Better Than Well: American Medicine Meets the American Dream

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Author :
Publisher : W. W. Norton & Company
ISBN 13 : 0393346668
Total Pages : 384 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (933 download)

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Book Synopsis Better Than Well: American Medicine Meets the American Dream by : Carl Elliott

Download or read book Better Than Well: American Medicine Meets the American Dream written by Carl Elliott and published by W. W. Norton & Company. This book was released on 2004-06-17 with total page 384 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Elliott's absorbing account will make readers think again about the ways that science shapes our personal identities."—American Scientist Americans have always been the world's most anxiously enthusiastic consumers of "enhancement technologies." Prozac, Viagra, and Botox injections are only the latest manifestations of a familiar pattern: enthusiastic adoption, public hand-wringing, an occasional congressional hearing, and calls for self-reliance. In a brilliant diagnosis of our reactions to self-improvement technologies, Carl Elliott asks questions that illuminate deep currents in the American character: Why do we feel uneasy about these drugs, procedures, and therapies even while we embrace them? Where do we draw the line between self and society? Why do we seek self-realization in ways so heavily influenced by cultural conformity?

Better Than Well?

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Author :
Publisher : iUniverse
ISBN 13 : 1491715421
Total Pages : 143 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (917 download)

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Book Synopsis Better Than Well? by : Paul J. Fitzgerald

Download or read book Better Than Well? written by Paul J. Fitzgerald and published by iUniverse. This book was released on 2013-12-11 with total page 143 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Is it possible, through use of existing psychiatric medications or talk therapy, to treat someone who has become slightly to severely mentally ill, and not only eliminate symptoms of his illness but also leave him better than well? This is a question with which eminent American psychiatrist, Peter Kramer, grappled in his landmark 1993 book, Listening to Prozac. Kramer concluded, based largely on responses of his own patients to the then relatively new antidepressant Prozac, that better than well may indeed be attainable in some persons. Not surprisingly, this is a controversial conclusion that has been met with a large degree of skepticism, including in a number of books that have since appeared. The current book explores this issue in detail, including analysis of cutting edge neuroscience and psychiatric research, concluding that "better than well" may indeed be attainable in some individuals. If so, this phenomenon may have broad reaching implications for medicine and society in general.

Better But Not Well

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Publisher : JHU Press
ISBN 13 : 0801889103
Total Pages : 285 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (18 download)

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Book Synopsis Better But Not Well by : Richard G. Frank

Download or read book Better But Not Well written by Richard G. Frank and published by JHU Press. This book was released on 2006-09-08 with total page 285 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The past half-century has been marked by major changes in the treatment of mental illness: important advances in understanding mental illnesses, increases in spending on mental health care and support of people with mental illnesses, and the availability of new medications that are easier for the patient to tolerate. Although these changes have made things better for those who have mental illness, they are not quite enough. In Better But Not Well, Richard G. Frank and Sherry A. Glied examine the well-being of people with mental illness in the United States over the past fifty years, addressing issues such as economics, treatment, standards of living, rights, and stigma. Marshaling a range of new empirical evidence, they first argue that people with mental illness—severe and persistent disorders as well as less serious mental health conditions—are faring better today than in the past. Improvements have come about for unheralded and unexpected reasons. Rather than being a result of more effective mental health treatments, progress has come from the growth of private health insurance and of mainstream social programs—such as Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income, housing vouchers, and food stamps—and the development of new treatments that are easier for patients to tolerate and for physicians to manage. The authors remind us that, despite the progress that has been made, this disadvantaged group remains worse off than most others in society. The "mainstreaming" of persons with mental illness has left a policy void, where governmental institutions responsible for meeting the needs of mental health patients lack resources and programmatic authority. To fill this void, Frank and Glied suggest that institutional resources be applied systematically and routinely to examine and address how federal and state programs affect the well-being of people with mental illness.

Better Than Well: American Medicine Meets the American Dream

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Author :
Publisher : W. W. Norton & Company
ISBN 13 : 0393325652
Total Pages : 384 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (933 download)

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Book Synopsis Better Than Well: American Medicine Meets the American Dream by : Carl Elliott

Download or read book Better Than Well: American Medicine Meets the American Dream written by Carl Elliott and published by W. W. Norton & Company. This book was released on 2004-06-17 with total page 384 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An examination of "enhancement technologies" in America considers the pervasiveness of self-improvement drugs and procedures in spite of society's general unease about their use.

Doing Good Better

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Publisher : Penguin
ISBN 13 : 0698191102
Total Pages : 288 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (981 download)

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Book Synopsis Doing Good Better by : William MacAskill

Download or read book Doing Good Better written by William MacAskill and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2015-07-28 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Most of us want to make a difference. We donate our time and money to charities and causes we deem worthy, choose careers we consider meaningful, and patronize businesses and buy products we believe make the world a better place. Unfortunately, we often base these decisions on assumptions and emotions rather than facts. As a result, even our best intentions often lead to ineffective—and sometimes downright harmful—outcomes. How can we do better? While a researcher at Oxford, trying to figure out which career would allow him to have the greatest impact, William MacAskill confronted this problem head on. He discovered that much of the potential for change was being squandered by lack of information, bad data, and our own prejudice. As an antidote, he and his colleagues developed effective altruism, a practical, data-driven approach that allows each of us to make a tremendous difference regardless of our resources. Effective altruists believe that it’s not enough to simply do good; we must do good better. At the core of this philosophy are five key questions that help guide our altruistic decisions: How many people benefit, and by how much? Is this the most effective thing I can do? Is this area neglected? What would have happened otherwise? What are the chances of success, and how good would success be? By applying these questions to real-life scenarios, MacAskill shows how many of our assumptions about doing good are misguided. For instance, he argues one can potentially save more lives by becoming a plastic surgeon rather than a heart surgeon; measuring overhead costs is an inaccurate gauge of a charity’s effectiveness; and, it generally doesn’t make sense for individuals to donate to disaster relief. MacAskill urges us to think differently, set aside biases, and use evidence and careful reasoning rather than act on impulse. When we do this—when we apply the head and the heart to each of our altruistic endeavors—we find that each of us has the power to do an astonishing amount of good.

White Coat, Black Hat

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Author :
Publisher : Beacon Press
ISBN 13 : 0807061441
Total Pages : 233 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (7 download)

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Book Synopsis White Coat, Black Hat by : Carl Elliott

Download or read book White Coat, Black Hat written by Carl Elliott and published by Beacon Press. This book was released on 2011-09-13 with total page 233 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: By New Yorker and Atlantic writer Carl Elliott, a readable and even funny account of the serious business of medicine. A tongue-in-cheek account of the changes that have transformed medicine into big business. Physician and medical ethicist Carl Elliott tracks the new world of commercialized medicine from start to finish, introducing the professional guinea pigs, ghostwriters, thought leaders, drug reps, public relations pros, and even medical ethicists who use medicine for (sometimes huge) financial gain. Along the way, he uncovers the cost to patients lost in a health-care universe centered around consumerism.

For Better

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Publisher : Penguin
ISBN 13 : 1101404299
Total Pages : 368 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (14 download)

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Book Synopsis For Better by : Tara Parker-Pope

Download or read book For Better written by Tara Parker-Pope and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2010-05-06 with total page 368 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: One of the New York Times' most popular journalists presents groundbreaking scientific news about marriage. And, surprise: It's good news. We've all heard the statistic: Fifty percent of marriages end in divorce. It's enough to make many couples give up when the going gets rough, thinking that's what everybody else does. But what if it weren't true? What if, in fact, it's not only possible but often easier than you think to save a seemingly troubled relationship? These are the questions Tara Parker-Pope asked herself after her own divorce. An investigative journalist on the health and wellness beat, she turned to some of the top biologists, neuroscientists, psychologists, and other scientists for the facts about marriage and divorce. Those facts were more positive and provocative than she'd ever expected, and For Better offers page after page of astonishing, eye-opening good news. Parker-Pope presents the science behind why some marriages work and others don't; the biology behind why some spouses cheat and others remain faithful; the best diagnostic tools created by the most cutting-edge psychologists to assess the probability of success in getting married, staying married, or remarrying. There are questionnaires to uncover potentially damaging hidden attitudes toward spouses. There are tools to show the impact of routine, fresh activity and how small adjustments can make a huge difference. Tara Parker- Pope's genius is for exploring the science behind the big issues that affect our lives every day and translating that science into advice that we can use-every day. For Better is the definitive guide to the most profound relationship of our lives.

Prozac as a Way of Life

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Publisher : UNC Press Books
ISBN 13 : 1469617080
Total Pages : 222 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (696 download)

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Book Synopsis Prozac as a Way of Life by : Carl Elliott

Download or read book Prozac as a Way of Life written by Carl Elliott and published by UNC Press Books. This book was released on 2016-08-15 with total page 222 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Prozac and its chemical cousins, Paxil, Celexa, and Zoloft, are some of the most profitable and most widely used drugs in America. Their use in the treatment of a multitude of disorders--from generalized anxiety disorder and premenstrual syndrome to eating disorders and sexual compulsions--has provoked a whirlwind of public debate. Talk shows ask, Why is Prozac so popular? What, exactly, do these drugs treat? But sustained critical discussion among bioethicists and medical humanists has been surprisingly absent. The eleven essays in Prozac as a Way of Life provide the groundwork for a much-needed philosophical discussion of the ethical and cultural dimensions of the popularity of SSRI antidepressants. Focusing on the increasing use of medication as a means of self-enhancement, contributors from the fields of psychiatry, psychology, bioethics, and the medical humanities address issues of identity enhancement, the elasticity of psychiatric diagnosis, and the aggressive marketing campaigns of pharmaceutical companies. They do not question the fact that these antidepressants can, in some cases, provide great benefit to alleviate real suffering. What they do question is the abundant popularity of these drugs and that popularity's relationship to American culture and ideas of selfhood. Contributors: Tod Chambers, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago David DeGrazia, George Washington University James C. Edwards, Furman University Carl Elliott, University of Minnesota Center for Bioethics David Healy, University of Wales College of Medicine Laurence J. Kirmayer, McGill University Peter D. Kramer, Brown University Erik Parens, The Hastings Center Lauren Slater, AfterCare Services, Boston Susan Squier, Pennsylvania State University Laurie Zoloth, Northwestern University Center for Genetic Medicine, Chicago

Better Than the Movies

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Publisher : Simon and Schuster
ISBN 13 : 1398536539
Total Pages : 314 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (985 download)

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Book Synopsis Better Than the Movies by : Lynn Painter

Download or read book Better Than the Movies written by Lynn Painter and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2024-03-28 with total page 314 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Perfect for fans of Emily Henry and Ali Hazelwood, this “sweet and funny” (Kerry Winfrey, author of Waiting for Tom Hanks) teen rom-com is hopelessly romantic with enemies to lovers and grumpy x sunshine energy! Liz hates her annoyingly attractive neighbour but he’s the only in with her long-term crush… Perpetual daydreamer and hopeless romantic Liz Buxbaum gave her heart to Michael a long time ago. But her cool, aloof forever crush never really saw her before he moved away. Now that he’s back in town, Liz will do whatever it takes to get on his radar—and maybe snag him as a prom date—even befriend Wes Bennet. The annoyingly attractive next-door neighbour might seem like a prime candidate for romantic comedy fantasies, but Wes has only been a pain in Liz’s butt since they were kids. Pranks involving frogs and decapitated lawn gnomes do not a potential boyfriend make. Yet, somehow, Wes and Michael are hitting it off, which means Wes is Liz’s in. But as Liz and Wes scheme to get Liz noticed by Michael so she can have her magical prom moment, she’s shocked to discover that she likes being around Wes. And as they continue to grow closer, she must re-examine everything she thought she knew about love—and rethink her own ideas of what Happily Ever After should look like. Better Than the Movies features quotes from the best-loved rom-coms of cinema and takes you on a rollercoaster of romance that isn’t movie-perfect but jaw-dropping and heart-stopping in unexpected ways. Pre-order Nothing Like the Movies, the swoony sequel to Better than the Movies and don't miss out on The Do-Over and Betting On You from Lynn Painter!

Happier at Home

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Publisher : Doubleday Canada
ISBN 13 : 0385670834
Total Pages : 258 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (856 download)

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Book Synopsis Happier at Home by : Gretchen Rubin

Download or read book Happier at Home written by Gretchen Rubin and published by Doubleday Canada. This book was released on 2012-09-04 with total page 258 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Tolstoy wrote, "Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way." This is the statement that inspired bestselling author Gretchen Rubin to wonder whether she could foster an even greater happiness in her home. During The Happiness Project, the same questions kept tugging at her. How can I raise happy children? How can I maintain a tender, romantic relationship with my spouse--after fifteen years of marriage? How do I keep my Blackberry from taking over my private life? How can I foster a well-ordered, light-hearted atmosphere in my house, when no one else will lift a finger to cooperate? This book is Gretchen's account of her second journey in pursuit of happiness. Prescriptive, easy-to-follow, and anecdotal, Happier at Home offers readers a way of thinking and being that is positive and life-affirming. With specific examples following the calendar year, an intimate voice, and drawing from science and pop culture, this book will resonate with anyone looking to strengthen the bonds of family.

Better than Human

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Publisher : Oxford University Press
ISBN 13 : 0199797994
Total Pages : 208 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (997 download)

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Book Synopsis Better than Human by : Allen Buchanan

Download or read book Better than Human written by Allen Buchanan and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2011-07-01 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Is it right to use biomedical technologies to make us better than well or even perhaps better than human? Should we view our biology as fixed or should we try to improve on it? College students are already taking cognitive enhancement drugs. The U.S. army is already working to develop drugs and technologies to produce "super soldiers." Scientists already know how to use genetic engineering techniques to enhance the strength and memories of mice and the application of such technologies to humans is on the horizon. In Better Than Human, philosopher-bioethicist Allen Buchanan grapples with the ethical dilemmas of the biomedical enhancement revolution. Biomedical enhancements can make us smarter, have better memories, be stronger, quicker, have more stamina, live much longer, avoid the frailties of aging, and enjoy richer emotional lives. In spite of the benefits that biomedical enhancements may bring, many people instinctively reject them. Some worry that we will lose something important-our appreciation for what we have or what makes human beings distinctively valuable. Others assume that biomedical enhancements will only be available to the rich, with the result that social inequalities will worsen. Buchanan shows that the debate over enhancement has been distorted by false assumptions and misleading rhetoric. To think clearly about enhancement, we have to acknowledge that human nature is a mixed bag and that our species has many "design flaws." We should be open be open to the possibility of becoming better than human, while never underestimating the risks that our attempts to improve may back-fire.

How to be Well

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Publisher : Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
ISBN 13 : 1328904784
Total Pages : 259 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (289 download)

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Book Synopsis How to be Well by : Frank Lipman

Download or read book How to be Well written by Frank Lipman and published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. This book was released on 2018 with total page 259 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Now available in paperback, the holistic manual for everything you need to know to "be well," from celebrity health guru and NYT bestselling author Dr. Frank Lipman

Ordinarily Well

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Publisher : Macmillan + ORM
ISBN 13 : 0374708967
Total Pages : 322 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (747 download)

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Book Synopsis Ordinarily Well by : Peter D. Kramer

Download or read book Ordinarily Well written by Peter D. Kramer and published by Macmillan + ORM. This book was released on 2016-06-07 with total page 322 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Do antidepressants work, or are they glorified dummy pills? How can we tell? In Ordinarily Well, the celebrated psychiatrist and author Peter D. Kramer examines the growing controversy about the popular medications. A practicing doctor who trained as a psychotherapist and worked with pioneers in psychopharmacology, Kramer combines moving accounts of his patients’ dilemmas with an eye-opening history of drug research to cast antidepressants in a new light. Kramer homes in on the moment of clinical decision making: Prescribe or not? What evidence should doctors bring to bear? Using the wide range of reference that readers have come to expect in his books, he traces and critiques the growth of skepticism toward antidepressants. He examines industry-sponsored research, highlighting its shortcomings. He unpacks the “inside baseball” of psychiatry—statistics—and shows how findings can be skewed toward desired conclusions. Kramer never loses sight of patients. He writes with empathy about his clinical encounters over decades as he weighed treatments, analyzed trial results, and observed medications’ influence on his patients’ symptoms, behavior, careers, families, and quality of life. He updates his prior writing about the nature of depression as a destructive illness and the effect of antidepressants on traits like low self-worth. Crucially, he shows how antidepressants act in practice: less often as miracle cures than as useful, and welcome, tools for helping troubled people achieve an underrated goal—becoming ordinarily well.

The Ethical Challenges of Emerging Medical Technologies

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Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1000151999
Total Pages : 672 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (1 download)

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Book Synopsis The Ethical Challenges of Emerging Medical Technologies by : Arthur L. Caplan

Download or read book The Ethical Challenges of Emerging Medical Technologies written by Arthur L. Caplan and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2020-09-10 with total page 672 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This collection of essays emphasizes society’s increasingly responsible engagement with ethical challenges in emerging medical technology. Expansion of technological capacity and attention to patient safety have long been integral to improving healthcare delivery but only relatively recently have concepts like respect, distributive justice, privacy, and autonomy gained some power to shape the development, use, and refinement of medical tools and techniques. Medical ethics goes beyond making better medicine to thinking about how to make the field of medicine better. These essays showcase several ways in which modern ethical thinking is improving safety, efficacy and efficiency of medical technology, increasing access to medical care, and empowering patients to choose care that comports with their desires and beliefs. Included are complimentary ethical approaches as well as compelling counter-arguments. Together, the articles demonstrate how improving the quality of medical technology relies on every stakeholder -- not just medical researchers and scientists -- to assess each given technology’s strengths and pitfalls. This collection also portends one of the next major issues in the ethics of medical technology: developing the requisite moral framework to accompany shifts toward patient-centred personalized healthcare.

Atomic Habits

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Publisher : Penguin
ISBN 13 : 0735211299
Total Pages : 321 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (352 download)

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Book Synopsis Atomic Habits by : James Clear

Download or read book Atomic Habits written by James Clear and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2018-10-16 with total page 321 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The #1 New York Times bestseller. Over 15 million copies sold! Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results No matter your goals, Atomic Habits offers a proven framework for improving--every day. James Clear, one of the world's leading experts on habit formation, reveals practical strategies that will teach you exactly how to form good habits, break bad ones, and master the tiny behaviors that lead to remarkable results. If you're having trouble changing your habits, the problem isn't you. The problem is your system. Bad habits repeat themselves again and again not because you don't want to change, but because you have the wrong system for change. You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems. Here, you'll get a proven system that can take you to new heights. Clear is known for his ability to distill complex topics into simple behaviors that can be easily applied to daily life and work. Here, he draws on the most proven ideas from biology, psychology, and neuroscience to create an easy-to-understand guide for making good habits inevitable and bad habits impossible. Along the way, readers will be inspired and entertained with true stories from Olympic gold medalists, award-winning artists, business leaders, life-saving physicians, and star comedians who have used the science of small habits to master their craft and vault to the top of their field. Learn how to: make time for new habits (even when life gets crazy); overcome a lack of motivation and willpower; design your environment to make success easier; get back on track when you fall off course; ...and much more. Atomic Habits will reshape the way you think about progress and success, and give you the tools and strategies you need to transform your habits--whether you are a team looking to win a championship, an organization hoping to redefine an industry, or simply an individual who wishes to quit smoking, lose weight, reduce stress, or achieve any other goal.

Rescuing Socrates

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Publisher : Princeton University Press
ISBN 13 : 0691224390
Total Pages : 248 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (912 download)

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Book Synopsis Rescuing Socrates by : Roosevelt Montas

Download or read book Rescuing Socrates written by Roosevelt Montas and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2023-03-21 with total page 248 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A Dominican-born academic tells the story of how the Great Books transformed his life—and why they have the power to speak to people of all backgrounds What is the value of a liberal education? Traditionally characterized by a rigorous engagement with the classics of Western thought and literature, this approach to education is all but extinct in American universities, replaced by flexible distribution requirements and ever-narrower academic specialization. Many academics attack the very idea of a Western canon as chauvinistic, while the general public increasingly doubts the value of the humanities. In Rescuing Socrates, Dominican-born American academic Roosevelt Montás tells the story of how a liberal education transformed his life, and offers an intimate account of the relevance of the Great Books today, especially to members of historically marginalized communities. Montás emigrated from the Dominican Republic to Queens, New York, when he was twelve and encountered the Western classics as an undergraduate in Columbia University’s renowned Core Curriculum, one of America’s last remaining Great Books programs. The experience changed his life and determined his career—he went on to earn a PhD in English and comparative literature, serve as director of Columbia’s Center for the Core Curriculum, and start a Great Books program for low-income high school students who aspire to be the first in their families to attend college. Weaving together memoir and literary reflection, Rescuing Socrates describes how four authors—Plato, Augustine, Freud, and Gandhi—had a profound impact on Montás’s life. In doing so, the book drives home what it’s like to experience a liberal education—and why it can still remake lives.

Early American Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases

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Author :
Publisher : Harvard University Press
ISBN 13 : 9780674219816
Total Pages : 626 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (198 download)

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Book Synopsis Early American Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases by : Bartlett Jere Whiting

Download or read book Early American Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases written by Bartlett Jere Whiting and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 1977 with total page 626 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: p.B. J. Whiting savors proverbial expressions and has devoted much of his lifetime to studying and collecting them; no one knows more about British and American proverbs than he. The present volume, based upon writings in British North America from the earliest settlements to approximately 1820, complements his and Archer Taylor's Dictionary of American Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases, 1820-1880. It differs from that work and from other standard collections, however, in that its sources are primarily not "literary" but instead workaday writings - letters, diaries, histories, travel books, political pamphlets, and the like. The authors represent a wide cross-section of the populace, from scholars and statesmen to farmers, shopkeepers, sailors, and hunters. Mr. Whiting has combed all the obvious sources and hundreds of out-of-the-way publications of local journals and historical societies. This body of material, "because it covers territory that has not been extracted and compiled in a scholarly way before, can justly be said to be the most valuable of all those that Whiting has brought together," according to Albert B. Friedman. "What makes the work important is Whiting's authority: a proverb or proverbial phrase is what BJW thinks is a proverb or proverbial phrase. There is no objective operative definition of any value, no divining rod; his tact, 'feel, ' experience, determine what's the real thing and what is spurious."