Author: Louis Guilloux File Type: epub Set during World War I, this monumental philosophical novel about human despair inspired Albert Camus own writing and prefigured the greater existential movement.Blood Dark tells the story of a brilliant philosopher trapped in a provincial town and of his spiraling descent into self-destruction. Cripure, as his students call himthe name a mocking contraction of Critique of Pure Reasondespises his colleagues, despairs of his charges, and is at odds with his family. The year is 1917, and the slaughter of the First World War goes on and on, with French soldiers not only dying in droves but also beginning to rise up in protest. Still haunted by the memory of the wife who left him long ago, Cripure turns his fury and scathing wit on everyone around him. Before he knows it, a trivial dispute with a complacently patriotic colleague has embroiled him in a duel.

Author: Solomon H. Katz File Type: pdf This stunning source explores the nutritional and cultural impact of food, with articles written by anthropologists, chefs, food historians, nutritionists, agronomists, food stylists, and other food researches. The well-written and informative entries cover the history of regional cuisines, major festivals and feasts, and general subjects that examine the cultural, sociological, and psychological perspectives of food. Encyclopedia of Food and Culture will be a classic for years to come.--The Top 20 Reference Titles of the Year, American Libraries, May 2004.

Author: Eric Schliesser File Type: pdf Eric Schliessers Adam Smith is the product of two decades reflection by the author on the great Scottish Enlightenment. Unique among treatments of Adam Smith, Schliessers book treats him as a systematic philosopher. Smith was a giant of the Scottish Enlightenment with polymath interests Schliesser thus explores Smiths economics and ethics in light of his other commitments on the nature of knowledge, the theory of emotions, the theory of mind, his account of language, the nature of causation, and his views on methodology. He places Smiths ideas in the context of a host of other philosophers, especially Hume, Rousseau, and Newton and he draws on the reception of Smiths ideas by Sophie de Grouchy, Mary Wollstonecraft, and other philosophers and economists to sketch the elements of, and the detailed connections within, Smiths system. Adam Smith traces the outlines of Smiths intellectual system and situates it in the context of his highly developed views on the norms that govern responsible speech. In particular, the book articulates Smiths concerns about the impact of his public policy recommendations, especially on the least powerful in society. In so doing, Schliesser offers new interpretations of Smiths views on the invisible hand, the Wealth of Nations, his treatment of virtue, the nature of freedom, the individuals relationship to society, his account of the passions, the moral roles of religion, and his treatment of the role of mathematics in economics. While the book does offer a single argument, it is organized in a modular fashion and includes a helpful index readers with a more focused interest in Smiths achievements can skip to their section of interest. **

Author: Luc Sante File Type: epub Luc Santes Low Life is a portrait of Americas greatest city, the riotous and anarchic breeding ground of modernity. This is not the familiar saga of mansions, avenues, and robber barons, but the messy, turbulent, often murderous story of the citys slums the teeming streets--scene of innumerable cons and crimes whose cramped and overcrowded housing is still a prominent feature of the cityscape.Low Life voyages through Manhattan from four different directions. Part One examines the actual topography of Manhattan from 1840 to 1919 Part Two, the eras opportunities for vice and entertainment--theaters and saloons, opium and cocaine dens, gambling and prostitution Part Three investigates the forces of law and order which did and didnt work to contain the illegalities Part Four counterposes the citys tides of revolt and idealism against the city as it actually was.Low Life provides an arresting and entertaining view of what New York was actually like in its salad days. But its more than simpy a book about New York. Its one of the most provocative books about urban life ever written--an evocation of the mythology of the quintessential modern metropolis, which has much to say not only about New Yorks past but about the present and future of all cities.**Amazon.com ReviewThere are very few classics in the field of pop culture--the academic stuff tends to be too dry and the fun stuff is too quickly dated. This book by Luc Sante is the exception--in fluid prose liberally sprinkled with astute metaphors, Sante tells the story of New Yorks Lower East Side, circa 1840-1920. The personal histories of criminals, prostitutes, losers, and swindlers bring to life the social and statistical history that the author has meticulously researched. Not limiting himself to the usual sources, Sante finds his history in old copies of Police Gazette as well as actual police, fire, and social service records. Above all, what really makes this book work is the writing, which brings to life a culture of the streets that continues to form a silent influence on our contemporary popular culture. From Publishers Weekly Sante exposes the underside of Manhattans underclass circa 1840-1919, presenting New York then as already a realm of danger and pleasure. 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.