primitive peoples' land management techniques. Even the essays with a more narrow view of what a garden is had interesting thoughts of our interaction with plants and how that impacts us philosophically." (Nathan Carlos Rupley, 15 April 2011) "Editor Dan O'Brien has assembled a collection of essays, among which are Mara Miller's reflections upon the many layers of time and change inherent in gardens, and the ways in which they affect persona experiences, which illuminate how these may play into design considerations". (Garden Design Journal, 1 April 2011) "Gardening is not absent from philosophy; after all, Voltaire's Candide ends with the admonition to ‘cultivate our garden.' This book examines how gardening is like philosophy and vice versa. Much space is also given to political philosophy and some fascinating explorations into the political and philosophical ramifications of historical gardening in London and Aztec Mexico. The series is likely to appeal to armchair philosophers and undergraduates alike, and this volume will give gardeners of an intellectual bent a philosophical justification for their hobby." (Library Journal, March 2011) "A new book on the philosophy of gardening - edited by Dan O'Brien and Fritz Allhoff - has been written by and for the green-thumbed thinker, the practical gardener, the salad gardener, the architect, the archaeologist, and the artist at work among the ferns". (Horticulture Week, 12 January 2011) "Either way, it is an engaging and enjoyable read, and readers of the ERB will certainly want to stay tuned for future volumes in this diverse - and apparently all-encompassing - series!". (Englewood Review of Books, 28 December 2010) "Another essay takes a slightly different slant on Miller's theme, showing how gardens exist as patterns in time, just as music does. Overall, too many of these essays treat of the garden as a metaphor rather than as an actuality. But such books are rarely seen, and this one provides more than enough food for thought amid acres of identikit 'your kitchen-garden' and allotment books." (The Telegraph, 7 December 2010)Table of ContentsForeword viiiDavid E. Cooper Acknowledgments xiDan O’Brien Planting the Seed: An Introduction to Gardening – Philosophy for Everyone 1Dan O’Brien Part I The Good Life 11 1 The Virtues of Gardening 13Isis Brook 2 Cultivating the Soul: The Ethics of Gardening in Ancient Greece and Rome 26Meghan T. Ray 3 Escaping Eden: Plant Ethics in a Gardener’s World 38Matthew Hall 4 Food Glorious Food 48Helene Gammack Part II Flower Power 63 5 Plants, Prayers, and Power: The Story of the First Mediterranean Gardens 65Jo Day 6 Brussels Sprouts and Empire: Putting Down Roots 79Michael Moss 7 Transplanting Liberty: Lafayette’s American Garden 93Laura Auricchio 8 Cockney Plots: Allotments and Grassroots Political Activism 106Elizabeth A. Scott Part III The Flower Show 119 9 Hortus Incantans: Gardening as an Art of Enchantment 121Eric MacDonald 10 Gardens, Music, and Time 135Ismay Barwell and John Powell 11 The Pragmatic Picturesque: The Philosophy of Central Park 148Gary Shapiro Part IV The Cosmic Garden 161 12 Illusions of Grandeur: A Harmonious Garden for the Sun King 163Robert Neuman 13 Time and Temporality in the Garden 178Mara Miller 14 Cultivating Our Garden: David Hume and Gardening as Therapy 192Dan O’Brien Part V Philosophers’ Gardens 205 15 The Garden of the Aztec Philosopher-King 207Susan Toby Evans 16 Epicurus, the Garden, and the Golden Age 220Gordon Campbell 17 Gardener of Souls: Philosophical Education in Plato’s Phaedrus 232Anne Cotton Notes on Contributors 245

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Book SynopsisDATING PHILOSOPHY FOR EVERYONE Speed dating, online dating, group blind dating, dating consultants A booming dating industry is catering to an ever-increasing number of single adults in the twenty-first century, with the market for a mate now pulling in more than a billion dollars a year in the United States. So, how do we successfully attempt to navigate the dating minefield? Progressing from the first flirtatious moment of eye contact to the selection of a mate, Dating Philosophy for Everyone includes a number of playful yet relevant essays for anyone who has dated, is dating, or intends to date again. It offers fascinating philosophical explorations of topics such as: The taboos of dating and how to play the dating game Should science teach men how to attract women? The problem of having too much choice The vicissitudes of dating and mating are explored from a number of perspectives, all of which will help demystify couplinTrade Review"If you enjoy philosophy and are dating (or find the topic interesting), then by all means this is a book you would want to check out." (Littleredrails.com, January 2011) Table of ContentsForeword viiiJoshua Wolf Shenk Acknowledgments xiKristie Miller and Marlene Clark Flirting with Big Ideas: An Introduction to Dating – Philosophy for Everyone 1Kristie Miller and Marlene Clark Part I GETTING STARTED: From Flirting to Dating 11 1 The Philosophy of Flirting 13Carrie S. Jenkins 2 Good Girls Don’t, but Boys Don’t Either: Toward a Conservative Position on Male Flirting 19Emily Langan 3 Love for Sale: Dating as a Calculated Exchange 37Jennifer A. Samp and Andrew I. Cohen 4 The Dating Elevator: Pushing the Right Buttons and Moving from Floor to Floor 49John Rowan and Patricia Hallen Part II NO-NO’S: Dating Taboos 65 5 “Crazy in Love”: The Nature of Romantic Love 67Mary Beth Yount 6 I’m Dating My Sister, and Other Taboos 76Kristie Miller 7 Just Pushy Enough 90Anne Barnhill 8 Buy My Love: On Sex Workers, Gold Diggers, and “Rules Girls” 101Kyla Reid and Tinashe Dune Part III ROLLING RIGHT ALONG: Dating Like a Pro 115 9 Against Matchmaking 117Joshua S. Heter 10 Hitting the Bars with Aristotle: Dating in a Time of Uncertainty 126Richard Paul Hamilton 11 I’ve Never Been on a Date (yet Somehow I Got Married!) 139Andrew Terjesen 12 Morality, Spontaneity, and the Art of Getting (Truly) Lucky on the First Date 151Christopher Brown and David W. Tien Part IV ANOTHER WORLD: Cyber-Rendezvous 165 13 Dating and Play in Virtual Worlds 167Bo Brinkman 14 How To Be Yourself in an Online World 180Dan Silber Part V FROM DATE TO MATE: “Natural” Selection? 195 15 Evolutionary Psychology and Seduction Strategies: Should Science Teach Men How to Attract Women? 197Hichem Naar and Alberto Masala 16 Mating, Dating, and Mathematics: It’s All in the Game 211Mark Colyvan 17 Why Less May Be More: Dating and the City 221Marlene Clark Notes on Contributors 233

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Book SynopsisMOTHERHOOD PHILOSOPHY FOR EVERYONE If you have ever wondered what makes a good or a bad mother, or if mothers are always right in thinking their babies are beautiful, or indeed, whether mother always knows best, look no further. Without a single nag, Motherhood Philosophy for Everyone covers these salient philosophical issues, and more, including: The anticipation of impending parenthood compared with the reality Should we tell the occasional lie to our children? What does the Bible actually say about the virgin birth? If we were able to turn our children off, would and should we be tempted by this option? The experience of lesbian mothering The unexpected challenges and complications of being a mother As in any group of thinkers, some mothers are more ambitiously reflective than others, either out of temperamental thoughtfulness, moral and political concerns, or, most often, because they have serious pTrade Review"This book opens the doors about Motherhood and covers a range of issues mother's face in a refreshing and thought provoking way." (Motherhoodsupport.com, 22 March 2011) "The series editors were ... smart to divide it into two volumes instead of creating a single book on parenting in general. While there are many questions that apply to the parent role in itself, half the fun is the opportunity for the authors and readers to consider what issues might be thought of as unique to one particular parental role versus another. One of the virtues of these collections is how they demonstrate the ways in which the study of philosophy can really assist us in addressing concrete dilemmas. Measuring the success of collections like these turns on what you expect from them, and I think these two pull it off. The articles are well-written, touches of humour are sprinkled throughout, and the authors can translate complex philosophical theories into a readable format. They apply their work to questions that matter, and even when you don't agree with what they say, there's enough substance here to create an interesting discussion." (The Philosopher's Magazine, 23 March 2011) "Subtitled "The Birth of Wisdom", a new book called Motherhood: Philosophy For Everyone calls for a more pragmatic approach to being a mum, in which we are not constantly comparing ourselves to others." (Family Interest, December 2010) "An unusual look at motherhood by several philosophers, which covers ground-such as whether it is ever acceptable to lie to your children- not often explored in maternity books. Thought provoking." (Mother and Baby, December 2010)Table of ContentsForeword xJudith Warner Acknowledgments xvSheila Lintott Navel-Gazing at Its Finest: An Introduction to Motherhood – Philosophy for Everyone 1Sheila Lintott Part I MOMMY BRAIN: Truth, Knowledge, and Belief in Mothering 15 1 How Many Experts Does It Take to Raise a Child? Mothering and the Quest for Certainty 17Sue Ellen Henry 2 Creative Mothering: Lies and the Lying Mothers Who Tell Them 29Amy Kind 3 Pro-Choice Philosopher Has Baby: Reflections on Fetal Life 41Bertha Alvarez Manninen 4 Kim, Ellen, and Zack’s Big Adventure: Lesbian Mothers Raising a Boy Steeped in His Masculinity 52Kim Anno Part II LABOR PAINS: The Work and Wonder of Being a Mom 63 5 Days and Nights of a New Mother: Existentialism in the Nursery 65Elizabeth Butterfield 6 Mindful Mothering: How Feminist Buddhist Practices Enhance Experiences of Beauty 77Sheryl Tuttle Ross 7 A Face Only a Mother Could Love? On Maternal Assessments of Infant Beauty 89Glenn Parsons 8 Kevin, Coming Into Focus: On Getting to Know My Son 100Laura Newhart Part III MOM’S MORALITY: Ethical Issues in Mothering 115 9 Making Choices: The Ethics of Infant Feeding 117Chris Mulford 10 Lactational Burkas and Milkmen: On Public Breastfeeding and Male Lactation 129Maureen Sander-Staudt 11 On “Crying-It-Out” and Co-Sleeping 141Kevin C. Elliott and Janet L. Elliott 12 Natural Childbirth is for the Birds 154Jen Baker Part IV Is Motherhood Everything You Thought It Would Be? Fantasy Meets Reality 167 13 The Off Button: Thought Experiments and Child Control 169Sara Goering 14 The Virtues of Motherhood 180Nin Kirkham 15 The Media Proudly Present: “Lessons” From Celebrity Moms 191Clemence Due and Damien W. Riggs 16 God, Mom! The Blessings of Breasts and Womb 202George A. Dunn A Brief Afterword: Some Words from Contributors’ Kids on Motherhood and Philosophy 213 Read All About It: A Feminist Bibliography on Pregnancy and Mothering 215Compiled by Amy Mullin Notes on Contributors 222

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Book SynopsisHunting - Philosophy for Everyone presents a collection of readings from academics and non-academics alike that move beyond the ethical justification of hunting to investigate less traditional topics and offer fresh perspectives on why we hunt. The only recent book to explicitly examine the philosophical issues surrounding hunting Shatters many of the stereotypes about hunting, forcing us to rethink the topic Features contributions from a wide range of academic and non-academic sources, including both hunters and non-hunters Trade Review"Kowalsky's book does a fine job in showing why there are good reasons to keep hunting in high esteem, to learn a great deal from it about human biology and culture, and to eat hunted meat." (About.com, 25 October 2011) "Recommended. Academic and general library collections, all levels." (Choice, 1 March 2011) "If you don't mind having your convictions challenged or your viewpoint broadened this book should be on your reading list." (Alberta Outdoorsmen, 1 May 2011) "Just as you always see something new, even if you've walked that forest a hundred times before, certain essays can give you a glimpse of something you hadn't seen or thought of before. Some of the essays are even down-right fun to read." (Primitive Archer Magazine, January 2011)"Nathan Kowalsky provides a forum of diverse ideas and voices about "hunting" that ensemble, becomes the most recent attempt that I am aware of at showcasing serious writers on the "topic." Most of these essays are written with an intelligent audience in mind, although the reader need not be a philosopher."( The Trumpeter, 1 December 2010) "It does provide fresh perspectives by both academic and non academic authors on a variety of hunting topics such as hunting in culture, politics and tradition; the relationship of hunting to nature and human nature and the hoary old topic of hunting ethics... In my opinion, I found it the most refreshing book of its kind that I have read in years." (AFRICAN INDABA, November 2008) "Presenting all these diverse views in one relatively small book, a mere 258 pages, is a vision implemented, without which, most readers invested in learning more about hunting, would sorely miss if they knew their want". (Book Review , 1 December 2010). There's a really fine essay by the biologist Valerius Geist on how hunting has played a significant role in human development. Kay, my wife, contributed an essay on bow-hunting with self-made equipment. There are other essays on the human-animal relationship, even a few comparing hunting to vegetarianism. Lots of other provocative pieces." (Leather Wall, September 2010) "If you're interested in sharpening your thinking skills on the subject of hunting, I've got a great new book for you: Hunting - Philosophy for Everyone: In Search of the Wild Life." (NorCal Cazadora, October 2010) "Featuring contributions from a wide range of academic and non-academic sources, including both hunters and nonhunters, this book is for general readers, especially those who hunt ("Hunting for Meaning: A Glimpse of the Game"), as well as self-professed "foodies" and vegetarians." (Fishing and Outdoors Newspaper, October 2010)Table of ContentsForeword: Hunting as Philosophy Professor xiiDavid Petersen Acknowledgments xviNathan Kowalsky Picking Up the Trail: An Introduction to Hunting – Philosophy for Everyone 1Nathan Kowalsky Part I The Good, The Bad, and The Hunter 9 1 Taking a Shot: Hunting in the Crosshairs 11Jesús Ilundáin-Agurruza 2 But They Can’t Shoot Back: What Makes Fair Chase Fair? 23Theodore R. Vitali 3 A Shot in the Dark: The Dubious Prospects of Environmental Hunting 33Lisa Kretz 4 Hunting Like a Vegetarian: Same Ethics, Different Flavors 45Tovar Cerulli 5 What You Can’t Learn from Cartoons: Or, How to Go Hunting After Watching Bambi 56Gregory A. Clark Part II The Hunter’s View of the World 67 6 Hunting for Meaning: A Glimpse of the Game 69Brian Seitz 7 Getting By with a Little Help from My Hunter: Riding to Hounds in English Foxhound Packs 80Alison Acton 8 Tracking in Pursuit of Knowledge: Teachings of an Algonquin Anishinabe Bush Hunter 93Jacob Wawatie and Stephanie Pyne 9 Living with Dead Animals? Trophies as Souvenirs of the Hunt 107Garry Marvin Part III Eating Nature Naturally 119 10 The Carnivorous Herbivore: Hunting and Culture in Human Evolution 121Valerius Geist 11 The Fear of the Lord: Hunting as if the Boss is Watching 134Janina Duerr 12 Hunting: A Return to Nature? 149Roger J. H. King 13 The Camera or the Gun: Hunting through Different Lenses 161Jonathan Parker 14 Flesh, Death, and Tofu: Hunters, Vegetarians, and Carnal Knowledge 171T. R. Kover Part IV The Antler Chandelier: Hunting in Culture, Politics, and Tradition 185 15 The Sacred Pursuit: Reflections on the Literature of Hunting 187Roger Scruton 16 Big Game and Little Sticks: Bowmaking and Bowhunting 198Kay Koppedrayer 17 Going to the Dogs: Savage Longings in Hunting Art 210Paula Young Lee 18 The New Artemis? Women Who Hunt 225Debra Merskin 19 Off the Grid: Rights, Religion, and the Rise of the Eco-Gentry 239James Carmine Notes on Contributors 252

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Book SynopsisOffering philosophical insights into the popular morning brew, Coffee -- Philosophy for Everyone kick starts the day with an entertaining but critical discussion of the ethics, aesthetics, metaphysics, and culture of coffee. Matt Lounsbury of pioneering business Stumptown Coffee discusses just how good coffee can be Caffeine-related chapters cover the ethics of the coffee trade, the metaphysics of coffee and the centrality of the coffee house to the public sphere Includes a foreword by Donald Schoenholt, President at Gillies Coffee Company Trade Review“This is not going to be an impulse buy or something to necessarily give to that special coffee-lover in your life, but if you take the time to examine the book with an open, curious mind it might be something that can keep you company with, of course, a good cup of something during a long journey.” (Yum.fi, 2012) "A delightful book for philosophically minded coffee drinkers ... Philosophically minded coffee drinkers will find the contents of their cup enhanced by the contents of the book." (Network Review, 1 June 2011) "And so, the book devotes itself to coffee and philosophy from varied perspectives, some seemingly frivolous, and others deeply analytical . . . I suspect that the book will appeal most to coffee devotees who enjoy lively conversation and see the world, as well as that black liquid in their cups, from a dialectical point of view." (Metapsychology, 9 August 2011) "Grounds for Debate is a fantastic read-providing insights into the coffee culture that even a tea drinker can appreciate. The collection encourages readers to consider their relationship to larger social practices that have resounding effects on daily life." (Anthropology in Practice, 30 June 2011) "This may possibly be the most unusual coffee book you will read. Instead of just the usual history of it, this is the latest in a long series of titles written by philosophicalheavyweights, discussing subjects from Christmas to cycling." (Boughton's Coffee House magazine, 1 March 2011) "In interesting, educational, and often funny selections, we learn facts both surprising (most coffee farmers and people living in coffee-growing regions have no idea why anyone would want to drink the stuff) and rudimentary. . . this is more sociology than philosophy, but a smattering of deep (enough) thoughts from the likes of Hume, Bourdieu, Kant, and others will keep true addicts--of both coffee and philosophy--stimulated". (Publishers Weekly, 18 April 2011) "The book - a part of the Philosophy for Everyone series - takes on all sides of the debate, historical and contemporary, over coffee's meritstates." (Jezebel, ,14 April 2011) "The book will also stimulate those seeking to understand the aesthetics and ethics of coffee." (The Guardian, 14 April 2011) "A varied compilation of musings on the beverage that has hooked countless people since its discovery in the 15th century by Ethiopian Sufi monks. The authors ... take on the history, taste and ethics of coffee in 18 essays likely to elicit much dialogue and debate. The book also includes engaging discussions of caffeine's classification as a drug, the emergence of green coffee and the evolution of the coffehouse into a public forum. A blend of humor and thought-provoking content guaranteed to stimulate readers' intellect." (Kirkus Reviews, March 2011) "In this addition to an accessible and substantive series, 18 new essays, with coffee and coffee culture as their shared theme, relay the relationship between the coffee-related contemporary and everyday and the ideas and ideals on which the history of formal philosophy has been built. Recommended for coffee and philosophy aficionados. This entry in the series may well also be of interest for book discussion groups." (Library Journal, March 2011)Table of ContentsForeword (Donald Schoenholt). Editors' Introduction (Scott F. Parker and Michael W. Austin). PART 1 THE FIRST CUP: COFFEE AND METAPHYSICS. 1 Coffee: Black Puddle Water or Panacea? (Mark Pendergrast). 2 The Necessary Ground of Being (Michael W. Austin). 3 The Unexamined Cup Is Not Worth Drinking (Kristopher G. Phillips). 4 Sam. sara in a Coffee Cup: Self, Suffering, and the Karma of Waking Up (Steven Geisz). 5 The Existential Ground of True Community: Coffee and Otherness (Jill Hernandez). PART 2 GROUNDS FOR DEBATE: COFFEE CULTURE. 6 Sage Advice from Ben’s Mom, or: The Value of the Coffeehouse (Scott F. Parker). 7 The Coffeehouse as a Public Sphere: Brewing Social Change (Asaf Bar-Tura). 8 Café Noir: Anxiety, Existence, and the Coffeehouse (Brook J. Sadler). 9 The Philosopher's Brew (Bassam Romaya). PART 3 THE WONDERFUL AROMA OF BEAN: COFFEE AESTHETICS. 10 Three Cups: The Anatomy of a Wasted Afternoon (Will Buckingham). 11 Is Starbucks Really Better than Red Brand X? (Kenneth Davids). 12 The Flavor of Choice: Neoliberalism and the Espresso Aesthetic (Andrew Wear). 13 Starbucks and the Third Wave (John Hartmann). 14 How Good the Coffee Can Be: An Interview with Stumptown’s Matt Lounsbury (Scott F. Parker). PART 4 TO ROAST OR NOT TO ROAST: THE ETHICS OF COFFEE. 15 More than 27 Cents a Day: The Direct Trade (R)evolution (Gina Bramucci and Shannon Mulholland). 16 Higher, Faster, Stronger, Buzzed: Caffeine as a Performance-Enhancing Drug (Kenneth W. Kirkwood). 17 Green Coffee, Green Consumers – Green Philosophy? (Stephanie W. Aleman). 18 Coffee and the Good Life: The Bean and the Golden Mean (Lori Keleher). How to Make it in Hollywood by Writing an Afterword! (The Coffee Bean Guys). Notes on Contributors.

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Book SynopsisGrant Farred examines the careers of international soccer stars Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, along with his own experience playing for an amateur township team in apartheid South Africa, to theorize the relationship between sports and the intertwined experiences of relation, separation, and belonging.Trade Review"[Farred] draws examples from the world of sport to examine the state of being in relation, most notably international soccer superstars Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, considering their relations to fans, teammates, and coaches. He also reflexively draws on his own sporting experiences in the US and South Africa, considering his relations to fans as experienced throughout his life. The result is a comprehensive philosophical meditation on sport, showing how this can be applied to more fully understand how a self is constituted and reconstituted in relation to others." -- J. R. Mitrano * Choice *Table of ContentsPreface ix Acknowledgments xxv Introduction. Entre-Nous: Between the World and Me 1 1. A Condemned Man: Between the Nation and the Autonomista 29 Interlude. "Nog Lansur!" 97 2. The Shame of Loving the Condemned: The Philosophy of Óscar Washington Tabárez 163 Postscript 219 Notes 225 Bibliography 251 Index 253

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Book SynopsisGrant Farred examines the careers of international soccer stars Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, along with his own experience playing for an amateur township team in apartheid South Africa, to theorize the relationship between sports and the intertwined experiences of relation, separation, and belonging.Trade Review"[Farred] draws examples from the world of sport to examine the state of being in relation, most notably international soccer superstars Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, considering their relations to fans, teammates, and coaches. He also reflexively draws on his own sporting experiences in the US and South Africa, considering his relations to fans as experienced throughout his life. The result is a comprehensive philosophical meditation on sport, showing how this can be applied to more fully understand how a self is constituted and reconstituted in relation to others." -- J. R. Mitrano * Choice *Table of ContentsPreface ix Acknowledgments xxv Introduction. Entre-Nous: Between the World and Me 1 1. A Condemned Man: Between the Nation and the Autonomista 29 Interlude. "Nog Lansur!" 97 2. The Shame of Loving the Condemned: The Philosophy of Óscar Washington Tabárez 163 Postscript 219 Notes 225 Bibliography 251 Index 253

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Book SynopsisOriginating in archaic parables of the Garden and the Citadel, gender allegories have been projected upon built environments throughout history.Trade Review"While the book certainly is focused largely on the history and theories of city planning, the inclusion of archetypes expands the discussion to the fields of psychology and, to a more limited degree, philosophy." -- Frederick Lutt, University of Cincinnati * Journal of Urban Affairs *Table of ContentsList of Figures Preface Introduction: Modernity and Its Urban Context 1. Paradigms of City Form in the Urbanism of Ebenezer Howard and Jane Jacobs 2. Howard vs. Jacobs: Ideal City or Authentic Street? 3. Twentieth-Century Transformations of the Garden and the City 4. The Neighbourhood as a State of Wonderment: The Urbanist Dream of Jane Jacobs 5. Spectacle and Contempt in City Form: Howard and Jacobs 6. The Ghost of Howard: Advent of the Masterplan and the Loss of Place 7. "Growth Ain’t Expansion": Jacobs in Toronto 8. Urban Space: Medium or Message? Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisThe work of Carlo Michelstaedter (18871910) was the first to analyze modernist philosophy in strict connection with social changes in mass society. Revealing how Michelstaedter was able to unveil the relations between pivotal early-modernist philosophies and social restructurings, The Wreckage of Philosophy examines the ongoing processes of specialization, rationalization, and atomization. It points out how Michelstaedter connected the main theoretical expressions of modernism with the decisive social transformations of the early twentieth century, taking into consideration the key players of modernist philosophy, such as Friedrich Nietzsche, Henri Bergson, Ernst Mach, and William James. By following Michelstaedter’s analysis and strategies, The Wreckage of Philosophy focuses on several intertwined issues: the distinct philosophical positions within the modernist area; the connections between philosophy and modernist literature; the relations between inteTable of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction 1 The Crisis of Truth I. Michelstaedter and the Two Sides of Modernist Thought II. The Social Overcoming of the Aesthetic Perspective III. The Social Overcoming of Ethical Life and Tragic Thought 2 The Individual Will/Need and the Social Second Nature I. The Light of Will and the "Direct Mode," or Michelstaedter’s Version of Specialization II. The Vortex of Correlativity, or Michelstaedter’s Version of Relativism III. The Organization (Abstraction) of Relativity IV. The "Connective Mode" 3 Rhetoric’s Paths I. Rhetoric in Language: Michelstaedter’s Sprachkritik and Giuseppe Prezzolini II. The Abstractions of the Social Machine and the Master–Slave Dialectic III. The Wreckage of Greek Philosophy and the Road to Persuasion 4 The Persuasion–Rhetoric Dialectic: History and Social Being I. Science, Technology, and the Historical Character of the Second Nature II. Ethics, Practice, and Dialectics III. Rhetoric’s Peak Conclusion: The Limits of Bourgeois Thought: Persuasion and Rhetoric and History and Class Consciousness Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisThe current framework for reconciliation between Indigenous peoples and the Canadian state is based on the Supreme Court of Canada’s acceptance of the Crown’s assertion of sovereignty, legislative power, and underlying title. The basis of this assertion is a long-standing interpretation of Section 91(24) of Canada’s Constitution, which reads it as a plenary grant of power over Indigenous communities and their lands, leading the courts to simply bypass the question of the inherent right of self-government. In A Reconciliation without Recollection?, Joshua Ben David Nichols argues that if we are to find a meaningful path toward reconciliation, we will need to address the history of sovereignty without assuming its foundations. Exposing the limitations of the current model, Nichols carefully examines the lines of descent and association that underlie the legal conceptualization of the Aboriginal right to govern. Blending legal analysis with insTrade Review"This book is an engrossing read for those interested in Aboriginal law, Canadian history, and decolonization." -- Andrea Black, Dentons Canada LLP * Canadian Law Library Review *Table of ContentsForeword John Borrows Foreword James Tully Preface Acknowledgments Introduction Part 1 Reconciliation without Recollection 1.1 Reconciliation in Canadian Jurisprudence 1.2 Reconciliation as Picture Thinking A) Historicism B) The Ship of State 1.3 History, Law, and Legitimacy 1.4 Problem of Reconciliation as Problem of Foundations 1.5 A Genealogy of the Indian Act Part 2 A Genealogy of Reconciliation: Civilizing, Extinction, and Culturalism as the Discursive Foundations of the Indian Act 2.1 Liberty and Legitimate Despotism: The Liberal-Imperialism of J.S. Mill 2.2 The Science of Savage Character: The Uncivilized and Mill’s Philosophy of History A) Governing the Uncivilized: The Role of the Intermediate Body B) Peace, Order, and Good Government: Mill and the Indian Question 2.3 Reading the Right of History: Universal History and the Extinction Thesis 2.4 From Enfranchisement to Reconciliation: Culturalism and Indirect Rule Part 3 A Despotism for Dealing with Barbarians: A Survey of the Foundations of Indian Policy in Canada 3.1 Pre-Confederation to the Indian Act of 1876 A) Imperial Federalism B) Imperial Civilizing C) Assimilation and Indirect Rule D) Striation or Continuity? 3.2 The Indian Question and the Dominion 3.3 The Six Nations Status Case A) The Six Nations of the Grand River B) The League of Nations and the Mandate System C) The Documents 3.4 A Building Crisis of Legitimacy Part 4 A Law without Measure for a Land without Citizens: The Indian Act in Canadian Jurisprudence 4.1 The Authority of s.91(24) A) St Catherine’s Milling, s.91(24), and the Division of Powers B) Interjurisdictional Immunity and s.91(24) C) The Theory of Enclaves D) The Uncertain Measure of Indianness E) Section 88 and Provincial Law 4.2 The Definition of Indians and the Authority of Bands A) Legislative Origins B) The Judicial Definition of Indians C) The Judicial Definition of Bands D) Custom Band Councils and the Question of Jurisdiction 4.3 Tsilhqot'in Nation and the Meaning of s.91(24) Part 5 An Era of Reconciliation, An Era of Indirect Rule: From the White Paper to the Full Box of Rights 5.1 The Hidden Player: Policy from Calder to the Indian Act, 1985 A) Line One: Legislative Renovation B) Line Two: Land Claim Agreements C) Line Three: Constitutional Change D) The Penner Report E) The Problem of Implementing the New Relationship F) The Era of Indirect Rule and the Mechanism of Deferral 5.2 Reconciliation and Implementation A) Unsettling the Ship of State B) Recollection without Historicism C) Implementing Reconciliation-with-Recollection Select Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisIn recent years the concept of 'the primitive' has been the subject of strong criticism; it has been examined, unpacked, and shown to signify little more than a construction or projection necessary for establishing the modernity of the West. The term 'primitive' continues, however, to appear in contemporary critical and cultural discourse, begging the question: Why does primitivism keep reappearing even after it has been uncovered as a modern myth?In The Neo-primitivist Turn, Victor Li argues that this contentious term was never completely banished and that it has in fact reappeared under new theoretical guises. An idealized conception of 'the primitive,' he contends, has come to function as the ultimate sign of alterity. Li focuses on the works of theorists like Jean Baudrillard, Jean-François Lyotard, Marianna Torgovnick, Marshall Sahlins, and Jürgen Habermas in order to demonstrate that primitivism continues to be a powerful presence even in those works normally regar

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Book SynopsisAuthor Samantha Kleinberg shows you how to develop a set of tools for thinking more critically about causes. You'll learn how to question claims, identify causes, make decisions based on causal information, and verify causes through further tests.

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Book SynopsisThe pace of modern life is accelerating. To keep up, we must keep on moving and adapting – constantly striving for greater happiness and success. Or so we are told. But the demands of life in the fast lane come at a price: stress, fatigue and depression are at an all-time high, while our social interactions have become increasingly self-serving and opportunistic. How can we resist today's obsession with introspection and self-improvement? In this witty and bestselling book, Danish philosopher and psychologist Svend Brinkmann argues that we must not be afraid to reject the self-help mantra and 'stand firm'. The secret to a happier life lies not in finding your inner self but in coming to terms with yourself in order to coexist peacefully with others. By encouraging us to stand firm and get a foothold in life, this vibrant anti-self-help guide offers a compelling alternative to life coaching, positive thinking and the need always to say 'yes!'Trade Review"Deliciously provocative stuff: a subversive manifesto for white-collar passive resistance and a diatribe against the booming industry that has grown up around career advice."Financial Times"So rather than urging you to “think positive”, “listen to your feelings”, “trust your inner voice”, and other refrains of the self-help industry, Brinkmann advocates their opposite in seven steps, which include “Cut out the navel-gazing”; “Focus on the negative in your life”; “Suppress your feelings”; “Dwell on the past”; and “Sack your coach”. I must say, they work for me."Carol Midgely, The Times"In Stand Firm, Danish philosopher Svend Brinkmann projects a little blast of fresh air into the crowded pressure room of 'self-improvement'. With wit and perceptiveness he takes a swipe at the modern craze to do more, be more, be happier, be more productive. Paradoxically, this anti-self-help guide actually helps us to resist the mania." New Internationalist"Stand firm is a brilliant, funny, liberating and significant critique of the dominant and individualizing hamster wheel culture that we live in... Brinkmann's book is for the people - that is all, for all of us."Politiken"A satirical, but also very deep alternative to the current compulsion for self-developement."Berlingske Tidende"Every once in a while a book comes along that is both ironic and serious, both funny and challenging, both timely and wise. Stand Firm, with its seven steps toward living against our accelerated culture of neoliberal 'self-realization', is such a book. It should be on the bookshelf of every person concerned with the state of the world – or with the state of themselves"Todd May, Clemson University"Stand Firm is an exhilarating broadside against the intense modern pressure to do more, be more, to become happier and more productive, and to 'find yourself'. In championing Stoicism over the relentless and exhausting wild-goose chase of self-help, Svend Brinkmann - though he might not like the fact - has written a book that truly helps."Oliver Burkeman, The Guardian"This wonderfully funny and intelligent book not only exposes the foolishness of the self-help cult, but also offers a concrete and appealing alternative, reminding us that philosophy is as relevant for living our lives today as it has ever been."Carl Cederstrom, Stockholm Business School"As designs for life go, it may just be brilliantly outlandish enough to work."Irish Independent"With anti-self-help such as this, small wonder Denmark is the world's happiest county."Belfast Telepraph"Provocative and entertaining"Standpoint"Stand Firm by Svend Brinkmann is a welcome antidote to the therapeutic consensus which has dictated that we should strive for happiness and 'find ourselves', and insists that anything is possible if we put our minds to it."Patrick West, The Tablet"eloquent and pragmatic" - The Times Literary SupplementTable of ContentsAcknowledgements Introduction 1. Cut out the navel-gazing 2. Focus on the negative in your life 3. Put on the No hat 4. Suppress your feelings 5. Sack your coach 6. Read a novel – not a self-help book or biography 7. Dwell on the past Notes

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Book SynopsisWe constantly disagree with each other on issues of fundamental importance. Does God exist? Should the latest scientific findings be trusted? Are there innate psychological differences between men and women? In four lively chapters, Beebee and Rush explain philosophy’s role in addressing such questions. They consider what it means to be human, how we should engage in public debate, philosophy’s relationship with science and religion, and the nature of our moral choices. Far from being only an abstract endeavour, philosophy engages with issues on a practical level, and philosophers draw inspiration from real-life situations. At its core, philosophy is about how to live and how to make sense of the world we inhabit. It is a set of tools and techniques for clearly and systematically considering our arguments and uncovering our hidden assumptions, which helps us to make more informed choices about what to believe and how to act. Philosophy is everywhere, and open to everyone.Trade Review�Philosophy professors and students will find this wonderful little book to be a perfect gift for those who ask them what philosophy is or why philosophy matters.�Alfred Mele, Florida State University �Excellent, easy to follow, and informative. Beebee and Rush make a good case for the importance of philosophy in part by demonstrating the joys of engaging in philosophy.�Derek Matravers, The Open University �A great recommendation for students who think they may be interested in philosophy but aren�t quite sure what it is... the work is a delightful and welcoming invitation to a field that is too often perceived as dense and pretentious.�Rebecca G. Scott, Teaching PhilosophyTable of ContentsAcknowledgements Introduction 1 Understanding Ourselves 2 Understanding Public Debate 3 Understanding the World 4 Understanding How to Behave Conclusion Further Reading

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Book SynopsisLawrence Gellert has long been a mysterious figure in American folk and blues studies, gaining prominence in the left-wing folk revival of the 1930s for his fieldwork in the U.S. South. A "lean, straggly-haired New Yorker," as Time magazine called him, Gellert was an independent music collector, without formal training, credentials, or affiliation. At a time of institutionalized suppression, he worked to introduce white audiences to a tradition of black musical protest that had been denied and overlooked by prior white collectors.By the folk and blues revival of the 1960s, however, when his work would again seem apt in the context of the civil rights movement, Gellert and his collection of Negro Songs of Protest were a conspicuous absence. A few leading figures in the revival defamed Gellert as a fraud, dismissing his archive of black vernacular protest as a fabrication -- an example of left-wing propaganda and white interference. A Sound History is the story of an individual life, an excavation of African American musical resistance and dominant white historiography, and a cultural history of radical possibility and reversal in the defining middle decades of the U.S. twentieth century.Trade Review"With this book, Garabedian enriches our understanding of the methods, outlook, and interpretive framework of folklorists of the early twentieth century, and his assessment of the politics and culture of the 1930s is first-rate."—Stephen Petrus, coauthor of Folk City: New York and the American Folk Music Revival "Gellert’s work has not received the recognition or appreciation it deserves. In his well-researched book, Garabedian does a very good job of highlighting the significance of Gellert’s song collecting."—Robbie Lieberman, author of “My Song Is My Weapon”: People’s Songs, American Communism, and the Politics of Culture, 1930–50

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Book SynopsisRolling Stone, Creem, the Village Voice, SPIN, Billboard, Stereogum, Pitchfork. How did the music journalists who write for these popular publications break into the business? How have they honed their writing and interviewing techniques? How have they managed to thrive amid major changes in the industry, as print magazines have declined and digital publications have emerged? What does it take to turn a love of music into a professional writing career?Bringing together interviews from an impressive roster of over fifty music writers, Mike Hilleary offers up an engaging and wide-reaching examination of the past and potential future of music journalism. This accessible oral history contains professional insights into journalists' craft and purpose, practical advice, and essential life lessons from a diverse cast of music writers -- ranging from long-respected veterans of the field such as Rob Sheffield, Jessica Hopper, Ann Powers, and Chuck Klosterman to must-read modern voices including Amanda Petrusich, Hanif Abdurraqib, Lindsay Zoladz, and Jayson Greene. Honest and absorbing, On the Record will educate and enlighten anyone who wants to write about music, or anyone who wants a better understanding about those who do.Trade ReviewExtremely readable—compulsively so. In its scope and approach, On the Record is unique and fills a real void. It will be a valuable resource for young writers interested in pursuing music journalism." —Jack Hamilton, author of Just around Midnight: Rock and Roll and the Racial Imagination"Mike Hilleary’s On the Record is a book that makes plain how much writing, talking, and thinking about music matters." —Todd L. Burns, editor of Music Journalism Insider

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Book SynopsisThe familiar story of Delta blues musician Robert Johnson, who sold his soul to the devil at a Mississippi crossroads in exchange for guitar virtuosity, and the violent stereotypes evoked by legendary blues "bad men" like Stagger Lee undergird the persistent racial myths surrounding "authentic" blues expression. Fictional Blues unpacks the figure of the American blues performer, moving from early singers such as Ma Rainey and Big Mama Thornton to contemporary musicians such as Amy Winehouse, Rhiannon Giddens, and Jack White to reveal that blues makers have long used their songs, performances, interviews, and writings to invent personas that resist racial, social, economic, and gendered oppression.Using examples of fictional and real-life blues artists culled from popular music and literary works from writers such as Walter Mosley, Alice Walker, and Sherman Alexie, Kimberly Mack demonstrates that the stories blues musicians construct about their lives (however factually slippery) are inextricably linked to the "primary story" of the narrative blues tradition, in which autobiography fuels musicians' reclamation of power and agency.Trade Review"...illuminating, thought-provoking, refreshingly broad-minded..." — Los Angeles Review of Books "The perspective Mack offers on blues mythology is fresh and compelling. Fictional Blues is well-researched, engaging, clear, confident, and important." — Emily J. Lordi, author of Black Resonance: Iconic Women Singers and African American Literature"Mack provides a complex mapping of American blues music to investigate the work it does as a multifaceted cultural trope, from its inception in the Jim Crow South to its global dissemination in the twenty-first century. Fictional Blues is certain to make an impact in African American studies, along with American literary and cultural studies writ large." — Caroline A. Streeter, author of Tragic No More: Mixed-Race Women and the Nexus of Sex and Celebrity

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Book SynopsisSince 2010, The Stone—the immensely popular, award-winning philosophy column in The New York Times—has revived and re-interpreted age-old inquiries to speak to our contemporary condition. Now, doing for modern ethics what The Stone Reader (ISBN 978 1 63149 071 2) did for modern philosophy, this portable new volume features 77 essays from an online series that has enthralled millions with its lively, accessible examinations of perennial philosophical topics such as consciousness, religious belief and morality. The result is a thought-provoking collection, showcasing a fascinating debate that otherwise might have gone unnoticed. This insightful compendium promises to enliven the world of ethical thought and action in both the classroom and everyday life.

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Book SynopsisIt's humanity's make-or-break-century.In breathtakingly original prose, Elise Bohan argues that we're hurtling towards a superhuman future — or, if we blunder, extinction. The only way out of our existential crises, from global warming to the risks posed by nuclear weapons, novel and bioengineered pathogens and unaligned AI, is up. We'll need more technology to safeguard our future — and we're going to invent (and perhaps even merge with) some of that technology.What does that mean for our 20th century life-scripts? Are the robots coming for our jobs? How will human relationships change when AI knows us inside out? Will we still be having human babies by the century's end? Bohan unflinchingly explores possibilities most of us are afraid to imagine: the impacts of automation on our jobs, livelihoods and dating and mating careers, the stretching out of 'the-circle-of-life' as life-extension technologies mature, the rise of AI friends and lovers, the liberation of women from pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding, and the impending global baby-bust – and attendant proliferation of digital minds.Strap in for an exhilarating, and starkly honest, take on the promise and peril of life in the 21st century.

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Book SynopsisFlatness is a truly original study, drawing together many strands of thought and practice, from the everyday to the most profound, as it builds a new way of understanding the platform on which the drama of modern life has been played out.

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Book SynopsisCapitalism has become strange. Ironically, while the 'age of work' seems to have come to an end, working has assumed a total presence - a 'worker's society' in the worst sense of the term - where everyone finds themselves obsessed with it. So what does the worker tell us today? "I feel drained, empty - dead." This book tells the story of the dead man working. It follows this figure through the daily tedium of the office, to the humiliating mandatory team building exercise, to awkward encounters with the funky boss who pretends to hate capitalism and tells you to be authentic. In this society, the experience of work is not of dying...but neither of living. It is one of a living death. And yet, the dead man working is nevertheless compelled to wear the exterior signs of life, to throw a pretty smile, feign enthusiasm and make a half-baked joke. When the corporation has colonized life itself, even our dreams, the question of escape becomes ever more pressing, ever more desperate.Trade ReviewCederstrom and Fleming, like a present day Virgil, bravely venture into an underworld full of shades whose entire lives have been put to work, who throw themselves heart and soul into the job, and who are constantly implored by management gurus to 'be themselves,' 'feel free,' and 'have fun' in the office. This fascinating and dark little book is an excellent and disturbing introduction to what increasingly large realms of the world of work have become. (Michael Hardt, Co-author of Empire, Multitude, and Commonwealth) What has work done to us? Cederstrom and Fleming's brilliant dark and witty book tells us the truth. Working in our sleep? Dressing up as infants? Deprivation tank addiction? Fitness centrers? Suicide? Email? If you didn't already know what work has made you become then this book might have a devastating effect on your life. Read it! (Simon Critchley, Hans Jonas Professor, New School for Social Research)

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Book SynopsisPhilosophy was invented by pagans. Yet this fact is almost always ignored by those who write the history of ideas. This book tells the history of the pagan philosophers, and the various places where their ideas appeared, from ancient times to the 21st century. The Pagan philosophers are a surprisingly diverse group: from kings of great empires to exiled lonely wanderers, from devout religious teachers to con artists, drug addicts, and social radicals. Three traditions of thought emerge from their work: Pantheism, NeoPlatonism, and Humanism, corresponding to the immensities of the Earth, the Gods, and the Soul. From ancient schools like the Stoics and the Druids, to modern feminists and deep ecologists, the pagan philosophers examined these three immensities with systematic critical reason, and sometimes with poetry and mystical vision. This book tells their story for the first time in one volume, and invites you to examine the immensities with them. And as a special feature, the book includes summaries of the ideas of leading modern pagan intellectuals, in their own words: Emma Restall Orr, Michael York, John Michael Greer, Vivianne Crowley, and more

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Book SynopsisThe Reason for all Existence endeavours to explain why there is existence, rather than nothingness, by dissecting the fundamental principles/concepts of all existence, such as infinity, absolute zero and the ideas of good and evil. Familiar, earthly examples of these concepts are used along with their basic descriptions, so that the reader can better see how these concepts work and relate to the entirety of existence. The Reason for all Existence should give individuals a clear idea of the reason why they exist at all, while aiding them to direct their life in a positive way.

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Book SynopsisA collection of vivid fragments engaging with ethical and sceptical themes by means of an engagement with several major European thinkers, including Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, Levinas and Wittgenstein.

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Book SynopsisNotes on the Art of Life is Haim Shapira's version of Sei Shonagon's Pillow Book – a discursive and intensely personal collection of thoughts on life; a tribute to the importance of the here and now; the value of the moment and of paying attention to it. This is a personal, cheerful and idiosyncratic tour through the thoughts and experiences of philosophers, artists and academics, finding a path through the contradictions of philosophy and the intractable challenges of life (both existential and mundane). Content includes: Exploring a wide range of philosophies, from Aristotle to Zhuang Zhu and Epicurus to Socrates Tour the arts and thoughts of Abd al-Rahman III to Tolstoy, via Chekhov and Goethe Examine a myriad of essential topics, from silence and regret to happiness and other small things of absolute importance. And arriving finally at love. This book is like having a chatty and quite excitable friend guide you round a library of good books and different schools of thought. A companion who aims to comfort and reassure you about the complexities and challenges of life and of thinking about life.

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Book SynopsisHow is it that, in doing our very best to achieve one thing, we can end up achieving just the opposite? There exists an unseen force with an unassuming name that conceals all manner of terrors. It is `Unintended Consequences', and it takes our efforts to do the good and right thing, turns them to ashes and blows them back in our faces. Whether it be governments fighting a "War on Terror" only to bring their economies crashing about their ears, ecologists attempting to stamp out pests but making things ten times worse in the process, or giving people lots of choice only for them to make worse decisions, it is all too easy to start out with the best of intentions, only to end up doing more harm than good. In Unintended Consequences, Clive Wills discusses national disasters, Prohibition and the War on Drugs, frustrated efforts to improve health and safety, and touches on issues of everyday life such as how to improve relationships and bring up children. As HL Mencken reflected, "For every complex problem, there is a solution that is simple, neat, and wrong". This book examines the many ways in which those apparently simple solutions can turn around and bite us, and more importantly, just what we can do about it.

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Book Synopsis"The Essence of Reality" is the most perceptive, exacting look at the flow of Reality ever. Rarely has a human glimpsed beyond the confines of the self-aware mind to see the interactive flow of mind-value into Reality. Thomas Nehrer here goes beyond a glimpse to specify that flow, depicting Consciousness explicitly. "The Essence of Reality" illustrates that all of one's life - health, success, authority, abundance - reflect one's inner nature, leading the reader to see exactly how that works. It gives explicit tools for delving into limiting mindsets to accomplish real change."The Essence of Reality" views life from four angles: one presents perspectives on Reality from the standpoint of "Clear Awareness", without the veil of distorting beliefs. Two considers healing disciplines, exposing their limitations, detailing how it is the Inner Journey, eliminating inner roots, that can heal outer problems. Three warns of hazards along the path. Four exposes philosophical and scientific notions of western thinking and how these have become distorted through time and translation.

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Book SynopsisThere is really only one question for human beings that in the end matters. That is, what if any is the purpose of existence, and what are we here for? It is a question that has underlain religious conviction and philosophic inquiry throughout human history, and to which scientific rationalism in recent centuries has added some important insights. It highlights two contesting views of the nature of reality: is there a purpose behind the universe, and if so, is the evolution of man somehow related to that purpose, or is it a mechanistic universe driven by blind natural forces in which there is no ultimate purpose and no meaning of life? Or is there indeed some alternative third explanation? What is one to believe about the ultimates of human existence? What Michael Meacher seeks to do in this book is rather to assess the evidence - the whole range of it - without a predetermined world view as a premise, and to decide, as objectively as possible, what the evidence on balance points to.Trade ReviewI think it makes a worthwhile contribution to the field of religion and science. Dr George D. Chryssides, Head of Religious Studies, University of Birmingham

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Book SynopsisWhile previous writing on the philosophy of sport has tended to see sport as a kind of testing ground for philosophical theories devised to deal with other kinds of problems - of ethics, aesthetics or logical categorization - here Steven Connor offers a new philosophical understanding of sport in its own terms. In order to define what sport essentially is and means, Connor presents a complete grammar of sport, isolating and describing its essential elements, including the characteristic spaces of sport, the nature of sporting time, the importance of sporting objects like bats and balls, the methods of movement in sport, the role of rules and chance, and what it really means to cheat and to win. Defined as games that involve bodily exertion and exhaustion, sports simultaneously require constraint and the ability to overcome it. Sport, argues Connor, is a fundamental feature of modern humans. It is shown to be one of the most powerful ways in which we negotiate the relationship between the human and natural worlds. Encompassing a huge range of different sports, and enlisting the help of Hegel, Freud, Wittgenstein, Heidegger, Adorno, Sartre, Ayer, Deleuze and Serres, A Philosophy of Sport will inform, surprise and delight thoughtful athletes and sporty philosophers alike.Trade Review'Connor muses interestingly on the football pitch as a palimpsest of geometries; on why to be in the lead is to have an advantage in time, "to have wound the clock forward"; on the extreme demands made on the too-easily-mocked sports commentator; on sprinting as "the enraptured attempt to escape the capturing drag of mass"; on the utility of magical thinking in the "follow-through" of bat or club; and on how one does things with balls.' - The Guardian

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Book SynopsisIn 1923, a reporter asked George Mallory why he wanted to summit Mount Everest. “Because it’s there”. Today the question "why do this?" is included in nearly every mountaineering story or interview. Meanwhile, interest in climbing is steadily on the rise, from commercial mountaineering and climbing walls in university gyms and corporate workplaces to the flood of spectacular climbing imagery in advertising, cinema, and social media. Climbing has become the theater for imagining limits—of the human body and of the planet— and the nature of desire, motivation, and #goals. Covering the degradation of Everest, the banning of climbing on Australia’s Uluru, UNESCO’s decision to name alpinism an Intangible Cultural Heritage, the sudden death of Ueli Steck, and the commercial and critical success of Free Solo, Mountains and Desire chases after what remains of this pursuit – marred by its colonial history, coopted by nationalistic chauvinism, ableism, and the capitalist compulsion to unlimited growth – for both climbers and their fans.Trade Review"In this beautiful book, Margret Grebowicz examines the many meanings of mountaineering, then and now: what these meanings tell us about ourselves, and what they tell us about mountains as well.""A philosophical speed-climb, a topo map of our new Terra Incognita. I finished it grateful for a new sense of clarity.”"A treasure trove of insights exploring and critiquing the idea of climbing – upward pursuit -– in all its forms. Generous, fascinating, and written in sharp and lucid prose, Mountains and Desire illuminates an intoxicating and dangerous obsession through a startling range of material.""A fascinating attempt to answer the eternal question – why are you going up there? – for a new century. It will spur many to think more deeply."“Offers a timely appraisal of our relationship with high places.”

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Book SynopsisA series of focused dialogues to set out the standard positions on consciousness and suggest some alternatives.

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisThis is not a conventional book because the seed comes from the depth of the volcanic cauldron that awaits silently underneath the Lake Ilopango, the umbilical cord of our Humanity and yours. It is a scream, it is an offering, it is pain and it is love. It is a collective offering to those who are responding to a call of Liberation based on Indigenous Principles to protect and defend the land beyond theories, beyond rhetorical and metaphorical questions. This is a tiny-tiny glimpse into Lak'ech.A living testament that today, there are people buried on sand, on water, on air, on blood, among carcasses of bodies eaten by vultures—literally and metaphorically—a living testament of open wounds that heal and are traumatized again and again because you, the reader, the listener, the writer, the transcriber, the colonizer, the upholder of patriarchy and caste and class, the translator and the guardian of the door of the Master's House refuse to listen politically.

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Book SynopsisThis is not a conventional book because the seed comes from the depth of the volcanic cauldron that awaits silently underneath the Lake Ilopango, the umbilical cord of our Humanity and yours. It is a scream, it is an offering, it is pain and it is love. It is a collective offering to those who are responding to a call of Liberation based on Indigenous Principles to protect and defend the land beyond theories, beyond rhetorical and metaphorical questions. This is a tiny-tiny glimpse into Lak'ech.A living testament that today, there are people buried on sand, on water, on air, on blood, among carcasses of bodies eaten by vultures—literally and metaphorically—a living testament of open wounds that heal and are traumatized again and again because you, the reader, the listener, the writer, the transcriber, the colonizer, the upholder of patriarchy and caste and class, the translator and the guardian of the door of the Master's House refuse to listen politically.

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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