William Fishman traces the lives and ideology of the leaders of the French Revolution, Marat, Robespierre and Blanqui, their influence on Karl Marx and, finally, their influence on Lenin and the Russian Revolution.

Detective Sam Birge investigates a strangely unnecessary murder at a Midwestern resort and gradually unravels a many-layered tragedy

What is a "holy woman," or a holy man for that matter? According to the Jewish mystics, a holy person is someone who has not lost the holiness that every baby is born with. A holy person is someone who fulfills it. Stories about Jewish holy women have rarely been collected in such an engaging and entertaining form. The tales display a specifically female Jewish spirituality, giving us a peek into a world of devotional beauty that focuses on kindness. These stories of laughter and tears, humility and bravery, striving and trance, have an appeal spanning the denominational spectrum: they are spiritual nourishment for the soul. The rabbis say there are both male and female angels and angels are on earth as well as in heaven. These tales enhance our appreciation of the female angels on earth.

Yitzhak Melamed here offers a new and systematic interpretation of the core of Spinoza's metaphysics. In the first part of the book, he proposes a new reading of the metaphysics of substance in Spinoza: he argues that for Spinoza modes both inhere in and are predicated of God. Using extensive textual evidence, he shows that Spinoza considered modes to be God's propria. He goes on to clarify Spinoza's understanding of infinity, mereological relations, infinite modes, and the flow of finite things from God's essence. In the second part of the book, Melamed relies on this interpretation of the substance-mode relation and the nature of infinite modes and puts forward two interrelated theses about the structure of the attribute of Thought and its overarching role in Spinoza's metaphysics. First, he shows that Spinoza had not one, but two independent doctrines of parallelism. Then, in his final main thesis, Melamed argues that, for Spinoza, ideas have a multifaceted (in fact, infinitely faceted) structure that allows one and the same idea to represent the infinitely many modes which are parallel to it in the infinitely many attributes. Thought turns out to be coextensive with the whole of nature. Spinoza cannot embrace an idealist reduction of Extension to Thought because of his commitment to the conceptual separation of the attributes. Yet, within Spinoza's metaphysics, Thought clearly has primacy over the other attributes insofar as it is the only attribute which is as elaborate, as complex, and, in some senses, as powerful as God.

Shunra is Aramaic for "cat." Schmetterling is German for "butterfly." In Yoel Hoffmann's new book, these and numerous other creatures, cultures, and languages meet in a magical shimmering hymn to childhood. Hoffmann traces his hero's developing consciousness of the ways-and-wonders of the world as though he were peering through a tremendous kaleidoscope: all that was perceived, all that is remembered, is rendered in fluid fragments of color and light. With remarkable delicacy and sweep, Hoffmann captures childhood from the amazed inside out, and without the backward-looking wash of grown-up sentiment. Instead, the boy's deadpan registration of the human comedy around him is offered up as strangely magical fact. Beautifully translated by Peter Cole, The Shunra & the Schmetterling is fiction for lovers of poetry and poetry for lovers of fiction--a small marvel of a book, and one of the author's finest to date.

The rise and fall of the Jews is compressed into the enigmatic character of Ebenezer Schneerson, who has somehow become the final repository of all Jewish culture following the ravages of World War II.

Contemplation is a working method for expanding the mind and deepening one's understanding of Existence. The kabbalistic diagrams called the Tree of Life and Jacob's Ladder set out a metaphysical framework for examining a wide range of themes in this book. As well as considering macrocosmic aspects of the universe, we focus on the crucial role of Self-development in the evolution of humanity in terms of religion, psychology, astrology and schools of the soul. Kabbalistic Contemplations contains short chapters together with a diagram or an image to illustrate each topic. As such, these are designed to be used as a basis for further contemplation in both individual and group work.

The kabbalistic method is the practical art of attaining knowledge of the higher worlds and developing the ability to draw down its substance and power. This work sets out the process of acquiring knowledge and the technique for how to use it for different purposes and at various levels.

In 'Postmodernity and Its Discontents', Bauman contends that Freud's analysis of repression in modern civilization is outdated in our postmodern era. Here, individual liberty is paramount, leading to a 'will to happiness' that sacrifices security. Bauman explores how this shift fuels societal anxieties, with uncertainty and lack of control replacing the fears of totalitarian power. This book, drawing from Bauman's previous works, offers a compelling interpretation of postmodernity, appealing to students and scholars in sociology, cultural studies, philosophy, and anthropology.

The Australian writer, critic and teacher A.A. Phillips coined the term 'the cultural cringe' in 1950 to describe an Australian tendency to identify our literature and art as inferior to work produced overseas, particularly in Britain and the United States. The term has resonated in debates about Australian culture, society and identity ever since. Although Phillips' famous essay on the cringe was first published more than fifty years ago, it remains a powerful reference point in discussions of the national culture. It is reprinted here with two of his other essays on Australian culture, and with additional biographical and critical material, including an essay by Ivor Indyk.

America's most innovative developer and luxury retailing pioneer Malcolm Gladwell has called him one of the unrecognized giants of modern retailing, but he is more widely known as the billionaire who went to jail for his role in a price fixing scandal. Clearly Al Taubman has had an extraordinary life. A dyslexic Jewish kid who grew up in Depression-era Detroit, Taubman made several fortunes in businesses as varied as architecture, land speculation, mall development, luxury housing, chain restaurants, and, of course, the fine art auction business.

Book by Ayer, A. J.

HARDCOVER. Playboy Press, (1981). Intro. by Raymond Sokolov. (4 books in one volume)x, 672 pages, cloth & boards. Text clean and unmarked, former owner's name on front endpaper, in dust jacket, light wear only.

Throughout his career A.M. Klein struggled to define for himself the role of the poet in the contemporary world. Deeply rooted in the traditions of Judaism, and at the same time powerfully attracted by the freedom and scope of international modernism, he sought to reconcile past and present, community and creative individuality. Whether or not he finally achieved his own high aims, it was, in his own words, 'something merely to entertain them.' The result was a body of work immensely rich and varied in tone, language, cultural resonance. This collection of eighty-four poems offers a representative sampling of Klein's finest poetry, while taking into account the changing critical discourse of the last fifty years. Anyone interested in experiencing the full range of Klein's poetic achievement, or in understanding the complex nature of the poet, need look no further than this eminently readable volume.

"Books and Bidders: The Adventures of a Bibliophile" by A. S. W. Rosenbach offers a captivating glimpse into the world of rare books, book collecting, and the vibrant book trade of a bygone era. Rosenbach, a celebrated figure in bookselling history, recounts his experiences navigating auctions and building remarkable collections. This engaging narrative explores the intricacies of the bookseller's art, offering insights into the acquisition, appraisal, and appreciation of literary treasures. For the passionate bibliophile and anyone fascinated by the history of books, "Books and Bidders" provides a unique perspective on the intersection of business, biography, and the enduring allure of rare and significant volumes. A valuable resource for those interested in library science and collection development, this volume illuminates the thrilling pursuit of literary gems and the colorful personalities who shaped the American book trade. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.