Angels and Beasts

In the section of Angels that deals with angels and beasts, Serres explores the dynamic of chaos and order through mythical creatures. The categories we use to demarcate each, assigning certain attributes to the angels and other, generally contrasting attributes to the beasts or monsters or demons. Our own world bears witness to the complexity of trying to neatly scribe such lines between things. When it is most confusing, I imagine some analytically fixated scholar trying to draw a line between hot and cold in a turbulent stream. There is hot and cold, as there are other polarities. The perplexity comes in learning their distinctions.

Quebec City Bookstore

This is the bookstore where I purchased the books mentioned in the previous post. For some of you, access to this kind of resource is likely easy. Living in Calgary, Alberta, it is less so for me. Online access is, of course, an open door to all kinds of great resources but having a chance to browse through a shop in a French speaking community was deeply encouraging. I don't think the store has a website but I commend it to you if you ever have the chance to visit Quebec City.

Here's the address:
Librairie Generale Francaise
10, cote de la Farbrique, Quebec G1R 3V7
1-418-692-2442 or 1-418-692-2449
email is lgf {at} biz {dot} videotron [dot] ca

A Wonderful Find

While on a month-long road trip this summer with my family, I had a chance to visit Quebec City. There, within the beautiful walls, I found a French bookstore. After entering, I located the philosophy section and was excited to see a plastic wrapped edition of Le Systeme de Leibniz et ses modeles mathematiques. As a slow student of French, I will have my work cut out digging through this but it will be worth every effort. I asked the shopkeeper if he had any more works by Serres. He returned with Le Contrat Naturel, La Legende des Anges, and Les Origines de la Geometrie. This was such a welcome find.