Translator Max Black
Publisher: e-artnow
In the philosophy of language, the difference between sense and reference was a concept of the German philosopher and mathematician Gottlob Frege in 1892. This idea, presented in this work, reflects the two ways he thought a singular term might have meaning.
Have you ever wondered what happens behind the scenes in the corridors of power during a major crisis or after a ministerial reshuffle? How do new government ministers get to grips with their portfolios and priorities? Who guides and supports them? And why, sometimes – during events such as 'Partygate' – do things go wrong? In this meticulously researched book, former senior civil servant Alun Evans lifts the lid on a vital but little-known cog in the machinery of government: private office and the private secretaries who work within it. Private secretaries exercise huge influence, and yet most of us have never heard of them. They are the ones who manage the flow of work, who whisper quietly in ministers' ears and who have been Prime Ministers' closest, most trusted and most discreet confidants. At critical moments in our national history – from the Falklands War to the Westland affair, from Black Wednesday to the 2008 financial crash, from New Labour to the coalition government – they have been central but hidden players. With exceptional access to former Prime Ministers and decision-makers, Evans explores what private office is and why it matters to British democracy. He argues that following the egregious constitutional breaches of Boris Johnson's premiership, private office must once again be taken seriously so it can return to being the independent junction box of government and a vital part of the British constitution.Show book
"Somehow, over time, we forgot that the rituals behind dating and sex were constructs made up by human beings and eventually, they became hard and fast rules that society imposed on us all." True Love. Third Wheels. Dick pics. "Dying alone." Who decided this was normal? Sarah and Kayla invite you to put on your purple aspec glasses—and rethink everything you thought you knew about society, friendship, sex, romance, and more. Drawing on their personal stories, and those of aspec friends all over the world, prepare to explore your microlabels, investigate different models of partnership, delve into the intersection of gender norms and compulsory sexuality, and reconsider the meaning of sex—when allosexual attraction is out of the equation. Spanning the whole range of relationships we have in our lives—to family, friends, lovers, society, our gender, and ourselves, this book asks you to let your imagination roam, and think again what human connection really is. Includes audio exclusive commentary from the authors.Show book
This bundle examines the final centuries of imperial China, covering the Southern Song, Ming, and Qing Dynasties—each a defining era of resilience, expansion, and eventual decline. From the Southern Song’s struggle against northern invaders to the Ming’s golden age of exploration and the Qing’s rule over a vast multiethnic empire, this book explores the triumphs and challenges that shaped China's final imperial dynasties. Uncover the Southern Song Dynasty’s advancements in naval power and economic strength as it resisted Mongol pressures. Witness the Ming Dynasty’s efforts to restore Chinese rule, construct the Forbidden City, and send Admiral Zheng He on legendary voyages. Finally, explore the Qing Dynasty’s rise to dominance, its territorial expansion, and the internal and external conflicts that led to the empire’s collapse. This book offers a deep dive into the political, military, and cultural forces that defined the last imperial reigns of China, providing history enthusiasts with a compelling look at the end of an era.Show book
In less than six hours in August 1942, nearly 1,000 British, Canadian, and American commandos died in the French port of Dieppe in an operation that, for decades, seemed to have no real purpose. Was it a dry-run for D-Day, or perhaps a gesture by the Allies to placate Stalin’s impatience for a second front in the west? Canadian historian David O’Keefe uses hitherto classified intelligence archives to prove that this catastrophic and apparently futile raid was, in fact, a mission set up by Ian Fleming of British Naval Intelligence as part of a “pinch” policy designed to capture material relating to the four-rotor Enigma Machine that would permit codebreakers like Alan Turing at Bletchley Park to turn the tide of the Second World War.Show book
Rahel Varnhagen: The Life of a Jewish Woman is the biography of a remarkable, complicated, troubled, passionate woman, an important figure in German romanticism, the person who in a sense founded the Goethe cult that would become central to German cultural life in the nineteenth century, as well as someone who confronted with unusual determination and bore the burden of being both a woman in a man's world and an assimilated Jew in Germany. Rahel Levin Varnhagen was, Arendt writes, "neither beautiful nor attractive . . . and possessed no talents with which to employ her extraordinary intelligence and passionate originality." Arendt sets out to tell the story of Rahel's life as Rahel might have told it and, in doing so, to reveal the way in which intellectual and social assimilation works out in one person's destiny. On her deathbed Rahel is reported to have said, "The thing which all my life seemed to me the greatest shame, which was the misery and misfortune of my life—having been born a Jewess—this I should on no account now wish to have missed." Only because she had remained both a Jew and a pariah, Arendt observes, "did she find a place in the history of European humanity."Show book
The Southern Song Dynasty emerged in 1127 after the fall of the Northern Song to the Jurchen-led Jin Dynasty. This period marked a time of resilience, adaptation, and cultural flourishing, despite ongoing threats from external forces. The dynasty’s establishment in the southern region of China reshaped political, economic, and artistic developments that would leave a lasting impact on Chinese history. Following the invasion of the Jin forces, the Song court was forced to abandon its northern capital, Kaifeng. The remnants of the ruling family, led by Emperor Gaozong, retreated southward, eventually establishing a new capital in Lin’an (modern-day Hangzhou). This move signified not only a geographical shift but also a fundamental transformation in governance and strategy. Without control over the traditional heartland of Chinese civilization, the Southern Song had to develop new approaches to survival and stability. The dynasty focused on strengthening its bureaucracy, relying on a sophisticated civil service system that emphasized merit and Confucian ideals. Unlike the Northern Song, which had struggled with military weaknesses, the Southern Song sought to bolster its defenses by investing in naval power and fortifications along the Yangtze River. The loss of northern territories meant that the Southern Song had to rely heavily on its southern provinces, which were rich in agricultural resources and well-positioned for trade. The economy shifted toward maritime commerce, with ports such as Quanzhou and Guangzhou becoming vital centers for international trade. Merchants expanded connections with Southeast Asia, India, and the Middle East, ensuring a steady flow of goods, wealth, and cultural exchanges. This economic shift allowed the Southern Song to sustain itself despite territorial losses and military pressures from the Jin and, later, the Mongols.Show book
