It is a very brief essay, but one of extraordinary philosophical density. Földényi begins with an episode that functions almost like a symbolic scene: Dostoyevsky, exiled in Siberia, comes into contact with Hegel’s conception of history and discovers, painfully, that from the perspective of that philosophy his own world—Siberia, suffering, the...
The investigation combines historical fiction with mystery in a police investigation that is at the same time a moving tribute to the power of literature. The story is set in the Japanese prison of Fukuoka in 1944, during the final months of the Second World War.
Sugiyama Dozan, a ruthless and feared prison censor, is brutally murdered...
The first volume of A Life: The Years Far Away by the Russian writer Konstantin Paustovsky (1892–1968), who was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature. This six-volume autobiography is perhaps his best-known work. It is an extensive and lyrical account centred on the author’s inner perceptions and development. As has been said, it is more...
It tells the story of how he transformed Eleven Madison Park restaurant in New York, turning it into one of the best restaurants in the world. However, the book goes far beyond gastronomy. Its central idea is that true success lies in offering people much more than they expect, creating memorable experiences through attention to detail,...
The author is a British doctor and public health expert who was sent to Sudan in 2003 as a UN representative; peace between the government and the opposition forces seemed imminent. His biography helps to understand his way of thinking and acting. He was born in India in 1955 and experienced poverty at close hand; with a scholarship, he studied...
This history of Australia, aiming at a general audience, is well written and gives a positive view of the incredible history of Australia. Abbott doesn’t shy away from the ugly and shameful events that occurred, but neither does he dwell on them. He emphasises what he believes are the makeup of modern Australia: ‘an indigenous heritage, a...
It offers a reflection on the loss of the sense of mystery in contemporary Western culture. It argues that modern human beings have reduced reality to what is material and quantifiable, thereby impoverishing their experience of existence. In response, it invites readers to recover a sacramental vision of the world, in which nature, beauty, the...
The book begins with a simple and very relevant observation: many people feel a thirst for spiritual life and desire to encounter God in prayer, but they do not know how to begin or soon abandon it when difficulties arise. The author presents mental prayer not as a practice reserved for particularly devout people, but as a path accessible to...
In 1668, Poland is still reeling from the succession of epic battles fought to drive out the Swedish invaders. The war has left the country exhausted, but its problems are far from over: the Ottoman Empire is preparing to take advantage of Poland’s weakness, supported by Tatars and Cossacks. It is in this context that this book, the third and...
Many people, understandably, feel intimidated or overwhelmed by the vastness and complexity of the Bible. In this book, Peter Kreeft offers a clear guide to understanding it, bringing his keen insight and engaging humor to bear on the central message of each book.
Brimming with Kreeft’s characteristic wit and humor, this book transforms...