For beginners aug 2007 (21 Ergebnisse)

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware - Arabs & Israel For Beginners covers the Middle East from ancient times to the present, tells the truth in plain English, and is one of the few non-scholarly books that is relentlessly fair to both Jews and Arabs. If you want to continue to believe fairy tales about Arabs in Israel, don't touch this book - it will surely be hazardous to your closed mind. If you want the truth about 12,000 years of Middle Eastern History, then Arabs & Israel For Beginners is the perfect place to start. David, Susan (illustrator).…

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware - What kind of artists put a mustache on the Mona Lisa Enter a urinal in an art competition Declare their own independent republic Hijack a ship Dadas!And what happens in such a movement With Dada, many of the artists declared their own 'Pope' and continued their journey (with no destination) into Surrealism, creating burning giraffes, 'amoebic' dogs, and lobster telephones - some of the most imaginative and intense works of art of the 20th Century. In Dada & Surrealism For Beginners, you'll get a colorful overview of these two movements, and develop a sense of the turbulent, wild, and unapologetically mad mood and tone of the Dada and Surrealist movements. Whether you're an artist, would-be artist, or someone seeking the marvelous, you'll find the courage and originality of the movements inspiring, and you'll gain an understanding of their long-term (and current) influences on contemporary art and culture - everything from performance art to pop art to the abandoned train ticket you find in the street. Lee, Joe (illustrator).…

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware - Noam Chomsky has written some 30 books, he is one of the most-quoted authors on Earth, The New York Times calls him 'arguably the most important intellectual alive' - yet most people have no idea who he is or what he's about.Chomsky For Beginners tells you what he's about: Chomsky is known for his work in two distinct areas - Linguistics and. 'Gadflying.' ('Gadfly,' the word applied to Socrates, comes closest to the constant social irritant that Chomsky has become.) It is Chomsky's work as Political Gadfly and Media Critic that has given passion and hope to the general public - and alienated the Major Media - which is, of course, why you don't know more about him.Chomsky's message is very simple: Huge corporations run our country, the world, both political parties, and Major Media. (You suspected it; Chomsky proves it.) If enough people open their minds to what he has to say, the whole gingerbread fantasy we've been fed about America might turn into a real democracy.What's so special about Chomsky For Beginners The few existing intros to Chomsky cover either Chomsky-the-Linguist or Chomsky-the-Political-Gadfly. Chomsky For Beginners covers both - plus an exclusive interview with the maverick genius. The clarity of David Cogwell's text and the wit of Paul Gordon's illustrations make Chomsky as easy to understand as the genius next door. Words and art are combined to clarify (but not oversimplify) the work and to 'humanize' the man who may very well be what one savvy interviewer called him - 'the smartest man on Earth.'. Gordon, Paul (illustrator).…

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware - What is Black History Did you know what blacks were in Cortez's crew in Mexico, with Pizarro in Peru and Alvarado in Quito.that when Balboa discovered the Pacific Ocean, 30 black people were with him.that when Alarcon and Coronado conquered Mexico, black people were with them too Any misunderstandings between blacks and whites in today's society tend to stem from the misconceptions about blacks that have been allowed to thrive throughout the ages. The only way to help abolish stereotypes is to help present a more complete picture of the black people throughout history. Black History For Beginners covers a rich but often ignored history and chronicles the black struggle from capture and enslavement in Africa through the Civil Rights movement and up to today and the new and different kinds of struggles that black people face today. Willmarth, Susan (illustrator).…

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware - Why does philosophy give some people a headache, others a real buzz, and yet others a feeling that it is subversive and dangerous Why do a lot of people think philosophy is totally irrelevant What is philosophy anyway The ABCs of philosophy - easy to understand but never simplistic.Beginning with basic questions posed by the ancient Greeks - What is the world made of What is a man What is knowledge What is good and evil - Philosophy For Beginners traces the development of these questions as the key to understanding how Western philosophy developed over the last 2,500 years. Edney, Ralph (illustrator).…

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware - There are over 519 million Black Women on the planet Earth, give or take a dozen. There's a Black Woman on each of the seven continents, in almost every country and in almost every context. There are even Black Women in the space program. So no matter where you go, she's already been there. She travels with forces greater than herself. Her presence is everywhere.Black Women For Beginners is a documentary comic book that chronicles the trials and triumphs of Black Women from antiquity to the present, reflecting with wit and humor the challenges they have faced and the fortitude and strength that have sustained Black Women and patterned history with a diversity of excellence. As warriors, healers, teachers, mothers, queens, and liberators Black Women have had tremendous impact on issues from food to fashion, from politics to poetry. Replete with a glossary of reference terms, Black Women For Beginners whimsically details the influence of stereotypes on the portrayal of Black Women in various venues and punctuates the absurd. Hall, Beverly Hawkins (illustrator).…

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware - The spiritual rewards and intellectual challenges of Eastern Philosophy are revealed in this visually stunning book, illustrated by Joe Lee and with 19th Century engravings.Eastern Philosophy is not an intellectual pursuit, but one that involves one's entire being. Much of it is so deeply entwined with the non-intellectual art of meditation, that the two are impossible to separate. In this accessible survey of the major philosophies of India, China, Tibet, and Japan, Jim Powell draws upon his knowledge of Sanskrit and Chinese, as well as decades of meditation. Whether tackling Buddha, Confucius, Lao Tzu, Dogen, the Dali Lama or Pantajal - Powell's insights are deeply illuminating. All the major philosophies of India, China, Tibet and Japan are explained and everyone - from beginner to expert - will find Eastern Philosophy For Beginners a beautiful and insightful overview. Lee, Joe (illustrator).…

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware - Powerful narrative and graphics tell the story of Malcolm X's life, his journey of self-discovery, his far-reaching ideas, his martyrdom, and his impact on an era. Embraced as a righteous prophet of Black power and pride, damned as the voice of violence, Malcolm X emerges as a complex, brave, and brilliant figure with much to teach about the struggle for dignity.…

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware - In 1966, Jacques Derrida gave a lecture at Johns Hopkins University that cast the entire history of Western Philosophy into doubt. The following year, Derrida published three brilliant but mystifying books that convinced the pollsters that he was the most important philosopher of the late 20th Century. Unfortunately, nobody was sure whether the intellectual movement that he spawned - Deconstruction - advanced philosophy or murdered it.The truth - Derrida is one of those annoying geniuses you can take a class on, read half-a-dozen books by and still have no idea what he's talking about. Derrida's 'writing' - confusing doesn't begin to describe it (it's like he's pulling the rug out from under the rug that he pulled out from under philosophy.) But beneath the confusion, like the heartbeat of a bird in your hand, you can feel Derrida's electric genius. It draws you to it; you want to understand it. but it's so confusing.What you need, Ducky, is Derrida For Beginners by James Powell!Jim Powell's Derrida For Beginners is the clearest explanation of Derrida and deconstruction presently available in our solar system. Powell guides us through blindingly obscure texts like Of Grammatology (Derrida's deconstruction of Saussure, Lévi Strauss, and Rousseau), 'Différance' (his essay on language and life), Dissemination (his dismantling of Plato, his rap on Mallarmé), and Derrida's other masterpieces (the mere titles can make strong men tremble in terror - Glas, Signéponge/Signsponge, The Post Card, and Specters of Marx.)Readers will learn the coolest Derridian buzzwords (e.g., intertextuality, binary oppositions, hymen, sous rature, arche-writing, phallogocentrism), the high-and-low lights of deconstruction's history (including the DeMan controvercy), and the various criticisms of Derrida and deconstruction, including Camille Paglia's objection that America, the rock-n-roll nation, isn't formal enough to need deconstruction.The master, however, begs to disagree: 'America is Deconstruction' -Jacques Derrida. Howell, Van (illustrator).…

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware - Virtually anyone, anywhere knows that six million Jewish human beings were killed in the Jewish Holocaust. But how many African human beings were killed in the Black Holocaust - from the start of the European slave trade (c. 1500) to the Civil War (1865) And how many were enslaved The Black Holocaust, a travesty that killed millions of African human beings, is the most underreported major event in world history. A major economic event for Europe and Asia, a near fatal event for Africa, the seminal event in the history of every African American - if not every American! - and most of us cannot answer the simplest question about it. Here is a sample of what you will get from the painstakingly researched, painfully honest The Black Holocaust For Beginners: 'The total number of slaves imported is not known. It is estimated that nearly 900,000 came to America in the 16th Century, 2.75 million in the 17th Century, 7 million in the 18th, and over 4 million in the 19th - perhaps 15 million in total. Probably every slave imported represented, on average, five corpses in Africa or on the high seas. The American slave trade, therefore, meant the elimination of at least 60 million Africans from their fatherland.'The Black Holocaust For Beginners - part indisputably documented chronicle, part passionately engaging narrative, puts the tragic event in plain sight where it belongs! The long overdue book answers all of your questions, sensitively and in great depth. Holley, Vanessa (illustrator).…

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware - Sartre For Beginners is an accessible yet sophisticated introduction to the life and works of the famous French philosopher, Jean Paul Sartre. Sartre was a member of the French underground during WWII, a novelist, a playwright, and a major influence in French political and intellectual life.The book opens with a biographical section, introducing the significant events in the life of the man who coined the term 'existentialism.'Then it examines Sartre's early philosophical works. Ideas from Sartre's other fictional and dramatic works are discussed, but the greatest part is the presentation of the main concepts from Sartre's Being and Nothingness (1943). These include the topics of consciousness, freedom, responsibility, absurdity, 'bad faith,' authenticity, and the hellish confrontation with other people.Finally, the book deals with Sartre's modification of his early existentialism to compliment his conversion to a kind of 'existential' Marxism.Sartre For Beginners summarizes the work of the most renown philosopher of the 20th Century.…

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware - African History For Beginners explores the rich history of this continent of contrasts. Discover the glory of the Pharaohs and Towers of Zimbabwe, the cosmology of the Yoruba, the courage of the Masai and the golden wonders of Mali, the art treasures of the Bushongo and the sophistication of the Egyptians. It is a unique documentary portrait of the Africans' struggle to preserve their cultural heritage and homeland. Recent archeological discoveries indicate that Africa was the birth place of humankind. Over the ages, the riches and wonders of Africa have attracted the world. Yet the Africans themselves often remained unknown or misunderstood. Here is a book to set the historical record straight. Wolvek-Pfister, Shey (illustrator).…

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware - Not only does Nietzsche For Beginners delve into the scandalous life and considerable works of Friedrich Nietzsche, it also give a clear picture of the puzzling time in which he lived. We meet the luminaries of the day - Richard Wagner, Bismarck, Freud, and Darwin - and see their influences on his work. We also receive introductions to some of the great minds that preceded and shaped his writing. Luther, Schopenhauer, Hegel, and Kant. Sautet clarifies the individual philosophers and their contributions, making the book an important introduction to philosophy. Nietzche's famous ménage à trois, his theories of Superman, of the Antichrist of nihilism, and Zarathustra, and his posthumous and misinformed use by the Nazis make for a fascinating read. Boussignac, Patrick (illustrator).…

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware - Five times a day, close to a billion people turn to the Ka'aba in submission to Allah/God. In the seventeenth century the religion of Islam was revealed to the prophet Mohammad through the Holy Koran. Since then, Islam has spread to every center of the world.Starting with the life of the prophet Mohammed, Islam For Beginners details the historic beginnings of Islam and its spread throughout the Middle East and Africa on to the European and American continents. It describes the major achievements of the Muslim community worldwide and examines the influence Islam has had on other cultures. In keeping with Islamic tradition, the illustrations in the book are rendered in two-dimensional silhouettes and shadows and include the repetitive, extendible patterns representative of Islamic expression. Haddad, H. N. (illustrator).…

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware - Zen, from its foundation in China of the 6th Century A.D., has always been more than a religion. It is an intriguing system of principles and practices designed to give each individual the experience of eternity in a split second, the knowledge of divinity in every living thing.To create a book about Zen, however, is risky. It is one thing to describe the factual history of this exotic strain of Buddhism. It's quite another thing to successfully convey the crazy wisdom of the Zen masters, their zany sense of humor, and their uncanny ability to pass on the experience of enlightenment to their students.The authors of Zen For Beginners have clearly overcome these considerable risks. The book uses an engaging mix of clear, informative writing and delightful illustrations to document the story of Zen from its impact on Chinese and Japanese culture to its influence on American writers such as Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac, and Gary Snyder. The paradoxical teaching stories and style of the Zen master are also shown as important keys to understanding Oriental art, literature, architecture, and attitudes towards life and death. Rosenblatt, Naomi (illustrator).…

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware - Michel Foucault's work has profoundly affected the teaching of such diverse disciplines as literary criticism, criminology, and gender studies. Arguing that definitions of abnormal behavior are culturally constructed, Foucault explored the unfair division between those who meet and those who deviate from social norms. Foucault's deeply visual sense of scenes such as ritual public executions, lends itself well to Moshe Süsser's dramatic illustrations.…

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware - 'What is Structuralism How is it possible And once the structures of Structuralism have been discovered, how is Poststructuralism possible 'Thus begins Don Palmer's Structuralism and Poststructuralism For Beginners. If Nobel or Pulitzer ever made a prize for making the most difficult philosophers and ideas accessible to the greatest number of people, one of the leading candidates would certainly be Professor Don Palmer. From his Sartre For Beginners and Kierkegaard For Beginners to his Looking at Philosophy, author/illustrator Don Palmer has the magic touch when it comes to translating the most brutally difficult ideas into language and images that non-specialists can understand.'In its less dramatic versions,' writes Palme, 'structuralism is just a method of studying language, society, and the works of artists and novelists. But in its most exuberant form, it is a philosophy, an overall worldview that provides an account of reality and knowledge.' Poststructuralism is a loosely knit intellectual movement, comprised mainly of ex-structuralists, who either became dissatisfied with the theory or felt they could improve it.Structuralism and Poststructuralism For Beginners is an illustrated tour through the mysterious landscape of Structuralism and Poststructuralism. The book's starting point is the linguistic theory of Ferdinand de Sausser. The book moves on to the anthropologist and literary critic Claude Lévi-Strauss; the semiologost and literary critic Roland Barthes; the Marxist philosopher Louis Althusser; the psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan; the deconstructionist Jacques Derrida. Learn among other things, why structuralists say: - Reality is composed of not Things, but Relationships- Every 'object' is both a presence and an absence- The total system is present in each of its parts- The parts are more real than the wholeThe book concludes by examining the postmodern obsession with language and with the radical claim of the disappearance of the individual - obsessions that unite the work of all these theorists.…

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware - All philosophy is a footnote to Plato. No other person so shaped the Western world and the way we think about it.Plato's questions remain as real for us today as they were 2500 years ago, and as human beings, we can not avoid their presence nor shirk our responsibility to attempt to answer them: - What is Justice - What is Truth - What is Beauty - What kind of society should we build - How do we know what we know Plato For Beginners introduces the reader to Socrates, Plato's mentor whose martyrdom led Plato to formulate a new system of knowledge based on reason. Socrates was found guilty and sentenced to death for refusing to recognize the gods of the State and for introducing other divinities. He was also found guilty of corrupting youth.Plato For Beginners also covers the history of Greece as well as the life and ideas of this great philosopher and his influence over time, from early Christianity to the 20th Century. The reader learns what he meant by Truth, Beauty, and the Good. Classical dialogues such as Symposium, Phaedo, The Apology, and The Republic are all explored in the context of his time and our own. Lurio, Eric (illustrator).…

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware - The ideas of the German philosopher Martin Heidegger have been described as an intellectual time bomb, as some of the most revolutionary thought in Western history. Despite the enormous amount of secondary scholarships available on Heidegger, it is - due to the complexity of his thought and the density of his writing - difficult for the curious beginner to gain an insight into Heidegger's philosophy. Heidegger For Beginners serves as an entry into the ideas of on of the 20th Century's most important thinkers, situating Heidegger's thought within its philosophical and historical context - alongside such thinkers as Plato, Descartes, Kant, Nietzsche, Husserl, and Sartre.Heidegger For Beginners explicates many of Heidegger's central ideas, including the Nothing, average-everydayness, care, existence, being-in-the-world, the One, the critique of technology, anxiety, and most importantly, being - a notion which may offer us the key to understanding the very mystery of our own existence. Explained here in a way that makes it both accessible and relevant, Heidegger's thought not only challenges an entire intellectual tradition, but also challenges our own self-conceptions, the very manner in which we, as humans, choose to exist. Gordon, Paul (illustrator).…

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware - If you are like most people, you're not sure what Postmodernism is. And if this were like most books on the subject, it probably wouldn't tell you.Besides what a few grumpy critics claim, Postmodernism is not a bunch of meaningless intellectual mind games. On the contrary, it is a reaction to the most profound spiritual and philosophical crisis of our time - the failure of the Enlightenment.Jim Powell takes the position that Postmodernism is a series of 'maps' that help people find their way through a changing world. Postmodernism For Beginners features the thoughts of Foucault on power and knowledge, Jameson on mapping the postmodern, Baudrillard on the media, Harvey on time-space compression, Derrida on deconstruction and Deleuze and Guattari on rhizomes. The book also discusses postmodern artifacts such as Madonna, cyberpunk, Buddhist ecology, and teledildonics. Lee, Joe (illustrator).…

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware - The Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard was one of the most original thinkers of the 19th Century - and one of the most enigmatic men who ever walked the Earth.Philosophically, Kierkegaard was the 'bridge' that led from Hegel to Existentialism.Kierkegaard abhorred Hegel's abstract, Know-it-all idealism that tried to capture reality in a few words. Kierkegaard's attack on social and religious complacency and his single-handed assault on traditional Western philosophy generated a crisis that produced a radically new way of philosophizing and made him the founder of the school that would later be called Existentialism. To Kierkegaard, reality was personal, subjective - it began and ended with the individual - and philosophy was not something one merely talked about, it was the way you lived.For such a brilliant thinker, the way Kierkegaard lived was. somewhat too interesting His 'abstract' love affair His obsession with death His 'leap of Faith,' his cynicism, his marvelous sense of humor - how do you put all that into one man For starters, you read Kierkegaard For Beginners. It explains, plainly and simply, the great Danish thinker's obsession with the particularity of human existence as well as his demonstration of how the creation of an authentic new kind of individual is possible.…