Catalog All books
George Bush, Brent Scowcroft
A World Transformed
It was one of the pivotal times of the twentieth century - during George Bushs presidency an extraordinary series of international events took place that materially changed the face of the world. Now, former President Bush and his national secretary advisor, Brent Scowcroft, tell the story of those tumultuous years. Here are behind-the-scenes accounts of critical meetings in the White House and of summit conferences in Europe and the United States, interspersed with excerpts from Mr. Bushs diary. We are given fresh intriguing views of world leaders such as Mikhail Gorbachev, Boris Yeltsin, Margaret Thatcher, Helmut Kohl, and François Mitterrand--and witness the importance of personal relationships in diplomacy. There is the dramatic description of how President Bush put together the alliance against Saddam Hussein in the Gulf War. There are the intensive diplomatic exchanges with Beijing following the events of Tiananmen Square, and the intricate negotiations leading up to the German reunification. And there is the sometimes poignant sometimes grim portrayal of Gorbachevs final years in power. A World Transformed is not simply a record of accomplishment; Bush and Scowcroft candidly recount how the major players sometimes disagreed over issues, and analyze what mistakes were made. This is a landmark book on the conduct of American foreign policy-- and how that policy is crucial to the peace of the world. It is a fascinating inside look at great events that deepens our understanding of todays global issues. George Bush was President of the United States from 1989 to 1993. Brent Scowcroft was National Security Advisor under Presidents Ford and Bush.
René Soulayrol
The Stricken Child Understanding the epileptic child
Do epileptic seizures occur completely out of the blue? Or is there an underlying cause? How do epileptic children live with their bodies on a day-to-day basis? Can epilepsy result in the impairment of the childs intelligence? What are the links between epilepsy and neuroses or psychoses? This book springs from an attempt to understand the psychological behaviour of the epileptic child, and the efforts that the child must make in order to adapt and continue to live as normal a life as possible, in spite of the disease. René Soulayrol teaches child psychology in the Faculté de Medécine, in Marseille.
Françoise Héritier
On Violence II
In this new volume, anthropologists, biologists, psychoanalysts and political scientists continue their interdisciplinary examination of violence. What are our links with the animal world? Is the animal metaphor relevant when discussing violent acts committed by human beings against other human beings? What is the relationship between pain and violence? What part does violence play in social relations? What is nonviolence? Could the concept of nonviolence enable us to develop a universal ethical system? Françoise Héritier is an honorary professor at the Collège de France.
Bernard Roques
The Danger of Drugs
This book is the result of a study on drugs carried out by Bernard Roques at the request of the French Secretary of State for Health, Bernard Kouchner. The author has reviewed and summarised a large body of information from all over the world, so this is a thorough, detailed scientific examination of what is known today of the potential dangers, particularly for the brain, of toxic and psychotropic drugs including alcohol and tobacco which are often associated with the consumption of other drugs. Roques study will doubtless play a major role in public health discussions and decisions, particularly in the fight against alcoholism and nicotine addiction. Bernard Roques is a member of the French Académie des Sciences.
Hervé de Carmoy
Entreprise, Individual and State Leading to Change
The author believes that France is suffering from numerous ills, including inertia, demagogy, unemployment, corruption, corporotism, elitism, and a general withdrawal from the outside world. He also thinks that much more than clear-headedness and a desire for change are required if a cure is to be found. What is the best way of making the necessary changes? How have others gone about implementing those changes? He believes the business world provides an excellent model for learning how to deal with an ever-changing environment. Hervé de Carmoy was formerly general director of the Midland Bank in London.
Alain Séguy-Duclot
Defining Art
The general consensus is that art is impossible to define and that the evaluation of works of art is always subjective. Countering these affirmations, Alain Séguy-Duclot shows in this work that art can, in fact, be defined. Duchamp's readymades (industrial objects in series, snow shovels, wine racks, etc) constitute a point of departure for this reflection. He argues that, rather than showing that art was undefinable, the readymades proved that art was definable. It is this that Séguy-Duclot sets out to prove in this incisive and passionate work. Alain Séguy-Duclot is a philosopher, and a professor at the University of Tours.
Monique Sicard
The Making of the Image
It was during the Renaissance that images and pictures were first used by anatomists, microscopists, and astronomers as scientific tools. In that era, scientific images served as a kind of inventory of the known world. In the 19th century, the popularization of scientific ideas gave science a new vigor. Photographic images gave science a new reality, explaining and legitimizing scientific concepts--movement, for example--to a fascinated public. In our days, the scientific image is often a construction--helping us to represent objects and ideas that, like fractals or black holes, cannot be defined through actual observation. Monique Sicard is Projects Director at CNRS Images Média.