Societal issues All books
Henri Guaino
The End of the West?
A powerful, inspired text that calls upon the greatest voices in literature, philosophy, and history, and which is, through its writing, an illustration of the ideas it is defending.
Maurice Tubiana
Education and Life
This book is a reflection on the alarming fact that France has the highest level of violent deaths (from suicide, drugs, and road accidents) in all Europe among young people between 18 and 22 years old. Tubiana analyses the pleasure principle which runs through our culture and our values, the Freudian principle that demands the immediate satisfaction of our impulses. This brings him to denounce postmodern individualism which does not make any room for the collective interest. Maurice Tubiana is a world-reknowned oncologist and member of the French Academy of Science and the Academy of Medicine.
Alain Peyrefitte
The Economic "Miracle"
The 20th century has been marked by the growing awareness of the unbearable gap between developed and under-developed countries. And the most outstanding fact of the next century will probably be the worsening in this imbalance. In order to find a solution to the under-development scandal, Alain Peyrefitte attempts to understand the miracle of development. He examines the successive miracles which have allowed a part of humanity to pull through the turns of dictatorship or anarchism, violence and destitution.
Claude Allègre, Patrick Artus, Jean-Louis Borloo, Yves Cochet, Vincent Courtillot, Jean Jouzel, Jacques Le Cacheux
Ecological quarrels and political choices
Polemics over global warming, the security of nuclear power plants after Fukushima, the depletion of reserves of non-renewable raw materials continue to fuel public concern without succeeding in establishing shared objective representations...
David Lepoutre
Don’t Wonder Why Anymore, Wonder How A Guide for Simplifying Your Life
An original approach, far from the usual questioning that, too often, makes do with mono-causal explanations, which are necessarily over-simplified.
Anne-Marie Kermarrec
Digital Technology, Counting with Women Preface by Gérard Berry
An incisive and informed assessment of the complicated relationships between women and the digital world, accompanied by strong measures and precise solutions to put an end to the sub-feminization of this still very macho sector.
Bernard Jarry-Lacombe, Jean-Marie Bergère, François Euvé, Hubert Tardieu
The Digital Serving the Common Good
Beyond the technology alone, this book aims to question the ethical, societal and ultimately anthropological ramifications of the new tools of modernity...
Alain Ehrenberg
The Despondent Society
Will individualism ultimately turn against society and the individual?
Jacques Hochmann
Degeneration Theories Psychiatry and History
The unbelievable story of a mad psychiatric theory centered on the idea of heredity which was put to the most horrible of uses, while having a lasting effect on mentalities.
Jean-Paul Delahaye, Nicolas Gauvrit
Culturetech: Digital Culture
The development of electronic databases (and of Internet search engines to explore them) has given rise to such new behaviours as egosurfing...
Guillaume Cerutti
The Cultural Policy : A 21st Century Challenge Twenty Proposals
Though our certainties may waver as we move toward an uncertain economic and social future, culture remains for France an exceptional asset and a critical issue, both at home and internationally.
Philippe deBaleine
Conversations on the Sky
What are the origins of the universe? Besides human beings, are there other conscious living creatures in the universe? If there are, do they resemble humans? Could their appearance be entirely different? If Christian teachings are true, could they also apply to such extraterrestrial creatures? What are Good and Evil? What is Gods role? How did nature take on the forms it has? In a relaxed, conversational tone, Philippe de Baleine addresses some of the major metaphysical, theological and cosmological issues that are being asked today. Philippe de Baleine is a journalist, essayist and novelist.
Étienne-Émile Baulieu, Françoise Héritier, Henri Leridon
Contraception : Constraint or Liberty ? (Work of the Collège de France)
It is now generally accepted that contraception should be readily available.
Alain Renaut, Geoffroy Lauvau
Conflictions in the Twenty-First Century
A strong and original thesis for an understanding of the new, contemporary social violence. Alain Renaut is a recognized philosopher, and his works, such as his Leçons de la philosophie, have enjoyed long-term sales.
Julien Damon
Cities to Live In
Complementing and mirroring the views of these urban residents are a series of studies by experts...
Laurent Danon-Boileau
Children Without Language
I have been treating children [with language difficulties] for the past ten years, and making clinical observations from three theoretical points of view: I have used linguistics, psychoanalysis and recent finding in the cognitive sciences. By taking into account and examining the difficulties encountered when working with such children, and by paying attention to the specific character of their development, we will be able to provide essential information for anyone wishing to reflect seriously on a central issue for all of us: Why speak? writes Laurent Danon-Boileau. Laurent Danon-Boileau is a linguist, psychoanalyst and writer.
Xavier Emmanuelli
Children of the Streets A clinic of exclusion
A fascinating analysis: from the witch-children of West and Central Africa to child-soldiers, child refugees, victims of war and catastrophe, exploited children, handicapped children, orphans who have never known human closeness, child-mothers and child-prostitutes…
Jean-Pierre Sueur
Changing the City For a New Urbanity
Twenty years after France introduced its urban policy, the situation in the cities leaves much to be desired. Widespread problems include insecurity, violence, inequality, unemployment, pollution, poor housing or housing in hideously ugly tower blocks, traffic jams, and the emergence of ghettos. The author gives a critical reading of the various remedial urban policies introduced during the past few years and points to ways in which the underlying causes of todays urban problems may finally be confronted, so as to ultimately and truly change our cities. Jean-Pierre Sueur, a former government minister and member of Parliament, is the mayor of Orleans.
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.
Monique Dagnaud
The Californian Paradigm How the spirit of cooperation can change the world
An original reflexion on California as a new social and political model. A high-quality argument on the possibility of an alternative economy and society that is more cooperative and egalitarian.
Alain Bauer, Marie-Christine Dupuis-Danon
The Bloodhounds: A Story of the French Intelligence Services in Their Own Words
Interviews with the great leaders in French Intelligence. These interviews break with a culture of secrecy; what the leaders say in no way glosses the difficulties, or the missteps, of the Services, or the manipulations that occur for reasons of high-level – or low-level – politics.