Philosophy and Religion

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

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 philosop

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 comp

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 co

EXISTENTIALISM FOR BEGINNERS is an entertaining romp through the history of a philosophical movement that has had a broad and enduring influence on Western culture. From the middle of the Nineteenth Century through the late Twentieth Century, existentialism informed our politics and art, and still exerts its influence today. Tracing the movement's beginnings with close-up views of seminal figures

Deconstruction is so labyrinthine (and rumored to be fatal) that it's become the monster that murdered philosophy. When Jacques Derrida, the father of deconstruction, uses buzz-words such as “phallogocentrism” and “transcendental signified,” humanities students and aspiring philosophers may get weak in the knees.Following up on the success of DERRIDA FOR BEGINNERS, Jim  Powell's DERRIDA FOR BEGINN

Jacques Lacan is probably the most influential psychoanalyst since Freud (of the roughly 20,000 psychoanalysts in the world, about half are 'Lacanians') yet most people know nothing about him. The 10,000 analysts who use Lacan's ideas work mostly in France, Spain, Italy, and South America. To the rest of the world, including England and America, Lacan is a genius-in-waiting, due to be 'discovered'

Philosopher, psychoanalyst, politician, propagandist, prophet...although difficult to categorize, Frantz Fanon (1925-1961) is one of the most important thinkers of the 20th century and one of our most powerful writers on race and revolution. The book opens with a biography, following Fanon from his birthplace of Martinique through combat in World War II and education in France, to his heroic in

From Egyptian mythology to Jewish mysticism, Rome and Greece to the druids and the gnostics, Tim Wallace-Murphy exposes a fascinating lineage of hidden mysteries and secret societies, continuing through the Templars, Rosicrucians, and Freemasons to our modern visionaries. This hidden stream of spirituality and that of sacred knowledge are inseparably entwined to form the single most important cont

Based on four retreats that Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh led specifically for people of color, this book is for people of all colors, backgrounds, and experiences who have ever felt excluded or alienated, or anyone concerned with issues of social justice. Although Together We Are One is based on teachings given to Buddhist practitioners of color, readers of all backgrounds and walks of life will fin

The Diamond Sutra, a mainstay of the Mahayana tradition, has fascinated Buddhists for centuries because of its insights into dualism and illusion: the "diamond" can cut through any obstacle on the road to enlightenment.

Mindfulness is the practice of cultivating full awareness of the present moment. Mindful Living Every Day, filmed on location in Plum Village, France, gives an overview of the concrete practices that help bring awareness to our breath, body, and mind in each moment. Members of the monastic and lay community of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh demonstrate adn talk about their experience with essential mi

Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh and members of his Buddhist community deliver a visionary book about the future of Buddhism in America. This volume contains never-before-published letters, stories, poems, calligraphies, and photos by Hanh.

This easily accessible translation and commentary by Thich Nhat Hanh on the Sutra on Knowing the Better Way To Live Alone, is the earliest teaching of the Buddha on living fully in the present moment. "To live alone" doesn’t mean to isolate oneself from society. It means to live in mindfulness: to let go of the past and the future, and to look deeply and discover the true nature of all that

Accompanying CD-ROM includes songs and easy-to-follow practices.

How do we take care of our jealousy, restlessness, and loneliness? How do we keep the energy and passion alive in our long-term relationships? How can we get a new relationship off to a strong and stable start? What does healthy intimacy look like? Amid the recent media coverage of infidelity and sexual transgressions of high-profile public officials, Thich Nhat Hanh offers ways to foster open com

The late, great Zen master reflects on the benefits of walking meditation in one of the few guidebooks focused solely on mindful walking Written in Thich Nhat Hanh´s clear and accessible style, Long Road Turns to Joy reminds us that we “walk not in order to arrive, but walk just for walking.” Touching the earth with our feet is an opportunity to live in the here and now. Thich Nhat Hanh encourag

Path of Compassion is a collection of key stories from Thich Nhat Hanh’s classic Old Path White Clouds, a book celebrating its 20th publishing anniversary this year. It tells the fascinating life story of Prince Siddhartha, who left his family and renounced his carefully guarded life, and after many years of spiritual seeking became the Buddha, the Enlightened One. Far more than th

Drawing on her experiences as a Buddhist teacher in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh, Annabelle Zinser developed meditation and mindfulness practices for a variety of everyday situations and the transformation of emotional challenges. In short chapters the author demonstrates how to connect the awareness of our breath with focusing our mindfulness on a particular topic at hand, such as: dealing wi

The Five Mindfulness Trainings (also referred to as “Precepts”)—not to kill, steal, commit adultery, lie, or take intoxicants—are the basic statement of ethics and morality in Buddhism. Zen Master and peace activist Thich Nhat Hanh argues eloquently for their applicability in our daily lives and on a global scale. Nhat Hanh discusses the value and meaning of each precept, offering insi