Paul Johnson – O istorie a lumii moderne

„Istoric al ideilor, mentalitatilor si pasiunilor colective, gînditor conservator mereu iconoclast si imprevizibil, Paul Johnson ofera în acest volum o perspectiva lucida asupra unui secol în care civilizaţia s-a prabusit, iar barbaria a renascut în vesminte ideologice. Este vorba despre acel secol pe care regretatul Matei Calinescu, scriind despre aceasta carte, l-a numit «al monstrilor». În aceasta teratologie, Lenin, Stalin, Hitler, Mao sînt falsii profeţi ai unei purificari absurde, aberante, catastrofale. A fost un secol al ideologiilor liberticide si al terorii universalizate. A fost însa, nu mai puţin, un secol al rezistenţei antitotalitare, al supravieţuirii demnitaţii în pofida atîtor capcane, obstacole si pericole. Cartea lui Johnson se citeste pe nerasuflate, asemenea unui roman în care eroii sîntem chiar noi, prinsi în marele angrenaj al unei modernitaţi ambivalente si paradoxale.“ (Vladimir Tismaneanu)

                                                                                                                                     .
„O carte cu adevarat valoroasa, în care viziunea istorica se îmbina cu perspectiva critica. O istorie a lumii moderne reprezinta mai mult decît o cronica de mari dimensiuni a evenimentelor si personajelor istorice. Lectura sa este un prilej de veritabila desfatare intelectuala.“ (Robert A. Nisbet – The New York Times Book Review)

„Sînt numeroase paginile care te iau prin surprindere, iar alteori e chiar tulburator unghiul inedit din care se abordeaza întîmplari sau protagonisti de altfel arhicunoscuţi din sfera politica, militara, economica, stiinţifica, religioasa sau filozofica.“ (Edmund Fuller – Wall Street Journal)

Gabriel Liiceanu – Fie-vă milă de noi! şi alte texte civile

Textele din acest volum au fost scrise de pe poziţia unui membru al „societaţii civile“ în perioadele în care febra organismului social a atins în ţara noastra grade paroxistice. Acesta este si motivul pentru care subtitlul volumului este Texte civile.
„Intelectualul român traieste nevrotic si dramatic, prins între tentaţia de a gesticula vehement pe scena publica si cea de a trânti, scârbit, poarta istoriei si de a se încuia în camera lui. Mereu am avut, ca români, ceva de înfruntat, de îndreptat, de luat de la capat. Traim, epuizant, o stare de insurecţie cetaţeneasca. Bolnava noastra Românie, cu smecherii, lichelele sau incapabilii care au condus-o periodic, ne-a cerut, de prea multe ori, sa nu uitam ca suntem «cetaţeni» si «români». Visez o Românie de care sa nu trebuiasca sa-mi aduc aminte mai mult de o data la patru ani.“ (Gabriel Liiceanu)

Lewis Alsamari – Out of Iraq

Aged 17, Lewis Alsamari was conscripted into the Iraqi army. Things went from bad to worse once his superiors discovered his ability to speak English, and Lewis was selected for Saddam’s elite, top secret intelligence service, an offer he literally could not refuse. This left him with only one option – to escape from his native land, leaving his family behind him…

Going under the wire of the army compound where he was posted, Lewis was shot in the leg, making his escape – which required a gruelling journey in disguise across the desert at night with a group of Bedouin, at the mercy of ravenous wolves – all the more arduous. Against the odds, Lewis survived this trek, made it across the border into Jordan, and eventually sought asylum the UK, where he had spent his childhood.

Now he had to work out how to rescue his mother, brother and sister, who had been apprehended by security forces and thrown into jail once Lewis’s escape became known. The only thing which could help was money and lots of it, so Lewis fraudulently transferred £37,000 from the accounts of William Hill (where he had a temporary job) into his own bank, and wired it to Baghdad in order to pay the necessary bribes. But, of course, it wasn’t quite that simple…

Out of Iraq is an exhilarating and terrifying story of one man’s escape from one of the harshest regimes of the modern era. It is testament both to the strength of the human spirit and to the extremes we’ll go to in order to keep our loved ones safe.

James Hollis – De ce oamenii buni savarsesc fapte rele?

Ce forte lucreaza impotriva noastra si de ce?
A cobori in infernul fiintei nu inseamna a analiza raul in sine, ci a avea o perspectiva atotcuprinzatoare. Vindecarea nu va fi niciodata deplina daca nu vom ajunge sa ne iubim si acele laturi mai putin placute ale personalitatii noastre, care au si ele nevoie de intelegere.
Cum se face ca oamenii buni fac lucruri rele? De ce oameni, altminteri obisnuiti, cad in patima jocurilor de noroc, a bauturii, obtin bani prin mijloace necinstite, ajung dependenti de pornografia de pe internet, isi insala partenerul de viata? De ce repeta aceleasi comportamente distructive in relatiile interpersonale, la locul de munca sau in propriile obiceiuri? Si, pe o scara mai larga, cum putem vindeca toata durerea si suferinta din lume?
In De ce oamenii buni savarsesc fapte rele?- James Hollis analizeaza discrepantele dintre valorile pe care le proclamam si actiunile noastre, adesea distructive, totodata oferindu-ne solutii pentru o intelegere mai profunda a acestora. Coborand in infernul fiintei reusim sa ne vindecam fisurile interioare, sa aflam ce forte lucreaza impotriva noastra si de ce. Hollis nu se limiteaza la tenebrele personale ale individului, ci isi extinde studiul asupra istoriei, religiei, organizatiilor si corporatiilor actuale.
James Hollis, profesor-doctor, si-a luat licenta la Manchester College si doctoratul la Drew University. A predat stiintele umaniste timp de douazeci si sase de ani la diverse colegii si universitati inainte de a deveni psihanalist la Jung Institute din Zurich, Elvetia, unde a obtinut o diploma in psihologia analitica. Locuieste la Houston, Texas, cu sotia sa. Are un cabinet de psihiatrie si este director executiv al Jung Educational Center din acelasi oras.

(Not quite a disaster but not brilliant either. It fails to deliver given the title. To focus entirely on the Jung’s concept of shadow, even when it’s not necessary is a bit silly. Average opus.)

Ana Cianciolo & Robert Sternberg – Inteligenta. Scurt istoric

Care este natura inteligentei umane? Cum se poate masura? Poate fi educata sau depinde exclusiv de mostenirea genetica? Anna Cianciolo si Robert Sternberg ofera un istoric concis si bine sistematizat al modului in care psihologii au folosit instrumentele stiintifice pentru a raspunde acestor intrebari. Cartea descrie cele mai uzitate teste de inteligenta, discuta diferitele fatete ale inteligentei (inclusiv din perspectiva sociologica si antropologica) si prezinta recentele dezbateri asupra diferentelor de QI dintre sexe si rase.

Aceasta carte se adreseaza cititorilor interesati sa cunoasca mai multe despre inteligenta, fiind scrisa de o asemenea maniera, incat sa poata fi usor inteleasa si de catre nespecialisti. Ea ofera totodata informatii valoroase studentilor de la psihologie si pedagogie. Prezenta lucrare poate constitui o lectura suplimentara la cursurile despre aptitudinile umane sau de istorie a psihologiei.

(Note: It’s not a solid work. It lacks wit. If you are interested in cognitive science try Ian Deary’s books. )

Thomas Cathcart & Daniel Klein – Platon si ornitorincul intra intr-un bar. Mic tratat de filosdotica

Platon si ornitorincul intra intr-un bar este bestseller international, tradus in 20 de tari.

O introducere ireverentioasa, neconventionala si plina de umor in marile traditii, scoli, ganditori si concepte filosofice. Filosofia de la A la Z pentru toti cei care stiu ca lucrurile serioase trebuiesc luate in ras. Sunt prezentate Ideile esentiale ale Existentialismului (ce au Hegel si Bette Midler in comun?), Filosofia Limbajului („cum e sa…” fii naufragiat pe o insula pustie cu Halle Berry?), Filosofia Feminista (de ce, orice ar face, un barbat ramane un barbat?), precum si multe altele. In sfarsit, intelegem si noi ceva din toata tarasenia asta!

„De departe cel mai traznit bestseller al anului!” The Boston Globe

„Am ras si am invatat filosofie, o carte pe care o ador.” Roy Blount, JR.

Mel Thompson – Understand Philosophy of Science

A modern understanding of the world is unthinkable without science, but what exactly is it?
• What does it mean to say that something is ‘scientific’?
• How are its results justified?
From the genetic basis of life to the structures of the universe or the atom, this book explores how the key ideas that shape our world have been developed. It…
• gives a broad introduction to the history of science and its impact on Western thought;
• examines scientific method, and asks what it means to call something ‘scientific’;
• introduces key philosophers and scientists.
No previous knowledge of either philosophy or science is required. All terms are fully explained in the text.
________________________________________
‘I hope I never loose the capacity to be amazed, whether by the dimensions of space, the intricate systems of nature or the workings of the human brain. Much of what we know about the physical world is conveyed to us by science, and so successful has it been in the last four centuries that there is a danger of slipping into an unquestioning acceptance of every latest theory. However, science remains a human activity, and as such it is based on ideas and arguments that should be examined rationally, questioned and sometimes challenged.’
________________________________________
From the introduction…
Philosophy is all about asking questions, examining arguments and generally getting to grips with reality. Nobody is likely to get involved with philosophy unless he or she has some sense that the world is an exciting and sometimes confusing place, and that human life is there to be examined as well as enjoyed.
Nowhere is this fascination with the world more evident than in science and the technology that it makes possible. From speculations about the origins of matter, to the understanding and manipulation of genetic information or the workings of the human body, it thrives on the human desire to unlock the mysteries of the world around us – both for the sake of knowledge itself and for the benefits it can offer.
We all know what science is and appreciate what it can contribute to human wellbeing, but why should there be a Philosophy of Science? Surely, science explains itself and validates what it does through the results it achieves. Well, not exactly. For one thing, ‘science’ is simply a label that is given to certain methods of investigation, and it is quite reasonable to ask whether a field of study is, from the perspective of the rest of science, genuine or bogus. Astronomy is scientific, but what about astrology? Mainstream medicine is scientific, but what of faith healing? Or herbalism? Or homeopathy? And what of the claim that a product is ‘scientifically proven’ to give health benefits? What does such a claim imply and how can it be verified? These are all questions that require careful attention.

A. M. Homes – The Mistress’s Daughter: A Memoir

On the day that Homes was born in 1961, she was given up for adoption. Her birth parents were a twenty-two year old woman and an older married man with whom she was having an affair. Thirty years later, out of the blue, Homes was contacted by a lawyer on behalf of her birth mother, and they began to correspond; her biological father contacted her soon after. These two individuals and their effect on the adult Homes are strange and unexpected, and the story spirals into something utterly raw and hilarious, heartbreaking and absurd. Along the way, Homes describes the clash between her childhood fantasies of her birth parents and the disappointing reality.

Ian J. Deary – Inteligenta. Foarte scurta introducere

– Exista oare ceva precum inteligenta generala?

– Ce se intampla cu inteligenta la batranete?

– Sunt testele de inteligenta utile?

– De ce in ultimii 50 de ani scorurile IQ au crescut?

Ian J. Deary ii aduce pe cititorii care nu poseda cunostinte despre stiinta inteligentei umane pana la un stadiu la care pot formula judecati avizate cu privire la unele chestiuni esentiale referitoare la abilitatile mentale umane.

El discuta diferite tipuri de inteligenta si ceea ce se stie despre modul in care genele si mediul conlucreaza pentru a da nastere acestor diferente.

Ian J. Deary este profesor de psihologie diferentiala la University of Edinburgh si presedinte al International Society for the Study of Individual Differences.

S-a format initial ca medic si a lucrat ca psihiatru.

Este autorul cartii Looking Down on Human Intelligence si coautorul cartii Personality Traits (Cambridge University Press, 1998).

Mircea Cartarescu – Frumoasele straine

Umorul, satiricul si grotescul au fost dintotdeauna, in volumele sale de versuri, in Levantul si-n Orbitor, in Enciclopedia zmeilor si-n De ce iubim femeile, a doua coarda la arcul lui Mircea Cartarescu, alaturi de cea onirica si vizionara. In Frumoasele straine ele sunt coarda dintai. Putine carti din literatura romana de azi ii pot sta alaturi ca naturalete a povestirii si ca ubicuitate a comicului, intins pe toate registrele, de la zambetul discret la rasul cu lacrimi.
Cele trei povestiri unite de aceeasi voce narativa, destinsa si fireasca, sunt filme cu camera in mana, fara nici o emfaza, mizand pe sinceritate si simplitate. Sunt road movies, mai scurte sau mai lungi, cu scriitori, artisti vizuali, politisti si criminali, studente si responsabili culturali, fantome si cineasti, risipiti intr-o lume mereu surprinzatoare.