Ethics is a philosophical treatise by the Dutch philosopher Baruch Spinoza. Beginning with a set of axioms and definitions, Spinoza rejects many of Descartes' assertions, including the notion of mind/body dualism, free will and an overall trust in self-knowledge and perception. Spinoza argues that God is equivalent to the entire natural world, including humans, and that mind and body are simply different perspectives of the same object. The treatise also examines emotions and passions, claiming reason is the path to virtue and God.
Maniac Magee is a children's novel that tells the story of Jeffrey Magee, an orphan who has been raised in the foster care system. When he runs away from his foster parents, determined to find his true home, he ends up in the town of Two Mills. Here he is taken in by a black family, the Beales, which ignites racial tension in the town. Over the course of the story, one boy's search for home becomes a touching story about the ties that bind us together and the importance of overcoming prejudice.