A Most Ingenious Paradox

Most books written on Gilbert and Sullivan have focused on the authors rather than on their work. Examining all 14 operas in detail, this book offers a fresh look at the works themselves.

Most books written on Gilbert and Sullivan have focused on the authors rather than on their work. Examining all 14 operas in detail, this book offers a fresh look at the works themselves.

This “fun, brain-twisting book . . . will make you think” as it explores more than 75 paradoxes in mathematics, philosophy, physics, and the social sciences (Sean Carroll, New York Times–bestselling author of Something Deeply Hidden). Paradox is a sophisticated kind of magic trick. A magician’s purpose is to create the appearance of impossibility, to pull a rabbit from an empty hat. Yet paradox doesn’t require tangibles, like rabbits or hats. Paradox works in the abstract, with words and concepts and symbols, to create the illusion of contradiction. There are no contradictions in reality, but there can appear to be. In Sleight of Mind, Matt Cook and a few collaborators dive deeply into more than 75 paradoxes in mathematics, physics, philosophy, and the social sciences. As each paradox is discussed and resolved, Cook helps readers discover the meaning of knowledge and the proper formation of concepts—and how reason can dispel the illusion of contradiction. The journey begins with “a most ingenious paradox” from Gilbert and Sullivan’s Pirates of Penzance. Readers will then travel from Ancient Greece to cutting-edge laboratories, encounter infinity and its different sizes, and discover mathematical impossibilities inherent in elections. They will tackle conundrums in probability, induction, geometry, and game theory; perform “supertasks”; build apparent perpetual motion machines; meet twins living in different millennia; explore the strange quantum world—and much more.

"Gould himself is a rare and wonderful animal—a member of the endangered species known as the ruby-throated polymath. . . . [He] is a leading theorist on large-scale patterns in evolution . . . [and] one of the sharpest and most humane thinkers in the sciences." --David Quammen, New York Times Book Review

The following book is a collection of comic operas with the play itself being written by the dramatist W. S. Gilbert and the music composed by Arthur Sullivan. It includes their best known works: 'H.M.S. Pinafore', 'The Pirates of Penzance' and 'The Mikado'. Gilbert, who wrote the libretti for these operas, created fanciful "topsy-turvy" worlds where each absurdity is taken to its logical conclusion; fairies rub elbows with British lords, flirting is a capital offense, gondoliers ascend to the monarchy, and pirates emerge as noblemen who have gone astray. Sullivan, six years Gilbert's junior, composed the music, contributing memorable melodies that could convey both humor and pathos. Their operas have enjoyed broad and enduring international success and are still performed frequently throughout the English-speaking world.

The Victorian theatrical partnership of the librettist W. S. Gilbert and composer Arthur Sullivan produced fourteen comic operas that would exact a major influence on the history of theatre. Such popular classics as ‘H.M.S. Pinafore’, ‘The Pirates of Penzance’ and ‘The Mikado’ conjured fanciful "topsy-turvy" worlds, where absurd premises are taken to a logical conclusion. Notable for their humour and pathos, these celebrated operas enjoyed an enduring international success and are still performed frequently throughout the English-speaking world. For the first time in digital publishing, this comprehensive eBook presents Gilbert’s complete extant works, with numerous illustrations, rare texts, informative introductions and the usual Delphi bonus material. (Version 1) * Beautifully illustrated with images relating to Gilbert and Sullivan’s lives and works * Concise introductions to the operas and other texts * All of the Gilbert and Sullivan operas, with individual contents tables * Features Gilbert’s other dramatic plays and librettos, many appearing for the first time in digital publishing * Excellent formatting of the texts * Special chronological and alphabetical contents tables for Gilbert’s poetry * Easily locate the poems or short stories you want to read * Includes Gilbert’s complete Bab Ballads – available in no other collection * THE BAB BALLADS collection is illustrated with Gilbert’s original artwork * Includes Gilbert’s short fiction * Features four biographies - discover Gilbert and Sullivan’s extraordinary history * Scholarly ordering of texts into chronological order and literary genres Please visit www.delphiclassics.com to browse through our range of exciting titles CONTENTS: Gilbert and Sullivan Works THESPIS TRIAL BY JURY THE SORCERER H.M.S. PINAFORE THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE PATIENCE IOLANTHE PRINCESS IDA THE MIKADO RUDDYGORE THE YEOMEN OF THE GUARD THE GONDOLIERS UTOPIA, LIMITED THE GRAND DUKE Gilbert’s Other Dramatic Works RUY BLAS DULCAMARA LA VIVANDIÈRE ALLOW ME TO EXPLAIN A COLOSSAL IDEA HARLEQUIN COCK ROBIN AND JENNY WREN THE MERRY ZINGARA ROBERT THE DEVIL NO CARDS THE PRETTY DRUIDESS AGES AGO A MEDICAL MAN THE PRINCESS THE GENTLEMAN IN BLACK OUR ISLAND HOME THE PALACE OF TRUTH THE BRIGANDS RANDALL’S THUMB A SENSATION NOVEL CREATURES OF IMPULSE GREAT EXPECTATIONS ON GUARD PYGMALION AND GALATEA HAPPY ARCADIA THE WICKED WORLD THE HAPPY LAND THE WEDDING MARCH CHARITY TOPSYTURVEYDOM SWEETHEARTS ROSENCRANTZ AND GUILDENSTERN TOM COBB EYES AND NO EYES; OR, THE ART OF SEEING BROKEN HEARTS PRINCESS TOTO DAN’L DRUCE, BLACKSMITH ON BAIL ENGAGED THE NE’ER-DO-WEEL GRETCHEN FOGGERTY’S FAIRY BRANTINGHAME HALL THE MOUNTEBANKS HIS EXCELLENCY THE FORTUNE HUNTER HARLEQUIN AND THE FAIRY’S DILEMMA THE HOOLIGAN TRYING A DRAMATIST Gilbert’s Short Fiction FOGGERTY’S FAIRY AND OTHER TALES THE STORY OF H.M.S. PINAFORE Gilbert’s Poetry Collections THE BAB BALLADS MORE BAB BALLADS SONGS OF A SAVOYARD MISCELLANEOUS BAB BALLADS The Poems LIST OF POEMS IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER LIST OF POEMS IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER The Biographies W. S. GILBERT by Louis Engel SIR ARTHUR SULLIVAN by Louis Engel SIR ARTHUR SULLIVAN by George Grossmith GILBERT AND SULLIVAN OPERA: A HISTORY AND COMMENT by H. M. Walbrook Please visit www.delphiclassics.com to browse through our range of exciting titles or to purchase this eBook as a Parts Edition of individual eBooks

Reproduction of the original.