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Dominique Desanti, Jean-Toussaint Desanti, Roger-Pol Droit
Liberty Still Cherishes Us
In this book, the authors, Dominique and Jean-Toussaint Desanti, relate their lives of active political and intellectual commitment to Roger-Pol Droit. The story begins with Dominique and Jean-Toussaints first meeting, their lives as an open couple, their involvement in the French Resistance and, later, in the Communist Party, their support of the FLN during the Algerian war of independence, their participation in the events of May 1968 in France and the United States, and their espousal of the feminist movement. They also discuss the numerous works they have written literature in Dominiques case, philosophy in Jean-Toussaints. Their political path is one that was shared by many French intellectuals of their generation. The enthusiasm of many young people for left-wing causes had first been stirred by the Popular Front government. The Soviet victory at Stalingrad (rather than support of Marxist thought) later fanned this enthusiasm, with the result that many French intellectuals joined the Communist Party. Each event in the authors lives is recounted individually from each ones point of view, before being retold by both of them in unison. This manner of telling their story fully respects each writers personality and style, and has resulted in an especially intense book. Dominique Desanti is a journalist, essayist and novelist. Jean-Toussaint Desanti is a philosopher and professor emeritus at the University of Paris I-Sorbonne.
Christian Sautter
France Reflected in Japan Growth or Decline
Where does the formidable Japanese resistance to unemployment come from? How can their persistence be explained when Japan, like all developed countries, is faced with robotization, technological revolutions and, more recently, competition in the form of young populations in neighboring countries? This should give France pause for thought: as starkly contrasted as these two cultures may seem, France and Japan are sister countries. Thus reflected in the mirror of Japan, France can discover that its decline need not be fatal, and that it is up to France to break with a decrepit conservatism and embrace growth. Christian Sautter is the director of studies at the Ecole des hautes etudes en sciences sociales (EHESS).
Claude Hagège
The Child who speaks two languages
At what age should we learn a second language? Which are the intellectual faculties which bilinguism helps to develop? What is the compared efficiency of language learning in childhood and in adulthood? In which case does a person forget a language, particularly a mother tongue? Claude Hagège tells us here that anybody can become perfectly bilingual and how Europe, which is not the continent where the most bilingual people are found, can multiply their number. Indeed, the challenge of bilingualism is at the heart of European union. C. Hagège, professor at the Collège de France, has published in particular L'Homme de paroles and Le Souffle de la Langue.
Florence Burgat
The Animal, My Relation
On one hand, men exploit, manipulate and slaughter animals. On the other hand, they let animals interfere with their lives, pollute them, and sometimes dominate them. Since the classical Age, Man has sought to define himself in his opposition to animals. Claiming for himself the most noble faculties - consciousness, thought, esthetic sense, morality - he represses his own animal side, notably his sexuality. But Florence Burgat goes beyond this negative statement. She walks in Jean-Jacques Rousseau's steps, claiming that men, like animals are sensitive beings, liable to suffer. On this basis, she proposes a new morality. Florence Burgat is a philosopher, and works at the Laboratory of Social Anthropology of the College of France.
François Gros
From Penicillin to genomics
The life of a scientist, one of the discoverers of how genes function, and an explorer of the future of biology
Philippe Trouchaud
Cybersecurity
All specialists agree that hacking incidents are only increasing. This book proposes ways to learn how to protect oneself while acknowledging that zero risk no longer exists.
Philippe Moreau Desfarges
A History of Peace Ideas for the Future
An original thesis: peace is inescapable (in spite of all the resurgence of wars); it will be contractual and democratic (in spite of the reforming of empires).
Nicolas Favez
The Art of Being Co-Parents How can parents best handle co-parenting?
From parenting to co-parenting: the new challenge that parents today must face and for which they must be prepared.
Alain Braconnier
Parents Need Love, Too
Parents’ need for love and the notion of reciprocity in upbringing, advice for maintaining it.
Virginie Megglé
Happiness is Taking Responsibility Overcoming Guilt
Accept responsibility instead of succumbing to guilt — and take a step toward happiness
Yann Verdo
Einstein’s Violin Einstein, Niels Bohr, and Gödel
A very original initiation into the mysteries of science, for the “honest man” of the twenty-first century.
Pierre Bergé, Yves Pomeau, Monique Dubois-Gance
From Rhythm to Chaos
From the physics of particules to astronomy, from chemistry to biology, chaos is present in most scientific fields. Three specialists of this subject have undertaken, through many examples, to extract chaos from the scientific world in order to show how strong is its hold on our daily lives.
Antoine Lesur
Psychic Distress A New Approach to Care
Should psychic distress be considered a singular emotion? A documented and concrete analysis showing its connections with problems of attachment, guilt, depression, and fear.
Willy Pasini, Donata Francescato
The Courage to Change
What would happen if, instead of stifling our dreams, we took the desire to change seriously? What would happen if we really gave ourselves the means with which to transform our lives and ourselves? Willy Pasini, a psychotherapist, and Donata Francescato, a social psychologist, have brought together their respective skills in order to show us how to succeed in making both our inner and outer transformations. Willy Pasini, a psychotherapist, teaches psychiatry and psychology at the University of Geneva. Donata Francescato is a psychologist and teaches at La Sapienza University, in Rome.
Bruno Millet-Ilharreguy
Improved Therapies for OCD Brain Stimulation Offers Hope
A new therapy to overcome Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
François Saint-Pierre
The Law against the demons of politics
If in the future even a government resulting from regular elections decided to implement an unworthy policy, contrary to the fundamental rights of people, could the justice system oppose it and defend the essential, the rule of law?
Thierry Lodé
A Natural History of Sexual Pleasure
Written for a general audience, this is a natural history of pleasure which encompasses all the exuberance of sexuality, from the first licentious bubbles to female orgasm.
Daniel Nahon
Gaia’s March From Stone to Humans
The history of the Earth and its land by one of the foremost specialists. It is also, of course, a history of life, climates, a very timely reflection on the exploitation of the Earth and its resources.
Jean-Baptiste de Foucauld, Robert Fraisse
The France of the Future
What will France be like in twenty years ? Faced with the fear of the future, with the current unease and confusion of French citizens, we need to change the way we look at things. We must stop asking ourselves about individualism in our society and look for answers to the mounting solitude. Stop theorizing about immigration problems and find the keys to demographic evolution. Stop fearing the invasion of the immaterial and start looking for the the new social fabric of tomorrow. We must suggest some possible plans of action and thought processes, provide some sketches of tomorrow's France, among the risks and hopes, to get some new perspectives.
Massimo Piattelli Palmarini
The Art of Persuasion
In love as in politics, in history as in everyday life knowing how to persuade people is a valuable skill. How can one person convince another to renounce his or her opinion, freely and willingly, without appealing to authority, pity or trust? What essential rules must one follow, and what psychological motives must one play on in order to produce this effect ? Using the most recent discoveries in psychology and reasoning as a starting point Massimo Piattelli Palmarini show us how to anticipate the motivation and mental paths of others and so to be even more persuasive. Massimo Piattelli Palmarini is the head of the Department of Cognitive Sciences at the Instituto San Raffaele, in Milan.