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Philosophy & Critical Theory Books in this online selection represent only a sliver of what we offer in the store. If you've got a particular book in mind and want to check on its availability, call us at 415-362-8193.

1 2 3 4 5 >>>     sort list by title | author Aisthesis Scenes from the Aesthetic Regime of Art Jacques Rancière Aisthesis is Jacques Rancière's long-awaited, definitive statement on aesthetics, art and modernity. The book comprises a string of dramatic and evocative locales, each embodying specific artistic tendencies and together spanning the modern era—from... Holy Sh*t A Brief History of Swearing Melissa Mohr Almost everyone swears, or worries about not swearing, from the two year-old who has just discovered the power of potty mouth to the grandma who wonders why every other word she hears is obscene. Whether they express anger or exhilaration, are meant to insult or to commend, swear words perform a crucial role in language. But swearing is also a... Why Does the World Exist? An Existential Detective Story Jim Holt In this astonishing and profound work, an irreverent sleuth traces the riddle of existence from the ancient world to modern times. Whether framed philosophically as "Why is there a world rather than nothing at all?" or more colloquially as... A Little History of Philosophy Nigel Warburton Philosophy begins with questions about the nature of reality and how we should live. These were the concerns of Socrates, who spent his days in the ancient Athenian marketplace asking awkward questions, disconcerting the people he met by showing them... Phantoms on the Bookshelves Jacques Bonnet The enthralling memoir on the art of living with books Phantoms on the Bookshelves considers how our personal libraries reveal our true natures: far more than merely crowded shelves, they are living labyrinths of our innermost feelings. The Dozens A History of Rap's Mama Elijah Wald In tracing the form and its variations over more than a century of African American culture and music, The Dozens sheds fascinating light on schoolyard games and rural work songs, serious literature and nightclub comedy, and pop hits from ragtime to rap Maphead Charting the Wide, Weird World of Geography Wonks Ken Jennings It comes as no surprise that, as a kid, Jeopardy! legend Ken Jennings slept with a bulky Hammond world atlas by his pillow every night. Maphead recounts his lifelong love affair with geography and explores why maps have always been so fascinating to... A Wicked Company The Forgotten Radicalism of the European Enlightenment Philipp Blom The flourishing of radical philosophy in Baron Thierry Holbach's Paris salon from the 1750s to the 1770s stands as a seminal event in Western history. Holbach's house was an international epicenter of revolutionary ideas and intellectual daring... Pataphysical Essays René Daumal Pataphysical Essays collects Daumal's overtly pataphysical writings from 1929 to 1941, from his landmark exposition on pataphysics and laughter to his late essay, "The Pataphysics of Ghosts." Daumal's "Treatise on Patagrams" offers the reader... Many Subtle Channels In Praise of Potential Literature Daniel Levin Becker This book presents us with Oulipo—the mischievous group of writers whose obsession with words knows no limits. Levin Becker expertly describes the members of the group, each one uniquely working to devise linguistic puzzles to write within. Friends, Followers and the Future How Social Media are Changing Politics, Threatening Big Brands, and Killing Traditional Media Rory O'Connor Award-winning journalist Rory O'Connor explores how social media is transforming not only politics, media, and business, but every aspect of how we live. The Grey Album On the Blackness of Blackness Kevin Young Taking its title from Danger Mouse's pioneering mashup of Jay-Z's The Black Album and the Beatles' The White Album, Kevin Young’s encyclopedic book combines essay, cultural criticism, and lyrical chorus to illustrate the African American tradition of... The Story of Stuff The Impact of Overconsumption on the Planet, Our Communities, and Our Health-And How We Can Make It Better Annie Leonard Americans have way too much Stuff , and way too much of it is toxic. That’s the message Annie Leonard has been spreading ever since her college days, and most recently in her short Internet film The Story of Stuff, which has been viewed by over 12... You Are Not a Gadget A Manifesto Jaron Lanier A programmer, musician, and father of virtual reality technology, Jaron Lanier was a pioneer in digital media, and among the first to predict the revolutionary changes it would bring to our commerce and culture. Now, with the... 1 2 3 4 5 >>>