This touching documentary chronicles the long and colorful life of Lily Yeh, an artist who has committed herself to creating community-based art projects in some of the world's most troubled areas.. Beginning with the creation of an unprecedented sculpture garden in the projects of North Philly that became known as "The Village of Arts and Humanities," THE BAREFOOT ARTIST also shows Yeh working in various far-flung locations, such as Kenya and Rwanda,...

A Dog’s Life: A Dogamentary is a quirky yet poignant documentary about the positive effects of the intense bond between dogs and humans, as told through the story of Emmy-winning television producer Gayle Kirschenbaum and her dog Chelsea. Using humor and pathos, this film explores Chelsea's role in her owner's life, and how it expanded when Chelsea was certified as a therapy dog after the horror of 9/11. It's a story of seeking love – and finding...

This book reformulates the sociological subdiscipline known as the sociology of knowledge. Knowledge is presented as more than ideology, including as well false consciousness, propaganda, science and art.

Is being hit by lightning a random natural occurrence or a predestined event? Accidents, chance, fate and the elusive quest to make sense out of tragedy underpin director Jennifer Baichwal's (Manufactured Landscapes) captivating new work, an elegant cinematic meditation on the metaphysical effects of being struck by lightning. To explore these profound questions, Baichwal sought out riveting personal stories from around the world. Visually dazzling...

The renowned political thinker and author of The Origins of Totalitarianism examines the troubling consequences of humanity's increasing power. A work of striking originality, The Human Condition is in many respects more relevant today than when it first appeared in 1958. In her study of the state of modern humanity, Hannah Arendt considers humankind in terms of its ever-expanding capabilities. Her analysis reveals a troubling paradox: that as human...

"In this timely and necessary book, New York Times opinion writer Jessica Grose dismantles two hundred years of unrealistic parenting expectations and empowers today's mothers to make choices that actually serve themselves, their children, and their communities"--

In this 1912 classic, a founder of modern sociology seeks the enduring source of human social identity. Émile Durkheim presents a remarkably accessible examination of animism, naturism, totemism, myth, and ritual. His intriguing views and ultimate conclusion-that the source of religion and morality lies in collective consciousness, rather than in individual minds-remains a topic of debate among sociologists, anthropologists, ethnographers, philosophers,...

In this book, David Brooks explores the four commitments that define a life of meaning and purpose: to a spouse and family, to a vocation, to a philosophy or faith, and to a community. Our personal fulfillment depends on how well we choose and execute these commitments. Brooks looks at a range of people who have lived joyous, committed lives, and who have embraced the necessity and beauty of dependence. He gathers their wisdom on how to choose a partner,...

‘What is humanity?’ In this revealing documentary, world experts in the fields of Futurology, Anthropology, Neuroscience, and Philosophy consider the impact of technological advances on the two certainties of human life; Work and Death. Charting human developments from Homo Habilis, past the Industrial Revolution, to the digital age and beyond, THE FUTURE OF WORK AND DEATH looks at the shocking exponential rate at which mankind has managed to...

The Study of Sociology, originally published in 1873, was Herbert Spencer's groundbreaking overview of the nascent science of social systems. His basic assertion was that societies were not the creations of a few 'great men,' as Nietzsche asserted, but that they resulted from the interplay of different institutions (such as government, religion, academia, media, economic models, and so forth). Taking a cue from biology, and the emerging theory of...