Book Description From the Preface: Meanwhile we may reflect with comfort on the words of Dupuis: “There are large numbers of men so perversely minded that they will believe everything except what is recommended by sound intelligence and reason, and shrink from philosophy as the hydrophobic shrinks from water. These people will not read us, […]
Murdoch’s existential burlesque novel centers on Jake, a hack writer and popular-novel translator, as he attempts to find himself and his own authentic existence. This novel explores the theme of how we see ourselves as projected through the eyes of others.
Description Burton Mack proposes that the Gospels are fictional mythologies created by different communities for various purposes and are only distantly related to the actual historical Jesus. Comment “Certainly Mack’s book should take a place in the front ranks of the many fine introductions available to students of the New Testament in both academic and […]
This is the first work ever to examine the thousands of pages of Adolf Hitler’s personal notes, letters, and statements to intimates and supporters, in order to answer the question: Did Hitler himself explain, to himself and to those in whom he confided, why he was so obsessed to exterminate “the Jews”? It turns out […]
“Anthony Kenny surveys the history of Western philosophy from the Pre-Socratics to the philosophy of Ludwig Wittgenstein. This is a well-written survey of the most important contributions of some of the major philosophers, but it is far from comprehensive. Particularly disappointing was the absence of any commentary on the half-century of philosophy since Wittgenstein, the […]
The first book to prepare general readers for the next big–perhaps the biggest–breakthrough in the short history of the cyberworld: the development of the quantum computer. The newest Pentium chip driving personal computers packs 40 million electronic switches onto a piece of silicon the size of a thumbnail. It is dramatically smaller and more powerful […]
Book Description Current discussions in the West on the relation of science and religion focus mainly on science’s uneasy relationship with the traditional Judeo-Christian view of life. But a parallel controversy exists in the Muslim world regarding ways to integrate science with Islam. As physicist Taner Edis demonstrates in this fascinating glimpse into contemporary Muslim […]
Atheism is often considered to be a negative, dark, and pessimistic belief which is characterised by a rejection of values and purpose and a fierce opposition to religion. Atheism: A Very Short Introduction sets out to dispel the myths that surround atheism and show how a life without religious belief can be positive, meaningful, and […]
“Although we cannot observe them (and they may be forever inaccessible), other universes are a natural expectation from current cosmology. Moreover, many features of our universe that otherwise seem baffling fall into place once we recognize this.” Sir Martin Rees, the British Astronomer Royal, gives a vivid, occasionally acid tour of current astrophysics and cosmology, […]
Can We Trust the New Testament? questions the historical accuracy of widely held views of early Christianity. In this book radical Bible scholar G. A. Wells examines Biblical accounts of the lives of the apostles Peter and Paul and presents evidence that the events described in the New Testament were written over time to support […]
The eighteenth century was an age both of enlightenment and of revolution. No man more dramatically embodied this spirit of knowledge and change than did Thomas Paine. One of the world’s most eloquent and persuasive proponents of human liberty and democracy, Paine stirred the hearts and minds of men to action. His writings were key […]
Darwin’s theory of evolution, which implied that our anscestors were apes, caused a furore in the scientific world and beyond when The Origin of Species was published in 1859. Arguments still rage about the implications of his evolutionary theory, and scepticism about the value of Darwin’s contribution to knowledge is widespread. In this analysis of […]
Defending Evolution is a novel handbook that explains why so many secondary and college students reject evolution and are antagonistic toward its teaching. Defending Evolution helps science instructors better understand their students’ Creationist beliefs (including those of intelligent design advocates) and the bearing those beliefs have on learning evolution. The book provides instructors with a […]
One minute, down and out actor Lorenzo Smythe was drinking away his troubles in a bar. Then a space pilot bought him a drink, and the next thing Smythe knew, he was being shanghaied to Mars. There he found himself agreeing to the most difficult role of his career: impersonating an important politician who had […]
Philosopher Quentin Smith rejects the widespread view that analytic philosophy is indifferent to important questions about right and wrong and human meaning. In this probing book he provides the first critical history of analytic philosophy from its inception to the present day, boldly argues that analytic philosophy has always concerned itself with the central issues […]
Americans have seen the Religious Right seize control of the Republican Party on the state level and at the national convention, controlling everything from the political platform to the presidential nominee selection process. Meeting this challenge means understanding the nature of the threat. Facing The Wrath is an essential guide which provides a comprehensive overview […]
Foundation and Empire tells the incredible story of a new breed of man who creates a new force for galactic government. Thus the Foundation hurtles into conflict with the decadent, decrepit First Empire. In this struggle for power amid the chaos of the stars, man stands at the threshold of a new enlightened life which […]
Description It has become the prevalent view among sociologists, historians, and some theistic scientists that religion and science have never been in serious conflict. Some even claim that Christianity was responsible for the development of science. In God and the Folly of Faith, physicist Victor J. Stenger shows that this conclusion flies in the face […]
Comforting and optimistic, this important self-help book is filled with step-by-step techniques for developing and strengthening feelings of self-worth. Shows readers how they can raise self-confidence, self-esteem, and commit themselves to happier, healthier lives.
Arguably the greatest science fiction writer who ever lived, Isaac Asimov also possessed one of the most brilliant and original minds of our time. His accessible style and far-reaching interests in subjects ranging from science to humor to history earned him the nickname “the Great Explainer.” I.Asimov is his personal story–vivid, open, and honest–as only […]
The Enlightenment of the 18th century was not only a crucial epoch, a sea-change in human history – it was also a vast moral, scientific and political movement. Intellectuals across Europe and the New World linked up in networks of friendship, projects and debates, and began to free themselves of the authority of the church […]
Few biographical subjects spark passions as intensely as do interpretations of the life of Jesus. In this highly accessible book, Bart Ehrman reviews the latest textual and archaeological research into Jesus’s life and the history of first-century Palestine, and draws a fascinating, controversial portrait of the man and his teachings. Jesus, Apocalyptic Prophet of the […]
In “The Hitchhiker’s Trilogy” and the bestselling “Dirk Gently” novels, Douglas Adams has taken his millions of fans on wild excursions through time and space. Last Chance to See continues the trip–but this time the place is Earth, the date is today, and every word is true. By turns a poignant and hilarious look at […]
Levy’s book is filled with explorations of neat themes in Lovecraft such as attics (vs. cellars), dreamworlds, stairways dug from underground up… The book’s charm as well as weakness is that it points out Lovecraft’s relation to other thinkers (Poe, Hawthorne, Freud, Einstein, Le Fanu) but doesn’t get bogged down working those relations out.
Brink defends a distinctive brand of moral realism that embraces objectivism, naturalism, externalism, and consequentialism. According to Michael Martin, this book is the best defense of moral realism available.
This is perhaps the most respected work on Nietzsche ever written. Thomas Mann called it “A work of great superiority over everything previous achieved in Nietzsche criticism and interpretation.”
Based on the most extensive survey ever conducted of religion in America, this book delivers surprising revelations about the religious beliefs, practices, and affiliations of Americans and about the complex dynamics of a country that is paradoxically among the most religious and the most secular on Earth. Drawn from a random poll of a hundred […]
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