Catalog All books
Jerry Fodor
The Mind Doesn't Work That Way The Scope and Limits of Computational Psychology
In this book, one of the most eminent figures in the field of cognition reviews his most recent views on the subject, and questions the validity of recent attempts to combine the computational theory of mind with psychological nativism and with biological principles borrowed from Darwinian evolutionary theory. Fodor goes on to examine the question that has remained unanswered for the past fifty years: is the mind a computer? This is a fascinating lesson of philosophical and scientific modesty. Jerry Fodor is a professor of philosophy at Rutgers University.
Michel Cassé, Marie-Christine Maurel
Xenobiology Xeno-life
When an astrophysicist encounters a specialist in synthetic biology, they discuss the origins of the universe and of life. The first steps of a new science, whose repercussions could shake our conception of the living and of its evolution.
Dominique Schnapper
Of Democracy in France
From providential democracy to extreme democracy, the concepts forged by D. Schnapper have now passed into contemporary language. A great voice for democracy (D. Schnapper, the daughter of Raymond Aron, is former member of the Conseil constitutionnel).
Anne de Kervasdoué
New Questions from Women Responses to 1001 questions that women ask about their health and their well-being, at every age in life
All the experience and knowledge of a gynecologist who has been listening to women for 40 years.
Jean-Claude Cousseran, Philippe Hayez
Intelligence Handbook
For the first time, the real practice of intelligence comes in out of the shadows. Very timely issues, from the international fight against terrorism to cyberthreats and economic intelligence.
Gérard Apfeldorfer
Slimming: It's All in the Head New, revised and enlarged edition
Perhaps you think that if fat people wish to become thin all they have to do is lose weight - and to lose weight they just have to follow a slimming diet...
Pierre Mélandri, Justin Vaïsse
The Middle Kingdom The United States and the World Since the End of the Cold War
"No one would deny the central role played by the U.S. More than any other nation, it has shaped the world we live in and will continue to do so for several years to come. For this reason, it is essential to judge its actions abroad in a manner that is as free of clichés as it can. Our goal was to present the reader with as complete a picture as possible of U.S. presence in the world, without neglecting any episode or omitting any angle that could be insightful." Pierre Mélandri and Justin Vaïsse Justin Vaïse is a historian. Pierre Mélandri teaches at the University of Paris III-Sorbonne Nouvelle.
Joseph Silk
Une brève histoire de l'univers
Joseph Silk is the author of an authoritative book on the Big Bang. In the present work, he covers the history of the universe from that first great explosion and shows how the most recent discoveries in astrophysics i.e. of the cosmic fluctuations from which the great structures of the universe emerged provide the missing link between the Big Bang, which occurred 15 billion years ago, and the present state of the universe. When did time begin? This is the question, already asked by Stephen Hawking, that A Short History of the Universe sets out to answer. It is the subject of current debate among theologians: Did time begin with the Big Bang, in which case God could not have created the universe, or has time existed for all eternity, which would mean that the Big Bang was just one event among others, that God could have existed before it occurred and that He could thus have created the universe? This highly accessible book will be of interest to a wide readership, since the issues examined here concern all of us. Joseph Silk, an astrophysicist and cosmologist, teaches at Oxford University.
Edward N. Luttwak
The Grand Strategy of the Byzantine Empire
A highly enjoyable book for anyone wishing to delve into the complexities of the Byzantine Empire, from Antiquity to the Middle Ages.
Jacques Blamont
Introduction au siècle des menaces
Although the confrontation between rich and poor is universal, it can be heightened by various factors. According to Jacques Blamont, the widening technological gap between the poor and rich nations is one such aggravating factor. The revolution in information technology has been largely responsible, because it has helped to concentrate more and more power and wealth in the hands of the few - particularly in the United States. Blamont lists various potentially threatening situations that are converging to create an explosion such as the world has never seen before. These include: the demographic growth of the very poor, the ageing population in the developed countries, new climatic risks that are endangering the environment, the spread of new epidemics as a result of globalisation, and the limited effects of the military strategies adopted by the most powerful nations. Step by step, the author deconstructs the hellish machine that our children will inherit from us - because we put too much faith in technological progress. Jacques Blamont is a member of the French Academy of Science and a professor at the University of Paris-VI. He is one of the fathers of the French space programme and was formerly the scientific director of the CNES. He is most notably the author of Vénus dévoilée and Le Chiffre et le Songe.
André Brahic
Of Fire and Ice Ardent Planets
A journey through the Universe to explore the mysteries of giant planets
Dominique Schnapper, Paul Saloma, Perrine Simon-Nahum
Thinking about anti-Semitism A Symposium on Anti-Semitism
Commentary from the latest reports on anti-Semitism in France, in order to go well beyond journalistic and political discourse. The current character of the issue, which is examined here with the resources of both history and philosophy. The scope of the analyses proposed by some of the most respected specialists on the issue.
Pierre Jaisson
The Ant and the Sociobiologist
What are the advantages of social organization? P. Jaisson, a sociobiologist, explains how among animals as various as ants, bees, tadpoles and rats, certain altruistic behavior is dependent on a recognized social order. The generalizations fostered by these findings and their application to the human speces are a source of violent debate and moral questioning. Jaisson provides an honest look at the ideological exploitation born of sociobiological study.
Claude Aron
Bisexuality and the Order of Nature
Our sex defines our identity before we are even named - "It's a boy" or "It's a girl" is the traditional welcome we receive in this world. Similarly, throughout our entire life, our gender defines our diverse social roles. Yet, this book shows how nature presents us with only one model, that of bisexuality. Endocrinian manipulations have shown that it is possible to change from one sexuality to another in a reversible manner. This book is key reading in the debate about the genetic character, or not, of homosexuality. Claude Aron, a specialist in in the physiology of reproduction, is also an honorary professor of the Louis-Pasteur University in Strasbourg.
Jean-Claude Cousseran, Philippe Hayez
Intelligence and Intelligence Gathering in Democracies
A thoroughly researched, pedagogical work for anyone interested in Intelligence