Books about Impossibility from Amazon.com

This unique anthology brings together for the first time most of the important arguments for the impossibility of God that have been published .
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In Impossibility, John D. Barrow--one of our most elegant and accomplished science writers--argues convincingly that there are limits to human discovery, that there are things that are ultimately unknowable, undoable, or unreachable Barrow first examines the limits of the human mind: our brain evolved to meet the demands of our immediate environment, and much that lies outside this small circle may also lie outside our understanding. He investigates practical impossibilities, such as those imposed by complexity, uncomputability, or the finiteness of time, space, and resources. Is the universe finite or infinite? Can information be transmitted faster than the speed of light? The book also examines deeper theoretical restrictions on our ability to know, including Godel's theorem, which proved that there were things that could not be proved. Finally, having explored the limits imposed on us from without, Barrow considers whether there are limits we should impose upon ourselves. Weaving together this intriguing tapestry, Barrow illuminates some of the most profound questions of science, from the possibility of time travel to the very structure of the universe..
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The Constitution may guarantee it. But religious freedom in America is, in fact, impossible So argues this timely and iconoclastic work by law and religion scholar Winnifred Sullivan. Sullivan uses as the backdrop for the book the trial of Warner vs. Boca Raton, a recent case concerning the laws that protect the free exercise of religion in America. The trial, for which the author served as an expert witness, concerned regulations banning certain memorials from a multiconfessional nondenominational cemetery in Boca Raton, Florida. The book portrays the unsuccessful struggle of Catholic, Protestant, and Jewish families in Boca Raton to preserve the practice of placing such religious artifacts as crosses and stars of David on the graves of the city-owned burial ground.

Sullivan demonstrates how, during the course of the proceeding, citizens from all walks of life and religious backgrounds were harassed to define just what their religion is. She argues that their plight points up a shocking truth: religion cannot be coherently defined for the purposes of American law, because everyone has different definitions of what religion is. Indeed, while religious freedom as a political idea was arguably once a force for tolerance, it has now become a force for intolerance, she maintains.

A clear-eyed look at the laws created to protect religious freedom, this vigorously argued book offers a new take on a right deemed by many to be necessary for a free democratic society. It will have broad appeal not only for religion scholars, but also for anyone interested in law and the Constitution.

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From the original 1929 promotion….Here Robert Ripley describes the land where rain has fallen for a million years; here he talks with you about the Ever-Standing Men and the Upside-Down Men of Benares Sport enthusiasts will prick up their ears at the queer tales told by the man who it is said can answer more questions on sports than any other living man. And—all these stores, all these marvelous adventuring into the countries of the fantastically true are lavishly illustrated with a multitude of those vivid cartoons which are followed eagerly every night in the New York Evening Post and more than 100 other newspapers. You will find your old favorites—and some new puzzlers which Mr. Ripley has uncorked now for the first time. Believe It Or Not—this volume contains a thousand new things under the sun!.
Price: $9.70 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Architectural Fragile Earth: Ground, the newest edition in the cutting-edge C . J. Lim/Studio 8 Architects series, presents architectural designs whose inspiration is the membrane. Presenting previously unpublished designs for architectural skins, surfaces, walls and enclosures from the world's leading architectural schools as well as such well-known names in architecture and engineering as Ove Arups, this fascinating volume proves how seamlessly science and art can merge. Featuring the series' hallmark eclectic mix of thoughts and observations and projects from both obscure and celebrated
architects, Architectural Fragile Earth: Ground, brings some of the best creative work in architecture today together in a single volume..
Price: $15.00 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Government frequently responds to crises (like 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina) with laws that have retrospective effects on existing contracts. Because these laws are usually constitutional, the promisee has no claim against the government. The promisor, however, will probably obtain an excuse from the contract because performance is now either illegal or impaired by government acts or orders. The promisor is in what can be called "the Zone of Coercion"; If excuse is granted, the contract is discharged but the promisee, because of limited remedies, will not be restored to its pre-contract position. Thus, the promisee's contract rights are casualties in what amounts to a constitutional taking by the government. This book traces and critiques the development from 19th-century England to the present of excuse doctrine and its application by courts in "the Zone"; The development of more general contract excuse doctrine and different theories about excuse - such as economic analysis and behavioral decision theory - are also traced in both private and public contracts..
Price: $35.39 [Notify me when price goes down.]

The conventional view of a patient in therapy has been that of someone who forms a powerful, erotic bond with the therapist. On the other hand, the view of the therapist has been that of a neutral listener, emotionally unaffected by the patient. But what really does go on within the sacrosanct space of the therapist's office?

Distinguished psychotherapist Susie Orbach provides the answers as she presents six stories of patients, all of whom suffer from such common afflictions as depression, loneliness, compulsive eating, consuming sexual desires, and fear of attachment. In each story, Orbach reveals not just the client's problems, but -- with startling honesty -- the effect the client has on her as therapist.

The Impossibility of Sex breaks new ground by taking us into the center of the therapy relationship, one usually shrouded by therapist-client confidentiality. From the unlikely role the therapist plays in the troubled relationship of two lesbians to the unsettling dreams the therapist experiences while treating a man consumed by sexual desire, Orbach illuminates the complex human interactions at the heart of the therapeutic process and the "joint discoveries" that contribute to its effectiveness..
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