DailyLit: Philosophy Books

The Critique of Practical Reason

Ten Eternal Questions

by Zoe Sallis (Editor)

Description

Ten Eternal Questions asks leading political, artistic, and religious figures the timeless spiritual questions. "What is your concept of God?" "Do you think this life is all there is?" are just two of the ten questions author Zoë Sallis puts to such diverse figures as Nelson Mandela and U2's Bono, Shimon Peres and Jack Nicholson, Paulo Coelho and the Dalai Lama. Chapters are organized by question with extracts drawn from Sallis's interviews with almost 40 personalities, among them Bob Geldof, Gore Vidal, Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi, Gianfranco Ferre, Farah Pahlavi (the exiled Empress of Iran), Anjelica Huston, as well as other artists, scientists, and religious figures. In these days of increasing commercialism and religious polarization, this absorbing book speaks to an impulse for a stronger spiritual dimension in our lives and its range of answers—spontaneous, surprising, and insightful; provocative, considered, and personally revealing—offers readers much to ponder and reflect upon in their own quest to understand life's mysteries.

About the Author

Zoë Sallis was for many years the partner of film director John Huston, whom she met in 1960, and is the mother of actor/director Danny Huston. Formerly an actress herself, she now lives in London.

Extended Copyright Information

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher.

Previously published by Chronicle Books.

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Letters to a Young Contrarian

by Christopher Hitchens

Description

In the book that he was born to write, provocateur and best—selling author Christopher Hitchens inspires future generations of radicals, gadflies, mavericks, rebels, angry young (wo)men, and dissidents. Who better to speak to that person who finds him or herself in a contrarian position than Hitchens, who has made a career of disagreeing in profound and entertaining ways. This book explores the entire range of "contrary positions"—from noble dissident to gratuitous pain in the butt. In an age of overly polite debate bending over backward to reach a happy consensus within an increasingly centrist political dialogue, Hitchens pointedly pitches himself in contrast. He bemoans the loss of the skills of dialectical thinking evident in contemporary society. He understands the importance of disagreement—to personal integrity, to informed discussion, to true progress—heck, to democracy itself. Epigrammatic, spunky, witty, in your face, timeless and timely, this book is everything you would expect from a mentoring contrarian.

Reviews

"Hitchens is expanding his influence, showing the next generation how to 'think independently'."
— USA Today

Extended Copyright Information

Hardcover edition first published in 2001 by Basic Books,
A Member of the Perseus Books Group
Paperback edition first published in 2005 by Basic Books.

Cover designed by Rick Pracher.

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Divine Comedy - The Paradise

by Dante Aligheri

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Divine Comedy - The Purgatory

by Dante Aligheri

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Tao Te Ching

by Lao Tzu

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The Prince

by Niccolò Machiavelli

Description

Published in 1532, The Prince is a shockingly frank guide to the art of cultivating power. How does one establish power and maintain control over other people—or an entire nation? How does a prince relate to his citizens? Machiavelli's brilliant and cold-blooded vision reflects on all of the necessary aspects of leadership. His advice always cuts to the chase, stating that if a prince must choose between being loved or feared, it is better to be feared. No ingredient in the recipe for absolute power is left out, whether it concerns military control or day-to-day princely behavior. Machiavelli's work has remained a classic political treatise for centuries. Its honest and realistic insight has stayed fresh and eye-opening to this day.

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Oedipus Trilogy

by Sophocles

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Walden

by Henry David Thoreau

Description

A man throws off the burdens of modern society to live for a year in the woods. Walden is Henry David Thoreau's account of a radical experiment in living. Outside of the complications of civilization, Thoreau is inspired to reflect on human nature and society. Walden is the story of a full year of simple, self-sufficient existence in Nature, and a timeless record of American ideals.

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The Communist Manifesto

by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels

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