Suffering that is not coupled with any redeeming good is one of our world’s more troubling, apparent glitches. It is particularly vexing for any theist who believes that the world was created by a supremely morally good, knowledgeable, and powerful god. Gratuitous Suffering and the Problem of Evil: A Comprehensive Introduction is among the first book-length discussions of theistic approaches to this issue. Bryan Frances’s lucid and jargon-free analyses of a variety of possible res...

By pooling together exhaustive analyses of certain philosophical paradoxes, we can prove a series of fascinating results regarding philosophical progress, agreement on substantive philosophical claims, knockdown arguments in philosophy, the wisdom of philosophical belief (quite rare, because the knockdown arguments show that we philosophers have been wildly wrong about language, logic, truth, or ordinary empirical matters), the epistemic status of metaphysics, and the power of philosophy t...

Regardless of who you are or how you live your life, you disagree with millions of people on an enormous number of topics from politics, religion and morality to sport, culture and art. Unless you are delusional, you are aware that a great many of the people who disagree with you are just as smart and thoughtful as you are - in fact, you know that often they are smarter and more informed. But believing someone to be cleverer or more knowledgeable about a particular topic usually won’t chan...

In this book, Michael Huemer and Bryan Frances debate whether – and how – we can gain knowledge of the world outside of our own minds. Starting with opening statements, the debate moves through two rounds of replies.Frances argues that we lack knowledge because, for example, we cannot rule out the possibility that we are brains in vats being artificially stimulated in such a way as to create an illusion of living in the real world. Huemer disagrees that we need evidence against suc...

This handbook examines why, how and where creative arts can help meet the social, psychological and occupational needs of people living with dementia and their family carers.Bringing together case studies of music, dance, poetry, digital arts and more, this book explores the core skills needed to co-create inspiring programmes in various settings. Foregrounding the lived experience of people living with dementia and their carers, each chapter showcases best practice, person-centred...

A thought-provoking collection of short stories and poems exploring the rights and freedoms we can enjoy in the twenty-first century ... and those for which we still need to fight.A selection of the world's finest writers for young people – in conjunction with Amnesty International UK – explore the rights and freedoms still lacking in today's society, covering issues such as gender equality, race hatred, surveillance, identity and freedom of speech. Contributors in...

'Bryan’s writing pops and zings like a Basquiat painting' – NOEL FIELDINGIn Bright Stars, Kate Bryan examines the lives and legacies of 30 great artists who died too young, celebrating their inspirational stories and extraordinary talent.Some of the world’s greatest and most-loved artists died under the age of forty. But how did they turn relatively short careers into such long legacies? What drove them to ...

Toronto’s Poor reveals the long and too often forgotten history of poor people’s resistance. It details how people without housing, people living in poverty, and unemployed people have struggled to survive and secure food and shelter in the wake of the many panics, downturns, recessions, and depressions that punctuate the years from the 1830s to the present.Written by a historian of the working class and a poor people’s activist, this is a rebellious book that links past a...

Will Rogers still touches us more than a hlf century after his death in this comprehensive collection of his pithy commentaries about goverment, presidents, business, and philosophy.

Project Mushroom will teach you everything you need to know to identify, grow, display and cook edible mushrooms.Mushrooms are good for us and for the environment: they are a sustainable, easy-to-grow food source and full of nutritional goodness. But they can also be attractive and useful additions to our homes and gardens – whether displayed in ceramic vases, on macrame or even used to ma...

They roll in from unknown places, mysterious and unexplained. They take root, take over, spread to all corners and refuse to be eradicated. No one can say why they came, but there's no arguing that they're up to no good. These plants are out for blood, and getting rid of them will take a certain kind of hero - the best kind. Twenty-five tales of evil weeds to entertain, enthrall and change the way you look at the unwelcome invaders in your lawn.Twenty-five tales of evil weeds to en...

Old Québec: The Fortress of New France offers a compelling exploration into the heart of Québec's storied past, weaving together a tapestry of narratives that celebrate the rich cultural heritage and historical significance of this iconic location. The anthology transcends conventional historical accounts by integrating a variety of literary styles'—from evocative prose to vivid descriptive passages'—each piece contributing to a nuanced portrayal of Québec as the linchpin of New France's a...