Monday, October 30, 2023

How the World Thinks: A Global History of Philosophy

Julian Baggini
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*SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER*

'There to fill the Sapiens-size hole in your life' Observer

In this groundbreaking global overview of philosophy, Julian Baggini travels the world to provide a wide-ranging map of human thought.

One of the great unexplained wonders of human history is that written philosophy flowered entirely separately in China, India and Ancient Greece at more or less the same time. These early philosophies have had a profound impact on the development of distinctive cultures in different parts of the world. What we call 'philosophy' in the West is not even half the story.

Julian Baggini sets out to expand our horizons in How the World Thinks, exploring the philosophies of Japan, India, China and the Muslim world, as well as the lesser-known oral traditions of Africa and Australia's first peoples. Interviewing thinkers from around the globe, Baggini asks questions such as: why is the West is more individualistic than the East? What makes secularism a less powerful force in the Islamic world than in Europe? And how has China resisted pressures for greater political freedom?

Offering deep insights into how different regions operate, and paying as much attention to commonalities as to differences, Baggini shows that by gaining greater knowledge of how others think we take the first step to a greater understanding of ourselves.

(Excerpt from amazon.com)

漫遊八十年代 : 聽廣東歌的好日子

黃夏柏
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八十年代是本地流行文化成形的關鍵十年。

廣東歌自七十年代漸興,逐步注入現代觸感,於八十年代開花結果。本書作者在當年的報刊雜誌等素材裏追本尋源,結合自身聆聽經驗和成長歷程,記下香港樂壇的黃金年代。

全書主要內容包括︰詳述英語歌退潮、粵語歌興起、至電視劇主題曲大熱,到天皇巨星如羅文、張國榮、梅艷芳先後閃亮登場,樂隊熱潮興波作浪,及至台灣歌曲在八十年代末再度侵佔香港巿場⋯⋯。細看歌手的發展與蛻變,兼評當年一些意念突出的大碟︰如林子祥的《創作歌集》、陳百強的《傾訴》、林憶蓮的《都巿觸角》系列等。解拆八十年代音樂工業的周邊情況︰如Walkman的盛行,演唱會場地的變化、唱片舖以至卡拉OK的興起和沒落等,全面訴說該年代廣東歌的滲透力量。增訂版全新內容:微觀電影主題曲、插曲如何與電影相輔相承,除了早已家傳戶曉的電影主題曲,個別電影插曲背後亦有不少趣聞與故事。暢談電台的音樂選擇,由「半中半英」到全中文歌的轉變, 見證廣東歌的勢力擴張。那些年的流行曲,仍在腦中播送!

(摘錄自博客來網路書店)


Monday, October 23, 2023

Fading Neon Lights: An Archive of Hong Kong’s Visual Culture

Brian Sze-hang Kwok
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Suspended above us with intricate patterns and flamboyant colours, the neon signs of Hong Kong easily guide us to local businesses, Chinese restaurants, bars, and department stores. Apart from marketing and advertising, these neon signs actually convey much more — and mean much more to those who view the signs as a part of their home.

This book documents Hong Kong’s neon signs whilst taking on a historical, socio-cultural, and contextual study of visual culture around the city. It explores the inter-related components of neon signs, including each sign’s unique visual aesthetic and design, the history of craftsmanship and training, and how the streetscape relates to Hong Kong’s consumer culture. With an underlying theme of photographic conservation and an array of vibrant images, the author brings the everyday signage of Hong Kong to life.

(Excerpt from cityu.edu.hk/upress/)

上流教養:當紐約豪門家教遇上第五大道的佛洛伊德 (I Left My Homework in the Hamptons: What I Learned Teaching the Children of the One Percent)

布萊絲.葛羅斯伯格 (Blythe Grossberg)
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直擊金字塔頂端的家庭教育現場,
撼動人心的社會觀察!

歡迎來到紐約曼哈頓頂級富豪的教養世界,
在這裡,學術是一種痴迷;財富無助於緩解地位焦慮;
父母想盡一切辦法,只為讓孩子在激烈的競爭中出類拔萃——
光鮮亮麗的表象之下,我們看見的卻是扭曲失能的另一面。 

這本細膩的記事,讓常以誇張手法呈現的世界充滿了人性。──《出版人週刊》
對為人父母者財富和權勢的近距離審視,發人深省。──《柯克斯書評》

......而在外界看來令人艷羨的物質生活之下,孩子的精神狀態又是怎麼一回事呢?他們與家人的相處模式與時間,都與一般平凡家庭大相逕庭。這些孩子不僅價值觀、世界觀與他人不同,所感受到的孤寂、壓力、甚至種種心理上的症狀也超乎常人所能想像。坐享豪門家庭資源的同時,卻無法依隨己心選擇未來的道路,下場常是壓抑隱藏內心的空洞與缺陷。但這些面向往往也最常被掩飾在豪門家庭的亮麗表面下。布萊絲在其中看到的,正是孩子們在富豪家庭生活裡培養出的扭曲價值觀 ......

本書在抒情中帶著批判,質疑中亦有溫情。她如實道出在教育現場經歷的各種體制缺陷,也點出孩子面臨的超載壓力。孩子的教養與大人的生活息息相關,全書不僅如同紐約富人的浮世繪,也是飽受焦慮煎熬的豪門家庭縮影。當今的孩子正因承載大人的過度期望而邁向崩解。透過本書,布萊絲向我們展示了美國最富裕家庭的特權世界,以及造成他們足以保持巔峰狀態的制度缺陷。

(摘錄自博客來網路書店)


Monday, October 16, 2023

The PARA Method: Simplify, Organize, and Master Your Digital Life

Tiago Forte
online access from ProQuest Ebook Central
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This accessible guide expands upon the “well-written, cogent, and useful” (David Allen, author of Getting Things Done) bestselling Building a Second Brain with actionable advice on how to improve your digital life in just a few minutes.

Living a modern life requires juggling a ton of information. But we were never taught how to manage this information effectively so that we can find what we need when we need it. In The PARA Method, Tiago Forte outlines a simple and intuitive four-step system that will help us sort all the information flooding our brains into four major categories—Projects, Areas, Resources, and Archives—allowing us to manage our commitments while achieving our goals and dreams.

-Projects are specific, short-term efforts that you are actively working on with a certain goal in mind, such as completing a website or renovating your bathroom.
-Areas are the larger, ongoing areas of responsibility (health, finances, etc.) that encompass those specific projects.
-Resources include content on a range of topics you’re interested in or that could be useful for your projects and areas.
-Archives include anything from the previous three categories that is now inactive, but you want to save for future reference.

With his easy-to-understand and engaging voice, Forte outlines his best practices and tips on how to successfully implement PARA, along with deep dives on everything from how to adopt habits to stay organized to how to use this system to enhance your focus. The PARA Method can be implemented in just seconds but has the power to transform the trajectory of your work and life using the power of digital organization.

(Excerpt from amazon.com)

為作家寫的書:當代台港女作家論

張雪媃
online access from iRead eBook
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一本為當代台港女作家所寫的書
六篇探入心靈深處的私密對話


「在寫每一位作家的時候,我試圖徹底進入作家心靈,跟著她的文字脈絡悠遊她的精神世界,如同揣摩一個角色,我必須比她還了解她自己。」──張雪媃

謝冰瑩孤傲的晚年原是時代造就的文學景觀?齊邦媛記憶的烽火歲月如何影響了她後半生的創作?西西筆下的至美人間是什麼樣的風景?李碧華耽溺的懷舊情調訴說著何種歷史真相?流浪精神風靡一時的三毛,構築出的快樂天堂竟然是一棟房子?年少成名的朱天文、朱天心姊妹,一生持續不斷創作的動能何在?

張雪媃關注作家們如何去記憶自己的時代,輔以她們的生平經歷,深入淺出地帶領讀者進入她們筆下迥異而又瑰麗的文學世界。

(摘錄自博客來網路書店)