Altri libri che potrebbero interessarti

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  The Dean - Memoirs & Missives

  Sparky Reardon

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  Sparky Reardon — who dedicated 36 years to his alma mater, the University of Mississippi — was a witness to the best, and worst, of times at Ole Miss. Reardon engaged with every facet of campus life, navigating the wild and unpredictable situations sparked by students (and, at times, by visitors). Reardon found himself in the midst of campus crises where he facilitated the university family through tragedy and loss (some involved student casualties); he navigated intricate battles for freedom of expression on campus (including confrontations with the Ku Klux Klan and loony street preachers); he gently guided students (and sometimes administrators and politicians) through complex judicial issues; and he had a rare, insider’s view of the evolution of Oxford, Mississippi, from a quiet college town to a vibrant cultural hub. In The Dean, Sparky lays bare the joys and hardships of what he describes as “the best job in America.” In 1968, Reardon enrolled at Ole Miss with an eye on law school. Two years later, his plans shifted. Summoned to the dean’s office to account for his role as social chairman in breaking university rules, Reardon experienced a pivotal moment of clarity. As Reardon remembered, “It might have been the result of one of our parties running too late or getting too loud, or perhaps there was a chance that beer was involved.” He realized that someone, someday, would need to take this man’s place. Reardon left that meeting determined to become the dean of students at Ole Miss.  Raised in Clarksdale, Mississippi, a young Sparky Reardon turned to books after a severe knee injury ended his sports days. Guided by inspiring teachers, he cultivated a passion for writing. Artist and author William Dunlap said, “Sparky Reardon’s The Dean is anecdotally rich and beautifully written. His prose — which soars — is once again proof that language is a Southerner’s birth

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  Napoleon’s Worst Defeats: The...

  Editors Charles River

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  Over the course of its history, England has engaged in an uncountable number of battles, but a select few have been celebrated like the Battle of Trafalgar, one of the most important naval battles in history. Before the battle, Napoleon still harbored dreams of sailing an invasion force across the English Channel and subduing England, but that would be dashed on October 21, 1805 by a British fleet that was outnumbered and outgunned.  
  	Napoleon's Russian adventure gutted his veteran army, depriving him of the majority of his finest and most loyal soldiers. Those who remained formed the hard core of his new armies, but the Russian fiasco damaged their health and embittered their previously unquestioning loyalty. Napoleon raised vast new armies, but circumstances compelled him to fill the ranks with raw recruits, whose fighting skills did not equal their undoubted bravery and whose dedication to the Napoleonic cause was shaky, and in many cases due solely to coercion. The tough, experienced, faithful veteran found himself outnumbered by unwilling, sketchily trained amateurs. 
  These factors set the stage for the second setback, which essentially sealed the fate of Napoleon's empire. The four-day Battle of Leipzig in October 1813, romantically but accurately dubbed the "Battle of the Nations," proved the decisive encounter of the War of the Sixth Coalition and essentially determined the course the Napoleonic Wars took from that moment forward.  
  	Waterloo is the most famous battle in modern history if not all of history, and appropriately so. Gathering an army of 100,000 men, Napoleon marched into what is now Belgium, intent on driving his force between the advancing British army under the Duke of Wellington and the Prussian forces under Marshal Blucher. It was the kind of daring strategy that only Napoleon could pull off, as he had at places like Jena and Austerlitz.

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  Hidden Brilliance - Redefining...

  John Harpoon

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  Genius is often perceived through a narrow lens, typically defined by extraordinary achievements, groundbreaking discoveries, or exceptional skills. However, this traditional view of genius overlooks many individuals whose brilliance remains hidden from the mainstream. The nature of genius is far more complex and multifaceted than society tends to acknowledge. It exists not only in those who are celebrated publicly but also in those whose contributions go unnoticed or unrecognized due to societal limitations or biases. 
  At its core, genius is about exceptional intellectual capacity, but this capacity can manifest in many different ways. It is not always about creating world-changing inventions or becoming a famous name. For many, genius lies in quiet innovation, subtle insights, and the ability to solve problems in unique and unconventional ways. It can be seen in the person who finds creative solutions to everyday challenges or in the thinker who makes a significant impact in a specific, narrow field of knowledge, even if that knowledge doesn’t capture the world’s attention.

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  Pragmatism - Philosophy and...

  Hector Davidson

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  Pragmatism is a philosophy that emphasizes the practical application of ideas by focusing on their consequences and real-world outcomes. Rooted in the belief that thought should be guided by experience, pragmatism challenges the notion of abstract, detached theorizing. Rather than searching for eternal truths or fixed principles, pragmatists argue that the value of ideas is measured by their usefulness in addressing human needs and solving practical problems. This approach seeks to bridge the gap between philosophy and everyday life, transforming ideas into action. 
  At the heart of pragmatism lies the concept of truth, which is not seen as an abstract, objective reality but as something that emerges through interaction with the world. For pragmatists like Charles Peirce and William James, truth is dynamic and evolves based on what works in practice. Ideas and beliefs are continuously tested, refined, and adjusted according to their ability to produce positive outcomes in human experience. Truth, then, becomes a process of inquiry, always in the making and never static. 
  The philosophy of pragmatism is also deeply concerned with the connection between thought and action. It suggests that knowledge is not just something to be passively absorbed, but a tool to be actively employed in solving problems. This perspective challenges traditional philosophies that prioritize theory over practice and encourages individuals to test their ideas in real-world contexts. Whether in science, ethics, politics, or personal life, pragmatism urges a philosophy that is not only reflective but also responsive to the ever-changing circumstances of human existence.

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  Networks of Trust - The Social...

  Anthony Simon Laden

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  An eye-opening look at how parents’ mistrust of colleges has less to do with what their kids are learning than with whom they come to trust. Higher education is a familiar battlefield in today’s culture wars. The right accuses colleges and universities of indoctrinating conservative students with liberal values; the left, with failing to be sufficiently inclusive. The anxieties expressed on both sides of the political spectrum have much in common, however, and they are triggered not by colleges’ failures but by their successes.​So argues philosopher Anthony Simon Laden in Networks of Trust. He highlights how a college education shapes students’ informational trust networks: the complex set of people and institutions they rely on for the information they use to think about and understand the world. While the networks that colleges build for students have great value, learning to inhabit them pulls some students away from their families and communities. If many people distrust institutions of higher education, this is one reason why. Networks of Trust offers a path forward, one that preserves the value while reducing the harms of a college education. It includes concrete suggestions for how colleges and universities can educate students in a manner that inspires and deserves trust: one that bridges rather than deepens our social divides.

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  A Teenage Rhapsody 1966 to 1973

  R. J. Dickinson

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  "A Teenage Rhapsody 1966 to 1973" is autobiographical and describes my transition from adolescence to manhood at a time when the shackles of certain traditional social oppressions were been swept aside by optimism for a better future that previous generations were denied. 
  That better future started with the phenomenon called 'the teenager' who suddenly had a voice, a voice of freedoms, expression and of influence that helped create the Swinging Sixties. 
  I was there, yes I was there. What I was to experience growing up in the suburbs of Leeds at the time the book suggests, was that of hardship, laughter, fun, love and betrayal, juvenile violence and the explosion of alternatives that were now becoming accepted, as inevitable. 
  But also what I was experiencing, with the doctrine of Victorian values to keep me out of harm's way, was the freedom, without concern, to wander and explore for endless hours, the labyrinth of streets of back to back terrace houses that offered adventure around every corner. 
  The simplicity of life during the time of my teenage years, alongside a commonality of certain basic traditions passed down from generation to generation, that still apply and work regardless of generation. This was liberating, allowing me to develop my mind and character through trial and error at a pace of life that was less demanding and frenzied to what is to arrive in the next century, when all this description will be viewed in the format akin to a Sepia painting hanging with obscurity in a corner of a gallery. 
  This story had a need to be told.

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