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Originally published in 1759, this early work by French philosopher Voltaire is both expensive and hard to find in its first edition. It is a satirical novella about a young man losing his optimism under the pressures and hardships of the world. This seminal work is highly recommended and a must have for all readers of philosophy. Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.
Waking up in an East London hospital, with no identity or recollection of his past, the narrator has no option but to resign himself to a homeless and directionless existence. Adopting the name of Robin Forest, he seeks refuge in a hostel and meets other displaced people who begin to influence his life: Luther, a modern-day Fagin; Charlotte, a suspected drug addict; Adrian, an exiled gay headmaster; Keith, an overbearing bore, hiding from the police; Sniffy, a recruiter for an east end gang.Robin seeks to make a living by negotiating a begging pitch from Luther. He also befriends Charlotte, whose sister Kathy lies in a coma from a heroin overdose.Triggered by conversations with his new found friends, Robin begins to have minor insights to his past life, and to his concern and disbelief, discovers that he is a wanted for drug dealing and murder.On the run, Robin attempts to find the truth about himself and Kathy's overdose, but gets drawn into the criminal underworld of East London.
This history of mankind's battles against infectious diseases looks at how epidemics shaped empires and economies and how medical revolutions freed us from these cycles until new threats arose caused by changes in global trade and climate.
7 Books That Rocked the Church, by Daniel Crane, explores controversial books throughout history that the Christian church has famously disavowed—and asks the question, Why? Engagingly written and thoughtfully researched, this book explores what the “fuss” was all about with books ranging in date from the second century after Christ to more contemporary authors. Books by Karl Marx, Charles Darwin, Galileo Galilei, and many others profoundly upset the church by calling into question foundational Christian doctrines or beliefs. Most of the books discussed here were banned at some time by Christian authorities. The author’s aim is to challenge Christians to respond critically but open-m...
Translated and illustrated by Nicolae Sfetcu. A philosophical tale, a story of a journey that will transform the eponymous hero into a philosopher. An important debate on fatalism and the existence of Evil. For a long time Voltaire has been fiercely opposed to the ideas of the philosopher Leibniz concerning God, the "principle of sufficient reason," and his idea of "pre-established harmony." God is perfect, the world can not be, but God has created the best possible world. Evil exists punctually, but it is compensated elsewhere by an infinitely great good. Nothing happens without there being a necessary cause. An encouragement to fatalism. Voltaire opposes to this optimism that he considers smug, a lucid vision on the world and its imperfections, a confidence in the man who is able to improve his condition. In Candide, Voltaire openly attacks Leibnizian optimism and makes Pangloss a ridiculous defender of this philosophy. Criticism of optimism is the main theme of the tale: each of the adventures of the hero tends to prove that it is wrong to believe that our world is the best of all possible worlds.
The Ultimate Book Club: 180 Books You Should Read (Vol.1) stands as a monumental anthology, capturing a broad spectrum of themes ranging from the existential queries of human existence to the whimsical flights of fantasy, encapsulating an impressive array of literary styles. This collection, curated with a discerning eye, presents an unmatched scholarly feast, knitting together the seminal works of a global literary heritage. It bridges diverse narrative voices, from the piercing social commentaries of Dickens and Sinclair to the introspective musings of Woolf and Thoreau, and from the pioneering adventures of Verne and Shelley to the psychological depths explored by Dostoevsky and Freud, of...
'A thoughtful exploration of humanity ... Fabes is great company and makes riding bicycles seem like the best way to see and understand the world' - Guardian They say that being a good doctor boils down to just four things: Shut up, listen, know something, care. The same could be said for life on the road, too. When Stephen Fabes left his job as a junior doctor and set out to cycle around the world, frontline medicine quickly faded from his mind. Of more pressing concern were the daily challenges of life as an unfit rider on an overloaded bike, helplessly in thrall to pastries. But leaving medicine behind is not as easy as it seems. As he roves continents, he finds people whose health has su...
The hugely admired author of "The Last Fine Time" preserves and makes new the sights, smells, sounds, and poetry of country living. Klinkenborg reveals the beauty of the American landscape, not from a scenic overlook, but through a screened-in porch or from the window of a pickup driving down an empty highway in the teeth of an approaching storm.