The Good Life

Daniel Russell examines Plato's subtle and insightful analysis of pleasure and explores its intimate connections with his discussions of value and human psychology. Russell offers a fresh perspective

Moses Maimonides is undoubtedly the most famous rationalist of the Jewish tradition, portraying all of Torah as an intellectual project to know the deepest secrets of God and nature. This book, however, argues that this characterization of Maimonides is only partially true. Notwithstanding his focus on the primacy of intellect, he views the emotions or passions as central to the good life. Maimonides does so through imbuing his works the Mishneh Torah and Guide of the Perplexed with a series of emotions that are grounded in conflicting moral and psychological archetypes: love vs. fear, moderation vs. abstinence, courage vs. awe, anger vs. calmness, pride vs. humility, and justice vs. compassion. Maimonides' Moral Psychology contends that these contrasting emotional paradigms represent two distinct approaches to the world that exist simultaneously in Maimonides' writings. One is grounded in an understanding and imitation of nature, while the other derives from a skeptical view of the wo

A brilliant, bittersweet novel about love and family, husbands and wives, parents and children.From beloved bestselling author David Nicholls.Douglas and Connie - scientist and artist, husband and wife - live a quiet and quietly unremarkable life in the suburbs of London. Until, suddenly, after more than twenty years of marriage, Connie decides she wants a divorce.Heartbroken but determined, Douglas comes up with the perfect plan: he is going to win back the love of his wife and the respect of Albie, their teenage son, by organising the holiday of a lifetime.The hotels are booked, the tickets bought, the itinerary planned and printed.What could possibly go wrong?