Candide

Candide
Author: By Voltaire
Publisher: BookRix
Total Pages: 169
Release: 2019-06-10
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 3736801785

Candide is a French satire by Voltaire, a philosopher of the Age of Enlightenment. It begins with a young man, Candide, who is living a sheltered life in an Edenic paradise and being indoctrinated with Leibnizian optimism (or simply Optimism) by his mentor, Pangloss. The work describes the abrupt cessation of this lifestyle, followed by Candide's slow, painful disillusionment as he witnesses and experiences great hardships in the world. Voltaire concludes with Candide, if not rejecting optimism outright, advocating a deeply practical precept, "we must cultivate our garden", in lieu of the Leibnizian mantra of Pangloss, "all is for the best in the best of all possible worlds". Candide is characterized by its sarcastic tone, as well as by its erratic, fantastical and fast-moving plot. A picaresque novel it parodies many adventure and romance clichés, the struggles of which are caricatured in a tone that is mordantly matter-of-fact. Still, the events discussed are often based on historical happenings, such as the Seven Years' War and the 1755 Lisbon earthquake. As philosophers of Voltaire's day contended with the problem of evil, so too does Candide in this short novel, albeit more directly and humorously. Voltaire ridicules religion, theologians, governments, armies, philosophies, and philosophers through allegory; most conspicuously, he assaults Leibniz and his optimism. As expected by Voltaire, Candide has enjoyed both great success and great scandal. Immediately after its secretive publication, the book was widely banned because it contained religious blasphemy, political sedition and intellectual hostility hidden under a thin veil of naïveté. However, with its sharp wit and insightful portrayal of the human condition, the novel has since inspired many later authors and artists to mimic and adapt it. Today, Candide is recognized as Voltaire's magnum opus and is often listed as part of the Western canon; it is arguably taught more than any other work of French literature. It was listed as one of The 100 Most Influential Books Ever Written.

I Wish You All the Best

I Wish You All the Best
Author: Mason Deaver
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Total Pages: 326
Release: 2019-05-14
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
ISBN: 1338306138

Perfect for fans of Adam Silvera and Becky Albertalli, Mason Deaver's stunning debut will rip your heart out before showing you how to heal from tragedy and celebrate life in the process. "Heartfelt, romantic, and quietly groundbreaking. This book will save lives." -- Becky Albertalli, New York Times bestselling author of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens AgendaIt's just three words: I am nonbinary. But that's all it takes to change everything.When Ben De Backer comes out to their parents as nonbinary, they're thrown out of their house and forced to move in with their estranged older sister, Hannah, and her husband, Thomas, whom Ben has never even met. Struggling with an anxiety disorder compounded by their parents' rejection, they come out only to Hannah, Thomas, and their therapist and try to keep a low profile in a new school.But Ben's attempts to survive the last half of senior year unnoticed are thwarted when Nathan Allan, a funny and charismatic student, decides to take Ben under his wing. As Ben and Nathan's friendship grows, their feelings for each other begin to change, and what started as a disastrous turn of events looks like it might just be a chance to start a happier new life.At turns heartbreaking and joyous, I Wish You All the Best is both a celebration of life, friendship, and love, and a shining example of hope in the face of adversity.

All the Best, George Bush

All the Best, George Bush
Author: George Bush
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 691
Release: 2013-03-05
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 1476731160

Contains primary source material.

Candide

Candide
Author: Voltaire
Publisher: Nicolae Sfetcu
Total Pages: 100
Release:
Genre: Fiction
ISBN:

Translated and illustrated by Nicolae Sfetcu. A philosophical tale, a story of a journey that will transform the eponymous hero into a philosopher. An important debate on fatalism and the existence of Evil. For a long time Voltaire has been fiercely opposed to the ideas of the philosopher Leibniz concerning God, the "principle of sufficient reason," and his idea of ​​"pre-established harmony." God is perfect, the world can not be, but God has created the best possible world. Evil exists punctually, but it is compensated elsewhere by an infinitely great good. Nothing happens without there being a necessary cause. An encouragement to fatalism. Voltaire opposes to this optimism that he considers smug, a lucid vision on the world and its imperfections, a confidence in the man who is able to improve his condition. In Candide, Voltaire openly attacks Leibnizian optimism and makes Pangloss a ridiculous defender of this philosophy. Criticism of optimism is the main theme of the tale: each of the adventures of the hero tends to prove that it is wrong to believe that our world is the best of all possible worlds.

The Best of All Possible Worlds

The Best of All Possible Worlds
Author: Karen Lord
Publisher: Del Rey
Total Pages: 334
Release: 2013-02-12
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0345534069

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY BUZZFEED • A stunning epic that is at once a new vision of science fiction and a deeply moving love story, from the award-winning author of Redemption in Indigo “An engrossing picaresque quest, a love story, and a moving character study . . . [Karen] Lord is on a par with Ursula K. Le Guin.”—The Guardian A proud and reserved alien society finds its homeland destroyed in an unprovoked act of aggression, leaving the survivors no choice but to reach out to the indigenous humanoids of their adopted world, to whom they are distantly related. They wish to preserve their cherished way of life but discover that to protect their culture, they may have to change it forever. Now a man and a woman from opposite sides of these clashing societies must work together to save this vanishing race—and end up uncovering ancient mysteries with far-reaching ramifications. As their mission hangs in the balance, these unlikely partners—one cool and cerebral, the other fiery and impulsive—may find in each other their own destinies . . . and a force that transcends all. Includes two bonus short stories “[A] fascinating and thoughtful science fiction novel that examines] adaptation, social change, and human relationships. I’ve not read anything quite like it, which makes it that rare beast: a true original.”—Kate Elliott, author of the Crown of Stars series and The Spiritwalker Trilogy “Reads like smooth jazz comfort food, deceptively familiar and easy going down, but subtly subversive.”—Nalo Hopkinson, Los Angeles Review of Books “If you want to see science fiction doing something new and fascinating . . . then you shouldn’t sleep on The Best of All Possible Worlds.”—io9 “Rewarding science fiction for emotional grown-ups.”—Mysterious Galaxy “[A] marvelously formed universe.”—The A.V. Club “A rewarding, touching and often funny exploration of the forms and functions of human culture.”—SFX “The Best of All Possible Worlds . . . poses an interesting question: What parts of you do you fight to preserve when everything you know suddenly changes?”—Associated Press

The Best of All Possible Worlds

The Best of All Possible Worlds
Author: Steven Nadler
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Total Pages: 312
Release: 2010-04-04
Genre: History
ISBN: 0691145318

Originally published: New York: Farrar. Straus, and Giroux, 2008.

Leibniz, Or the Best of All Possible Worlds

Leibniz, Or the Best of All Possible Worlds
Author: Jean Paul Mongin
Publisher: Diaphanes
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2020
Genre: JUVENILE FICTION
ISBN: 9783035801422

Vienna, 1714: Late in life, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, the universal genius of his time, puts down his pen and declares his description of the universe to be complete. In the evening, he sits in his study room among letters, books, and manuscripts as his young friend Theodor comes for a visit. Theodor is bothered by one question: Why is there evil? And why do people commit crimes? With an example from ancient Greek mythology, Leibniz develops his theory about the best of all possible worlds. With this vivid "story within a story" Jean Paul Mongin successfully imparts the complex philosophical ideas of Leibniz to young readers. At its most basic, philosophy is about learning how to think about the world around us. It should come as no surprise, then, that children make excellent philosophers Naturally inquisitive, pint-size scholars need little prompting before being willing to consider life's "big questions," however strange or impractical. Plato & Co. introduces children--and curious grown-ups--to the lives and work of famous philosophers, from Socrates to Descartes, Einstein, Marx, and Wittgenstein. Each book in the series features an engaging--and often funny--story that presents basic tenets of philosophical thought alongside vibrant color illustrations.

All the Best Liars

All the Best Liars
Author: Amelia Kahaney
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Total Pages: 265
Release: 2022-04-05
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
ISBN: 125031271X

Amelia Kahaney's All the Best Liars is a dark, modern psychological thriller and coming-of-age story about obsession, manipulation, and the intensity of those first friendships that take hold of you and never let go Tic-tac-toe, three girls in a row. Nine years old and inseparable. Friends for life, or so they think . . . Best friends Syd, Rain, and Brie grew up on the wrong side of the tracks in the stifling California desert, desperately wishing for a way out. When a deadly fire is set two weeks before the end of high school, nothing will ever be the same. In the end, each of them will escape—but not in the way any of them expects. One will do it by dying, another by lying, a third by taking the fall. With gorgeous, taut prose and twists to the very last page, All the Best Liars alternates between the present and the past to unravel the truth behind the fire and the cost of the secrets at the heart of their friendship.

The Best of All Possible Worlds

The Best of All Possible Worlds
Author: Ivar Ekeland
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Total Pages: 214
Release: 2007-10-31
Genre: Mathematics
ISBN: 0226199959

Optimists believe this is the best of all possible worlds, and pessimists fear that might really be the case. There was a time, during the 17th and 18th centuries, when scientists and mathematicians felt they could provide the answer. This book is their story.

The Best Yes

The Best Yes
Author: Lysa TerKeurst
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Total Pages: 273
Release: 2014-08-19
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1400205867

Are you tired of living with the stress of an overwhelmed schedule and aching with the sadness of an underwhelmed soul? Do you find yourself unable to say no even when you should? Are you stuck under the weight of endless demands and responsibilities? The good news is: it doesn't have to be this way. In The Best Yes, New York Times bestselling author Lysa TerKeurst guides you through the insightful lessons she's learned about what it means to live out the purpose that God has in store for you. Lysa demonstrates the incredible power of two words--yes and no--and the way that these simple, daily decisions can shape the story of our lives. Lysa has learned firsthand that there's a big difference between saying yes to everyone and saying yes to God. Drawing from applicable scriptures and her own personal experiences, Lysa teaches us that if we know and believe that God has a plan for each of us, we'll live it out--serving as living proof of His never-ending grace and kindness. Throughout The Best Yes, Lysa will give you the practical tools you need to: Stop people-pleasing by embracing a biblical understanding of love Escape the guilt of disappointing others by learning the secret of the small no Overcome the agony of hard choices by grounding your decisions in wisdom Grow closer to God as you sharpen your own discernment Learn to be intentional with your time, your choices, and yourself Incorporate the Best Yes as a filter for your daily decision making If we take time to slow down and rise above the rush of the world's endless demands, we can rest assured that God's wisdom will help us make decisions that will still be good tomorrow. No matter what season of life you find yourself in, you deserve the chance to make decisions that bring out the best you.