Alarmed and more than a little chagrined at the massive gaps in his personal knowledge base, Jacobs sets for himself a suitably daunting, and some might say insane, task: to fill in the holes in his Ivy-league education by reading the Encyclopaedia Britannica from A to Z.
CULTURE AND VALUES, Fifth Edition continues to combine balanced coverage of literature, art, music, and philosophy with sociological insight into the daily life of the characters in the unfolding drama of Western civilization. Available in two volumes, or as an alternate single volume without readings, this text remains the most readable and ...
Written in Paris in the early 1950s, this book created instant controversy in its analysis of modern society that had allowed itself to be hypnotized by socio-political doctrines, and to accept totalitarian terror on the strength of a hypothetical future.
Mary Karr's astonishingly candid--and controversial--account of her childhood and the abuses she sustained as the daughter of an alcoholic mother with a 'nervous' condition.
This study of Scotland's impact on civilization chronicles the transformation of Scotland after British rule, the achievements of great Scots such as Adam Smith, David Hume, and others, and the ideas of liberty that shaped the Enlightenment and the modern world.
Offering openhearted wisdom for modern times, this courageous collection of quotations, speech excerpts, letters, and photographs by the "New York Times"-bestselling author of "Democracy Matters" includes an original CD that highlights Dr. West's outstanding spoken-word artistry.
In expatriate Thad Carhart's fascinating memoir, he gets to know a man who repairs and sells pianos and becomes a regular at his small, eccentric shop in Paris. Then Carhart, an amateur pianist in his youth, buys a piano himself, begins taking lessons, and finds his life transformed by music, friendship, and the ineffably lovable French-ness of ...
A remarkable one-volume history of the human race that interweaves all knowledge and all human achievement. This is the culmination of a lifetime's work by the former editorial director of the Encyclopedia Brittanica. This self-contained work not only provides a history of the discovery of great things, but also of concepts and ideas, placed in ...
The latest entry in The Intellectual Devotional series dives into the complex and vital world of Western culture, covering the essential artists, works, icons, and consumer products that have defined the way individuals live and express themselves.
For the first time, this collection gathers the best of Dyson's vast and growing body of work: his most incisive commentary, his most stirring passages, and his sharpest and most broadminded critical analyses Over the past ten years, the work of Michael Eric Dyson has become the first stop for readers, writers, and thinkers eager for uncommon ...
Dodds takes on the traditional view of Greek culture as a triumph of rationalism. Using the analytical tools of modern anthropology and psychology, Dodds argues that the Greeks were subject to the same 'primitive' modes of thought to be found in any society.
The second volume of novelist Doris Lessing's autobiography. Born in Iran of English parents, Lessing lived in England as a small child but was eventually taken to Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) with her family and raised there. Volume 2 describes her life after she moved back to England following the publication of her first novel in 1949.
In a narrative of immense scope and fascination--spanning nearly 400 years and brimming with Showalter's characteristic wit and incisive opinions--readers are introduced to more than 250 female writers, both famous and little known.
From the acclaimed author of "The Modern Mind" comes an absorbing overview of ideas synthesizing the intellectual and cultural history of Western thought.
Debate over the meaning of 'Enlightenment' began in the eighteenth century and has continued unabated until our own times. This period saw the opening of arguments on the nature of man, truth, on the place of God, and the international circulation of ideas, people and gold. Did the Enlightenment mean the same for men and women, for rich and poor, ...
In this important work of historical restoration, Amos Elon shows how a persecuted clan of cattle dealers and wandering peddlers was transformed into a stunningly successful community of writers, philosophers, scientists, tycoons, and activists.
A compendium of the greatest thoughts, greatest minds and greatest books - listed in accessible and concise form - from one of the world's greatest scholars. In this remarkable little book, Will Durant answers the questions that most people would have wanted to ask him - what are the conclusions he drew from the experience of a long lifetime; what ...
"Soul of the Age" is the most artful, intriguing, and satisfying study of the mind of William Shakespeare we now possess . . . A major achievement from a master of Shakespeare studies--David Armitage, professor of history, Harvard University.
This new, compact, up-to-date text presents a comprehensive view of the Renaissance, stressing its roots in Italy--a region that never lost contact with its Roman past. The text demonstrates how the Italian phase of the Renaissance reached into the rest of Europe and how it preconditioned later aspects of European civilization--religious reform, ...
Tracing the discoveries of 17th-century astronomers to 20th-century geneticists, this scientific history highlights the creative roots behind scientific innovations and encourages readers to understand how these discoveries grace everyday life.
This evocation of the figures and events of one of the most extraordinary eras of this century makes "the most vivid portrait of the period yet written . . . The culture is plentiful and the gossip is spicy".--Time.
We guarantee every item's condition, as described on Alibris. If you are not satisfied that an item is as described, return your purchase for a refund.
