Richard Cohen

"A fascinating, epic exploration of who gets to record the world's history -- from Julius Caesar to William Shakespeare to Ken Burns -- and how their biases influence our understanding about the past. There are many stories we can spin about previous ages, but which accounts get told? And by whom? Is there even such a thing as "objective" history? In this lively and thought-provoking book, Richard Cohen reveals how professional historians and other...

Behind every acclaimed work of literature is a trove of heartfelt decisions. The best authors put painstaking-sometimes obsessive-effort into each element of their stories, from plot and character development to dialogue and point of view. Veteran editor and teacher Richard Cohen draws on his vast reservoir of a lifetime's reading and his insight into what makes good prose soar. Here are Gabriel Garcia Márquez's thoughts on how to start a novel...

Featuring the first-ever English translation of the "Splendid Vision Sutra," a sixth-century Indian Mahayana Buddhist scripture known for its rich ritual magic and worship of bodhisattva-goddesses, this volume explicates the text's cultural significance as a source of extraordinary value, cosmic truth, and existential meaning. The ancient author of the "Splendid Vision Sutra" promises every imaginable reward to those who heed its words and rites,...

"I remember my mother Jocelyn." She accompanied "me to the induction center." She could follow me no further... "I can never forget the expression on her face, the sadness, the tears, for she had suffered through the entire ware for all her sons..." With this indelible impression, Jeremie, the youngest Lobel son, introduces his family as it faces the turmoil of the late 1930s and then endures World War II and battle's toll. Jocelyn, Catholic, a renowned...

Explores the fundamental confrontations between Spinoza and Levinas in ethics, politics, science, and religion. After the end of superstitious religion, what is the meaning of the world? Baruch Spinoza's answer is truth, Emmanuel Levinas's is goodness: science versus ethics. In Out of Control, Richard A. Cohen brings this debate to life, providing a nuanced exposition of Spinoza and Levinas and the confrontations between them in ethics, politics,...

Ecstasy and Distress is a historical family saga and romance that spans several generations. The story unfolds as a Jewish immigrant family settles in the busy and growing city of Portland, Maine, in 1840. Here they find many hardships as they confront anti-Semitism, nativism, and adjustment difficulties as they gain acceptance as peddlers and shopkeepers. At that time Jewish men becoming physicians and lawyers parallels the women who faced the same...

What if there was one strategy you could use to support students academically, socially, and emotionally? It exists-and it's simple, straightforward, and practical. In this results-focused resource, the authors dive deep into the what and how of structured Self-questioning. Begin using this powerful academic and socioemotional approach in your own classroom to develop students into thriving thinkers who are confident, healthy, adaptive, and resilient. Use...

"Nora Ephron, one of the most famous writers, film makers, and personalities of her time is captured by her long-time and dear friend in a hilarious, blunt, raucous, and poignant recollection of their decades-long friendship. Nora Ephron (1941-2012) was a phenomenal personality, journalist, essayist, novelist, playwright, Oscar-nominated screenwriter, and movie director (Sleepless in Seattle; You've Got Mail; When Harry Met Sally; Heartburn; Julie...