Raymond Boudon

Why intellectual peoples don't like liberalism

Given the intellectual force of liberalism, its political appeal, its economic effectiveness and its historical significance, why is it so unpopular among French intellectuals? Why does it elicit so little serious discussion? And why is it the object of so much confusion, so many clichés and misunderstandings? Is it simply out of resentment, because intellectuals feel that the market does not afford them the material and symbolic rewards that they believe they deserve? Is it just because they prefer to play a critical role in a society where capitalism is triumphant? Perhaps, but these reasons do not explain everything — and they certainly don’t explain the systematic rejection of liberal thought in France. A sociologist of knowledge rather than of social determinism, and a specialist in belief systems, Raymond Boudon ruthlessly analyses the cognitive mechanisms that make liberalism so hateful in the eyes of French intellectuals. The result is a keen, detailed review of the clichés that have encumbered discussions for more than thirty years. Raymond Boudon, a professor at the University of Paris-IV, is a member of the Académie des Sciences Morales et Politiques. He us the author of numerous works, most notably L’Inégalité des chances, La logique du social, L’Idéologie ou l’origine des idées reçues, L’Art de se persuader, Le Sens des valeurs and Déclin de la morale? Déclin des valeurs. He is the co-author, with R. Leroux, of Y a-t-il encore une sociologie?

Gérard Israël

Jerusalem, the Holy City

Fabrice Quercia

The ABC of Infant Care

A practical guidebook covering every aspect of an infant’s life, from 0 to 2 years, for today’s parents

Georges Charpak, Henri Broch

Becoming a Magician is Becoming Wise

Would you like to know how to burn out a light bulb from afar? Would you like to know how to walk barefoot on burning coals without scorching your feet and as comfortably as if you were walking on the softest deep-pile rug? And would you like to understand why this is possible? Magic here has simply switched sides: it no longer belongs to the realm of the supernatural; it has become completely natural.The goal of this book is to make the reader understand that the supernatural does not exist and that it is essential in today’s world to be scientifically literate. Georges Charpak, a physicist at CERN, is a winner of the Nobel Prize for Physics. Henri Broch heads the Laboratoire de Zététique at the University of Nice-Sophia Antipolis.

François Lelord

Little Hector Learns About Life

A new hero has been added to François Lelord’s tender and ironic universe

Alex Türk

Society Under Surveillance

An advocate of democratic vigilance, Alex Türq calls for a wide-ranging discussion on all these issues.

Jean-Pierre Pharabod

UFWs Unidentified Flying Weapons

Most reported sightings of UFOs turn out to be errors, optical illusions, hallucinations, and even practical jokes. But five per cent of all reported cases are more difficult to dismiss. According to the author, the unidentified objects may be clandestine terrestrial aircraft — prototypes or secret weapons — launched by the major industrialised nations, particularly the United States. Should the mysterious sightings be attributed to UFOs or to UFWs (Unidentified Flying Weapons)?

Élie Hantouche, Nathalie Faucheux

Lea's Diary OCDs and Bipolar Disorders

How to overcome one’s mental disorders by watching films about them.