The Descent of Man (Diversion Classics)

The Descent of Man (Diversion Classics)
Author: Charles Darwin
Publisher: Diversion Books
Total Pages: 907
Release: 2016-06-28
Genre: Science
ISBN: 1682307611

Considered one of the most significant pieces of his life's work, Charles Darwin's The Descent of Man forever shaped our understanding of human evolution. Picked apart in 1871 for its controversial content, Darwin's findings explore two essential facets of evolutionary theory: natural selection and sexual selection. Pointing to undeniable anatomical, mental, and social similarities, Darwin asserts not just that all races of humanity share a single origin, but that we share common ancestors with other animals and have evolved in similar ways. Under sexual selection, he argues that females choosing among competing males has determined our differentiating racial characteristics. Though aspects of Descent have been met with contention to this day, this book is a must-read for anyone curious about humanity and its origin. Featuring an appendix of discussion questions, this Diversion Classics edition is ideal for use in book groups and classrooms. For more classic titles like this, visit www.diversionbooks.com/ebooks/diversion-classics

Defensible Faith

Defensible Faith
Author: Robert Ryan
Publisher: WestBow Press
Total Pages: 242
Release: 2023-07-19
Genre: Religion
ISBN:

A persistent dumbing down of religious faith and the perception that science is the only path to truth are key reasons the Nones, those with no religious affiliation, represent nearly fifty percent of all young adults in America today. God and science are falsely portrayed as conflicted and innately incompatible. Afraid to offend this new status quo, and unable to defend religious beliefs against increasingly aggressive intellectual bullying, the young have flocked to the safety of no belief. In Defensible Faith, author Robert Ryan demonstrates that God and science are both true and are both necessary in understanding ourselves and the world around us. He looks at how science provides many compelling arguments for belief in God as well as the more philosophical justifications for faith and the evidential basis supporting Christianity. If you have ever struggled to defend your faith in an intellectually well-reasoned manner, then let this book be your guide.

The Mayor of Casterbridge (Diversion Classics)

The Mayor of Casterbridge (Diversion Classics)
Author: Thomas Hardy
Publisher: Diversion Books
Total Pages: 414
Release: 2016-06-28
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1682307670

Considered one of Hardy’s best works, this sobering and complex story of self-destruction features one of literature's quintessential tragic heroes. In a drunken fit of rage, young hay-trusser Michael Henchard auctions off his wife and baby daughter at a county fair. Exhausted by his behavior, his wife decides to leave with the highest bidder. The next day, too late to stop them from leaving, Henchard is consumed with immense regret. He vows not to touch a drop of alcohol for twenty-one years. Nineteen years later, Henchard is sober, wealthy, and now the mayor of Casterbridge. Just as he begins to fall in love with another woman, Henchard’s wife and who he believes to be his daughter return. What follows is an intensely dramatic tale of pride, anger, and regret that cannot be put down. Featuring an appendix of discussion questions, this Diversion Classics edition is ideal for use in book groups and classrooms. For more classic titles like this, visit www.diversionbooks.com/ebooks/diversion-classics

Kim (Diversion Classics)

Kim (Diversion Classics)
Author: Rudyard Kipling
Publisher: Diversion Books
Total Pages: 357
Release: 2016-06-28
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1682307654

Feted as a Nobel Laureate and beloved for his stories the world over, Kim captivates readers with Kipling’s vivid, conflicted glimpse into the world of mid-19th century India under British colonial rule. Kimball O’Hara, the orphaned son of an Irish soldier, is used to fending for himself on the streets of Lahore. Neither British nor Indian, Kim still manages to hustle between both worlds. Street wise and cunning, Kim survives by begging and running errands. But as he learns to gracefully navigate between British and Indian culture, he begins to serve both in equal measure. Living a double life, Kim becomes the disciple of a Tibetan lama while training as a spy for the British secret service. Kim’s thrilling adventures are a gem no Kipling fan should overlook and an excellent addition to any collection. Featuring an appendix of discussion questions, this Diversion Classics edition is ideal for use in book groups and classrooms. For more classic titles like this, visit www.diversionbooks.com/ebooks/diversion-classics

The Picture of Dorian Gray (Diversion Classics)

The Picture of Dorian Gray (Diversion Classics)
Author: Oscar Wilde
Publisher: Diversion Books
Total Pages:
Release: 2015-10-27
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1682301648

Featuring an appendix of discussion questions, the Diversion Classics edition is ideal for use in book groups and classrooms. Oscar Wilde's only novel tells the story of Dorian Gray, a vain man so obsessed with his hedonistic lifestyle he is willing to sell his soul. Ensuring that a portrait of himself will age while he remains youthful, Dorian pursues a life of debauchery, but his actions soon take him past the point of redemption. Controversial and frequently banned, THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY is a fascinating exploration of conscience and morality.

Far From the Madding Crowd (Diversion Classics)

Far From the Madding Crowd (Diversion Classics)
Author: Thomas Hardy
Publisher: Diversion Books
Total Pages: 509
Release: 2016-05-24
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1682306437

Featuring an appendix of discussion questions, the Diversion Classics edition is ideal for use in book groups and classrooms. Thomas Hardy’s fourth novel and first major literary success follows the spirited Bathsheba Everdene on her journey to Weatherbury to become a farmer on the area’s largest estate. Drawn by her dauntless nature and extraordinary beauty, three very different men seek her heart, complicating the simple life she’s carved for herself in the process. Hardy’s rich depiction of the rural world within Wessex, and stunningly textured characters have made this one of the most influential Romance pieces of its time. For more classic titles like this, visit www.diversionbooks.com/ebooks/diversion-classics

The Descent of Man

The Descent of Man
Author: Grayson Perry
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 162
Release: 2017-05-30
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1524705306

What does it mean to be male in the 21st Century? Award-winning artist Grayson Perry explores what masculinity is: from sex to power, from fashion to career prospects, and what it could become—with illustrations throughout. In this witty and necessary new book, artist Grayson Perry trains his keen eye on the world of men to ask, what sort of man would make the world a better place? What would happen if we rethought the macho, outdated version of manhood, and embraced a different ideal? In the current atmosphere of bullying, intolerance and misogyny, demonstrated in the recent Trump versus Clinton presidential campaign, The Descent of Man is a timely and essential addition to current conversations around gender. Apart from gaining vast new wardrobe options, the real benefit might be that a newly fitted masculinity will allow men to have better relationships—and that’s happiness, right? Grayson Perry admits he’s not immune from the stereotypes himself—yet his thoughts on everything from power to physical appearance, from emotions to a brand new Manifesto for Men, are shot through with honesty, tenderness, and the belief that, for everyone to benefit, updating masculinity has to be something men decide to do themselves. They have nothing to lose but their hang-ups.

Oreo

Oreo
Author: Fran Ross
Publisher: New Directions Publishing
Total Pages: 156
Release: 2015-07-07
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 081122323X

A pioneering, dazzling satire about a biracial black girl from Philadelphia searching for her Jewish father in New York City Oreo is raised by her maternal grandparents in Philadelphia. Her black mother tours with a theatrical troupe, and her Jewish deadbeat dad disappeared when she was an infant, leaving behind a mysterious note that triggers her quest to find him. What ensues is a playful, modernized parody of the classical odyssey of Theseus with a feminist twist, immersed in seventies pop culture, and mixing standard English, black vernacular, and Yiddish with wisecracking aplomb. Oreo, our young hero, navigates the labyrinth of sound studios and brothels and subway tunnels in Manhattan, seeking to claim her birthright while unwittingly experiencing and triggering a mythic journey of self-discovery like no other.