内容简介 本书是关于我们如何从科学的视角重新认识这个世界的科普读物，阐述了宇宙、世界、生命科学视角下，对世界本源的认识，并结合生物学、数学、物理学和计算机科学知识，更加细致入微地解释我们观察到的世界中的各类现象。 在这本书中，作者希望表明我们的宇宙不仅仅是一座没有生命、毫无意义的数学机器。在我们真正了解意识和人类思想的奇迹之前，我们能真正了解宇宙吗？为了做到这一点，作者超越了物理世界去寻找答案。对于对生命、宇宙和一切事物的深层问题感到好奇的读者来说，《世界本身》是一本必不可少的读物。

In the first thorough account of the complex workingrelationship between Lyndon Baines Johnson and Martin Luther King,Jr., Pulitzer Prizewinning journalist Nick Kotz offers anengrossing investigation of a little-known element of the Johnsonpresidency. Tracing both leaders' paths, from Johnson's assumptionof the presidency in 1963 to King's assassination in 1968, Kotzdescribes how they formed a wary alliance that would becomeinstrumental in producing some of the most substantial civil rightslegislation in American history: the Civil Rights Act of 1964 andthe Voting Rights Act of 1965. Drawing on a wealth of newlyavailable sourcesJohnson's taped telephone conversations,voluminous FBI wiretap logs, and secret communications between FBIdirector J. Edgar Hoover and the presidentKotz examines the forcesthat drew the charismatic men together and those that eventuallydrove them apart. Kotz's focused and incisive examinationsignificantly enriches our understanding of both men.

The pleasure of reading the Education," wrote Alfred Kazin,"is the pleasure of reading a work of literature made up,literally, from historical facts . . . It is the pleasure of seeinghistory come alive, of seeing it move, of seeing behind history tothe actions and actors. It is the pleasure of seeing revealed thehumanity so often concealed in history. His political ideals shaped by two presidentialancestors--great-grandfather John Adams and grandfather John QuincyAdams--Henry Adams was one of the most powerful and original mindsto confront the American scene from the Civil War to the FirstWorld War. Privately printed in 1907 and published to wide acclaimshortly after the author's death in 1918, Adams's Education is lessa memoir and more a work of brilliant history which charts thegreat transformation in nineteenth-century American intellectuallife. A work of profound lyricism, enormous humanity, andremarkable prescience, The Education of Henry Adams presents aworld poised between the certainties

Howard Zinn, author of A People's History of the UnitedStates, tells his personal stories about more than thirty years offighting for social change, from teaching at Spelman College torecent protests against war. A former bombardier in WWII, Zinn emerged in the civil rightsmovement as a powerful voice for justice. Although he's a fiercecritic, he gives us reason to hope that by learning from historyand engaging politically, we can make a difference in theworld.

Hiroshima is the story of six human beings who lived throughthe greatest single manmade disaster in history. With what BruceBliven called "the simplicity of genius," John Hersey tells whatthese six -- a clerk, a widowed seamstress, a physician, aMethodist minister, a young surgeon, and a German Catholic priest-- were doing at 8:15 a.m. on August 6, 1945, when Hiroshima wasdestroyed by the first atomic bomb ever dropped on a city. Then hefollows the course of their lives hour by hour, day by day.

This book reformulates thesociological subdiscipline known as the sociology ofknowledge. Knowledge is presented as more than ideology,including as well false consciousness, propaganda,science and art.

First published in 1967, Writing and Difference, a collection of Jacques Derrida's essays written between 1959 and 1966, has become a landmark of contemporary French thought. In it we find Derrida at work on his systematic deconstruction of Western metaphysics. The book's first half, which includes the celebrated essay on Descartes and Foucault, shows the development of Derrida's method of deconstruction. In these essays, Derrida demonstrates the traditional nature of some purportedly nontraditional currents of modern thought—one of his main targets being the way in which "structuralism" unwittingly repeats metaphysical concepts in its use of linguistic models. The second half of the book contains some of Derrida's most compelling analyses of why and how metaphysical thinking must exclude writing from its conception of language, finally showing metaphysics to be constituted by this exclusion. These essays on Artaud, Freud, Bataille, Hegel, and Lévi-Strauss have served as introductions to Derrida's no

By virtue of its casual, off-handedly brilliant wisdom and theeasy splendor of its nature writing, Thoreau’s account of hisadventure in self-reliance on the shores of a pond in Massachusettsis one of the signposts by which the modern mind has located itselfin an increasingly bewildering world. Deeply sane, invigorating inits awareness of humanity’s place in the moral and natural order,Walden represents the progressive spirit of nineteenth-centuryAmerica at its eloquent best.

From an elite Special Operations physical trainer, aningeniously simple, rapid-results, do-anywhere program for gettinginto amazing shape For men and women of all athletic abilities! As the demand for Special Operations military forces has grownover the last decade, elite trainer Mark Lauren has been at thefront lines of preparing nearly one thousand soldiers, getting themlean and strong in record time. Now, for regular Joes and Janes, heshares the secret to his amazingly effective regimen—simpleexercises that require nothing more than the resistance of your ownbodyweight to help you reach the pinnacle of fitness and lookbetter than ever before. Armed with Mark Lauren’s motivation techniques, expert training,and nutrition advice, you’ll see rapid results by working out justthirty minutes a day, four times a week—whether in your livingroom, yard, garage, hotel room, or office. Lauren’s exercises buildmore metabolism-enhancing muscle than weightlifting, burn more fatthan aerob

Can we understand important social issues by studyingindividual personalities and decisions? Or are societies somehowmore than the people in them? Sociologists have long believed thatpsychology can't explain what happens when people work together incomplex modern societies. In contrast, most psychologists andeconomists believe that if we have an accurate theory of howindividuals make choices and act on them, we can explain prettymuch everything about social life. Social Emergence takes a newapproach to these longstanding questions. Sawyer argues thatsocieties are complex dynamical systems, and that the best way toresolve these debates is by developing the concept of emergence,focusing on multiple levels of analysis - individuals,interactions, and groups - and with a dynamic focus on how socialgroup phenomena emerge from communication processes amongindividual members. This book makes a unique contribution not onlyto complex systems research but also to social theory.

A New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, WashingtonPost, Boston Globe, San Francisco Chronicle, Los Angeles Times, andDenver Post Bestseller In 1925, the legendary British explorer Percy Fawcett venturedinto the Amazon jungle, in search of a fabled civilization. Henever returned. Over the years countless perished trying to findevidence of his party and the place he called “The Lost City of Z.”In this masterpiece of narrative nonfiction, journalist David Granninterweaves the spellbinding stories of Fawcett’s quest for “Z” andhis own journey into the deadly jungle, as he unravels the greatestexploration mystery of the twentieth century.

Book De*ion Amoral, cunning, ruthless, and instructive, this piercing work distills three thousand years of the history of power in to forty-eight well explicated laws. As attention--grabbing in its design as it is in its content, this bold volume outlines the laws of power in their unvarnished essence, synthesizing the philosophies of Machiavelli, Sun-tzu, Carl von Clausewitz, and other great thinkers. Some laws teach the need for prudence ("Law 1: Never Outshine the Master"), the virtue of stealth ("Law 3: Conceal Your Intentions"), and many demand the total absence of mercy ("Law 15: Crush Your Enemy Totally"), but like it or not, all have applications in real life. Illustrated through the tactics of Queen Elizabeth I, Henry Kissinger, P. T. Barnum, and other famous figures who have wielded--or been victimized by--power, these laws will fascinate any reader interested in gaining, observing, or defending against ultimate control.

If you’ve been struggling with your weight, you know how hard itcan be to lose those extra pounds and keep them off. In thegroundbreaking Think Thin, Be Thin , nationally prominentpsychotherapist Doris Wild Helmering and award-winning healthwriter Dianne Hales assert that the true key to a healthy bodyweight is a healthy attitude toward food and exercise. Their logicis simple: Your brain ultimately controls what you eat and whetheryou work out. If you change the way you think, you can change theway you behave. And you can lose weight. Using proven psychological strategies and scientifically basedexercises, you will learn how to harness your thoughts to transformyour behavior, body, and life. With practical advice on suchtroublesome issues as curbing emotional eating, motivating yourselfto exercise, and overcoming diet plateaus, this book is the idealcomplement to any diet and weight-loss program.

In 1960 the government of Trinidad invited V. S. Naipaul torevisit his native country and record his impressions. In thisclassic of modern travel writing he has created a deft andremarkably prescient portrait of Trinidad and four adjacentCaribbean societies–countries haunted by the legacies of slaveryand colonialism and so thoroughly defined by the norms of Empirethat they can scarcely believe that the Empire is ending. In The Middle Passage , Naipaul watches a Trinidadian movieaudience greeting Humphrey Bogart’s appearance with cries of “Thatis man!” He ventures into a Trinidad slum so insalubrious that thelocals call it the Gaza Strip. He follows a racially chargedelection campaign in British Guiana (now Guyana) and marvels at theGallic pretension of Martinique society, which maintains thefiction that its roads are extensions of France’s routesnationales. And throughout he relates the ghastly episodes ofthe region’s colonial past and shows how they continue to informits language, politics, a

The brutal lynching of two young black men in Marion, Indiana,on August 7, 1930, cast a shadow over the town that still lingers.It is only one event in the long and complicated history of racerelations in Marion, a history much ignored and considered by manyto be best forgotten. But the lynching cannot be forgotten. It istoo much a part of the fabric of Marion, too much ingrained evennow in the minds of those who live there. In Our Town journalist Cynthia Carr explores the issues of race, loyalty, andmemory in America through the lens of a specific hate crime thatoccurred in Marion but could have happened anywhere. Marion is our town, America’s town, and its legacy is ourlegacy. Like everyone in Marion, Carr knew the basic details of thelynching even as a child: three black men were arrested forattempted murder and rape, and two of them were hanged in thecourthouse square, a fate the third miraculously escaped. MeetingJames Cameron–the man who’d survived–led her to examine how thequiet Midwestern

In this thought-provoking study, Ali Mirsepassi explores theconcept of modernity, exposing the Eurocentric prejudices andhostility to non-Western culture that have characterized itsdevelopment. Focusing on the Iranian experience of modernity, hecharts its political and intellectual history and develops a newinterpretation of Islamic Fundamentalism through the detailedanalysis of the ideas of key Islamic intellectuals. The authorargues that the Iranian Revolution was not a simple clash betweenmodernity and tradition but an attempt to accommodate modernitywithin a sense of authentic Islamic identity, culture andhistorical experience. He concludes by assessing the future ofsecularism and democracy in the Middle East in general, and in Iranin particular. A significant contribution to the literature onmodernity, social change and Islamic Studies, this book will beessential reading for scholars and students of social theory andchange, Middle Eastern Studies, Cultural Studies and many relatedareas.

From an award-winning New York Times investigative reportercomes an outrageous story of greed, corruption, andconspiracy—which left the FBI and Justice Department counting onthe cooperation of one man . . . It was one of the FBI's biggest secrets: a senior executive withAmerica's most politically powerful corporation, Archer DanielsMidland, had become a confidential government witness, secretlyrecording a vast criminal conspiracy spanning five continents. MarkWhitacre, the promising golden boy of ADM, had put his career andfamily at risk to wear a wire and deceive his friends andcolleagues. Using Whitacre and a small team of agents to tap intothe secrets at ADM, the FBI discovered the company's scheme tosteal millions of dollars from its own customers. But as the FBI and federal prosecutors closed in on ADM, usingstakeouts, wiretaps, and secret recordings of illegal meetingsaround the world, they suddenly found that everything was not allthat it appeared. At the same time Whitacre was coo

Following up on The Power of Nice, agent-attorney Shapiro andfellow negotiator Jankowski reiterate that book's tenets:Neutralize your emotions and stay rational; Identify the type ofdifficult person; Control the encounter; and Explore options. Usingexamples from their own lives as well as pop culture, they offeranecdotes and tips for analysis. The "situationally difficult"person may be temporarily overreacting, so empathy can be a sureroad to cordial defusion. The "strategically difficult" arecalculating (passive-aggressive, take it or leave it, etc.), butcan be countered if you pleasantly, even humorously make them awareyou're onto their game. The "simply difficult," using power as animperative (irrational, bullying, duplicitous, etc.) are thetoughest, but those facing them must recognize their ownpower—including the option to just walk away, a decision that mustbe approached carefully. While the title may be the best thingabout the book, its tips on steering toward win-win situations aremore than p

What you need to know to have the best birth experience foryou. Drawing upon her thirty-plus years of experience, Ina May Gaskin,the nation’s leading midwife, shares the benefits and joys ofnatural childbirth by showing women how to trust in the ancientwisdom of their bodies for a healthy and fulfilling birthingexperience. Based on the female-centered Midwifery Model of Care,Ina May’s Guide to Natural Childbirth gives expectant motherscomprehensive information on everything from the all-importantmind-body connection to how to give birth without technologicalintervention. Filled with inspiring birth stories and practical advice, thisinvaluable resource includes:? Reducing the pain of labor withoutdrugs--and the miraculous roles touch and massage play ? What really happens during labor ? Orgasmic birth--making birth pleasurable ? Episiotomy--is it really necessary? ? Common methods of inducing labor--and which to avoid at allcosts ? Tips for maximizing your c

Physical play - what some might call roughhousing - is beingmarginalized. Gym classes are getting shorter. Recess periods arebeing eliminated. Some new schools don't even have playgrounds. ButDrs. Anthony T. DeBenedet and Lawrence Cohen are here to shakethings up-literally! "The Art of Roughhousing" teaches parents howrough - and -tumble play can nurture close connections, solvebehavior problems, boost confidence, and more. Drawing fromgymnastics, martial arts, ballet, traditional sports, and evenanimal behavior, the authors present fifty illustrated activitiesfor children and parents to enjoy together - everything from theSumo Deadlift to the Rogue Dumbo. Arriving just in time forFather's Day, "The Art of Roughhousing" is the perfect gift forrowdy dads everywhere.

In May 1787, in an atmosphere of crisis, delegates met inPhiladelphia to design a radically new form of government.Distinguished historian Richard Beeman captures as never before thedynamic of the debate and the characters of the men who laboredthat historic summer. Virtually all of the issues in dispute—theextent of presidential power, the nature of federalism, and, mostexplosive of all, the role of slavery—have continued to provokeconflict throughout our nation's history. This unprecedented booktakes readers behind the scenes to show how the world's mostenduring constitution was forged through conflict, compromise, andfragile consensus. As Gouverneur Morris, delegate of Pennsylvania,noted: "While some have boasted it as a work from Heaven, othershave given it a less righteous origin. I have many reasons tobelieve that it is the work of plain, honest men."

An unprecedented account of life in Baghdad’s Green Zone, awalled-off enclave of towering plants, posh villas, and sparklingswimming pools that was the headquarters for the Americanoccupation of Iraq. The Washington Post’s former Baghdad bureau chief RajivChandrasekaran takes us with him into the Zone: into a bubble, cutoff from wartime realities, where the task of reconstructing adevastated nation competed with the distractions of a LittleAmerica—a half-dozen bars stocked with cold beer, a disco wherewomen showed up in hot pants, a movie theater that screenedshoot-’em-up films, an all-you-could-eat buffet piled high withpork, a shopping mall that sold pornographic movies, a parking lotfilled with shiny new SUVs, and a snappy dry-cleaning service—muchof it run by Halliburton. Most Iraqis were barred from entering theEmerald City for fear they would blow it up. Drawing on hundreds of interviews and internal documents,Chandrasekaran tells the story of the people and id

“Pekar has proven that comics can address the ambiguities ofdaily living, that like the finest fiction, they can hold a mirrorup to life.” –The New York Times For years Heather Roberson, a passionate peace activist, hasargued that war can always be avoided. But she has repeatedly facedcounterarguments that fighting is an inescapable consequence ofworld conflicts. Indeed, Heather finds proving her point to be alittle tricky without examples to bolster her case. So she doessomething a little crazy: She sets out for far-off Macedonia, alandlocked country north of Greece and west of Bulgaria, to explorea region that has edged–repeatedly–close to the brink of violence,only to refrain. In the process–and as vividly portrayed by the talented duo ofHarvey Pekar and Ed Piskor–Heather is tangled in red tape, rippedoff by cabdrivers and hotel clerks, hit on by creepy guys, secretlyphotographed, and mistaken for a spy. She also creates unlikelyfriendships, learns that getting lost m