Charles Taylor is one of the most influential and prolific philosophers in the English-speaking world today. The breadth of his writings is unique, ranging from reflections on artificial intelligence to analyses of contemporary multicultural societies. This thought-provoking introduction to Taylor's work outlines his ideas in a coherent and accessible way without reducing their richness and depth. His contribution to many of the enduring debates within Western philosophy is examined and the arguments of his critics assessed. Taylor's reflections on the topics of moral theory, selfhood, political theory and epistemology form the core chapters within the book. Ruth Abbey engages with the secondary literature on Taylor's work and suggests that some criticisms by contemporaries have been based on misinterpretations and suggests ways in which a better understanding of Taylor's work leads to different criticisms of it. The book serves as an ideal companion to Taylor's ideas for students of philosophy and political theory, and will be welcomed by the non-specialist looking for an authoritative guide to Taylor's large and challenging body of work.

ntroduction by Stephen King, Afterword by Tobe Hooper, Jacket and Interior Art by Clive BarkerA LIFE IN THE CINEMA is the first book from award-winning filmmaker Mick Garris. It is a collection of eight prickly tales and a screenplay that reach under the skin of real life and reel life to take you places you never realized you wanted to go. The title story, "A Life in the Cinema" and its sequel, "Starfucker", are set in the author's hometown of Hollywood, and provide a yellow-jaundiced look at a world you only thought was glamorous.As Stephen King, in his introduction, says: "Here is a real Hollywood insider writing about the real inside world of filmmaking: the good, the bad, and the cheesy. These stories are both erotic and cynical, but they are above all well and fiercely told-when he's yarning about the tarnished tinsel underbelly of the town he knows (and clearly loves) the best, Mick Garris writes like a combination of Robert Bloch and James Ellroy, hardboiled noir with a ghastly little prink of the devil's own pitchfork."Not all of the stories are Hollywood-based: Garris includes tales of a grandmother who is just as loving in death as she was in life, a geriatric trailer park with a randy secret, wistful and impossible love with a twist, the wrong kind of baby-love, and a deathly brush with fame. The book is capped with a screenplay by Garris, as well as "Chocolate", the story it's based on, providing, as King puts it, "a textbook seminar in the art and craft of adapting one's own work."So welcome to a dark side of Hollywood you've never seen before...

From ultra high-tech weaponry to off-planet combat, this collection examines the conflicts of the future from some of the greatest minds in science fiction. Stories by Tony Daniel, Philip Dick, Joe Haldeman, Geoffrey Landis, Paul McAuley, Ian McDonald, Alastair Reynolds, Lucius Shepard, Allen Steele and Gardner Dozois.

The brain ... There is no other part of the human anatomy that is so intriguing. How does it develop and function and why does it sometimes, tragically, degenerate? The answers are complex. In Discovering the Brain, science writer Sandra Ackerman cuts through the complexity to bring this vital topic to the public. The 1990s were declared the "Decade of the Brain" by former President Bush, and the neuroscience community responded with a host of new investigations and conferences. Discovering the Brain is based on the Institute of Medicine conference, Decade of the Brain: Frontiers in Neuroscience and Brain Research. Discovering the Brain is a "field guide" to the brainâ€"an easy-to-read discussion of the brain's physical structure and where functions such as language and music appreciation lie. Ackerman examines: How electrical and chemical signals are conveyed in the brain. The mechanisms by which we see, hear, think, and pay attentionâ€"and how a "gut feeling" actually originates in the brain. Learning and memory retention, including parallels to computer memory and what they might tell us about our own mental capacity. Development of the brain throughout the life span, with a look at the aging brain. Ackerman provides an enlightening chapter on the connection between the brain's physical condition and various mental disorders and notes what progress can realistically be made toward the prevention and treatment of stroke and other ailments. Finally, she explores the potential for major advances during the "Decade of the Brain," with a look at medical imaging techniquesâ€"what various technologies can and cannot tell usâ€"and how the public and private sectors can contribute to continued advances in neuroscience. This highly readable volume will provide the public and policymakersâ€"and many scientists as wellâ€"with a helpful guide to understanding the many discoveries that are sure to be announced throughout the "Decade of the Brain."