Recognizing the fundamental power of language in constructing the world we perceive, Ricoeur reveals the processes by which linguistic imagination creates and recreates meaning through metaphor.

This text examines Russia at the end of the 20th century, as it seeks to come to terms with its new status within the world community. It looks at the pressures and tensions arising from economic and social change, and the problems of securing a democratic future.

The label 'Suicide Cults' has been applied to a wide variety of different alternative religions, from Jonestown to the Solar Temple to Heaven's Gate. Additionally, observers have asked if such group suicides are in any way comparable to Islamist suicide terrorism, or to historical incidents of mass suicide.