Robert Coburn is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Washington, in Seattle.

• The persistence of persons; freedom, necessity and chance; materialism and the mental; the possible and the actual; essences, origins and branching worlds; the passage of time; metaphysical theology and the life of faith; truth, epistemological optimism and the limits of science.

...elucidates some of the main issues that are at the center of much traditional and current work in metaphysics...a carefully reasoned study which invites the reader to enter the paths of metaphysical reflection. Wisconsin Bookwatch It is a lucidly written invitation to metaphysics, and one that amply demonstrates the forcefulness of the methodology embraced by contemporary Anglo-American metaphysicians; it cannot fail to interest the general reader. More comprehensive...than other recent introductions...and more consistently focused than comparable anthologies, this work offers a delightful invitation to conceptual puzzles worth taking seriously. Given its unusual accessibility, it is as appropriate for general collections as for libraries supporting undergraduate program in philosophy. CHOICE Corburn's good book belongs on the professional philosopher's shelf. Dialogue: Canadian Philosophical Review