Stop Being Reasonable by Eleanor Gordon-Smith

$27.99 AUD

Category: Philosophy | Reading Level: 4 Non Fiction

What if you're not who you think you are?  What if you don't really know the people closest to you?  And what if your most deeply-held beliefs turn out to be...wrong?  In Stop Being Reasonable,philosopher Eleanor Gordon-Smith tells gripping true stories that show the limits of human reason. Susie realises her husband harbours a terrible secret, Dylan leaves the cult he's been raised in since birth, after impersonating someone else for a month on reality TV, Alex discovers he can no longer return to his former identity, all of them radically altering their beliefs about the things that matter most. What makes them change course? What does this say about our own beliefs? And, in an increasingly divided world, what does it teach us about how we might change the minds of others?  Inspiring, perceptive and fullof moving stories, Stop Being Reasonable isan illuminating exploration of the place where philosophy and real life meet. ...Show more

Big Ideas for Curious Minds: An Introduction to Philosophy by The School of Life

$35.00 AUD

Category: Philosophy

Children are, in many ways, born philosophers. Without prompting, they ask some of the largest questions: about time, mortality, happiness and the meaning of it all. Yet sadly, too often, this inborn curiosity is not developed and with age the questions fall away. This is a book designed to harness chil drens' spontaneous philosophical instinct and to develop it through introductions to some of the most vibrant and essential philosophical ideas of history. The book takes us to meet leading figures of philosophy from around the world and from all eras - and shows us how their ideas continue to matter. The book functions as an ideal introduction to philosophy as well as a charming way to open up conversations between adults and children about the biggest questions we all face. ...Show more

God is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything by Christopher Hitchens

$24.99 AUD

Category: Philosophy

In god is Not Great Hitchens turned his formidable eloquence and rhetorical energy to the most controversial issue in the world: God and religion. The result is a devastating critique of religious faith god Is Not Great is the ultimate case against religion. In a series of acute readings of the major r eligious texts, Christopher Hitchens demonstrates the ways in which religion is man-made, dangerously sexually repressive and distorts the very origins of the cosmos. Above all, Hitchens argues that the concept of an omniscient God has profoundly damaged humanity, and proposes that the world might be a great deal better off without 'him'. ...Show more

Great Thinkers: Simple Tools from 60 Great Thinkers to Improve Your Life Today by School of Life (Business Enterprise) Staff; Stuart Patience (Translator); Alain de Botton (Contribution by)

$45.00 AUD

Category: Philosophy | Series: The\School of Life Library

Typically, great thinkers have been included in encyclopedic works on the basis of reputation and historic influence. The School of Life takes a different approach, focusing instead on the thinkers whose ideas are the most helpful to our lives now. This is a collection of sixty of the most important and most useful ideas of Eastern and Western culture. The focus of this book is to present some of the greatest minds of our time in a clear, relevant and charming light. Many of these thinkers have previously been caught in a fiendish trap; what they've said has been hugely relevant and important, but how they have said it has resulted in them going unheard. The sixty chosen thinkers include La Rochefoucauld, Lao Tzu, Matsuo Basho, Sen no Rikyu, Alexis de Tocqueville, St Benedict, Donald Winnicott, John Bowlby, Melanie Klein, Andrea Palladio, Coco Chanel, Henri Matisse; as well as more familiar entries such as Plato, Wittgenstein, Foucault, Marx, Confucius and Freud. ...Show more

How to Be a Friend: An Ancient Guide to True Friendship by Marcus Tullius Cicero; Philip Freeman

$29.99 AUD

Category: Philosophy | Series: Ancient Wisdom for Modern Readers Ser.

In a world where social media, online relationships, and relentless self-absorption threaten the very idea of deep and lasting friendships, the search for true friends is more important than ever. In this short book, which is one of the greatest ever written on the subject, the famous Roman politician a nd philosopher Cicero offers a compelling guide to finding, keeping, and appreciating friends. With wit and wisdom, Cicero shows us not only how to build friendships but also why they must be a key part of our lives. For, as Cicero says, life without friends is not worth living. Filled with timeless advice and insights, Cicero's heartfelt and moving classic-written in 44 BC and originally titled De Amicitia-has inspired readers for more than two thousand years, from St. Augustine and Dante to Thomas Jefferson and John Adams. Presented here in a lively new translation and an inviting introduction, How to Be a Friend explores how to choose the right friends, how to avoid the pitfalls of friendship, and how to live with friends in good times and bad. Cicero also praises what he sees as the deepest kind of friendship-one in which two people find in each other "another self" or a kindred soul. ...Show more

Short and Curly Guide to Life by Short & Curly; Matt Beard

$24.99 AUD

Category: Philosophy | Reading Level: 8 Kids Middle Readers

What makes something good or bad? Why are things the way they are? How come it's so hard to work out the right thing to do? The Short & Curly Guide to Lifeis an imaginative look at some of life's biggest and trickiest questions. Figuring out what's right is way more fun than you think!You?ll find yo urself wondering if it?s okay to break a promise - even if it's in a video game! Questioning whether you would want to spend the rest of your life in an amazing virtual reality. Umming and ahhing over whether there?s anything wrong with keeping an adorable baby fox as a pet. Putting ideas like fairness, what's normal and what's brave under the microscope . . . and so much more! Covering topics such as fairness, bullying, bravery, friendship and choice, The Short & Curly Guide to Lifeis a must-read for every child, parent and teacher. ...Show more

Feminism in 100 Quotes by Price Bill

$19.99 AUD

Category: Philosophy

How to Be Free - An Ancient Guide to the Stoic Life by Epictetus Epictetus; Anthony Long

$7.97 AUD

Category: Philosophy | Series: Ancient Wisdom for Modern Readers Ser.

A superb new edition of Epictetus's famed handbook on Stoicism--translated by one of the world's leading authorities on Stoic philosophy Born a slave, the Roman Stoic philosopher Epictetus (c. 55-135 AD) taught that mental freedom is supreme, since it can liberate one anywhere, even in a prison. In How to Be Free, A. A. Long--one of the world's leading authorities on Stoicism and a pioneer in its remarkable contemporary revival--provides a superb new edition of Epictetus's celebrated guide to the Stoic philosophy of life (the Encheiridion) along with a selection of related reflections in his Discourses. Freedom, for Epictetus, is not a human right or a political prerogative but a psychological and ethical achievement, a gift that we alone can bestow on ourselves. We can all be free, but only if we learn to assign paramount value to what we can control (our motivations and reactions), treat what we cannot control with equanimity, and view our circumstances as opportunities to do well and be well, no matter what happens to us through misfortune or the actions of other people. How to Be Free features splendid new translations and the original Greek on facing pages, a compelling introduction that sets Epictetus in context and describes the importance of Stoic freedom today, and an invaluable glossary of key words and concepts. The result is an unmatched introduction to this powerful method of managing emotions and handling life's situations, from the most ordinary to the most demanding. ...Show more

How to Die: An Ancient Guide to the End of Life by Seneca; James S. Romm (Editor, Introduction by)

$37.99 AUD

Category: Philosophy | Series: Ancient Wisdom for Modern Readers Ser.

"It takes an entire lifetime to learn how to die," wrote the Roman Stoic philosopher Seneca (c. 4 BC-65 AD). He counseled readers to "study death always," and took his own advice, returning to the subject again and again in all his writings, yet he never treated it in a complete work. How to Die gathers in one volume, for the first time, Seneca's remarkable meditations on death and dying. Edited and translated by James S. Romm, How to Die reveals a provocative thinker and dazzling writer who speaks with a startling frankness about the need to accept death or even, under certain conditions, to seek it out.Seneca believed that life is only a journey toward death and that one must rehearse for death throughout life. Here, he tells us how to practice for death, how to die well, and how to understand the role of a good death in a good life. He stresses the universality of death, its importance as life's final rite of passage, and its ability to liberate us from pain, slavery, or political oppression.Featuring beautifully rendered new translations, How to Die also includes an enlightening introduction, notes, the original Latin texts, and an epilogue presenting Tacitus's description of Seneca's grim suicide. ...Show more

How to Grow Old: Ancient Wisdom for the Second Half of Life by Marcus Tullius Cicero; Philip Freeman (Introduction by, Translator)

$39.99 AUD

Category: Philosophy | Series: Ancient Wisdom for Modern Readers Ser.

Worried that old age will inevitably mean losing your libido, your health, and possibly your marbles too? Well, Cicero has some good news for you. In How to Grow Old, the great Roman orator and statesman eloquently describes how you can make the second half of life the best part of all-and why you might discover that reading and gardening are actually far more pleasurable than sex ever was. Filled with timeless wisdom and practical guidance, Cicero's brief, charming classic-written in 44 BC and originally titled On Old Age-has delighted and inspired readers, from Saint Augustine to Thomas Jefferson, for more than two thousand years. Presented here in a lively new translation with an informative new introduction and the original Latin on facing pages, the book directly addresses the greatest fears of growing older and persuasively argues why these worries are greatly exaggerated-or altogether mistaken. Montaigne said Cicero's book "gives one an appetite for growing old." The American founding father John Adams read it repeatedly in his later years. And today its lessons are more relevant than ever in a world obsessed with the futile pursuit of youth. ...Show more

How to Win an Argument: An Ancient Guide to the Art of Persuasion by Marcus Tullius Cicero; James A. May

$39.99 AUD

Category: Philosophy | Series: Ancient Wisdom for Modern Readers Ser.

All of us are faced countless times with the challenge of persuading others, whether we're trying to win a trivial argument with a friend or convince our coworkers about an important decision. Instead of relying on untrained instinct-and often failing as a result-we'd win more arguments if we learned th e timeless art of verbal persuasion, rhetoric. How to Win an Argument gathers the rhetorical wisdom of Cicero from across his works and combines it with passages from his legal and political speeches to show his powerful techniques in action. The result is an enlightening and practical introduction to the secrets of persuasive speaking and writing-including strategies that are just as effective in today's offices, schools, courts, and political debates as they were in the Roman forum.How to Win an Argument addresses proof based on rational argumentation, character, and emotion; the parts of speech; the plain, middle, and grand styles; how to persuade no matter what audience or circumstances you face; and more. Astonishingly relevant, this anthology of Cicero's rhetorical and oratorical wisdom will be enjoyed by anyone who ever needs to win arguments and influence people. ...Show more

Master and Commander (Aubrey / Maturin #1) by Patrick O'Brian

$19.99 AUD

Category: Philosophy | Series: Aubrey/Maturin series

Set sail for the read of your life ...Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey-Maturin tales are widely acknowledged to be the greatest series of historical novels ever written. Master and Commander is the first of Patrick O'Brian's now famous Aubrey/Maturin novels, regarded by many as the greatest series of historical novels ever written. It establishes the friendship between Captain Jack Aubrey RN and Stephen Maturin, who becomes his secretive ship's surgeon and an intelligence agent. It contains all the action and excitement which could possibly be hoped for in a historical novel, but it also displays the qualities which have put O'Brian far ahead of any of his competitors: his depiction of the detail of life aboard a Nelsonic man-of-war, of weapons, food, conversation and ambience, of the landscape and of the sea. O'Brian's portrayal of each of these is faultless and the sense of period throughout is acute. His power of characterisation is above all masterly. This brilliant historical novel marked the debut of a writer who grew into one of our greatest novelists ever, the author of what Alan Judd, writing in the Sunday Times, has described as 'the most significant extended story since Anthony Powell's A Dance to the Music of Time'. ...Show more