<p> This new textbook is an abridgment of the author's earlier <I>Woody Allen's Angst: Philosophical Commentaries on His Serious Films</I> (McFarland, 1997; "invaluable"--<I>Choice</I>.)</p><p> Five main topics are explored: the desire of many of his characters to ground their lives in traditional ethical values despite their realization that such values may no longer be certain; the opposition between pessimism and optimism throughout his films; gender issues relating to romantic love, sexual desire and the ongoing changes in our cultural expectations of both men and women; the idea that contemporary American society is rapidly descending into barbarism precisely because of societal failure to maintain a sense of individual moral responsibility; and a critique of psychoanalysis as a method for understanding human behavior.</p><p> Instructors considering this book for use in a course may <a href=" http://www.mcfarlandbooks.com/customers/students-instructors/"> request an examination copy here</a>.</p>