The Natural

The classical novel (and basis for the acclaimed film starring Robert Redford) now in a new edition Introduction by Kevin Baker The Natural, Bernard Malamud's first novel, published in 1952, is also the first—and some would say still the best—novel ever written about baseball. In it Malamud, usually appreciated for his unerring portrayals of postwar Jewish life, took on very different material—the story of a superbly gifted "natural" at play in the fields of the old daylight baseball era—and invested it with the hardscrabble poetry, at once grand and altogether believable, that runs through all his best work. Four decades later, Alfred Kazin's comment still holds true: "Malamud has done something which—now that he has done it!—looks as if we have been waiting for it all our lives. He has really raised the whole passion and craziness and fanaticism of baseball as a popular spectacle to its ordained place in mythology."

In award-winning author Bernard Malamud's first novel, gifted baseball player Roy Hobbs, his career derailed by a youthful indiscretion, makes a stunning comeback in later life, but finds himself still struggling against the temptations that would bring him to ruin.

"The Natural Eclectic offers a glimpse into the inspiring world of West-Coast artist, photographer and stylist Heather Ross. Through her stunning photos and philosophical explorations on beauty, nature and design, Heather shows how to bring a nature-inspired aesthetic to life. Readers who want to style their own spaces can glean from Heather's knowledge of European flea markets and her sustainable approach to foraging for both vintage and natural treasures. With the same artist's touch she brings to her much loved boutique, she shares professional styling tips on creating engaging displays and vignettes through the art of placement. Known for her serene color palette described as "where the sea meets the shore," Heather also sheds light on the subtle use of color. This book is a visual feast that will delight and inspire."--

The “Natural Problem of Consciousness” is the problem of understanding why there are presently conscious beings at all. Given a non-reductive naturalist framework taking consciousness as an ontologically subjective biological phenomenon, how can we rationally explain the fact that the actual world has turned out to be one where there are presently living beings that can feel, rather than having developed as a zombie-world in which there would be no conscious experiences of any kind? This book introduces the Natural Problem by relating it to central problems in the philosophy of mind (metaphysical mind-body problem, Hard Problem of consciousness) and emphasizing the distinctive interest of its diachronic dimension. Ranging from philosophy to biology and neuroscience, it offers a thorough analysis aimed at better understanding what could explain why phenomenal consciousness has been preserved throughout evolution by natural selection. This is an original, engaging, and thought provoking philosophical study of a neglected but fundamental question regarding the nature and origin of consciousness.

The theme of the present volume concerns people' s response to the natural environment, considered at scales varying from that of a house hold plant to that of vast wilderness areas. Our decision to focus on this particular segment of the physical environment was prompted in part by the intrinsic interest in this subject on the part of a diverse group of sodal scientists and professionals-and of laypersons, for that matter and in part by the relative neglect of this topic in standard treatments of the environment-behavior field. It also serves to bring out once again the interdisdplinary nature of that field, and we are pleased to have been able to inc1ude representatives from geography, sodology, soda! ecology, and natural recreation among our contributors. We believe that this volume will serve a useful purpose in helping to integrate the find ings and concepts in this presently somewhat fragmented field, scat tered as they are over a very diverse array of publications representing a similarly varied group of spedalties. It is hoped that the result will be to stimulate future development of this area and to add a measure of in creased coherence to it. Volume 7 of our series will be devoted to the theme of elderly people and the environment, with M. Powell Lawton joining us as guest co-editor. The titles of the papers comprising Volume 7 are shown on page v. Irwin Altman J oachim F. Wohlwill ix Contents Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The first half of 'Religion and the Natural Sciences' is an introduction to the discussion of science and religion. Here the reader learns why there is any debate at all and what resources exist for responding to it. The second half deals with specific issues that arise in the individual sciences, from astronomy and physics to biology and ecology. Any project hoping to connect science and religion must supply the categories of connection, which are found primarily, although not exclusively, in philosophy. The simplicity of the arrangement and the nature of the selections are intended to make 'Religion and the Natural Sciences' available to as wide an audience as possible, including students from the sciences and technology, the professions, the humanities and liberal studies, and theology.

This book interweaves the author’s personal story and observations of nature, with scientific research, and philosophical reflection. It tells the story of nearly three decades of labor to ecologically restore twenty-one acres of ruined land near Dayton, Ohio. This story and what the author has observed motivate reflection on the human relationship to soil, the inner lives of animals, the intelligence of plants, and human psychology. The book advances the case for the intelligence and kinship of all living things, an ethic of respect for life, and the need to radically rethink how human societies live on Earth.

'I love puzzles, and finding answers is the only truly enjoyable part of what I do.' Professor Patricia Wiltshire is a forensic ecologist, her days spent at crime scenes collecting samples, standing over dead bodies in a mortuary, or looking down her microscope for evidence. Working at the interface of where the criminal and natural world interact, Patricia has been involved in some of the most high-profile murder cases. Now, through a study of her most infamous, and fascinating cases - including the murder of Sarah Payne, and the Soham murders of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman - Patricia will show us how she finds the answers to some of the worst crimes imaginable. Not only does she help the police solve crimes and give answers to the most bemusing circumstances, she can help to exonerate the innocent and enable confessions from the guilty. In The Natural History of Crime we join Patricia in putting the puzzle together, teasing the evidence out of her cases and showing us all how life and death have always been, and always will be, intertwined. Nature has given us a messy, imperfect world, but her job is to help make sense of it when we need it to most.