Interviewer
Charles J. Styles
Interviews by Charles J. Styles
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1
Swearing: A Social History of Foul Language, Oaths and Profanity in English
by Geoffrey Hughes -
2
What the F: What Swearing Reveals about Our Language, Our Brains, and Ourselves
by Benjamin K Bergen -
3
The F-Word
by Jesse Sheidlower -
4
Nigger: The Strange Career of a Troublesome Word
by Randall Kennedy -
5
The Stuff of Thought: Language as a Window into Human Nature
by Steven Pinker
The best books on Swearing, recommended by Melissa Mohr
The best books on Swearing, recommended by Melissa Mohr
Linguistically, swear words are unique—they can shock and offend, are processed differently in the brain, and saying them may allow you to withstand pain for longer. But where do they get their distinctive power? And how has this changed over time? Melissa Mohr gives us a badmouthed tour of the best fucking books on swearing . . .
The Best Philosophy of Science Books, recommended by Stathis Psillos
Science is often held to give us the best insight into the nature of reality, with a prestige unmatched in other disciplines. But what is the scientific method and how does it operate? Does it give us objective knowledge or does it just ‘work’? And if an electron is an “unobservable entity”, why should we believe that they exist? Professor Stathis Psillos gives a detailed look at the philosophy of science
Shakespeare’s Sources, recommended by Robert S Miola
William Shakespeare has a strong claim to be the most influential writer of all time. But whose works influenced him? And how? Robert S Miola discusses the breadth of Shakespeare’s reading, the vexed question of how we can reconstruct what he read, and the staggeringly innovative ways that Shakespeare shaped his sources
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1
Voltaire Almighty: A Life in Pursuit of Freedom
by Roger Pearson -
2
A Pocket Philosophical Dictionary
by John Fletcher (translator) & Voltaire -
3
The Newton Wars and the Beginning of the French Enlightenment
by J. B. Shank -
4
Candide
by Roger Pearson (translator) & Voltaire -
5
Reinventing Voltaire: The Politics of Commemoration in Nineteenth-Century France
by Stephen Bird
The Best Voltaire Books, recommended by Nicholas Cronk
The Best Voltaire Books, recommended by Nicholas Cronk
The eighteenth-century philosopher wielded his powers of ridicule and witticism against religious fanatics—but always championed free speech and religious toleration. He was also a historian, scientist, poet, playwright, and political activist. Nicholas Cronk, General Editor of the Complete Works of Voltaire gives a detailed look at the polymathic philosophe.
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1
Unnatural Causes: The Life and Many Deaths of Britain's Top Forensic Pathologist
by Richard Shepherd -
2
Death, Dissection and the Destitute: The Politics of the Corpse in Pre-Victorian Britain
by Ruth Richardson -
3
The Trick to Time
by Kit de Waal -
4
The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy
by Rachel Joyce -
5
Waiting for the Last Bus: Reflections on Life and Death
by Richard Holloway
The best books on Death, recommended by Sue Black
The best books on Death, recommended by Sue Black
As one of the most distinguished forensic anthropologists and human anatomists in the world, Professor Dame Sue Black has spent her working life in close proximity to death. Here she discusses the history of corpses supplied to anatomy houses, the misleading nature of shows like CSI, and how she intends to keep on teaching after her own death: by bequeathing her body.
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1
Turner: Imagination and Reality
by Lawrence Gowing -
2
The Painting of Modern Life: Paris in the Art of Manet and His Followers
by T J Clark -
3
Literary Landscape: Turner and Constable
by Ronald Paulson -
4
Night Studio: A Memoir of Philip Guston
by Musa Mayer -
5
Neglected Genius: The Diaries of Benjamin Robert Haydon, 1808–1846
by Benjamin Robert Haydon
Andrew Graham-Dixon on His Favourite Art Books
Andrew Graham-Dixon on His Favourite Art Books
Art critic Andrew Graham-Dixon takes us through his favourite art books, one of which is the best thing he has ever read about art. He contends that Monet is a follower of Turner, reflects on how the purpose of history of art has changed, and introduces us to the diaries of an “astonishingly bad” painter which reveal him to be one of the nineteenth century’s greatest prose writers.
The Best Samuel Beckett Books, recommended by Mark Nixon
Samuel Beckett remains one of the most significant writers of the twentieth century. Ruthlessly experimental, his plays, novels, and poems represent a sustained attack on the realist tradition. Dr Mark Nixon looks at the mutating nature of Beckett’s literary style and explains why he didn’t choose Waiting for Godot.
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1
Good Booty: Love and Sex, Black and White, Body and Soul in American Music
by Ann Powers -
2
The New Analog: Listening and Reconnecting in a Digital World
by Damon Krukowski -
3
All in the Downs: Reflections on Life, Landscape, and Song
by Shirley Collins -
4
Night Moves
by Jessica Hopper -
5
My Thoughts Exactly
by Lily Allen
The Best Music Books of 2018, recommended by Laura Snapes
The Best Music Books of 2018, recommended by Laura Snapes
From a social history of the sexual and racial dynamics at play in American pop music to a meditation on how we consume music in the digital age, deputy music editor at The Guardian, Laura Snapes, picks the best music books of 2018.
The best books on Wittgenstein, recommended by Peter Hacker
A pioneering figure in analytic philosophy, Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889-1951) is a clear example of philosophical genius. A profoundly intense, tortured, and solitary man, he produced two masterpieces of philosophy with fundamentally opposed views of language — both of which have been wildly influential. Peter Hacker introduces us to perhaps the most important philosopher since Kant, and explains why Wittgenstein would be horrified by Noam Chomsky.
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1
Why I am not a Christian
by Bertrand Russell -
2
The Miracle of Theism: Arguments For and Against the Existence of God
by John Mackie -
3
Testament: Memoir of the Thoughts and Sentiments of Jean Meslier
by Jean Meslier -
4
Dialogues and Natural History of Religion
by David Hume -
5
In Gods We Trust: The Evolutionary Landscape of Religion
by Scott Atran
The best books on Atheist Philosophy of Religion, recommended by Graham Oppy
The best books on Atheist Philosophy of Religion, recommended by Graham Oppy
From the work of an 18th century atheist priest, to recent research in the cognitive anthropology of religion, atheist philosopher of religion Graham Oppy discusses the books that have been most influential to him.