Advancing our understanding of one of the most influential 20th-century philosophers, Robert Vinten brings together an international line up of scholars to consider the relevance of Ludwig Wittgenstein’s ideas to the cognitive science of religion. Wittgenstein's claims ranged from the rejection of the idea that psychology is a 'young science' in comparison to physics to challenges to scientistic and intellectualist accounts of religion in the work of past anthropologists. Chapters explore whether these remarks about psychology and religion undermine the frameworks and practices of cognitive scientists of religion. Employing philosophical tools as well as drawing on case studies, contributions not only illuminate psychological experiments, anthropological observations and neurophysiological research relevant to understanding religious phenomena, they allow cognitive scientists to either heed or clarify their position in relation to Wittgenstein’s objections. By developing and responding to his criticisms, Wittgenstein and the Cognitive Science of Religion offers novel perspectives on his philosophy in relation to religion, human nature, and the mind.

Almustafa, the chosen and the beloved, who was a dawn unto his own day, had waited twelve years in the city of Orphalese for his ship that was to return and bear him back to the isle of his birth. And in the twelfth year, on the seventh day of Ielool, the month of reaping, he climbed the hill without the city walls and looked seaward; and he beheld his ship coming with the mist. Then the gates of his heart were flung open, and his joy flew far over the sea. And he closed his eyes and prayed in the silences of his soul. So begins The Prophet, Kahlil Gibran's transcendant verse cycle in which the prophet Almustafa boards a ship bearing him homeward and discusses with those whom he meets on board life, love, and and all aspects of the human condition. Never out of print since its first publication in 1923, Gibran's collection of prose poems is one of the best-loved volumes in world literature.

Sick of striving? Giving up on grit? Had enough of hustle culture? Daunted by the 10,000-hour rule? Relax: As the French know, it's the best way to be better at everything. In the realm of love, what could be less seductive than someone who's trying to seduce you? Seduction is the art of succeeding without trying, and that's a lesson the French have mastered. We can see it in their laissez-faire parenting, chic style, haute cuisine, and enviable home cooking: they barely seem to be trying, yet the results are world-famous, thanks to a certain je ne sais quoi that is the key to a more creative, fulfilling, and productive life. For fans of both Mark Manson's The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck and Alain de Botton's How Proust Can Change Your Life, philosopher Ollivier Pourriol's book draws on the examples of such French legends as Descartes, Stendhal, Rodin, Cyrano de Bergerac and Francoise Sagan to show how to be efficient a la francaise, and how to effortlessly reap the rewards.

The masterwork of James Allen, As a Man Thinketh demonstrates the supreme power of thought to change our outlook, attainments and destiny. Embarking on an exploration of the mind's powers, James Allen discusses how thinking influences major facets of action, both internal and in the world around us. Writing plainly but profoundly, the author demonstrates the sheer influence that thinking habits have upon our lives. The author explains his overarching belief that when a person changes how they think, their lives will reflect this difference - the attainment of things such as joy, material or other successes and inner peace represent but a fraction of the possibilities. Philosophical and motivational, this book has long occupied the shelves of millions. While short, the text represents a wellspring of value, useful to refer back to and understand time and again.