Book picks similar to
ESSENTIALS OF PHILOSOPHY: The Basic Concepts of the World's Greatest Thinkers by James Mannion
philosophy
non-fiction
nonfiction
reference
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Hinduism
Linda Johnsen - 2001
Presents the history, customs, and beliefs of Hinduism, describing the mysteries and myths that sustained its growth over the centuries.
FIRSTS: Women Who Are Changing the World
TIME Magazine - 2017
A companion to TIME's multi-platform documentary, the book includes 15 first person deep-dives into the lives of influential women such as General Lori Robinson, the first woman to lead troops into combat, Kathryn Sullivan, the first woman to walk in space, and Aretha Franklin, the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Many others, including Oprah Winfrey, Madeline Albright, and Sheryl Sandburg offer their own personal reflections, thematic quotes and perspectives on balance, perseverance and strength.Each first-person piece or quote is accompanied by a distinctive portrait by photographer Luisa Dorr ― set up and taken on her iPhone. Others included in this unforgettable volume: Serena Williams, Ellen Degeneres, Loretta Lynch, Shonda Rimes, Nancy Pelosi, Rita Moreno, Cindy Sherman and Mo’Ne Davis.With a stirring introduction by Nancy Gibbs, herself a pioneer as the first female editor of TIME magazine, this is an inspirational book for all women and men.
The Puzzle of Ethics
Peter Vardy - 1994
This new edition is fully revised and updated.This popular introduction to the subject of ethics poses vital contemporary questions and explores the approach of leading thinkers.The authors take the reader, step by step, through the complex arguments on issues such as animal an human rights, environmental ethics and the morality of war.‘It is a great gift to be able to make philosophy accessible to the general reader. This is a wonderfully clear introduction both to moral philosophy and to contemporary ethical concerns.’David Atkinson, Church Times
God & Golem, Inc.
Norbert Wiener - 1964
He coined the word for it--cybernetics. In God & Golem, Inc., the author concerned himself with major points in cybernetics which are relevant to religious issues.The first point he considers is that of the machine which learns. While learning is a property almost exclusively ascribed to the self-conscious living system, a computer now exists which not only can be programmed to play a game of checkers, but one which can learn from its past experience and improve on its own game. For a time, the machine was able to beat its inventor at checkers. It did win, writes the author, and it did learn to win; and the method of its learning was no different in principle from that of the human being who learns to play checkers.A second point concerns machines which have the capacity to reproduce themselves. It is our commonly held belief that God made man in his own image. The propagation of the race may also be interpreted as a function in which one living being makes another in its own image. But the author demonstrates that man has made machines which are very well able to make other machines in their own image, and these machine images are not merely pictorial representations but operative images. Can we then say: God is to Golem as man is to Machines? in Jewish legend, golem is an embryo Adam, shapeless and not fully created, hence a monster, an automation.The third point considered is that of the relation between man and machine. The concern here is ethical. render unto man the things which are man's and unto the computer the things which are the computer's, warns the author. In this section of the book, Dr. Wiener considers systems involving elements of man and machine. The book is written for the intellectually alert public and does not involve any highly technical knowledge. It is based on lectures given at Yale, at the Soci�t� Philosophique de Royaumont, and elsewhere.
Home Comforts: The Art and Science of Keeping House
Cheryl Mendelson - 1999
Choosing fabrics, cleaning china, keeping the piano in tune, making a good fire, folding a fitted sheet, setting the dining room table, keeping surfaces free of food pathogens, watering plants, removing stains -- Home Comforts addresses the meanings as well as the methods of hands -- on housekeeping to help you manage everyday chores, find creative solutions to modern domestic dilemmas, and enhance the experience of life at home.Further topics include: Making up a bed with hospital corners, Expert recommendations for safe food storage, Reading care labels (and sometimes carefully disregarding them), Keeping your home free of dust mites and other allergens, Home safety and security, A summary of laws applicable to the home, including privacy, accident liability, contracts, and domestic employees and more in this practical, good-humored, historic, philosophical, even romantic, guidebook to the art of household management.--back cover
The Great American Bathroom Book
Compact Classics - 1992
He hired Stevens Anderson, an editor, who hired college professors and other bookworms who loved to read. The result was the The Great American Bathroom Book, Vol I, a collection of 130 2-page summaries from great books of all genres, from Don Quixote to The Road Less Traveled. Volume I also features 90 research overviews on subjects like "Putting Spark in Your Relationships", "Managing Conflict", "Time-saving Tips", and more.Volume II features over 220 book summaries and a section of Quotes and Anecdotes. Volume III has more than 180 new summaries, as well as 8 Thought Collections and sections of Facts and Inquiries.
Atheist Manifesto: The Case Against Christianity, Judaism, and Islam
Michel Onfray - 2005
If Nietzsche proclaimed the "Death of God," Onfray starts from the premise that not only is God still very much alive, but increasingly controlled by fundamentalists who pose a danger to the human race. Documenting the ravages from religious intolerance over the centuries, the author makes a strong case against the three religions for demanding faith, belief, obedience and submission, and for extolling the "next life" at the expense of the here and now. Not since Nietzsche has a work so groundbreaking and explosive appeared to question the role of the world's dominant religions.
Think on These Things
Jiddu Krishnamurti - 1964
Krishnamurti examines with characteristic objectivity and insight the expressions of what we are pleased to call our culture, our education, religion, politics and tradition; and he throws much light on such basic emotions as ambition, greed and envy, the desire for security and the lust for power – all of which he shows to be deteriorating factors in human society.’ From the Editor’s Note‘Krishnamurti’s observations and explorations of modern man’s estate are penetrating and profound, yet given with a disarming simplicity and directness. To listen to him or to read his thoughts is to face oneself and the world with an astonishing morning freshness.’ -- Anne Marrow Lindbergh
Robert's Rules of Order
Henry Martyn Robert - 1981
Robert's classic guide to smooth, orderly, and fairly conducted meetings has sold close to five million copies in nine editions. The only book containing the completely developed Robert's Rules of Order subject matter, this latest edition will continue the book's reputation as the gold standard of meeting procedure for parliamentarians and novice club presidents and members alike. Thoroughly revised and updated to reflect the past decade's technological advances and usage, this tenth edition contains new information on how to conduct meetings over the Internet, on phone and video conference calls, and with members in absentia. The best book from which to learn all about running and taking an effective part in meetings, General Robert's gift of order is as indispensable now as it was a century ago.
My Utmost for His Highest
Oswald Chambers - 1926
You'll treasure their insight, still fresh and vital. And you'll discover what it means to offer God your very best for His greatest purpose--to truly offer Him your utmost for His highest. This edition includes Chambers's text, updated by editor James Reimann, along with helpful subject and scripture indexes.
The Improbability Principle: Why Coincidences, Miracles, and Rare Events Happen Every Day
David J. Hand - 2014
Hand argues that extraordinarily rare events are anything but. In fact, they’re commonplace. Not only that, we should all expect to experience a miracle roughly once every month. But Hand is no believer in superstitions, prophecies, or the paranormal. His definition of “miracle” is thoroughly rational. No mystical or supernatural explanation is necessary to understand why someone is lucky enough to win the lottery twice, or is destined to be hit by lightning three times and still survive. All we need, Hand argues, is a firm grounding in a powerful set of laws: the laws of inevitability, of truly large numbers, of selection, of the probability lever, and of near enough. Together, these constitute Hand’s groundbreaking Improbability Principle. And together, they explain why we should not be so surprised to bump into a friend in a foreign country, or to come across the same unfamiliar word four times in one day. Hand wrestles with seemingly less explicable questions as well: what the Bible and Shakespeare have in common, why financial crashes are par for the course, and why lightning does strike the same place (and the same person) twice. Along the way, he teaches us how to use the Improbability Principle in our own lives—including how to cash in at a casino and how to recognize when a medicine is truly effective. An irresistible adventure into the laws behind “chance” moments and a trusty guide for understanding the world and universe we live in, The Improbability Principle will transform how you think about serendipity and luck, whether it’s in the world of business and finance or you’re merely sitting in your backyard, tossing a ball into the air and wondering where it will land.
Ideas and Opinions
Albert Einstein - 1922
The selections range from his earliest days as a theoretical physicist to his death in 1955; from such subjects as relativity, nuclear war or peace, and religion and science, to human rights, economics, and government.
Wired that Way: The Comprehensive Personality Plan
Marita Littauer - 2006
Instead of terminating jobs, friendships or marriage on grounds of incompatibility, it is possible to turn these relationships from dying to growing. For more than 25 years, Marita Littauer, with her mother, Florence Littauer, has helped thousands of men and women with their personal and professional relationships. In Wired That Way, Marita brings together in one book a comprehensive overview of the personality types that speaks to anyone who wants to understand and to be understood.
Raising Motivated Kids: Inspiring Enthusiasm for a Great Start in Life
Cheri Fuller - 2004
Parents can nurture their children to channel their natural energy and curiosity into positive, productive, and motivated learning experiences.This book introduces principles to help moms and dads:• Make education fun for children• Foster a creative learning environment• Model positive behaviors and habits• Help kids avoid burnout and manage stress
The Future of Life
Edward O. Wilson - 2002
Yet it is so ravaged by human activity that half its species could be gone by the end of the present century. These two contrasting truths—unexpected magnificence and underestimated peril—have become compellingly clear during the past two decades of research on biological diversity.In this dazzlingly intelligent and ultimately hopeful book, Wilson describes what treasures of the natural world we are about to lose forever—in many cases animals, insects, and plants we have only just discovered, and whose potential to nourish us, protect us, and cure our illnesses is immeasurable—and what we can do to save them. In the process, he explores the ethical and religious bases of the conservation movement and deflates the myth that environmental policy is antithetical to economic growth by illustrating how new methods of conservation can ensure long-term economic well-being.The Future of Life is a magisterial accomplishment: both a moving description of our biosphere and a guidebook for the protection of all its species, including humankind.