Greek philosopher and scientist, Aristotle, lived in the 4th century B.C. and is thought of as one of the most important figures from classical antiquity. Aristotle was probably the most famous member of Plato's Academy in Athens, whose writings would ultimately form the first comprehensive system of Western philosophy. His writings were not constrained to simply one field of inquiry but covered such various subjects as physics, biology, metaphysics,...

In Maps of the Imagination, Peter Turchi posits the idea that maps help people understand where they are in the world in the same way that literature, whether realistic or experimental, attempts to explain human realities. The author explores how writers and cartographers use many of the same devices for plotting and executing their work, making crucial decisions about what to include and what to leave out, in order to get from here to there, without...

We read novels for entertainment. But we also read to learn about life and about ourselves. Read at the right moment in your life, a powerful novel can, quite literally, change it. Here, at last, is a delightful, witty reference book that enables us to harness that power. To create it, the authors of The Novel Cure have trawled two thousand years of literature for novels that effectively promote happiness, health, and sanity. Arranged alphabetically,...

Dr. Coles shows how the work of writers, artists, and thinkers of the past two centuries can inspire our own reflections on our daily lives. He offers a compelling call to venture outside our own selves and lives and to listen, attentively and with growing humanity, to the way others get through life, and he encourages us to examine our own character, kindness, and complexity by studying the wisdom of authors from Charles Dickens to Flannery O'Connor,...

A collection of interviews in which eight writers of contemporary fiction and poetry discuss their lives, inspirations, and careers.