This book comes in two parts; the first, consisting of §§1–7, offers an informal axiomatic introduction to the basics of set theory, including a thorough discussion of the axiom of choice and some of its equivalents. The second part, consisting of §§8–14, is written at a somewhat more advanced level, and treats selected topics in transfinite algebra; that is, algebraic themes where the axiom of choice, in one form or another, is useful or even indispensable.

The conclusion functions as both a closing analysis and an epilogue, tracing how the semiotics of sacred kingship shaped political culture in New Spain from the War of the Spanish Succession through Independence. It argues that under the Bourbons, the sacred body of the monarch—linked to Christ, the Eucharist, and biblical prophecy—continued to serve as the conceptual glue binding subjects to empire. Although absolutism gradually displaced composite monarchy, sacred symbolism persisted, adapting to political reforms and crises. Even as skepticism deepened under Carlos III and during the expulsion of the Jesuits, messianic hopes re-emerged during the wars of Independence. That monarchy remained bound to the promise of salvation and order reveals the enduring hold sacred kingship exerted on both the imperial and postcolonial imagination.

Carlos Arturo Torres (1867–1911) was a journalist, teacher, and statesman. He was born in the Colombian town of Santa Rosa de Viterbo and studied in Tunja, Bogota, and the United Kingdom. After travels in Europe, he taught international law in Bogota, and founded such papers as La Crónica, El Nuevo Tiempo, and La Civilización. He was sent to diplomatic missions in France, England, and Caracas, where he died. He also served as minister of both treasury and finance. Undoubtedly, Idola Fori was his most influential work. He borrowed from Francis Bacon’s Novum Organum, who discerned four “idols” that obstruct the truth, including the idols of the forum and the market. Idola Fori was originally published with a prologue by José Enrique Rodó, with whom he has often been compared, and with whom he shared ideas about history and culture. Torres’ work, however, is more deeply grounded in politics, and shows his engagement with contemporary debates about the role of the state, major ideas about economic development, and the tension between individualism and collectivism.

When its armies were finally defeated in May 1945, the vaunted Third Reich lay in waste and smoldering ruin. The air was foul, the cities ablaze, the countryside blighted; forests, fields, and rivers were blasted and defiled. Adolf Hitler, the messianic Führer or leader of the nation, had promised his people a thousand years of prosperity and peace. Instead his 12-year reign left nothing but desolation. Across Europe, the trail of German forces stank with the wreckage of shattered communities, ravaged landscapes, and exterminated lives. The destruction that Nazi Germany inflicted on the continent was unparalleled in human as well as environmental terms.

The medical profession, often seen as a bastion of healing, is itself wounded by sexual harassment and abuse. This chapter delves into the experiences of doctors who have suffered sexual trauma, highlighting the silent struggles and complex barriers that prevent them from seeking help.

Survivors often grapple with feelings of shame, fear of retaliation, and a lack of understanding of their own experiences as trauma. The chapter emphasizes the importance of breaking the silence surrounding sexual harassment and abuse in medicine. Survivors can regain agency by understanding and incorporating their trauma into their own personal and professional narrative, as long as they are supported with wise therapists who are able to help them do so. Healing not only benefits individual doctors but also improves the overall culture within the medical profession.

The bibliography on ancient Greek democracy is vast, although recent trends suggest it may have peaked, at least for now. What follows is necessarily selective. When it comes to overviews of ancient Greek politics and society, for scope, ambition, vivacity, and theoretical sophistication, it is difficult to top de Ste. Croix 1981, a towering life’s work. Everyone should read it, even if only to disagree with it. In a similar vein is Cartledge 2018, focused on democracy specifically. It reaches different conclusions from the ones offered here, in particular regarding the Hellenistic period, but is forceful and engaging. Meier 1990 remains excellent on Greek politics in general. Davies 1993 and O’Neil 1995 are overviews of ancient Greek democracy concentrating on the Classical period. Ma 2024 appeared only after the present manuscript was completed. While I have not been able to incorporate references to this impressive achievement throughout the text, the reader should be aware that it is one of the strongest arguments yet for seeing genuinely democratic practices down through the period of the high Empire (second century ce and beyond).