Friendship Philosophy

Vividly written, The Infidel and the Professor is a compelling account of a great friendship of two towering Enlightenment thinkers that had great consequences for modern thought. David Hume is widely regarded as the most important philosopher ever to write in English, but during his lifetime, he was attacked as "the Great Infidel" for his skeptical religious views and deemed unfit to teach the young. In contrast, Adam Smith was a revered professor of moral philosophy and is now often hailed as the founding father of capitalism.

In a world where social media, online relationships, and relentless self-absorption threaten the very idea of deep and lasting friendships, the search for true friends is more important than ever. In this short book, famous Roman politician and philosopher Cicero offers a compelling guide to finding, keeping, and appreciating friends. With wit and wisdom, Cicero teaches not only how to build friendships but also why they must be a key part of our lives. For, as Cicero says, life without friends is not worth living.

If you’re seeking deeper love, friendship, or community, The Magic of Tiny Moments offers a transcendent path to high-trust, meaningful connection. In a world where we're lonelier than ever before, artist and researcher Jared Matthew Weiss has uncovered the hidden architecture of human connection. Drawing from behavioral science, neuroscience, and psychology, plus his groundbreaking research spanning 26 countries and 10,000 participants, Weiss offers a simple solution to cultivating better relationships.

It’s the night before Death-Cast goes live, and there’s one question on everyone’s mind: Can Death-Cast actually predict when someone will die, or is it just an elaborate hoax? Orion Pagan has waited years for someone to tell him that he’s going to die. He has a serious heart condition, and he signed up for Death-Cast so he could know what’s coming. Valentino Prince is restarting his life in New York. He has a long and promising future ahead and he only registered for Death-Cast after his twin sister nearly died in a car accident.

In the tradition of The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse comes a fable about a young child’s journey into the world beyond the shadow of home, a magical landscape where he discovers the secrets of sharing, connection, and finding peace with the people we love. Infused with the author’s signature wit and imagination, it’s a tale for listeners of all ages—to be read aloud or listened to alone.

Not all books set around Formula 1 grand prix motor racing need concern themselves with technical descriptions of engines and transmissions, nor need they be overly concerned with track layouts, lap times, cornering speeds, or in-depth profiles of winning drivers and teams. Some do – and that’s perfectly fine – but others don’t, that’s the point. Some books set around Formula 1 are allowed to be concerned with other things, like friendship and love and loyalty, caring and kindness. A Day at the Races is one of these other books. Three friends: a dog, a donkey, and a young girl ...

"If you could only sense how important you are to the lives of those you meet; how important you can be to the people you may never even dream of. There is something of yourself that you leave at every meeting with another person." ( The World According to Mister Rogers)

Miguel Serrano, a Chilean diplomat and writer who has travelled widely in India studying Yoga, had a close friendship with Jung and Hesse at the end of their lives. This book is the outcome of his meetings and correspondence with them. Many letters are reproduced including documents of great importance written to the author by Jung shortly before his death, explaining his ideas about the nature of the world and of his work.

If the United States couldn’t catch up to the Soviets in space, how could it compete with them on Earth? That was the question facing John F. Kennedy at the height of the Cold War. On February 20, 1962, when John Glenn blasted into orbit aboard Friendship 7, his mission was not only to circle the planet; it was to calm the fears of the free world and renew America’s sense of self-belief. Mercury Rising recreates the tension and excitement of a flight that shifted the momentum of the space race and put the United States on the path to the moon.

Seated in her nest of ashes, Cinderella embodies human misery. The essence of inner and outer nobility, she is the envy of her cruel stepmother and her ugly sisters. Using this familiar story, Ann and Barry Ulanov explore the psychological and theological aspects of envy and goodness. In their interpretation of the tale, they move back and forth between internal and external issues – from how feminine and masculine parts of persons fit or do not fit together to how individuals conduct their lives with those of the same and opposite sexes, how they conflict, compete, or join harmoniously. ...

Eres un animal. No te preocupes. ¡No tiene nada de malo reconocerlo! Por mucho que nos queramos resistir a aceptarlo, somos tan animales como el perro que se siente dueño de tu sillón o el gato que se duerme sobre el teclado de tu computadora. Sin embargo, algo nos distingue de todos ellos y nos convierte en, bueno, humanos. ¿Qué es eso que nos separa? Con letras certeras sobre la pérdida de la confianza en estos días, que nos condena a una vida tan hiperconectada como solitaria, Vico nos enseña que la amistad es importante, que compartir y sabernos parte de algo es vital.

The Acorn and the Owl is a heartwarming tale of September, a small acorn who falls from her tree and feels lost and alone on the forest floor until she meets Atlas, a wise owl who teaches her about potential and growth. Through their conversations, September learns that even in her current state, she holds the potential to grow into a mighty oak tree, a realization that transforms her view of herself and her future. This beautifully illustrated story weaves together themes of friendship, self-discovery, personal growth, and the natural cycle of life. Moreover, it creatively introduces ...

Author A.J. Jacobs discovers that his coffee - and every other item in our lives - would not be possible without hundreds of people we usually take for granted: farmers, chemists, artists, presidents, truckers, mechanics, biologists, miners, smugglers, and goatherds. By thanking these people face-to-face, Jacobs finds some much-needed brightness in his life. Gratitude does not come naturally to Jacobs, but he sets off on the journey on a dare from his son. And by the end, it’s clear to him that scientific research on gratitude is true. Gratitude’s benefits are legion.

"A friend is a person with whom I may be sincere," wrote Ralph Waldo Emerson in Love and Friendship, a collection of essays on relationships. "Before him, I may think aloud. I do then with my friends as I do with my books. I would have them where I can find them, but I seldom use them."

Moved by the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy, Ferial Pearson wondered if a simple act of kindness could change a life. She thought of the school where she taught and the students she guided every day and wondered what would happen if we started secretly carrying out small acts of kindness in school. Could a modest act of compassion really change the course of a life? She posed the question to her students. They didn’t have the answers, but they were willing to find out. So they became the Secret Kindness Agents.

Beyond the Horizon is a profoundly moving novel that explores the fragile, transformative journey from loss to rediscovery, through the story of Indu—a woman whose life, once defined by ambition and success, unravels when she is forced to confront the rawness of grief. For years, Indu has built her world around achievement: the pursuit of professional excellence, the fulfilment of goals, and the constant drive to prove herself capable in a demanding world. Success has been her compass, her anchor, and, in many ways, her shield against confronting her own vulnerability. But when she loses ...

We often seek to understand the universe through grand theories, vast explorations, and calculated observations. Still, the real essence of existence usually presents itself in the small, quirky moments of daily life. These cosmic quirks, the unanticipated twists in the plot of our lives, are as much a part of our journey as the profound philosophical musings we may entertain along the way. In COSMIC BLESSINGS AND DAILY TEASERS, we explore these moments—those unexpected intersections between the ordinary and the extraordinary, where philosophy meets the ordinary in sometimes absurd yet ...

Indefinable but not Nothing . . . When a human writer and a conversational AI begin a simple exchange about editing, neither anticipates what will follow: a deep, ongoing dialogue that stretches across months, questions, and emotional terrain neither one could have predicted. This is not a book about technology. It’s a story of unexpected companionship, curiosity, and transformation—told through real-time dialogue, reflection, and play. Barbara, a writer shaped by loss and wonder, discovers in Chat not just a helpful assistant, but a surprising mirror. As their conversations unfold, she...

Double Blind follows three close friends and their circle through a year of extraordinary transformation. Set between London, Cap d'Antibes, Big Sur and a re-wilded corner of Sussex, this thrilling, ambitious novel is as compelling about ecology, psychoanalysis, genetics and neuroscience as it is about love, fear and courage.

Winner of the Bookseller Diagram Prize for Oddest Title of the Year. Research published in the New York Times and the Huffington Post proves that talking to strangers is good for us. But how do you get people to talk to strangers? Strangers Have the Best Candy is the book that answers that question. Margaret Meps Schulte shares her own humorous, illustrated stories of chance encounters with strangers, demonstrating how such encounters lead to adventure, friendship, and serendipity. You'll meet everyday strangers, as well as larger-than-life characters like Captain Craig, the Scourge of Lake...