Continuum Publishing Group
Aesthetics and music.
Hamilton discusses music and aesthetics, particularly music's human and social basis, through an argument that is influenced by Kant and Adorno and that proposes an aesthetic conception of music, not just a consideration of the aesthetics of music. He bases the book on the Kantian concept of philosophical aesthetics and examines the music of Ancient Greece, Western art and non-Western music, as well as improvisation and the differences between popular and art music. He considers emotion and language, rhythm, the concept of music and its relation to contemporary sound-art, the nature of the musical experience, improvisation vs. composition, and Ancient Greek and modern German aesthetics. Hamilton, a jazz pianist, teaches philosophy and the history and aesthetics of jazz at Durham U. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Art and fear. (reprint, 2003)
This text was first published in France under the title La procédure silence (2000, Editions Galilee). The current publication is a reprint of the English version, with translation and a preface provided by Julie Rose, which was published in 2003 by Continuum. In the text, Virilio (director, École Spéciale d'Architecture, Paris) presents two essays on the development of art and science during the 20th century, which further develop his earlier theory on the "aesthetics of disappearance." Virilio reevaluates 20th-century theories of modern art and duration, the spoken word and the right to stay silent in an era that is increasingly shaped by the shrill sonority of contemporary art. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Children's language; consensus and controversy, rev. ed.
Cattell (linguistics, U. of Newcastle, Australia) updates his textbook introducing undergraduates in language acquisition and psycholinguistics to the background and leading theories of how children learn to speak their first language. Intended to help readers form their own positions, chapters introduce the work of Chomsky, Piaget, and Karmiloff-Smith, among others, and explore questions such as whether adults teach or help children to speak, how two-word utterances form, and whether animals can learn a human language. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
The contemporary British novel, 2d ed.
Tew (English, Brunel U., UK) presents a volume that focuses on textual, thematic, and theoretical readings of British literary fiction since the mid-1970s. Key issues in literary criticism are addressed, such as class, urban identity, historical awareness, mythic thought, and hybridity and multiplicities, as well as the definition of Britishness. Novels by Martin Amis, Pat Barker, A.S. Byatt, Jonathan Coe, Salman Rushdie, Zadie Smith, and others are discussed. This edition contains a new introduction and a new chapter on fiction since 2000 that focuses on a post-9/11 aesthetic. Each chapter has been revised and includes an initial overview and recommended reading. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Hobbes's Leviathan; reader's guide.
Bagby (political philosophy, Kansas State U.) takes us through this oddly but accurately titled work and includes its philosophical and historical contexts, the key themes, reception and influence, along with a chapter-by-chapter commentary and critique. The result is a balanced and objective first exposure to Hobbes' thought. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Hume; a guide for the perplexed.
Intended for the neophyte, this short volume by Coventry (philosophy, Portland State U.) introduces the epistemology and metaphysics of Scottish philosopher David Hume (1711-1776). Hume's views on the passions, morals, aesthetics, and religion where they are relevant are also discussed where relevant, but the volume does not address his politics, history, or economic theory. The central work discussed is A Treatise of Human Nature, which Coventry considers much more complete than the Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, although the latter is not entirely ignored. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Jews and Christians in contact and controversy. (reprint, 1998)
As someone who views an understanding of early Jewish-Christian relations as essential to an understanding of pre-Rabbinic Judaism and the origins of Christianity, Horbury (Jewish and early Christian studies, U. of Cambridge) collects a dozen of his previously published essays in a volume originally published in 1998. He reassesses well-known and lesser-known New Testament, Church texts, and little-known/unpublished later Jewish writings. In a substantial introduction, he treats themes addressed including: earlier, more extensive Christian contact with Judaism than generally acknowledged; Christian texts as often reflecting inter-communal rivalry; and debates over the extent of unity/diversity of early Judaism. T&T Clark is an imprint of Continuum. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
The Judas brief; who really killed Jesus?
Gospel authors falsely accused Judas Iscariot, a loyal and trusted disciple of Jesus, of betraying his mentor, argues Greenberg, and that was just a part of an effort that included concocting historically implausible conspiracies among Jewish leaders to kill Jesus; inventing corrupt Jewish courts trying to frame Jesus through perjured testimony; and fantasying about howling mobs of blood-thirsty Jews screaming for his crucifixion. The gospel writers were not satisfied with the story as the facts show it he says, that the Romans executed Jesus for the high crime of claiming to be King of the Jews without Roman appointment. He has written four books of biblical and ancient Middle East history. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Kant; a guide for the perplexed.
Seung (philosophy, U. of Texas at Austin) presents a concise introduction to the philosophical thought of Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) intended for students and general readers new to Kant's works. He begins with a discussion of the theoretical philosophy, found primarily in the Critique of Pure Reason. He then discusses the practical philosophy articulated in the Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals, Metaphysics of Morals, Religion within the Boundaries of Mere Reason, and Critique of Practical Reason. The final chapter explores the Critique of Judgement, which was an inquiry into Kant's philosophies of aesthetics and teleology. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Leibniz; a guide for the perplexed.
Leibniz is not an easy character to dissect and neither is his philosophy, but Perkins (philosophy, DePaul U.) gives first-time readers a fighting chance with lively and clear explanations of concepts and contexts, including his thought on God and the best possible world, substances (monads or unities), and the construction of rational minds. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Managing your classroom, 2d ed.
When you lecture, do you tend to spit on the first row of students? Is your desk a holy mess? One way to manage the classroom is to model behavior, and master practitioner Dixie gives novices and veterans stacks of practical ideas about how to start out right in the classroom and stay there. He details the importance of first impressions in the classroom, including establishing the reward and sanction system and identifying methods of control by proxy, describes body language techniques, the role of questioning, strategies for increasing collaborative learning, creating a physical environment that sustains and encourages students, and gaining the psychological advantage by knowing your students by name, scanning and circulation the classroom, and knowing where you want to go with lessons and activities, no matter where you are. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Mill's On liberty.
Scarre (philosophy, U. of Durham) gives first-time readers of Mill and those who have been exposed to interpretations of his work a solid idea of what Mill actually wrote, and only then supplies the embellishments of moral and political theorists. He gives the contexts under which Mill wrote and the reasons for his working slightly outside of his signature utilitarianism, overviews the basic themes, then analyzes the text itself to be sure readers understand what applies to politics and what does not. Only then does Scarre allow for commentary by Mill's earliest readers and describe the influence On Liberty has had on subsequent thought. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Religion.
Sorting out the questions and purposes of religion has never ceased to be a major philosophical preoccupation, and the effort seems to have increased substantially in recent years despite claims that philosophy is now firmly settled into the secular. Sweetman (philosophy, Rockhurst U.) gives undergraduates and general readers the high points in historical and current thought, including some of the pop culture debates about pop culture and the growing legend of Galileo. He covers the necessity for knowing one's own attitudes in debating elements of religion, first cause and design, including wide-ranging cosmological arguments, necessary being, morality, miracles, the classical view of God and its challenges, God and evil, religious experience and God, religion and science, and religious diversity, covering exclusivism, pluralism and inclusivism. First-timers should find this accessible, and Sweetman includes a guide to further reading, (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Spinoza; a guide for the perplexed.
The first few pages by Dutch philosopher Benedictus de Spinoza (1632-77) are littered with bookmarks by readers who got no further; Jarrett (philosophy, Rutgers U., New Jersey) comes to the rescue. Writing for those new to Spinoza, indeed perhaps new to philosophy in general, he explains the main features of his views on ethics and politics without the technical vocabulary or details. He also points out areas where his ideas are unclear or are contested, as warning or challenge depending on the reader. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Understanding language; a basic course in linguistics.
Winkler (linguistics, University of Western Kentucky) introduces linguistics to non-major undergraduates in this accessible, reader-friendly text. Concepts are explained in an informal, jargon-free writing style, and the text is liberally sprinkled with humorous b&w photos. The book begins with discussion of what language is and what it is not, then covers the major structural areas of linguistics, including the systems used to create sound, grammar, and meaning. The final third of the book looks at how individuals and groups make use of language in their daily lives, exploring how gender, race, and ethnicity affect not just what we say but how we say it. The book can be used by any student taking linguistics at university, whether as their main subject of study, as part of a general education course, or in conjunction with related fields. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
The universal exception. (reprint, 2006)
In this collection of writings, Zizek (philosophy, U. of Ljubljana, Slovakia) takes his inquiry about culture and politics into specific world events. Like the first volume in this series, Interrogating the Real, Zizek covers a range of topics with a unique understanding of radicalism and a distinct take on "third way" politics, with commentary on the absence of the "second way" in remarks on Haider and Heiner Muller, socialism as it truly exists within Kukacs and Kolkhoz and perhaps, but perhaps not in opposition to Laibach, and capitalism at it exists in facets of Bill Gates. He closes with commentary on what is and is not to be done, given events in Iraq and the "double blackmail" of terrorism, whether or not it is state supported. This is a paperback edition of the 2006 original and includes a new preface by Zizek. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
