Showing titles in Society

The Fall of a Nation is a thought-provoking book that delves into the myriad challenges facing contemporary American society. Spanning a wide range of topics, the book explores the multifaceted issues that contribute to the decline of the nation's prosperity and social well-being. From the decline of family prosperity to the rise of single-parent households, the author examines how these factors impact the fabric of society and the opportunities available to individuals and families.

Charles Handy is one of the giants of contemporary thought. His books on management - including Understanding Organizations and Gods of Management - have changed the way we view business. His work on broader issues and trends - such as Beyond Certainty and The Second Curve - has changed the way we view society. In his new book, Handy builds on a life's work to glimpse into the future and see what challenges and opportunities the next generation faces.

In the latest fruit of a brilliant career, Michael Nagler argues that nonviolence - not just as a tactic but as a way of being - is the only way to unite deeply divided people and enable progressive movements and leaders of all stripes to fulfill their promise and potential. So many of the problems that beset us - war, poverty, isolation, and the climate crisis - have their roots in an old story about the universe: We are purposeless matter in a random void, and scarcity, competition, and violence are inevitable.

In this provocative audio course, you will explore Greek philosophy in its historical context, in which philosophy was not just an intellectual pursuit but a way of life integrating the mind, body, and cosmos. By delving into the works of Greece’s greatest thinkers, including Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, you’ll gain powerful tools for self-discovery.

Only when the mind and heart are really simple is one able to solve the many problems that confront us. A religious man is he who is inwardly simple. Q: I have been a member of various religious organisations, but you have destroyed them all. I am utterly bored and work because hunger forces me to it. I am afraid to commit suicide. What on earth am I to do? Q: What have you to say to a person who, in quiet moments, sees the truth of what you say, who has a longing to keep awake but who finds himself repeatedly lost in a sea of impulse and small desires?

First published in 1849, this essay argues that individuals have rights and duties in relation to their government. Motivated by his disgust over both slavery and the Mexican-American War, Thoreau argued that individuals must not permit nor enable their government to act against their own consciences. This version of "On the Duty of Civil Disobedience" was recorded as part of Dreamscape's Walden and On the Duty of Civil Disobedience.

In "Confronting Chaos: The Civility Crisis," Nelson dives deep into the heart of America's current societal turmoil, pinpointing the root cause: the erosion of civility. With a blend of insight, compassion, and urgency, Nelson navigates listeners through the complexities of this crisis, offering both analysis and solutions. Drawing upon historical perspectives and contemporary examples, "Confronting Chaos" illuminates how the abandonment of traditional values, particularly those rooted in Christian principles, has led to a breakdown in respectful discourse and behavior.

In The Leap, bestselling author Ulrich Boser shows how the emerging research on trust can improve our lives, rebuild our economy, and strengthen society. As part of this engaging and deeply reported narrative, Boser visits a radio soap opera in Rwanda that aims to restore the country’s broken trust, profiles the man who brought honesty to one of the most corrupt cities in Latin America, and explains how a college dropout managed to con his way into American high society.

Cosa significa essere donna? Non alzare la voce, non ribellarsi. Obbedire al padre, al marito, alla società. Significa calma e sottomissione. Dover essere una brava bambina, poi una brava moglie e una brava madre. Eppure per qualcuna tutto questo non basta. Attraverso otto storie che spaziano dal mito alla contemporaneità, gli autori raccontano l'altra faccia della luna: e cioè come fin dagli albori dell'umanità, in saghe, leggende ed epopee letterarie, i modelli di donne forti sono sempre stati ridotti al silenzio.

Fiel a su estilo irónico y mordaz, Žižek recorre, en esta serie de textos políticos, los cimientos de las civilizaciones occidentales modernas. Spoiler alert: la conclusión es cínica. ¿Qué es lo que hace que la realidad sea soportable y podamos enfrentarla? "Lo siento, pero la hipocresía es la base de la civilización. Los rituales y las apariencias sí importan. Si abandonamos las apariencias y enfrentamos la realidad, esta suele ser bastante horrible".

In a culture that worships ceaseless striving, "settling" seems like giving up. But is it? On Settling defends the positive value of settling, explaining why this disdained practice is not only more realistic but more useful than an excessive ideal of striving. In fact, the book makes the case that we'd all be lost without settling - and that even to strive, one must first settle.

Where is 'home'? For Amartya Sen home has been many places - Dhaka in modern Bangladesh, where he grew up; the village of Santiniketan, where he was raised by his grandparents as much as by his parents; Calcutta, where he first studied economics and was active in student movements and Trinity College, Cambridge, to which he came aged 19. Sen brilliantly recreates the atmosphere in each of these.

Rudolf Eisler stellte schon vor über 100 Jahren fest: "Die organisierten Massen haben zu allen Zeiten eine wichtige Rolle im Völkerleben gespielt, niemals aber in solchem Maße wie heute. Die unbewusste Wirksamkeit der Massen, die an die Stelle der bewussten Tatkraft der einzelnen tritt, bildet ein wesentliches Kennzeichen der Gegenwart." Eine Masse von Intellektuellen ist nicht besser als eine Masse von Proletariern. Eine Masse ist immer nur Gefühlen und einfachen Parolen zugänglich, niemals der Logik.

En este maravilloso ensayo, Lledó juega y conversa con los numerosos términos que la cultura griega nos ha legado, y se detiene en el de amistad, un concepto clave a la hora de explorar quiénes somos. Lo contrapone a otra noción esencial, la de identidad, hoy tan manida y viciada, que, en su origen, lejos de aludir a lo que nos diferencia, se refería a nuestra mirada humana sobre el mundo y sobre nosotros mismos, y es un componente fundamental de la democracia.

Why spend countless hours indoors in front of screens when being in nature feels so good? In learning why and how to nurture our emotional connection with nature, we can also regenerate the ecosystems on which we depend for our survival. Renewal explores the science behind why being in nature makes us feel alive and helps us thrive.

Ever felt as though life would be simpler if it came with an instruction manual? There are no easy answers to the big questions. And life does not follow a straight path from A to B. Since the beginning of time, people have asked questions about how they should live and, from Ancient Greece to Japan, philosophers have attempted to solve these questions for us. The timeless wisdom that they offer can help us to find our own path.

Will you be richer or poorer? What does the future hold for you - and for the world? Supposedly, we're all getting richer, but many of us feel we’re becoming poorer. Why? One reason is our economy doesn’t even measure many kinds of wealth and ignores many costs. Clearly, clean air and water, good health, and civil liberties are valuable, but you won’t find these on any balance sheet. Our system’s incentives are to maximize short-term financial profits, and everything else is treated as if it doesn’t exist.

The story of Mojud which Osho introduces here is one of the greatest stories. It has that special flavor that only a Sufi story can have. It is incomparable. It is not just a story; Sufi stories are not just stories. They are not to entertain, but they are teaching devices.

"Mein Thema heute, so fürchte ich, ist fast schon beschämend aktuell." Was ist Freiheit, und was bedeutet sie uns? Begreifen wir sie nur als die Abwesenheit von Furcht und von Zwängen, oder meint Freiheit nicht vielmehr auch, sich an gesellschaftlichen Prozessen zu beteiligen, eine eigene politische Stimme zu haben, um von anderen gehört, erkannt und schließlich erinnert zu werden? Und: Haben wir diese Freiheit einfach, oder wer gibt sie uns, und kann man sie uns auch wieder wegnehmen? In diesem auf Deutsch bisher unveröffentlichten Essay zeichnet Hannah Arendt die historische Entwicklung des Freiheitsbegriffs nach.

"Jak se stal z člověka staršího člověk moderní? Co ho činí moderním?" Tak se ptá Masaryk ve svém filozofickém díle, v němž uvažuje o duchovní krizi člověka v sekularizovaném světě. Krize moderního člověka je pro Masaryka krizí celého duchovního života. Tato krize se projevuje politicky, mravně, filozoficky i společensky – avšak jejím ohniskem byla podle Masaryka krize náboženská, kdy se moderní člověk odvrátil od vnějšího světa a začal se spoléhat jen na vlastní síly. V tomto spisu se Masaryk dotýká i sklonu k sebevraždám v moderní době a zamýšlí se nad jejich příčinami.