Chris Hayes

Explore the contradictions of human nature in Blaise Pascal's philosophical masterpiece. In this collection of essays and notes, Pascal delves into psychological, social, metaphysical, and theological themes. Discover the precociously brilliant mathematician and physicist's exploration of mankind's wretched nature and the transformative power of faith in God's grace.

Entre los siglos X y XVI, Venecia pasó de ser un poblado de modestos comerciantes hecho de casas de madera a convertirse en una majestuosa ciudad cuya riqueza y esplendor asombraría al mundo. Los venecianos no solo forjaron un legendario imperio naval, sino que impusieron una nueva forma de ver el mundo que perdura hasta nuestros días. Crowley dibuja una vívida imagen de un pueblo intrépido y avaricioso que creció primero en pugna con el Imperio bizantino y luego en conflicto con el Imperio otomano, combinando la astucia comercial y diplomática con las grandes batallas navales para defender sus intereses. Desde la apertura de la Ruta de las especias hasta las cruzadas y el enfrentamiento entre el cristianismo y el islam, pasando por la invención del capitalismo moderno, Venecia y su imperio naval desempeñaron un papel fundamental en los conflictos clave de su tiempo, cuyas reverberaciones todavía son palpables en la actualidad.

Discover the astonishing story of how Christianity grew from the personal vision of a humble Jewish peasant living in a remote province of the Roman Empire into the largest organized religion in the world. L. Michael White, one of the world's foremost scholars on the origins of Christianity, provides a historical approach to uncover what we can know of Jesus and his early followers through layers of archaeological excavations, buried fragments of largely unknown texts, and historical sources. From Jesus to Christianity explores how early debates spurred the evolution of Christianity as we know it, diving into arguments over how to understand Jesus as both human and divine, the role of women in the church, the diversity of beliefs among Christian communities, Gnostic influences, and political disputes over which books would be included in the New Testament. With illustrations, photos, charts, and maps, this book presents the fullest picture yet of the beginnings of the most popular religion on earth.

This book examines the 1995 Chicago heat wave, one of the deadliest in American history, and how it was made worse by social, political, and institutional breakdowns in the city. Through years of research, including interviews and archival work, the author reveals surprising and unsettling forms of social breakdown that contributed to the high fatality rates. This incisive and gripping account highlights the contemporary urban condition and the challenges facing cities worldwide in the face of climate change.

¿Puede un sistema comprenderse a sí mismo? Si esta pregunta se refiere a la mente humana, entonces nos encontramos ante una cuestión clave del pensamiento científico. Y de la filosofía. Y del arte. Investigar este misterio es una aventura que recorre la matemática, la física, la biología, la psicología y muy especialmente, el lenguaje. Douglas R. Hofstadter, joven y ya célebre científico, nos abre la puerta del enigma con la belleza y la alegría creadora de su estilo. Sorprendentes paralelismos ocultos entre los grabados de Escher y la música de Bach nos remiten a las paradojas clásicas de los antiguos griegos y a un teorema de la lógica matemática moderna que ha estremecido el pensamiento del siglo XX: el de Kurt Gödel. Todo lenguaje, todo sistema formal, todo programa de ordenador, todo proceso de pensamiento, llegan, tarde o temprano, a la situación límite de la autorreferencia: de querer expresarse sobre sí mismos. Surge entonces la emoción del infinito, como dos espejos enfrentados y obligados a reflejarse mutua e indefinidamente. Gödel, Escher, Bach es una obra de arte escrita por un sabio. Versa sobre los misterios del pensamiento e incluye, ella misma, sus propios misterios.

Follow the history of America's contraband capitalism through illicit imports such as West Indies molasses, African slaves, French condoms, and more. In Smuggler Nation, Peter Andreas provides a fascinating and often-overlooked account of America's continuous engagement in smuggling from colonial times to the present. Despite being born and growing up through smuggling, the United States is now the world's leading anti-smuggling crusader. Andreas challenges the hyperbolic depictions of out-of-control borders and global crime threats, reminding readers that illicit trade is not a new concept but an old American tradition that has helped fuel the country's rise to become a world superpower.

In Princess Cora and the Crocodile, a Newbery and Caldecott Medalist duo team up to give a princess a much-needed break from her overly-scheduled life. Tired of boring lessons and endless baths, Princess Cora turns to her fairy godmother for help, but the unexpected arrival of a mischievous crocodile turns her castle upside down. With hilarious dry humor and playful illustrations, this book is a fun adventure in giving helicopter parents a lesson in loosening up.

Discover the four explosive decades between 1490 and 1530, a period that marked a turning point for both European and world history. The Verge explores world-altering implications of various developments in the short- and long-term. Author Patrick Wyman tells this story through the lives of ten real people, illustrating how their lives set the stage for an unprecedented globalized future. Learn about the foundations of our modern world and how they came into being. The Verge provides a nuanced look at the West's rise to global dominance.

This widely praised and much-discussed book explores how cooperation can emerge in a world of self-seeking egoistswhen there is no central authority to police their actions.

A political insider reveals the truth about how the Republican Party lost its way. With decades of experience under his belt, the author exposes the hypocrisy, racism, and dishonesty at the heart of the modern GOP. This book is a candid and unflinching account of what he's seen firsthand, and he's not asking for pity or forgiveness. Instead, he wants to see the party he helped to create burned to the ground.