Columbia University Press Forthcoming Titles
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
Columbia University Press Forthcoming Titles
Sacred Knowledge: Psychedelics and Religious Experiences by William A. Richards
The surprising results of a formal investigation into the physical, mental, and spiritual
effects of psychedelic drugs.
Based on nearly three decades of legal research with human volunteers aged 24 to 81,
Sacred Knowledge is the most well-documented, sophisticated account of the effect of
psychedelics on biological processes, human consciousness, and revelatory religious
experience. One of the few researchers to pioneer psychedelic experimentation, William
A. Richards shares his findings with authoritative depth, scholarly competence, and
profound vision, realizing exciting new paths in medical, intellectual, and religious
discovery.
Sacred Knowledge enriches both humanities and scientific scholarship, expanding work
in philosophy, anthropology, theology, and religious studies, as well as in mental health,
psychotherapy, and psychopharmacology. Richards’s analysis also contributes to social
and political debates over the responsible integration of psychedelic substances into
modern society. Sacred Knowledge is an invaluable resource for readers who, whether
spontaneously or with the facilitation of psychedelics, have endured meaningful,
inspiring, or even disturbing states of consciousness and seek clarity about their
experience. Testing the limits of language and conceptual frameworks, this book makes
the most of a chemical phenomenon that breaks with reality and introduces new frontiers
in the study of belief, spiritual awakening, psychiatric treatment, and social well-being.
William A. Richards is a psychologist at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center,
affiliated with the Spring Grove Hospital and Maryland Psychiatric Research Center in
Baltimore. He completed his graduate work at Yale University, Brandeis University,
Catholic University, the Andover-Newton Theological School, and the University of
Göttingen.
(256pp.) December 2015
All rights: Columbia University Press
2
Columbia University Press
61 W 62nd Street, New York, NY 10023
Tel: 212-459-0600 Fax: 212-459-3677
Email: je2217@columbia.eduA Survival Guide to the Misinformation Age: Scientific Habits of Mind by David J.
Helfand
A spirited celebration of science and its central role in combating misinformation,
pseudoscience, and sloppy thinking.
We are racing to develop sustainable energy and food supplies, prevent biodiversity
collapse, and maintain access to fresh water—all issues with roots in global climate
change. Yet rather than cultivate the kind of rational, scientific thinking that could help us
solve these challenges, we settle for comforting commentary, crowdsourced opinion, and
bogus analyses that appeal to our prejudices, surrendering to the seduction of
misinformation.
This provocative book seeks to counteract this trend by instilling in readers vital
scientific habits of mind. From comprehending graphs to understanding probability and
statistics and the use of precise language and logic, this book inculcates a fundamental set
of brain apps for the frontal cortex while making science accessible, and even
entertaining. Who says it must be dull to learn to think like a scientist? Who says only a
few can do it? Not David Helfand, one of the leading astronomers and science educators
in the United States. Helfand has taught scientific habits of mind to generations of
Columbia University undergraduates, where he continues to fight the good fight against
sloppy thinking and the dangerous encroachment of misinformation.
David Helfand is the former chair of the Department of Astronomy at Columbia
University. He has also served as visiting scientist at the Danish Space Research Institute
and as a visiting astronomer at Cambridge University. He is president and founding tutor
at Quest University Canada and has been published in Nature and Physics Today, among
other publications.
(256 pp.) Fall 2015
All rights: Columbia University Press
3
Columbia University Press
61 W 62nd Street, New York, NY 10023
Tel: 212-459-0600 Fax: 212-459-3677
Email: je2217@columbia.eduThe China Boom: Why China Will Not Rule the World by Ho-fung Hung
A systematic investigation into the unforeseen unraveling of China’s economic miracle.
Many thought China’s rise would alter the balance of global economic power. Yet, much
like other developing nations, the state now finds itself entrenched in a status quo
characterized by free trade and American domination. Through a cutting-edge historical,
sociological, and political analysis, Ho-fung Hung exposes the competing interests and
neoliberal realities tempering the dream of Chinese supremacy—a force that is stymying
growth throughout the global South.
Hung focuses on four common misconceptions about China’s boom: that China could
undermine neoliberal orthodoxy by offering an alternative model of growth; that China
was fundamentally remaking power relations between the East and the West; that China
was capable of diminishing the United States’ global power; and that the Chinese
economy would restore the world’s wealth after the 2008 financial crisis. His work
reveals how much China depends on the existing neoliberal order and how the interests of
the Chinese elites maintain these ties. Through its perpetuation of the dollar standard and
its addiction to U.S. Treasuries, China remains bound to the terms of its own prosperity,
and its practices of economic and environmental exploitation are destined to collapse.
Dispelling many of the world’s fantasies and fears, Hung warns of a post-bubble China
that will grow increasingly aggressive in attitude while remaining constrained in
capability.
Ho-fung Hung is an associate professor of sociology at the Johns Hopkins University
and researches global political economy, contentious politics, nationalism, and social
theory. He is the author of the award-winning book, Protest with Chinese
Characteristics: Demonstrations, Riots, and Petitions in the Mid-Qing Dynasty.
(224 pp.) November 2015
All rights: Columbia University Press
4
Columbia University Press
61 W 62nd Street, New York, NY 10023
Tel: 212-459-0600 Fax: 212-459-3677
Email: je2217@columbia.eduThe Seventh Sense: How Flashes of Insight Change Your Life by William Duggan
The first book to apply new advances in neuroscience to the greatest problem in personal
strategy: “What should I do with my life?”
Modern science now understands how flashes of insight happen in the human mind; this
book shows how to cultivate more and better flashes of insight by harnessing the science
and practice of the “seventh sense.” Your first five senses—sight, touch, hearing, smell,
and taste—start with purely physical sensations that the brain turns into sense. This is
how a sweet odor in your nose becomes the fragrance of a rose in your brain. The sixth
sense is also a mental ability, what some people call ‘gut instinct’ or ‘intuition’. You
immediately know something without thinking about it. All the advances of human life,
from prehistoric times to today, started with a flash of insight from the seventh sense.
Drawn from William Duggan’s phenomenally popular Columbia Business School course,
this book teaches the mental skills that power the seventh sense and the three practical
tools that improve them: Free Your Mind, the Personal Strategy Map, and Idea
Networking. It shares stories of people, such as Gandhi, who have achieved great things
by using their seventh sense and revisits the flashes of insight that inspired their big ideas.
“We all search for a way to make the big decisions in our lives. With a unique blend of
ancient wisdom and current research, Duggan shows you how to approach these
decisions and presents an intensely practical roadmap for getting from A to B. Buy this
book if you want better answers for the questions that matter.” —James E. Schrager,
University of Chicago Booth School of Business
William Duggan is senior lecturer at Columbia Business School, where he teaches
creative strategy in graduate and executive courses. He has given talks and workshops on
creative strategy to thousands of executives from companies around the world.
(224 pp.) Spring 2015
All rights: Columbia University Press
5
Columbia University Press
61 W 62nd Street, New York, NY 10023
Tel: 212-459-0600 Fax: 212-459-3677
Email: je2217@columbia.eduCharlie Munger: The Complete Investor by Tren Griffin
How to think and act like one of the world’s most successful investors.
Charlie Munger, Berkshire Hathaway’s visionary vice chairman and Warren Buffett’s
indispensable financial partner, has outperformed market indices again and again, and
believes any investor can do the same. His notion of “elementary, worldly wisdom”—a
set of interdisciplinary mental models involving economics, business, psychology, ethics,
and management—allow him to keep his emotions out of his investments and avoid the
common pitfalls of human misjudgment.
Munger’s system has steered his investments for forty years and has guided generations
of successful investors. Here—condensed for the first time from interviews, speeches,
writings, and shareholder letters, and paired with commentary from fund managers, value
investors, and business case historians—are the essential steps of Munger’s investing
strategy. Derived from Ben Graham’s value investing system, Munger’s approach is
straightforward enough that even novices can apply it to their portfolios. This book is
more than a simple finance manual—it is a plan for mastering the art of investing.
Tren Griffin is an executive at Microsoft. Before joining Microsoft, Griffin was a
partner at the private equity firm Eagle River.
(224 pp.) September 2015
All rights: Columbia University Pres
6
Columbia University Press
61 W 62nd Street, New York, NY 10023
Tel: 212-459-0600 Fax: 212-459-3677
Email: je2217@columbia.eduWall Streeters: The Creators and Corruptors of American Finance by Edward Morris
An eye-opening history of the reformers, scholars, democratizers, financial engineers,
and empire builders who made—and in some cases unmade—the institutions of American
banking.
The factors that led to the 2008 financial collapse, the terms of America’s post-crisis
recovery, the forces expanding corporate and private wealth, and the growing influence
of money in politics—all of Wall Street’s contemporary trends can be traced back to the
work of fourteen critical figures who wrote—and occasionally broke—the rules of
American finance.
For readers seeking a richer knowledge of this history, Wall Streeters provides a thorough
account of the institution’s transformation from a clubby enclave of financiers to a
symbol of vast economic power. The book begins with J. Pierpont Morgan, who ruled the
American banking system at the turn of the twentieth century, and ends with Sandy
Weill, whose collapsing Citigroup required the largest taxpayer bailout in history. In
between, Wall Streeters shares the ideas and missteps of twelve other financial
visionaries, including Charles Merrill who founded Merrill Lynch and introduced the
small investor into the American stock market; Michael Milken, the so-called junk bond
king; Jack Bogle, whose index funds redefined the mutual fund business; Myron Scholes,
who laid the groundwork for derivative securities; Benjamin Graham, who wrote the
book on securities analysis; and Bill Donaldson, who served as chairman of the New
York Stock Exchange in the 1990s, even after challenging its time-tested basis of
operations years earlier.
Ed Morris is a professor of finance and former dean of the business school at
Lindenwood University. Before beginning his teaching career, he was an investment
banker and served as executive vice president of Stifel, Nicolaus, & Co. He has served on
the boards of companies listed on the New York Stock Exchange, the American Stock
Exchange, and NASDAQ.
(368 pp.) October 2015
All rights: Columbia University Press
7
Columbia University Press
61 W 62nd Street, New York, NY 10023
Tel: 212-459-0600 Fax: 212-459-3677
Email: je2217@columbia.eduMarx After Marx: The Expansion of Capitalism, Time, History by Harry Harootunian
A landmark study within Marxist thought.
Drawing on the later works of Marx, renowned scholar, Hary Harootunian, offers an
original investigation of how a presumably "universal" capitalism allows for such diverse
and disparate developments in different regions.
Harootunian's sophisticated and complex Marx After Marx offers a twofold intervention
in contemporary Marxist theory. The first aspect involves his reconsideration of Marx's
concepts of formal and real subsumption by tracing the terms' development through
Marx's own works, as well as some of his most well-known followers, including Lenin,
Luxembourg, Gramsci, and Chakrabarty. Through these readings, Harootunian provides
two revelatory understandings of real and formal subsumption, revealing them as
fractured, heterogenous, and "speculative" concepts. Given the plural (and often
contradictory) meanings of these terms, Harootunian argues that capitalism itself cannot
be the singular, unitary concept or metanarrative that Marx once claimed it to be, but
instead is a category of a great variety of capitalisms, or capitalistic systems, of which the
Euro-American brand is just one. Through this argument, Harootunian offers highly
original and unique re-readings of Marx himself, and challenges many previous
assumptions that had been made regarding his work.
Harry Harootunian is Adjunct Senior Research Scholar of Weatherhead East Asian
Institute at Columbia University and Professor Emeritus of History and East Asian
Studies at New York University. His prolific publications include History's Disquiet:
Modernity, Cultural Practice and the Question of the Everyday Life (Columbia UP,
2000), Overcome by Modernity: History, Culture and Commodity in Interwar Japan
(Princeton UP, 2000).
(256 pp.) Fall 2015
All rights: Columbia University Press
8
Columbia University Press
61 W 62nd Street, New York, NY 10023
Tel: 212-459-0600 Fax: 212-459-3677
Email: je2217@columbia.eduHappiness and Goodness: Philosophical Reflections on Living Well by Steven M.
Cahn and Christine Vitrano. Foreword by Robert Talisse
How do we assess the success of a person’s life? Usually through fame, achievement, and
acquisitions – but what about the professional and familial problems a person overcomes,
or the social disadvantages? What about the way a person behaves toward others? Cahn
and Vitrano controversially argue that morality, happiness, and the quality of a person’s
life do not follow from accomplishments or acclaim, and that moral behavior does not
guarantee happiness. Rather, morality and happiness together are essential to living well
and realizing personal success. Cahn and Vitrano draw on elements from the Hellenistic
and Hebraic traditions to support their findings, undermining common Aristotelian views
of happiness while grounding their arguments in philosophical history. The result is a
lively guide to the good life built on solid intellectual foundations.
“This book reminds me of a Socratic dialogue. The absence of jargon and use of realistic
examples makes philosophy accessible to all interested in improving their lives.” —
Andrea Tschemplik, American University
Steven M. Cahn is professor of philosophy at the Graduate Center of the City University
of New York. He has written or edited fifty books.
Christine Vitrano is an associate professor of philosophy at Brooklyn College, City
University of New York. She is author of The Nature and Value of Happiness.
(128 pp.) June 2015
All rights: Columbia University Press
9
Columbia University Press
61 W 62nd Street, New York, NY 10023
Tel: 212-459-0600 Fax: 212-459-3677
Email: je2217@columbia.eduWho Made Early Christianity? The Jewish Lives of the Apostle Paul by John C. Gager
In this explosive revisionary history, John Gager argues the Apostle Paul did not reject
Judaism, was not the father of Christian anti-Judaism, and in fact was not even a
Christian. He shows Christianity did not arise until well after Paul’s death and that later
Christians completely misinterpreted and distorted the Apostle’s views. Though these
modern worshippers have ascribed a rejection-replacement theology to Paul’s legend, the
Apostle was considered a loyal Jew by his contemporary Christians and Muslims and
struggled against being seen otherwise. Judaism also did not fade away after Paul’s death
but remained an attractive religious option for Christians and pagans. Jewish synagogues
remained important religious and social institutions throughout the Mediterranean world
for centuries, and the negative portrayal of Paul was a modern, nineteenth-century
invention. The image of a Jewish Paul, recovered only recently, has a long pre-history,
not only in Christian and Jewish sources but also in Muslim texts. This book investigates
all possible literary and archaeological sources to eliminate the false separation of Jews
and Christians throughout history while underscoring the influence of Judaism on all
aspects of a developing Christianity.
John Gager is the William H. Danforth Professor of Religion (Emeritus) at Princeton
University. His books include Moses in Greco-Roman Paganism, Kingdom and
Community: The Social World of Early Christianity, The Origins of Anti-Semitism:
Attitudes Toward Judaism in Pagan and Christian Antiquity, Curse Tablets and Binding
Spells from the Ancient World, and Reinventing Paul.
(208 pp.) June 2015
All rights: Columbia University Press
10
Columbia University Press
61 W 62nd Street, New York, NY 10023
Tel: 212-459-0600 Fax: 212-459-3677
Email: je2217@columbia.eduThe Story of Life in 25 Fossils: The Story of Life in 25 Fossils by Donald R. Prothero
Donald Prothero, best-selling author of Evolution, selects twenty-five famous,
beautifully-preserved fossils to plot a visually and scientifically stunning history of life
on Earth. Taking readers along on the discovery of these fossils and teaching them how to
interpret their significance, Prothero vividly represents the evolutionary transitions
between major groups of organisms for readers new to the science of paleontology in
need of an immersive and instructive text.
For example, Prothero tells the story of the Archaeopteryx, arguably the most important
“missing link” of all. He revisits its discovery in 1861, just two years after the publication
of The Origin of Species, and the nationalistic struggle by Germany to keep all eleven
specimens in its grasp. He reviews the many assessments of the findings and what they
say about the evolution of birds and flight. He then relates the Archaeopteryx to the
“Velociraptor” of Jurassic Park fame and the many bird fossils from the Age of
Dinosaurs that still have teeth, long fingers, and other dinosaurian features. The
Archaeopteryx helps bolster the argument that many dinosaurs also had feathers. In short,
a single fossil gives rise to a complexity of anecdotes and information involving not only
science but politics, history, culture, and art.
“There is no other book that brings together such diverse fossils and tells their unique
stories in a way that is both accurate and approachable.” —Xiaoming Wang, Curator of
Vertebrate Paleontology at Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
Donald R. Prothero is professor of geology at Occidental College in Los Angeles and
lecturer in geobiology at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. A fellow of
the Geological Society of America, the Paleontological Society, and the Linnaean Society
of London, Prothero is on the editorial board of Skeptic magazine and has received
fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation and the National Science Foundation.
(352 pp.) Spring 2015
All rights: Columbia University Press
11
Columbia University Press
61 W 62nd Street, New York, NY 10023
Tel: 212-459-0600 Fax: 212-459-3677
Email: je2217@columbia.eduUnderstanding Brain Aging and Dementia: A Life Course Approach by Lawrence
Whalley
The life course method compares an individual’s long-life and late-life behaviors to
gauge one’s mental decay. Arguing the life course approach is the best and simplest
model for tracking mental development; Lawrence J. Whalley unlocks the mysteries of
brain functionality, illuminating the processes that affect the brain during aging, the
causes behind these changes, and effective coping strategies. Whalley identifies the
genetic factors that determine the pace of aging and the behaviors, starting in childhood,
that influence how we age. Through vignettes, charts, and tables, he composes an
accessible book for patients, family members, and caretakers struggling to make sense of
a complex experience.
“Whalley has a truly enormous breadth of knowledge—no other book for a general
audience interweaves such a broad range of topics around the common theme of brain
aging. This is an original contribution, with thoughtful and interesting tidbits
throughout.”—David A. Bennett, MD, Director, Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center
“No other book covers these subjects so comprehensively. Understanding Brain Aging
and Dementia makes a definite contribution to the fields of neurobiology and geriatrics
and really ties the two together. This book is very thorough—a useful resource for
anyone interested in aging and the risks of dementia.”—Carole Cox, Fordham University
Lawrence Whalley, M.D., F.R.C.P., is emeritus professor of mental health in the
College of Medicine and Life Sciences at the University of Aberdeen and honorary
professor of research at the University of the Highlands and Islands. He has authored
three books on brain aging and dementia including the Aging Brain (2001), Dementia
(2002, 2010).
(416 pp.) July 2015
All rights: Columbia University Press
12
Columbia University Press
61 W 62nd Street, New York, NY 10023
Tel: 212-459-0600 Fax: 212-459-3677
Email: je2217@columbia.eduYou can also read
