In this small book, the four essays that were presented at the book launch of Dionysis K. Magkliveras' "The End and the Beginning" (October 2013) are published. Through a fruitful dialogue with the book, the four distinguished speakers expanded on broader themes and spoke more generally about our era. In addition to the above critical essays, with the author's permission, a relevant letter from academic Thanasis Valtonos to D.K. Magkliveras has been added.