In Emerson and the Conduct of Life, David M. Robinson describes Ralph Waldo Emerson's evolution from mystic to pragmatist, stressing the importance of Emerson's undervalued later writing. Emerson's reputation has rested on the addresses and essays of the 1830s and 1840s, in which he propounded a version of transcendental idealism, and memorably portrayed moments of mystical insight. But Emerson's later writings suggest an increasing concern over the elusiveness of mysticism, and an increasing stress on ethical choice and practical power. These works reveal Emerson as an ethical philosopher who stressed the spiritual value of human relations, work and social action.

Emerson and the Conduct of Life: Pragmatism and Ethical Purpose in the Later Work (Cambridge Studies in American Literature and Culture, Series Number 70)

Literature & Fiction

Robinson,David M

Essays & Correspondence

Cambridge University Press

In Emerson and the Conduct of Life, David M. Robinson describes Ralph Waldo Emerson's evolution from mystic to pragmatist, stressing the importance of Emerson's undervalued later writing. Emerson's reputation has rested on the addresses and essays of the 1830s and 1840s, in which he propounded a version of transcendental idealism, and memorably portrayed moments of mystical insight. But Emerson's later writings suggest an increasing concern over the elusiveness of mysticism, and an increasing stress on ethical choice and practical power. These works reveal Emerson as an ethical philosopher who stressed the spiritual value of human relations, work and social action.

The rise of the Mongol empire transformed world history. Its collapse in the mid-fourteenth century had equally profound consequences. Four themes dominate this study of the late Mongol empire in Northeast Asia during this chaotic era: the need for a regional perspective encompassing all states and ethnic groups in the area; the process and consequences of pan-Asian integration under the Mongols; the tendency for individual and family interests to trump those of dynasty, country, or linguistic affiliation; and finally, the need to see Koryo Korea as part of the wider Mongol empire.
Northeast Asia was an important part of the Mongol empire, and developments there are fundamental to understanding both the nature of the Mongol empire and the new post-empire world emerging in the 1350s and 1360s. In Northeast Asia, Jurchen, Mongol, Chinese, Korean, and Japanese interests intersected, and the collapse of the Great Yuan reshaped Northeast Asia dramatically. To understand this transition, or series of transitions, the author argues, one cannot examine states in isolation. The period witnessed intensified interactions among neighboring polities and new regional levels of economic, political, military, and social integration that explain the importance of personal and family interests and of Korea in the Mongol state.

Empire’s Twilight: Northeast Asia under the Mongols (Harvard-Yenching Institute Monograph Series)

History

Asia

Harvard University Asia Center

Like most empires, the Ming court sponsored grand displays of dynastic strength and military prowess. Covering the first two centuries of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644), Martial Spectacles of the Ming Court explores how the royal hunt, polo matches, archery contests, equestrian demonstrations, and the imperial menagerie were represented in poetry, prose, and portraiture. This study reveals that martial spectacles were highly charged sites of contestation, where Ming emperors and senior court ministers staked claims about rulership, ruler-minister relations, and the role of the military in the polity. Simultaneously colorful entertainment, prestigious social events, and statements of power, martial spectacles were intended to make manifest the ruler’s personal generosity, keen discernment, and respect for family tradition. They were, however, subject to competing interpretations that were often beyond the emperor’s control or even knowledge. By situating Ming martial spectacles in the wider context of Eurasia, David Robinson brings to light the commensurability of the Ming court with both the Mongols and Manchus but more broadly with other early modern courts such as the Timurids, the Mughals, and the Ottomans.

Martial Spectacles of the Ming Court (Harvard-Yenching Institute Monograph Series)

"An essential step in Thoreau's recovery of a 'natural life' is to reawaken and expand his awareness of the present moment, not only in the sense of knowing more of the world around him, but of entering into it fully. Admitting in Walden that 'I did not read books the first summer; I hoed beans,' he also confesses to moments in which he neglected both of these conflicting duties.... In periods of reverie, Thoreau gave himself over to his senses, finding a fulfillment in his own attentive presence at the pond and the surrounding hills."―from Natural Life
Henry David Thoreau's Walden was first published 150 years ago, an event celebrated by many gatherings scheduled for 2004 and marked by the publication of this exceptional book. David M. Robinson tells the story of a mind at work, focusing on Thoreau's idea of "natural life" as both a subject of study and a model for personal growth and ethical purpose. Robinson traces Thoreau's struggle to find a fulfilling vocation and his gradual recovery from his grief over the loss of his brother. 
Robinson emphasizes Thoreau's development of the credo of living a "natural life," a phrase drawn from his first book, A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers. The depiction of the contemplative life close to nature in Walden exemplifies this credo. But it is also fulfilled through Thoreau's later life as a saunterer in the fields and forests around Concord, devoted to his studies of the natural world and dedicated to a life of principle.
Natural Life takes note of and encourages growing interest in the later phase of Thoreau's career and his engagement with science and natural history. Robinson looks closely at Walden and the essays and natural history projects that followed it, such as "Walking" and "Wild Apples," and the remarkable and little-observed writing on night and moonlight found in Thoreau's journal.

Natural Life: Thoreau's Worldly Transcendentalism

Health, Fitness & Dieting

Cornell University Press

A leading figure in modern southern literature, described by Newsweek as "one of the best American storytellers," Peter Taylor secured a national following through his long relationship with the New Yorker and his widely read volumes from the 1980s, The Old Forest and Other Stories and A Summons to Memphis. The Pulitzer Prize-winning author's portrayals of the battles of strong-willed fathers and mothers with their equally strong-willed sons are at the center of his achievement in fiction. David Robinson presents Taylor as a writer deeply concerned with the interworkings of family relationships, and emphasizes his role as chronicler of the shifts in southern culture in this century. World of Relations provides an important critical assessment of the work of one of the South's greatest writers, and includes the first extensive critical discussion of Taylor's last two works, The Oracle of Stoneleigh Court (1993) and In the Tennessee Country (1994).

World of Relations: The Achievement of Peter Taylor

History & Criticism

University Press of Kentucky

Bandits, Eunuchs and the Son of Heaven: Rebellion and the Economy of Violence in Mid-Ming China

Univ of Hawaii Pr

Chŏng Tojŏn, one of the most influential thinkers in Korean history, played a leading role in the establishment of the Chosŏn dynasty (1392–1910). Long recognized for his contributions to the development of Neo-Confucianism in Korea, Chŏng was both a prodigious writer and an influential statesman before being murdered in a political coup. Seeking Order in a Tumultuous Age charts Chŏng’s rise to prominence amidst the turmoil of the late fourteenth century, when Korea struggled to come to terms with the political, military, and intellectual changes of an emerging new East Asian international order. In addition to providing a clear and accessible introduction to the broader world of fourteenth-century Korea, the book provides a fascinating window into Chŏng as a person through annotated translations of his poetry, letters, and political writings―most of them previously unavailable in English. Chŏng’s written works reveal a firm belief that Chinese classical traditions and recent intellectual developments on the continent contained vital lessons for Korea. The detailed annotations will allow readers to appreciate the wide variety of classical sources with which Chŏng and his contemporaries were familiar and how these sources were applied to the times. Chŏng had an unwavering faith in educated and engaged men as the preservers, interpreters, and implementers of such wisdom and was adamant that they should be given great power and authority in government. Seeking Order in a Tumultuous Age will be welcomed by students and specialists of East Asian history and thought as well those wishing to learn more about a chaotic yet vibrant period in Korean history.

Seeking Order in a Tumultuous Age: The Writings of Chŏng Tojŏn, a Korean Neo-Confucian (Korean Classics Library: Historical Materials, 1)

University of Hawaii Press

This book is a comprehensive study of the churches and monastic buildings constructed by the Cistercian order in Wales. It covers fourteen abbeys situated across the principality and its borders, recognised by the Cistercians of the later Middle Ages as their 'province of Wales'. Welsh Cistercians have been comparatively well served by their historians, their buildings, however, have attracted far less scholarly attention. David Robinson's work will correct this imbalance, and represents the first attempt in modern times to assess and understand the above and below ground remains of this highly significant group of abbeys. The first part of the book is a survey of the available evidence, both of upstanding remains and excavated foundations, for all the known Cistercian buildings in Wales. This forms the basis for an analysis of their architectural characteristics and the identification of several distinct phases of growth and change. The book concludes with a gazetteer of the fourteen Cistercian abbeys which are the subject of the study, consisting of a comprehensive account of the archaeology and architecture of each site. The whole work is accompanied by newly commissioned plans, drawings and photographs. Table of Contents Part I: Setting The Scene The Cistercians and their settlement of Wales; Church building in Wales before the Cistercians; Abbey sites and temporary buildings. Part II: The Abbey Churches The earliest stone churches; The arrival of the ‘Bernardine’ plan; The transition to regional Gothic forms; The Welsh Cistercian church transformed. Part III: The Monastic Buildings The claustral layout; Cloisters and cloister arcades; The chapter house; The monks’ refectory; Infirmary provision and the abbot’s accommodation Part IV: Catalogue Of Cistercian Sites In Wales And The Borders Introduction; Aberconwy Abbey; Basingwerk Abbey; Cwmhir Abbey; Cymer Abbey; Dore Abbey; Grace Dieu Abbey; Llantarnam Abbey; Maenan Abbey; Margam Abbey; Neath Abbey; Strata Florida Abbey; Strata Marcella Abbey; Tintern Abbey; Valle Crucis Abbey; Whitland Abbey.

The Cistercians in Wales: Architecture and Archaeology 1130-1540 (Reports of the Research Committee of the Society of Antiquaries of London)

Politics & Social Sciences

Archaeology

Society of Antiquaries of London

Tintern Abbey

Travel

Europe

Cadw: Welsh Historic Monuments

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Robinson,David M. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Robinson,David M

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Robinson,David M. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Emerson and the Conduct of Life: Pragmatism and Ethical Purpose in the Later Work (Cambridge Studies in American Literature and Culture, Series Number 70)

Emerson and the Conduct of Life: Pragmatism and Ethical Purpose in the Later Work (Cambridge Studies in American Literature and Culture, Series Number 70)

Empire’s Twilight: Northeast Asia under the Mongols (Harvard-Yenching Institute Monograph Series)

Martial Spectacles of the Ming Court (Harvard-Yenching Institute Monograph Series)

Natural Life: Thoreau's Worldly Transcendentalism

World of Relations: The Achievement of Peter Taylor

Bandits, Eunuchs and the Son of Heaven: Rebellion and the Economy of Violence in Mid-Ming China

Seeking Order in a Tumultuous Age: The Writings of Chŏng Tojŏn, a Korean Neo-Confucian (Korean Classics Library: Historical Materials, 1)

The Cistercians in Wales: Architecture and Archaeology 1130-1540 (Reports of the Research Committee of the Society of Antiquaries of London)

Tintern Abbey