American religion like talk of God is omnipresent. Popular culture is awash in religious messages, from the singing cucumbers and tomatoes of the animated "VeggieTales" series to the bestselling "Left Behind" books to the multiplex sensation "The Passion of the Christ." In "The Transformation of American Religion," sociologist Alan Wolfe argues that the popularity of these cartoons, books, and movies is proof that religion has become increasingly mainstream. In fact, Wolfe argues, American culture has come to dominate American religion to such a point that, as Wolfe writes, "We are all...
American religion like talk of God is omnipresent. Popular culture is awash in religious messages, from the singing cucumbers and tomatoes of the anim...
The past few decades have brought a shift in the nature of American democracy--an alarming shift that threatens such liberal democratic values as respect for pluralism, acceptance of the separation of powers, and recognition of the rights of opposition parties. In this insightful book, political scientist Alan Wolfe identifies the current political conditions that endanger the quality of our democracy. He describes how politics has changed, and he calls for a democracy protection movement designed to preserve our political traditions not unlike the environmental protection movement's efforts...
The past few decades have brought a shift in the nature of American democracy--an alarming shift that threatens such liberal democratic values as resp...
What is the difference between right and wrong? What does it mean to lead a good life? What is virtue and what is vice? What is forbidden and what is allowed? How binding is the marriage vow? What are your obligations to an employer? To your friends? To yourself? Is it always immoral to tell a lie?
What is the difference between right and wrong? What does it mean to lead a good life? What is virtue and what is vice? What is forbidden and what is ...
"An eloquent and exquisitely reasoned plea for a social science based on what is distinctively human about human beings-their capacity to create meaning by the forms of interpretation that make human culture possible. This book is a lively attack on the growing antihumanism of so much contemporary social science, and it deserves a wide audience." -Jerome Bruner, New York University "Wolfe's style of argument is of enormous scope, virtuosity, clarity, and grace. In The Human Difference he will force both his sympathizers and his detractors to reflect profoundly upon the proper...
"An eloquent and exquisitely reasoned plea for a social science based on what is distinctively human about human beings-their capacity to create meani...
School choice has lately risen to the top of the list of potential solutions to America's educational problems, particularly for the poor and the most disadvantaged members of society. Indeed, in the last few years several states have held referendums on the use of vouchers in private and parochial schools, and more recently, the Supreme Court reviewed the constitutionality of a scholarship program that uses vouchers issued to parents. While there has been much debate over the empirical and methodological aspects of school choice policies, discussions related to the effects such policies...
School choice has lately risen to the top of the list of potential solutions to America's educational problems, particularly for the poor and the m...
Has America, in its quest for goodness, sacrificed its sense of greatness? In this sharp-witted, historically informed book, veteran political observer Alan Wolfe argues that most Americans show greater concern with saving the country's soul than with making the nation great.
Wolfe castigates both conservatives and liberals for opting for small-mindedness over greatness. Liberals, who at their best insisted on policies of national solidarity, have convinced themselves that small is beautiful, prefer multiculturalism to one nation, and are mistrustful of executive political...
Has America, in its quest for goodness, sacrificed its sense of greatness? In this sharp-witted, historically informed book, veteran political obse...
In the wake of a bitter presidential campaign and in the face of numerous divisive policy questions, many Americans wonder if their country has split in two. People are passionately choosing sides on contentious issues such as the invasion of Iraq, gay marriage, stem-cell research, and the right to die, and the battle over abortion continues unabated. Social and political splits fascinate the media: we hear of Red States against Blue States and the "Religious Right" against "Secular America"; Fox News and Air America; NASCAR dads and soccer moms. Is America, in fact, divided so clearly?...
In the wake of a bitter presidential campaign and in the face of numerous divisive policy questions, many Americans wonder if their country has spl...
These four-legged friends of man have been a favorite subject for carving since the earliest years. From hunting dogs to the family pet, dogs have a special place in the hearts of people and Tom Wolfe manages to capture their personality in his own creative, witty way. Easy to follow step-by-step instruction, with color illustrations.
These four-legged friends of man have been a favorite subject for carving since the earliest years. From hunting dogs to the family pet, dogs have a s...
In this wonderful new book an old tradition is shared with today's carvers. Helen Gibson, a new author at Schiffer Publishing, teaches woodcarving at the John C. Campbell Folk School in North Carolina. The patterns for the creche she carves have been part of the tradition of the school for so long that no one is quite sure of their origins. Carving them is a community effort, with different carvers having different specialties. Helen takes the reader step-by-step through the delicate carving process of one of the figures, with clear color photography illustrating each technique. Patterns and...
In this wonderful new book an old tradition is shared with today's carvers. Helen Gibson, a new author at Schiffer Publishing, teaches woodcarving at ...
Why has gambling become so accepted in the U.S. when other historical vices, like smoking and drinking, continue to evoke morality-based opposition? That simple but intriguing question guides this path-breaking volume, the first interdisciplinary academic study of gambling. Led by the renowned Alan Wolfe and with essays by experts at the country's premiere centers in public policy, clinical addiction, law, gaming, psychology, sociology, moral philosophy, theology, and the arts, "Gambling: Mapping the American Moral Landscape" is a tour de force of the booming cultural and moral phenomenon...
Why has gambling become so accepted in the U.S. when other historical vices, like smoking and drinking, continue to evoke morality-based opposition...
