The debate on the status and legality of cannabis continues to gain momentum. Here, personal anecdotes combined with academic and scientific reports combine to sharpen some of the fascinating philosophical issues associated with cannabis use.A frank, professionally informed and playful discussion of cannabis usage in relation to philosophical inquiryConsiders the meaning of a ‘high’, the morality of smoking marijuana for pleasure, the slippery slope to more dangerou...

A hazy student phase? A harmless way to relax? An effective form of pain relief? Or a dangerous and addictive narcotic? The debate on the status and legality of cannabis continues to rage on. Here, personal anecdotes, combined with academic and scientific reports, wrestle with some of the fascinating issues associated with cannabis use. In these pages, philosophers, psychologists and medical experts (some of whom may even enjoy the occasional spliff) try to understand: What exactly does it...

'A passionate defence of the enduring power of human nature ... both life-affirming and deeply satisfying' Daily TelegraphRecently many people have assumed that we are blank slates shaped by our environment. But this denies the heart of our being: human nature. Violence is not just a product of society; male and female minds are different; the genes we give our children shape them more than our parenting practices. To acknowledge our inna...

**Finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book PrizeFrom the man who Oliver Sacks hailed as “one of the best scientist/writers of our time,” a collection of sharply observed, uproariously funny essays on the biology of human culture and behavior.**In the tradition of Stephen Jay Gould and Oliver Sacks, Robert Sapolsky offers a sparkling and erudite collection of essays about science, the world, and our relation to both. “The Trouble with Testosterone” explores the influence of t...

In Do Parents Matter? anthropologists (and grandparents) Robert & Sarah LeVine investigate the diversity of parenting practices across the world - from the USA to Africa, Japan to Mexico - and come away with a reassuring conclusion: children tend to turn out to be the same well-adjusted adults all around the world no matter the parenting style.Japanese children sleep with their parents well into primary school, women of the Hausa tribe (largely based in Ni...

Extraordinary claims and extraordinary evidence.   The mainstream and social media feed our minds a diet of fringe science and outright pseudoscience. They relentlessly stream paranormal, supernatural, and otherwise extraordinary claims. Where do all these come from? They’re spread by shysters and charlatans, by corporate propagandists with cynical eyes on the bottom line, by priests and preachers of all kinds, by axe-grinding cranks and ideologues, and frequently by well-...

The classic work on women's health and how the medical establishment helped to justify sexism, by the authors of Witches, Midwives, and Nurses.From Barbara Ehrenrich, New York Times-bestselling author of Nickel and Dimed, Bright-Sided, and other titles, and Deirdre English, former editor of Mother Jones, this book delves into the history of how women have been diagnosed, defined, and often dismissed, by doctors, a proble...

A provocative and debate-inspiring book which explores the pressure, politics, philosophy and culture of motherhood in today’s society.Motherhood has changed. For several decades there has been tension between traditional ideas and modern values of mothering. For years the trend was away from the constraints which bound down our own mothers and towards liberating women. But in the 1980s and 1990s the momentum has shifted into sharp reverse.Mother of All Myths documents the ...

Embark on an exploration of what lies behind our eyelids when we surrender to the secret life of sleep.What makes us cross the line from waking to slumber? According to Harvard scientists it’s our 'sleep switch' – a cluster of neurons in the hypothalamus. For the ancient Greeks it was the god Hypnos, caressing you with his wings. For the Blackfeet Indians, a butterfly.From the meaning of dreams to the dangers of sleeping pills, Kat Duff brings insights from...

The Philosophy of Death is a discussion of the basic philosophical issues concerning death, and a critical introduction to the relevant contemporary philosophical literature. Luper begins by addressing questions about those who die: What is it to be alive? What does it mean for you and me to exist? Under what conditions do we persist over time, and when do we perish? Next, he considers several questions concerning death, including: What does dying consist in; in particular, how does it dif...

The debate over "nature versus nature" continues over the causes of homosexuality. Is there a gay gene? Is there something about the way a child is raised that can "turn" her gay? Or is being gay simply a "choice"? Taking a look at the major genetic, biological, and psychological theories of the origins of homosexuality, this book asks questions about gender, gender identity, and sexual orientation that are at the center of gay people's sense of identity and their struggle for civil rights...

In recent years, body studies has expanded rapidly, becoming an increasingly popular field of study within anthropology, sociology, and cultural studies. This groundbreaking textbook takes the topics and theories from these disciplines, and combines them into one single, easily accessible text for students.Body Studies is a comprehensive textbook on the social and cultural uses and meanings of the body, for use in undergraduate college courses. Its clear, accessible chapters explor...