In the tradition of Bertrand Russell's Why I Am Not a Christian and Sam Harris's recent bestseller, The End of Faith, Christopher Hitchens makes the ultimate case against religion. With a close and erudite reading of the major religious texts, he documents the ways in which religion is a man-made wish, a cause of dangerous sexual repression, and a distortion of our origins in the cosmos. With eloquent clarity, Hitchens frames the argument for a more secular life based on science and reason, in which hell is replaced by the Hubble Telescope's awesome view of the universe, and Moses and the burning bush give way to the beauty and symmetry of the double helix.

"A spectre is haunting Europe - the spectre of Communism." So begins one of history's most important documents, a work of such magnitude that it has forever changed not only the scope of world politics, but indeed the course of human civilization. The Communist Manifesto was written in Friedrich Engels's clear, striking prose and declared the earth-shaking ideas of Karl Marx. Upon publication in 1848, it quickly became the credo of the poor and oppressed who longed for a society "in which the free development of each is the condition for the free development of all." The Communist Manifesto contains the seeds of Marx's more comprehensive philosophy, which continues to inspire influential economic, political, social, and literary theories. But the Manifesto is most valuable as an historical document, one that led to the greatest political upheaveals of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and to the establishment of the Communist governments that until recently ruled half the globe. This Bantam Classic edition of The Communist Manifesto includes Marx and Engels's historic 1872 and 1882 prefaces, and Engels's notes and prefaces to the 1883 and 1888 editions.

Twenty years after it topped the bestseller charts, Douglas R. Hofstadter's Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid is still something of a marvel. Besides being a profound and entertaining meditation on human thought and creativity, this book looks at the surprising points of contact between the music of Bach, the artwork of Escher, and the mathematics of Gödel. It also looks at the prospects for computers and artificial intelligence (AI) for mimicking human thought. For the general reader and the computer techie alike, this book still sets a standard for thinking about the future of computers and their relation to the way we think. Topics Covered: J.S. Bach, M.C. Escher, Kurt Gödel: biographical information and work, artificial intelligence (AI) history and theories, strange loops and tangled hierarchies, formal and informal systems, number theory, form in mathematics, figure and ground, consistency, completeness, Euclidean and non-Euclidean geometry, recursive structures, theories of meaning, propositional calculus, typographical number theory, Zen and mathematics, levels of description and computers; theory of mind: neurons, minds and thoughts; undecidability; self-reference and self-representation; Turing test for machine intelligence.

Rare is the style guide that a person--even a word person--would want to read cover to cover. But The Economist Style Guide, designed, as the book says, to promote good writing, is so witty and rigorous as to be irresistible. The book consists of three parts. The first is the Economist's style book, which acts as a position paper of sorts in favor of clear, concise, correct usage. The big no-noes listed in the book's introduction are: "Do not be stuffy.... Do not be hectoring or arrogant.... Do not be too pleased with yourself.... Do not be too chatty.... Do not be too didactic.... [And] do not be sloppy." Before even getting to the letter B, we are reminded that aggravate "means make worse, not irritate or annoy"; that an alibi "is the proven fact of being elsewhere, not a false explanation"; and that anarchy "means the complete absence of law or government. It may be harmonious or chaotic." Part 2 of the book describes many of the spelling, grammar, and usage differences between British and American English. While many Briticisms are familiar to most Americans and vice versa, there are some words--such as homely, bomb, and table--that take on quite different meanings altogether when they cross the Atlantic. And part 3 offers a handy reference to such information as common business abbreviations, accountancy ratios, the Beaufort Scale, commodity-trade classifications, currencies, laws, measures, and stock-market indices. The U.S. reader should be aware (but not scared off by the fact) that some of the style issues addressed are specifically British. --Jane Steinberg --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

本书为“英语词汇学习丛书”中的一本，该丛书是美国大学生中使用最多的词汇丛书。共有六册，每册介绍240—300个在TOEFL、GRE、SAT等测试中经常出现的单词，引导学生根据上下文的语境，包括例证、同义、异义、类比等关系来理解单词，通过反复练习、多次使用来熟悉和记忆单词。此外，书中部分练习题的题型与TOEFL、GRE、SAT等美国常用入学考试的形式相似，对于我国有志于出国留学的学生熟悉题型也有一定的帮助。 本书为第二册，书中提供的英语词汇练习适用于我国大学非英语专业四级（CET4）学生的水平，也可以用作TOEFL培训初、中级阶段的辅助教材。

《朗文高级英语阅读》的上、下两册，在出版中保持其作为高等学校教科书的特色，阐述阅读技能的部分采用中译文或中、英文对照，而阅读文选及其配套练习则全部采用英文原文。上册着重指导阅读技巧的提高：从改进阅读习惯、科学地掌握单词、克服各种阅读理解的障碍、分析作品的写作风格与手法，到灵活选择阅读方式和新闻记者速度。下册指导高层次读者学会评析性的阅读，即根据读者已有的知识和鉴评能力，对所阅读的文章、作品作出分析和思考，这一部分包括：学会归纳结论和做推论，把握不同类型的语汇、语气、倾向及观点，直观信息和网上信息的研读等。主干书的阅读文选包括散文、教科书和文学作品3大娄，内容涵盖广泛的当代社会、政治、科技、生活甚至哲学方面的热点问题，兼具有知识性和欣赏性。

本书作者提出了革命性的学习英语的理念和方法，认为传统英语学习追求地道英语地学习方法是个误区，中国人学英语应从“胡说八道”开始，克服种种心理障碍，随心所欲地表达和交流。

You Can Learn Any Language -- Are you hesitating to learn a new language because you've heard it's difficult? Or are you trying right now but finding it harder than you imagined? What if you could become fluent in a new language in a very short period of time -- just months, or maybe even weeks? You can learn any new language quickly and easily. It doesn't require pain or frustration. It can be fun, exciting and enlightening. Of course, to have this experience you do need to know a few things. You need to find and use your hidden talent -- something we call the Third Ear. The Third Ear takes you step by step along a path to think about language learning in totally new ways. Ways that help you realise you already know how to learn any language. You just needed to be reminded.

CARBEGLE,DALE(1888-1955),was a pioneer in public speaking and personality development .He got good reputation by showing others how to become successful .His book How to Win Friends and Influence People(1936)has sold more than 10 million copies and hand been translate into many languages .His books usually have characteristics of illustrative stories and simple, well-phrased rules. His other books in include How Stop Worrying and Start Living (1948).Toward the beginning of his career ,Carnegie wrote Public Speaking and Influencing Men inBusiness(1931),Which became a standard text.

The Tipping Point is that magical moment when an idea, trend, or social behaviour crosses a threshhold, tips, and spreads like wildfire. Just as a sick individual in a crowded store can start can epidemic of the flu, so too can a small but precisely targeted push cause a fashion trend or the popularity of a new restaurant to take off overnightor crime or drug use to taper off. Gladwell has explored this theory to great acclaim in several articles in The New Yorker. Here, he shows how very minor adjustments in products and ideas can make them more likely to become hugely popular. He reveals how east it is to cause group behaviour to tip in a desirable direction by making small changes in our immediate environment. The Tipping Point contains a profoundly hopeful idea that people will embrace for its sense and simplicity: one imaginative person, applying a well-placed lever, can move the world. Examples are recognizable: in the New York subways, removing graffiti caused a dramatic reduction in crime; a specific hip group of teenagers wore Hush Puppies and suddenly sparked a national craze. This is a book that should be read by everyone in business, politics, marketing, advertising, and anyone interested in trends, fashion, fads, policy making, and human behaviour. In other words, all of us.

In a journey spanning 50 books, hundreds of ideas and over a century, "50 Psychology Classics" looks at some of the most intriguing questions relating to what motivates us, what makes us feel and act in certain ways, how our brains work, and how we create a sense of self. "50 Psychology Classics" explores writings from some iconic figures such as Freud, Adler, Jung, skinner, James, Piaget and Pavolv, but also highlights the work of contemporary thinkers such as Gardner, Gilbert, Goleman and Seligman. We all need a personal theory of what makes people tick. To survive and thrive, we have to know who and what we are, and to be canny about the motivations of others. The common route to this knowledge is life experience, but we can advance our appreciation of the subject more quickly through reading. From the author of the bestselling "50 Self-Help Classics", "50 Success Classics" and "50 Spiritual Classics", which have sold over 100,000 in the English language and have been translated into 17 languages, "50 Psychology Classics" will further your understanding of human nature and yourself. You will find life-changing insights from 50 key books from the following authors: Alfred Adler; Gavin de Becker; Eric Berne; Edward de Bono; Robert Bolton; Nathaniel Branden; Isabel Briggs Myers; Louann Brizendine; David D Burns; Robert Cialdini; Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi; Albert Ellis and Robert Harper; Milton Erickson; Erik Erikson; Hans Eysenck; Susan Forward; Viktor Frankl; Anna Freud; Sigmund Freud; Howard Gardner; Daniel Gilbert; Malcolm Gladwell; Daniel Goleman; John M Gottman; Harry Harlow; Thomas A Harris; Eric Hoffer; Karen Horney; William James; Carl Jung; Eric Kandel; Alfred Kinsey; Melanie Klein; RD Laing; Abraham Maslow; Stanley Milgram; Ivan Pavlov; Fritz Perls; Jean Piaget; Steven Pinker; VS Ramachandran; Carl Rogers; Oliver Sacks; Barry Schwartz; Martin Seligman; Gail Sheehy; BF Skinner; Douglas Stone; William Styron; and, Robert E Thayer.

The "New York Times" Bestseller, acclaimed by author such as Freakonomics co-author Steven D. Levitt, Black Swan author Nassim Nicholas Taleb and Nudge co-author Richard Thaler, "Thinking Fast and Slow" offers a whole new look at the way our minds work, and how we make decisions. Why is there more chance we'll believe something if it's in a bold type face? Why are judges more likely to deny parole before lunch? Why do we assume a good-looking person will be more competent? The answer lies in the two ways we make choices: fast, intuitive thinking, and slow, rational thinking. This book reveals how our minds are tripped up by error and prejudice (even when we think we are being logical), and gives you practical techniques for slower, smarter thinking. It will enable to you make better decisions at work, at home, and in everything you do.

One of the world's most esteemed and influential psychologists, Roy F. Baumeister, teams with New York Times science writer John Tierney to reveal the secrets of self-control and how to master it. In Willpower, the pioneering researcher Roy F. Baumeister collaborates with renowned New York Times science writer John Tierney to revolutionize our understanding of the most coveted human virtue: self-control. In what became one of the most cited papers in social science literature, Baumeister discovered that willpower actually operates like a muscle: it can be strengthened with practice and fatigued by overuse. Willpower is fueled by glucose, and it can be bolstered simply by replenishing the brain's store of fuel. That's why eating and sleeping- and especially failing to do either of those-have such dramatic effects on self-control (and why dieters have such a hard time resisting temptation). Baumeister's latest research shows that we typically spend four hours every day resisting temptation. No wonder people around the world rank a lack of self-control as their biggest weakness. Willpower looks to the lives of entrepreneurs, parents, entertainers, and artists-including David Blaine, Eric Clapton, and others-who have flourished by improving their self-control. The lessons from their stories and psychologists' experiments can help anyone. You learn not only how to build willpower but also how to conserve it for crucial moments by setting the right goals and using the best new techniques for monitoring your progress. Once you master these techniques and establish the right habits, willpower gets easier: you'll need less conscious mental energy to avoid temptation. That's neither magic nor empty self-help sloganeering, but rather a solid path to a better life. Combining the best of modern social science with practical wisdom, Baumeister and Tierney here share the definitive compendium of modern lessons in willpower. As our society has moved away from the virtues of thrift and self-denial, it often feels helpless because we face more temptations than ever. But we also have more knowledge and better tools for taking control of our lives. However we define happiness-a close- knit family, a satisfying career, financial security-we won't reach it without mastering self-control.

《感动一个国家的文字》(英汉典藏版)记录了美利坚民族从诞生到强大的一个小小缩影，从中可以看到国家诞生的艰难、神圣职责的召唤、自由斗士的呐喊、精神殿堂的璀璨……这是一个国家赖以立国的不朽文本，一个民族走向辉煌的历史缩影！美利坚民族的出现是这个星球上的一个奇迹。数百年前，一群欧洲移民来到广袤、荒凉的北美大陆，寻求自由与繁荣的梦想；数百年后，他们的民族成为世界最强大的民族之一，他们的国家成为世界上最强大的国家之一，他们的文明成为世界上最有影响力的文明之一。爱是永恒 熊熊燃烧的爱情之火，缠绵缱绻的甜言蜜语，引人入胜的精彩传奇。 纯真年代 体味成长的酸甜苦辣，回忆成长的点点滴滴，记录成长的精彩瞬间。 凡人睿智 四季流转变化，悲欢离合，酸甜苦辣，成就真实的人生。 原味人生 冲淡平和的心境，进退自如的谋略，一卷在手，人生智慧尽在其中。 人与自然 聆听大自然的声音，悉心体味人与自然的心灵独白。 书海拾贝 在暖暖的阳光下，临窗而坐，读一篇优美的散文，馨香绕怀，久久不忘。 如果你是一名大、中学生，阅读《感动一个国家的文字》可以提高历史和文学素养，开阔视野，陶冶情操。 如果你是一位英语爱好者，阅读《感动一个国家的文字》可以一睹这些杰作的原文风采。 如果你是一位翻译爱好者，阅读《感动一个国家的文字》可以将原文和译文对比推敲，欣赏佳译。 如果你是一名文学爱好者，阅读《感动一个国家的文字》可以从优美的文字中感受自然，体味人生。

《你能用英文读懂的美国历史(插图版)》用英语中最常用的词汇写成，避免了多数历史书语言艰深、晦涩、乏味的情况；采用英汉对照的模式，您在阅读英文遇到疑问时，可以翻阅相对应的中文译文作参考；还配有相对应的插图，使您能够对不同地域和各个时期人物和事件有更直观的感受。笔者的目的就是让具有初、中级英语水平的人能用英文读懂由美国人编著的美国历史书。

Amazon.com Review Written in a narrative style that captures both the scope and detail of the Russian revolution, Orlando Figes's history is certain to become one of the most important contemporary studies of Russia as it was at the beginning of the 20th century. With an almost cinematic eye, Figes captures the broad movements of war and revolution, never losing sight of the individuals whose lives make up his subject. He makes use of personal papers and personal histories to illustrate the effects the revolution wrought on a human scale, while providing a convincing and detailed understanding of the role of workers, peasants, and soldiers in the revolution. He moves deftly from topics such as the grand social forces and mass movements that made up the revolution to profiles of key personalities and representative characters. Figes's themes of the Russian revolution as a tragedy for the Russian people as a whole and for the millions of individuals who lost their lives to the brutal forces it unleashed make sense of events for a new generation of students of Russian history. Sympathy for the charismatic leaders and ideological theorizing regarding Hegelian dialectics and Marxist economics--two hallmarks of much earlier writing on the Russian revolution--are banished from these clear-eyed, fair-minded pages of A People's Tragedy. The author's sympathy is squarely with the Russian people. That commitment, together with the benefit of historical hindsight, provides a standpoint Figes take full advantage of in this masterful history. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. From Publishers Weekly Packed with vivid human detail and incident, British historian Figes's monumental social and political history spans Russia's entire revolutionary period, from the czarist government's floundering during the famine of 1891 to Lenin's death in 1924, by which time all the basic institutions of the Soviet dictatorship?a privileged ruling elite, random terror, secret police, torture, mass executions, concentration camps?were in place. Figes dismantles any number of myths surrounding the Bolshevik Revolution of October 1917, a military coup rammed through at Lenin's insistence ("hardly any of the Bolshevik leaders had wanted it to happen until a few hours before it began"). Using diaries, letters, memoirs and archival documents, Cambridge don Figes provides masterful portraits of cynical, power-hungry Lenin, driven by an absolute faith in his mission; Alexander Kerensky, weak-willed, vain democratic leader, the self-styled savior of Russia; writer Maxim Gorky, plagued by the fear?and later by the terrible realization?that the "people's revolution" was a descent into barbarism; Tolstoyan peasant reformer Sergei Semenov; and dozens of lesser-known figures. In this vibrant magnum opus, Figes illumines the manifold sources of Russia's failure to take a democratic path. Illustrations not seen by PW. Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Jerusalem is the universal city, the capital of two peoples, the shrine of three faiths; it is the prize of empires, the site of Judgement Day and the battlefield of today’s clash of civilizations. From King David to Barack Obama, from the birth of Judaism, Christianity and Islam to the Israel-Palestine conflict, this is the epic history of three thousand years of faith, slaughter, fanaticism and coexistence. How did this small, remote town become the Holy City, the “center of the world” and now the key to peace in the Middle East? In a gripping narrative, Simon Sebag Montefiore reveals this ever-changing city in its many incarnations, bringing every epoch and character blazingly to life. Jerusalem’s biography is told through the wars, love affairs and revelations of the men and women—kings, empresses, prophets, poets, saints, conquerors and whores—who created, destroyed, chronicled and believed in Jerusalem. As well as the many ordinary Jerusalemites who have left their mark on the city, its cast varies from Solomon, Saladin and Suleiman the Magnificent to Cleopatra, Caligula and Churchill; from Abraham to Jesus and Muhammad; from the ancient world of Jezebel, Nebuchadnezzar, Herod and Nero to the modern times of the Kaiser, Disraeli, Mark Twain, Lincoln, Rasputin, Lawrence of Arabia and Moshe Dayan. Drawing on new archives, current scholarship, his own family papers and a lifetime’s study, Montefiore illuminates the essence of sanctity and mysticism, identity and empire in a unique chronicle of the city that many believe will be the setting for the Apocalypse. This is how Jerusalem became Jerusalem, and the only city that exists twice—in heaven and on earth.

This text offers a rapid overview of European civilisation, describing its birth from an unlikely mixture of three elements - classical learning, Christianity & German warrior culture. Over the centuries, this unstable blend produced distinctive characters, & its coming apart provided the dynamic of European history in modern times.