Critical Condition

Is feminism dead, as has been claimed by notable members of the media and the academy? Has feminist knowledge, with its proliferation of methodologies and fields, been purchased at the price of power? Are the conflicts among feminists evidence of self-destructive infighting or do they herald the emergence of innovative modes of inquiry? Given a feminism now ensconced within higher education as specialized or fractious scholarship, Susan Gubar's Critical Condition: Feminism at the Turn of the Century demonstrates that an invigorated concentration on activism and artistry can accentuate not the clinical or disparaging meaning of "critical" but its sense of compelling urgency and irreverent vitality. As a pioneer of feminist studies—and the object of some of the more rancorous criticism lodged against early feminist scholars—Gubar stands in a unique position to comment on current dilemmas. Moving beyond defensiveness produced by generational rivalry, the impasse propagated by smug deployments of identity politics, and the obscurity of poststructuralist theory, she claims that the very controversies that undermine feminism's unity also prove its resilience. Gubar begins by considering the volatile impact of gender on recent redefinitions of race, sexuality, religion, and class proposed by four important groups in contemporary feminism: African-American performance and visual artists, lesbian creative writers, Jewish-American women, and newly institutionalized female academics. She then addresses major divisions—including the rifts between various area studies and women's studies, as well as strains between generations—that both threaten and invigorate feminist inquiry. Gubar's forays into art and activism, politics, and the profession provide a sometimes distressing, sometimes comical, sometimes optimistic view of feminism emerging from a time of contention into a lively period of pluralized perspectives and disciplines.

A comprehensive, easy-to-follow review of this most critical and yet most neglected subject in the environmental debate.

Should we stop teaching critical thinking? Meant as a prompt to further discussion, Critical Condition questions the assumption that every student should be turned into a “critical thinker.” The book starts with the pre-Socratics and the impact that Socrates’ death had on his student Plato and traces the increasingly violent use of critical “attack” on a perceived opponent. From the Roman militarization of debate to the medieval Church’s use of defence as a means of forcing confession and submission, the early phases of critical thinking were bound up in a type of attack that Finn suggests does not best serve intellectual inquiry. Recent developments have seen critical thinking become an ideology rather than a critical practice, with levels of debate devolving to the point where most debate becomes ad hominem. Far from arguing that we abandon critical inquiry, the author suggests that we emphasize a more open, loving system of engagement that is not only less inherently violent but also more robust when dealing with vastly more complex networks of information. This book challenges long-held beliefs about the benefits of critical thinking, which is shown to be far too linear to deal with the twenty-first century world. Critical Condition is a call to action unlike any other.

From New York Times bestselling author Stephen White comes the sixth suspense thriller featuring psychologist Dr. Alan Gregory.Summoned to the hospital to learn the motives behind a teenage girl's suicide attempt, Alan discovers that the girl's young stepsister lies near death in another hospital with a heart disease. Denied an experimental new treatment that could save her life by her parent's managed-care provider, the stepsister has become a symbol of a health care system more concerned with costs than with the lives of its patients. And when a wealthy executive of the family's HMO is found dead, Alan and Denver detective Sam Purdy uncover the truth that links the teenage girl to his death, and the truth behind a family willing to kill in the name of love...and revenge.

“Among all the recent books on medicine, Critical Care stands alone.“ — Pauline Chen, author of Final Exam “A must read for anyone who wants to understand healthcare. Extraordinary.” — Elizabeth Cohen, MPH, CNN Senior Medical Correspondent Critical Care is the powerful and absorbing memoir of Theresa Brown—a regular contributor to the New York Times blog “Well”—about her experiences during the first year on the job as an oncology nurse; in the process, Brown sheds brilliant light on issues of mortality and meaning in our lives.

In this book Jerry Fodor contrasts his views about the mind with those of a number of well-known philosophers and cognitive scientists, including John McDowell, Christopher Peacocke, Paul Churchland, Daniel Dennett, Paul Smolensky, and Richard Dawkins. Several of these essays are published here for the first time. The rest originated as book reviews in the Times Literary Supplement, the London Review of Books, or in journals of philosophy or psychology. The topics examined include cognitive architecture, the nature of concepts, and the status of Darwinism in psychology. Fodor constructs a version of the Representational Theory of Mind that blends Intentional Realism, Computational Reductionism, Nativism, and Semantic Atomism.

This important book provides a unique merging of disability studies, critical multiculturalism, and social justice advocacy to develop both the knowledge base and the essential insights for understanding and implementing fully inclusive education. Although inclusion is often viewed in schools as primarily serving students with disabilities, this volume expands the definition to include students with a broad range of traditionally marginalized differences (including but not limited to disabilities, cultural/linguistic/racial background, gender, sexual orientation, religion, and class). Chapters provide 12 key principles important to developing and applying a critical perspective toward educating diverse students and promoting equity and inclusion. Book Features: Personal stories that make concepts accessible to new and pre-service teachers. Application exercises ideal for courses and professional development workshops. Highlight boxes that raise additional questions for discussion and debate. Interactive, multimodal instructional activities to use with many kinds of learners. Additional activities and resources available online at www.tcpress.com. Contributors: Subini Annamma, Laura Atkinson, David J. Connor, Elizabeth Z. Dejewski, David Feingold, Ana Maria García, Kathryn Henn-Reinke, Jodell Heroux, Kathleen Kotel, Elizabeth B. Kozleski, Valerie Owen, Susan Peters, Julie Ramirez, Maryl A. Randel, Janet Sauer, Stacey N. Skoning, Graciela Slesaransky-Poe, Robin M. Smith, Jeannie Zeitli “A powerful call to challenge rigid school practices that attempt to sort and level students. This extremely clear guide helps us move from critique to action, interweaving difficult matters of income disparity, language and religious marginalization, racism, and gender expression and identity. The authors inspire us to engage in the hard work of justice- and equity-oriented pedagogy and to do so collectively, with humor and with passion.” —Celia Oyler, professor of education, Teachers College, Columbia University “Condition Critical offers a critical framework for valuing and responding to student differences grounded in an expansive view of social justice, equity, access, and excellence. Accessible and engaging, each chapter skillfully weaves together first-person narratives, opportunities for self-reflection, and practical examples of key classroom practices. The result is a thoughtful and inspiring book that does more than critique the status quo, it points the way to transforming classrooms and schools for all.” —Beth Ferri, associate professor, School of Education, Syracuse University

"After her brother dies in a trauma room, nurse Claire Avery can no longer face the ER. She's determined to make a fresh start--new hospital, new career in nursing education--move forward, no turning back. But her plans fall apart when she's called to offer stress counseling for medical staff after a heartbreaking day care center explosion. Worse, she's forced back to the ER, where she clashes with Logan Caldwell, a doctor who believes touchy-feely counseling is a waste of time. He demands his staff be as tough as he is. Yet he finds himself drawn to this nurse educator -- who just might teach him the true meaning of healing"--P. [4] of cover.