{"product_id":"utopia-the-influential-classic-9781119754381","title":"Utopia: The Influential Classic","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eWhat we can learn from a Renaissance nowhere\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn 1516, a book was published in Latin with the enigmatic Greek-derived word as its title. Utopia--which could mean either \"good-place\" or \"no-place\"--gives a traveler's account of a newly discovered island somewhere in the New World where the inhabitants enjoy a social order based purely on natural reason and justice. As the traveler describes the harmony, prosperity, and equality found there, a dramatic contrast is drawn between the ideal community he portrays and the poverty, crime, and often frightening political conditions of 16\u003csup\u003eth\u003c\/sup\u003e century Europe. Written by Sir Thomas More (1477-1535)--then a rising intellectual star of the Renaissance and ultimately the advisor and friend of Henry VIII who was executed for his devoutly Catholic opposition to the king--Utopia is as complex as its author.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn the form of a Platonic dialogue, \u003ci\u003eUtopia\u003c\/i\u003e explores topics such as money, property, crime, education, religious tolerance, euthanasia, and feminism. Claimed as a paean to communism (Lenin had More's name inscribed on a statue in Moscow) as often as it has been seen as a defense of traditional medieval values, \u003ci\u003eUtopia\u003c\/i\u003e began the lineage of utopian thinkers who use storytelling to explore new possibilities for human society--and remains as relevant today as when it was written in Antwerp 500 years ago.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cul\u003e \u003cli\u003eExplore the issues like feminism, euthanasia, and equality through Renaissance eyes\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eEarly communist tract or a defense of medieval values? You decide.\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003ePeer inside the enigmatic mind of the man who dared stand up to Henry VIII\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eAppreciate the postmodern possibilities of Platonic dialogue\u003c\/li\u003e \u003c\/ul\u003e \u003cp\u003ePart of the bestselling \u003ci\u003eCapstone Classics\u003c\/i\u003e series edited by Tom Butler-Bowdon, this edition features an introduction from writer, economist, and historian Niall Kishtainy.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eSIR THOMAS MORE\u003c\/b\u003e was a rising intellectual star of Renaissance Europe. His brilliance made him an advisor and friend of King Henry VIII. More's \u003ci\u003eUtopia\u003c\/i\u003e contrasts the squalor and brutal politics of the England of his time with a picture of a peaceful and prosperous society.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eNIALL KISHTAINY\u003c\/b\u003e is a writer with interests in economics and in the history of ideas. He holds a PhD in economics from the University of Warwick and has taught economic history at the London School of Economics. His most recent book, \u003ci\u003eA Little History of Economics\u003c\/i\u003e, was published by Yale University Press in 2017.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTOM BUTLER-BOWDEN\u003c\/b\u003e is Series Editor of the Capstone Classics series, and has provided introductions for Plato's \u003ci\u003eRepublic\u003c\/i\u003e, Adam Smith's \u003ci\u003eWealth of Nations\u003c\/i\u003e, Machiavelli's \u003ci\u003eThe Prince\u003c\/i\u003e, Florence Scovel Shinn's \u003ci\u003eThe Game of Life and How to Play It\u003c\/i\u003e, and Kahlil Gibran's \u003ci\u003eThe Prophet\u003c\/i\u003e. A graduate of the London School of Economics, he is also the author of \u003ci\u003e50 Economics Classics\u003c\/i\u003e (2017) and \u003ci\u003e50 Politics Classics\u003c\/i\u003e (2015).\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ewww.butler-bowdon.com\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Capstone","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50861093650706,"sku":"9781119754381","price":8.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_d8d8be70-cc8a-4dc4-9b68-605d3d16ec13.jpg?v=1737589167","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/utopia-the-influential-classic-9781119754381","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}