A short, provocative book about why "useless" science often leads to humanity's greatest technological breakthroughsA forty-year tightening of funding for scientific research has meant that resources are increasingly directed toward applied or practical outcomes, with the intent of creating products of immediate value. In such a scenario, it makes sense to focus on the most identifiable and urgent problems, right? Actually, it doesn't. In his classic essay "The Use...

Prostitution will be studied in these pages from the standpoint of the practical experience of European countries. An effort will be made to ascertain its forms and extent, the sources from which it is recruited, the conditions that either cause or conduce to it, the procedure of different communities in dealing with it and with the conditions responsible for it, the measures which have been employed by way of combat or control, and the results which have been thus obtained. Material will ...

Originally published in 1930. Flexiner’s Universities was the big book on higher education when it was first published in 1930 and continued to be such until the appearance of Robert Maynard Hutchins’ The Higher Learning in America in 1936. Universities continues to be one of the great books in the field more than sixty years later・but for quite different reasons now than then.

In "De re militari," Vegetius offers a comprehensive examination of military strategy and tactics, presenting a detailed guide for Roman military practices that resonates through the ages. Written in a clear and systematic style, the treatise emphasizes the importance of discipline, training, and the moral character of soldiers. Vegetius deftly amalgamates historical examples with poignant insights, reflecting the military climate of late antiquity, when the Roman Empire faced increasing e...

As geographers, Sosius, crowd into the edges of their maps parts of the world which they do not know about, adding notes in the margin to the effect, that beyond this lies nothing but sandy deserts full of wild beasts, unapproachable bogs, Scythian ice, or a frozen sea, so, in this work of mine, in which I have compared the lives of the greatest men with one another, after passing through those periods which probable reasoning can reach to and real history find a footing in, I might very w...

The Human Comedy (French: La Comédie Humaine) is the title of Honoré de Balzac's multi-volume collection of interlinked novels and stories depicting French society in the period of the Restoration (1815-1830) and the July Monarchy (1830–1848). It consists of 91 finished works (stories, novels or analytical essays) and 46 unfinished works (some of which exist only as titles). It does not include Balzac's five theatrical plays or his collection of humorous tales, the "Contes drolatiques" (18...

This file includes 11 books: Medieval Hebrew (featuring The Midrash and medieval collections of Jewish biblical lore and legend), Hebraic Literature (translations from the Talmud, Midrashim, and KabbalaTales and Maxims from the Midrash by Samuel Rapaport, The Sayings of the Jewish Fathers (Pirke Abot), Kitab al Khazari by Judah Hallevi, the Legends of the Jews by Louis Ginzberg, Philo-Judaeus of alexandria by Norman Bentwich, The guide for the Perplexed by Moses Maimonides, The Ethics by B...

Mommsen's history of the Roman Republic in five volumes. These volumes cover from the founding of Rome up to the disintegration of the First Triumvirate (Caesar, Pompey, Crassus). The author cites dates in the Roman style, AUC, from the founding of the city in 753 BC. A table at the end shows modern-day equivalents. According to Wikipedia, Mommsen is "generally regarded as the greatest classicist of the 19th century." This work complements Gibbon's "Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire".

The History of Herodotustranslation by G. C. Macaulay"If a new translation of Herodotus does not justify itself, it will hardly be justified in a preface; therefore the question whether it was needed may be left here without discussion. The aim of the translator has been above all things faithfulness--faithfulness to the manner of expression and to the structure of sentences, as well as to the meaning of the Author. At the same time it is conceived that the freedom and varie...

This carefully crafted ebook: "EDWARD GIBBON Premium Collection: Historiographical Works, Memoirs & Letters" is formatted for your eReader with a functional and detailed table of contents. Edward Gibbon (1737-1794) was an English historian and Member of Parliament. He is best known for his book, The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. The work covers the history of the Roman Empire, Europe, and the Catholic Church from 98 to 1590 and discusses the decline of the Roman Empi...

Embark on a historical odyssey through the life of one of the world's greatest conquerors with Jacob Abbott's insightful biography, "Alexander The Great." Explore the legendary exploits, conquests, and the complex character of the Macedonian king who left an indelible mark on history.As Abbott delves into Alexander's journey, witness the strategic brilliance, the camaraderie of his troops, and the far-reaching impact of his conquests. Each chapter unfolds a chapte...

E. M. Berens' 'The Legends of Ancient Greece and Rome' is a comprehensive and meticulously researched collection of myths and legends from the ancient civilizations of Greece and Rome. Written in a clear and scholarly style, this book delves into the rich tapestry of stories that have inspired countless works of literature and art throughout history. Berens not only retells these tales with vivid detail but also provides insightful commentary on their significance and enduring relevance in...