In the vast, boundless expanse of Plurality, each life is a unique and precious existence...Regardless of how perilous external circumstances may be...(l)et us take positive action to allow the seeds of shared goodness to break through the earth and blossom into flower of empathy, joy and harmony. — His Holiness the Dalai Lama XIV of Tibet In a technologically advanced, politically challenging, and rapidly evolving 21st century, what does a free and open future look like? Glen, Audrey and their coauthors offer a compelling view of a way forward. — Vitalik Buterin, Founder of Ethereum Democracy has been a confrontation between opposing values. In Taiwan, however, it has become a conversation among a diversity of values. Audrey Tang has shown us how to create a "digital democracy" that transcends the constraints of ideology - that is the major contribution of this book. — Tsai Ing-wen, President of the ROC (Taiwan) They offer us a portal into a future where technology supports democracy, pluralism, and broad human flourishing. We know this future is possible because Tang has been building it in Taiwan. The conceptual foundations laid here usher in a much-needed paradigm change for modern life. — Danielle S. Allen, political philosopher, James Bryant Conant University Professor at Harvard, MacArthur Fellow, and author of Our Declaration and Cuz Plurality reads like optimistic sci-fi, already happening in real life! Can democracies around the world follow in Taiwan’s footsteps to upgrade free society for the digital age? Fingers crossed for a happy ending. — Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Emmy-winning artist and founder of HITRECORD Digital technology threatens to tear free and open societies apart through polarization, inequality, and loneliness. But in the decade since the weekslong occupation of their parliament, a diverse island of resilience has shown another way is possible. Taiwan achieved inclusive, technology-fueled growth, overcame the pandemic without lockdowns and the infodemic without takedowns, entrusted its people to tackle shared challenges like environmental protection while capitalizing on a culture of innovation to “hack the government.” Here, the architects of Taiwan’s internationally acclaimed digital democracy share the secret of their success. Plurality (symbolized ⿻) harnesses digital tools not to replace humans or trust, but to channel the potential energy in social diversity that can erupt in conflict instead for progress, growth and beauty. From intimate digitally empowered telepathy to global trade running on social networks rather than money, ⿻ offers tools to radically enrich relationships while leaving no one behind. ⿻ thus promises to transform every sector from healthcare to media, as illustrated by the way it has been written: as a chorus of open, self-governing collaboration of voices from around the globe. Their work in public on this openly available text shows — as well as tells — how everyone from a devout African farmer to a Hollywood celebrity can help build a more dynamic, harmonious and inclusive world. E. Glen Weyl is Founder of RadicalxChange, Microsoft Research's Plural Technology Collaboratory, & Plurality Institute & co-author of Radical Markets. Audrey Tang is the inaugural Minister of Digital Affairs in Taiwan & the inaugural ⚧️ minister in the 🌐. A global ⿻ community of dozens collaborated to create this first-ever open-source self-governed book harnessing tools described within. You are invited to join us at https://www.plurality.net
A New York Times bestselling author and leading expert on market risk argues that seismic shifts in the global economy will trigger a multi-trillion-dollar migration of wealth, outlining new rules of investing for the forward-thinking. “I can’t tell you how much I learned from How to Listen When Markets Speak. The historical perspectives and insights are something every investor needs to know. Buy this book.”—Mark Cuban From Wall Street to the White House, the fantasy of an eventual “return to normal” is still alive and well, nurtured by dangerously outdated theories. But the economic world as we know it—and the rules that govern it—are over. In the coming decade, we’ll witness sustained inflation, a series of sovereign and corporate debt crises, and a thundering of capital out of financial assets into hard assets. Few are prepared. Lawrence G. McDonald, founder of the economic research platform The Bear Traps Report, got a real-world education in market risk when, as a Lehman Brothers VP, he watched the firm ignore flashing warning signs before its collapse. His analysis led him to identify twenty-one indicators for gauging the health of an economy and detecting early signals of opportunity and danger. In How to Listen When Markets Speak, McDonald unveils his unique predictive models, connecting surprising dots between past, present, and future and outlining actionable trading ideas for staying a beat ahead of the markets. Readers will learn: • How disastrous Fed policy will collide with an increasingly fragmented geopolitical landscape to keep U.S. inflation near 3-5% for the next decade • How growing demand for oil and gas, underinvestment in urgently needed energy infrastructure, and cozy Russia–Saudi Arabia relations will lift the base price of energy to historic levels • Why hard assets and rare minerals like lithium and cobalt will outperform growth stocks, U.S. treasuries, and overcrowded passive investment strategies—and how to detect bearish and bullish trends in advance • How passive investing and the vehicles intended to democratize finance have fueled bubbles and ideological skew by large market participants, leaving millions of 401(k)s and IRAs at risk • Why America will likely lose its position as a global superpower and holder of the world’s premier reserve currency, and may be forced to slash Social Security, Medicare, and military spending Rather than merely doomsaying, How to Listen When Markets Speak equips readers to make sense of our current moment, resist reactionary narratives and baseless analysis, and preserve their wealth in turbulent times. When markets speak, it pays to listen.
Privacy is a puzzling concept. From the backyard to the bedroom, everyday life gives rise to an abundance of privacy claims. In the legal sphere, privacy is invoked with respect to issues including abortion, marriage, and sexuality. Yet privacy is surrounded by a mire of theoretical debate. Certain philosophers argue that privacy is neither conceptually nor morally distinct from other interests, while numerous legal scholars point to the apparently disparate interests involved in constitutional and tort privacy law. By arguing that intimacy is the core of privacy, including privacy law, Inness undermines privacy skepticism, providing a strong theoretical foundation for many of our everyday and legal privacy claims, including the controversial constitutional right to privacy.
"He was the most important scholar of privacy since Louis Brandeis."—Jeffrey Rosen In defining privacy as “the claim of individuals…to determine for themselves when, how and to what extent information about them is communicated,” Alan Westin’s 1967 classic Privacy and Freedom laid the philosophical groundwork for the current debates about technology and personal freedom, and is considered a foundational text in the field of privacy law. By arguing that citizens retained control over how their personal data was used, Westin redefined privacy as an individual freedom, taking Justice Louis Brandeis’ 19th century definition of privacy as a legal right and expanding it for use in modern times. Westin’s ideas transformed the meaning of privacy, leading to a spate of privacy laws in the 1970s, as well as prefiguring the arguments over privacy that have come to dominate the internet era. This all new edition of Privacy and Freedom features an introduction by Daniel J. Solove, John Marshall Harlan Research Professor of Law at the George Washington University Law School.
Young readers can’t get enough of the action-packed and side-splitting Diary of a Roblox Noob series! Set in the beloved world of Roblox, the Diary of a Roblox Noob stories take kids on a journey, along with good-hearted and hilarious Noob and a cast of wacky characters, to escape gaming-centric scenarios full of peril and thrills! A world they already love… Is your house full of chatter about Roblox games? Does your child wish for new Roblox games for every holiday? Add Roblox story books to the mix with these epic adventure stories featuring familiar Roblox games that keep kids in the world of Roblox — without a keyboard or controller. Perfect for reluctant readers… Propulsive plots and silly humor make the Diary of a Roblox Noob stories surefire page-turners. Take a break from your endless search for engaging stories for young readers and give them a series they won’t be able to put down — especially if they love chapter books like Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Perfect for holiday gifting, this boxed set contains 5 full-length Diary of a Roblox Noob story books! Spend less than you would buying each title individually — and at over 580 pages, this omnibus will keep even the most voracious reader busy! 5 ADVENTURE STORY BOOKS: 1. PIGGY: A spooky tale (perfect for Halloween!) with just the right mix of chills, humor, and - of course - adventure! 2. BEE SWARM SIMULATOR 3. MAD CITY 4. RO-GHOUL 5. CHRISTMAS SPECIAL: Noob is thrown into a race against time to save Christmas! More than 10,000 Goodreads reviewers can’t be wrong! Get your copy now, and combine reading and gaming with this immersive and exciting series! [NOT An Official Roblox Product]
“Stasiland demonstrates that great, original reporting is still possible. . . . A heartbreaking, beautifully written book. A classic.” — Claire Tomalin, Guardian “Books of the Year” Winner of the Samuel Johnson Prize for Non-Fiction: a powerfully moving account of people who heroically resisted the communist dictatorship of East Germany, and of people who worked for its secret police, the Stasi. Anna Funder delivers a prize-winning and powerfully rendered account of the resistance against the German Democratic Republic’s communist dictatorship in these harrowing, personal tales of life behind the Iron Curtain—and, especially, of life under the iron fist of the Stasi, East Germany’s brutal state security force in one of history's most notorious surveillance states. In the tradition of Frederick Taylor’s The Berlin Wall and Philip Gourevitch’s We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will be Killed With Our Families, Funder’s Stasiland is a masterpiece of investigative reporting and a vital work of twentieth-century history, written with novelistic vividness and the compelling intensity of a universal, real-life story. Through meticulous reporting, Funder reveals the haunting reality of life in the GDR―a world of quiet heroes, conflicted enforcers, and the ghosts left behind by a fallen state. * A Chilling Surveillance State: Delve into the inner workings of the Stasi, a secret police force that used everything from collecting “smell samples” in jars to a vast network of informers to control the populace. * Unforgettable True Stories: Meet Miriam, who became an Enemy of the State at sixteen for distributing leaflets, and Frau Paul, who made an impossible choice to protect a stranger at the cost of seeing her own critically ill child. * Life Behind the Berlin Wall: Experience the strange, often absurd reality of the German Democratic Republic, a country that no longer exists but whose secrets still haunt the present day. * The Perpetrators’ Perspective: Hear directly from the men who served the regime, from professors who taught the art of recruiting informers to the officer who physically painted the line where the Wall would be built.
Some technologies change industries. Others change civilization. Is Bitcoin simply a new form of money—or is it redefining the relationship between individuals, property, and the State? In The Philosophy of Bitcoin, philosopher and legal scholar Álvaro D. María explores the deeper ideas behind one of the most significant technological innovations of the modern era. Rather than focusing on markets or price movements, he examines Bitcoin through the lenses of philosophy, political theory, economics, history, and law, revealing why its greatest impact may extend far beyond finance. Originally published in Spanish to widespread acclaim, this influential work introduced readers to a new way of thinking about Bitcoin: not merely as a digital asset, but as a civilizational innovation capable of transforming institutions, incentives, and the organization of society itself. Inside, you'll explore: • The philosophical foundations of money and property • How Bitcoin challenges traditional ideas about the State and political power • Why technological breakthroughs have historically transformed civilization • The evolution of individual sovereignty in the digital age • New models of cooperation, governance, and social coordination • Why Bitcoin may represent one of the defining innovations of the twenty-first century Drawing on centuries of philosophical thought while remaining firmly grounded in modern economics and technology, D. María makes complex ideas accessible without sacrificing intellectual depth. His work bridges philosophy, law, economics, and political theory into a compelling examination of the ideas reshaping our world. Praised by economists, entrepreneurs, scholars, and Bitcoin pioneers—including Samson Mow, Gabriel Kurman, Prince Philip of Serbia, Javier Bastardo, and Lunaticoin—The Philosophy of Bitcoin has become one of the most respected philosophical works in Bitcoin literature. Whether you're interested in Bitcoin, political philosophy, Austrian economics, law, history, or the future of civilization, this book offers a thoughtful framework for understanding why Bitcoin has become far more than a monetary innovation. A lasting addition to the library of anyone seeking to understand the philosophical foundations of Bitcoin and the future of human freedom.
Høsten 2008 holdt deler av det internasjonale finansmarkedet på å kollapse etter en enorm gjeldsboble forårsaket av det tradisjonelle bank- og finanssystemet. Omtrent på samme tidspunkt som det tradisjonelle systemet brukte skattebetalernes penger på å kjøpe finansforetakene fri fra deres egen hensynsløshet – holder en mystisk skikkelse under pseudonymet Satoshi Nakamoto på å utvikle et pengesystem som skal revolusjonere måten penger fungerer på. Den 3. januar, 2009 skrus Bitcoin-nettverket på – og over ti år senere fortsetter nettverket å operere sømløst tross gjentatte erklæringer om at Bitcoin-boblen har sprukket. På tross av alle medieoppslag, er det stadig flere som fatter interesse for Bitcoin som fenomen - og nettverket er sterkere enn noen gang før. Hvorfor eksisterer Bitcoin fremdeles? Og hvorfor kommer Bitcoin tilbake hver gang «boblen» sprekker? Et nødvendig utgangspunkt for å forstå Bitcoin - er å forstå det som penger, og skal vi forstå Bitcoin som penger - må vi forstå hva penger er for noe. I denne boken gir forfatteren en grunnleggende introduksjon til hva penger er, hvilke funksjoner penger har, og et kort innblikk i pengenes evolusjon. Ved å kategorisere Bitcoin som penger vil mange av diskusjonene rundt Bitcoin også bli tydeligere for deg som leser. Du vil få et innblikk i hva Bitcoin er - og hvilke problemer det kan bidra til å løse. «Bitcoin er harde penger» er en introduksjonsbok til deg som har fattet interesse for Bitcoin, og som er klar for en videre reise ned i kaninhullet. Utover å forklare hva Bitcoin er, vil du som leser få et innblikk i de ideologiske idéene som Bitcoin bygger på. I en verden som preges av rekordhøy inflasjon og innskrenking av personlig frihet – har behovet for et frivillig alternativ aldri vært tydeligere. Vi ønsker deg en god reise.
“The landmark book that argued that psychiatry consistently expands its definition of mental illness to impose its authority over moral and cultural conflict.” — New York Times The 50th anniversary edition of the most influential critique of psychiatry every written, with a new preface on the age of Prozac and Ritalin and the rise of designer drugs, plus two bonus essays. Thomas Szasz's classic book revolutionized thinking about the nature of the psychiatric profession and the moral implications of its practices. By diagnosing unwanted behavior as mental illness, psychiatrists, Szasz argues, absolve individuals of responsibility for their actions and instead blame their alleged illness. He also critiques Freudian psychology as a pseudoscience and warns against the dangerous overreach of psychiatry into all aspects of modern life.
'it is only the cultivation of individuality which produces, or can produce, well developed human beings' Mill's four essays, 'On Liberty', 'Utilitarianism', 'Considerations on Representative Government', and 'The Subjection of Women' examine the most central issues that face liberal democratic regimes - whether in the nineteenth century or the twenty-first. They have formed the basis for many of the political institutions of the West since the late nineteenth century, tackling as they do the appropriate grounds for protecting individual liberty, the basic principles of ethics, the benefits and the costs of representative institutions, and the central importance of gender equality in society. These essays are central to the liberal tradition, but their interpretation and how we should understand their connection with each other are both contentious. In their introduction Mark Philp and Frederick Rosen set the essays in the context of Mill's other works, and argue that his conviction in the importance of the development of human character in its full diversity provides the core to his liberalism and to any defensible account of the value of liberalism to the modern world. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.
A bold and eye-opening exposé on how power and propaganda distort the news, now more relevant than ever • With an updated introduction “[A] compelling indictment of the news media’s role in covering up errors and deceptions in American foreign policy.”—The New York Times Book Review Renowned scholars Edward S. Herman and Noam Chomsky reveal how U.S. news media, far from being independent watchdogs, often function as tools of elite influence. With probing analysis, they present their Propaganda Model, a framework that explains how systemic bias shapes the stories we’re told, the voices we hear, and the truths that remain hidden. Through deeply researched case studies, from the Vietnam War to coverage of “worthy” vs. “unworthy” victims, Manufacturing Consent exposes the structural forces that drive news organizations to reinforce power rather than question it. It’s a sobering portrait of a media system more interested in maintaining order than informing the public. This edition includes an introduction updating key examples and expanding the Propaganda Model’s relevance to issues like the coverage of NAFTA, the media’s treatment of global protests, and environmental regulation. Manufacturing Consent is a powerful assessment of how propagandistic the U.S. mass media are, how they systematically fail to live up to their self-image as providers of the kind of information that people need to make sense of the world, and how we can understand their function in a radically new way. Whether you’re a student, activist, or citizen looking to see beyond the headlines, this book will transform how you understand the media—and the world around you.
Niccolò Machiavelli’s The Prince is one of the most influential works in the history of political thought and the adjective Machiavellian is well-known and perhaps even over-used. So why does the meaning of the text continue to be debated to the present day? And how does a contemporary reader get to grips with a book full of references to the politics of the early 16th Century? The Routledge Guidebook to Machiavelli’s The Prince provides readers with the historical background, textual analysis, and other relevant information needed for a greater understanding and appreciation of this classic text. This guidebook introduces: * the historical, political and intellectual context in which Machiavelli was working * the key ideas developed by Machiavelli throughout the text and the examples he uses to illustrate them * the relationship of The Prince to The Discourses and Machiavelli’s other works Featuring a timeline, maps and suggestions for further reading throughout, this book is an invaluable guide for anyone who wants to be able to engage more fully with The Prince.