{"product_id":"9781939994035","title":"Deconstruction For Beginners","description":"\u003cbr\u003eDeconstruction is so labyrinthine (and rumored to be fatal) that it’s become the monster that murdered philosophy. When Jacques Derrida, the father of deconstruction, uses buzz-words such as “phallogocentrism” and “transcendental signified,” humanities students and aspiring philosophers may get weak in the knees.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFollowing up on the success of \u003ci\u003eDerrida For Beginners,\u003c\/i\u003e Jim  Powell’s \u003ci\u003eDeconstruction For Beginners\u003c\/i\u003e is an irreverent romp through deconstructive domains. Though Powell offers lucid explanations of the most important deconstructive ideas and texts, he also dive into lesser known works. One of these, \u003ci\u003eThe Right to Look\u003c\/i\u003e, finds Derrida offering his thoughts on a photo-novella consisting of images of women making love with each other. Powell then goes on to explore how deconstruction, like an unruly mistress, has escaped Derrida, especially in the realm of architecture. Then, based on Derrida’s assertion that deconstruction happens differently in different cultures, Powell examines how – through Buddhism and Taoism – deconstruction took place in ancient India, Japan, and China. \u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eJim Powell\u003c\/b\u003e lives in Santa Barbara, California where he enjoys surfing, writing, playing piano, and painting. His other books include \u003ci\u003eMandalas: The Dynamics of Vedic Symbolism, Energy and Eros, The Tao of Symbolism, Eastern Philosophy For Beginners, Derrida For Beginners\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003ePostmodernism For Beginners\u003c\/i\u003e. Jim has a Master’s Degree in Religious Studies with an emphasis on Sanskrit and Indology. His thesis was on Vedic mythology. He also holds a Master’s Degree in English Literature and wrote a thesis on Mark Twain’s relationship with the Mississippi River. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eJoe Lee\u003c\/b\u003e is an illustrator, cartoonist, writer, and clown. With a degree from Indiana University centering on Medieval History, Joe is also a graduate of Ringling Brothers, Barnum and Bailey’s Clown College. He worked for some years as a circus clown. He is the illustrator of a baker’s dozen of For Beginners books including, \u003ci\u003eBarack Obama\u003c\/i\u003e, [Howard] \u003ci\u003eZinn, Shakespeare, Postmodernism, Deconstruction, Eastern Philosophy\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eGlobal Warming \u003c\/i\u003eamong others. Joe lives in Bloomington, Indiana with his wife Mary Bess, son Brandon, cat George, and the terriers (or rather terrors) Max and Jack. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"For Beginners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47157566406896,"sku":"9781939994035","price":16.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9781939994035_p0.jpg?v=1763668293","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9781939994035","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}