Returning to his hometown in the 1960s segregated South, decorated war veteran, Ezekiel Brown, learns his innocent, simpleminded brother, Luke, has been brutally tortured and lynched after being wrongfully accused of the rape and murder of a local white girl. When the town, gripped in the clutches of a racially charged Ku Klux Klan, turns a blind eye, he must track down the killers himself. Plagued by the demons of a war-ravaged mind, he seizes simple but deadly elements at hand to force them to face the excruciating horror of common justice, accelerating to a shockingly unpredictable conclusion.

What is the human essence? Although typically viewed as one of the big questions in philosophy, exploring the human essence requires a deep and comprehensive understanding of the human condition and thus social psychological perspectives are pivotal. Advances in social-psychological theorizing and research suggest that humans can be viewed as biological beings as well as cultural creatures, rational reasoners as well as emotional enigmas, moral minds as well as amoral agents. In this volume, talented scholars come together to present a fascinating array of insight into such topics ranging from evolutionary approaches to social constructivist accounts that essentially deny the existence of a human essence altogether. As such, this volume showcases the various shades of human essence that social psychology has discovered. Through these novel chapters, edited by Martijn van Zomeren and John F. Dovidio, The Oxford Handbook of the Human Essence expertly articulates both what social psychology can tell us about the human essence, and the astonishing range of perspectives reflected within this field. Consequently, this volume also raises important questions about the future of social psychology and the role of the notion of the human essence.

As a law student and young lawyer in the 1760s, Thomas Jefferson began writing abstracts of English common law reports. Even after abandoning his law practice, he continued to rely on his legal commonplace book to document the legal, historical, and philosophical reading that helped shape his new role as a statesman. Indeed, he made entries in the notebook in preparation for his mission to France, as president of the United States, and near the end of his life. This authoritative volume is the first to contain the complete text of Jefferson’s notebook. With more than 900 entries on such thinkers as Beccaria, Montesquieu, and Lord Kames, Jefferson’s Legal Commonplace Book is a fascinating chronicle of the evolution of Jefferson’s searching mind. Jefferson’s abstracts of common law reports, most published here for the first time, indicate his deepening commitment to whig principles and his incisive understanding of the political underpinnings of the law. As his intellectual interests and political aspirations evolved, so too did the content and composition of his notetaking. Unlike the only previous edition of Jefferson’s notebook, published in 1926, this edition features a verified text of Jefferson’s entries and full annotation, including essential information on the authors and books he documents. In addition, the volume includes a substantial introduction that places Jefferson’s text in legal, historical, and biographical context.

Public policy discussions are, at any time, a major issue in any government, since they are a fundamental part of government agendas and the main mechanism for the realization of human and social rights. Brazil is a country that has a growing importance in the international arena, especially for its environmental and cultural riches, making it a country of extreme geopolitical relevance. Nevertheless, issues such as security, hunger, education, health, transportation, and democracy are constantly put to the test in the face of its development, size, and conflicts.Therefore, this work aims to bring important reflections on this theme, analyzing the public policies regarding labor and human rights. And in the midst of this, social policies must function as tools to realize human rights and restore balance. It is a great book for understanding better the labor environment in Brazil and how it is affecting human rights safeguard.

Paul Weiss systematically maps creativity in its many manifestations--creative ventures in the arts, in mathematics and the sciences, in moral development, in social movements, and in government. A truly creative work arises from a combination of factors. Weiss argues that among these factors are two kinds of ultimates, one of which he calls the Dunamis, an absolute ground of being of sufficient complexity to warrant an appendix of its own. The other ultimate is divided into five conditions (voluminous, rational, stratifying, affiliating, and coordinating), each of which is primarily operative upon one of the five kinds of creative ventures. Weiss traces the ways these ultimates are combined with the creator's individual being and with the obdurate material at hand as the creator strives toward a creative ideal. The result is the rare, truly creative venture sustaining human existence.

Smith has packed an incredible amount of information into this relatively short and clearly written book. His erudition is unquestionable, and his knowledge of current trends in medical technology and the ethical issues surrounding them is obvious on every page. P. Jenkins, Choice George P. Smith is one of the world s leading experts on the legal and ethical issues raised by modern medicine. His book is a wide-ranging and deeply informed and considered analysis of those issues, with particular emphasis on the inequality with which the benefits of modern medicine are bestowed on the sick. Knowledgeable as well about the technical aspects of the biomedical revolution, Smith writes with insight and authority, and offers a perspective that will influence the policy debates. Richard A. Posner, United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit and University of Chicago Law School, US While much has been written about the various issues addressed in this book genetics, cloning, informed consent, organ donation Smith s book moves beyond traditional legal analysis, tying these issues together by examining them through the lens of distributive justice. He thus provides the reader with a unique and valuable perspective on this important area. Distributive Justice and the New Medicine will be of interest to all those interested in health law and bioethics and in particular for those interested in distributive justice. Belinda Bennett, Journal of Law, Social Justice and Global Development Professor George P. Smith s Distributive Justice and the New Medicine is a major new work by one of the world s leading medical lawyers. This book brings important new insights into the complex area of rationing health care resources and should be read by anyone interested in seeking to create a just society. Jonathan Herring, Exeter College, University of Oxford, UK Is the advancement of scientific knowledge and the development of biomedical technologies known as the New Medicine desirable? George P. Smith asks this fundamental question while also confronting the distribution of these scarce medical resources. Law, economics, medical science, philosophy and ethics all coalesce in this discussion of how to structure normative standards of conduct that will improve the quality of human life. The author begins by examining various economic constructs as aids for achieving a fair and equitable delivery of health care services. He then assesses their level of practical application and evaluates the costs and benefits to society of pursuing the development and use of the New Medicine . The book ends with a case study of organ and tissue transplantation that illustrates the implementation of distributive justice. The author concludes that as long as clinical medicine maintains its focus on healing and alleviating suffering among patients, a point of equilibrium will be reached that advances the common good. This timely and compelling exploration will be a must-read for scholars, researchers, policymakers and all those interested in advances in medical technology and the issues surrounding access to health care.