Book Reviews and Journal Article Reviews

This area hosts reviews of books and journal articles in the major disciplines of philosophy and science. It treats both the latest and traditional works written by a variety of authors. Have you written a review of a book or journal article that you would like to share with a wider audience? Find out more about submitting your review for publication.

Latest Reviews

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• Book Review: Free Will by Sam Harris

  Leslie Allan gives his overall impression of Harris' book in addition to casting a critical eye over his key arguments for jettisoning the idea of free will while retaining the notion of moral responsibility.

• Commentary: Free Will by Sam Harris

  Leslie Allan's page-by-page commentary of Sam Harris' book, Free Will.

• A Historical Introduction to the Philosophy of Science by John Losee

  Leslie Allan summarizes and reviews Professor Losee's tracing of the history of the philosophy of science from its beginning with Aristotle to the work of contemporary philosophers.

• Two Concepts of Rules by John Rawls

  Leslie Allan walks through Rawls's seminal essay, highlighting his key defences of utilitarianism and reflecting on his legacy.

• Religion Is for Fools by Bill Medley

  One by one, Robert Bender critically examines Bill Medley's defences against the compelling critiques of belief in his Christian God.

• The Nun (La Religieuse) by Denis Diderot

  Diderot's The Nun is a compelling story highlighting the abuse and persecution of unwanted daughters surrendered to Catholic convents in eighteenth century France.

• Just Food: Where Locavores Get It Wrong and How We Can Truly Eat Responsibly by James E. McWilliams

  Robert Bender reviews McWilliams' book, Just Food, exploding the myths surrounding the economics and environmental sustainability of food production.

• The Other Side of Israel: My Journey Across the Jewish/Arab Divide by Susan Nathan

  The Other Side of Israel explores the tensions between Israel's Jews and the resident Arab population since the 1948 Arab–Israeli War.

• The Life You Can Save by Peter Singer

  In this review, Leslie Allan explores Peter Singer's challenging case for giving up our luxuries to help impoverished people in faraway countries.

• Blasphemy: A Memoir: Sentenced to Death Over a Cup of Water by Asia Bibi and Anne-Isabelle Tollet

  Blasphemy: A Memoir: Sentenced to Death Over a Cup of Water is a shocking case study of the abuse of blasphemy law in Pakistan to settle personal grievances.