The Two Faces of American Freedom
The Two Faces of American Freedom

Author: Aziz Rana

Publisher: Harvard University Press

Published: 2014-04-07

Total Pages: 428

ISBN-13: 0674266552

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

The Two Faces of American Freedom boldly reinterprets the American political tradition from the colonial period to modern times, placing issues of race relations, immigration, and presidentialism in the context of shifting notions of empire and citizenship. Today, while the U.S. enjoys tremendous military and economic power, citizens are increasingly insulated from everyday decision-making. This was not always the case. America, Aziz Rana argues, began as a settler society grounded in an ideal of freedom as the exercise of continuous self-rule—one that joined direct political participation with economic independence. However, this vision of freedom was politically bound to the subordination of marginalized groups, especially slaves, Native Americans, and women. These practices of liberty and exclusion were not separate currents, but rather two sides of the same coin. However, at crucial moments, social movements sought to imagine freedom without either subordination or empire. By the mid-twentieth century, these efforts failed, resulting in the rise of hierarchical state and corporate institutions. This new framework presented national and economic security as society’s guiding commitments and nurtured a continual extension of America’s global reach. Rana envisions a democratic society that revives settler ideals, but combines them with meaningful inclusion for those currently at the margins of American life.

The Two Faces of Tomorrow
The Two Faces of Tomorrow

Author: James P. Hogan

Publisher: Baen Books

Published: 1997

Total Pages: 271

ISBN-13: 0671878484

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

By the mid-21st Century, technology had become much too complicated for humans to handle -- and the computer network that had grown up to keep civilization from tripping over its own shoelaces was also beginning to be overwhelmed. Something Had To Be Done.As a solution, Raymond Dyer's project developed the first genuinely self-aware artificial intelligence -- code name: Spartacus. But could Spartacus be trusted to obey its makers? And if it went rogue, could it be shut down? As an acid test, Spartacus was put in charge of a space station and programmed with a survival instinct. Dyer and his team had the job of seeing how far the computer would go to defend itself when they tried to pull the plug. Dyer didn't expect any serious problems to arise in the experiment.Unfortunately, he had built more initiative into Spartacus than he realized....And a superintelligent computer with a high dose of initiative makes a dangerous guinea pig.

Man with Two Faces
Man with Two Faces

Author: Don Swaim

Publisher: Montag Press

Published: 2018-04-02

Total Pages: 230

ISBN-13: 9781940233543

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

In Manhattan, during the depths of the Great Depression, Tokol Tokoloshe, a soldier of fortune, diamond thief, and rum runner, has turned vigilante along with his Amazonian-bred, blowgun- wielding sidekick Diana. Despite his crusade to combat evil, Tokol's past catches up with him when he's marked for death by Janus, a former confederate. As the amorously adventurous, sexually equivocal Tokol battles hit men, kidnappers, mobsters, blackmailers, Chinese tongs, spies, and Nazis, he courts celebs such as George and Ira Gershwin, Groucho Marx, Woody Guthrie, Howard Hughes, Orson Welles, Clarence Darrow, and Walter Winchell. Tokol's battle for truth and justice leads him to an unexpected horror in Algiers on the eve of America's entry into World War Two. PRAISE FOR THE ASSASSINATION OF AMBROSE BIERCE: A LOVE STORY BY DON SWAIM: "Swaim weaves an engrossing web-work of literary references, historical detail, and ingenuous imagination. Genuine admirers of Ambrose Bierce will have no trouble falling in love with Swaim's "Love Story" - in fact, the only trouble they will have will be putting the book down for the night." Oldstyle Tales Press PRAISE FOR MAN WITH TWO FACES BY DON SWAIM: "Man with Two Faces is an extravaganza-a wild ride through Depression-era America with hair-raising escapes, daring capers, and cameos by Clarence Darrow, Orson Welles, Albert Camus, and plenty of others from that unforgettable era. Don Swaim writes with such bravura assurance and rollicking good humor that the readers are carried along from beginning to end with little chance-or desire-to catch their breaths. As pure entertainment it ranks very high." S.T. Joshi, author of I Am Providence: The Life and Times of H. P. Lovecraft

The Two-Faced Queen
The Two-Faced Queen

Author: Nick Martell

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2021-03-23

Total Pages: 608

ISBN-13: 1534437835

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

The Hollows is on the brink of civil war as brother and sister vie for the throne in the second novel of the trilogy which Brandon Sanderson called “excellent.” “Simply put, this series is a master class in grand-scale storytelling. The future of epic fantasy is here—and this saga is it.” —Kirkus Review (starred review) Michael Kingman thought he was going to die by the executioner’s axe, forever labeled as a traitor. Still alive, and under the protection of the Orbis Mercenary company, Michael and his family and friends are deeply involved in the seemingly rival conspiracies that are tearing The Hollows apart. With the death of the King, both the Corrupt Prince and his sister Serena are vying for the throne, while the Rebel Emperor is spreading lies amongst the people, and all of them want Michael dead. This is a story of betrayal, murder, and rebellion, and in this direct sequel to the debut novel The Kingdom of Liars, also some hope for justice. For readers who love the intrigue and widening scope of epic fantasy like Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn and Brent Weeks’s The Black Prism, you will find your next must-read fantasy series in The Legacy of the Mercenary King.

The Two Faces of Democracy
The Two Faces of Democracy

Author: Mary F. Scudder

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2023

Total Pages: 217

ISBN-13: 0197623883

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

"The democratic imagination is facing significant challenges. These challenges involve not only deep philosophical questions about the core values of democracy, but also pressing practical issues related to how we should understand and confront the rise of right-wing authoritarian populism. What should our stance be as defenders of democratic life? The two most prominent efforts to orient us here are the deliberative and agonistic models of democracy. The former emphasizes reasoned discussion, but some worry that this exclusive focus overlooks structures of injustice that distort civil deliberation. The latter prioritizes contestation and conflict, but its proponents struggle to explain why this prime orientation to defeating political opponents will not also corrode our commitment to normative democratic restraints, like fairness. This book develops an understanding of the moral core of democracy. In doing so, it illuminates how these two faces of democratic life, the deliberative and agonistic, each has a significant, but constrained, role to play in a more capacious comprehension of what our democratic commitments require of us. The "communicative model" of democracy we propose provides better grounds for facing the challenges of contemporary anti-democratic movements than either the deliberative or agonistic models alone"--