An engaging, thought-provoking, illustrated analysis of the classical principles of ethics applied to everyday dilemmas. Ethics: The Art of Character is the quintessential little book of big ideas. It draws on the work of Aristotle, Socrates, Plato--and on the words of Dante, Spinoza, Kant, Martin Seligman, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Chuang Tzu. Ethicist Gregory Beabout describes Aristotle's lectures as aimed, not at the young, but at listeners experienced in life . . . with a desire to pursue the common good and in possession of a sense of what it is to live a beaut... View More...
The much-anticipated arrival of the Sears gift catalog in American homes marked the start of the holiday season during the mid-twentieth century. This facsimile of the Sears, Roebuck and Co.'s 1945 Christmas edition offers a nostalgic look back at consumer goods of the era, from dolls and toy trains to housewares, clothing, furniture, candy, and a selection of gifts for the men and women just coming home from fighting in World War II. Also reproduced here is an insightful and spiritual poem, "Christmas Peace," which the Sears marketing director included in the original mailing to commemorate t... View More...
Curves enhance our enjoyment of the visual arts, bringing life into otherwise dull compositions. Stylized plant forms have been used as a key component of decorative ornament for thousands of years. In this beautiful little book, using both rare antique engravings and original graphics, Dr. Lisa DeLong introduces us to many of the secret techniques long used to employ curves in the traditional arts. From arabesques to wallpaper designs, iron railings to penned flourishes, tiles to arches, this book will be an essential companion to any designer.
How do you tell what's right from what's wrong? Can you always? What's the difference between deduction, induction, and abduction? What are the best techniques for making an argument logically sound? In this fascinating little book, the smallest on its subject ever produced, philosopher Earl Fontainelle explores the ancient art of discursive Logic and demonstrates some of the techniques that have long been used to triumph over the debates and deceptions that assail us every day. Filled with helpful examples of good and bad reasoning, Logic is an invaluable introduction to a defining human char... View More...
Heartwarming stories that recall Christmases past: - O.Henry's all-American tale, "The Gift of the Magi," originally published in 1906.- Leo Tolstoy's Russian folktale, "Where Love Is, There God Is Also" from 1887.- And Charles Dickens' little-known classics "The Seven Poor Travellers" and "What Christmas Is As We Grow Older," from 1854 and 1851. "One dollar and eighty-seven cents. That was all. And sixty cents of it was in pennies. Pennies saved one and two at a time by bulldozing the grocer and the vegetable man and the butcher until one's cheeks burned with the silent imputation of parsim... View More...
A unique new guide to the chaos of the natural world and the mathematics of fractals for anyone who has ever wanted to understand the patterns in leaves or the creation of snowflakes. 2,000 years ago Euclid of Alexandria devised a strategy for measuring and mapping the world using spheres, cones, circles, and straight lines. His modeling allowed for the invention of geometry and the theories of Isaac Newton and influenced subjects as varied as economics and ethics. But Euclid's neat solutions belied much of natural reality, and as technologies like satellite navigation were developed, scientis... View More...
This groundbreaking book presents the elements of music in a way that is pedagogically clear and comprehensible, by building upon simple principles of proportion and relationship. These in turn are corresponded to language as musical metaphor. This, in combination with novel graphics and symbols, carries the reader to a basic understanding of melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic principles, as well as Western musical notation. A great primer on music theory for the novice or professional, as well as an invaluable resource for composers and students, it includes the following: - A rich unfolding of ... View More...
What exactly is love? How many different kinds of love are there? Have the metaphors for love changed over the centuries? What are the best classical love stories? Is love a universal phenomenon? In this delightful little book, packed with rare and beautiful artwork, Jason Martineau takes us on a journey through the landscape of love, combining themes from traditional psychology and the modern sciences to explore life's most prominent and provocative theme.
Did you know that the custom of Christmas card sending only became widespread in the late 1800s? That Christmas carols were first composed in the fourth century? That certain Christmas customs, many still practiced in the early twentieth century, may have derived from that darkest of religious rites, human sacrifice? That beyond Christmas Day, even beyond the twelve days of Christmas, there is a whole season of traditional celebrations with many interconnections. Based on extensive research, this book is a comprehensive account of Christmas customs and traditions in both their pagan and Christ... View More...
In this beautifully illustrated book, Hugh Newman takes us on a fascinating journey around the world, examining mysterious stone circles of the megalithic culture. Stone circles conjure up a lost world of mysterious ceremonies, druid astronomers and pagan dances. How such mighty rings were constructed has long baffled archaeologists and antiquarians. The most famous stone circle is Stonehenge in England, but expert Hugh Newman shows that these incredible architectural monuments can be found around the world, with more than a thousand of them appearing on the British Island alone. In this guide... View More...
Can you tell an iamb from a trochee? An anapest from an amphibrach? Why do children always take such delight in dactylic tetrameter? Is a ballad the same as a ballade? What is poetic rhythm? In this clever little book, Scottish poet Octavia Wynne examines the elements of poetry, from its various feet, meters and lines, through its patterns, stanzas and rhymes, right up to the poetic forms themselves, with ancient and modern examples from William Shakespeare to Dr. Seuss. View More...
