This essay collection by the revered public intellectual displays his "profound erudition, lively wit, and passion for ideas of all shapes and sizes" (Booklist).

In these fourteen essays, Umberto Eco examines many of the ideas that have inspired his provocative and illuminating fiction. From the title essay -- a disquisition of the notion that every country needs an enemy -- he takes readers on an exploration of lost islands, mythical realms, and the medieval world. His topics range from indignant reviews of James Joyce's Ulysses by fascist journalists, to an examination of Saint Thomas Aquinas's notions about the soul of an unborn child, to censorship, violence and WikiLeaks. Here are essays full of passion, curiosity, and probing intellect by one of the world's most esteemed scholars and critically acclaimed, best-selling novelists.

"True wit and wisdom coexist with fierce scholarship inside Umberto Eco, a writer who actually knows a thing or two about being truly human." -- Buffalo News

• We started tracking this book on January 29, 2013.
• This book was $11.99 when we started tracking it.
• The price of this book has changed 80 times in the past 4,350 days.
• The current price of this book is $2.99 last checked 14 hours ago.
• This book is at its lowest price in the past year.
• The lowest price to date was $1.99 last reached on October 28, 2023.
• This book has been $1.99 2 times since we started tracking it.
• The highest price to date was $15.00 last reached on May 21, 2013.
• This book has been $15.00 one time since we started tracking it.

• Literature & Fiction

• Text-to-Speech: Disabled
• Lending: Disabled
• Print Length: 241 Pages
• File Size: 4,278 KB