By John R. Shook, Liz Stillwaggon Swan

ISBN-10: 0812698142

ISBN-13: 9780812698145

Transformers begun with toys and a comic strip sequence in 1984 and has because grown to incorporate comedian books, video clips, and games — its technological know-how fiction tale has reached an viewers with a variety moment purely to that of famous person Wars. the following, in Transformers and Philosophy, a dream group of philosophers pursues the interesting questions posed through humankind’s stumble upon with an artificially clever mechanical civilization: Is actual man made intelligence attainable? might a robot civilization include its personal morality and inventive existence, and wouldn't it discover a want for romantic love? may still we be extra cautious approximately constructing robots that could ultimately strengthen rules in their personal? Transformers and Philosophy places Transformers below a microscope and exposes its philosophical implications in an immediately readable manner.

By Nathan Rabin

ISBN-10: 1439153124

ISBN-13: 9781439153123

In 2007, Nathan Rabin got down to supply a revisionist examine the heritage of cinematic failure on a weekly foundation. What started as a solitary ramble in the course of the nooks and crannies of popular culture advanced right into a lifestyle. My 12 months Of Flops collects dozens of the best-loved entries from the A.V. Club column besides bonus interviews and fifteen brand-new entries protecting every little thing from infamous flops like The Cable Guy and Last motion Hero to strange obscurities like Glory Road, Johnny Cash's poignantly do-it-yourself tribute to Jesus. pushed through a different mix of sympathy and Schadenfreude, My yr Of Flops is an unforgettable tribute to cinematic losers, appealing and otherwise.

By Nicolas Michaud

ISBN-10: 0812698428

ISBN-13: 9780812698428

Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein: the fashionable Prometheus sparked into existence a fascination with science-gone-awry that refuses to die. From 1818 to present-day Hollywood, the tale of Victor Frankenstein and his reanimated, stitched-together corpse has encouraged (some may say) the very suggestion of recent technological know-how fiction and numerous essays, videos, novels, songs, comic-books, and television indicates aiming to catch what was once correct, incorrect, abominable, inevitable, frightening, or humorous during this vintage tale.

Can natural existence be reanimated utilizing electrical energy or genetic manipulation? if that is so, may Frankenstein’s monster quite train itself to learn and communicate as Mary Shelley imagined? Do monsters have rights, or tasks to those that might as quickly kill them? what's it approximately tune that so impacts Frankenstein’s monster, or any folks? What does Mel Brook’s Frau Blucher say to modern eco-feminism? Why are a few Frankenstein’s flops and others old successes? Is there a real Frankenstein? Why are youngsters, yet now not adults, attracted to Shelley’s monster? and what's a “monster,” anyways?

Frankenstein and Philosophy brings 25 philosophers to sew jointly those and different questions as they practice the heritage of philosophy to history’s maximum horror franchise. a few chapters deal with the Frankenstein motion pictures, others the unique novel, and but others the various comedian books, novels, and glossy variations. jointly they pay tribute to maybe the main enduring popular culture icon and the basic fears, hopes, questions, and puzzles it increases.

By Patti Smith

ISBN-10: 0060832665

ISBN-13: 9780060832667

Auguries of Innocence is the 1st booklet of poetry from Patti Smith in additional than a decade. It marks a tremendous accomplishment from a poet and performer who has inscribed her imaginative and prescient of our international in strong anthems, ballads, and lyrics. during this intimate and searing selection of poems, Smith joins in that groovy culture of troubadours, journeymen, wordsmiths, and artists who reply to the area round them in clean and unique language. Her impacts are eclectic and outstanding: Blake, Rimbaud, Picasso, Arbus, and Johnny Appleseed. Smith is an American unique; her poems are oracles for our instances.

By Donald Sassoon

ISBN-10: 0007400403

ISBN-13: 9780007400409

A magisterial narrative account of the production and intake of all different types of ‘culture’ around the ecu continent over the past 200 years.

This compelling, wide-ranging and highly bold ebook deals, for the 1st time ever, an built-in background of the tradition produced and fed on by means of Europeans seeing that 1800, and follows its transformation from an elite job to a mass marketplace – from lending libraries to the web, from the 1st public concert events to tune downloads.

In itself a cultural travel de strength, the publication covers low and high tradition, readers and writers, audiences and prima donnas, Rossini and hip hop, Verdi and the Beatles, Zola and Tintin, Walter Scott and Jules Verne, the serialised novel of the 19th-century in addition to ‘Dallas’ and ‘Coronation Street’. incorporated in its enormous scope are fairytales, bestsellers, crime and sci-fi, non-fiction, magazines, newspapers, comedian strips, performs, opera, musicals, pop song, sound recording, motion pictures, documentaries, radio and television.

A continent-wide survey, this majestic paintings contains discussions of rock track lower than communism, Polish and Danish bestsellers, French melodramas and German cabarets, fascist and Soviet cinema. It examines the methods tradition travels – the way it is produced, reworked, tailored, absorbed, bought and fed on; the way it is formed via audiences and politics, and regulated via legislation and standard morality; why a few nations excel particularly genres. It examines the nervousness and charm felt by way of Europeans in the direction of American tradition, and asks to what volume ecu tradition has turn into Americanised.

Stylishly written, with out jargon, this can be worldwide non-fiction narrative at its best.

Note that it has no longer been attainable to incorporate an identical photograph content material that seemed within the unique print version.

By Brian Thornton

ISBN-10: 1440524882

ISBN-13: 9781440524882

When it involves bastards, you can't beat the great previous days of the Egyptian pharaohs, the Roman Empire, or Europe in the course of the darkish a while. The bastards of outdated abound--and they arrive in each colour, creed, gender, and sexual preference.

From the cross-dressing emperor Elagabalus of Rome, who was once assassinated through his personal grandmother, to the icon-worshipping fanatical Empress Irene of Byzantine, who gouged out her purely son's eyes, you'll locate the main malevolent malcontents who've actually survived the try out of time.

The e-book of historical Bastards: simply because in terms of undesirable, it fairly is old history!

About the Author
Brian Thornton earned his BA in heritage from Gonzaga college and either his BAE (English) and MA (history) from jap Washington college. he's the writer of The booklet of Bastards, a hundred and one stuff you Didn't find out about Lincoln, The every little thing? Kids' States publication, and The every little thing? Kids' Presidents Book.

Note: retail EPUB, contains TOC/chapters.
eISBN: 978-1-4405-2557-5

By Ian Bell

ISBN-10: 160598728X

ISBN-13: 9781605987286

The second one quantity in Ian Bell's magisterial two-part biography of the ever-evolving and enigmatic Bob Dylan via the center of the Seventies, Bob Dylan’s place because the pre-eminent artist of his iteration used to be guaranteed. The 1975 album Blood at the Tracks appeared to end up, ultimately, that an doubtful age had came across its poet.

Then Dylan faltered. His instincts, previously unerring, abandoned him. within the Eighties, what had as soon as seemed unthinkable got here to go: the “voice of a generation” started to sound inappropriate, a story instructed to grandchildren.

Yet within the autumn of 1997, whatever awesome occurred. Having did not free up a unmarried new tune in seven lengthy years, Dylan placed out the identical of 2 albums in one package deal. within the concluding quantity of his groundbreaking examine, Ian Bell explores the remarkable moment act in a quintessentially American profession. it's a story of redemption, of an act of artistic will opposed to the percentages, and of a author who refused to vanish away.

Time Out of Mind is the tale of the newest, might be the final, of the various Bob Dylans.

By Jonathan Potter

ISBN-10: 0803984103

ISBN-13: 9780803984103

ISBN-10: 0803984111

ISBN-13: 9780803984110

`This is an admirable e-book that are steered to scholars with self belief, and is probably going additionally to turn into an crucial resource of reference for these gaining knowledge of truth development' - Discourse & Society How is fact synthetic? the assumption of social building has develop into a typical of a lot social learn, but accurately what's developed, and the way, or even what constructionism capability, is usually uncertain or taken with no consideration. during this significant paintings, Jonathan Potter deals a desirable journey of the vital topics raised via those questions. Representing fact overviews the several traditions in constructionist idea. issues are illustrated all through with

By Tracy L. Bealer, Rachel Luria, Wayne Yuen

ISBN-10: 0812697650

ISBN-13: 9780812697650

Neil Gaiman is the ingenious wizard at the back of the best-selling novels American Gods (soon to be an HBO sequence) and The Anansi Boys, the photograph sequence The Sandman, and well known children’s books like Coraline and The Graveyard Book.

Neil Gaiman and Philosophy seems to be at Gaiman’s paintings via a philosophical lens. How does fable engage with fact and what can each one let us know in regards to the different? will we every one produce other selves who include assorted own features? If the unknown affects the identified, is the unknown simply as genuine because the identified? What makes humans really valuable?

In Neil Gaiman and Philosophy, eighteen philosophers discover Gaiman’s best-loved and unforgettable worlds:

The Graveyard Book, a macabre parallel to The Jungle Book, during which the boy Bod is raised by way of the supernatural population of a graveyard.
Coraline, during which a lady missed through her mom and dad unearths one other international with an different mom who will pay her loads of awareness, yet then seems to be evil and won’t permit her go.
Neverwhere, during which a London guy discovers a mystical parallel urban, London Below.
The Sandman, best-selling comedian books within which the Lord of desires makes an attempt to rebuild his country after years of imprisonment.
Good Omens (with Terry Pratchett) treats biblical prophecy, the Antichrist, and the tip occasions as a hilarious comedian story, full of sly yet good-humored twists and turns.
MirrorMask, the place a tender circus woman unearths that the photographs she has drawn have given her entry to a good looking international of sunshine and shadow, populated with characters who've designs on her.

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By Jen Lancaster

ISBN-10: 0451231864

ISBN-13: 9780451231864

Readers have Jen Lancaster via activity loss, sucky urban residing, weight-loss makes an attempt, and Nineteen Eighties nostalgia. Now Jen chronicles her efforts to accomplish cultural enlightenment, with a few hilarious missteps and actual moments of concept alongside the best way. and she or he does so whatsoever precious: studying canonical literature, viewing vintage movies, attending the opera, studying artisan cheeses, or even enrolling in etiquette sessions to enhance her social graces.

In Jen's nook is a crack group of specialists, together with web page Six socialites, gourmand cooks, an opera aficionado, and a grasp sommelier. She could observe that well-regarded, costly pungent cheese tastes precisely as undesirable because it smells, and that her love for Kraft American Singles is eternally. yet one thing's for yes: Eliza Doolittle's bought not anything on Jen Lancaster-and failure is an alternative.