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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 >>>     sort list by title | author Crash Override How Gamergate (Nearly) Destroyed My Life, and How We Can Win the Fight Against Online Hate Life in Code A Personal History of Technology The never-more-necessary return of one of our most vital and eloquent voices on technology and culture, the author of the seminal Close to the Machine The last twenty years have brought us the rise of the internet, the development of artificial intelligence, the ubiquity of once unimaginably powerful computers, and the thorough transformation... Radical Technologies The Design of Everyday Life Adam Greenfield Modernism in the Streets A Life and Times in Essays Marshall Berman Both an intellectual biography and a protean collection of social criticism from the late, preeminent philosopher, urbanist and "Marxist with soul." I was skeptical when I got to his chapter on hip-hop (what could this old white man possibly have to say?) but it burned with insight and radical passion. —Recommended by Michael Whose Global Village? Rethinking How Technology Shapes Our World Ramesh Srinivasan Whose Global Village seeks to inspire professionals, activists, and scholars alike to think about technology in a way that embraces the realities of communities too often relegated to the margins. We can then start to visualize a world where technologies serve diverse communities rather than just the Western consumer. Flaneuse Women Walk the City in Paris, New York, Tokyo, Venice, and London The "flaneur" has long been explicitly gendered male, but we city women know better. Elkin delves into the history of both the term and the act itself through literature, film, cultural criticism, and her own experience, leaving no doubt that a woman walking alone in the city has been—and still is—a subversive figure.—Recommended by Erin The Usefulness of Useless Knowledge Abraham Flexner A short, provocative book about why "useless" science often leads to humanity's greatest technological breakthroughs A 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. We Gon' Be Alright Notes on Race and Resegregation Jeff Chang In these provocative, powerful essays acclaimed writer/journalist Jeff Chang takes an incisive and wide-ranging look at the recent tragedies and widespread protests that have shaken the country.He argues that resegregation is the unexamined condition of our time, the undoing of which is key to moving the nation forward to racial justice and equity. I Must Not Think Bad Thoughts Drive-by Essays on American Dread, American Dreams Mark Dery "I must not think bad thoughts. I must not think bad thoughts." These lyrics by the band X have been my mantra on many occasions as I trudged my way here and there. Lucky for us that Mark Dery goes deep into the territories that many of us shun, illuminating the absurdity, humor and truths found on the dark side. —Recommended by Stacey, City Lights Nan Dòmi An Initiate's Journey into Haitian Vodou Mimerose Beaubrun The first and only insider's account of Vodou's private, mystical, interior practice, a compelling story of initiation and transformation. The Trouble with Being Born E. M. Cioran Crotchety old man snarks about the pointlessness of life. Wonderful. —Recommended by Vanessa, City Lights Books 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... Groundwork of the Metaphysic of Morals Immanuel Kant Considered one of the most profound, influential, and important works of philosophy, Groundwork of the Metaphysic of Morals introduces the famous Categorical Imperative and lays down a foundation for all of Immanuel Kant's writings. In it, Kant... A Little History of the World E. H. Gombrich In 1935, with a doctorate in art history and no prospect of a job, the 26-year-old Ernst Gombrich was invited by a publishing acquaintance to attempt a history of the world for younger readers. Amazingly, he completed the task in an intense six weeks... 1 2 3 >>>