Nothing Matters

Is nothing everything? As strange as that question looks at first sight, it will definitely make sense after reading NOTHING MATTERS. Provocative and accessible, free of jargon, NOTHING MATTERS shows that there is more to nothing than meets the eye. History, the arts, philosophy, politics, religion, cosmology - all are touched by nothing. Who, for example, could have believed that nothing held back progress for 600 years, all because of mistaken translation, or that nothing is a way to tackle (and answer) the perennial question 'what is art?

On April 8, 1994, Kurt Cobain ended his long struggle with depression and chemical dependency by taking his own life. His suicide profoundly affected millions of fans around the world who identified with the music of Kurt and his band, Nirvana. Bev Cobain is Kurt's cousin, and this powerful book is her way of dealing with his death—and reaching out to teens with a life-saving message: You don't have to be sad, discouraged, or depressed. There is help and hope for you. Full of solid information and straight talk, When Nothing Matters Anymore defines and explains adolescent depression, reveals how common it is, describes the symptoms, and spreads the good news that depression is treatable. Personal stories, photos, and poetry from teens dealing with depression speak directly to readers' feelings, concerns, and experiences. Teens learn how to recognize depression in themselves and others, understand its effects, and take care of themselves by relaxing, exercising, eating right, and talking things over with people who care. For some teens, self-help isn't enough, so Bev also tells about treatment options, presents the facts about therapy, explains the differences between various types of helping professionals (psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, physicians, counselors, etc.), discusses medications, and more. This book isn't just for teens who have been diagnosed with depression. It's for any teen who feels hopeless, helpless, and alone. Clear, encouraging, and matter-of-fact, it's also recommended for parents, teachers, and counselors who want to know more about teen depression.

Meet Denise Wilson, a fairly conventional woman whose successful but uninspiring life is about to be turned upside down. Her partner of fifteen years has decided she’s not the right girl for him. He wants “options.” Simultaneously, the housing bubble bursts and with it goes her six-figure job as an interior designer for a large spec builder. At age fifty she’s faced with a blank sheet of life in front of her and not a single idea what to do with it. So she buys a ticket to Maui. “Nothing Matters” is an entertaining spiritual road trip taken with a good friend. It has all the requisite elements of a good story: quirky characters, serendipitous events and an unexpected ending, all told with a deft sense of humor. “Nothing Matters” is the literary equivalent of “Eat, Love, Pray” running smack-dab into “The Power of Now.” Part travelogue, part transformational journey, “Nothing Matters” puts the “light” back in enlightenment.

As one of the greatest, most celebrated athletes in history, Michael Jordan conquered professional basketball as no one before. Powered by a potent mix of charisma, near superhuman abilities and a ferocious drive to dominate the game, he achieved every award and accolade conceivable before retiring from the Chicago Bulls and taking an executive post with the Washington Wizards. But retirement didn't suit the man who was once king, and at the advanced age of thirty-eight Michael Jordan decided it was time to reclaim the court that was once his. WHEN NOTHING ELSE MATTERS is the definitive account of Jordan's equally spectacular and disastrous return to basketball. Having closely followed Jordan's final two seasons, Michael Leahy draws a fascinating portrait of an intensely complex man hampered by injuries and assaulted by younger players eager to usurp his throne. In this enthralling book Jordan emerges as an ambitious, at times deeply unattractive character with, unsurprisingly, a monstrous ego. WHEN NOTHING ELSE MATTERS is an absorbing portrait not only of one athlete's overriding ambition, but also of a society so in thrall to its sports stars that it is blind to all their faults.

Nothing Mat(t)ers is a feminist critique of the theories of Foucault, Derrida, and Lacan, among others. Somer Brodribb analyzes the texts and the arguments that post-structuralism has nominated as central, in the process exposing the misogyny at their core. Brodribb provides a history of definitions of structuralism, post-structuralism, deconstruction, and postmodernism. She considers feminist encounters with structuralism and existentialism. She evaluates the originality of Foucault's contributions and discusses feminist responses to his work. Turning to Derrida, she considers his fixation with dissemination and demeaning versus conception and new embodiment. She contrasts the work of Lacan and Irigaray on ethics before turning to the work of de Beauvoir, O'Brien, and other feminists as an authentic alternative to postmodern critical theory.

Nothing Matters, is the third volume in the Nothing series. It is similar to its companion volumes, Nothing Works and Nothing Special in that it is a book of personal examination and exploration, the outcome of which is a collection of poems that blends personal tales of discovery and direct experience, with more distant and imagined poems in Aikido, meditation, and eastern thought in general. The author's first hand, direct experience comes across in his writings.