Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things was recommended by John Morrison

As part of the Ragged Library, John Morrison, Lecturer in Digital Media and Interactive Design at Edinburgh Napier University recommended ′Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things by Michael Braungart and William McDonough…

 
This is in my top 5 favourite books! I came across it while studying product design in Glasgow. The book is jointly authored by an architect and a chemist. However is very accessible, a kind of manifesto for a radically different philosophy, I found reading it revolutionised my thinking in many areas. The authors proffers a paradigm shift from what we take for granted in our every day lives, suggesting the next major revolution should be a green one.
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Bilingual: Life and Reality was recommended by Dr Madeleine Beveridge

As part of the Ragged Library, Dr Madeleine Beveridge, Research Coordinator for Bilingualism Matters at the University of Edinburgh suggested ‘Bilingual: Life and Reality′ by François Grosjean (Cambridge, MA :Harvard University Press, 2010)…

I would like to recommend “Bilingual: Life and Reality” to anyone who is interested in languages and how we learn them. François Grosjean is a huge name in bilingualism research. In this book, he explores what it means to be bilingual. In particular, he argues that bilingualism is not about speaking two langauges with perfect fluency, but about using more than one language – whether or not you sound like a native speaker. Read more…

The Democratic Intellect was recommended by Richard Gunn

As part of the Ragged Library, Richard Gunn – a recently retired lecturer on political theory at the University of Edinburgh suggested ‘The Democratic Intellect: Scotland and Her Universities in the Nineteenth Century (Edinburgh University Press 1961 and – more recently – 2013’…
Davie’s book (published in 1961) opened a window on Scottish thought from the eighteenth century onwards; in addition, it brought a then-neglected philosophy into view.The philosophy was that of ‘common sense’, and Davie underlined the significance of common sense in the history of Scottish education.

Phantoms in the Brain by Ramachandran was suggested by Katrina Parkin

Phantom in the Brain by Ramachandran

As part of the Ragged Library, Katrina Parkin, Teacher in Psychology at The English College in Prague suggested ‘Phantoms in the Brain by Ramachandran’…

 

This book offers a unique and intriguing insight into the wonders of the human brain. It gives an accesible account of what we have learnt about the brain as a result of some truly astounding case studies of human behaviour; from Phantom Limb syndrome to an individual who is blind yet can ‚see‘ movement. This book inspired me in University and the understanding it gave me of just how wonderful yet bizarre the human brain is, and how much we have the capacity to learn about it, has continued to fuel my curiousity in Psychology ever since.

Philosophy for Everyone was suggested by Professor Duncan Pritchard

As part of the Ragged Library, Professor Duncan Pritchard FRSE, of the University of Edinburgh’s School of Philosophy, Psychology & Language Sciences, suggested ‘Philosophy for Everyone by Matthew Chrisman, Duncan Pritchard, Jane Suilin Lavelle, Michela Massimi, Alasdair Richmond and Dave Ward (Routledge, 2013)’…

This book was a collaborative effort by a group of philosophy faculty from the University of Edinburgh. It arose out of a ‘MOOC’ (a Massive Open Online Course) that the Edinburgh Department of Philosophy began running in 2013 (entitled, ‘Introduction to Philosophy’). This course, which was entirely free and open to all, was designed to introduce people, whatever their background, to the basic issues of philosophy.
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