Catalog All books
Edwige Rude-Antoine
Adopting a child from abroad
Today two-thirds of all adoptions concern a child from another country. What is the motivation of the prospective parents ? How have different governments dealt with the rising demand for adoptions ? What legal procedures have they implemented, and what effect have they had ? How does an adoption case actually unfold ? The author goes beyond an examination of the legal and procedural differences that can be found around the world, she explores the emotions of the adopted children themselves. This book will be a useful tool for both childcare professionals and adoptive parents. Edwige Rude-Antoine, a lawyer and sociologist, heads a research team at the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique.
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.
Éric Albert, Laurent Chneiweiss
Anxiety Day by Day Health
Knots in your stomach and feelings of anxiety are common sensations. But what can be done when anxiety becomes overpowering, handicapping ? What are the symptoms ? When does it become a disease ? How can it be managed on a daily basis ? Who should be consulted ? A simple and practical book to help you to deal with this problem. Eric Albert and Laurent Chneiweiss are both psychiatrists, and specialists in the modern treatment of anxiety.
André Brahic
Children of the Sun The History of Our Origins
In less than a century, scientists have acquired enough information to try to explain the origin of life, to realise that there may be other life forms in the universe, and to begin to understand the birth of our planet and its future. André Brahic writes about the planets, the stars and the universe without forgetting the role played by human beings who are themselves made from solar atoms and are thus truly "children of the sun". André Brahic, an astronomer, is known for discovering the rings of Neptune.
Jill-Patrice Cassuto
From Mad Cow Disease to Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease
Jill-Patrice Cassuto examines the precursors of BSE and reviews some of the early research into the disease. He also studies the human form of BSE, or Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, a fatal neurodegenerative disorder, and addresses the highly controversial question of ways the disease may be transmitted. This book is not only a scientific overview of current knowledge about BSE. It is also a thorough inquiry into the BSE scare and an examination of the issue of responsibility and of how health issues and risks are dealt with within the European Community. Jill-Patrice Cassuto teaches medicine and heads a clinical hematology service in a university hospital.
Gérard Apfeldorfer
Madness Multiplied by 3
Everything seems to be going smoothly for Doctor Crissie Weil, a dynamic psychiatrist who treats her patients through the Internet -until a mad lawyer moves into her building, steals Crissies husband and tries to sabotage her career. Crissie cannot accept such behaviour without fighting back. Quickly, the two female characters of this psychological thriller are locked in a love-hate relationship, on the very brink of madness. In the novel, we are made to reflect on the future of psychiatry, which is gradually being revolutionised by the Internet. In the United States, Britain and Italy, psychotherapy is now readily available on-line, and such services are also being developed in France. Gérard Apfeldorfer is a psychiatrist and psychotherapist.
Patrick Guyomard
The Tendency for Polymorphe Perverse Behaviour
It is the child that Freud predominantly identifies as polymorphe perverse in his Three Essays on Sexual Theory, but he recognised that it is in fact a universally human and original trait. Certainly, clinical experience suggests that this characteristic is not solely reserved for children. It is evident in each psychoanalytical treatment as common to all mankind. It is also found in science and in politics. If the tendency for polymorphe perverse behaviour is a universally human trait, everyone who has human thought patterns is affected. It is for this reason that this book gathers together reflections from psychoanalysts, clinicians specialising in both adults and children, scientists, anthropologists, and historians in order to revaluate the perversion and give a new perspective on the controversies it can trigger. Organised by the Freudian Psychoanalyst Society.
Françoise Sironi
Torturers and Victims The Psychology of Torture
To fight against torture, a simple denunciation of violence is not enough. It is necessary to help the victims find a "normal life" again. According to Françoise Sironi, this supposes an penetration into the mind of the torturer. How is it possible to influence someone to the point of forcing them to confess, reveal information and betray others? Physical violence alone does not suffice. What psychological methods are used ? The mechanisms of torture can only be understood by an examination of how torturers are "created". Françoise Sironi is a lecturer in clinical psychology and psychopathology at the University of Paris-VIII and director of the Georges Devereux Centre for Ethnopsychiatry at the University of Paris-VIII. She is also the co-founder of the Centre Primo Levi, which specialises in the treatment of victims of torture and collective violence.
Yuval Ne'eman, Yoram Kirsh
The Particle Hunters
In this book, Yuval Neeman and Yoram Kirsh recount the story of particle physics in the twentieth century. They explain how physicists first discovered the various levels of the atom and then tried to describe its structure, culminating in the most recent "standard model". Assuming that the readers knowledge of physics is limited to basic notions such as energy, mass, and electrical charge, the authors explain the theory of relativity and the fundamental principles of quantum mechanics, which have guided physicists in their search for the ultimate particles of matter. Yuval Neeman teaches theoretical physics at the University of Tel Aviv. Yoram Kirsh teaches physics at the Open University of Israel.
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.
Philippe Delmas
Of the Next War With Germany
France and Germany are geographically close and yet so different. In this study of the two countries, the author examines French attitudes toward Germany, and wonders whether France will finally be able to rid itself of its traditional fears of its neighbour. Trapped by their anxieties and suspicions, torn apart by internal doubts, will France and Germany cease working hand-in-hand as they did during the Cold War and confront each other as opponents once again? Or will they seize the opportunity offered by European unification and finally learn to understand one another? This book provides the reader with athorough examination of the dilemmas facing both France and Germany.
Frank L. Sulloway
Born to Rebel
The author sets out to explain why children from the same family can be as unlike one another as children from different families. Why is it that some siblings within a family accept parental authority and others rebel? What led scientific innovators such as Copernicus and Charles Darwin to reject the accepted wisdom of their time and adopt a radically new world view? In Born to Rebel, which was highly acclaimed when it was published in the United States, Frank J. Sulloway compares families to ecosystems in which siblings must find their own specific niches when competing for parental attention and favours. Frank J. Sulloway is a neuroscientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Willy Pasini
The Strength of Desire
Progress now being made in the neorosciences may soon enable scientists to better define human erogenous zones and to understand the workings of love-making. But will this guarantee that everyone will have access to desire and pleasure? Will the various forms of virtual or long-distance eroticism continue to develop, at the expense of closeness and intimacy? What is the future of sexuality, in the couple and society? Professor Willy Pasini explores the universe of desire, as we know it today and as it may develop. Willy Pasini is a psychotherapist and professor of psychiatry at the University of Geneva.
