This accessible and jargon-free book features readings of over 20 key texts and authors in Western poetry and philosophy, including Homer, Plato, Beowulf, Dante, Chaucer, Shakespeare and Rousseau. Simon Haines presents a thought-provoking and theoretically aware account of Western literature and philosophy, arguing that the history of both can be seen as a struggle between two different conceptions of the self: the 'romantic' (or dualist) vs the 'realist' or ('extended').

Shelley's detractors since Hazlitt have noticed a division in the 'self' of his poems. A central reasoning core fears the passions surrounding it and distrusts the language expressing it. A few of his admirers offer an alternative view of the poems as symbolical pointers to a non-linguistic reality transcending passion; most miss the point, justifying their admiration by referring to the poems' systems of thought. This reading of Shelley's major poems and critical prose finds the adverse case more convincing.

This book enables intermediate-level students to discover, learn and practise words and phrases in authentic contexts. It helps develop an awareness of a wide range of vocabulary, including collocation, word-building, topic vocabulary, phrasal verbs and idioms. The book is suitable for use in the classroom, for homework or for self-study. Key features include: 20 topic-based units with authentic texts chosen to capture students' interest; a wide range of practice and extension exercises; a particular focus on collocation and word-building, plus exercises on phrasal verbs and idioms.