How To Stop Being A Troublemaker

Troublemakers

The political crises and upheavals of our age often originate from the periphery rather than the center of power. Figures like Edward Snowden, Julian Assange, and Chelsea Manning acted in ways that disrupted power, revealing truths that those in power wanted to keep hidden. They are thorns in the side of power, troublemakers in the eyes of the powerful, though their actions may be valuable and lead to positive changes. In this important new book, Dieter Thomä examines the crucial but often overlooked function of these figures on the margins of society, developing a philosophy of troublemakers from the seventeenth century to the present day. Thomä takes as his starting point Hobbes’s idea of the puer robustus (literally “stout boy”), meaning a figure who rebels against order and authority. While Hobbes saw the puer robustus as a threat, he also recognized the potential, in the right conditions, for figures to rise up and become agents of positive change. Building on this notion, Thomä provides a rich survey of intellectuals who have been inspired by this idea over the past 300 years, from Rousseau, Diderot, Schiller, Victor Hugo, Marx, and Freud to Carl Schmitt, Leo Strauss, and Horkheimer, right up to the recent work of Badiou and Agamben. In doing so, he develops a typology of the puer robustus and a means by which we can evaluate and assess the troublemakers of our own times. Thomä shows that troublemakers are an inescapable part of modernity, for as soon as social and political boundaries are defined, there will always be figures challenging them from the margins. This book will be of great interest not only to students and scholars in the humanities and social sciences but to anyone seeking to understand the crucial impact of these liminal figures on our world today.

The Troublemakers

Innocence dies in a world where decency is not as common as you'd think. When Verity Child gets her dream job teaching at a community college, treachery, deceit, attempted murder, and secret contracts blindside her. Will she discover the inner workings of the Hillside campus and resolve problems that have plagued the college for years? Or will she incite another unthinkable crime against the innocent? When they take Verity's colleague away on a stretcher, and Verity can't tell if she's dead or alive, the thought that her own life could be in peril jolts her into reality. Following the clues to a greenhouse on private property, Verity wonders if she’s ready to face the dark truth. But when the dark truth comes knocking on her apartment door, Verity may have no choice but to face her terror alone and try to save her own life. Not only is this Verity’s last chance for redemption, but her actions right now may break the chain of crime against the innocent and reveal the secrets behind the inner sanctum at Hillside College once and for all. If you like strong women protagonists, workplace drama, and suspense, you’ll love this heart-wrenching novel by Maren Hill. Don't miss the other books in The Verity Child Women's Fiction Trilogy: Nicole, The Troublemakers, and Our Forever Place. From workplace horrors in the big city to finding love on the dreamy island of Exuma, this fascinating trilogy takes us on a vivid ride.

Troublemaker