American Prometheus is the gripping biography of J. Robert Oppenheimer, the enigmatic physicist who became known as the father of the atomic bomb. Co-authored by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin, this comprehensive work delves into Oppenheimer's complex life and character, exploring his significant contributions to science, his leadership of the Manhattan Project, and the subsequent struggles he faced during the Red Scare.

Oppenheimer's story is not just about scientific triumph but also about tragedy, as the very weapon he helped create brought about profound ethical questions and fears about the future of humanity. The biography captures the essence of a man who was both a brilliant scientist and a person of conflicting emotions and loyalties, providing insight into the human side of the scientific endeavors that reshaped the world.

Discourse on Method and Meditations on First Philosophy presents René Descartes’s two most important philosophical works. The Discourse offers a concise presentation and defense of Descartes’s method of intellectual inquiry—a method that greatly influenced both philosophical and scientific reasoning in the early modern world.

Considered a foundational text in modern philosophy, the Meditations presents numerous compelling arguments that continue to influence debates in epistemology, the philosophy of mind, and the philosophy of religion. Descartes’s timeless writing strikes a unique balance of novelty and familiarity, offering arguments concerning knowledge, science, and metaphysics (including the famous “I think, therefore I am”) that are as influential today as they were in the seventeenth century.

This edition, featuring Ian Johnston’s translations, is modern, clear, and thoroughly annotated, making it ideal for readers unfamiliar with Descartes’s intellectual context. An approachable introduction engages both the historical and philosophical aspects of the text, helping the reader understand the concepts and arguments contained therein.

Gifted with a brilliant mind that has made a deep impression on the elders of his Palestinian village, Ahmed Hamid is nevertheless tormented by his inability to save his friends and family. Living under occupation, the inhabitants of the village harbor a constant fear of losing their homes, jobs, belongings – and each other.

On Ahmed’s twelfth birthday, that fear becomes a reality. With his father now imprisoned, his family’s home and possessions confiscated, and his siblings quickly succumbing to hatred in the face of conflict, Ahmed embarks on a journey to liberate his loved ones from their hardship, using his prodigious intellect. In so doing, he begins to reclaim a love for others that had been lost over the course of a childhood rife with violence, and discovers new hope for the future.

This is a story of courage and perseverance, reminiscent of The Kite Runner and One Thousand Splendid Suns. An uplifting read that conveys a message of optimism and hope.

In 1859, German mathematician Bernhard Riemann presented a paper to the Berlin Academy that would forever change the history of mathematics. The subject was the mystery of prime numbers. At the heart of the presentation was an idea that Riemann had not yet proved but one that baffles mathematicians to this day.

Solving the Riemann Hypothesis could change the way we do business, since prime numbers are the lynchpin for security in banking and e-commerce. It would also have a profound impact on the cutting-edge of science, affecting quantum mechanics, chaos theory, and the future of computing. Leaders in math and science are trying to crack the elusive code, and a prize of $1 million has been offered to the winner.

In this engaging book, Marcus du Sautoy reveals the extraordinary history behind the holy grail of mathematics and the ongoing quest to capture it.

On the 10th anniversary of his death, brilliant astrophysicist and Pulitzer Prize winner Carl Sagan offers a prescient exploration of the relationship between religion and science and his personal search for God.

Carl Sagan, considered one of the greatest scientific minds of our time, had a remarkable ability to explain science in terms easily understandable to the layman. In bestselling books such as Cosmos, The Dragons of Eden, and The Demon-Haunted World, he won a Pulitzer Prize and placed himself firmly next to Isaac Asimov, Stephen Jay Gould, and Oliver Sachs as one of the most important communicators of science.

In December 2006, Ann Druyan, his widow and longtime collaborator, marked the occasion by releasing Sagan's famous "Gifford Lectures in Natural Theology," The Varieties of Scientific Experience: A Personal View of the Search for God. The opportunity to give the Gifford Lectures is an honor reserved for the most distinguished scientists and philosophers of our civilization. In 1985, on the grand occasion of the centennial of the lectureship, Carl Sagan was invited to give them. He took the opportunity to set down in detail his thoughts on the relationship between religion and science and to describe his own personal search to understand the nature of the sacred in the vastness of the cosmos.

The Varieties of Scientific Experience, edited, updated, and with an introduction by Ann Druyan, is like eavesdropping on a delightfully intimate conversation with the late great astronomer and astrophysicist. In his charmingly down-to-earth voice, Sagan discusses his views on topics ranging from manic depression and the possibly chemical nature of transcendence to creationism and so-called intelligent design to the likelihood of intelligent life on other planets to the likelihood of nuclear annihilation of our own, and a new concept of science as "informed worship."

Exhibiting a breadth of intellect nothing short of astounding, he illuminates his explanations with examples from cosmology, physics, philosophy, literature, psychology, cultural anthropology, mythology, theology, and more. Sagan's humorous, wise, and at times stunningly prophetic observations on some of the greatest mysteries of the cosmos have the invigorating effect of stimulating the intellect, exciting the imagination, and reawakening us to the grandeur of life in the cosmos.

From bestselling author and provocateur Christopher Hitchens, this classic guide delves into the art of principled dissent and disagreement.

In "Letters to a Young Contrarian," Hitchens inspires the radicals, gadflies, mavericks, rebels, and angry young (wo)men of tomorrow. He explores the entire range of "contrary positions" – from noble dissident to gratuitous nag – introducing the next generation to the minds and misfits who influenced him, such as Emile Zola, Rosa Parks, and George Orwell.

As is his trademark, Hitchens contrasts himself with stagnant attitudes across the ideological spectrum. His understanding of the importance of disagreement is unmatched – to personal integrity, informed discussion, true progress, and democracy itself.

In these essays, Joseph Campbell explores the origins of myth and their role in everyday life – from Grimm fairy tales to Native American legends. He explains how the symbolic content of myth is linked to universal human experience and how myths and experiences change over time.

Included is his acclaimed essay “Mythogenesis,” which examines the rise and fall of a Native American legend. Campbell provides a deep dive into the form, function, and origin of myths, relating his work to archaeological findings and biological productions.

Totalitarizmin kendini yeniden üretmesi, yalnızca baskıcı güçlerin zora dayalı yöntemleriyle değil, bireylerin de sınırlı bir özgürlüğe razı olmasıyla gerçekleşir. Yaratıcılığını zorlayarak özgürlüğünü zenginleştirme çabasına girmeyen birey, var olanla yaşamayı seçer. Bu noktada düzen, bireyin onayıyla ayakta kalıyordur artık. “Seçme özgürlüğü” düzenin sunduğu çeşitlilik oranında vardır: “Ya şu ya da bu”dur. Gündüz Vassaf ise böylesi bir “seçme özgürlüğü”nün tutsaklaştırıcı yanlarına dikkat çekerek “ya hep ya da hiç”i önerir... Ve totalitarizmi ayakta tutan kimi kavramların ne denli kof olduğunu gösterir: Gündüze karşı geceden, cennete karşı cehennemden, konuşmaya karşı sessizlikten, akla karşı delilikten, anlaşmaya karşı anlaşmazlıktan... yana olur. Kahramanlığa karşı çıkar, “hain”leri savunur.

Gündüz Vassaf, “şeytanın avukatı” olarak, içimizde büyütüp yaşattığımız küçük ‘totaliter dünyalar’ımızı afişe ediyor, daha doğrusu ‘yüzümüze vuruyor’. Totalitarizmin -anne karnındaki bebeğin beslenmesi gibi- bireyle toplumu bağlayan göbek bağıyla semirdiğini, hayata ilişkin algılarımızı ve kimi dayatılan kimisini de gönüllü olarak kabul ettiğimiz kavramları irdeleyerek gösteriyor. Cehenneme Övgü, yazarın kendiyle hesaplaştığı, herkesi de hesaplaşmaya çağıran, hatta kışkırtan bir kitap.

This collection of essays was the last work planned by Ayn Rand before her death in 1982. In it, she summarizes her view of philosophy and deals with a broad spectrum of topics.

According to Ayn Rand, the choice we make is not whether to have a philosophy, but which one to have: rational, conscious, and therefore practical; or contradictory, unidentified, and ultimately lethal.

Written with all the clarity and eloquence that have placed Ayn Rand's Objectivist philosophy in the mainstream of American thought, these essays range over such basic issues as education, morality, censorship, and inflation to prove that philosophy is the fundamental force in all our lives.

The Portable Nietzsche is a fascinating collection of Friedrich Nietzsche's seminal works that have captivated readers worldwide since the publication of his first book over a century ago. Walter Kaufmann, a leading authority on Nietzsche, notes in his introduction that "few writers in any age were so full of ideas," and Nietzsche is no exception.

This volume includes Kaufmann's definitive translations of the complete and unabridged texts of Nietzsche's four major works: Twilight of the Idols, The Antichrist, Nietzsche Contra Wagner, and Thus Spoke Zarathustra. In addition, Kaufmann brings together selections from Nietzsche's other books, notes, and letters to provide a comprehensive picture of Nietzsche's development, versatility, and inexhaustibility.

Nietzsche's works offer a profound exploration of human existence, truth, and morality, making this collection a must-read for anyone interested in philosophy and literature. "In this volume, one may very conveniently have a rich review of one of the most sensitive, passionate, and misunderstood writers in Western, or any, literature."