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Restoring Democracy in an Age of Populists and Pestilence
By Jonathan Manthorpe. 2020
“This global affairs veteran has carved out a solid, mature path, including for ‘flawed democracies’ like the U.S. We’d all…
be wise to follow.” — Vancouver SunFrom the author of the Globe and Mail bestseller, Claws of the Panda, comes a book quite literally for our times. Restoring Democracy in an Age of Populists and Pestilence is a thoughtful account of how we can save democracies from the despots and populists who provide easy answers to complicated situations, dumbing political discourse down to sandbox antics. Manthorpe argues that democracy is more resilient than it appears, and is capable of overcoming the attacks from within and without that have sapped its vigour since the end of the Cold War. He begins with a description of the events of 1989, one of the seminal years in modern history. This saw the end of the Cold War, and the apparent conclusive victory of democracy and its civic values. But the view of these changes as a triumph of democracy — as summed up in Francis Fukuyama’s essay "The End of History" — was short-lived. Russia, shorn of its Soviet empire, and the Chinese Communist Party, re-examining its survival after the Tiananmen Square Massacre, began devising ways to counter-attack the West’s triumphalism and these met with considerable success. Internal pressures and contradictions — wealth disparity being chief among them — threaten the survival of many democratic systems. Abandoned industrial workers turn to the repeated platitudes designed to appeal to those left behind without actually offering them the ways and means to catch up. Immigrants, refugees, and the reformist fixations of isolated liberal elites have provided ammunition for would-be despots. Adding to the pressures building on the political norms of our democracies, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought economic and social stand-still for which no country is prepared.111 Trees: How One Village Celebrates the Birth of Every Girl (CitizenKid)
By Rina Singh, Marianne Ferrer. 2020
A boy grows up to make positive change in his community. After suffering much heartache, Sundar decides change must come…
to his small Indian village. He believes girls should be valued as much as boys and that land should not be needlessly destroyed. Sundar's plan? To celebrate the birth of every girl with the planting of 111 trees. Though many villagers resist at first, Sundar slowly gains their support, and today, over a quarter of a million trees grow in his village. A once barren, deforested landscape has become a fertile, prosperous one where girls can thrive. Sure to plant seeds of hope in children. Improving the world is within everyone's reach.On Consolation: Finding Solace in Dark Times
By Michael Ignatieff. 2021
Timely and profound philosophical meditations on how great figures in history, literature, music, and art searched for solace while facing…
tragedies and crises, from the internationally renowned historian of ideas and Booker Prize-finalist Michael Ignatieff.When someone we love dies, when we suffer loss or defeat, when catastrophe strikes--war, famine, pandemic--we go in search of consolation. Once the province of priests and philosophers, the language of consolation has largely vanished from our modern vocabulary, and the places where it was offered, houses of religion, are often empty. Rejecting the solace of ancient religious texts, humanity since the sixteenth century has increasingly placed its faith in science, ideology, and the therapeutic.How do we console each other and ourselves in an age of unbelief? In a series of lapidary meditations on writers, artists, musicians, and their works--from the books of Job and Psalms to Albert Camus, Anna Akhmatova, Elisabeth Kubler-Ross and Primo Levi--esteemed writer and historian Michael Ignatieff shows how men and women in extremity have looked to each other across time to recover hope and resilience. Recreating the moments when great figures found the courage to confront their fate and the determination to continue unafraid, On Consolation takes those stories into the present, movingly contending that we can revive these traditions of consolation to meet the anguish and uncertainties of our precarious twenty-first century.Lost in the Valley of Death: A Story of Obsession and Danger in the Himalayas
By Harley Rustad. 2022
NATIONAL BESTSELLER In the vein of Jon Krakauer's Into the Wild, a riveting work of narrative nonfiction centering on the…
unsolved disappearance of an American backpacker in India—one of at least two dozen tourists who have met a similar fate in the remote and storied Parvati Valley.For centuries, India has enthralled Westerners looking for an exotic getaway, a brief immersion in yoga and meditation, or, in rare cases, a true pilgrimage to find spiritual revelation. Justin Alexander Shetler, an inveterate traveler trained in wilderness survival, was one such seeker. In his early thirties, Justin quit his job at a tech startup and set out on a global journey—across the United States by motorcycle, then down to South America, and on to the Philippines, Thailand, and Nepal—in search of authentic experiences and meaningful encounters while documenting his travels on Instagram. His enigmatic character and magnetic personality gained him a devoted following who lived vicariously through his adventures. But the ever-restless explorer was driven to seek out ever-greater extremes, and greater risks, in what had become a personal quest—his own hero’s journey. In 2016, he made his way to the Parvati Valley, a remote and rugged corner of the Indian Himalayas steeped in mystical tradition and shrouded in darkness and danger. There he spent weeks studying under the guidance of a sadhu, an Indian holy man, living and meditating in a cave. At the end of August, accompanied by the sadhu, he set off on a spiritual journey to a holy lake—one from which he would never return. Lost in the Valley of Death is about one man’s search to find himself, in a country where, for many Westerners, the path to spiritual enlightenment can prove fraught, even treacherous. But it is also a story about all of us and the ways, sometimes extreme, we seek fulfillment in life.The Miracle of Mindfulness, Gift Edition
By Thich Nhat Hanh. 1976
A new gift edition of the classic guide to meditation and mindfulness, featuring archival photography and beautiful calligraphy by Thich…
Nhat HanhSince its publication in 1975, The Miracle of Mindfulness has been cherished by generations of readers for its eloquent and useful introduction to the practice of meditation. Readers interested in an introduction to Buddhist thought, as well as those seeking to learn about mindfulness and stress reduction, continue to look to Thich Nhat Hanh's classic work for guidance and inspiration. This new hardcover gift edition features elegant calligraphic illustrations by Thich Nhat Hanh, as well as a dozen photographs spanning his early days as a peace activist to his life in Plum Village, a spiritual community that he founded in France. Also included in this edition is a historical chronology of Thich Nhat Hanh's life and work, and a revised afterword by Jim Forest.Culture Smart! Singapore
By Angela Milligan. 2004
The small island state of Singapore is unique in the region. Not only is it a very young country- independence…
came in 1965- but it is a land of immigrants, in which people from three distinct backgrounds, Chinese, Malay, and Indian, live side by side in harmony. Culture Smart! Singapore introduces the Western visitor to the rich and varied cultures and customs of Singapore's communities. It shows what motivates people, how they interact with each other and with outsiders, and tells you what to expect and how to behave in unfamiliar situations. In doing so, it offers you a fuller, more rounded experience of this fascinating society.Dean Worcester’s Fantasy Islands brings to life one of the most significant (but under examined) figures in the history of U.…
S. colonialism in the Philippines. Upon the outbreak of the Spanish-American War, Worcester, a scientist who had traveled twice to the Philippines on zoological expeditions, established himself as one of America’s leading experts on the Philippines. Over a fourteen-year career as a member of the U. S. colonial regime, Worcester devoted much of his time and energy to traveling among and photographing non-Christian minority groups in the Philippines. He amassed an archive of several thousand photographs taken by him or by government photographers. Worcester deployed those photographs in books, magazine articles, and lectures to promote his belief that the United States should maintain control of the Philippines for decades to come. While many historians have examined American colonial photography in the Philippines, this book is the first lengthy treatment of Worcester’s role in shaping American perceptions of the Philippines in the early twentieth century.Taking Life Seriously: A Study of the Argument of the Nicomachean Ethics
By F E Sparshott. 1996
This is the first book in modern times that makes sense of the Nicomachean Ethics in its entirety as an…
interesting philosophical argument, rather than as a compilation of relatively independent essays. In Taking Life Seriously Francis Sparshott expounds Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics as a single continuous argument, a chain of reasoned exposition on the problems of human life. He guides the reader through the whole text passage by passage, showing how every part of it makes sense in the light of what has gone before, as well as indicating problems in Aristotle's argument. No knowledge of Greek is required. When the argument does depend on the precise wording of the Greek text, translations and explanatory notes are provided, and there is a glossary of Greek terms. Sparshott offers insightful and useful criticism, making Taking Life Seriously the best available companion to a first reading of the Ethics.Decisions, Uncertainty, and the Brain
By Paul W. Glimcher. 2003
Winner in the category of Medical Science in the 2003 Professional/Scholarly Publishing Annual Awards Competition presented by the Association of…
American Publishers, Inc. In this provocative book, Paul Glimcher argues that economic theory may provide an alternative to the classical Cartesian model of the brain and behavior. Glimcher argues that Cartesian dualism operates from the false premise that the reflex is able to describe behavior in the real world that animals inhabit. A mathematically rich cognitive theory, he claims, could solve the most difficult problems that any environment could present, eliminating the need for dualism by eliminating the need for a reflex theory. Such a mathematically rigorous description of the neural processes that connect sensation and action, he explains, will have its roots in microeconomic theory. Economic theory allows physiologists to define both the optimal course of action that an animal might select and a mathematical route by which that optimal solution can be derived. Glimcher outlines what an economics-based cognitive model might look like and how one would begin to test it empirically. Along the way, he presents a fascinating history of neuroscience. He also discusses related questions about determinism, free will, and the stochastic nature of complex behavior.Human Nature: A Reader
By Joel J. Kupperman. 2012
This anthology provides a set of distinctive, influential views that explore the mysteries of human nature from a variety of…
perspectives. It can be read on its own, or in conjunction with Joel Kupperman's text, Theories of Human Nature.Quintessential Dzogchen: Confusion Dawns as Wisdom
By Erik Pema Kunsang, Marcia Binder Schmidt, Tulku Urgyen. 2006
This hands-on guidebook adapts the Dzogchen path for the modern student while adhering to traditional principles. The book is based…
on the direct, accessible style of Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche and offers a thorough grounding in how to study, contemplate, and meditate in this rich spiritual environment. Guided by an introductory teaching by Rinpoche, as well as 42 selected teachings from great Dzogchen masters, readers learn to access the pure, clear awareness that lies hidden under the constant flow of anxious thoughts.From the Trade Paperback edition.Fear and Trembling
By Brittany Pheiffer Noble. 2017
Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard’s 1843 book Fear and Trembling shows precisely why he is regarded as one of the most…
significant and creative philosophers of the nineteenth century. Creative thinkers can be many things, but one of their common attributes is an ability to redefine, reframe and reconsider problems from novel angles. In Kierkegaard’s case, he chose to approach the problems of faith and ethics in a deliberately artful and non-systematic way. Writing under the pseudonym “John the Silent,” he declared that he was “nothing of a philosopher,” but an “amateur,” wanting to write poetically and elegantly about the things that fascinated him. While Fear and Trembling is very much the work of a philosopher, Kierkegaard’s protests showed his intent to take a different path, approaching his topic like no one else before him. The book goes on to ask what the real nature of our personal relationship with God might be, and how faith might interact with ethics. What, Kierkegaard asks, can we make of God asking Abraham to sacrifice his only son, and of Abraham obeying? Arguing the unorthodox position that in following God’s incomprehensible will Abraham had acted ethically, Kierkegaard set out the parameters of a moral argument that remains strikingly novel over a 150 years later.Instant Thai: How to Express 1,000 Different Ideas with Just 100 Key Words and Phrases! (Thai Phrasebook)
By Stuart Robson, Prateep Changchit. 1832
It's amazing how 100 key words and phrases provide instant communication!Do you want to speak simple Thai but are too…
busy to study it? Are you visiting Thailand for a short time and want a Thai phrase book to help you communicate? If so, this is the book for you. It includes all the necessary information to speak basic Thai.The idea of Instant Thai is simple-learn 100 words and phrases and say 1,000 things. The trick is knowing which 100 words to learn, but the authors Stuart Robson and Prateep Changchit have solved the problem, choosing only those words you'll hear again and again. Even with a vocabulary this small, you'll be surprised how quickly and fluently you too can communicate in Thai. It also has an English-Thai wordlist, arranged alphabetically. At the end of the book are useful appendices for telling the time, kinship terms, some Thai proverbs, and emergency expressions. Here's a sample of what you'll be able to do:Meet peopleGo shoppingAsk directionsRide the subwayOrder food and drinksAnd much moreTantric Ethics: An Explanation of the Precepts for Buddhist Vajrayana Practice
By Jeffrey Hopkins, Gareth Sparham, Je Tsongkhapa. 2005
Tantra, or Vajrayana, Buddhism is a set of esoteric practices that involve mantra recitation and complex visualizations. Tantra constitutes the…
fabric of a Tibetan Buddhist's daily practice, but no practice of tantra can be successful without adherence to the tantric precepts, the highest of three complementary sets of vows. Tsongkhapa is perhaps the greatest philosopher ever produced by Tibet's Buddhist culture, and this book is a translation of his explanation of the tantric precepts.The Common Good: Chinese and American Perspectives
By David Solomon, P C Lo. 2014
This book addresses the Confucian philosophy of common good and deals with the comparative philosophy on eastern and western understandings…
of common good. The common good is an essentially contested concept in contemporary moral and political discussions. Although the notion of the common good has a slightly antique air, especially in the North Atlantic discussion, it has figured prominently in both the sophisticated theoretical accounts of moral and political theory in recent years and also in the popular arguments brought for particular political policies and for more general orientations toward policy. It has been at home both in the political arsenal of the left and the right and has had special significance in ethical and political debates in modern and modernizing cultures. This text will be of interest to philosophers interested in Chinese philosophy and issues related to individualism and communitarianism, ethicists and political philosophers, comparative philosophers, and those in religious studies working on Chinese religion. Maxims
By Leonard W. Tancock, Francois De La Rochefoucauld. 1959
This is the first-ever French-English edition of La Rochefoucauld's Reflexions, ou sentences et maximes morales, long known in English simply…
as the Maxims. The translation, the first to appear in forty years, is completely new and aims -- unlike all previous versions -- at being as literal as possible. This involves, among other things, rendering the same word -- for example, amour-propre as self-love - as consistently throughout as good sense allows. This also means that the translators have made every effort to maintain La Rochefoucauld's word order. This allows the reader the best vantage point for viewing La Rochefoucauld's dramatic and paradoxical juxtapositions of words and ideas, juxtapositions of the utmost importance to understanding his thought. Despite the translation's concern with literalness, careful attention has been paid to the nuances of the literary character of the Maxims.From the American Civil War to the War on Terror
By Emily Hartz. 2012
This book offers a systematic and comprehensive account of the key cases that have come to shape the jurisprudence on…
emergency law in the United States from the Civil War to the War on Terror. The legal questions raised in these cases concern fundamental constitutional issues such as the status of fundamental rights, the role of the court in times of war, and the question of how to interpret constitutional limitations to executive power. At stake in these difficult legal questions is the issue of how to conceive of the very status of law in liberal democratic states. The questions with which the Supreme Court justices have to grapple in these cases are therefore as philosophical as they are legal. In this book the Court's arguments are systematized according to categories informed by constitutional law as well as classic philosophical discussions of the problem of emergency. On this basis, the book singles out three legal paradigms for interpreting the problem of emergency: the rights model, the extra-legal model and the procedural model. This systematic approach helps the reader develop a philosophical and legal overview of central issues in the jurisprudence on emergency.National Self-Determination and Justice in Multinational States
By Anna Moltchanova. 2008
Substate nationalism, especially in the past fifteen years, has noticeably affected the political and territorial stability of many countries, both…
democratic and democratizing. Norms exist to limit the behavior of collective agents in relation to individuals; the set of universally accepted human rights provides a basic framework. There is a lacuna in international law, however, in the regulation of the behavior of groups toward other groups, with the exception of relations among states. The book offers a normative approach to moderate minority nationalism that treats minorities and majorities in multinational states justly and argues for the differentiation of group rights based on how group agents are constituted. It argues that group agency requires a shared set of beliefs concerning membership and the social ontology it offers ensures that group rights can be aligned with individual rights. It formulates a set of principles that, if adopted, would aid conflict resolution in multinational states. The book pays special attention to national self-determination in transitional societies. The book is intended for everyone in political philosophy and political science interested in global justice and international law and legal practitioners interested in normative issues and group rightsOut Of This World
By Brendan Lloyd. 2015
Have you ever considered spirituality but decided you couldn't make sense of all the jargon? You're not alone. Why settle…
for 'New Age' when you don't understand the Age-Old?In this book, you'll discover real experiences and real insight - nothing fictional, or second-hand (except maybe this book one day). If you don't think (even slightly) differently after reading this book, either you're not thinking enough, or you didn't stop and think 'Why are we here?'To quote the original Matrix film, 'Free your mind'; discover possibilities you thought were impossible, when you already knew the Mission was Impossible. But this one doesn't come with popcorn!I'm not here to tell you to 'look within', or that 'the Kingdom of God is within', I'm here to tell you - look for God, because the delusion is to believe in nothing at all!Whatever your reasons for planning to live and work in Hong Kong, this comprehensive guide will tell you all you…
need to know to make the most of your time in this vibrant and challenging city. Organised into three sections: Living, Working, and Leisure, this book includes up to date information and well-informed opinion on: * The kind of lifestyle you can expect to enjoy in Hong Kong * The cost of living * Finding accommodation, whether short term or to buy or rent *Having and raising children in Hong Kong *Shopping for food or luxuries - Working and volunteering *Teaching English *Sporting events, special interest groups and the local arts scene *Travelling and places to visit *Entertainment and nightlife