Irrational Man Irrational Man Irrational Man: A Study In Existential Philosophy is a 1958 book by the philosopher William Barrett, in which the author explains the philosophical background of existentialism and provides a discussion of several major existentialist thinkers, including Søren Kierkegaard, Friedrich Nietzsche, Martin Heidegger, and Jean-Paul Sartre. "Irrational Man" helped to introduce existentialism to the English-speaking world and has been identified as one of the most useful books that discuss the subject, but Barrett has also been criticized for endorsing irrationality and for giving a distorted and misleading account of Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel. Barrett discusses existentialism and its background,
Fear Is the Key Fear Is the Key Fear Is the Key is a 1961 first-person narrative thriller novel by Scottish author Alistair MacLean. In the prologue, set in May 1958, John Talbot, owner of Trans Carib Air Charter Co is at an airfield in British Honduras, awaiting radio contact with one of his aircraft en route to Tampa, Florida. Not long after establishing contact the aircraft is attacked by a P-51 Mustang, after which all contact is lost. Two years later, Talbot is on trial for robbing a bank. At a point where his guilt is in doubt, new information comes to light