Banner Message
Please note that online availability does not reflect stock in store!
Please check your SPAM folder for communications from us- for some reason our messages are being sent there more than usual :(
Philosophy
Should neighborhoods change? Is wearing a suit a good way to quit smoking? Why do people think that if you do one thing, you're against something else? Is monogamy a trick? Why isn't making the city more fun for you and your friends a super-noble political goal? Why does a computer last only three years? How often should you see your parents? How should we behave at parties? Is marriage getting easier? What can spam tell us about the world?
Misha Glouberman's friend and collaborator, Sheila Heti, wanted her next book to be a compilation of everything Misha knew. Together, they made a list of subjects. As Misha talked, Sheila typed. He talked about games, relationships, cities, negotiation, improvisation, Casablanca, conferences, and making friends. His subjects ranged from the sublime to the ridiculous. But sometimes what had seemed trivial began to seem important--and what had seemed important began to seem less so.The Chairs Are Where the People Go is refreshing, appealing, and kind of profound. It's a self-help book for people who don't feel they need help, and a how-to book that urges you to do things you don't really need to do.
What is "character"?
Since at least Aristotle's time, philosophers, theologians, moralists, artists, and scientists have pondered the enigma of human character. In its oldest usage, "character" derives from a word for engraving or stamping, yet over time, it has come to mean a moral idea, a type, a literary persona, and a physical or physiological manifestation observable in works of art and scientific experiments. It is an essential term in drama and the focus of self-help books. In Character: The History of a Cultural Obsession, Marjorie Garber points out that character seems more relevant than ever today, omnipresent in discussions of politics, ethics, gender, morality, and the psyche. References to character flaws, character issues, and character assassination and allegations of "bad" and "good" character are inescapable in the media and in contemporary political debates. What connection does "character" in this moral or ethical sense have with the concept of a character in a novel or a play? Do our notions about fictional characters catalyze our ideas about moral character? Can character be "formed" or taught in schools, in scouting, in the home? From Plutarch to John Stuart Mill, from Shakespeare to Darwin, from Theophrastus to Freud, from nineteenth-century phrenology to twenty-first-century brain scans, the search for the sources and components of human character still preoccupies us. Today, with the meaning and the value of this term in question, no issue is more important, and no topic more vital, surprising, and fascinating. With her distinctive verve, humor, and vast erudition, Marjorie Garber explores the stakes of these conflations, confusions, and heritages, from ancient Greece to the present day.
Noam Chomsky has written some 30 books, he is one of the most-quoted authors on Earth, The New York Times calls him arguably the most important intellectual alive - yet most people have no idea who he is or what he's about.
Chomsky For Beginners tells you what he's about: Chomsky is known for his work in two distinct areas - Linguistics and... Gadflying. (Gadfly, the word applied to Socrates, comes closest to the constant social irritant that Chomsky has become.) It is Chomsky's work as Political Gadfly and Media Critic that has given passion and hope to the general public - and alienated the Major Media - which is, of course, why you don't know more about him.
Chomsky's message is very simple: Huge corporations run our country, the world, both political parties, and Major Media. (You suspected it; Chomsky proves it.) If enough people open their minds to what he has to say, the whole gingerbread fantasy we've been fed about America might turn into a real democracy.
What's so special about Chomsky For Beginners? The few existing intros to Chomsky cover either Chomsky-the-Linguist or Chomsky-the-Political-Gadfly. Chomsky For Beginners covers both - plus an exclusive interview with the maverick genius. The clarity of David Cogwell's text and the wit of Paul Gordon's illustrations make Chomsky as easy to understand as the genius next door. Words and art are combined to clarify (but not oversimplify) the work and to humanize the man who may very well be what one savvy interviewer called him - the smartest man on Earth.
This thoroughly revised commentary uses the most recent insights in Heidegger studies to lead the reader through the sometimes difficult text of Being and Time. The clearly marked section-by-section analysis explains the structure of Being and Time, illuminates obscure passages, and presents examples of human experience to elucidate Heidegger's points. So that the reader does not lose sight of the main argument, Gelven summarizes the relevant concepts of Heidegger's chapters prior to his explicit interpretation of each section. Even though Gelven's commentary is primarily intended to be used as a supplement to Being and Time, the text also serves as an articulate study in Heideggerian philosophy.
Common Sense by Thomas Paine is one of the most influential works ever written. Thomas Paine wrote Common Sense in 1775-76, and the pamphlet would be so powerful that it helped inspire the American colonies to fight Great Britain for its independence.
Common Sense by Thomas Paine is truly one of the must read books for historical buffs and those simply interested in America's history. Grab a copy of Common Sense by Thomas Paine today!
and an Introduction by Sidney Hook
The Communist Manifesto changed the face of the twentieth century beyond recognition, inspiring millions to revolution, forming the basis of political systems that still dominate countless lives and continuing to ignite violent debate about class and capitalism today.
In recent years, we have witnessed a surge of interest in Marx's work in an effort to understand the origins of our current political and economic crisis.
For nearly forty years, David Harvey has written and lectured on Capital, becoming one of the world's foremost Marx scholars. Based on his recent lectures, this current volume--finally bringing together his guides to volumes I, II and much of III--presents this depth of learning to a broader audience, guiding first-time readers through a fascinating and deeply rewarding text. A Companion to Marx's Capital offers fresh, original, and sometimes critical interpretations of a book that changed the course of history and, as Harvey intimates, may do so again.