The Philosophy Shelf
Asimov's Foundation and Philosophy
Joshua Heter and Josef Thomas Simpson, editors
Carus Books
www.carusbooks.com
9781637700303, $24.95
https://www.amazon.com/Asimovs-Foundation-Philosophy-Joshua-Heter/dp/163770= 030X
Asimov's Foundation and Philosophy is the ninth volume in the Pop Culture a=
nd Philosophy series and links philosophical inspection to Asimov's famous = series of books and its TV show incarnation. The process of creating a gala= ctic history holds many fascinating accompanying philosophical consideratio= ns, explored in such diverse essays as Leonard Kahn's 'Morality and Manipul= ation' or Walter Barta and Graham Lee's 'An Interstellar Leap of Faith.'
A prerequisite to successfully utilizing these references is an intimate fa= miliarity with the Foundation series and its basic concepts. Readers with s= uch a background (which may require re-reading these classics, for those wh=
o absorbed them decades ago) will find these essays thought-provoking, enli= ghtening, and worthy of debate and discussion in sci-fi book reading circle=
s and classrooms. They take a leap of logic and philosophical inspection in=
encouraging a closer inspection of the Foundation series as a whole and As= imov's underlying messages, making this book a strong adjunct to any assign= ment of the Foundation series and for any modern philosophy class.
Queen and Philosophy
Jared Kemling and Randall E. Auxier, editors
Carus Books
www.carusbooks.com
9781637700327, $22.95
https://www.amazon.com/Queen-Philosophy-Guaranteed-Blow-Culture/dp/16377003=
26
Queen and Philosophy: Guaranteed to Blow Your Mind is the sixth volume in t=
he Pop Culture and Philosophy series, and gathers delightful philosophical = and musical connections in exploring the music of Queen. Here are discourse=
s on Queen's music, impact, and controversy that raises key questions about=
the group's perception and evolution, as in Megan Volpert's essay 'Is Adam=
Lambert a Killer of Queen or Somebody to Love?': "There are as many versio=
ns of Queen as there are people who perceive the band because the way Queen=
is in our minds doesn't necessarily have any connection to the way Queen e= xists outside of our minds."
Heavy, thought-provoking reading is featured which is eminently suitable fo=
r a musical group such as Queen, linking modern philosophical thinking and = perception with elements of the group's music and presentation. In delving = into the quintessence that is Queen, this volume will draw in non-philosoph=
y and philosophy readers alike, making the case to prove that, in modern so= ciety, philosophy can still be relevant and, indeed, is an intrinsic part o=
f how we look at life and absorb its icons of culture.
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