Marika Taylor

A clear, accessible introduction to modern and American thought by the influentual philosopher, psychologist, educator and author William James. This is a new, compact edition of one the most important pillars of modern philosophy. James' foundational work defines the move from the heritage of European thinking with its abstractions and theoretical absolutes, to an energetic mode of philosophy based on facts and power, one more suited to the rising dominance of America through the 20th Century. The FLAME TREE Foundations series features core publications which together have shaped the cultural landscape of the modern world, with cutting-edge research distilled into pocket guides designed to be both accessible and informative.

With a new introduction placing Plato's great work at the heart of ancient concepts of human organization and justice, this new edition of The Republic is both accessible and essential. Much of traditional Western thought began in Antiquity, flowing from Platonic dialogues, The Republic being the most significant. Plato expresses the political, ethical and societal framework for the nature of the ideal state and defines the the notion of justice. This new, concise version is carefully edited for the modern audience. The FLAME TREE Foundations series features core publications which together have shaped the cultural landscape of the modern world, with cutting-edge research distilled into pocket guides designed to be both accessible and informative.

The Interpretation of Dreams is an essential work of psychological and cultural heritage and probably the most important of Freud’s impressive output. Published in 1899 but revised by Freud himself many times, it outlines his theories on the unconscious and dream symbolism. Though largely superseded by subsequent developments and research, it retains its place as a hugely influential and significant opus. This new compact edition is abridged by expert Dr Richard Stevens. It uses A.A. Brill’s 1913 translation of the third edition, with an introduction by Dr Stevens, who discusses the context, reception, influence, importance and merits or otherwise of Freud’s text and Brill’s translation. The FLAME TREE Foundations series features core publications which together have shaped the cultural landscape of the modern world, with cutting-edge research distilled into pocket guides designed to be both accessible and informative.

Ptolemy’s great astronomical work, which we know as The Almagest, brought together the ideas of Greek Antiquity, based on Aristotle some 400 years earlier, that the sun and planets revolved around the earth. This geocentric view which was inherited by Byzantine and Islamic scholars until Copernicus’ observations 1400 years later, placed the sun at the focal point of the solar system. For centuries Ptolemy’s methods were sufficient to predict solar and lunar eclipses and his work was translated into Latin in the 12th century, spreading its use across western Europe. This new, accessible edition brings the learning of the past to readers of today. The FLAME TREE Foundations series features core publications which together have shaped the cultural landscape of the modern world, with cutting-edge research distilled into pocket guides designed to be both accessible and informative.

An accessible, abridged edition with a new introduction. Renaissance Natural philosopher Nicolaus Copernicus's pioneering discovery of the heliocentric nature of the solar system is one of the few identifiable moments in history that define the understanding of the nature of all things. His great work was the consequence of long observation and resulted in the first stage of the Scientific Revolution by correctly positing that the earth and other planets of the solar system revolved around the sun. Not only did this promote further study to understand the place of humanity in the world and the universe, it questioned the authority of the organised Christian Church in the West to be the keeper of fundamental truths. Ultimately this would lead to the Enlightenment, and the separation of religion, government and science. The FLAME TREE Foundations series features core publications which together have shaped the cultural landscape of the modern world, with cutting-edge research distilled into pocket guides designed to be both accessible and informative.

Initially received with muted applause, Darwin's The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection was soon recognized as the breakthrough scientific advance that explained the evidence of the world around us, the place and history of humans, the connections between environment and evolution. Still regarded by some as radical, Darwin's contribution to world knowledge is immeasurable. This new, popular edition has been edited and abridged for the modern reader, to introduce Darwin's research in a digestible form. The FLAME TREE Foundations series features core publications which together have shaped the cultural landscape of the modern world, with cutting-edge research distilled into pocket guides designed to be both accessible and informative.

A new, popular edition with a clear introduction, Special & General Relativity by Albert Einstein contains his core paper, 'Relativity, The Special & The General Theory: A Popular Exposition', which established his reputation as one of the greatest thinkers of our (and perhaps any) age. Also included are two of the Princeton University lectures he gave to explain his findings in more detail, on 'The Meaning of Relativity', as well as the early paper which led to his famous equation E = mc2. The FLAME TREE Foundations series features core publications which together have shaped the cultural landscape of the modern world, with cutting-edge research distilled into pocket guides designed to be both accessible and informative.

In the philosophical language of Aristotle and the Greeks of Antiquity, 'Physics' roughly translates as 'the order of nature', covering what we would now differentiate as philosophy, science, politics, humanities and religion. One of Aristotle's great works, of which we here present an abridged edition, The Physics is an investigation into the nature of being, of the world and its place in the universe. Although philosophically much broader, it provides the foundation for the later work of Galileo and Isaac Newton, and prefigures Albert Einstein's breakthrough theories on time, space and the motion of stars. The FLAME TREE Foundations series features core publications which together have shaped the cultural landscape of the modern world, with cutting-edge research distilled into pocket guides designed to be both accessible and informative.

New concise edition with a new introduction, abridged for the modern reader. The Principia. Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy is one of the most important scientific works ever to have been written and has had a profound impact on modern science. Consisting of three separate books, the Principia states Newton’s laws of motion and Newton’s law of universal gravitation. Understanding and acceptance of these theories was not immediate, however by the end of the seventeenth century no one could deny that Newton had far exceeded all previous works and revolutionised scientific thinking. The FLAME TREE Foundations series features core publications which together have shaped the cultural landscape of the modern world, with cutting-edge research distilled into pocket guides designed to be both accessible and informative.

A concise, uncluttered edition for the modern reader, with a new introduction. Quantum Theory contains two foundational works of quantum research from the early years of the 20th Century, representing breakthroughs in science that radically altered the landscape of modern knowledge: Quantum Theory of Line-Spectra by Niels Bohr and The Origin and Development of the Quantum Theory by Max Planck. The FLAME TREE Foundations series features core publications which together have shaped the cultural landscape of the modern world, with cutting-edge research distilled into pocket guides designed to be both accessible and informative.