Author: Camilla Läckberg File Type: epub []

Author: Susan Jacoby File Type: pdf From Publishers WeeklyInspired by Richard Hofstadters trenchant 1963 cultural analysis Anti-Intellectualism in American Life, Jacoby (Freethinkers A History of American Secularism) has produced an engaging, updated and meticulously thought-out continuation of her academic idols research. Dismayed by the average U.S. citizens political and social apathy and the overall crisis of memory and knowledge involving everything about the way we learn and think, Jacoby passionately argues that the nations current cult of unreason has deadly and destructive consequences (the war in Iraq, for one) and traces the seeds of current anti-intellectualism (and its partner in crime, antirationalism) back to post-WWII society. Unafraid of pointing fingers, she singles out mass media and the resurgence of fundamentalist religion as the primary vectors of anti-intellectualism, while also having harsh words for pseudoscientists. Through historical research, Jacoby breaks down popular beliefs that the 1950s were a cultural wasteland and the 1960s were solely a breeding ground for liberals. Though sometimes partial to inflated prose (Americas endemic anti-intellectual tendencies have been grievously exacerbated by a new species of semiconscious anti-rationalism), Jacoby has assembled an erudite mix of personal anecdotes, cultural history and social commentary to decry Americas retreat into junk thought. (Feb. 12) Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. From The New YorkerIdentifying herself as a cultural conservationist (but by no means a cultural conservative), Jacoby laments the decline of middlebrow American culture and presents a cogent defense of intellectualism. America, she believes, faces a crisis of memory and knowledge, in which anti-intellectualism is not only tolerated but celebrated by those in politics and the media to whom we are all just folks. The Internet, for all its promise, is too often a highway to the far-flung regions of junk thought. Meanwhile, twenty-five per cent of high-school biology teachers believe that human beings and dinosaurs shared the earth, and more than a third of Americans cant name a single First Amendment right. In such an environment, Jacoby argues, the secular left and the religious right can have no fruitful dialogue on issues like the separation of church and state. She offers little hope that the situation will improve, opining that, despite increasing levels of education, Americans seem to know less and less. 2008 * Click here to subscribe to The New Yorker* A cultural history of the last forty years, The Age of American Unreason focuses on the convergence of social forces-usually treated as separate entities-that has created a perfect storm of anti-rationalism. These include the upsurge of religious fundamentalism, with more political power today than ever before the failure of public education to create an informed citizenry and the triumph of video over print culture. Sparing neither the right nor the left, Jacoby asserts that Americans today have embraced a universe of junk thought that makes almost no effort to separate fact from opinion.br From the Trade Paperback edition.

Author: Martin Goodman File Type: pdf A sweeping history of Judaism over more than three millennia Judaism is one of the oldest religions in the world, and it has preserved its distinctive identity despite the extraordinarily diverse forms and beliefs it has embodied over the course of more than three millennia. A History of Judaism provides the first truly comprehensive look in one volume at how this great religion came to be, how it has evolved from one age to the next, and how its various strains, sects, and traditions have related to each other. In this magisterial and elegantly written book, Martin Goodman takes readers from Judaisms origins in the polytheistic world of the second and first millennia BCE to the temple cult at the time of Jesus. He tells the stories of the rabbis, mystics, and messiahs of the medieval and early modern periods and guides us through the many varieties of Judaism today. Goodmans compelling narrative spans the globe, from the Middle East, Europe, and America to North Africa, China, and India. He explains the institutions and ideas on which all forms of Judaism are based, and masterfully weaves together the different threads of doctrinal and philosophical debate that run throughout its history. A History of Judaism is a spellbinding chronicle of a vibrant and multifaceted religious tradition that has shaped the spiritual heritage of humankind like no other. **

Author: William Earl Maxwell File Type: pdf The most popular book for this course, TEXAS POLITICS TODAY offers a wide range of viewpoints from multiple authors, each a recognized authority on the Lone Star State. The new edition encourages critical thinking and civic participation with ideas for how to get involved, questions to debate, and current event-based essays throughout. Its rich, nuanced presentations of current issues such as diversity, immigration, redistricting, and the 2010 elections provide a realistic picture of the Texas political system and decision-making processes.ReviewTEXAS POLITICS TODAY is one of the best textbooks available if not the best. . . . I first used the Maxwell and Crain text in my class in 1991 and eighteen years later it is still my favorite Texas Government book on the market and I think offers the most to my students. . . . The greatest strength of TEXAS POLITICS TODAY is in its parsimonious presentations of the material in an organized fashion that allows students to grasp the larger themes, but not get bogged down in the details. The text is also bright and colorful with . . . interesting snippets, all designed to pique reader interest and I think it does a very good job at doing so. - Brian Farmer, Amarillo College[TEXAS POLITICS TODAY] is incredibly well organized, readable, and interesting. I think it will be a great resource for students, and make teaching the course easy for instructors. The materials at the end of each chapter are great study aids for students, in my experience.- Mel Laracey, University of Texas at San Antonio