Altri libri che potrebbero interessarti

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  Riding Jane Crow - African...

  Miriam Thaggert

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  Miriam Thaggert illuminates the stories of African American women as passengers and as workers on the nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century railroad. As Jim Crow laws became more prevalent and forced Black Americans to "ride Jim Crow" on the rails, the train compartment became a contested space of leisure and work. Riding Jane Crow examines four instances of Black female railroad travel: the travel narratives of Black female intellectuals such as Anna Julia Cooper and Mary Church Terrell; Black middle-class women who sued to ride in first class "ladies' cars"; Black women railroad food vendors; and Black maids on Pullman trains. Thaggert argues that the railroad represented a technological advancement that was entwined with African American attempts to secure social progress. Black women's experiences on or near the railroad illustrate how American technological progress has often meant their ejection or displacement; thus, it is the Black woman who most fully measures the success of American freedom and privilege, or "progress," through her travel experiences.

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  The Unreachable Riches -...

  John Harpoon

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  Throughout history, the allure of hidden treasure has captured the human imagination like few other pursuits. Tales of vast riches buried beneath shifting sands, concealed within uncharted jungles, or locked away in remote mountain fortresses have been passed down through generations. These stories, often shrouded in mystery, promise more than mere material wealth; they offer the thrill of discovery, the romance of adventure, and the tantalizing possibility of rewriting history. 
  What makes the pursuit of treasure so compelling is its intersection of myth and reality. While some caches are purely the stuff of legend—stories crafted to entertain or to warn—others are firmly rooted in historical fact. The line between these two realms is often blurred, with legends growing over time as details are exaggerated, misunderstood, or simply lost to the passage of years. Yet, the faint possibility that a hoard of gold, jewels, or ancient artifacts could be lying undiscovered somewhere in the world continues to ignite the spark of curiosity in countless individuals. 
  The search for hidden riches is not just a quest for monetary gain. It is an expression of humanity's enduring desire to explore the unknown, to solve mysteries, and to leave a mark on history. Treasure hunters are often driven by a profound sense of purpose, believing that their discoveries might unveil truths about the past or provide new insights into forgotten cultures. Some searches span decades, even lifetimes, as these seekers devote themselves wholly to their pursuits, undeterred by failure or skepticism.

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  Change They Can't Believe In -...

  Christopher S. Parker, Matt A....

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  “Offers valuable empirical data on the Tea Party, and its focus on supporters’ antagonism toward Obama is critical to understanding the movement.” —Michael O’Donnell, The New Republic 
   
  Winner of the Best Book Award, Race, Ethnicity, and Politics Section of the American Political Science Association 
   
  Are Tea Party supporters merely a group of conservative citizens concerned about government spending? Or are they racists who refuse to accept Barack Obama as their president because he’s not white? Change They Can’t Believe In offers an alternative argument—that the Tea Party is driven by the reemergence of a reactionary movement in American politics that is fueled by a fear that America has changed for the worse. Providing a range of original evidence and rich portraits of party sympathizers as well as activists, Christopher Parker and Matt Barreto show that the perception that America is in danger directly informs how Tea Party supporters think and act. 
   
  In a new afterword, Parker and Barreto reflect on the Tea Party’s recent initiatives, including the 2013 government shutdown, and evaluate their prospects for the 2016 election. 
   
  “A scathing analysis of the Tea Party movement, linking it in spirit to the Ku Klux Klan and the John Birch Society. . . . Based on research and interviews, they suggest racism, desire for social dominance . . . drives the Tea Party.” —Publishers Weekly

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  The Human Predicament - A Candid...

  David Benatar

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  Are our lives meaningful, or meaningless? Is our inevitable death a bad thing? Would immortality be an improvement? Would it be better to hasten our deaths by suicide? Many people ask these big questions—and some people are plagued by them. Analytic philosophers have said relatively little about these important questions. The Human Predicament invites listeners to take a clear-eyed and unfettered view of the human condition. 
   
   
   
  David Benatar here offers a substantial, but not unmitigated, pessimism about the central questions of human existence. He argues that while our lives can have some meaning, we are ultimately the insignificant beings that we fear we might be. He maintains that the quality of life leaves much to be desired in even the best cases. Worse, death is generally not a solution; in fact, it exacerbates rather than mitigates our cosmic meaninglessness. While it can release us from suffering, it imposes another cost-annihilation. This state of affairs has nuanced implications for how we should think about many things, including immortality and suicide, and how we should think about the possibility of deeper meaning in our lives. Ultimately, this thoughtful, provocative, and deeply candid treatment of life's big questions will interest anyone who has contemplated why we are here, and what the answer means for how we should live.

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  How to Have a Life - An Ancient...

  Seneca

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  A vibrant new translation of Seneca's "On the Shortness of Life," a pointed reminder to make the most of our time 
   
   
   
  Who doesn't worry sometimes that smart phones, the Internet, and TV are robbing us of time and preventing us from having a life? How can we make the most of our time on earth? In the first century AD, the Stoic philosopher Seneca the Younger offered one of the most famous answers to that question in his essay "On the Shortness of Life"—a work that has more to teach us today than ever before. In How to Have a Life, James Romm presents a vibrant new translation of Seneca's brilliant essay, plus two Senecan letters on the same theme, complete with an inviting introduction. 
   
   
   
  With devastating satiric wit, skillfully captured in this translation, Seneca lampoons the ways we squander our time and fail to realize how precious it is. We don't allow people to steal our money, yet we allow them to plunder our time, or else we give it away ourselves in useless, idle pursuits. Seneca also describes how we can make better use of our brief days and years. In the process, he argues, we can make our lives longer, or even everlasting, because to live a real life is to attain a kind of immortality.

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  Socrates - Socrates Philosophy...

  Hector Davidson

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  Socrates stands as one of the most influential figures in the history of philosophy, a thinker whose ideas and methods continue to shape intellectual inquiry. Born in Athens around 469 BCE, he never wrote a single philosophical text, yet his impact endures through the works of his students, particularly Plato. His approach to philosophy was rooted in dialogue, questioning, and an unwavering commitment to seeking truth. Unlike the Sophists of his time, who often prioritized rhetorical skill and persuasion, Socrates believed that wisdom was not about appearing knowledgeable but about recognizing one’s own ignorance. His method of relentless questioning, now known as the Socratic Method, remains a cornerstone of critical thinking and philosophical discourse. 
  Socrates lived during a period of great political and social upheaval in Athens. The city had emerged from the Peloponnesian War weakened and uncertain about its future. In this context, Socrates became both an admired and controversial figure. His insistence on questioning authority and challenging conventional beliefs made him a target for those who saw his influence as destabilizing. He did not align himself with any particular political faction but instead sought to examine the moral and ethical foundations of society. His discussions often exposed the contradictions in the reasoning of politicians, poets, and fellow citizens, leading many to view him as a disruptive force. 
  His trial in 399 BCE remains one of the most significant moments in philosophical history. Accused of corrupting the youth and impiety, Socrates defended himself in a manner that was both defiant and deeply philosophical. In The Apology, Plato’s account of the trial, Socrates argues that he was fulfilling a divine mission by encouraging people to think critically and examine their lives.

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