Occasional comedian and full-time worrier Neil Hughes isn't the kind of person you'd expect to write a helpful book.He's an idiot.Or, at least, so his Inner Critic is constantly telling him. No wonder he's suffering from anxiety!But somehow, during his nervous bumbling through life, he learned to live with anxiety and escape the unhelpful mental habits he'd picked up along the way.Oh... and he stumbled on the Meaning of Life, too.Now he's sharing hilarious real-life stories, inventive fantasy fiction and badly-drawn graphs to help you to be less anxious and more happy.In this compelling, surprising and delightful guide to life for humans, Neil explores the roots of anxiety and how to (gently) uproot them, all while battling the irritating interruptions from his doubtful Inner Critic.Then - after sorting out love, crises, relationships, purpose, and contentment - he even considers how we can solve death and the Meaning of Life itself.Whether you're pitying Neil's hapless attempts to navigate the real world, or joining him on imaginary adventures to outer space or magical shops, you'll discover deep insights into yourself, new techniques to live more happily, and plenty of laughs along the way.And, somehow, it turns out everything can be explained using custard...**NOT PRAISE FOR NEIL HUGHES**__"It's not bad, I suppose" - Neil's Mum____"Neil has a pleasing use of commas" - Anonymous____"it is a book" - Isla McLoughlin, aged 2-and-a-half__**SOME PRAISE FOR NEIL HUGHES**__"To merely call it a self-help book would be a complete disservice to the author. Part biography, part guide, and part Brother's Grimm Fairy Tales of the Strange... if only I had read this growing up then I might not have felt so alone." - Claire Eastham, weallmadhere.com__

Occasional comedian and full-time worrier Neil Hughes isn't the kind of person whom you would expect to write a helpful book. He's an idiot. (At least, according to his Inner Critic.) But, during his anxious bumbling through existence, he has somehow accumulated plenty of knowledge on how to live a rich, meaningful life, how to be happy(ish) even when things don't go your way, and - especially - how to find freedom from unpleasant thoughts, feelings and panic. In this humorous exploration of an anxious life, Neil mixes embarrassing real-life stories with inventive fantasy as he explains how he learned to understand and control his anxiety. Despite the constant interruptions of his Inner Critic, he explores the workings of the brain, love, relationships, purpose, contentment... and even death and the Meaning of Life itself. In between battling aliens in outer space, talking flowers, arguments with himself, and other flights of fancy, he warmly shares practical techniques to live less nervously and more happily. And, somehow, it turns out everything can be explained using custard...

“I can think of no authors more qualified to research the complex impact of life sentences than Marc Mauer and Ashley Nellis. They have the expertise to track down the information that all citizens need to know and the skills to translate that research into accessible and powerful prose.” —Heather Ann Thompson, author of the Pulitzer Prize–winning Blood in the Water From the author of the classic Race to Incarcerate , a forceful and necessary argument for eliminating life sentences, including profiles of six people directly impacted by life sentences by formerly incarcerated author Kerry Myers** Most Western democracies have few or no people serving life sentences, yet here in the United States more than 200,000 people are sentenced to such prison terms. Marc Mauer and Ashley Nellis of The Sentencing Project argue that there is no practical or moral justification for a sentence longer than twenty years. Harsher sentences have been shown to have little effect on crime rates, since people “age out” of crime—meaning that we’re spending a fortune on geriatric care for older prisoners who pose little threat to public safety. Extreme punishment for serious crime also has an inflationary effect on sentences across the spectrum, helping to account for severe mandatory minimums and other harsh punishments. A thoughtful and stirring call to action, The Meaning of Life also features moving profiles of a half dozen people affected by life sentences, written by former “lifer” and award-winning writer Kerry Myers. The book will tie in to a campaign spearheaded by The Sentencing Project and offers a much-needed road map to a more humane criminal justice system. **

Some philosophers have thought that life could only be meaningful if there is no God. For Sartre and Nagel, for example, a God of the traditional classical theistic sort would constrain our powers of self-creative autonomy in ways that would severely detract from the meaning of our lives, possibly even evacuate our lives of all meaning. Some philosophers, by contrast, have thought that life could only be meaningful if there is a God. God and the Meanings of Life is interested in exploring the truth in both these schools of thought, seeking to discover what God could and couldn't do to make life meaningful (as well as what he would and wouldn't do). Mawson espouses a version of the 'amalgam' or 'pluralism' thesis about the issue of life's meaning – in essence, that there are a number of different legitimate meanings of 'meaning' (and indeed 'life') in the question of life's meaning. According to Mawson, God, were he to exist, would help make life meaningful in some of these senses and hinder in some others. He argues that whilst there could be meaning in a Godless universe, there could be other sorts of meaning in a Godly one and that these would be deeper. ** Review “The last twenty-five years or so have witnessed a remarkable renaissance of interest among a minority of analytical philosophers in the question of the meaning of life, and this monograph provides a substantial contribution to that discussion … This is an important contribution to the current debate and my hope is that it will be widely read and receive the detailed engagement it merits.” – Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews About the Author T. J. Mawson is Fellow and Tutor in Philosophy at St Peter's College, Oxford University. He is the author of Belief in God: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Religion (2005). Theology Free Will & Determinism General Christian Theology Religious Religion Philosophy What God Could and Couldn’t Do To Make Our Lives More Meaningful Ethics & Moral Philosophy

Some philosophers have thought that life could only be meaningful if there is no God. For Sartre and Nagel, for example, a God of the traditional classical theistic sort would constrain our powers of self-creative autonomy in ways that would severely detract from the meaning of our lives, possibly even evacuate our lives of all meaning. Some philosophers, by contrast, have thought that life could only be meaningful if there is a God. God and the Meanings of Life is interested in exploring the truth in both these schools of thought, seeking to discover what God could and couldn't do to make life meaningful (as well as what he would and wouldn't do). Mawson espouses a version of the 'amalgam' or 'pluralism' thesis about the issue of life's meaning – in essence, that there are a number of different legitimate meanings of 'meaning' (and indeed 'life') in the question of life's meaning. According to Mawson, God, were he to exist, would help make life meaningful in some of these senses and hinder in some others. He argues that whilst there could be meaning in a Godless universe, there could be other sorts of meaning in a Godly one and that these would be deeper. ** Review “The last twenty-five years or so have witnessed a remarkable renaissance of interest among a minority of analytical philosophers in the question of the meaning of life, and this monograph provides a substantial contribution to that discussion … This is an important contribution to the current debate and my hope is that it will be widely read and receive the detailed engagement it merits.” – Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews About the Author T. J. Mawson is Fellow and Tutor in Philosophy at St Peter's College, Oxford University. He is the author of Belief in God: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Religion (2005). Theology Free Will & Determinism General Christian Theology Religious Religion Philosophy What God Could and Couldn’t Do To Make Our Lives More Meaningful Ethics & Moral Philosophy FC 1 Half title 2 Also available from Bloomsbury 3 Title 4 Copyright 5 Dedication 6 Contents 8 Quote 10 Acknowledgements 11 Introduction 12 Chapter One 29 Chapter Two 55 Chapter Three 61 Chapter Four 78 Chapter Five 86 Chapter Six 96 Chapter Seven 109 Chapter Eight 121 Chapter Nine 145 Chapter Ten 170 Conclusion 183 Notes 186 Bibliography 230 Further Reading 235 Index 238

Noel Braun yearns to walk the Camino, the ancient pilgrimage route that leads across France and Spain to Santiago de Compostela. Since the suicide of Maris, his beloved wife of forty-two years, he has struggled to find himself. But is it pure madness? He's an old bloke. At seventy-seven-years, he should be sensible, act his age and relax in a rocking chair. Can his body and spirit withstand the demands? Can he leave family and friends behind? Noel believes this is a journey he MUST undertake. It's a compulsion, a spiritual quest of self-discovery, an urgent need to commune with the world around and beyond him. When Noel begins his journey, he discovers it's not just the rigorous demands of the physical world he must answer. The territory of the heart and soul has its own challenges, which have him searching for spiritual and emotional insights. His travels are interwoven with accounts of the many engaging characters he meets. In time he realises he himself is one of the Camino's characters.The Day Was Made for Walking merges the spiritual with the physical, the ancient with the contemporary. It is a memoir, but also a glimpse into history and a travel guide.

“I can think of no authors more qualified to research the complex impact of life sentences than Marc Mauer and Ashley Nellis. They have the expertise to track down the information that all citizens need to know and the skills to translate that research into accessible and powerful prose.” —Heather Ann Thompson, author of the Pulitzer Prize–winning Blood in the Water From the author of the classic Race to Incarcerate , a forceful and necessary argument for eliminating life sentences, including profiles of six people directly impacted by life sentences by formerly incarcerated author Kerry Myers** Most Western democracies have few or no people serving life sentences, yet here in the United States more than 200,000 people are sentenced to such prison terms. Marc Mauer and Ashley Nellis of The Sentencing Project argue that there is no practical or moral justification for a sentence longer than twenty years. Harsher sentences have been shown to have little effect on crime rates, since people “age out” of crime—meaning that we’re spending a fortune on geriatric care for older prisoners who pose little threat to public safety. Extreme punishment for serious crime also has an inflationary effect on sentences across the spectrum, helping to account for severe mandatory minimums and other harsh punishments. A thoughtful and stirring call to action, The Meaning of Life also features moving profiles of a half dozen people affected by life sentences, written by former “lifer” and award-winning writer Kerry Myers. The book will tie in to a campaign spearheaded by The Sentencing Project and offers a much-needed road map to a more humane criminal justice system. **

What makes for a good life, or a beautiful one, or, perhaps most important, a meaningful one? Throughout history most of us have looked to our faith, our relationships, or our deeds for the answer. But in A Significant Life , philosopher Todd May offers an exhilarating new way of thinking about these questions, one deeply attuned to life as it actually is: a work in progress, a journey—and often a narrative. Offering moving accounts of his own life and memories alongside rich engagements with philosophers from Aristotle to Heidegger, he shows us where to find the significance of our lives: in the way we live them. May starts by looking at the fundamental fact that life unfolds over time, and as it does so, it begins to develop certain qualities, certain themes. Our lives can be marked by intensity, curiosity, perseverance, or many other qualities that become guiding narrative values. These values lend meanings to our lives that are distinct from—but also interact with—the universal values we are taught to cultivate, such as goodness or happiness. Offering a fascinating examination of a broad range of figures—from music icon Jimi Hendrix to civil rights leader Fannie Lou Hamer, from cyclist Lance Armstrong to The Portrait of a Lady ’s Ralph Touchett to Claus von Stauffenberg, a German officer who tried to assassinate Hitler—May shows that narrative values offer a rich variety of criteria by which to assess a life, specific to each of us and yet widely available. They offer us a way of reading ourselves, who we are, and who we might like to be. Clearly and eloquently written, A Significant Life is a recognition and a comfort, a celebration of the deeply human narrative impulse by which we make—even if we don’t realize it—meaning for ourselves. It offers a refreshing way to think of an age-old question, of quite simply, what makes a life worth living. ** Review “May’s book is a thoughtful, widely accessible, and comprehensive account of meaning in life. . . . As someone well acquainted with work on life’s meaning composed by professional philosophers, I have profited from reading May’s book, especially his discussion of what can confer (substantial) meaning on a person’s life. I especially recommend his work in virtue of it being a ‘good read’, avoiding technicalities and reflecting on everyday examples with insight. It would be ideal to assign for an upper-level undergraduate course or to share as a gift with reflective friends and family outside the academy.” ( Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews ) “In A Significant Life , May has produced a tour de force. It is a thoughtful, subtle, beautifully written discussion of what it takes to live a meaningful life. A careful study of this book will tell you what it takes to make life worth living. It is refreshing to encounter someone worrying about such a big question in the small-minded times we live in, and an absolute joy to discover that he may actually have provided an answer.” (Barry Schwartz, author of The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less) “In this eloquent and inspiring book, May argues that meaning in life is not given to us by God or the universe; nor is it, as the existentialists claimed, something we invent for ourselves. It is found instead in living in accordance with what he calls ‘narrative values,’ which inform and structure our lives as wholes. May’s arguments are often illustrated with examples drawn from literature and his writing is frequently lyrical, though always accessible. The book does not claim to reveal the meaning of life. May is a seeker rather than a proselytizer. Indeed, it is in part because he is not content with simplistic certainties that he is able to offer such wise guidance in our efforts to understand how and why our lives matter.” (Jeff McMahan, author of The Values of Lives) “Todd May is something of a legend, known for his lively, conversational style of discourse, and this book—on no less than the meaning of life—showcases all of his best features. It is engaging and clear, with vivid examples from literature and May’s own life. It addresses a topic of very broad interest, yet it does so in a philosophically sophisticated way. Despite Pierre Hadot’s claim that all ancient philosophy was about the meaning of life, there is surprisingly little engagement of the question by contemporary philosophers. May’s book fills this void marvelously.” (Charles Guignon, author of On Being Authentic) “This is an engaging, beautifully written book that grabs the reader from the first page—something one cannot often say about a philosophy book. More important, May has given us a wise, humane reflection on one of the central questions of philosophy—what makes for a meaningful life? While accessible to a broad audience, A Significant Life  also makes a significant contribution to the scholarly literature. I highly recommend it.” (Daniel Haybron, author of Happiness: A Very Short Introduction) About the Author Todd May is Class of 1941 Memorial Professor of the Humanities at Clemson University. He is the author of many books, including Friendship in an Age of Economics , Contemporary Movements and the Thought of Jacques Rancière , and Death . Contents 6 Introduction 8 1. A Meaningful Life? 14 2. Is Happiness Enough? 38 3. Narrative Values 74 4. Meaningful Lives, Good Lives, Beautiful Lives 118 5. Justifying Ourselves to Ourselves 152 Conclusion: Not Everything, But Something 188 Acknowledgments 198 Notes 200 Suggestions for Further Reading 204 Index 208 UCPEP16

"Will change the way you think about thinking." -Daniel H. Pink, author of A Whole New Mind Renowned behavioral economist and commentator Tyler Cowen shows that our supernetworked world is changing the way we think-and empowering us to thrive in any economic climate. Whether it is micro-blogging on Twitter or buying single songs at iTunes, we can now customize our lives to shape our own specific needs. In other words, we can create our own economy-and live smarter, happier, fuller lives. At a time when apocalyptic thinking has become all too common, Cowen offers a much- needed information age manifesto that will resonate with readers of Dan Ariely's Predictably Irrational, Steven Johnson's Everything Bad is Good for You, and everyone hungry to understand our potential to withstand, and even thrive, in any economic climate.

Noel Braun yearns to walk the Camino, the ancient pilgrimage route that leads across France and Spain to Santiago de Compostela. Since the suicide of Maris, his beloved wife of forty-two years, he has struggled to find himself. But is it pure madness? He's an old bloke. At seventy-seven-years, he should be sensible, act his age and relax in a rocking chair. Can his body and spirit withstand the demands? Can he leave family and friends behind? Noel believes this is a journey he MUST undertake. It's a compulsion, a spiritual quest of self-discovery, an urgent need to commune with the world around and beyond him. When Noel begins his journey, he discovers it's not just the rigorous demands of the physical world he must answer. The territory of the heart and soul has its own challenges, which have him searching for spiritual and emotional insights. His travels are interwoven with accounts of the many engaging characters he meets. In time he realises he himself is one of the Camino's characters. __The Day Was Made for Walking__ merges the spiritual with the physical, the ancient with the contemporary. It is a memoir, but also a glimpse into history and a travel guide.

What makes for a good life, or a beautiful one, or, perhaps most important, a meaningful one? Throughout history most of us have looked to our faith, our relationships, or our deeds for the answer. But in __A Significant Life__, philosopher Todd May offers an exhilarating new way of thinking about these questions, one deeply attuned to life as it actually is: a work in progress, a journey—and often a narrative. Offering moving accounts of his own life and memories alongside rich engagements with philosophers from Aristotle to Heidegger, he shows us where to find the significance of our lives: in the way we live them. May starts by looking at the fundamental fact that life unfolds over time, and as it does so, it begins to develop certain qualities, certain themes. Our lives can be marked by intensity, curiosity, perseverance, or many other qualities that become guiding narrative values. These values lend meanings to our lives that are distinct from—but also interact with—the universal values we are taught to cultivate, such as goodness or happiness. Offering a fascinating examination of a broad range of figures—from music icon Jimi Hendrix to civil rights leader Fannie Lou Hamer, from cyclist Lance Armstrong to __The Portrait of a Lady__’s Ralph Touchett to Claus von Stauffenberg, a German officer who tried to assassinate Hitler—May shows that narrative values offer a rich variety of criteria by which to assess a life, specific to each of us and yet widely available. They offer us a way of reading ourselves, who we are, and who we might like to be. Clearly and eloquently written, __A Significant Life__ is a recognition and a comfort, a celebration of the deeply human narrative impulse by which we make—even if we don’t realize it—meaning for ourselves. It offers a refreshing way to think of an age-old question, of quite simply, what makes a life worth living.

At 82 years old, former advertising executive Don Hermann has had ample time to ponder life's not-so-little mysteries. Collected in this pint-sized gift book are Don's queries about everything from the meaning of life to the meaning of a handshake. Whether you're 22 or 82, reading alone or among friends, these questions - which range from the philosophical to the silly - will inspire hours of thoughtful fun.

Argues that mediation is a central theme in this Platonic dialogue dedicated to the exploration of what it means to live a good life. Plato’s Philebus continues to fascinate us with its reflections on what it means to live a good life by aiming at the right combination of pleasure and knowledge. In this book, Cristina Ionescu argues that mediation is a central theme in the dialogue. Whether we talk about mediating between distinct ontological levels, between steps of reasoning, between pleasure and knowledge, between distinct types of pleasure, or between concrete circumstances and ideals, the steps in between remain essential to a good life. Focusing on ethical, epistemological, and metaphysical aspects of the dialogue, Ionescu occasionally steps beyond the letter of the text, while remaining faithful to its spirit, as she tries to illuminate what is only hinted at. Cristina Ionescu is Associate Professor in the School of Philosophy at the Catholic University of America. She is the author of Plato’s Meno : An Interpretation .

Amazon.com Review Amazon Exclusive: Gretchen Rubin Interviews Wendy McClure Gretchen: If you had to pick the one scene from all of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s books that makes you the happiest, what would it be? I'd pick the scene where Mr. Edwards brings back the Christmas gifts to Laura and Mary, after he meets Santa Claus in Independence. I cry every time! Or maybe when Laura tells Almanzo that she won't go buggy-riding with Nellie Oleson again. Wendy: For me it’s when the Ingalls family moves into the “wonderful house” in On the Banks of Plum Creek . The rooms are clean and new, with store-boughten hinges and china knobs on the doors, and everything is in its place. Every time I read it, I swoon over the details, from the calico-edged curtains to the smell of the pine boards. A close second is the scene where Laura gets to see the surveyors’ house for the first time in By the Shores of Silver Lake . Gretchen: Why do you think the Little House books have meant so much to you for so long? Wendy: I think it’s because the point of view is at once so subtle and vivid that it feels like I’m in Laura Ingalls’s head, looking with her eyes. I learned so much about how to see from these books, which in turn helped me learn to observe and think like a writer. Gretchen: Now that you've had all those adventures and written your own book about LIW, do you feel differently about Wilder and the books? Wendy: In some ways, yes. I’m able to separate the real Laura Ingalls Wilder from her fictional counterpart and see her in ways that my childhood vision of her didn’t allow for. I also now see Laura’s daughter, Rose, as part of the books because she contributed so much to them. At the same time, the world of the books hasn’t changed much in my mind. Even when I’ve seen the actual sites where the books take place, my imagined version of those places is just as real to me as it’s always been. Gretchen: Having written The Wilder Life , you must be approached constantly by people who are also ardent Laura Ingalls Wilder fans. Do you feel an instant connection to them, or is it a bit hard to relate to everyone's strong emotions about her work? Wendy: I feel more connected to other fans much more than I ever did when I was younger. As a kid, my relationship to Laura and the books was so solitary—I didn’t really know anyone else who loved the books. So when I started to meet and talk to others about the book, it took a little getting used to at first, because everyone’s fandom is different (some people really love the TV show, others consider it sacrilege); but I’ve since found that one of the best things about writing this book is being able to take part in this shared passion. Gretchen: How in the world do you come up with those hilarious Twitter comments as @HalfPintIngalls? Brilliant. My favorite so far: "Hey Almanzo, if you liked it then you should’ve built a shanty on it." Wendy: It takes longer than you’d think! I try to take advantage of the seasons and think, what would Laura be tweeting about this time of year? (Thanks to The Long Winter , it’s never too early or late in the year to complain about twisting hay!) I also go through the Little House books in search of inspiration. It helps that HalfPintIngalls doesn’t tweet too much...after all, she has to walk two miles into town to send her posts from the Twittergraph office! From Publishers Weekly Starred Review. Obsessed with Laura Ingalls Wilder and her Little House books about an 1880s pioneer family, children's book editor and memoirist McClure (I'm Not the New Me) attempts to recapture her childhood vision of "Laura World." Her wacky quest includes hand-grinding wheat for bread, buying an authentic churn, and traveling to sites where the Ingalls family attempted to wrest a living from the prairie. Discovering that butter she churned herself was "just butter," McClure admits she "felt like a genius and a complete idiot at the same time." Viewing a one-room dugout the Ingallses occupied that was "smaller than a freight elevator" prompted McClure to admit that "the actual past and the Little House world had different properties." McClure finally tells her boyfriend, "I'm home," after recognizing that her travels stemmed from her reaction to the recent death of her mother. Readers don't need to be Wilder fans to enjoy this funny and thoughtful guide to a romanticized version of the American expansion west. (Apr.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved. General,Literary,Children's Literature,Personal Memoirs,Literary Criticism,Biography & Autobiography,Frontier and pioneer life in literature,Women

Argues that mediation is a central theme in this Platonic dialogue dedicated to the exploration of what it means to live a good life. Plato’s Philebus continues to fascinate us with its reflections on what it means to live a good life by aiming at the right combination of pleasure and knowledge. In this book, Cristina Ionescu argues that mediation is a central theme in the dialogue. Whether we talk about mediating between distinct ontological levels, between steps of reasoning, between pleasure and knowledge, between distinct types of pleasure, or between concrete circumstances and ideals, the steps in between remain essential to a good life. Focusing on ethical, epistemological, and metaphysical aspects of the dialogue, Ionescu occasionally steps beyond the letter of the text, while remaining faithful to its spirit, as she tries to illuminate what is only hinted at. Cristina Ionescu is Associate Professor in the School of Philosophy at the Catholic University of America. She is the author of Plato’s Meno : An Interpretation .

This collection of writings by Mark Fisher, author of the acclaimed Capitalist Realism, argues that we are haunted by futures that failed to happen. Fisher searches for the traces of these lost futures in the work of David Peace, John Le Carré, Christopher Nolan, Joy Division, Burial and many others. ** This collection of writings by Mark Fisher, author of the acclaimed Capitalist Realism, argues that we are haunted by futures that failed to happen. Fisher searches for the traces of these lost futures in the work of David Peace, John Le Carré, Christopher Nolan, Joy Division, Burial and many others. ** Review After the brilliance of Capitalist Realism, Ghosts Of My Life confirms Mark Fisher's role as our greatest and most trusted navigator of these times out of joint, through all their frissons and ruptures, among all their apparitions and spectres, past, present and future. --David Peace, author of the Red Riding Quartet and Red or Dead About the Author Mark Fisher is highly respected both as a music writer and a theorist. He writes regularly for The Wire, frieze, New Statesman, and Sight & Sound. Social Science Popular Culture Performing Arts Film History & Criticism

What makes for a good life, or a beautiful one, or, perhaps most important, a meaningful one? Throughout history most of us have looked to our faith, our relationships, or our deeds for the answer. But in __A Significant Life__, philosopher Todd May offers an exhilarating new way of thinking about these questions, one deeply attuned to life as it actually is: a work in progress, a journey—and often a narrative. Offering moving accounts of his own life and memories alongside rich engagements with philosophers from Aristotle to Heidegger, he shows us where to find the significance of our lives: in the way we live them. May starts by looking at the fundamental fact that life unfolds over time, and as it does so, it begins to develop certain qualities, certain themes. Our lives can be marked by intensity, curiosity, perseverance, or many other qualities that become guiding narrative values. These values lend meanings to our lives that are distinct from—but also interact with—the universal values we are taught to cultivate, such as goodness or happiness. Offering a fascinating examination of a broad range of figures—from music icon Jimi Hendrix to civil rights leader Fannie Lou Hamer, from cyclist Lance Armstrong to __The Portrait of a Lady__’s Ralph Touchett to Claus von Stauffenberg, a German officer who tried to assassinate Hitler—May shows that narrative values offer a rich variety of criteria by which to assess a life, specific to each of us and yet widely available. They offer us a way of reading ourselves, who we are, and who we might like to be. Clearly and eloquently written, __A Significant Life__ is a recognition and a comfort, a celebration of the deeply human narrative impulse by which we make—even if we don’t realize it—meaning for ourselves. It offers a refreshing way to think of an age-old question, of quite simply, what makes a life worth living.

This collection of writings by Mark Fisher, author of the acclaimed Capitalist Realism, argues that we are haunted by futures that failed to happen. Fisher searches for the traces of these lost futures in the work of David Peace, John Le Carré, Christopher Nolan, Joy Division, Burial and many others. **

Limits and Life: Meaning and Metaphors in the Religious Language of Iceland not only contributes to the field of Nordic cultural history, it is a valuable resource for those who may find themselves confronting threats and preparing for catastrophes in the twenty-first century. How can we best cope with traumatic events in nature, society, and the home? Facing and interpreting limits has been the pivotal religious task of Icelanders throughout the centuries. Strategies for survival became a necessity and included interpretations that assisted in coping with these crises along with strategies of escape. The theology of Icelanders offers potential ways for coping with difficulties and suggests strategies for addressing the limit-issues threatening us and later generations. Erscheinungsdatum: 21.02.2012

Jean-François Lyotard, ‘Note on the Meaning of “Post-”’, in The Postmodern Explained, Julian Pefanis and Morgan Thomas (trans.), Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, pp.89-93.

<p>Since the discovery of the structure of DNA and the birth of the genetic age, a powerful vocabulary has emerged to express science&rsquo;s growing command over the matter of life. Armed with knowledge of the code that governs all living things, biology and biotechnology are poised to edit, even rewrite, the texts of life to correct nature&rsquo;s mistakes.</p> <p>Yet, how far should the capacity to manipulate what life <i>is</i> at the molecular level authorize science to define what life is <i>for</i>? This book looks at flash points in law, politics, ethics, and culture to argue that science&rsquo;s promises of perfectibility have gone too far. Science may have editorial control over the material elements of life, but it does not supersede the languages of sense-making that have helped define human values across millennia: the meanings of autonomy, integrity, and privacy; the bonds of kinship, family, and society; and the place of humans in nature.</p>

The Marginalian Favorite Books of 2023 An electrifying introduction to complexity theory, the science of how complex systems behave, that explains the interconnectedness of all things and that Deepak Chopra says, “will change the way you understand yourself and the universe.” Nothing in the universe is more complex than life. Throughout the skies, in oceans, and across lands, life is endlessly on the move. In its myriad forms—from cells to human beings, social structures, and ecosystems—life is open-ended, evolving, unpredictable, yet adaptive and self-sustaining. Complexity theory addresses the mysteries that animate science, philosophy, and metaphysics: how this teeming array of existence, from the infinitesimal to the infinite, is in fact a seamless living whole and what our place, as conscious beings, is within it. Physician, scientist, and philosopher Neil Theise makes accessible this “theory of being,” one of the pillars of modern science, and its holistic view of human existence. He notes the surprising underlying connections within a universe that is itself one vast complex system—between ant colonies and the growth of forests, cancer and economic bubbles, murmurations of starlings and crowds walking down the street. The implications of complexity theory are profound, providing insight into everything from the permeable boundaries of our bodies to the nature of consciousness. Notes on Complexity is an invitation to trade our limited, individualistic view for the expansive perspective of a universe that is dynamic, cohesive, and alive—a whole greater than the sum of its parts. Theise takes us to the exhilarating frontiers of human knowledge and in the process restores wonder and meaning to our experience of the everyday.

<p>We are a nation of gamblers: pari-mutuel wagering at horse tracks; blackjack in Las Vegas; the NCAA basketball office pool; even day trading on the internet. Gambling is both our national pastime and our predominant cultural metaphor -- play the field; beat the odds; take a chance on love. Yet gambling poses serious risks to individuals and to society as a whole. Neil Isaacs -- sports historian, licensed clinical social worker, English professor, and a gambler himself for more than fifty years -- seeks to shatter the myths interfering with our understanding of gambling addiction, its causes, and its treatment. He begins by systematically debunking several commonly held beliefs, demonstrating that there is no such thing as the law of averages, that gambling is not inherently sinful, immoral, or criminal, and that money is not always the prime motivator for gamblers. Isaacs shows how habitual gambling can lead to compulsive gambling, but avoids oversimplifying this condition. Arguing against a undifferentiated interpretation of pathological gambling as a simple impulse control disorder, he draws examples from fiction, film, and his own practice to demonstrate additional ways gambling can be abused. A radical departure from established views, You Bet Your Life identifies the costs -- in dollars, people, families, and credit ratings -- of society's failure to address adequately the burdens of gambling.</p>

'Kenrick writes like a dream.'-- Robert Sapolsky, Professor of Biology and Neurology, Stanford University; author of A Primate's Memoir and Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers What do sex and murder have to do with the meaning of life? Everything. In Sex, Murder, and the Meaning of Life, social psychologist Douglas Kenrick exposes the selfish animalistic underside of human nature, and shows how it is intimately connected to our greatest and most selfless achievements. Masterfully integrating cognitive science, evolutionary psychology, and complexity theory, this intriguing book paints a comprehensive picture of the principles that govern our lives. As Kenrick divulges, beneath our civilized veneer, human beings are a lot like howling hyenas and barking baboons, with heads full of homicidal tendencies and sexual fantasies. But, in his view, many ingrained, apparently irrational behaviors -- such as inclinations to one-night stands, racial prejudices, and conspicuous consumption -- ultimately manifest what he calls'Deep Rationality.&'Although our heads are full of simple selfish biases that evolved to help our ancestors survive, modern human beings are anything but simple and selfish cavemen. Kenrick argues that simple and selfish mental mechanisms we inherited from our ancestors ultimately give rise to the multifaceted social lives that we humans lead today, and to the most positive features of humanity, including generosity, artistic creativity, love, and familial bonds. And out of those simple mechanisms emerge all the complexities of society, including international conflicts and global economic markets. By exploring the nuance of social psychology and the surprising results of his own research, Kenrick offers a detailed picture of what makes us caring, creative, and complex -- that is, fully human. Illuminated with stories from Kenrick's own colorful experiences -- from his criminally inclined shantytown Irish relatives, his own multiple high school expulsions, broken marriages, and homicidal fantasies, to his eventual success as an evolutionary psychologist and loving father of two boys separated by 26 years -- this book is an exploration of our mental biases and failures, and our mind's great successes. Idiosyncratic, controversial, and fascinating, Sex, Murder, and the Meaning of Life uncovers the pitfalls and promise of our biological inheritance.

Democratic principles have not taken root readily in Latin America in part because spiritual inwardness, a necessary prerequisite of democracy that is inseparable from the Bible, has been lacking. During the twentieth century Protestant workers like John Mackay (1889-1983) brought the evangelical message to that continent through lectures and writings. This collection of John Mackay's early essays presents a range of his contributions, and the ideas in the essays are grounded in his clear understanding of the nature and dignity of human beings in the light of God. The fruit of this teaching is self-confidence, courage, steadfastness, and other positive ethical attributes that accompany progress and success for individuals and peoples. The essays touch on religious, educational, literary, political, and philosophical themes in the service of Christian truth. They embody key ideas and strategic judgments related to the presentation of the Evangel, the most basic and first work of the church. The message balances spiritual and social aspects of Christianity to meet the needs of the people, and it accompanied progressive social and political changes in the region. The historical experience of Protestantism in Latin America is well worth recalling today by readers in North America and elsewhere.**About the AuthorJohn A. Mackay, a theologian and educator, founded a school in Lima, Peru, held chairs on the faculty at San Marcos University, Lima, and served under the auspices of the YMCA. After sixteen years in Latin America, he moved to North America and became President of Princeton Theological Seminary. A leading churchman and the author of many books and articles, over the years Mackay was invited to speak in thirty-five Latin American universities. John M. Metzger is a lawyer. He is the author of The Hand and the Road: The Life and Times of John A. Mackay (2010). ISBN : 9781630873264

SUMMARY: The #1 international bestseller! This 40-day spiritual journey will help you understand why you are alive and God's amazing plan for you both now and for eternity. Winner of the Gold Medallion Book Award and Christian Book of the Year Award. "Excellent for Homeschool Use" Religon SUMMARY: The #1 international bestseller! This 40-day spiritual journey will help you understand why you are alive and God's amazing plan for you both now and for eternity. Winner of the Gold Medallion Book Award and Christian Book of the Year Award. "Excellent for Homeschool Use" General,Religion,Christian Life,Christianity: General,Christian life & practice,Children's Baby - Inspirational,Christian Life - Spiritual Growth,Christian Life - Inspirational - Gifts,Spiritual Growth,Christian spirituality & religious experience

A Journey To Uncover The Evolution Of Ideas, From The Wheel To The Wearing Of Moustaches Adopting The Part Of A Cultural Darwin, Science Writer And Filmmaker Jonnie Hughes Goes On A Road Trip Through The Exotic American Midwest To Observe The Natural History Of Ideas. As He Dissects The Variation And Inheritance Of Odd Bits Of Culture, He Examines The Fashion For Low-riding Jeans And Moustaches, The Wording Of Successful Jokes, The Battle Between Competing Shoelace-tying Techniques, Why Coke Wins The Cola Wars (it's The Label), And, Naturally, The Distinctive Features Of Various Tepees. Original, Witty, And Engaging, On The Origin Of Tepees Will Change How We View The Evolution Of Ideas And Ourselves.

Woody Allen has carved out a unique place for himself in American movies, becoming our national auteur as well as the most prolific director in the country, and creating a singular world with each film he has released since his first movie in 1969. Foster Hirsch analyzes and celebrates that world in this expert study of the themes, visual style, and acting in each of Allen's films. With the addition of a new introduction and chapter covering the eleven movies Allen has made in the last decade, from <i>Alice</i> to <i>The Curse of the Jade Scorpion,</i> this is a vital book for Allen fans and students of film alike.

<p>The Socratic Way of Life is the first English-language book-length study of the philosopher Xenophon's masterwork. In it, Thomas L. Pangle shows that Xenophon depicts more authentically than does Plato the true teachings and way of life of the citizen philosopher Socrates, founder of political philosophy.<br> In the first part of the book, Pangle analyzes Xenophon's defense of Socrates against the two charges of injustice upon which he was convicted by democratic Athens: impiety and corruption of the youth. In the second part, Pangle analyzes Xenophon's account of how Socrates's life as a whole was just, in the sense of helping through his teaching a wide range of people. Socrates taught by never ceasing to raise, and to progress in answering, the fundamental and enduring civic questions: what is pious and impious, noble and ignoble, just and unjust, genuine statesmanship and genuine citizenship. Inspired by Hegel's and Nietzsche's assessments of Xenophon as the true voice of Socrates, The Socratic Way of Life establishes the Memorabilia as the groundwork of all subsequent political philosophy.<br></p>

In The Allure of Machinic Life, John Johnston examines new forms of nascent life that emerge through technical interactions within human-constructed environments--"machinic life"--in the sciences of cybernetics, artificial life, and artificial intelligence. With the development of such research initiatives as the evolution of digital organisms, computer immune systems, artificial protocells, evolutionary robotics, and swarm systems, Johnston argues, machinic life has achieved a complexity and autonomy worthy of study in its own right. Drawing on the publications of scientists as well as a range of work in contemporary philosophy and cultural theory, but always with the primary focus on the "objects at hand"--the machines, programs, and processes that constitute machinic life--Johnston shows how they come about, how they operate, and how they are already changing. This understanding is a necessary first step, he further argues, that must precede speculation about the meaning and cultural implications of these new forms of life. Developing the concept of the "computational assemblage" (a machine and its associated discourse) as a framework to identify both resemblances and differences in form and function, Johnston offers a conceptual history of each of the three sciences. He considers the new theory of machines proposed by cybernetics from several perspectives, including Lacanian psychoanalysis and "machinic philosophy." He examines the history of the new science of artificial life and its relation to theories of evolution, emergence, and complex adaptive systems (as illustrated by a series of experiments carried out on various software platforms). He describes the history of artificial intelligence as a series of unfolding conceptual conflicts--decodings and recodings--leading to a "new AI" that is strongly influenced by artificial life. Finally, in examining the role played by neuroscience in several contemporary research initiatives, he shows how further success in the building of intelligent machines will most likely result from progress in our understanding of how the human brain actually works. John Johnston is Professor of English and Comparative Literature at Emory University in Atlanta. He is the author of Carnival of Repetition and Information Multiplicity. Review "John Johnston is to be applauded for his engaging and eminently readable assessment of the new, interdisciplinary sciences aimed at designing and building complex, life-like, intelligent machines. Cybernetics, information theory, chaos theory, artificial life, autopoiesis, connectionism, embodied autonomous agents--it's all here!" -- Mark Bedau , Professor of Philosophy and Humanities, Reed College, and Editor-in-Chief, Artificial Life "As a young researcher in the area of artificial intelligence (AI), I have enjoyedreading this book to better understand the roadmap of 'machinic life' and AI." -- I-Hsien Ting , Emerald Insight About the Author John Johnston is Professor of English and Comparative Literature at Emory University in Atlanta. He is the author of Carnival of Repetition and Information Multiplicity.

At nearly twenty tons per person, American carbon dioxide emissions are among the highest in the world. Not every American fits this statistic, however. Across the country there are urban neighborhoods, suburbs, rural areas, and commercial institutions that have drastically lower carbon footprints. These exceptional places, as it turns out, are neither “poor” nor technologically advanced. Their low emissions are due to culture. In The Five-Ton Life, Susan Subak uses previously untapped sources to discover and explore various low-carbon locations. In Washington DC, Chicago suburbs, lower Manhattan, and Amish settlements in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, she examines the built and social environment to discern the characteristics that contribute to lower greenhouse-gas emissions. The most decisive factors that decrease energy use are a commitment to small interiors and social cohesion, although each example exhibits its own dynamics and offers its own lessons for the rest of the country. Bringing a fresh approach to the quandary of American household consumption, Subak’s groundbreaking research provides many pathways toward a future that is inspiring and rooted in America’s own traditions. ** Review “Susan Subak focuses on looking to the past for a way forward into the future. It is a very interesting way to approach climate change and I think it is unique.”—Brett Favaro, author of The Carbon Code: How You Can Become a Climate Change Hero (Brett Favaro 2017-09-16) “A wonderfully crafted book. While there are a zillion books produced on climate change, this book fills a crucial niche in terms of both content and style. Looking at cases of existing low carbon culture in the United States is very useful. It draws attention to various ways of living and conducting one’s life. It’s a great, very readable addition.”—Johannes Stripple, editor of Governing the Climate: New Approaches to Rationality, Power, and Politics (Johannes Stripple 2017-09-16) About the Author Susan Subak has twenty years of experience as an environmental analyst studying the causes and consequences of climate change and as a contractor and researcher in the United States and Europe with the National Center for Atmospheric Research, the University of East Anglia, and the Stockholm Environment Institute, among others. She is the author of  Rescue and Flight: American Relief Workers Who Defied the Nazis (Nebraska, 2010). Science Nature Environmental Science NAT011000 Nature / Environmental Conservation & Protection Environmental Conservation & Protection

At nearly twenty tons per person, American carbon dioxide emissions are among the highest in the world. Not every American fits this statistic, however. Across the country there are urban neighborhoods, suburbs, rural areas, and commercial institutions that have drastically lower carbon footprints. These exceptional places, as it turns out, are neither “poor” nor technologically advanced. Their low emissions are due to culture. In The Five-Ton Life, Susan Subak uses previously untapped sources to discover and explore various low-carbon locations. In Washington DC, Chicago suburbs, lower Manhattan, and Amish settlements in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, she examines the built and social environment to discern the characteristics that contribute to lower greenhouse-gas emissions. The most decisive factors that decrease energy use are a commitment to small interiors and social cohesion, although each example exhibits its own dynamics and offers its own lessons for the rest of the country. Bringing a fresh approach to the quandary of American household consumption, Subak’s groundbreaking research provides many pathways toward a future that is inspiring and rooted in America’s own traditions. ** Review “Susan Subak focuses on looking to the past for a way forward into the future. It is a very interesting way to approach climate change and I think it is unique.”—Brett Favaro, author of The Carbon Code: How You Can Become a Climate Change Hero (Brett Favaro 2017-09-16) “A wonderfully crafted book. While there are a zillion books produced on climate change, this book fills a crucial niche in terms of both content and style. Looking at cases of existing low carbon culture in the United States is very useful. It draws attention to various ways of living and conducting one’s life. It’s a great, very readable addition.”—Johannes Stripple, editor of Governing the Climate: New Approaches to Rationality, Power, and Politics (Johannes Stripple 2017-09-16) About the Author Susan Subak has twenty years of experience as an environmental analyst studying the causes and consequences of climate change and as a contractor and researcher in the United States and Europe with the National Center for Atmospheric Research, the University of East Anglia, and the Stockholm Environment Institute, among others. She is the author of  Rescue and Flight: American Relief Workers Who Defied the Nazis (Nebraska, 2010). Science Nature Environmental Science NAT011000 Nature / Environmental Conservation & Protection Environmental Conservation & Protection Cover 1 Title Page 4 Copyright Page 5 Contents 6 List of Illustrations 7 List of Tables 8 Introduction 12 1. Founding Mitigator 34 2. Carbon Dissenters 70 3. Urban Families 100 4. The Greenest Suburb 132 5. College, Commercial Carbon 164 6. Becoming Five Tons 198 Acknowledgments 220 Notes 222 Bibliography 252 Index 264

This is first monograph devoted to all three gospel versions of the story of Jesus walking on the sea. Its primary aim is a more precise determination of the literary genre which does justice to the text in the three gospels. It proposes a new explanation of the literary genre through a comparative analysis with Jewish inter-testamental, Qumranic and New Testament literature. The more precise designation of the literary genre as a sea-rescue epiphany forms the methodological basis for arriving at a more exact determination of the meaning of the story. This features a new, detailed investigation into the Old Testament background of the major motif of Jesus walking on the sea.The NT story of Jesus walking on the sea occurs in the gospels of Matthew (14:22-33), Mark (6:45-52) and John (6:15b-21).

Since the suicide of Maris, his beloved wife of forty-two years, Noel Braun struggled to find himself. All his life assumptions were overturned and he lost his sense of identity. Endeavouring to find some anchorage, he embarked on a spiritual quest of self-discovery. He decided to walk the most popular routes of the Camino; the ancient pilgrimage route that lead across France and Spain to Santiago de Compostela in the north-west of Spain. This journey is described in his earlier book __The Day was Made for Walking.__The journey was far from over. Noel felt compelled to resume his quest. At the age of eighty, he returned to France to pursue a less popular Camino route that took him across France and into Spain. Two years later, the urgent need to continue has him walking through Portugal into Spain. Despite his ageing body and his many doubts, he has a confidence and faith in himself to face the arduous physical demands and reach Santiago de Compostela. Woven into his spiritual and emotional journey are fascinating stories of the people he meets.__I Guess I'll Just Keep on Walking__ is a sequel. The physical and the spiritual merge with the ancient and modern. It delves into history and, at the same time, is a memoir and travel guide.

Alvise Cornaro (c.1484-1566) was the son of a Paduan innkeeper with presumed ties to the patrician Cornaro family of Venice. Highly ambitious, he acquired a name for himself as a businessman, architect, and patron of the arts. Critically ill around age 40 - likely with diabetes and gout - he resolved to abandon his intemperate lifestyle. The strict rules regarding food and drink that he adopted and which led to his recovery are outlined in his most famous treatise, the Vita Sobria (1558). The work, which featured prescriptions for living to 100 years - stressing healthy lifestyle, proper diet, and avoidance of excess -became an international success. This edition offers the most comprehensive and faithful version of this early modern classic ever available in English, and includes Cornaro's Aggionta ("Addition"), translated here for the first time. An introductory essay by the late Marisa Milani offers biographical background and analysis and discusses the work's publication history. The volume also presents letters by Cornaro's contemporaries commenting on the treatise as well as his Eulogy , now viewed as having been written by Cornaro himself. A foreword by award-winning health journalist Greg Critser speaks to the continuing relevance of Cornaro's fascinating and seminal work.

"The authors have made classic samurai wisdom accessible to the modern martial artist like never before." - Goran Powell, award winning author of Chojun and A Sudden Dawn "It's fascinating stuff!" - Steve Perry, New York Times bestselling author "The precepts offer priceless advice to anyone." - Kate Vitasek, University of Tennessee "The five point perspective inspired deep introspection. I have been elevated to higher and deeper levels of personal and professional growth by reading this book." - Laela Erickson, Senior Business Development Executive Miyamoto Musashi (1584 - 1645) was arguably the greatest swordsman who ever lived, a legendary figure whose methods of thought and strategy have been studied and adopted across a wide spectrum of society, from martial artists to military leaders to captains of industry. The iconic sword saint of Japan was clearly a genius, yet he was also a functional psychopath-ruthless, fearless, hyper-focused, and utterly without conscience. Shortly before he died, Musashi wrote down his final thoughts about life for his favorite student Terao Magonojo to whom Go Rin No Sho, his famous Book of Five Rings, had also been dedicated. He called this treatise Dokkodo, which translates as "The Way of Walking Alone." The book you hold in your hands is the definitive interpretation of Musashi's final work. Readers are oftentimes subject to a single perspective about what some famous author from the past had to say, yet we are more holistic here. This treatise contains Musashi's original 21 precepts of the Dokkodo along with five different interpretations of each passage written from the viewpoints of a monk, a warrior, a teacher, an insurance executive, and a businessman. Each contributor has taken a divergent path from the others, yet shares the commonality of being a lifelong martial practitioner and published author. In this fashion you are not just reading a simple translation of Musashi's writing, you are scrutinizing his final words for deeper meaning. In them are enduring lessons for how to lead a successful and meaningful life.

Over the past two decades, certain scientific discoveries have been made which greatly undermine the Darwinist view that chance is the mechanism of The Earth's antiquity, the ability of species to change by selection, their inability to inherit acquired features, the existence of a "missing link" between man and ape - all these are essential tenets of the Darwinist canon and all have been thrown into grave doubt. No blame attaches to the man himself, but how can Darwinists continue to get it so wrong? Methods of lava-dating are hopelessly inaccurate (sometimes by as much as 2.9 billion years), the earth's radioactive dating "clocks" have been reset, and the rocks of its crust are merely thousands of years old, not millions. This book contains hundreds more pieces of evidence against Darwinism. **

The work of Henri Bergson, the foremost French philosopher of the early twentieth century, is not usually explored for its political dimensions. Indeed, Bergson is best known for his writings on time, evolution, and creativity. This book concentrates instead on his political philosophy—and especially on his late masterpiece, __The Two Sources of Morality and Religion__—from which Alexandre Lefebvre develops an original approach to human rights. We tend to think of human rights as the urgent international project of protecting all people everywhere from harm. Bergson shows us that human rights can also serve as a medium of personal transformation and self-care. For Bergson, the main purpose of human rights is to initiate all human beings into love. Forging connections between human rights scholarship and philosophy as self-care, Lefebvre uses human rights to channel the whole of Bergson's philosophy.

Walter Benjamin's essays on the great French lyric poet Charles Baudelaire revolutionized not just the way we think about Baudelaire, but our understanding of modernity and modernism as well. In these essays, Benjamin challenges the image of Baudelaire as late-Romantic dreamer, and evokes instead the modern poet caught in a life-or-death struggle with the forces of the urban commodity capitalism that had emerged in Paris around 1850. The Baudelaire who steps forth from these pages is the flâneur who affixes images as he strolls through mercantile Paris, the ragpicker who collects urban detritus only to turn it into poetry, the modern hero willing to be marked by modern life in its contradictions and paradoxes. He is in every instance the modern artist forced to commodify his literary production: "Baudelaire knew how it stood with the poet: as a flâneur he went to the market; to look it over, as he thought, but in reality to find a buyer." Benjamin reveals Baudelaire as a social poet of the very first rank. The introduction to this volume presents each of Benjamin's essays on Baudelaire in chronological order. The introduction, intended for an undergraduate audience, aims to articulate and analyze the major motifs and problems in these essays, and to reveal the relationship between the essays and Benjamin's other central statements on literature, its criticism, and its relation to the society that produces it. ** Review In these essays, written in the 1930s, German critic Benjamin masterfully succeeds in changing our perception of French poet Charles Baudelaire as a late Romantic dreamer. Instead, he shows Baudelaire to be a thoroughly modern writer involved in a life-and-death struggle with that urban commodity, capitalism, which had begun to emerge in Paris in the 1850s. Benjamin portrays Baudelaire as a flaneur--a stroller who roamed the lonely Paris streets lost in the faceless crowd--as well as a lone modern hero searching for a means of selling his poetry. In the urban crowds, all traces of individuality are erased, and Baudelaire's famed "spleen" is actually disgust at that defining aspect of the modern condition. Indeed, in "The Painter of Modern Life," an essay Baudelaire wrote in 1863, he makes several acute observations about his sense of alienation that definitely establish him as a modern writer. Stimulating reading. (Bob T. Ivey Library Journal 2006-09-15) Brilliant essays. (Richard Wolin The Nation 2006-10-16) It's depressing to be a critic within a hundred years of Benjamin: he got there first on so many things. The poet Charles Baudelaire died twenty-five years before Benjamin was born, in 1892, but Benjamin writes about him as if they were there together in nineteen-twenties Berlin, making a ruckus. For Benjamin, Baudelaire represented 'the modern.' That doesn't mean that he claims Baudelaire wrote 'about' modernity but that his poetry embodies it. For example, Benjamin notes the influence on Baudelaire of new technologies such as photography, and writes that 'Baudelaire was his own impresario,' an artist who knew that his poems were commodities even before they were done. (Sasha Frere-Jones New Yorker 2006-10-30) Now comes The Writer of Modern Life: Essays on Charles Baudelaire , edited by Princeton University professor Michael Jennings, and based on the writings of Walter Benjamin, a long dead German genius. Benjamin dissects the author of Les Fleurs du Mal ( The Flowers of Evil ) with a Marxist scalpel, among other unusual literary procedures. Why is all this happening? Maybe because in a unique way we fearful and confused souls recognize that Baudelaire's mordant and yet often exquisitely beautiful poetry and screwed-up life are a kind of mirror noir of our own teetering times. The same violent deaths, political treacheries, religious confrontations--and yet brief Roman candle bursts of loveliness are there. (Leslie H. Whitten Jr. Washington Times ) This is an excellent collection of essays by one of the greatest critics of the first half of the 20th century about one of the greatest poets of the 19th century. In presenting Baudelaire in these landmark studies, Benjamin situates the first truly modern poet against the backdrop of the first truly modern city. From wide brushstrokes about the figure of the flaneur to close readings of specific poems, Benjamin's acumen makes clear that he was that rare breed of critic who could deftly weave the macro and the micro in seamless discussions. (S. Whidden Choice 2007-03-01) This is an excellent collection of essays by one of the greatest critics of the first half of the 20th century about one of the greatest poets of the 19th century. In presenting Baudelaire in these landmark studies, Benjamin situates the first truly modern poet against the backdrop of the first truly modern city. From wide brushstrokes about the figure of the flaneur to close readings of specific poems, Benjamin's acumen makes clear that he was that rare breed of critic who could deftly weave the macro and the micro in seamless discussions...Jennings' supporting critical apparatus, complete with useful notes at every turn, frames these important texts in a way that reveals not only Benjamin and Baudelaire but also the intersections of modernity, poetry, history, urbanism, and many other fields. (S. Whidden Choice 2007-03-01) Benjamin planned to write a book on Baudelaire, but it never materialized. With the exception of 'On Some Motifs in Baudelaire,' which appeared in a journal edited by Max Horkheimer and Adorno in 1939, his Baudelaire essays were published posthumously. In the past thirty years, some of them have surfaced in English translations, but all of them have now been retranslated and brought together in a single volume entitled The Writer of Modern Life: Essays on Charles Baudelaire , complete with a valuable introduction and notes by Michael W. Jennings. (Eric Bulson Times Literary Supplement 2007-04-20) Benjamin's work continues to fascinate and delight because it has something for everyone: the literary critic, art historian, philosopher, urban theorist and architect. Whether he is talking about children's toys, Mickey Mouse, Surrealism, photography, or Kafka, Benjamin has a knack for figuring out what they can tell us about the wider world that produced them. (Eric Bulson Times Literary Supplement 2007-04-20) About the Author Walter Benjamin (1892–1940) was the author of many works of literary and cultural analysis. Michael W. Jennings is Class of 1900 Professor of Modern Languages at Princeton University. Howard Eiland teaches literature at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Rodney Livingstone is Professor Emeritus in German Studies at the University of Southampton. He is well known as a translator of books by Walter Benjamin, Theodor W. Adorno, and Max Weber, among others.