It's the midsummer ball at Oxford, and a group of men and women - friends since university days - have gathered under the stars. Included in this group is David Crimond, a genius and fervent Marxist. Years earlier the friends had persuaded David to write a philosophical and political book on their behalf. But opinions and loyalties have changed, and on this summer evening the long-resting ghosts of the past come careering back into the present.

A Deleuzian reading of Whitehead and a Whiteheadian reading of Deleuze open the possibility of a critical aesthetics of contemporary culture. In Without Criteria, Steven Shaviro proposes and explores a philosophical fantasy: imagine a world in which Alfred North Whitehead takes the place of Martin Heidegger. What if Whitehead, instead of Heidegger, had set the agenda for postmodern thought? Heidegger asks, “Why is there something, rather than nothing?” Whitehead asks, “How is it that there is always something new?” In a world where everything from popular music to DNA is being sampled and recombined, argues Shaviro, Whitehead's question is the truly urgent one. Without Criteria is Shaviro's experiment in rethinking postmodern theory, especially the theory of aesthetics, from a point of view that hearkens back to Whitehead rather than Heidegger. In working through the ideas of Whitehead and Deleuze, Shaviro also appeals to Kant, arguing that certain aspects of Kant's thought pave the way for the philosophical “constructivism” embraced by both Whitehead and Deleuze. Kant, Whitehead, and Deleuze are not commonly grouped together, but the juxtaposition of them in Without Criteria helps to shed light on a variety of issues that are of concern to contemporary art and media practices.

Discover the charming and reflective tale of ""The Rabbit"" by Guy De Maupassant. This short story centers on a rabbit and its symbolic significance in the lives of those who encounter it. Maupassant’s narrative explores themes of innocence, nature, and the impact of seemingly minor events on human emotions. De Maupassant skillfully uses the rabbit as a metaphor for deeper human experiences, revealing how small and seemingly insignificant creatures can have a profound effect on people's lives. The story provides a thoughtful examination of nature and the human condition.""The Rabbit"" is ideal for readers who appreciate stories with symbolic depth and emotional resonance. Perfect for those who value Guy De Maupassant’s ability to infuse everyday events with deeper meaning and insight.

This book is about transvestism and the performance of gender in Latin American literature and culture. Ben. Sifuentes-Jáuregui explores the figure of the transvestite and his/her relation to the body through a series of canonical Latin American texts. By analyzing works by Alejo Carpentier, José Donoso, Severo Sarduy and Manuel Puig (author of Kiss of the Spiderwoma n), alongside critical works in gender studies and queer theory, Sifuentes-Jáuregui shows how transvestism operates not only to destabilize, but often to affirm sexual, gender, national and political identities.

The #1 New York Times bestselling author of Marry Me by Sundown and Beautiful Tempest brings her “mastery of historical romance” (Entertainment Weekly) to this dazzling Regency-era novel in which a disastrous debutante becomes the toast of the town with a little help from a friend of the Prince Regent’s. Threatened by powerful enemies, William Blackburn, Earl of Ketterham, lives in exile in the Scottish Highlands with his daughter Vanessa. When she comes of age, William urges her to return to her mother in England to make her society debut. Raised with all the advantages and freedom a boy would have, Vanessa doubts she can fit into the world of ball gowns, parties, and high society. Nonetheless, she agrees to return to England, determined to end the vendetta against her father, never imagining the high price she will have to pay. Lord Montgomery Townsend enjoys living on the edge, courting danger as he fixes potentially scandalous problems for the Prince Regent. While hiding out at the home of the Countess of Ketterham, Monty watches a disaster-in-the-making as his hostess tries to prepare her estranged daughter for a match with the pompous son of a powerful family. Puzzled as to why the fiercely independent Vanessa submits to being turned into a puppet and offered up to the arrogant rogue, Monty nonetheless steps in to make her dreams come true. But no good deed goes unpunished and soon he faces more pressing problems, including the temptation to upend Vanessa’s wedding plans so he can marry her himself. Featuring Johanna Lindsey’s “signature blend of witty writing, charmingly unique characters” (Booklist), Temptation’s Darling is a passionate romance with a dash of humor that you won’t soon forget.