How the French Think

How the French Think PDF Author: Sudhir Hazareesingh
Publisher: Basic Books
ISBN: 0465061664
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 352

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Book Description
An award-winning historian presents an absorbing account of the French mind, shedding light on France's famous tradition of intellectual life Why are the French such an exceptional nation? Why do they think they are so exceptional? The French take pride in the fact that their history and culture have decisively shaped the values and ideals of the modern world. French ideas are no less distinct in their form: while French thought is abstract, stylish and often opaque, it has always been bold and creative, and driven by the relentless pursuit of innovation. In How the French Think, the internationally-renowned historian Sudhir Hazareesingh tells the epic and tumultuous story of French intellectual thought from Descartes, Rousseau, and Auguste Comte to Sartre, Claude Lé-Strauss, and Derrida. He shows how French thinking has shaped fundamental Westerns ideas about freedom, rationality, and justice, and how the French mind-set is intimately connected to their own way of life-in particular to the French tendency towards individualism, their passion for nature, their celebration of their historical heritage, and their fascination with death. Hazareesingh explores the French veneration of dissent and skepticism, from Voltaire to the Dreyfus Affair and beyond; the obsession with the protection of French language and culture; the rhetorical flair embodied by the philosophes, which today's intellectuals still try to recapture; the astonishing influence of French postmodern thinkers, including Foucault and Barthes, on postwar American education and life, and also the growing French anxiety about a globalized world order under American hegemony. How the French Think sweeps aside generalizations and easy stereotypes to offer an incisive and revealing exploration of the French intellectual tradition. Steeped in a colorful range of sources, and written with warmth and humor, this book will appeal to all lovers of France and of European culture.

How the French Think

How the French Think PDF Author: Sudhir Hazareesingh
Publisher: Basic Books
ISBN: 0465061664
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 352

Get Book Here

Book Description
An award-winning historian presents an absorbing account of the French mind, shedding light on France's famous tradition of intellectual life Why are the French such an exceptional nation? Why do they think they are so exceptional? The French take pride in the fact that their history and culture have decisively shaped the values and ideals of the modern world. French ideas are no less distinct in their form: while French thought is abstract, stylish and often opaque, it has always been bold and creative, and driven by the relentless pursuit of innovation. In How the French Think, the internationally-renowned historian Sudhir Hazareesingh tells the epic and tumultuous story of French intellectual thought from Descartes, Rousseau, and Auguste Comte to Sartre, Claude Lé-Strauss, and Derrida. He shows how French thinking has shaped fundamental Westerns ideas about freedom, rationality, and justice, and how the French mind-set is intimately connected to their own way of life-in particular to the French tendency towards individualism, their passion for nature, their celebration of their historical heritage, and their fascination with death. Hazareesingh explores the French veneration of dissent and skepticism, from Voltaire to the Dreyfus Affair and beyond; the obsession with the protection of French language and culture; the rhetorical flair embodied by the philosophes, which today's intellectuals still try to recapture; the astonishing influence of French postmodern thinkers, including Foucault and Barthes, on postwar American education and life, and also the growing French anxiety about a globalized world order under American hegemony. How the French Think sweeps aside generalizations and easy stereotypes to offer an incisive and revealing exploration of the French intellectual tradition. Steeped in a colorful range of sources, and written with warmth and humor, this book will appeal to all lovers of France and of European culture.

The History of Modern France

The History of Modern France PDF Author: Jonathan Fenby
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1471129314
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 717

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Book Description
With the defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte at the Battle of Waterloo in June 1815, the next two centuries for France would be tumultuous. Bestselling historian and political commentator Jonathan Fenby provides an expert and riveting journey through this period as he recounts and analyses the extraordinary sequence of events of this period from the end of the First Revolution through two others, a return of Empire, three catastrophic wars with Germany, periods of stability and hope interspersed with years of uncertainty and high tensions. As her cross-Channel neighbour Great Britain would equally suffer, France was to undergo the wrenching loss of colonies in the post-Second World War as the new modern world we know today took shape. Her attempts to become the leader of the European union is a constant struggle, as was her lack of support for America in the two Gulf Wars of the past twenty years. Alongside this came huge social changes and cultural landmarks but also fundamental questioning of what this nation, which considers itself exceptional, really stood - and stands - for. That saga and those questions permeate the France of today, now with an implacable enemy to face in the form of Islamic extremism which so bloodily announced itself this year in Paris. Fenby will detail every event, every struggle and every outcome across this expanse of 200 years. It will prove to be the definitive guide to understanding France.

Read & Think French, Premium Second Edition

Read & Think French, Premium Second Edition PDF Author: The Editors of Think French! Magazine
Publisher: McGraw Hill Professional
ISBN: 1259836304
Category : Foreign Language Study
Languages : en
Pages : 227

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Book Description
Publisher's Note: Products purchased from Third Party sellers are not guaranteed by the publisher for quality, authenticity, or access to any online entitlements included with the product. Your first-class ticket to building key French language skills From the bestselling Read & Think series, this fully-illustrated guide brings the French language to life! In addition to introducing, developing, and growing key vocabulary, this book gives you an insider’s look at Francophone life and culture—from a trip around Marseilles to a walk through Senegal’s bustling markets, and from biographies of famous French personalities to articles on the customs and gastronomy of French-speaking countries. Including more than 100 engaging articles written by native French-speakers, each one provides a bilingual glossary on the same page, allowing you to learn without stopping to look up new or unfamiliar words. Each chapter contains several exercises to reinforce comprehension and the new premium edition features streaming audio recordings of more than 40 readings (70 minutes) and over 7,000 vocabulary items by flashcard, easily accessible online or on any mobile device, through the unique McGraw-Hill Language Lab app.

What We French Think of You British

What We French Think of You British PDF Author: Marcel Lucont
Publisher: Fox Chapel Publishing
ISBN: 1780091168
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 167

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Book Description
Marcel Lucont, France's premier misanthropist and lover, introduces the reader to the British character as seen through the eyes of the French. From food and weather to television and pets, he shares his disdainful opinion on all things British and offers advice on just why the French do it so much better. The book features: "Dans La Rue", an eye-spy parody set on the British high street; "Tits of the Brits", a poem concerning the large British bust vs the petite French cup; "Stolen French", a guide to words the British have stolen from the French; "The British Joke", Marcel's take on British humour; and, "The Monarchy", including why the French got rid of theirs.

Political Thought in the French Wars of Religion

Political Thought in the French Wars of Religion PDF Author: Sophie Nicholls
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1108840787
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 285

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Book Description
Fresh analysis of the political thought of the French Holy League, active during the religious wars, within its intellectual context.

French Theory

French Theory PDF Author: François Cusset
Publisher: U of Minnesota Press
ISBN: 0816647321
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 414

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Book Description
Explores how the French theory of philosophy, which became popular during the last three decades of the twentieth century, spread to America and examines the critical practices that French theory inspired.

Haute Cuisine

Haute Cuisine PDF Author: Amy B. Trubek
Publisher: University of Pennsylvania Press
ISBN: 9780812217766
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 196

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Book Description
"Paris is the culinary centre of the world. All the great missionaries of good cookery have gone forth from it, and its cuisine was, is, and ever will be the supreme expression of one of the greatest arts of the world," observed the English author of The Gourmet Guide to Europe in 1903. Even today, a sophisticated meal, expertly prepared and elegantly served, must almost by definition be French. For a century and a half, fine dining the world over has meant French dishes and, above all, French chefs. Despite the growing popularity in the past decade of regional American and international cuisines, French terms like julienne, saute, and chef de cuisine appear on restaurant menus from New Orleans to London to Tokyo, and culinary schools still consider the French methods essential for each new generation of chefs. Amy Trubek, trained as a professional chef at the Cordon Bleu, explores the fascinating story of how the traditions of France came to dominate the culinary world. One of the first reference works for chefs, Ouverture de Cuisine, written by Lancelot de Casteau and published in 1604, set out rules for the preparation and presentation of food for the nobility. Beginning with this guide and the cookbooks that followed, French chefs of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries codified the cuisine of the French aristocracy. After the French Revolution, the chefs of France found it necessary to move from the homes of the nobility to the public sphere, where they were able to build on this foundation of an aesthetic of cooking to make cuisine not only a respected profession but also to make it a French profession. French cooks transformed themselves from household servants to masters of the art of fine dining, making the cuisine of the French aristocracy the international haute cuisine. Eager to prove their "good taste," the new elites of the Industrial Age and the bourgeoisie competed to hire French chefs in their homes, and to entertain at restaurants where French chefs presided over the kitchen. Haute Cuisine profiles the great chefs of the nineteenth century, including Antonin Careme and Auguste Escoffier, and their role in creating a professional class of chefs trained in French principles and techniques, as well as their contemporary heirs, notably Pierre Franey and Julia Child. The French influence on the world of cuisine and culture is a story of food as status symbol. "Tell me what you eat," the great gastronome Brillat-Savarin wrote, "and I will tell you who you are." Haute Cuisine shows us how our tastes, desires, and history come together at a common table of appreciation for the French empire of food. Bon appetit!

The French Intifada

The French Intifada PDF Author: Andrew Hussey
Publisher: Macmillan + ORM
ISBN: 0374711666
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 505

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Book Description
This provocative look at France’s relationship with the Arab world offers a “bracing mix of journalism and history [that] couldn’t be more timely” (Mitchell Cohen, The New York Times Book Review). To fully understand the social and political pressures wracking contemporary France—and, indeed, all of Europe—we must look beyond domestic issues. Unemployment, economic stagnation, and social deprivation certainly exacerbate the ongoing turmoil in the banlieues. But, as Andrew Hussey demonstrates here, the root of the problem lies in the continuing fallout from Europe’s colonial era. Hussey draws on his deep knowledge of history, literature, and politics as well as his years of personal experience in France, Algeria, and other Arab countries, to provide a nuanced, holistic view of the present situation. In the course of teasing out the myriad interconnections between past and present, The French Intifada shows that the defining conflict of the twenty-first century will not be between Islam and the West but between two dramatically different experiences of the world—the colonizers and the colonized.

Read & Think French, Premium Third Edition

Read & Think French, Premium Third Edition PDF Author: The Editors of Think French! Magazine
Publisher: McGraw Hill Professional
ISBN: 1260474585
Category : Foreign Language Study
Languages : en
Pages : 257

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Book Description
Your first-class ticket to building better French language skills—and appreciating the diversity of Francophone culture! From the bestselling Read & Think series, this fully illustrated premium third edition of Read & Think French brings the French language to life! In addition to introducing, developing, and growing key vocabulary, this book gives you an insider’s look at the exciting diversity of life and culture the French-speaking world—from etiquette at the French table to the comedians of Quebec to the gastronomic flavors of the French West Indies. Including more than 100 engaging articles written by native French speakers, each one provides a bilingual glossary on the same page, allowing you to learn without stopping to look up new or unfamiliar words. Each chapter contains several exercises to reinforce comprehension. This premium edition features streaming audio recordings of 35 readings (more than 2 hours), supported by the McGraw Hill Language Lab app. Read & Think French, Premium Third Edition features: New articles reflecting the current aspects of life in the French-speaking world New and expanded materials in the McGraw Hill Language Lab app (free online and via mobile) App includes flashcards of more than 7,000 vocabulary terms App includes audio recordings of 35 readings (2+ hours)

The Scout Mindset

The Scout Mindset PDF Author: Julia Galef
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 0735217556
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 290

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Book Description
"...an engaging and enlightening account from which we all can benefit."—The Wall Street Journal A better way to combat knee-jerk biases and make smarter decisions, from Julia Galef, the acclaimed expert on rational decision-making. When it comes to what we believe, humans see what they want to see. In other words, we have what Julia Galef calls a "soldier" mindset. From tribalism and wishful thinking, to rationalizing in our personal lives and everything in between, we are driven to defend the ideas we most want to believe—and shoot down those we don't. But if we want to get things right more often, argues Galef, we should train ourselves to have a "scout" mindset. Unlike the soldier, a scout's goal isn't to defend one side over the other. It's to go out, survey the territory, and come back with as accurate a map as possible. Regardless of what they hope to be the case, above all, the scout wants to know what's actually true. In The Scout Mindset, Galef shows that what makes scouts better at getting things right isn't that they're smarter or more knowledgeable than everyone else. It's a handful of emotional skills, habits, and ways of looking at the world—which anyone can learn. With fascinating examples ranging from how to survive being stranded in the middle of the ocean, to how Jeff Bezos avoids overconfidence, to how superforecasters outperform CIA operatives, to Reddit threads and modern partisan politics, Galef explores why our brains deceive us and what we can do to change the way we think.