Western Mind

When the Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity in 368 AD, he changed the course of European history in ways that continue to have repercussions to the present day. Adopting those aspects of the religion that suited his purposes, he turned Rome on a course from the relatively open, tolerant, and pluralistic civilization of the Hellenistic world, towards a culture that was based on the rule of fixed authority, whether that of the Bible, or the writings of Ptolemy in astronomy and of Galen and Hippocrates in medicine. 

In Eastern Body, Western Mind, chakra authority Anodea Judith has brought a fresh approach to the yoga-based Eastern chakra system, adapting it to the Western framework of Jungian psychology, somatic therapy, childhood developmental theory, and metaphysics. Illuminated with personal anecdotes and case studies, Eastern Body, Western Mind seamlessly merges the East and West, science and philosophy, and psychology and spirituality into a compelling interpretation of the chakra system and its relevance for Westerners today.

Here are the great minds of Western civilization and their pivotal ideas, from Plato to Hegel, from Augustine to Nietzsche, from Copernicus to Freud. Richard Tarnas performs the near-miracle of describing profound philosophical concepts simply but without simplifying them. Ten years in the making and already hailed as a classic, The Passion of the Western Mind is truly a complete liberal education in a single volume. 

A monumental and exhilarating history of European thought from the end of Antiquity to the beginning of the Enlightenment—500 to 1700 AD—tracing the arc of intellectual history as it evolved, setting the stage for the modern era. Charles Freeman, lauded historical scholar and author of The...

Silas West studied the darkest minds in the world. Now one of them is studying him. When a mutilated body washes ashore near Kingston, Washington, the local authorities are out of their depth. The injuries aren’t just brutal, they’re deliberate. A gruesome fusion of military torture and ritualistic branding. Former military psychologist Silas West left D. C. to write a memoir and rebuild his life in a quiet town on Washington's Puget Sound. But when he’s asked to consult on the case, what begins as a favor turns into an obsession.

Acclaimed classics scholar Edith Hall's Introducing the Ancient Greeks is the first book to offer a synthesis of the entire ancient Greek experience, from the rise of the Mycenaean kingdoms of the sixteenth century BC to the final victory of Christianity over paganism in AD 391. Each of the ten chapters visits a different Greek community at a different moment during the twenty centuries of ancient Greek history.

Christianity is the most enduring and influential legacy of the ancient world, and its emergence the single most transformative development in Western history. Even the increasing number in the West today who have abandoned the faith of their forebears, and dismiss all religion as pointless superstition, remain recognisably its heirs. Seen close-up, the division between a sceptic and a believer may seem unbridgeable.

In order to come to your senses, Alan Watts often said, you sometimes need to go out of your mind. Perhaps more than any other teacher in the West, this celebrated author, former Anglican priest, and self-described spiritual entertainer was responsible for igniting the passion of countless...

In the great wars of modern history, maritime powers have always prevailed over land-based empires, whether Habsburg, Napoleonic, Nazi, or Soviet. In contrast to the rigid hierarchies and centralization of land-based empires, those nations attaining mastery at sea have been distinguished by liberty, flexibility, and enterprise. The 17th-century Dutch were the first to achieve naval and trading dominance.

Louis L’Amour Meets Lovecraft Porter Rockwell, wanted for a murder he did not commit, is hiding out in Old California selling whiskey to thirsty forty-niners. When his friends dig up some monstrous bones and a peculiar book and offer to sell it for a helluva price, Porter can’t resist the mystery. But when both his night bartender and the sellers are murdered at his saloon Porter has to find out what the mysterious artifacts are all about. With some Native American legends, Sasquatch, Lovecraftian horror, and murderous bandits thrown in, not even bullets and blades can stop Rockwell ...

DISCOVER THE HIDDEN WORLD INSIDE YOUR OWN MIND — EVERY SINGLE NIGHT Most people spend a third of their lives asleep — and have no idea what they're missing. Lucid dreaming is the rare but learnable ability to wake up inside your dreams while they're still happening — and use that awareness to fly, explore, create, confront fears, rehearse skills, and experience things that waking life simply cannot offer. This isn't a mystical practice reserved for monks or gifted meditators. It's a documented neurological skill, verified in sleep laboratories at Stanford University, that any healthy ...

Do you ever wonder what’s really going on inside someone else's head? It's a common curiosity. If you're all about getting into the nitty-gritty of why people think and act the way they do in different situations, you might want to narrow your focus a bit. And that's where dark psychology comes in. It's like the deep dive into the more shadowy corners of human behavior. Intriguing, right? My name is Shannon West. I like to think of yourself as being your friendly neighborhood psychologist (well, maybe not your actual neighborhood, but you get the idea). Ever since I can remember, I've ...

The Art of Listening to the Body: Unlocking the Silent Language of Health, Intuition, and Inner Healing is the definitive guide for anyone who wants to reconnect with their body's wisdom, reclaim vitality, and heal from within. Written by Dr. Benoît Tano, MD PhD, a global leader in functional and integrative medicine, this book reveals how subtle sensations—fatigue, pain, cravings, emotional shifts—are your body's real-time feedback system. Ignoring these signs leads to chronic disease. Listening leads to transformation. This life-changing book blends: Somatic healing practices ...

Idealism Explained: Understanding the Philosophy of Mind, Reality, and Perception is a clear, engaging guide to one of philosophy’s most intriguing schools of thought. From the ancient insights of Plato and Vedanta to the bold arguments of Berkeley, Kant, and the German Idealists, this book traces how thinkers across cultures have challenged the assumption that the physical world exists independently of the mind. Each chapter explores a distinct era, figure, or perspective, ensuring a rich, non-repetitive journey through the evolution of idealism. Readers will discover how this ...

A New York Times Notable Book A deeply textured dual biography and fascinating intellectual history that examines two of the greatest minds of European history—Desiderius Erasmus and Martin Luther—whose heated rivalry gave rise to two enduring, fundamental, and often colliding traditions of...

Founded by Alexander the Great and built by self-styled Greek pharaohs, the city of Alexandria at its height dwarfed both Athens and Rome. It was the marvel of its age, legendary for its vast palaces, safe harbors, and magnificent lighthouse. But it was most famous for the astonishing intellectual efflorescence it fostered and the library it produced. If the European Renaissance was the "rebirth" of Western culture, then Alexandria, Egypt, was its birthplace.

What is consciousness? Can we trust our perceptions? Do we have free will, or are we just complex machines running on neural code? For centuries, the world's greatest thinkers have wrestled with these profound questions. But for many of us, the answers seem locked away in dense academic texts and confusing jargon. Until now. Philosophy of Mind Summarized takes you on a gripping journey through the biggest ideas in the study of the mind—from the ancient Greeks to the bleeding edge of modern neuroscience and artificial intelligence. This brilliant and accessible guide distills complex ...

WARNING: REALITY IS NOT WHAT IT SEEMS. Look at your hand holding this device. It looks solid. It feels real. You trust it. But physics tells us it is 99.9% empty space. Neuroscience tells us the sensation of "touch" is just an electrical signal in your brain. And philosophy asks the terrifying question: How do you know you aren't dreaming right now? Welcome to METAPHYSICS Summarized—the red pill in book form. For thousands of years, the most brilliant minds in history—from Aristotle to Einstein—have been fighting a war against "common sense." They have discovered that the world you ...

Caring for an aging parent can feel overwhelming, confusing, heartbreaking, and—yes—unexpectedly funny. Caring for Aging Parents Without Losing Your Mind! is a witty, heartfelt, and deeply relatable guide for adults who are already caring for an aging parent—or sensing their time is quickly approaching.

Drawing on techniques and perspectives from two seemingly different traditions, this second edition of the self-help classic Calming Your Anxious Mind offers you a powerful and profound approach to overcoming anxiety, fear, and panic. From the evidence-based tradition of Western medicine, learn the role your thoughts and emotions play in anxiety. And from the tradition of meditation and the inquiry into meaning and purpose, discover your own potential for presence and stillness, kindness and compassion.