كتاب «الإسلام بين الشرق والغرب»، هو نتيجة لدراسة واسعة متعددة الجوانب لأبرز الأفكار العالمية في تاريخ البشرية المعاصر. إن ظاهرة نسيان الذات التي تميز بها التاريخ الحديث للعالم الإسلامي، تضع المفكر الشرقي والغربي على السواء في موقف مماثل من هذا الكتاب.

فمن خلال الدراسة المقارنة للمقدمات الأساسية والنتائج المترتبة عليها في المجالات الاجتماعية والقانونية والسياسية والثقافية والنفسية، وغيرها من المجالات للأيديولوجيتين اللتين حددتا أقدار الجنس البشري على مدى القرون الأخيرة. من خلال هذه الدراسة يكشف لنا المؤلف عن أعراض المشهد المأساوي المتزايد للتنصير والإلحاد في هذا العالم.

فالمسيحية كمثال لظاهرة دينية حضارية ـ أعني دينًا بمعناه الغربي معزولاً عن قانون الوحي ـ هي فكرة شاملة للإبداع والحضارة والفن والأخلاق، وبهذا حلقت المسيحية في روحانية التاريخ. أما الإلحاد الذي يستند إلى مدخل مادي ـ الاشتراكية منظوره العملي والتاريخي ـ هذا الإلحاد هو العامل المشترك للعناصر التطورية والحضارية والسياسية والطوباوية التي تُعنى بالطبيعة المادية للإنسان وتاريخه.

الشيطان يعظ هي مجموعة قصصية رائعة من تأليف الكاتب الكبير نجيب محفوظ, الذي حصل على جائزة نوبل في الأدب. هذه المجموعة تقدم لنا قصصًا مثيرة ومشوقة، تبحر في أعماق النفس البشرية وتتناول موضوعات الخير والشر، الفضيلة والرذيلة.

يستخدم محفوظ أسلوبه الفريد في السرد ليقدم لنا صورًا حية وواقعية من المجتمع المصري، ويطرح أسئلة فلسفية عميقة حول الحياة والمصير. هذه القصص ليست مجرد حكايات، بل هي دعوة للتفكير والتأمل في جوهر الوجود الإنساني.

For centuries, people have been tormented by one question above all: If God is good and all-powerful, why does he allow his creatures to suffer pain? And what of the suffering of animals, who neither deserve pain nor can be improved by it?

The greatest Christian thinker of our time sets out to disentangle this knotty issue. With his signature wealth of compassion and insight, C. S. Lewis offers answers to these crucial questions and shares his hope and wisdom to help heal a world hungry for a true understanding of human nature.

The Marx-Engels Reader is a comprehensive anthology that brings together the essential writings of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. This revised and enlarged edition provides the works necessary for an introduction to Marxist thought and ideology.

The volume is arranged to show both the chronological and thematic development of these two great thinkers. Selections range from history, society, and economics to politics, philosophy, and the strategy and tactics of social revolution.

Each selection is introduced by Professor Tucker and, where possible, is presented in its entirety. The anthology includes:

• Part I: Writings of the young Marx, works that have aroused much interest and debate.
• Part II: Critical works on capitalism, including substantial portions of Marx's most important work, Capital.
• Part III: Works outlining the program, strategy, and tactics of the revolutionary movement.
• Part IV: Writings critical of 19th-century society and politics, European, Asian, and Russian.
• Part V: Later writings of Engels, where Marxism was popularized and systematized for the masses.

The reader also contains an interpretive general introduction that traces and analyzes the development of Marxist philosophy; a chronology of major events in the lives of Marx and Engels; a bibliographic note; and an index.

In Praise of Shadows is an essay on aesthetics by the renowned Japanese novelist, Jun'ichirō Tanizaki. This book explores various elements of Japanese culture, such as architecture, jade, food, and even toilets, combining an acute sense of the use of space in buildings.

The book includes perfect descriptions of lacquerware under candlelight and the mysterious allure of women in the darkness of the house of pleasure. Tanizaki contrasts the subtlety and nuance of traditional Japanese interiors with the dazzling light of the modern age, offering a classic description of the collision between these two worlds.

The Philosophy of Andy Warhol is a loosely formed autobiography by the enigmatic Andy Warhol. Told with his trademark blend of irony and detachment, this compelling memoir offers riffs and reflections on various aspects of life.

Warhol shares his thoughts on love, sex, food, beauty, fame, work, money, and success. He also delves into his experiences in New York, America, and his childhood in McKeesport, Pennsylvania. The narrative captures his good times and bad in New York, the explosion of his career in the sixties, and his life among celebrities.

Discover the world of Andy Warhol through his own words, as he invites readers to experience his unique perspective on life and art.

To Have Or to Be? is a seminal work from the second half of the 20th century. It serves as a manifesto for a new social and psychological revolution aimed at saving our threatened planet. This book encapsulates the penetrating thought of Erich Fromm.

Fromm's thesis explores two modes of existence that battle for the spirit of humankind: the having mode, which focuses on material possessions, power, and aggression, forming the foundation of universal evils like greed, envy, and violence; and the being mode, which is rooted in love, the pleasure of sharing, and productive activity.

This book is a brilliant program for socioeconomic change, urging readers to reflect on their own lives and society.

De Profundis and Other Writings is a profound collection of works by the renowned Oscar Wilde. This collection showcases Wilde's humorous and epigrammatic genius that once captivated the London theatre. Through his writing, Wilde casts light from unexpected angles, thus widening the bounds of truth.

Drawing upon forty years of study in theology, philosophy, history, sociology and the arts, Dr. Schaeffer contemplates the reasons for modern society's sorry state of affairs and argues for a total affirmation of the Bible's morals, values, and meaning.

Tao of Jeet Kune Do is a profound and insightful book written by the legendary martial artist, Bruce Lee. During a challenging period in his life, when he was confined to bed due to a severe back injury, Bruce Lee's mind remained active and creative. This book is the remarkable outcome of those six months of introspection and intellectual exploration.

Within these pages, Bruce Lee shares his philosophical musings and practical insights into martial arts, emphasizing that Jeet Kune Do has no fixed boundaries—only those that we impose upon ourselves. This book serves as both a guide to martial arts techniques and a profound philosophical treatise.

Tao of Jeet Kune Do continues to inspire readers with its timeless wisdom and remains a testament to Bruce Lee's enduring legacy.

თანამედროვე ქართველი კლასიკოსი მწერალის გურამ დოჩანაშვილის ყველაზე ცნობილი ნაწარმოები. "სამოსელი პირველის" სიუჟეტი თავგადასავლის მაძიებელი ჭაბუკის დომენიკოს ტიპური ამბავია, რომელზეც დიდად იმოქმედა იდუმალებით მოცული კაცის - ლტოლვილის ნაამბობმა.

დომენიკო ტოვებს მშობლიურ სახლ-კარს, მამას და მიდის "ლამაზ ქალაქში". თანდათან მრავალი ადამიანთან ურთიერთობისას, იგი მიხვდება, თუ რა არის მეგობრობა, სიყვარული, სიკეთე, ბოროტება, გულწფელობა, პატიოსნება. ეს არის წიგნი სიკეთისა და ბოროტების შეცნობაზე, მას თამამად შეიძლება ვუწოდოთ "ცხოვრების წიგნი".

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values is both a personal and philosophical odyssey that delves into life's essential questions. This transformative narrative follows a father and his young son during an unforgettable summer motorcycle trip across America's Northwest.

The journey becomes a profound exploration of relationships, values, and ultimately, enlightenment. As they travel, the story delves into a meditation on how to live a better life, resonant with the myriad confusions and wonders of existence. It is a compelling examination of how we live and a breathtaking meditation on how to live better.

Robert M. Pirsig's work has become a modern classic, touching the hearts of millions and inspiring readers to ponder the nature of quality in a world that often seems indifferent to it. This modern epic was an instant bestseller upon its original publication and continues to inspire new generations.

An exhilarating meditation on nature and its seasons—a personal narrative highlighting one year's exploration on foot in the author's own neighborhood in Tinker Creek, Virginia. In the summer, Dillard stalks muskrats in the creek and contemplates wave mechanics; in the fall she watches a monarch butterfly migration and dreams of Arctic caribou. She tries to con a coot; she collects pond water and examines it under a microscope. She unties a snake skin, witnesses a flood, and plays 'King of the Meadow' with a field of grasshoppers.

Shevek, a brilliant physicist, decides to take action. He will seek answers, question the unquestionable, and attempt to tear down the walls of hatred that have isolated his planet of anarchists from the rest of the civilized universe. To do this dangerous task will mean giving up his family and possibly his life.

Shevek must make the unprecedented journey to the utopian mother planet, Urras, to challenge the complex structures of life and living, and ignite the fires of change. The Dispossessed is a penetrating examination of society and humanity—and one man's brave undertaking to question the unquestionable and ignite the fires of change.

Listen, Little Man! is a great physician's quiet talk to each one of us, the average human being, the Little Man. Written in 1946 in answer to the gossip and defamation that plagued his remarkable career, it tells how Reich watched, at first naively, then with amazement, and finally with horror, at what the Little Man does to himself; how he suffers and rebels; how he esteems his enemies and murders his friends; how, wherever he gains power as a representative of the people, he misuses this power and makes it crueler than the power it has supplanted.

Reich asks us to look honestly at ourselves and to assume responsibility for our lives and for the great untapped potential that lies in the depth of human nature.

This collection of the timeless teachings of one of the greatest sages of India, Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj, is a testament to the uniqueness of the seer's life and work and is regarded by many as a modern spiritual classic. I Am That preserves Maharaj's dialogues with the followers who came from around the world seeking his guidance in destroying false identities. The sage's sole concern was with human suffering and the ending of suffering. It was his mission to guide the individual to an understanding of his true nature and the timelessness of being. He taught that mind must recognize and penetrate its own state of being, not "being this or that, here or that, then or now," but just timeless being.

The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas is a thought-provoking short story that poses a powerful ethical question. It explores the concept of a seemingly utopian city, Omelas, where the prosperity and happiness of its citizens are contingent upon the perpetual misery of a single child. The narrative delves into the moral implications of this arrangement and the reaction of the citizens when confronted with the reality of the child's suffering.

Ursula K. Le Guin's masterful storytelling invites readers to ponder the sacrifices made for the greater good and the individual's role in confronting injustices. The tale's enduring relevance and its challenge to societal norms make it a compelling read that continues to inspire philosophical debate and reflection.

Originally published in 1925, The Counterfeiters became known for the frank sexuality of its contents and its account of middle class French morality. The themes of the book explore the problem of morals, the problem of society, and the problems facing writers.

An appendix to this edition contains excerpts from Gide's notebooks, providing deeper insight into the creative process behind this remarkable novel.

میرا تصویرگر جامعه‌ای است که «فردیت» هیچ معنایی در آن ندارد. به زبان جامعه‌شناختی، میرا از جامعه‌ای سخن می‌گوید که اصالت با جمع است نه فرد. در چنین جامعه‌ای حتی اگر «فردیتی» را بتوان متصور بود، فردیتی است که تجلی ارزشهای جمعی جامعه است.

در چنین جامعه‌ای عرصه خصوصی، شخصی یا فردی -حتی در فردی‌ترین امور مانند روابط جنسی- نه تنها ضد ارزش یا نامطلوب، بلکه فراتر از آن، اساساً مهمل و بی‌معنی‌ست.

Citadelle is a profound exploration of the human spirit. "I have pity for the one who awakens in the great patriarchal night, believing himself sheltered under the stars of God, and who suddenly feels the journey."

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry delves into the creative power of man, asking not the value of his laws, but the depth of his imaginative capacity. "If you wish to understand the word happiness, you must hear it as a reward and not as a goal."

The narrative is a silent audience of love. Despite the solitude that seems insurmountable, "A stone has no hope of being anything other than a stone. But through collaboration, it becomes a temple."

Citadelle is a testament to the enduring temple built within the human heart.

Qu'une vieille mule comme Amédée Fleurissoire rencontre des escrocs, et le voilà en route pour Rome, persuadé d'aller sauver le pape. À ce jeu de dupes, il n'a pas grand chose à perdre sinon quelques illusions et beaucoup d'argent.

Qu'un jeune arriviste comme Lafcadio décide de se faire passer pour le fils naturel d'un grand auteur et le voilà maître à chanter. À ce jeu de dupes, il a tout à gagner. Mais que ces deux destins se croisent à bord d'un vieux train et tout bascule : que se passerait-il si Lafcadio poussait cet inconnu hors du train, comme ça, gratuitement, un crime pour rien ?

Ça n'aurait aucun sens, mais c'est justement pour ça que ce serait grisant : la liberté dans l'acte gratuit... Les mécanismes de la pensée, les rouages de la décision, la teneur de notre liberté : autant d'aspects de la nature humaine qui fascinent Gide, et qu'il traque dans toute son oeuvre, flirtant avec les frontières de l'absurde, non sans humour, mais toujours avec style et raffinement.

No denunciation without its proper instrument of close analysis, Roland Barthes wrote in his preface to Mythologies. There is no more proper instrument of analysis of our contemporary myths than this book—one of the most significant works in French theory, and one that has transformed the way readers and philosophers view the world around them.

Our age is a triumph of codification. We own devices that bring the world to the command of our fingertips. We have access to boundless information and prodigious quantities of stuff. We decide to like or not, to believe or not, to buy or not. We pick and choose. We think we are free. Yet all around us, in pop culture, politics, mainstream media, and advertising, there are codes and symbols that govern our choices. They are the fabrications of consumer society. They express myths of success, well-being, and happiness.

As Barthes sees it, these myths must be carefully deciphered, and debunked. What Barthes discerned in mass media, the fashion of plastic, and the politics of postcolonial France applies with equal force to today's social networks, the iPhone, and the images of 9/11.

This new edition of Mythologies, complete and beautifully rendered by the Pulitzer Prize–winning poet, critic, and translator Richard Howard, is a consecration of Barthes's classic—a lesson in clairvoyance that is more relevant now than ever.

The Four Loves summarizes four kinds of human love: affection, friendship, erotic love, and the love of God. Masterful without being magisterial, this book offers wise, gentle, candid reflections on the virtues and dangers of love, drawing on sources from Jane Austen to St. Augustine.

The chapter on charity (love of God) may be the best thing Lewis ever wrote about Christianity. Consider his reflection on Augustine's teaching that one must love only God, because only God is eternal, and all earthly love will someday pass away. He questions, "Who could conceivably begin to love God on such a prudential ground—because the security (so to speak) is better?"

His description of Christianity here is no less forceful and opinionated than in Mere Christianity or The Problem of Pain, but it is far less anxious about its reader's response—and therefore more persuasive than any of his apologetics. When he begins to describe the nature of faith, Lewis writes: "Take it as one man's reverie, almost one man's myth. If anything in it is useful to you, use it; if anything is not, never give it a second thought."

God and the State is a profound exploration of the intersection between religion, politics, and philosophy by the charismatic and dynamic thinker, Mikhail Bakunin. Known for his violent, ebullient, and energetic personality, Bakunin was a central figure in the formation of 19th and early 20th-century anarchism.

Although God and the State was never completed, it remains a significant work in the anarchist canon, offering a clear statement of the anarchist philosophy of history. According to Bakunin, religion inherently leads to the impoverishment, enslavement, and annihilation of humanity.

This book is not just a critique but a call to question the structures of power and belief that shape society, making it a timeless piece in radical and revolutionary thought.

The Satanic Bible was first published by Anton LaVey in 1969. It is a collection of essays, observations, and rituals that outlines LaVey's Satanic ideology. The book contains the core principles of the Church of Satan and is considered the foundation of the philosophy and dogma that constitute LaVeyan Satanism.

Far from a manual for conquering the realms of earth, air, fire, and water, The Satanic Bible is LaVey's manifesto of a new religion, separate from the traditional Judeo-Christian definitions of Satanism. While LaVey rails against the deceit of the Christian church and white magicians, he weaves his own philosophy centered around self-indulgence.

The book claims the heritage of various ancient deities categorized by Christianity as "evil," and attempts to shatter the classical depiction of Satanism as a cult of black mass and child sacrifice. Instead, it presents a surprisingly logical argument in favor of a life focused on self-indulgence.

Ultimately, The Satanic Bible is less of a "bible" and more of a philosophy, with rituals included for entertainment, forming the backbone of a religion that LaVey brought into the public eye as a legitimate belief system.

By one of the most profoundly influential thinkers of our century, The Rebel is a classic essay on revolution. For Albert Camus, the urge to revolt is one of the essential dimensions of human nature, manifested in man's timeless Promethean struggle against the conditions of his existence, as well as the popular uprisings against established orders throughout history.

And yet, with an eye toward the French Revolution and its regicides and deicides, he shows how inevitably the course of revolution leads to tyranny. As old regimes throughout the world collapse, The Rebel resonates as an ardent, eloquent, and supremely rational voice of conscience for our tumultuous times.

Translated from the French by Anthony Bower.

ഖസാക്കിന്റെ ഇതിഹാസം (Khasakkinte Ithihasam) is a celebrated work by the renowned author O.V. Vijayan. This iconic novel, first published in 1969, is set in the fictional village of Khasak and explores deep philosophical questions through its vivid storytelling.

The narrative, rich with cultural nuances and vibrant characters, takes readers on a journey through the mystical and metaphysical landscapes of Kerala. Vijayan's masterful prose intricately weaves together themes of existentialism, tradition, and modernity.

Step into the world of Khasak and experience a tale that has left an indelible mark on Malayalam literature, captivating readers with its profound insights and timeless narrative.

Isao is a young, engaging patriot, and a fanatical believer in the ancient samurai ethos. He turns terrorist, organizing a violent plot against the new industrialists, who he believes are threatening the integrity of Japan and usurping the Emperor’s rightful power.

As the conspiracy unfolds and unravels, Mishima brilliantly chronicles the conflicts of a decade that saw the fabric of Japanese life torn apart. Runaway Horses is the chronicle of a conspiracy — a novel about the roots and nature of Japanese fanaticism in the years that led to war.

Nausea is the story of Antoine Roquentin, a French writer who is horrified at his own existence. In impressionistic, diary form he ruthlessly catalogues his every feeling and sensation about the world and people around him. His thoughts culminate in a pervasive, overpowering feeling of nausea which "spread at the bottom of the viscous puddle, at the bottom of our time, the time of purple suspenders and broken chair seats; it is made of wide, soft instants, spreading at the edge, like an oil stain."

Roquentin's efforts to try and come to terms with his life, his philosophical and psychological struggles, give Sartre the opportunity to dramatize the tenets of his Existentialist creed.

Last and First Men and Star Maker are two of the greatest future histories in science fiction. In Last and First Men, the protagonist is "mankind" in its ultimate definition — intelligence. This novel explores the evolutionary future of humanity, revealing a narrative that spans two billion years.

Star Maker, in a sense its sequel, is concerned with the history of intelligence across the entire cosmos. It takes readers on a cosmic journey, delving into the creation and destruction of worlds, and the rise and fall of civilizations.

Together, these novels chronicle the future of civilization, foretelling events such as worldwide fuel shortages and man's exploration of space. They offer a profound philosophical exploration of the universe and humanity's place within it.

Dedicated as few men have been to the life of reason, Bertrand Russell has always been concerned with the basic questions to which religion also addresses itself—questions about man's place in the universe and the nature of the good life, questions that involve life after death, morality, freedom, education, and sexual ethics.

He brings to his treatment of these questions the same courage, scrupulous logic, and lofty wisdom for which his other work as philosopher, writer, and teacher has been famous. These qualities make the essays included in this book perhaps the most graceful and moving presentation of the freethinker's position since the days of Hume and Voltaire.

"I am as firmly convinced that religions do harm as I am that they are untrue," Russell declares in his Preface, and his reasoned opposition to any system or dogma which he feels may shackle man's mind runs through all the essays in this book, whether they were written as early as 1899 or as late as 1954.

The book has been edited, with Lord Russell's full approval and cooperation, by Professor Paul Edwards of the Philosophy Department of New York University. In an Appendix, Professor Edwards contributes a full account of the highly controversial "Bertrand Russell Case" of 1940, in which Russell was judicially declared "unfit" to teach philosophy at the College of the City of New York.

Whether the reader shares or rejects Bertrand Russell's views, he will find this book an invigorating challenge to set notions, a masterly statement of a philosophical position, and a pure joy to read.

Mrityunjaya is an outstanding literary masterpiece by contemporary Marathi novelist Shivaji Sawant. It explores the eternal quest for the meaning of Being through the personae of the Mahabharata protagonists.

Mrityunjaya is the autobiography of Karna, and yet it is not just that. Sawant employs an exceptional stylistic innovation by combining six dramatic soliloquies to form the nine books of this novel of epic dimensions.

Four books are spoken by Karna. These are interspersed with a book each from the lips of his unwed mother Kunti, Duryodhana (who considers Karna his mainstay), Shon (Shatruntapa, his foster-brother, who hero-worships him), his wife Vrishali to whom he is like a god, and, last of all, Krishna.

Sawant depicts an uncanny similarity between Krishna and Karna and hints at a mystic link between them, investing his protagonist with a more-than-human aura to offset the un-heroic and even unmanly acts which mar this tremendously complex and utterly fascinating creation of Vyasa.

Capital, one of Marx's major and most influential works, was the product of thirty years close study of the capitalist mode of production in England, the most advanced industrial society of his day. This new translation of Volume One, the only volume to be completed and edited by Marx himself, seeks to do justice to the literary qualities of the work.

The introduction is by Ernest Mandel, author of Late Capitalism, one of the only comprehensive attempts to develop the theoretical legacy of Capital.

Wind, Sand and Stars captures the grandeur, danger, and isolation of flight. Its exciting account of air adventure, combined with lyrical prose and the spirit of a philosopher, makes it one of the most popular works ever written about flying. Translated by Lewis Galantière.

Alan Watts asks what is the cause of the illusion that the self is a separate ego, housed in a bag of skin, and which confronts a universe of physical objects that are alien to it. Rather, a person's identity (their ego) binds them to the physical universe, creating a relationship with their environment and other people.

The separation of the self and the physical world leads to the misuse of technology and the attempt to violently subjugate man's natural environment, leading to its destruction. Explaining man's role in the universe as a unique expression of the total universe, and interdependent on it, Alan Watts offers a new understanding of personal identity.

It reveals the mystery of existence, presenting an alternative to the feelings of alienation that is prevalent in Western society, and a vision of how we can come to understand the cosmic self that is within every living thing.

ثرثرة فوق النيل is set in the late sixties, a time of significant social change. The story follows a group of friends who gather night after night on a houseboat on the Nile. Under the moonlight, they smoke, chat, and inhabit a cozy and enchanted world. However, one night, Art and Reality collide with unforeseen consequences.

In this thrilling and deeply serious tale, Mahfouz exposes the human and artistic dilemmas of modern times, skillfully blending philosophical musings with social commentary.

Arthur Schopenhauer's Die Welt als Wille und Vorstellung is one of the most important philosophical works of the nineteenth century, representing a fundamental statement of post-Kantian thought. This masterpiece is undeniably Schopenhauer's greatest contribution to philosophy.

Conceived and published before Schopenhauer turned 30, and later expanded over 25 years, the work encapsulates a lifetime of profound thinking. For seven decades, the only unabridged English translation was the Haldane-Kemp version. In 1958, E. F. J. Payne introduced a new translation that decisively replaced the older version by correcting nearly 1,000 errors and omissions found in the Haldane-Kemp translation. Payne's translation is based on the definitive 1937 German edition prepared by Dr. Arthur Hübscher.

This edition is particularly useful for students and teachers as it translates the text’s numerous quotations from various languages into English, making it an invaluable resource for understanding Schopenhauer's vision of the world as will and representation.

The Invincible is a gripping science fiction novel by the renowned Polish writer Stanisław Lem, first published in 1964. It follows the journey of an interstellar 2nd-class cruiser, aptly named Invincible, as it lands on the bleakly uninhabited planet of Regis III. The mission: to investigate the mysterious loss of its sister ship, Condor.

Maintaining the highest security measures, the crew embarks on a daring search for the lost Condor. Meanwhile, the scientists among them delve into researching the enigmatic planet, striving to identify any lurking dangers. As they explore, they stumble upon unknown structures, reminiscent of an Earth city, and eventually find the Condor some three hundred kilometers away (roughly 186 miles).

As the story unfolds, the crew encounters beings that have seemingly evolved from autonomous, self-replicating machines, possibly the remnants of a "robot war." Navigating this strange new world, they are forced to confront the classic quandary: what actions should humanity take when faced with the limits of its knowledge?

Lem masterfully blends elements of mystery and adventure, challenging his characters—and readers—to confront the inexplicable and the bizarre, pushing the boundaries of human understanding.

A collection of powerful stories by one of the masters of Russian literature, illustrating the author's thoughts on political philosophy, religion and above all, humanity. This volume includes Notes from Underground, White Nights, The Dream of a Ridiculous Man, and Selections from The House of the Dead.

The compelling works presented in this volume were written at distinct periods in Dostoyevsky's life, at decisive moments in his groping for a political philosophy and a religious answer. From the primitive peasant who kills without understanding that he is destroying life to the anxious antihero of Notes from Underground—who both craves and despises affection—the writer's often-tormented characters showcase his evolving outlook on our fate.

Thomas Mann described Dostoyevsky as "an author whose Christian sympathy is ordinarily devoted to human misery, sin, vice, the depths of lust and crime, rather than to nobility of body and soul" and Notes from Underground as "an awe- and terror- inspiring example of this sympathy."

حالا همه‌چیز به رنگ خاکستری بنفش متمایل بود و برف شل و چسبنده‌.

سرما به همه جای آدم سر می‌کشید و دنبال قلب می‌گشت. در اطرافشان کوچکترین اثری از حرکت محسوس نبود. سکونی بود که انسان را فرو می‌بلعید و مغز را که هنوز زنده بود و آنها همه در شخص دیگری می‌گذشت.

دیگر نه در درون انسان اثری از کثافت‌کاری‌های روانی بود نه در بیرون. لنی کم‌کم داشت به قدری به این مسائل بی‌اعتنا می‌شد که حتی امکان داشت برگردد و...

Letter from the Birmingham Jail is a profound piece of writing by Martin Luther King Jr., composed on April 16, 1963, while he was confined in a Birmingham jail. King was serving a sentence for his participation in civil rights demonstrations.

Alone for days in the dull monotony of a narrow jail cell, King reflected on a letter from fellow clergymen urging him to abandon his campaign of nonviolent resistance and leave the battle for racial equality to the courts. In response, he drafted this extensive and forceful written statement against social injustice.

This remarkable essay not only focused the world's attention on Birmingham but also spurred the famous March on Washington. Bristling with the energy and resonance of his great speeches, this letter is both a compelling defense of nonviolent demonstration and a rallying cry for an end to social discrimination. It remains as powerful today as it was more than twenty years ago.

Hopscotch is a novel by Julio Cortazar, translated by Gregory Rabassa, that revolutionized the narrative structure with its non-linear approach. The story follows Horacio Oliveira, an Argentinian writer living in Paris with his mistress, La Maga, amid a group of bohemian friends known as "the Club." After a series of personal tragedies, Oliveira returns to Buenos Aires, where his life takes a series of unexpected turns as he takes on various odd jobs.

The novel is famous for its unique structure, allowing readers to navigate through its chapters in a non-conventional order. This innovative layout mirrors the book’s thematic exploration of life's complexity and the search for meaning. Cortazar drew inspiration from a variety of sources, including Henry Miller's quest for truth, Daisetz Teitaro Suzuki's Zen Buddhism teachings, and the aesthetics of Modernist writers like Joyce. Additionally, the novel reflects influences from Surrealism, the French New Novel, jazz music, and New Wave Cinema.

Gregory Rabassa's translation of Hopscotch won the National Book Award in 1966, marking a significant moment for the recognition of translation in literature. Cortazar's approval of Rabassa's work led to the translator's collaboration with Gabriel García Márquez on One Hundred Years of Solitude, further cementing Rabassa's reputation as a master translator.

Memoirs of a Dutiful Daughter is a superb autobiography by one of the great literary figures of the twentieth century, Simone de Beauvoir. It offers an intimate picture of growing up in a bourgeois French family, rebelling as an adolescent against the conventional expectations of her class, and striking out on her own with an intellectual and existential ambition exceedingly rare in a young woman in the 1920s.

Beauvoir vividly evokes her friendships, love interests, mentors, and the early days of the most important relationship of her life, with fellow student Jean-Paul Sartre, against the backdrop of a turbulent political time in France.

El amor turbulento de Oliveira y La Maga, los amigos del Club de la Serpiente, las caminatas por París en busca del cielo y el infierno, tienen su reverso en la aventura simétrica de Oliveira, Talita y Traveler en un Buenos Aires teñido por el recuerdo.

La aparición de Rayuela en 1963 fue una verdadera revolución dentro de la novelística en lengua castellana: por primera vez, un escritor llevaba hasta las últimas consecuencias la voluntad de transgredir el orden tradicional de una historia y el lenguaje para contarla.

El resultado es este libro único, abierto a multiples lecturas, lleno de humor, de riesgo y de una originalidad sin precedentes.

Goethe’s Faust reworks the late medieval myth of a brilliant scholar so disillusioned he resolves to make a contract with Mephistopheles. The devil will do all he asks on Earth and seeks to grant him a moment in life so glorious that he will wish it to last forever. But if Faust does bid the moment stay, he falls to Mephisto and must serve him after death. In this first part of Goethe’s great work, the embittered thinker and Mephistopheles enter into their agreement, and soon Faust is living a rejuvenated life and winning the love of the beautiful Gretchen. But in this compelling tragedy of arrogance, unfulfilled desire, and self-delusion, Faust heads inexorably toward an infernal destruction.

The best translation of Faust available, this volume provides the original German text and its English counterpart on facing pages. Walter Kaufmann's translation conveys the poetic beauty and rhythm as well as the complex depth of Goethe's language. Includes Part One and selections from Part Two.

One of the most important philosophical works of our time, Being and Time has had a tremendous influence on philosophy, literature, and psychology, and has literally changed the intellectual map of the modern world.

Stand Still Like the Hummingbird is one of Henry Miller's most luminous statements of his personal philosophy of life. The title itself serves as a symbolic representation for this collection of stories and essays.

Many of these pieces have appeared only in foreign magazines, while others were printed in small limited editions that have since gone out of print. Miller's genius for comedy shines in "Money and How It Gets That Way," a tongue-in-cheek parody of economics, inspired by a postcard from Ezra Pound that asked if he "ever thought about money."

His deep concern for the role of the artist in society is evident in "An Open Letter to All and Sundry," and in "The Angel is My Watermark," where he writes of his own passionate love affair with painting. "The Immorality of Morality" offers an eloquent discussion on censorship.

Some of the stories, such as "First Love," are autobiographical, providing personal insights into Miller's life. There are also portraits of friends, such as "Patchen: Man of Anger and Light," and essays on other writers like Walt Whitman, Thoreau, Sherwood Anderson, and Ionesco.

Taken together, these highly readable pieces reflect the incredible vitality and variety of interests of the writer who extended the frontiers of modern literature with Tropic of Cancer and other great books.

Michel Foucault examines the archeology of madness in the West from 1500 to 1800. From the late Middle Ages, when insanity was still considered part of everyday life and fools and lunatics walked the streets freely, to the time when such people began to be considered a threat. Asylums were first built, and walls were erected between the “insane” and the rest of humanity.