Latest news with #Aristotle
Sydney Morning Herald
18 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
The 300-year-old sex manual for sale at the Melbourne Book Fair
It's the first sex manual written in English, it's more than 300 years old, and it's coming to Australia as just one of many historic treasures at the three-day 2025 Melbourne Book Fair. And this copy is annotated, so we can learn something about the 17th-century couple who consulted it. For centuries, Aristotle's Master-Piece was reprinted in hundreds of editions, and in the 1930s it was still for sale in Soho sex shops. Aristotle didn't actually write it (his was just a respected name to put onto a scandalous work), but it's an amalgam of advice from two physicians, Levinus Lemnius and Jacob Ruff. In it, you could find out about many aspects of conception, pregnancy, birth and copulation. It's racy stuff for its time. Pom Harrington, owner of UK booksellers Peter Harrington, one of the book fair's exhibitors, says the book recommends 'to cherish the Body with generous Restorative, to charm the Imagination with Musick, to drown all Cares in good Wine; that so the Mind being elevated to a pitch of Joy and Rapture, the sensual Appetite may be more freely encouraged to gratifie itself in the Delights of Nature'. There are frank descriptions of both male and female genitalia, in which the clitoris is identified as 'the seat of the greatest pleasure in Copulation' for women. And when both parties 'meet with an equal Ardour', there is a higher chance of procreation. There's plenty to charm the imagination, and possibly produce joy and rapture, in the current Melbourne Rare Book Week, with its program of free events leading up to the fair's opening on July 31. You can learn about collecting Georgette Heyer's novels; illustrations to Jane Austen's books; the women who contributed their artistic skills to natural history and science; or have a taste of some of Mrs Beeton's iconic recipes. For children and the young at heart, there's a dive into Alice's rabbit hole or a trip into Moominland. This year, Melbourne also hosts the trade's mecca event, the International League of Antiquarian Books Symposium. Officers past and present will speak at a session advising newcomers how to make a start in the rare book trade. And the symposium will discuss a range of issues for booksellers, including security concerns and the need to combat digital fraud. One of Australia's great bibliophiles, John Willis, will talk about his collection of rare gay and lesbian works. Willis is a former retailer and an early gay activist. His collection comes from donations and also from his own diligent work in seeking out forgotten treasures in bookshops and market stalls. A declaration of interest: I'll be talking to two prominent bookish women in separate events – Kay Craddock on 60 years of selling secondhand and antiquarian books and Lucy Sussex on the story of Mary Fortune, one of Australia's first crime writers. At the fair you can pick up a few items for a song, but if you want to buy Harrington's rare copy of Aristotle's Master-Piece, it will set you back $36,600. Winifred and Francis Witham would not have paid so much for it in 1699. The couple had two sons, but Winifred died soon after, possibly in childbirth, and they might have consulted the book for help with a difficult pregnancy.
The Age
18 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Age
The 300-year-old sex manual for sale at the Melbourne Book Fair
It's the first sex manual written in English, it's more than 300 years old, and it's coming to Australia as just one of many historic treasures at the three-day 2025 Melbourne Book Fair. And this copy is annotated, so we can learn something about the 17th-century couple who consulted it. For centuries, Aristotle's Master-Piece was reprinted in hundreds of editions, and in the 1930s it was still for sale in Soho sex shops. Aristotle didn't actually write it (his was just a respected name to put onto a scandalous work), but it's an amalgam of advice from two physicians, Levinus Lemnius and Jacob Ruff. In it, you could find out about many aspects of conception, pregnancy, birth and copulation. It's racy stuff for its time. Pom Harrington, owner of UK booksellers Peter Harrington, one of the book fair's exhibitors, says the book recommends 'to cherish the Body with generous Restorative, to charm the Imagination with Musick, to drown all Cares in good Wine; that so the Mind being elevated to a pitch of Joy and Rapture, the sensual Appetite may be more freely encouraged to gratifie itself in the Delights of Nature'. There are frank descriptions of both male and female genitalia, in which the clitoris is identified as 'the seat of the greatest pleasure in Copulation' for women. And when both parties 'meet with an equal Ardour', there is a higher chance of procreation. There's plenty to charm the imagination, and possibly produce joy and rapture, in the current Melbourne Rare Book Week, with its program of free events leading up to the fair's opening on July 31. You can learn about collecting Georgette Heyer's novels; illustrations to Jane Austen's books; the women who contributed their artistic skills to natural history and science; or have a taste of some of Mrs Beeton's iconic recipes. For children and the young at heart, there's a dive into Alice's rabbit hole or a trip into Moominland. This year, Melbourne also hosts the trade's mecca event, the International League of Antiquarian Books Symposium. Officers past and present will speak at a session advising newcomers how to make a start in the rare book trade. And the symposium will discuss a range of issues for booksellers, including security concerns and the need to combat digital fraud. One of Australia's great bibliophiles, John Willis, will talk about his collection of rare gay and lesbian works. Willis is a former retailer and an early gay activist. His collection comes from donations and also from his own diligent work in seeking out forgotten treasures in bookshops and market stalls. A declaration of interest: I'll be talking to two prominent bookish women in separate events – Kay Craddock on 60 years of selling secondhand and antiquarian books and Lucy Sussex on the story of Mary Fortune, one of Australia's first crime writers. At the fair you can pick up a few items for a song, but if you want to buy Harrington's rare copy of Aristotle's Master-Piece, it will set you back $36,600. Winifred and Francis Witham would not have paid so much for it in 1699. The couple had two sons, but Winifred died soon after, possibly in childbirth, and they might have consulted the book for help with a difficult pregnancy.
The Independent
2 days ago
- The Independent
What I learned tackling burnout in a remote resort town in Greece
An overpowering stench of rotten egg rises from clouds of steam surrounding a bathtub-sized hole. It was carved out of the rocks here several millennia ago. Shivering in the late spring breeze whisking off the bay beneath me, I slip into my swimsuit and slide inside. Worn by the bodies of countless bathers, the stone is silky soft. I soon forget the eggy scent of sulphur as I sink up to my neck in the hot spring waters and watch the sun descend in a scarlet blaze over the bay where Agamemnon sheltered with his warships on his way to Troy. I'm in the remote town of Edipsos in northern Evia on the first stage of my journey to see if Greece's mineral-rich waters, which the ancient Greeks once prescribed for treating 'imbalances in the humours' and akidia (brain fatigue), can heal my writer's burnout. Bubbling out of the ground at 35C, Edipsos' mineral-rich springs – that were 'sent by the gods for healing' according to ancient Greek philosopher Pausanias – have been popular with 'greats' ranging from Aristotle and Strabo since the 4th Century BC. A celebrity magnet right up until the late 20th century, stars including Greta Garbo, Omar Sharif, and Maria Callas once flocked here in their bathing suits and budgie smugglers to 'take the waters'. In the post-war years, however, when holistic treatments were replaced by quick-fix chemical cures, Edipsos' glitzy hotels went out of fashion. Nowadays, the resort has plenty of abandoned buildings. With their peeling ochre facades and gaping windows, they frame weed-tangled alleyways crisscrossed with rivulets of steaming spring water where endangered spur-thighed tortoises love to hibernate. I'm staying at Thermae Syllae. Edipsos' first spa hotel, which opened in 1896, it's one of the few resorts that have remained open. Named for a Roman general who was cured of a mysterious skin disease here in 84BC, the resort has won countless awards for its hot-spring-fed pools and medical spa complex. Wrapped from top to toe in slimy thermal mud in one of Therma Sylla's treatment rooms on the following day, I ponder on the sanity of this trip. 'It doesn't feel very nice now, but you'll feel great later,' therapist Ioanna says soothingly. When the dried mud cracks like the veneer on an old painting and Ioanna power-showers me clean, my skin feels soft and smooth. 'It's volcanic mud and full of minerals needed by your skin – and your soul,' she laughs. That evening, sipping a refreshing ouzo sour made with anise liqueur and lemon juice at Venti, a clifftop taverna perched high above Euboea's storied bay, I begin to enjoy my hot spring trip. After a hearty breakfast of local treats – spoon sweets in creamy yoghurt and fried feta pie tiropitaria – I trundle across the Euboean Gulf in one of the open ferries that Greeks call pantoufla (slipper) because of their sloppy shoe shape, and drive around the bay to Kamena Vourla. Backed by the pine-furred foothills of Mount Knimis, and overlooking a golden sand beach, this seaside resort loved by Greeks – but rarely on tourist radars – is home to countless hot water springs that contain radon – dangerous in high doses, but beneficial for both mind and body when taken occasionally. I spend the day dipping in and out of the different spring pools. ' I come here all the time,' a healthy-looking octogenarian tells me. 'It's good for me and it's free – what could be better?' The following night, I go upmarket with a stay at Mitsis Gallini, a wellness resort and spa with the largest mineral spring pool in the Balkans. Although the lagoon-like pool with its tree-studded islands surrounded by trimmed lawns is stunning, I can't help wondering why I'm paying so much money for a health treat that I'd enjoyed on the previous day for free. Just along from Kamena Vourla on the main Lamia road, I discover the spear-waving statue of Leonidas, the Spartan King who launched a suicide mission to defend the pass against vastly superior Persian forces in 480 BC. It signals the entry to Thermopylae, a hot spring waterfall that's been a healing site since Mycean times. The stream of hot water gushes out of a cleft in pine-furred cliffs at 37C. Eyes closed, I let the hot water pummel my body. The noise is deafening. Afterwards I feel relaxed and invigorated, just as Hercules must have done when he came here to restore his energy after killing the Nemean lion. Vouliagmeni Lake a few hours' drive away, is my last stop. Greeks have soaked away their troubles in this hot spring-fed lake for more than 2,500 years, so it seemed like a good spot to end my journey. Floating motionless in the emerald-green waters, I stare up at the luminous blue vault of sky, realising that I haven't thought about work all day. These ancient treatments have been the perfect cure for my modern aches. How to get there Flights from London Heathrow to Athens with Aegean Airlines start at £147 return. From there you can hire a car with Hertz and drive three hours to Arkitsa, where the 'slipper' ferry leaves for Edipsos. Where to stay Thermae Sylla bookings include access to the resort's mineral-rich hot spring pools. Mitsis Gallini room bookings include breakfast and pool access.
Forbes
4 days ago
- General
- Forbes
10 Must-Read Books For Anyone Interested In Philosophy
Plato and Aristotle in discussion, 1437, by Luca della Robbia (ca 1400-1482), marble tile, depicts ... More two of the greatest philosophers, who wrote two of the all-time best philosophy books. Philosophy books can open your eyes to new ways of thinking and help you develop a more disciplined, informed approach to life. The best philosophical books explain complex topics using simple language and true-life examples that illustrate concepts explored in nihilism, aesthetics, logic and metaphysics. After reading good books about philosophy, you can examine your own personal beliefs from a more informed perspective. Whether you are interested in moral or political philosophy or want to read a more modern take, you can find what you are looking for in these powerful books. This list of great books about philosophy includes takes from the ancient to the contemporary era. Top Philosophical Books Philosophy books encompass anything that examines the acquisition of knowledge, creation of values, and logic of reason. Classical philosophy includes thoughts from ancient Greeks and Romans, like famous authors Plato and Aristotle. Modern philosophy includes thinkers from the 17th century on, building on the work of Medieval and Renaissance philosophers. Fiction also includes philosophical themes. For instance, any novelist who examines ethics and morality touches on philosophy. Horror, mystery and sci-fi are great vehicles for this type of intellectual inquiry, as they often involve extreme circumstances. This list includes nonfiction books ranked on the uniqueness of their insights, academic rigor of their hypotheses, commercial popularity and enduring value. Aristotle published the first Greek work to examine dramatic theory from a philosophical point of view, underscoring the importance of the arts in building a strong society. He divides the forms of poetry into distinctive groups and observes the differences in how they mimic real life. This book is best for drama lovers or fans of Greek mythology. Aristotle's Poetics is available from publisher Penguin Random House. Considered one of the classics of political philosophy that forms the basis for modern liberalism, Second Treatise of Government considers the basic elements of human nature. It covers debates over tolerance and just government, segueing into more contemporary concerns about citizens' essential freedoms and how to uphold them. This book is best for anyone who wants to learn more about liberalism. John Locke's Second Treatise of Government is available from publisher Oxford University Press. Frank B. Wilderson III's accessible yet intellectual look at how race impacts moral and political decisions was longlisted for the National Book Award. He delves into the history of Black enslavement in the United States and how it continues to impact people today, not shying away from tough ethical questions. This book is best for anyone interested in identity and history. Frank B. Wilderson III's Afropessimism is available from publisher W.W. Norton. Intention is one of the philosophical cornerstones of the 20th century. G.E.M. Anscombe examines how intention can (unintentionally) set us up for problems that are deceptively hard to solve. She looks at agency and people's reasons for acting the way they do. The book was hailed at publication as a work of genius. This book is best for anyone interested in philosophy that examines action. G.E.M. Anscombe's Intention is available from publisher Harvard University Press. Augustine of Hippo, also known as St. Augustine, grew up with parents on either side of the religious spectrum, with one an active non-believer. The saint's musings on how he came to embrace Christianity make for one of the best philosophical books about Christian doctrine. This book is best for those seeking cross-disciplinary works. Augustine of Hippo's Confessions is available from publisher Penguin Random House. Botticelli's 1480 depiction of St. Augustine in his cell. Also known as Augustine of Hippo, he wrote ... More "Confessions," one of the best philosophy books. Philosopher Judith Butler (they/them) has developed powerful theories on gender. Their work, often cited by feminist and queer theory scholars, challenges conventional notions of gender and argues that power 'constrains' sex. They also explore performative sex and gender roles, taking inspiration from great literature in their work. This book is best for anyone interested in gender identity. Judith Butler's Bodies that Matter is available from publisher Routledge. The famed Chinese military treatise devotes each of 13 chapters to different military tactics and is arguably the most famous book on the philosophy of war. It looks at the moral imperatives of war and how each side can argue it is just. Sun Tzu highlights unity, not army size, as a critical success factor. This book is best for those interested in the philosophy of war. Sun Tzu's The Art of War is available from publisher Penguin Random House. Mary Wollstonecraft's extended essay is one of the first works of feminist philosophy. Her response to critics arguing against women's education doesn't call for a gender revolution but does lay out the ways education could help women better support their families and become more than just wives. This book is best for anyone curious about early feminist theory. Mary Wollstonecraft's Vindication of the Rights of Women is available from publisher Penguin Random House. One of the most influential (and controversial) philosophy books ever published, The Second Sex helped spark the second wave of feminism. De Beauvoir begins with the question, 'What is woman?' and how women have been defined as other, i.e., not men. She also rejects traditional views of what women are supposed to be. This book is best for anyone interested in women's treatment in the past. Simone de Beauvoir's The Second Sex is available from publisher Penguin Random House. Plato penned one of the most influential philosophy books in history with this examination of justice and whether the just man is happier than the unjust man. Using Socratic dialogue, Plato proposes a utopian state called Kallipolis and considers the nature of current regimes compared to the ideal. This book is best for anyone interested in ethics or self help books. Plato's Republic is available from publisher Penguin Random House. Bottom Line Philosophy books can give you a new perspective on issues and educate you. Choosing any of these works will expand your mind and prompt new questions worth answering in your own daily life. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) What Are Good Philosophy Books For Beginners? Reading philosophy can be challenging. By starting with a more accessible text, readers become familiar with foundational philosophical ideas. Here are two good philosophy books for beginners: Thomas Aquinas's Selected Writings leans heavily on Aristotle's teachings to analyze the relationship between faith and reason from a medieval Christian perspective. Plato's The Last Days of Socrates breaks down the latter's famed trial in four propulsive dialogues. What Are Good Philosophical Fiction Novels? Fiction is a fruitful medium for philosophical inquiry because so many questions can be couched in the form of a story. Two excellent philosophical fiction novels are: Sophie's World by Jostein Gaarder (1991) follows a 14-year-old Norwegian girl who begins lessons on philosophy with a mysterious correspondent. The Stranger by Albert Camus (1946) tells the story of a man who becomes embroiled in a murder while at an Algerian beach. What Are Good Moral Philosophy Books? Moral philosophy focuses on ethics. Two terrific moral philosophy books are: John Stuart Mill's Utilitarianism and Other Essays, which approaches morality by measuring how many people are positively impacted. Immanuel Kant's Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals (1785) sets the foundational ground for his future arguments related to ethics. What Are Good Political Philosophy Books? Exploring questions related to justice, social justice and social organizing, political philosophy often weighs the obligations of the state versus the individual. Two good political philosophy books are: Niccolo Machiavelli's The Prince (1532) suggests cutthroat tactics for gaining political power, favoring efficiency over ideals. Thomas Hobbes' Leviathan (1651) outlines the social contract theory and how government can prosper with an absolute sovereign. What Are Good Modern Philosophy Books? So much of popular philosophy hails from centuries ago. But modern-day philosophers still make salient points, as in these two exceptional modern philosophy books: Natural Goodness by Philippa Foot (2003) expands on her views as one of the founders of contemporary virtue ethics, including her critiques of Kant and Nietzsche. Debating Religious Liberty and Discrimination by John Corvino, Ryan T. Anderson and Sherif Girgis (2017) offers differing takes on a slew of religious liberty issues.
Time of India
6 days ago
- General
- Time of India
Thevara-Perandoor Canal desilting faces fresh hurdles
Kochi: Desilting of Thevara-Perandoor (TP) Canal is facing fresh hurdles in Kaloor area due to the sinking of its weak walls. Irrigation department is carrying out the desilting work by dividing the entire canal into four reaches or stretches. Work in each reach was awarded to different contractors to expedite the work. "Walls of the canal in Kaloor area are very weak. So, when silt is removed from the canal, the wall sinks from the bottom. Now, residents on either side are protesting against the desilting. This makes the job difficult," said Kathrikadavu councillor M G Aristotle. "Otherwise, the work was progressing well," he said. "We will consult the corporation and the irrigation department to sort out the issue," Aristotle said. Irrigation department undertook the desilting work at a cost of Rs 10 crore. Though the department invited tenders multiple times, no bidder came forward to undertake the work. Later, the work was divided into four reaches and fresh tenders were invited. The work was awarded to four contractors. The Rs 18-crore TP Canal rejuvenation project, implemented by corporation under Amrut scheme, is ongoing.
