Armchair Fiction presents extra large editions of classic science fiction double novels. The first novel, “A God Named Smith” is a brilliant essay of the future by renown sci-fi author, Henry Slesar. The kind of people that Smith wanted for his new world was simple: If you believe you have supe¬rior and/or mental capabili¬ties, and are interested in joining other men and women of your caliber in the most important enterprise of hu¬man history, you are invited to write for full details con¬cerning the establishment of a new planetary home for the human race. This is an un¬precedented opportunity to begin life anew on a better world: a world without fault and without end, where Nature is subservient to Man, and Man subservient to God; where beauty and perfection are more important than hate or lust; where Man can live in peace and harmony and eternal Truth. The only problem was that Smith turned out to be something less than a benevolent ruler. The second novel, “Worlds of the Imperium,” is by another great sci-fi veteran, Keith Laumer. It was high intrigue in an alternate universe. For Brion Bayard, the discovery of an alternate world to Earth, where history took a different turn in the road, was not a pleasant experience. When he was kidnapped kicking and screaming, it brought him some startling revelations. Here was a world in which there were identical double personages—¬including a dangerous and most hated dictator named…Brion Bayard! His assignment seemed simple enough. Dressed as the dictator’s double, Brion was to enter the enemy stronghold, kill the dictator, and take his place until law and order could be maintained. Unfortunately, assassination attempts are a mighty tricky deal and things do not always go as planned…

The twentieth century was awash in war. World powers were pouring men and machines onto the killing fields of Europe. Then, in one dramatic stroke, a divided planet was changed forever. An alien race attacked Earth, and for every nation, every human being, new battle lines were drawn. . HOMEWARD BOUND With his epic novels of alternate history, Harry Turtledove shares a stunning vision of what might have been–and what might still be–if one moment in history were changed. In the WorldWar and Colonization series, an ancient, highly advanced alien species found itself locked in a bitter struggle with a distant, rebellious planet–Earth. For those defending the Earth, this all-out war for survival supercharged human technology, made friends of foes, and turned allies into bitter enemies. For the aliens known as the Race, the conflict has yielded dire consequences. Mankind has developed nuclear technology years ahead of schedule, forcing the invaders to accept an uneasy truce with nations that possess the technology to defend themselves. But it is the Americans, with their primitive inventiveness, who discover a way to launch themselves through distant space–and reach the Race’s home planet itself. Now–in the twenty-first century–a few daring men and women embark upon a journey no human has made before. Warriors, diplomats, traitors, and exiles–the humans who arrive in the place called Home find themselves genuine strangers on a strange world, and at the center of a flash point with terrifying potential. For their arrival on the alien home world may drive the enemy to make the ultimate decision–to annihilate an entire planet, rather than allow the human contagion to spread. It may be that nothing can deter them from this course. With its extraordinary cast of characters–human, nonhuman, and some in between– Homeward Bound is a fascinating contemplation of cultures, armies, and individuals in collision. From the novelist USA Today calls “the leading author of alternate history,” this is a novel of vision, adventure, and constant, astounding surprise.

Drawn to an image of her great-grandfather's ornately carved cane, scholar Elisa New embarked on a journey to discover the origins of her precious family heirloom. Treading back across the paths of her ancestors, she travels from Baltimore to the Baltic to London in order to find and understand an immigrant world profoundly affected by modern German culture, from the Enlightenment through the Holocaust. Deeply ambitious in its narrative sweep, Jacob's Cane captures the rich texture of life on several continents as New's family searches to establish itself in the tobacco trade. A fascinating history of one family's story of progress, innovation, and struggle, Jacob's Cane will change the way we think about the Jewish American experience.

In the fall of 1965 the Israeli newspaper Haaretz sent a young journalist named Elie Wiesel to the Soviet Union to report on the lives of Jews trapped behind the Iron Curtain. “I would approach Jews who had never been placed in the Soviet show window by Soviet authorities,” wrote Wiesel. “They alone, in their anonymity, could describe the conditions under which they live; they alone could tell whether the reports I had heard were true or false—and whether their children and their grandchildren, despite everything, still wish to remain Jews. From them I would learn what we must do to help . . . or if they want our help at all.” What he discovered astonished him: Jewish men and women, young and old, in Moscow, Kiev, Leningrad, Vilna, Minsk, and Tbilisi, completely cut off from the outside world, overcoming their fear of the ever-present KGB to ask Wiesel about the lives of Jews in America, in Western Europe, and, most of all, in Israel. They have scant knowledge of Jewish history or current events; they celebrate Jewish holidays at considerable risk and with only the vaguest ideas of what these days commemorate. “Most of them come [to synagogue] not to pray,” Wiesel writes, “but out of a desire to identify with the Jewish people—about whom they know next to nothing.” Wiesel promises to bring the stories of these people to the outside world. And in the home of one dissident, he is given a gift—a Russian-language translation of Night, published illegally by the underground. “‘My God,’ I thought, ‘this man risked arrest and prison just to make my writing available to people here!’ I embraced him with tears in my eyes.”

"Imagine having the entire Jewish people over for dinner--and hosting a raucous, creative, riveting debate about their collective future. Jewish Priorities offers, for the first time, a wide-ranging, ambitious, and genuinely "pan-Jewish" conversation. Encompassing more than sixty top authors from around the Jewish world--Israelis and Diaspora writers; younger influencers and veteran opinion leaders; rabbinic and communal leaders, journalists and scholars, and literary and cultural figures, ranging from secular to ultra-Orthodox--each contributor offers a different priority for the Jewish people. In the process, Jewish Priorities captures the tremendous breadth, depth, and passionate commitment that has long defined this unique community in history. These essays are all original and come from some of our greatest luminaries--thought leaders like Natan Sharansky, Dara Horn, Yossi Klein Halevi, Ruth Wisse, Shaul Magid, David Wolpe, Fania Oz-Salzberger, and many more. Their topics vary widely, from Zionism and antisemitism to education and philanthropy; from the Holocaust to Jewish intimacy; from the quest for God to the failure of Jewish institutions, to the best way to study the Torah in an age of viral videos. Jewish Priorities offers an unprecedented snapshot of the cultural, political, and religious currents driving an entire generation of Jews--but also the deepest aspirations and dreams of this beautiful, unique people at a pivotal moment in our history."

Traces the history of the chess world championship, and analyzes the twenty-four games of the 1986 match between the world champion, Anatoly Karpov, and his challenger, Gary Kasparov

Carl Djerassi, world famous for the first synthesis of the active progestational ingredient of the Pill, speaks out on a wide variety of topics in this captivating book. Djerassi's personal growth from laboratory scientist to spokesman on scientific issues as well as the myriad ways that developments in the laboratory can affect people all over the world are presented in this engaging collection of essays. Djerassi's starting point is the Pill; he describes the history of its development and its future in view of the public's unattainable desire for a risk-free Pill, special testing requirements, and the unfavorable climate for contraception research. From contraceptives, Djerassi broadens his scope to include the entire area of birth control and gives his opinions on factors influencing abortion, the relationship of abortion to the availability of contraceptives, the problem of teenage pregnancy in the United States, the need for chemical abortion inducers, and the possibilities for a male contraceptive agent. He also delves into the reasons why Orwellian approaches to birth control, such as adding contraceptives to the water supply, will not work. From this point, Djerassi branches out even further to discuss the danger of extrapolating animal toxicity studies to humans. He examines the multifaceted role of the pharmaceutical industry in bringing a new drug to market and focuses on the deleterious effects of over-regulation, inappropriate testing requirements, and litigation. He proposes changes that the FDA should make in approval procedures and stresses the need for an appeal procedure. He emphasizes the necessity of doing collaborative research with Third World countries and thedesirability of establishing centers for basic research. But Djerassi's interests are still wider. He informs us on topics as varied as insect control, pesticide development, why there are not more women in academia, and how improved mentoring could be a remedy for preventing ethical misconduct among scientists. He describes his use of fiction to explain the culture of scientists by way of a literary medium that he calls "science-in-fiction". Finally, he discusses the pleasures of collecting art, his collection of the works of Paul Klee, and his sponsorship of artists through the Djerassi Resident Artists Program. In this intriguing book, this very learned and cultured man shows us the breadth of his interests and knowledge. Anyone who is interested in the very important issues of our time will profit from and enjoy this book.

Four systems -- politico-philosophical systems -- compete for our allegiance: -- Socialist Democracy -- Individualist Democracy -- Fascism -- Communism In this book a persuasive case is made in defense of each of these four systems in turn. The most effective presentation of any argument will always be made by one who is himself convinced of its validity, one who is confident that the world-view he puts forward gives the truest and deepest account of human life and government. This understanding -- that every system best speaks for itself -- is the fundament of this book. The account of each philosophical system is here presented in the persuasive voice of its ardent advocate. These are modern arguments formulated in contemporary language; each is presented by a knowledgeable thinker from within the system he defends, applied to human circumstances as actually experienced today. Socialist Democracy is the first system defended. Its realization of the will of the people, and its protection of the interests of all citizens is recounted. Parks and industries, health care and national infrastructure (it is argued) can be given the development and care they deserve only when the people address their common needs as a community, conscious of their social unity. Individualist democracy is next defended, its advocate pointing to the fundamental place of the particular human beings of whom society consists. The equal rights of individuals, the freedom of persons to live their own lives in their own way without the interference of governments, are defended as the theoretical core of democracy. Fascism, the third system, begins with the understanding that the equality democrats claim to prize is a myth. The real social world is a great natural hierarchy, an organic whole, a transcendent system of classes and authorities within which each human life can achieve its full significance. Communism, the fourth system, approaches society as a system in progress, a dynamic and developing system, rather than a static, pre-existing whole. It gives full recognition to process and to growth, to the history of human communities, the dialectical conflict of classes within them, and the eventual commanding place of laboring men and women.

This landmark book probes Muslims' attitudes toward Jews and Judaism as a special case of their view of other religious minorities in predominantly Muslim societies. With authority, sympathy and wit, Bernard Lewis demolishes two competing stereotypes: the Islamophobic picture of the fanatical Muslim warrior, sword in one hand and Qur'ān in the other, and the overly romanticized depiction of Muslim societies as interfaith utopias. Featuring a new introduction by Mark R. Cohen, this Princeton Classics edition sets the Judaeo-Islamic tradition against a vivid background of Jewish and Islamic history. For those wishing a concise overview of the long period of Jewish-Muslim relations, The Jews of Islam remains an essential starting point.

In this brilliant, epigrammatic book, the eminent psychoanalyst Adam Phillips and the social historian Barbara Taylor examine the terrors of kindness and return to the reader the intense satisfactions of generosity and compassion. Kindness is the foundation of the world's great religions and most-enduring philosophies. Why, then, does being kind feel so dangerous? If we crave kindness with such intensity, why is it often the last pleasure we permit ourselves? And why—despite our longing—are we often suspicious when we are on the receiving end of it? Drawing on intellectual history, literature, psychoanalysis, and contemporary social theory, this brief and essential book will return to its readers what Marcus Aurelius declared was mankind's "greatest delight": the intense satisfactions of generosity and compassion.

In this dramatic new perspective on international affairs, Richard N. Haass, one of the country's most brilliant analysts and able foreign policy practitioners, argues that it is hard to overstate the significance of there being no major power conflict in the world. America's great military, economic, and political power discourages traditional challenges; no ideological fault line divides the world into warring blocs. India, China, Japan, Russia, and Europe all seek a prolonged period of stability that would support economic growth. The opportunity thus exists for unprecedented cooperation among the major powers. This is good, because they share vulnerabilities. Globalization, which promotes trade and investment and eases travel and communication, also facilitates the spread of viruses (human and computer alike), weapons, terrorists, greenhouse gases, and drugs. And the United States, for all its strength, cannot defeat these threats alone. But opportunity is not inevitability. The question is whether the United States will be able to integrate other countries into global efforts against terrorism, the spread of nuclear weapons, genocide, and protectionist policies that jeopardize global economic prosperity. This compelling book explains why it must and how it can.

Presents brief biographical portraits of the 106 recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize during its 100-year history.

A concise history of the Russian Revolution.

This classic text outlines the development of the Papacy as an institution in the Middle Ages. With profound knowledge, insight and sophistication, Walter Ullmann traces the course of papal history from the late Roman Empire to its eventual decline in the Renaissance. The focus of this survey is on the institution and the idea of papacy rather than individual figures, recognizing the shaping power of the popes' roles that made them outstanding personalities. The transpersonal idea, Ullmann argues, sprang from Christianity itself and led to the Papacy as an institution sui generis<

Assassinations, bombings, hijackings, diplomatic kidnappings-terrorism is the most publicized form of political violence. The history of terrorism goes back a very long time, but the very fact that there is such a history has frequently been ignored, even suppressed. This may be because terrorism has not appeared with equal intensity at all times. When terrorism reappeared in the late twentieth century after a period of relative calm, there was the tendency to regard it as a new phenomenon, without precedent. The psychological study of terrorism has never been much in fashion. But this neglect has left a number of crucial questions unanswered. Among these are why some people who share the same convictions turn to terrorism and others do not. What is terrorism's true impact on international politics? What influence might it exert in the future? A History of Terrorism completes Walter Laqueur's pioneering and authoritative study of guerilla warfare and terrorist activity. He charts the history of political terror from nineteenth-century Europe, through the anarchists of the 1880s and 1890s, the left- and right-wing clashes during the twentieth century, and the multinational operations of Arab and other groups today. Laqueur examines the sociology of terrorism: funding, intelligence gathering, weapons and tactics, informers and countermeasures, and the crucial role of the media. He probes the "terrorist personality" and how terrorists have been depicted in literature and films. The doctrine of systematic terrorism and current interpretations of terrorism, its common patterns, motives, and aims, are unflinchingly faced and clearly explicated. Finally, Laqueur considers the effectiveness of terrorism and examines the ominous possibility of nuclear blackmail. Challenging accepted assumptions, forecasting the changes in terrorist activity that will affect tomorrow's headlines, Walter Laqueur demystifies terrorism without belittling its importance. Together with its companion volume, Guerrilla Warfare , also available from Transaction, A History of Terrorism is an essential tool for assessing and understanding this all-too-often sensationalized modern expression of extreme political action.

The dual purpose of this book is to describe the greatest period of Greek history in all its aspects, political and military as well as economic and cultural, and to take into account the uncertainties of modern scholarship.

Jeremy Corbyn's leadership of the Labour Party has given hope to millions of Labour supporters who were deeply disillusioned by Blair's New Labour. Corbyn stands for opposition to war and neo-liberalism but the Labour Party itself is deeply divided, with many in its parliamentary leadership openly opposed to the hopes of its new mass membership. Can the Labour Party become the vehicle for socialism in Britain? This path breaking Marxist history of the British Labour Party was first published in 1988. This new and updated third edition contains additional chapters on New Labour and Labour Under Corbyn.

This is the first and probably still the best history of russian and polish jews. Written in russian before the WWI it did appear in english in three volumes in 1916, 1918 and 1920. translated from the Russian by I. Friedlaender; with a biographical essay, new introd., and Outline of the history of Russian and Soviet Jewry, 1912-1974, by Leon Shapiro 1975, c1916-1920. Physical Description: 3 v. in 2 v. 1. From the beginning until the death of Alexander I (1825). From the death of Alexander I until the death of Alexander III (1825-1894). -v. 2. From the accession of Nicholas II until the present day, with bibliography and index.

This new volume in the Best American History Essays series brings together classic writing from top American historians on one of our greatest presidents. Ranging from incisive assessments of his political leadership, to explorations of his enigmatic character, to reflections on the mythos that has become inseparable from the man, each of these contributions expands our understanding of Abraham Lincoln and shows why he has been such an object of enduring fascination. Contributions include:* James McPherson on Lincoln the military strategist* Richard Hofstadter on the Lincoln legend* Edmund Wilson on his contribution to American letters* John Hope Franklin on the Emancipation Proclamation* James Horton on Lincoln and race* David M. Potter on the secession* Richard Current on Lincoln's political genius* Mark Neely on Lincoln and civil liberties

This is a source book unique in its scope, clarity, and general interest. Its 116 excerpts range in time from Epicurus (ca. 300 B.C.) to the turn of the twentieth century and sometimes, when continuity requires, a little beyond (as to K. S. Lashley, 1929). It includes excerpts from Kepler (1604) on the inverted retinal image, Descartes (1650) on the soul's interaction with the machine of the body, Newton (1675) on the seven colors of the spectrum, Locke (1700) on association of ideas, Whytt (1751) on the spinal reflex, Weber (1834) on Weber's law, Darwin (1859) on evolution, Sechenov (1863) on reflexology, Hughlings Jackson (1884) on nervous dissolution, William James (1890) on associationism, Thorndike, Pavlov, Wertheimer, Watson, and 70 other great figures in the history of psychology. Arranged by topic rather than in the usual strict chronological order, each of the first fourteen chapters traces the development of one important subject in experimental and quantitative psychology. The final chapter discusses the history of thinking about the nature of psychology itself. The editors provide an introduction to each chapter and each excerpt, indicating the significance of the content to follow and establishing historical continuity.