  |
| Home |
Advanced Search |
Events |
Quality Bargains |
Remainders |
Scholarly Books |
About Us & Contact Us |
|
|
Significant Others: The Ape-Human Continuum and the Quest for Human Nature Anthropologists, psychologists and linguists insist that while apes may be like us superficially, in all the things that really make us human; emotion, cognition, language, mating rituals, culture; the gulf is so wide that no comparison is really possible. In Significant Others, renowned primatologist Craig Stanford argues that the gap between apes and humans is very narrow indeed, and the insistence on seeing it as vast and unbridgeable is more a product of fashion and prejudice than of clear thinking. Apes have cultures that are simpler versions of human cultures; their language and cognitive abilities reflect their kinship with our own. Social intelligence, deception, empathy, and logical problem solving are all present among apes, in varied and complex ways that we should not be surprised to see in our closest relatives. Significant Others is a sweeping, fresh, important look at what the science of primates can tell us about our own human nature.
Tinkering with Eden: A Natural History of Exotics in America When Europeans arrived in North America they saw, on the one hand, a paradise, and on the other, a place that needed some work. Far from home and seeking to recreate the landscapes they'd left behind, or determined to improve on what they found, they introduced to their new terrain an amazing array of exotics; plants and animals not native to this continent. From sea lamprey in the Great Lakes to nutria in Louisiana nonnative North American species are making fundamental changes to the landscapes where they now thrive. Kim Todd brings us these tales and others, portraying their humor, their science, and their hard lessons in brilliant, lyrical prose. More than 4000 exotice birds, insects, fish, mammals, and other creatures live in the United States, sometimes slipping in unnoticed, sometimes causing ecological catastrophe.
The Legacy of Isaiah Berlin In the fall of 1998, one year after the death of Isaiah Berlin, the New York Institute for the Humanities organized a conference to consider his intellectual legacy. The scholars who participated devoted much of their attention to the question of pluralism, which for Berlin was central to liberal values. The Legacy of Isaiah Berlin includes not only the panelists' contributions but also transcripts of the lively exchanges among themselves and with audience members following each session. The two days of discussion preserved here demonstrate the continuing vitality and relevance of Isaiah Berlin's thought in today's social and political debates.
Tales from the Land of the Sufis Take a magic carpet ride into the delightful world of Sufi storytelling with these best-loved tales from Persian literature and lore, in which images of madness, passionate love, and self-sacrifice cony the inner experiences of the soul that has surrendered to the Divine Beloved. The tales are retold form the celebrated works of poets who were also spiritual masters, including Rumi, Attar, Nizami, and Jami, as well as anecdotes about famous masters themselves.
Selling Out: How Big Corporate Money Buys Elections, Rams Through Legislation, and Betrays Our Democracy In Selling Out, Green exposes the truth about the poisonous role money has come to play in our political culture; a role that has too long been conveniently overlooked. The practice of trading campaign donations for political favors, he reminds us, is as old as the nation itself. And yet in recent years the American political landscape has become an open market, where influence is bought and sold wholesale, with little accountability and no apparent shame. How did Enron and so many other corporations buy political protection? Why do legislators pay more attention to contributors than to constituents? As a candidate who himself raised $16 million in his campaign for mayor of New York City, Green has seen the political process as both critic and participant. Selling Out is sure to inflame anyone who's stunned by the latest scandals; or who's curious about how so many have gotten away with so much for so long.
The Eagleton Reader This Reader is a valuable introduction to Terry Eagleton's stimulating and entertaining work on modernism and postmodernism, nationalism and colonialism, aesthetics and ideology, cultural politics and sexual politics. Eagleton's literary criticsm is well represented here, with essays on William Shakespeare, Thomas Hardy, D. H. Lawrence, W. B. Yeats and Oscar Wilde. His theoretical and philosophical writings are also amply represented, with essays on Arthur Schopenhauer, Ludwig Wittgenstein, Walter Benjamin, Jacques Derrida and Raymond Williams. The Reader includes an introduction, elucidatory notes to each essay, and a comprehensive bibliography of writings by and about Terry Eagleton. |
|
Strange Fruit: Billie Holiday, Café Society, and an Early Cry for Civil Rights It's been called a declaration of war. The beginning of the Civil Rights Movement. One of the ten songs that changed the world. Yet the history of "Strange Fruit," the controversial ballad that became Billie Holiday's signature tune, is even more fascinating than the song itself. Within these pages, Vanity Fair contributing editor David Margolick offers an extraordinary biography of "Strange Fruit" from its genesis at the hands of Abel Meeropol (better known for later adopting the two sons of Ethel and Julius Rosenberg) to its popularization by Billie Holiday in nightclubs like New York's Café Society to its enduring power and appeal today.
The Quantum Brain Psychiatrist and researcher Satinover argues that quantum physics allows the human brain to embody and amplify the absolute freedom that underlies the physical world. People are much more sophisticated than the mere learning machines modern science sees, he says, and predicts that scientists will soon construct artificial devices as free and aware as they are, and that people will begin a startling re- evaluation of who and what they are and of their place in the universe.
Year of Wonders When an infected bolt of cloth carries plague from London to an isolated mountain village, a housemaid named Anna Frith emerges as an unlikely heroine and healer. Through Anna's eyes, we follow the story of the plague year, 1666, as her fellow villagers make an extraordinary choice. Convinced by a visionary young minister, they elect to quarantine themselves within the village boundaries to arrest the spread of the disease. But as death reaches into every household, faith frays. When villagers turn form prayers and herbal cures to sorcery and murderous witch-hunting, Anna must confront the deaths of family, the disintegration of her community, and the lure of a dangerous and illicit love. As struggles to survive, a year of plague becomes, instead, annus mirabilis, a "year of wonders."
The Origins of Human Society The origins and development of human society are explored and illuminated in this compelling history. The book provides readers with an understanding of the evolution of humans and the cultures they established, from the first traces of humanity to the creation of early literate societies. The author examines how Homo sapiens emerged as the sole-surviving human species and developed into modern humans. He provides a global account of prehistoric life and the roots of modern societies and empires. The major topics covered include the creation of hierarchical societies and hereditary ranking, the origins of language, the importance of agriculture, the evolution of tool-making, the development of religion, and the beginnings of war.
The Painted Bird Originally published in 1965, The Painted Bird established Jerzy Kosinski as a major literary figure. Called by the Los Angeles Times "one of the most imposing novels of the decade," it was eventually translated into more than thirty languages. A harrowing story that follows the wanderings of a boy abandoned by his parents during World War II, The Painted Bird is a dark masterpiece that examines the proximity of terror and savagery to innocence and love. It is the first, and the most famous, novel by one of the most important and original writers of the last century.
A History of Ireland A History of Ireland is a lucid, lively account of Ireland's history from the twelfth century to the present day. Major themes include the development of Gaelic culture, the English invasion, religious conflict across the centuries, the struggle over Home Rule and the complex nature of the modern Troubles. Ireland's contribution to the world of the arts and the impact of its diaspora are significant elements in this story. Mike Cronin is an adept guide and this book will be read with profit by all with an interest in the often problematic history of this fascinating island. |
|
For questions about these titles, contact remainders@harvardsquarebookstore.com.
For questions about orders, contact orders@harvardsquarebookstore.com.
Home | Search | Scholarly Books | Bargains | Events | About Us | Contact Us | Privacy
Copyright 2002 Harvard Book Store
Phone: 800-542-READ FAX: 617-497-1158