The Meaning Of Things

DOWNLOAD

Download The Meaning Of Things PDF/ePub or read online books in Mobi eBooks. Click Download or Read Online button to get The Meaning Of Things book now. This website allows unlimited access to, at the time of writing, more than 1.5 million titles, including hundreds of thousands of titles in various foreign languages. If the content not found or just blank you must refresh this page

The Meaning Of Things

DOWNLOAD
Author : Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
language : en
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Release Date : 1981-10-30

The Meaning Of Things written by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi and has been published by Cambridge University Press this book supported file pdf, txt, epub, kindle and other format this book has been release on 1981-10-30 with Psychology categories.

The meaning of things is a study of the significance of material possessions in contemporary urban life, and of the ways people carve meaning out of their domestic environment. Drawing on a survey of eighty families in Chicago who were interviewed on the subject of their feelings about common household objects, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi and Eugene Rochberg-Halton provide a unique perspective on materialism, American culture, and the self. They begin by reviewing what social scientists and philosophers have said about the transactions between people and things. In the model of 'personhood' that the authors develop, goal-directed action and the cultivation of meaning through signs assume central importance. They then relate theoretical issues to the results of their survey. An important finding is the distinction between objects valued for action and those valued for contemplation. The authors compare families who have warm emotional attachments to their homes with those in which a common set of positive meanings is lacking, and interpret the different patterns of involvement. They then trace the cultivation of meaning in case studies of four families. Finally, the authors address what they describe as the current crisis of environmental and material exploitation, and suggest that human capacities for the creation and redirection of meaning offer the only hope for survival. A wide range of scholars - urban and family sociologists, clinical, developmental and environmental psychologists, cultural anthropologists and philosophers, and many general readers - will find this book stimulating and compelling.

All Things Shining

DOWNLOAD
Author : Hubert Dreyfus
language : en
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Release Date : 2011-01-04

All Things Shining written by Hubert Dreyfus and has been published by Simon and Schuster this book supported file pdf, txt, epub, kindle and other format this book has been release on 2011-01-04 with Philosophy categories.

An inspirational book that is “a smart, sweeping run through the history of Western philosophy. Important for the way it illuminates life today and for the controversial advice it offers on how to live” (The New York Times). “What constitutes human excellence?” and “What is the best way to live a life?” These are questions that human beings have been asking since the beginning of time. In their critically acclaimed book, All Things Shining, Hubert Dreyfus and Sean Dorrance Kelly argue that our search for meaning was once fulfilled by our responsiveness to forces greater than ourselves, whether one God or many. These forces drew us in and imbued the ordinary moments of life with wonder and gratitude. Dreyfus and Kelly argue in this thought-provoking work that as we began to rely on the power of our own independent will we lost our skill for encountering the sacred. Through their original and transformative discussion of some of the greatest works of Western literature, from Homer’s Odyssey to Melville’s Moby Dick, Dreyfus and Kelly reveal how we have lost our passionate engagement with the things that gave our lives purpose, and show how, by reading our culture’s classics anew, we can once again be drawn into intense involvement with the wonder and beauty of the world. Well on its way to becoming a classic itself, this inspirational book will change the way we understand our culture, our history, our sacred practices, and ourselves.

Stuff

DOWNLOAD
Author : Randy O. Frost
language : en
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Release Date : 2010-04-20

Stuff written by Randy O. Frost and has been published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt this book supported file pdf, txt, epub, kindle and other format this book has been release on 2010-04-20 with Psychology categories.

The New York Times bestseller. “Gripping . . . By turns fascinating and heartbreaking . . . Stuff invites readers to reevaluate their desire for things.”—Boston Globe “Amazing . . . utterly engrossing . . . Read it.”—The Washington Post Book World What possesses someone to save every scrap of paper that’s ever come into his home? What compulsions drive a person to sacrifice her marriage or career for an accumulation of seemingly useless things? Randy Frost and Gail Steketee were the first to study hoarding when they began their work a decade ago. They didn’t expect that they would end up treating hundreds of patients and fielding thousands of calls from the families of hoarders. Their vivid case studies (reminiscent of Oliver Sacks) in Stuff show how you can identify a hoarder—piles on sofas and beds that make the furniture useless, houses that can be navigated only by following small paths called goat trails, vast piles of paper that the hoarders “churn” but never discard, even collections of animals and garbage—and illuminate the pull that possessions exert over all of us. Whether we’re savers, collectors, or compulsive cleaners, very few of us are in fact free of the impulses that drive hoarders to extremes. “Authoritative, haunting, and mysterious. It is also intensely, not to say compulsively readable.”—Tracy Kidder, Pulitzer Prize-winning author “Fascinating . . . a good mix of cultural and psychological theories on hoarding.”—Newsweek “Pioneering researchers offer a superb overview of a complex disorder that interferes with the lives of more than six-million Americans . . . An absorbing, gripping, important report.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

The Meaning Of Liff

DOWNLOAD
Author : Douglas Adams
language : en
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
Release Date : 2013-10-10

The Meaning Of Liff written by Douglas Adams and has been published by Pan Macmillan this book supported file pdf, txt, epub, kindle and other format this book has been release on 2013-10-10 with Humor categories.

The Meaning of Liff has sold hundreds of thousands of copies since it was first published in 1983, and remains a much-loved humour classic. This edition has been revised and updated, and includes The Deeper Meaning of Liff, giving fresh appeal to Douglas Adams and John Lloyd's entertaining and witty dictionary. In life, there are hundreds of familiar experiences, feelings and objects for which no words exist, yet hundreds of strange words are idly loafing around on signposts, pointing at places. The Meaning of Liff connects the two. BERRIWILLOCK (n.) - An unknown workmate who writes 'All the best' on your leaving card. ELY (n.) - The first, tiniest inkling that something, somewhere has gone terribly wrong. GRIMBISTER (n.) - Large body of cars on a motorway all travelling at exactly the speed limit because one of them is a police car. KETTERING (n.) - The marks left on your bottom or thighs after sunbathing on a wickerwork chair. OCKLE (n.) - An electrical switch which appears to be off in both positions. WOKING (ptcpl.vb.) - Standing in the kitchen wondering what you came in here for.

The Ideas In Things

DOWNLOAD
Author : Elaine Freedgood
language : en
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Release Date : 2010-10-15

The Ideas In Things written by Elaine Freedgood and has been published by University of Chicago Press this book supported file pdf, txt, epub, kindle and other format this book has been release on 2010-10-15 with Language Arts & Disciplines categories.

Presents an analysis of nineteenth-century English fiction, focusing on objects found in three Victorian novels, arguing that these items have meanings the modern reader does not understand, but were clear to the Victorian reader.

The Reason Of Things

DOWNLOAD
Author : A.C. Grayling
language : en
Publisher: Hachette UK
Release Date : 2010-12-09

The Reason Of Things written by A.C. Grayling and has been published by Hachette UK this book supported file pdf, txt, epub, kindle and other format this book has been release on 2010-12-09 with Philosophy categories.

The follow-up to THE MEANING OF THINGS which continues A.C. Grayling's philosophical journey through life The most important question we can ask ourselves is: what kind of life is the best? This is the same as asking: How does one give meaning to one's life? How can one justify one's existence and make it worthwhile? How does one make experience valuable, and keep growing and learning in the process - and through this learning acquire a degree of understanding of oneself and the world? A civilised society is one which never ceases debating with itself about what human life should best be. Some would, with justice, say that if we want ours to be such a society we must all contribute to that discussion. This book is, with appropriate diffidence, such a contribution. It consists of a collection of Grayling's regular 'Last Word' columns in the Guardian. This time topics include Suicide, Deceit, Luxury, Profit, Marriage, Meat-eating, Liberty, Slavery, Protest, Guns and War.

The Meaning Of It All

DOWNLOAD
Author : Richard P. Feynman
language : en
Publisher: Hachette UK
Release Date : 2009-04-29

The Meaning Of It All written by Richard P. Feynman and has been published by Hachette UK this book supported file pdf, txt, epub, kindle and other format this book has been release on 2009-04-29 with Science categories.

Many appreciate Richard P. Feynman's contributions to twentieth-century physics, but few realize how engaged he was with the world around him -- how deeply and thoughtfully he considered the religious, political, and social issues of his day. Now, a wonderful book -- based on a previously unpublished, three-part public lecture he gave at the University of Washington in 1963 -- shows us this other side of Feynman, as he expounds on the inherent conflict between science and religion, people's distrust of politicians, and our universal fascination with flying saucers, faith healing, and mental telepathy. Here we see Feynman in top form: nearly bursting into a Navajo war chant, then pressing for an overhaul of the English language (if you want to know why Johnny can't read, just look at the spelling of "friend"); and, finally, ruminating on the death of his first wife from tuberculosis. This is quintessential Feynman -- reflective, amusing, and ever enlightening.

The Pleasure Of Finding Things Out

DOWNLOAD
Author : Richard P. Feynman
language : en
Publisher: Hachette UK
Release Date : 2005-04-06

The Pleasure Of Finding Things Out written by Richard P. Feynman and has been published by Hachette UK this book supported file pdf, txt, epub, kindle and other format this book has been release on 2005-04-06 with Science categories.

This collection from scientist and Nobel Peace Prize winner highlights the achievements of a man whose career reshaped the world's understanding of quantum electrodynamics. The Pleasure of Finding Things Out is a magnificent treasury of the best short works of Richard P. Feynman-from interviews and speeches to lectures and printed articles. A sweeping, wide-ranging collection, it presents an intimate and fascinating view of a life in science-a life like no other. From his ruminations on science in our culture to his Nobel Prize acceptance speech, this book will fascinate anyone interested in the world of ideas.

The Comfort Of Things

DOWNLOAD
Author : Daniel Miller
language : en
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Release Date : 2013-04-24

The Comfort Of Things written by Daniel Miller and has been published by John Wiley & Sons this book supported file pdf, txt, epub, kindle and other format this book has been release on 2013-04-24 with Social Science categories.

What do we know about ordinary people in our towns and cities, about what really matters to them and how they organize their lives today? This book visits an ordinary street and looks into thirty households. It reveals the aspirations and frustrations, the tragedies and accomplishments that are played out behind the doors. It focuses on the things that matter to these people, which quite often turn out to be material things – their house, the dog, their music, the Christmas decorations. These are the means by which they express who they have become, and relationships to objects turn out to be central to their relationships with other people – children, lovers, brothers and friends. If this is a typical street in a modern city like London, then what kind of society is this? It’s not a community, nor a neighbourhood, nor is it a collection of isolated individuals. It isn’t dominated by the family. We assume that social life is corrupted by materialism, made superficial and individualistic by a surfeit of consumer goods, but this is misleading. If the street isn’t any of these things, then what is it? This brilliant and revealing portrayal of a street in modern London, written by one the most prominent anthropologists, shows how much is to be gained when we stop lamenting what we think we used to be and focus instead on what we are now becoming. It reveals the forms by which ordinary people make sense of their lives, and the ways in which objects become our companions in the daily struggle to make life meaningful.

Taste

DOWNLOAD
Author : Stephen Bayley
language : en
Publisher: Circa Press
Release Date : 2017-10-25

Taste written by Stephen Bayley and has been published by Circa Press this book supported file pdf, txt, epub, kindle and other format this book has been release on 2017-10-25 with Art categories.

How do we define 'taste'? The only certainty is that it shifts and changes - sometimes abruptly. With the explosion of vulgar consumerism in the mid-19th century, the Victorians seized upon the notion of 'good taste' as a way of codifying middle-class mores. A century later, to talk about taste had become almost taboo, since judgments made about dress, manners, food and art can often be painfully revealing. And today? When this classic text was first published in 1991, Stephen Bayley illuminated the nuances and niceties of our mercurial understanding of taste. In this new edition, he ranges far and wide to bring us exquisitely up to date. AUTHOR: Stephen Bayley is an author, critic, columnist, consultant, broadcaster, curator and founding director of the influential Design Museum in London. Over the past thirty years his writing has changed the way the world thinks about design. He is the author of Death Drive, one the most talked about books of 2016. SELLING POINTS: * Design-guru Stephen Bayley approaches the thorny and sometimes elitist topic of 'taste' with typical wit, drawing on his expertise in a number of fields from fashion to food * A new edition of a classic book, brought into the new millennia by Bayley's concise critique of modern design 100 colour and b/w illustrations