LITMIR.BIZ

Twenty-three essays by young professional philosophers examine crucial ethical and metaphysical aspects of the Buffyverse (the world of Buffy). Though the show already attracted much scholarly attention, this is the first book to fully disinter the intellectual issues. Designed by Whedon as a multilevel story with most of its meanings deeply buried in heaps of heavy irony, Buffy the Vampire Slayer has replaced The X-Files as the show that explains to Americans the nature of the powerful forces of evil continually threatening to surge into our world of everyday decency and overwhelm it. In the tradition of the classic horror films Buffy the Vampire Slayer addresses ethical issues that have long fascinated audiences. This book draws out the ethical and metaphysical lessons from a pop-culture phenomenon.

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The progressive/hard rock band Rush has never been as popular as it is now. A documentary film about the band, Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage, which was released in the summer of 2010 has been universally well received. They had a cameo in the movie I Love You Man. Their seven-part song “2112” was included in a version of “Guitar Hero” released in 2010. The group even appeared on The Colbert Report.Even legendary trios such as Led Zeppelin, Cream, and The Police don’t enjoy the commitment and devotion that Rush’s fans lavish on Alex, Geddy, and Neil. In part, this is because Rush is equally devoted to its fans. Since their first album in 1974, they have released 18 additional albums and toured the world following nearly every release. Today, when other 70s-bands have either broken up or become nostalgia acts, Rush continues to sell out arenas and amphitheatres and sell albums—to date Rush has sold over 40 million albums. They are ranked fourth after The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and Aerosmith for the most consecutive gold or platinum albums by a rock band.Rush’s success is also due to its intellectual approach to music and sound. The concept album 2112 made Rush a world-class band and cemented its reputation as the thinking-person’s progressive rock trio. Rush’s interest in political philosophy, mind-control, the nature of free-will, of individuality, and our relationship to machines makes Rush a band that matters and which speaks to its fans directly and honestly like no other. Lyricist Niel Peart has even built a following by writing books, both about his motorcycle travels and about the tragic death of his daughter, which have only furthered the respect Rush’s fans have for (arguably) rock’s greatest drummer and lyricist.Fiercely independent of trends, Rush has maintained a clear mission and purpose throughout their career. With the unique “Rush sound,” the band has been able to blend thought-provoking lyrics and music for almost four decades. The Rush style of music can trigger the unusual combination of air-drumming, air-guitar, singing along, and fist-pumping, just as much as it can thoughtful reflection and deep thinking, making Rush “The Thinking Man’s Band.” Rush and Philosophy does not set out to sway the public’s opinion, nor is it an awkward gushing of how much the authors love Rush. Rush and Philosophy is a fascinating look at the music and lyrics of the band, setting out to address thought-provoking questions. For example, elements of philosophical thinking from the likes of Jean Paul-Sartre, Ayn Rand, and Plato can be found in Peart’s lyrics; does this make Peart a disciple of philosophy? In what ways has technology influenced the band through the decades? Can there be too much technology for a power-trio? Can listening to Rush’s music and lyrics lead listeners to think more clearly, responsibly, and happily? Is the band’s music a “pleasant distraction” from the singing of Geddy Lee? In what ways is Rush Canadian? How can a band that has been referred to as “right-wing” also criticize big government, religion, and imperialism? Rush and Philosophy is written by an assortment of philosophers and scholars with eclectic and diverse backgrounds who love Rush’s music and who “get” the meaning and importance of it. They discuss Rush with the enthusiasm of fan. The book will be a must-read for the many fans who have long known that Rush deserves as much respect as the ideas, concepts, and puzzles about human existence they write and compose music about.

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This book introduces the reader to the political theories of the American philosopher John Rawls. Rawls was arguably the most important political philosopher of the twentieth century. Barely a word of political philosophy is written today that is not indebted in some way, either directly or indirectly, to the philosophical paradigm that Rawls bequeathed. On his death at aged 81 in 2002 his obituaries, written by some of the leading figures in Western philosophy, placed him alongside John Locke and Immanuel Kant in the canon of Western political philosophers. His colleague, the philosopher Hilary Putnam, said: ‘His work is not going to be forgotten for decades, I think, for centuries.’ Rawls Explained sets out Rawls’s complex arguments in a way that makes them accessible to first-time readers of his hugely influential work. This book is both clear in its exposition of Rawls’s ideas and is true to the complex purposes of his arguments. It also attends to the variety of objections that have been made to Rawls’s arguments since it is these objections that have shaped the progression of his work. Therefore the aim of the book is to explain the basic ideas of Rawls’s theory of justice in an engaging but comprehensive fashion and to guide the reader carefully through his arguments. The book is divided into three parts corresponding to the three books that form the core of Rawls’s theory: A Theory of Justice (1971), Political Liberalism (1993) and The Law of Peoples (1999). This volume sets out Rawls’s ideas in the form of a critical exposition that elaborates the central themes and philosophical background of his arguments. Each section of the book ends with a survey of some of the main criticisms of the arguments coupled with Rawls’s strongest counterarguments.

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Frank Herbert’s Dune is the biggest-selling science fiction story of all time; the original book and its numerous sequels have transported millions of readers into the alternate reality of the Duniverse. Dune and Philosophy raises intriguing questions about the Duniverse in ways that will be instantly meaningful to fans. Those well-known characters—Paul Atreides, Baron Harkkonen, Duncan Idaho, Stilgar, the Bene Gesserit witches—come alive again in this fearless philosophical probing of some of life’s most basic questions. Dune presents us with a vast world in which fanaticism is merciless and history is made by the interplay of ruthless conspiracies. Computers have long been outlawed, so that the abilities of human beings are developed to an almost supernatural level. The intergalactic empire controlled by a privileged aristocracy raises all the old questions of human interaction in a strange yet weirdly familiar setting. Do secret conspiracies direct the future course of human political evolution? Can manipulation of the gene pool create a godlike individual? Are strife and bloodshed essential to progress? Can we know so much about the future that we lose the power to make a difference? Does reliance on valuable resources—such as “spice,” oil, and water—place us at the mercy of those who can destroy those resources? When gholas are reconstructed from the cells of dead people and given those people’s memories, is the ghola the dead person resurrected? Can the exploitation of religion for political ends be reduced to a technique? Fans of Dune will trek through the desert of the Duniverse seeing answers to these and other questions.

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In Steve Jobs and Philosophy sixteen philosophers take a close look at the inspiring yet often baffling world of Steve Jobs. What can we learn about business ethics from the example of Jobs? What are the major virtues of a creative innovator? How could Jobs successfully defy and challenge conventional business practices? How did Jobs combine values and attitudes previously believed to be unmixable? What does it really mean to “think different”? Can entrepreneurs be made or are they just born? If Jobs didn’t make any major inventions, just what was his contribution? How is Jobs’s life illuminated by Buddhism? How does a counter-culture transform mainstream culture? What does Jobs teach us about the notions of simplicity and functionality in design? How do Jobs’s achievements alter the way we think about technology in relation to human life? The chapters cover vital issues in ethics, business, aesthetics, and technology. They are followed by a fascinating appendix listing all the philosophers mentioned in the book, along with explanations of their lives and key themes in their thoughts. Steve Jobs and Philosophy is aimed at readers interested Jobs himself, in entrepreneurship, in technology, culture, and values.

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Hilary Putnam, who turned 88 in 2014, is one of the world’s greatest living philosophers. He currently holds the position of Cogan University Professor Emeritus of Harvard. He has been called “one of the 20th century’s true philosophic giants” (by Malcolm Thorndike Nicholson in Prospect magazine in 2013). He has been very influential in several different areas of philosophy: philosophy of mathematics, philosophy of language, philosophy of mind, and philosophy of science. This volume in the prestigious Library of Living Philosophers series contains 26 chapters original to this work, each written by a well-known philosopher, including the late Richard Rorty and the late Michael Dummett. The volume also includes Putnam’s reply to each of the 26 critical and descriptive essays, which cover the broad range of Putnam’s thought. They are organized thematically into the following parts: Philosophy and Mathematics, Logic and Language, Knowing and Being, Philosophy of Practice, and Elements of Pragmatism. Readers will also appreciate the extensive Intellectual Autobiography.

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Since the dawn of storytelling, parables have captivated listeners and readers with lessons of human experience. The Gift of the White Tigers combines the legacy of parables with cutting-edge self-actualization technology. The journey to wisdom and understanding in this magical story leads readers down a path of discovery that will enrich their lives. By illustrating the results of his lifetime of study, observation, and thought, Joseph (“Dr Joe”) Di Ruzzo dramatizes for readers the scientific advances which can enhance human existence today. From Freud to Maslow to neurolinguistic programming, he summarizes the ongoing search for healthier families and individuals. Through his tale of the adventures of two tigers, he teaches in story form the principles and values needed for success and happiness.

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"Although targeted for men, MEN, SEX + FOOD was an enjoyable and eye-opening read for me as a woman. I appreciate how the book is written in 'guy-to-guy' conversation which gave me a peek into how men think and communicate about women… The book offers a step-by-step technique that strengthens the very foundation of a good relationship. As a woman, I must say that I would welcome this type of connecting. If you are a man who wants to enhance a relationship with a woman, this book is for you. If you are a woman who wants to be heard in your relationship, this is a great book to pass along to your male partner. A great find, and an easy yet powerful read." –Gina Charles<P> "Entertaining, funny, and yet such a simple truth that will probably be profound and life changing to most men. Very well written!" –Candace (Psychologist, Hypnotherapist, Red Deer Alberta, Canada)<P> "What a great topic to approach. Well done!" –Heidi Kucera (Massage Therapist, Portland, Oregon, USA)

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This is a book for those disillusioned by what you're seeing in the world, a book for those who are tired of constantly being told by media, by church, by everyone around you that everything is okay and it's going to be okay, but never offering any logical support for any of their thoughts or ideas. Here is the Fundamental (and likely Unpopular) Truth: We are all tools to use and be used, to support and be supported by others, whether that is God, Government, Business, Family, or Friends. We all simultaneously resist being used by and having to support others, but also desire to use and be used by others, as well as to support and be supported by others. This should be a short but hopefully impactful read and it may either change your view of the world or confirm some things you've already suspected. As an author, as a human, I have written some things that some people may find controversial, but I have based it all on sound logic and theory. In a world where we do not know where we stand, where the media and everything around us seems to be nothing but lies, where we don't even know which scientific theories to Trust, we can find a firm foundation in Logic and what is most likely to be True. So set your personal opinions aside and open yourself up to Logic, open yourself up to what observable science and history has provided us. In an era where Humanity seems to be driving itself off a cliff with the herd mentality, be an Outlier. Come with me on a journey to save yourself, to save humanity. A great man once said, to change the world we must change ourselves, when we change ourselves, we can change our friends and family, our friends and family can change our community, our community can change our country, and our country our country can change the world. But to change the world you absolutely must understand the world, how the world really is, not how we wish it to be. If you feel disillusioned by the world, if you feel constant anxiety, even fear, perhaps that is a normal reaction to what is actually happening. Just because you are afraid, does not mean your fear and loathing is illogical. But if you understand what is Truly happening and why, you will not be as afraid. As I write these words I can honestly say I am unafraid, because I know and understand a Great Truth that society will not tell you, cannot tell you, and in these pages I will reveal that Truth to you, and you can decide for yourself. If you decide that my words are unworthy of your contemplation, then write to me and I will send you a full refund, but if you find these words resonate with you, please, give my message to others. Only operating in the absolute concrete Truth of reality quiets our fears and silences our anxiety. In a world so filled with lies and deception, we can through rigorous study and interpretation be absolutely assured of one basic Truth, God Does Not GAF About you. (Or me Or Anyone)

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Timothy Leary, the visionary Harvard psychologist who became a guru of the 1960s counterculture, reentered as an icon of new edge cyberpunks.HIGH PRIEST chronicles 16 psychedelic trips taken in the days before LSD was made illegal. The trip guides or «High Priests» include Aldous Huxley, Gordon Wasson, William S. Burroughs, Godsdog, Allen Ginsberg, Ram Dass, Ralph Metzner, Willy (a junkie from New York City), Huston Smith, Frank Barron, and others. The scene was Millbrook, a mansion in Upstate New York, that was the Mecca of Psychedellia during the 1960s, and of the many luminaries of the period who made a pilgrimage there to trip with Leary and his group, The League for Spiritual Discovery. Each chapter includes an I-Ching reading, a chronicle of what happened during the trip, marginalia of comments, quotations, and illustrations.A fascinating window into an era. This edition includes a Foreword by Allen Ginsberg, an introduction by Timothy Leary about the intergenerational counterculture, and illustrations by Howard Hallis.

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