Lectures on the history of political philosophy

by John Rawls. After the publication of A Theory of Justice in 1971, Rawls (1921-2002) became the most influential moral and political philosopher in the Western world. As such, the issuing of this posthumous volume, carefully edited by Freeman (philosophy & law, Univ. of Pennsylvania), a former student and teaching assistant from Rawls's courses at Harvard University, is a major event. Rawls discusses Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, J.S. Mill, and Karl Marx (appendixes treat Henry Sidgwick and Joseph Butler as well). He is especially concerned with how each thinker views the fair terms of social cooperation. He distinguishes between being rational (i.e., efficient in pursuit of one's ends) and being reasonable (i.e., willing to cooperate on fair terms with others)-Hobbes did not make this distinction, but it is useful in explaining Locke and Rousseau. Rawls finds in Rousseau the notion of public reason, the key concept of his Political Liberalism. He devotes much attention to the utilitarian tradition, the principal rival of his own approach. An unexpected feature is a sympathetic discussion of Marx. Highly recommended for all philosophy collections. --Library Journal (Check Catalog)

Logics of worlds : being and event, 2

by Alain Badiou. When people today are not making an effort to believe something else, says Badiou (École Normale Supérieure and Collége International de Philosophie, Paris), they believe that there are only bodies and languages, a conviction he names democratic materialism. He examines it from the perspectives of the formal metaphysical theory; the greater logics of the transcendental, the object, and relation; the four forms of change; the theory of points; and what a body is. His conclusion asks what it is to live. Logiques des mondes was published by Editions du Seuil in 2006, and is translated here by Alberto Roscano (sociology, U. of London). To some extent, it is a response to criticism of his 1988 Being and Event. --Publisher (Check Catalog)

The secrets of Mary : gifts from the Blessed Mother

by Janice C. Connell. Connell, the author of many prior books about Mary, here offers one that, but for the dates of the events and apparitions described, might have been written 100 years ago. A capable and persuasive writer, she takes the conservative and literalist Catholic line, moving swiftly away from the Mary of the Scriptures to the post-Scriptural Mother and comforter. Connell fervently embraces not only medieval and post-medieval Marian mysticism but 19th- through 21st-century apparitions. Verdict While she may well disappoint readers of China Galland's Longing for Darkness: Black Madonna or Marina Warner's Alone of All Her Sex: The Myth and the Cult of the Virgin Mary, she will please a now somewhat neglected constituency of traditional Catholic readers. --Library Journal. (Check catalog)

After the prophet : the epic story of the Shia-Sunni split in Islam

by Leslie Hazelton. In June 632, the founder of Islam died without having clearly designated a successor. It seemed obvious to some that Muhammad's first cousin, Ali, who occupied the place of a son in the prophet's circle, would assume leadership. But Aisha, Muhammad's favorite, youngest, and most forceful wife, favored her father, and others backed Muhammad's greatest warrior. Ali would succeed, but not until 25 years later. Thus began the turmoil that eventuated in the bisection of Muslims into Sunni and Shia and that Hazleton describes in a new masterpiece of a kind of history seldom seen these days, in which the telling of a complicated, eventful story takes precedence over constant quotation of documents and squabbling with other historians. Hazleton closely relies on the great texts of early Islam and vivifies the main players by following what common sense would deduce about their temperaments and personalities from their actions and statements. She brings in parallel modern events only to emphasize the depth of the trauma the conflict she recounts inflicted on Islam. Best, she doesn't pontificate or argue religion. She just thrillingly and intelligently distills one of the most consequential trains of events in all history.-- (Check Catalog)

Eternal life : a new vision : beyond religion, beyond theism, beyond heaven and hell

by John Shelby Spong. Spong, the controversial retired Episcopal Bishop of Newark, NJ, may rightly be considered the bellwether of the most advanced opinions in theology that still cling to a nominal Christian identity. With subtlety and complexity, Spong promotes an idea of an ongoing existence beyond our physicality, one that entirely supercedes "religious" notions of Heaven or Hell and even conventional notions of God. For conservative Christians, Spong's views are heretical; for many other readers, Christian and non-Christian, Spong's writing here as elsewhere is intelligent, engaged, comforting, and uplifting. VERDICT Spong's thought and theology are crucial stimulants for every thinking Christian; an important book. --Library Journal. (Check Catalog)

Rescue Ink : how ten guys saved countless dogs and cats, twelve horses, five pigs, one duck, and a few turtles

by Denise Flaim. Anybody encountering these tattooed, motorcycle-riding, expletive-using, pit bull-loving men—with names like Big Ant, G., and Batso and checkered pasts that include gang membership and reform school—might be tempted to run the other way. But underneath the hard-boiled exteriors beat tender hearts moved to champion neglected and abused animals. Flaim (The Holistic Dog Book) allows the members of Rescue Ink (www.rescueink.org), a Long Island, NY-based group, to introduce themselves and recount their exploits. Their stories include rescuing hundreds of cats living in putrid conditions in the home of a hoarder, saving starving dogs housed in filthy enclosures, rehoming sweet-natured pit bulls that had been used as bait to train other fighting dogs, and preventing animal cruelty through their "Abusers are losers" educational program. VERDICT This gripping book will appeal to fans of Dewey and Marley & Me as well as readers interested in animal welfare or addicted to Animal Planet's Animal Cops TV show. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 6/1/09; the group will be featured in a new fall series on the National Geographic Channel.—

Justice : what's the right thing to do?

by Michael J. Sandel. Harvard government professor Sandel (Public Philosophy) dazzles in this sweeping survey of hot topics—the recent government bailouts, the draft, surrogate pregnancies, same-sex marriage, immigration reform and reparations for slavery—that situates various sides in the debates in the context of timeless philosophical questions and movements. Sandel takes utilitarianism, Kant's categorical imperative and Rawls's theory of justice out of the classroom, dusts them off and reveals how crucial these theories have been in the construction of Western societies—and how they inform almost every issue at the center of our modern-day polis. The content is dense but elegantly presented, and Sandel has a rare gift for making complex issues comprehensible, even entertaining (see his sections entitled Shakespeare versus the Simpsons and What Ethics Can Learn from Jack Benny and Miss Manners), without compromising their gravity. With exegeses of Winnie the Pooh, transcripts of Bill Clinton's impeachment hearing and the works of almost every major political philosopher, Sandel reveals how even our most knee-jerk responses bespeak our personal conceptions of the rights and obligations of the individual and society at large. Erudite, conversational and deeply humane, this is truly transformative reading. --Publisher's Weekly (Check Catalog)

Fearless

by Max Lucado. Prolific Christian inspirational writer Lucado (Give It All to Him) offers advice on replacing fear with faith. In each chapter, he addresses a common fear, relates it to an incident from the life and teachings of Jesus, and illustrates it with a story or personal anecdote (many of which are well worn or parochial). Fears discussed include disappointing God, failure to protect children, violence, financial troubles, death, and global calamity. Overall, Lucado's advice is positive: stay calm, be courageous, don't be defined by fear, learn from others, focus on the present. Like his previous works, this has its origins in sermons preached at Oak Hills Church in San Antonio, TX. VERDICT This book will appeal to Lucada's fans and Christian readers looking for encouragement and inspiration in hard times. —Library Journal (Check Catalog)