These two essays by the famous 19th-century champion of Darwin’s theory of evolution tackle a subject that is still a major focus of ethical debates today: the relation of science as a whole, and spec
In this selection of his most important writings, renowned scientist and philosopher Thomas Henry Huxley (1825-1895) discusses his views on the demonstrative evidence of evolution, the physical basis
Talyn is a Hunter for the Caisah, a man responsible for the destruction of her people, the Vaerli, but she carries within her a Kindred, who may be their savior, as she is stalked by a story teller, F
The twentieth century has witnessed the blossoming of Western culture: new technology; communications and transportation systems; social, political, educational, agricultural, and medical advances. Bu
These three 1966 lectures by Noble laureate Crick explain why "vitalism," the idea that an intangible life force beyond the grasp of science distinguishes the animate from the inanimate, is itself dea
A punch in the face of the puritanism and conservatism he raged against, My Life and Loves is the highly charged, erotic autobiography of Frank Harris (1856-1931), an Irish writer and editor who foun
In Liberalism and Social Action, John Dewey (1859-1952), one of America's leading social philosophers, surveys the history of liberal thought from John Locke to John Stuart Mill, in his search to fin
America's most renowned social philosopher John Dewey shines his powerful intellect on the serious public and cultural issues surrounding the place of the individual in a technologically advanced soci
Mathematician and author Lewis Carroll (1832-1898) has delighted millions with his most widely regarded book, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Known for pointing out the absurdities of life in his fi
If ever there was a thinker who swam against the social and ethical tide of his day, it was Nietzsche. Nineteenth-century Europe was for him a moral wasteland filled with false altruism, duplicity, do
A stalwart in the atheist movement, Stenger (philosophy, U. of Colorado and emeritus physics and astronomy, U. of Hawaii) calls for scientists and other rationalists to join together to put a stop to
For decades, legal scholars and Supreme Court justices have debated the meaning of the Fourth Amendment. This debate has taken on particular significance today in the wake of terrorist threats to our
Vidarian Rulorat, called the Tesseract, a powerful magic-user whose abilities spread across multiple elements, finds himself at war with the Alorean Import Company, a powerful cabal of merchants wealt
Vidarian must face the consequences of opening the gate between worlds, lead sky ships in a war against the southern empire, train the demoralized Sky Knights, master his own amplified magic, and win
When he needs more money for his nest egg, Doc Holliday enlists the conjuring help of Geronimo and the gadgetry wizardry of Thomas Edison to hunt down Billy the Kid for the bounty, but the Kid just ha
Sir Dennis Darby has been murdered and the Automaton has been destroyed. Lord Eschaton's plans to bring his apocalyptic vision of the future to the world are moving forward, but to complete his scheme
This history of medieval inventions, focusing on the eleventh to the fourteenth centuries, vividly portrays a thriving era of human ingenuity--and the results are still being felt to this day. From th
Economic historian Erlichman reviews the sixteenth-century European exploration of the Americas and Far East in the light of the search for precious metals and the subsequent change in world economic
When the time has come to end the spell that prevents U.S. expansion across the Mississippi River, the other medicine men create War Bonnet, a monsterous medicine man whose function is to stop Geronim
Argues against Christianity specifically and theism in general by questioning Christ's resurrection, the origins of Christianity, and the concept of miracles.
"Ibn Warraq's new collection is charming, witty, erudite, diverse, intellectually magnificent, and is definitely the 'go-to' work for all questions about what the Koran really says and what Koranic cr
Jonathan Swift (1667-1745) has been generally acknowledged as the greatest English satirist. In a prodigious stream of letters, pamphlets, tales, and essays, he assailed, with irony, erudition, and sa
Emile Durkheim (1858-1917) was one of the founders of modern sociology. Ethics and the Sociology of Morals (La science positive de la morale en Allemagne) laid the foundation for Durkheim's future wor
Is knowledge possible? If so, what can we know and how do we come to know it? What degree of certainty does our knowledge enjoy? In these two powerful works, Descartes, the seventeenth-century philoso
The First Amendment of the US Constitution's Bill of Rights guarantees the protection of freedoms through a number of clauses. Among these, the least explored is the Assembly and Petition Clause. Mos
The question of God is simply too important--and too interesting--to leave to angry polemicists. That is the premise of this friendly, straightforward, and rigorous dialogue between Christian theologi
This lively, iconoclastic book, first published in 1995, but enduringly relevant, explores the rich heritage, the turbulent present, and the possible future of the political and cultural tendency know
Why do we hold on to bad ideas? Who is in control of what we know? What will intelligence mean in the future? Writing for general readers, McRae, a science communicator for Australia's National Scienc
What is it like to experience disability? What are the prevailing cultural attitudes toward those who experience disability? How do social norms and public policies affect those experiencing disabilit
"It is wrong always, everywhere, and for anyone, to believe anythingupon insufficient evidence." -- W. K. CliffordThe above forthright assertion of mathematician and educator W. K. Clifford (1845-1879
Voltaire (1694-1778), novelist, dramatist, poet, philosopher, historian, and satirist, was one of the most renowned figures of the Age of Enlightenment. In this collection of anti-clerical works from
This wide-ranging overview of design in everyday life demonstrates how design shapes our lives in ways most of us would never imagine. The author, a leading expert in social and psychological issues i
A book for popular readers on the subject of technology and alienation, The Big Disconnect is written in a smart, breezy style. It relies on personal stories from the author, and a dazzling range of h
Writing for general readers, Fairbanks (science and health, Utah Valley U.) sets out the main theories of evolution, the evidence for it, and the reasons common people--not just scientists--should kno
Regine, a developmental psychologist and writer who conducts workshops and life coaching, tells the stories of about 50 successful women from different areas of life and around the world (mostly the U
