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The Socrates Express : in search of life lessons from dead philosophers / by Weiner, Eric,1963-author.;
Includes bibliographical references and index.The New York Times bestselling author of The Geography of Bliss embarks on a rollicking intellectual journey, following in the footsteps of history's greatest thinkers and showing us how each--from Epicurus to Gandhi, Thoreau to Beauvoir--offers practical and spiritual lessons for today's unsettled times. We turn to philosophy for the same reasons we travel: to see the world from a different perspective, to unearth hidden beauty, and to find new ways of being. We want to learn how to embrace wonder. Face regrets. Sustain hope. Eric Weiner combines his twin passions for philosophy and global travel in a pilgrimage that uncovers surprising life lessons from great thinkers around the world, from Rousseau to Nietzsche, Confucius to Simone Weil. Traveling by train (the most thoughtful mode of transport), he journeys thousands of miles, making stops in Athens, Delhi, Wyoming, Coney Island, Frankfurt, and points in between to reconnect with philosophy's original purpose: teaching us how to lead wiser, more meaningful lives. From Socrates and ancient Athens to Simone de Beauvoir and twentieth-century Paris, Weiner's chosen philosophers and places provide important signposts as we navigate today's chaotic times. In The Socrates Express, Weiner invites us to voyage alongside him on his life-changing pursuit of wisdom and discovery as he attempts to find answers to our most vital questions.
Subjects: Travel writing.; Weiner, Eric, 1963-; Philosophy.;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Descartes : the life of René Descartes and its place in his times / by Grayling, A. C.,author.;
Includes bibliographical references and index.Scientist, mathematician, traveller, soldier--and spy--René Descartes has been called the 'father of modern philosophy'. Born in 1596 into an era still dominated by the medieval mindset, he was one of the chief actors in the riveting drama that ushered in the modern world. His life coincided with an extraordinarily significant time in history--the first half of the miraculous seventeenth century, replete with genius in the arts and sciences, and wracked by civil and international conflicts across Europe. Before his death in 1650 Descartes made immense contributions to an exceptionally wide range of fields and disciplines, and his assertion 'Cogito, ergo sum' ('I think, therefore I am') has become one of the most famous maxims in all philosophy. He was the very archetype of a 'Renaissance man', and yet surprisingly little is known about him. Drawing on new research and his own insights as one of our leading philosophers, A. C. Grayling presents a stunningly accessible and fascinating portrait of the man and the remarkable era in which he lived.
Subjects: Biographies.; Descartes, René, 1596-1650.; Philosophers;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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The Foundations of Western Civilization. by F., Thomas,actor.; The Great Courses (Firm),dst; Kanopy (Firm),dst;
Thomas F. X. NobleOriginally produced by The Great Courses in 2002.The world after Alexander was cosmopolitan, prosperous, and dominated by Greeks and Macedonians all over the Mediterranean and far out into the old Persian Empire. Literature, science, and new philosophies flourished.Mode of access: World Wide Web.
Subjects: Education films.; Social sciences.; History, Ancient.; Education.; Instructional films.;
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Moonage daydream [videorecording] / by Morgan, Brett,film director.; Elevation Pictures,film distributor.;
David Bowie.The first and only documentary about David Bowie authorized by the Bowie Estate, it explores Bowie's artistic journey over the years and illuminates many of his intellectual and artistic philosophies.Canadian Home Video Rating: PG.MPAA rating: PG-13.Subtitled for the deaf and hard-of-hearing (SDH).DVD ; wide screen presentation ; Dolby Digital 5.1.
Subjects: Biographical films.; Documentary films.; Video recordings for the hearing impaired.; Bowie, David.; Rock music; Rock musicians;
For private home use only.
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Elizabeth Finch : a novel / by Barnes, Julian,author.;
"From the award-winning novelist, a compact narrative that turns on the death of a vivid and particular woman, and becomes the occasion for a man's deeper examination of love, friendship, and biography. This beautiful, spare novel of platonic unrequited love springs into being around the singular character of the stoic, exacting Professor Elizabeth Finch. Neil, the narrator, takes her class on Culture and Civilization, taught not for undergraduates but for adults of all ages; we are drawn into his intellectual crush on this private, withholding yet commanding woman. While other personal relationships and even his family drift from Neil's grasp, Elizabeth's application of her material to the matter of daily living remains important to him, even after her death, in a way that nothing else does. In Neil's story, we are treated to everything we cherish in Barnes: his eye for the unorthodox forms love can take between two people, a compelling swerve into nonfictional material (this time, through Neil's obsessive study of Julian the Apostate, following on notes Elizabeth left for him to discover after her death), and the forcefully moving undercurrent of history, and biography in particular, as nourishment and guide in our current lives"--
Subjects: Didactic fiction.; Novels.; Julian, Emperor of Rome, 331-363; Man-woman relationships; Philosophy; Students; Unrequited love; Women teachers;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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The house of hidden meanings : a memoir / by RuPaul,1960-author.;
"Central to RuPaul's success has been his chameleonic adaptability. From drag icon to powerhouse producer of one of the world's largest television franchises, RuPaul's ever-shifting nature has always been part of his brand as both supermodel and supermogul. Yet that adaptability has made him enigmatic to the public. In this memoir, his most intimate and detailed book yet, RuPaul makes himself truly known. In The House of Hidden Meanings, RuPaul strips away all artifice and recounts the story of his life with breathtaking clarity and tenderness, bringing his signature wisdom and wit to his own biography. From his early years growing up as a queer Black kid in San Diego navigating complex relationships with his absent father and temperamental mother, to forging an identity in the punk and drag scenes of Atlanta and New York, to finding enduring love with his husband Georges LeBar and self-acceptance in sobriety, RuPaul excavates his own biography life-story, uncovering new truths and insights in his personal history. Here in RuPaul's singular and extraordinary story is a manual for living-a personal philosophy that testifies to the value of chosen family, the importance of harnessing what makes you different, and the transformational power of facing yourself fearlessly. A[n] ... introspection of his life, relationships, and identity, The House of Hidden Meanings is a self-portrait of the legendary icon on the road to global fame and changing the way the world thinks about drag."--
Subjects: Biographies.; Autobiographies.; RuPaul, 1960-; African American businesspeople; African American television personalities; Cross-dressers; Drag queens; Gay men; Sexual minorities;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Die walking : a child's journey through genocide / by M., Obadiah,author.;
Includes bibliographical references."In 1994, Obadiah was the thirteen-year-old son of a Hutu pastor who dreamt of becoming a pilot when he heard something was wrong in Kigali, Rwanda. He didn't understand the politics, but an uncle appeared, a family meeting was held, then they were fleeing genocide. They were under gunfire, soldiers in pursuit. Everywhere were bodies, hunger, that smell. Stalked by terror, Obadiah kept moving through unrelenting danger and the darkest despair. He was sustained by faith and the philosophy of Ubuntu--finding one's self through others. But not even escape led to safety, as Obadiah had to face the American refugee detention system. Die Walking is one boy's horrific story of shared humanity in a chaotic world."--
Subjects: Biographies.; Autobiographies.; M., Obadiah.; Genocide survivors; Refugees; Refugees; Teenage refugees; Teenage refugees;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Our tribal future : how to channel our foundational human instincts into a force for good / by Samson, David Ryan,author.;
Includes bibliographical references and index."An astounding and inspiring look at the science behind tribalism, and how we can learn to harness it to improve the world around us. What do you think of when you hear the word "tribalism?" For many, it conjures images of bigotry, xenophobia, and sectarian violence. Others may envision their own tribe: family, friends, and the bonds of loyalty that keep them together. Tribalism is one of the most complex and ancient evolutionary forces; it gave us the capacity for cooperation and competition, and allowed us to navigate increasingly complex social landscapes. It is so powerful that it can predict our behavior even better than race, class, gender, or religion. But in our vast modern world, has this blessing become a curse? Our Tribal Future explores a central paradox of our species: how altruism, community, kindness, and genocide are all driven by the same core adaptation. Evolutionary anthropologist David R. Samson engages with cutting-edge science and philosophy, as well as his own field research with small-scale societies and wild chimpanzees, to explain the science, ethics, and history of tribalism in compelling and accessible terms. This bold and brilliant book reveals provocative truths about our nature. Readers will discover that tribalism cannot, and should not, be eliminated entirely--to do so would be to destroy what makes us human. But is it possible to channel the best of this instinct to enrich our lives while containing the worst of its dangers?"--
Subjects: Collective behavior.; Human evolution.; Social evolution.;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Lives of the stoics : lessons on the art of living from Zeno to Marcus Aurelius / by Holiday, Ryan,author.; Hanselman, Stephen,author.;
Includes bibliographical references and index."From the bestselling authors of The Daily Stoic comes an inspiring guide to the lives of the Stoics, and what the ancients can teach us about happiness, success, resilience and virtue. Nearly 2,300 years after a ruined merchant named Zeno first established a school on the Stoa Poikile of Athens, Stoicism has found a new audience among those who seek greatness, from athletes to politicians and everyone in between. It's no wonder; the philosophy and its embrace of self-mastery, virtue, and indifference to that which we cannot control is as urgent today as it was in the chaos of the Roman Empire. In Lives of the Stoics, Holiday and Hanselman present the fascinating lives of the men and women who strove to live by the timeless Stoic virtues of Courage. Justice. Temperance. Wisdom. Organized in digestible, mini-biographies of all the well-known--and not so well-known--Stoics, this book vividly brings home what Stoicism was like for the people who loved it and lived it, dusting off powerful lessons to be learned from their struggles and successes. More than a mere history book, every example in these pages, from Epictetus to Marcus Aurelius--slaves to emperors--is designed to help the reader apply philosophy in their own lives. Holiday and Hanselman unveil the core values and ideas that unite figures from Seneca to Cato to Cicero across the centuries. Among them are the idea that self-rule is the greatest empire, that character is fate; how Stoics benefit from preparing not only for success, but failure; and learn to love, not merely accept, the hand they are dealt in life. A treasure of valuable insights and stories, this book can be visited again and again by any reader in search of inspiration from the past"--
Subjects: Stoics.;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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A thread of violence : a story of truth, invention, and murder / by O'Connell, Mark,1979-author.;
"From the award-winning author comes a gripping account of one of the most scandalous murders in modern Irish history, at once a propulsive work of true crime and an act of literary subversion. Malcolm MacArthur was a well-known Dublin socialite and heir. Suave and urbane, he passed his days mingling with artists and aristocrats, reading philosophy, living a life of the mind. But by 1982, his inheritance had dwindled to almost nothing, a desperate threat to his lifestyle. MacArthur hastily conceived a plan: He would commit bank robbery, of the kind that had become frightfully common in Dublin at the time. But his plan spun swiftly out of control, and he needlessly killed two innocent people. The ensuing manhunt, arrest, and conviction amounted to one of the most infamous political scandals in modern Irish history, contributing to the eventual collapse of a government. Wellcome and Rooney Prize-winning author Mark O'Connell spent countless hours in conversation with MacArthur-interviews that veered from confession to evasion. Through their tense exchanges and O'Connell's independent reporting, a pair of narratives unspools: a riveting account of MacArthur's crimes and a study of the hazy line between truth and invention. We come to see not only the enormity of the murders but the damage that's inflicted when a life is rendered into story. At once propulsive and searching, A Thread of Violence is a hard look at a brutal act, its subterranean origins, and the long shadow it casts. It offers a haunting and insightful examination of the lies we tell ourselves-and the lengths we'll go to preserve them"--
Subjects: Biographies.; True crime stories.; Personal narratives.; MacArthur, Malcolm.; Murderers; Thieves; Violence;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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