Check out these fine books. They make great gifts for all occasions!

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The aim of REASON AND INSIGHT is twofold: first, to provide a comprehensive, multicultural introduction to ethics that includes substantial selections from the main Western and Eastern philosophies and religious traditions, and second, to enable students to explore how these perspectives are applied to a range of contemporary moral problems. Beginning with an engaging, accessible introduction to fundamental metaethical issues, the text then delves into particular ethical theories from both the Western and Eastern traditions. Finally, the relevance of these more abstract concerns is made more concrete in the concluding section that presents current scholarship devoted to applying these theories to pressing moral concerns with which students will be familiar. With REASON AND INSIGHT, students are exposed, in a single text, to all of the most important Western and Eastern moral theories and thereby are encouraged to reexamine critically their own moral perspectives in light of many other historically and/or culturally remote standpoints. "I actually used this as a college textbook for my upperdivision Ethics class. I thought it would be very dense and boring, but to the contrary. It is organized in 2 parts, Eastern and Western, and in each part, different views are discussed. For example, the Taoism (or Daoism) chapter discusses the major themes and principles, as well as describes how it differs from Confucianism. It is followed by actual text from Lao Tzu, the founder of Daoism. The Western part is the same, mentioning Aristotle, Plato, as well as modern thinkers like Kant. I think this book was perfect in giving information about the thinker/mode of thought in both Eastern and Western thought. I actually kept mine because I think it makes a great reference book, and is easily readable." -- Carmen Fry, Los Angeles, California

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No other scientific theory has had as great an impact on our understanding of the world as Darwin's theory outlined in his Origin of Species. Yet the theory has been the subject of controversy from its very beginning. This book focuses on three issues of debate in Darwin's theory of evolution--the nature of selection, the nature and scope of adaptation, and the question of evolutionary progress. It traces the varying interpretations to which these issues were subjected historically through the fierce contemporary debates continuing to rage.

"This is a thoughtful and clearly written book that serves as a fine introduction to the ways in which evolutionary thought has itself evolved since the time of Darwin. I learned a lot from it, and I feel confident that anybody who is fascinated by these centrally important ideas will also take something useful away from it." -- Chrisopher Wills, UC San Diego, in BioScience

"This is an excellent, comprehensive survey of the recent debates about three crucial issues in Darwinian evolution. The work starts with Darwin's views on the topic. Following is a chapter recounting the debate in recent decades. Then there is a chapter summing up the issues from the authors' point of view. The appendix surveys Darwin's own statements on evolutionary progress during different periods of his life. Unlike many general, philosophical surveys of Darwinism that take a purely pan-adaptationist, gene-selectionist, and evolutionary progressivist position and dismiss other perspectives in asides or put-downs (as in the numerous and very readable works of Michael Ruse),Shanahan gives a fair-minded survey of the debate and state of play on such issues as group-selection,the prevalence of non-adaptations in organisms, and the case both for and against evolutionary progress. I highly recommend this book to anyone wishing a balanced and comprehensive overview of the state of debate on these issues."

-- Rudolph V. Dusek, Scarborough, Maine

Terrorism poses vexing problems for which there are no easy solutions. Philosophy 9/11: Thinking About the War on Terrorism explores common ideas about terrorism from different perspectives, and poses new ideas to deepen understanding of this crucial subject. The book's contributors represent diverse areas of expertise, including ethics, law, politics, feminist theory, the military, and aesthetics. Among the points raised are: the central issue of terrorism itself and how it differs from other types of violence, why the term "war on terror" is misleading, ways to fight terror without engaging in terrorist activities, the legitimacy of the "just war" theory, the notion of targeted killings and preemptive military strikes as appropriate responses, the classification of captured terrorists as enemy combatants or criminals, and whether the use of torture is ever morally justified. Of interest to scholars, policymakers, and anyone who simply wants to examine the subject in greater depth, the chapters offer a wide range of viewpoints and provide thoughtful analysis of this critical topic.

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Is terrorism ever morally justified? How should historical and cultural factors be taken into account in judging the morality of terrorist acts? What are the ethical limits of state counter-terrorism? For three decades the Provisional Irish Republican Army waged an 'armed struggle' against what it considered to be the British occupation of Northern Ireland. To its supporters, the IRA was the legitimate army of Ireland, fighting to force a British withdrawal as a prelude to the re-unification of the Irish nation. To its enemies, the IRA was an illegal, fanatical, terrorist organization whose members were criminals willing to sacrifice innocent lives in pursuit of its ideological obsession. At the centre of the conflict were the then unconventional tactics employed by the IRA, including sectarian killings, political assassinations, and bombings that devastated urban centres -- tactics that have become increasingly commonplace in the post-9/11 world. This book is the first detailed philosophical examination of the morality of the IRA's violent campaign, and of the British government's attempts to end it. Written in clear, accessible prose, it is essential reading for anyone wishing to acquire a deeper understanding of one of the paradigmatic conflicts of the late 20th century. "By far the most cogent critical analysis of the Irish Republican movement I have read, written from a position as close to impartiality as we are likely to get." -- Ian McBride, King's College London