research-literature

Archive / Books & Scholarly Works

Writing and Authority in Early China – Mark Edward Lewis – 1999, Stanford University Press

This book examines the connection between the development of writing and the construction of political and social authority in ancient China.
It argues that writing was not merely a tool for recording information, but a fundamental instrument in shaping perceptions of power and legitimacy.
The author highlights how the control and interpretation of writing reinforced the hierarchical structure of early Chinese society.

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Archive / Books & Scholarly Works

Water and Dreams: An Essay on the Imagination of Matter – Gaston Bachelard – Originally published 1942; English translation by Edith R. Farrell, Dallas Institute of Humanities and Culture, 1983.

A seminal philosophical inquiry into how the human psyche perceives and projects meaning onto the element of water, exploring the intersection of poetic imagery and material substance.

Read More Water and Dreams: An Essay on the Imagination of Matter – Gaston Bachelard – Originally published 1942; English translation by Edith R. Farrell, Dallas Institute of Humanities and Culture, 1983.
Archive / Books & Scholarly Works

When God Talks Back: Understanding the American Evangelical Relationship with God – Tanya Marie Luhrmann – 2009

This work explores the experiential dimensions of faith among American evangelicals, examining how they cultivate a sense of God’s presence through practices of imagination and attention. It provides a nuanced anthropological perspective on the psychological and cultural underpinnings of religious belief.

Read More When God Talks Back: Understanding the American Evangelical Relationship with God – Tanya Marie Luhrmann – 2009
Archive / Books & Scholarly Works

Why People Believe Weird Things – Michael Shermer – 2002, Revised and Expanded Edition (Henry Holt and Company)

An investigation into the cognitive mechanisms and social pressures that lead individuals to embrace irrational beliefs, pseudoscience, and historical revisionism, exploring why the human mind is predisposed to magical thinking.

Read More Why People Believe Weird Things – Michael Shermer – 2002, Revised and Expanded Edition (Henry Holt and Company)
Archive / Books & Scholarly Works

Viper’s Bowel: The History of Conspiracy Theories – George Pendle – Unknown

This book provides a historical overview of conspiracy theories, exploring their psychological roots and cultural context. It examines the phenomenon of conspiratorial thinking without focusing on validating or debunking specific claims.

Read More Viper’s Bowel: The History of Conspiracy Theories – George Pendle – Unknown
Archive / Books & Scholarly Works

What is Life? – Erwin Schrödinger – 1944, Cambridge University Press

Schrödinger’s What is Life? examines the physical basis of life, exploring how organisms maintain order and the role of the genetic code. Published in 1944, it sparked significant interest in molecular biology and continues to offer insights into the fundamental nature of living systems.

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Archive / Books & Scholarly Works

Visual Intelligence: How We Create What We See – Donald David Hoffman – 2021

This work challenges the conventional understanding of perception, arguing that vision is a constructed reality optimized for action, not a faithful representation of the external world.
It draws from cognitive science, neuroscience, and philosophy to propose that our brains actively create what we see.
It’s relevant to anyone interested in how our minds shape our experience of reality.

Read More Visual Intelligence: How We Create What We See – Donald David Hoffman – 2021
Archive / Books & Scholarly Works

Valentinus the Gnostic – Ismo Dunderberg – 1984

This book provides a comprehensive analysis of Valentinus, a key figure in Gnostic thought, exploring his cosmology, scriptures, and historical context.
It’s a scholarly examination suited for those interested in Gnosticism, early Christianity, and religious history.

Read More Valentinus the Gnostic – Ismo Dunderberg – 1984
Archive / Books & Scholarly Works

Why Fairy Tales Stick: The Evolution and Relevance of a Genre – Jack Zipes – 2006, Routledge

An investigation into why certain narratives endure across centuries, applying evolutionary theory and socio-cultural analysis to the persistence of fairy tales.

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Archive / Books & Scholarly Works

Walter Benjamin – Walter Benjamin – 1968, Hannah Arendt (ed.)

This compilation of essays by Walter Benjamin examines the effects of modernity, technology, and capitalism on art, culture, and experience. It provides critical insights into the complexities of the 20th century and beyond.

Read More Walter Benjamin – Walter Benjamin – 1968, Hannah Arendt (ed.)