Books in Thinking Aloud series

From brushing our teeth to walking the dog, we take on responsibilities all the time. Philosophers have long discussed responsibility. Ancient thinkers focused on how we should behave. Later philosophers wondered why we do what we do. Todays scientists suggest we have far less control over our actions than we realize. Am I Responsible for My Actions? travels around the world and into our brains to ask Big Questions about how we create our own lives through responsible behaviorand to reveal the incredible power we can unleash when we take responsibility for ourselves and others.

We are paying new attention to the old idea that we should treat animals better. Eating a meatless diet is more popular than ever. People from philosophers to musicians work to end laboratory testing on animals. Yet animals provide us with food and clothing. Medical treatments tested on rats and chimpanzees save lives every day. Is it impossible for humans to live without using animals? Or should we stop making animals serve us? Should We Treat Animals Better? travels through history to provide readers with the wisdom and skills they need to think about one of todays biggest issues.

We have long looked for the connections that unite us. Philosophers found links in faith. Scientists discovered new relationships between humans and humans, humans and nature, and humans and the stars. Thinkers still search for the mathematical equation that will explain it all. Is Everything Connected? draws on an always-growing web of thought to show readers the ties that bind. Ancient tales and modern science form a double spiral staircase of ideas. On the top floor: big questions about the roots of our differences, our place among earths life forms, and the ways that the Force and silly games express our bold shared dream of togetherness.

Plato said, He whom love touches not walks in darkness. But trying to understand love has left us in the dark for thousands of years. How does something that touches us all create so much confusion? What Is Love? tells how philosophers (and everyone else) have answered one of lifes most important questions. From ancient battles to pop songs, thinkers have approached love as a problem to solve. Yet love is also an action word that becomes an unstoppable force in peoples lives. Filled with wisdom and storytelling, What Is Love? boldly explores our quest to understand loves purpose and power.

The idea of women moving through the world as freely as men should sell itself, Roxane Gay said. That is not the case. Women lag behind men when it comes to freedom, money, respect, and education. Can We Achieve Gender Equality? delves into the ways philosophy explores a womans place in the world. Men have controlled women in countless ways. But from voting rights to #MeToo, women have persisted in their quest to change traditions and remake their own lives. Can We Achieve Gender Equality? takes readers into the bold history of womens thought and encourages them to answer one of philosophys thorniest questions.

Violence fills us with horror. Yet violence entertains us. How is this possible? Are human beings born violent? Or do we learn to do it? Most important of all: can we stop before we destroy each other? Can People Stop Being Violent? looks at how thinkers have tackled the problem of violence. From school shootings to giant robots, real and pretend violence are part of our everyday lives. Yet philosophers of nonviolence tirelessly work to show human beings a better way. Packed with 2500 years of wisdom and stories, Can People Stop Being Violent? challenges readers to think about their own ideas about violence.