Yves Michaud

Changes in Violence An Essay on Universal Goodwill and Fear

For better or for worse, violence has accompanied humanity throughout its history. It is consubstantial with history, technical knowledge and even culture, and it is unlikely that it will disappear. Human beings are inhabited by darkness — great darkness — and they must have the courage to confront it. Then why are we so frightened and shocked by each flare-up of violence on the international stage and in our own streets? We feel that there is both more and less violence; that life on our planet has become easier and yet more ruthless; that although benevolence is the universal law, hate is equally strong, if not stronger; that feeling safe may be a right but that fear reigns. Yves Michaud, a philosopher, teaches at the University of Paris-I.

Jean-Baptiste de Foucauld

The 3 Cultures of Human Development Resistance, Regulation, Utopia

Today, economic growth has taken off again, creating jobs and making full employment a feasible goal. And yet, at a time when we seem to be at the brink of a new recession, nothing seems to have really changed. Modernisation may exclude fewer members of our society than had been previously feared, but, if we are not careful, their exclusion will be all the greater. It is no longer possible to retain a “soft” procedural approach to democracy. Democracy needs to return to its origins; it must be given a goal, based on a strong vision of humanity and of humanity as part of society. It is necessary to construct human development along the lines of three political and spiritual cultures which represent our common heritage : resistance, regulation and utopia. Jean-Baptiste de Foucauld is a senior official in the French Treasury. Until 1995 he was a commissioner of France’s economic plan. He is active in numerous think-tanks and associations that struggle against social exclusion and unemployment.

Jean-Didier Vincent

The Biology of Passions

Frédéric Fanget

Assert Yourself! (New Edition) For more productive relationships with others

Do you have trouble expressing your needs? Is it difficult for you to say 'no'? Are you afraid of speaking in public? Written in the form of a self-help manual, this book should enable you to pinpoint those situations in your professional and personal life that give you most difficulty: expressing yourself during a meeting; starting up a conversation when you don't know anyone; criticising your partner; saying 'no' to a friend who wants a favour; asking your boss for a raise. This book aims to help you (re)develop a balanced relationship with others, so you can learn to express yourself while avoiding the extremes of passivity or aggression. Frédéric Fanget is a medical psychiatrist and company consultant specialising in disorders related to lack of assertiveness. He teaches and practises in Lyon.

Élisabeth Badinter

The Unopposite Sex The End of the Gender Battle

François Jacob

The Scientific Work of François Jacob

Sylvie Schweitzer

Women Have Always Worked A History of Working Women in the 19th Century

For women, the victory of recent years is one of empowerment in their professional lives: they now have the means to compete with men in every field. Yet society’s traditional image of what is a male or female profession remains very powerful. In 2001, French women had managed to enter professions that were previously practically closed to them but French men are still reluctant to enter traditionally female professions. This book reviews two centuries of women’s work. It shows that women have always worked — but not everywhere. Women’s access to increasingly “prized” jobs goes hand in hand with economic and global development.

Martine Ohresser

Tinnitus - The Ringing of the Ears

Nearly 4 million people in France have suffered from ringing and whistling sounds in their ears, or 'tinnitus' to use the medical term. It is impossible to sleep, it is impossible to find silence. What are the causes and mechanics of these noises ? What are the therapeutic methods available to relieve the stress of tinnitus, and allow you to refind inner peace ? Martine Ohresser is an ear-throat-and-nose specialist and an otologist (a specialist in problems relating to hearing and balance). She is the founder of a centre for the functional exploration of hearing problems, in Paris.