Emerson: The Mind on Fire (Centennial Books) Review

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Emerson: The Mind on Fire (Centennial Books) ReviewRichardson has given us a profound biography of one of the world's most profound men. And in this case, I'm almost as impressed with the biographer as the man he reports. This book has 100 chapters, each one as full of outstanding ideas as some entire books I've read. I owe many wonderful evenings and mornings to Richardson who has given me the keenest insights into my favorite teacher and author. Richardson so accurately portrays Emerson's journey of a self-realized soul marching in his conviction of the final authority of the individual Self, that at times I felt I was making the same journey myself. In so many moments, something swelled within me while reading this book, and I thought perhaps even such a one as myself might grasp these elevated concepts Richardson so lucidly explains. Emerson himself said, "only that book is good which puts the reader in a working mood." While reading this book I have felt encouraged in my quest to do the work of unfolding my own nature with reverential awe--as Emerson admonishes us--by keeping a journal and studying to unify myself with the eternity at the core of my being.
Richardson not only studied Emerson to write this book, he studied the books that Emerson studied, thereby showing Emerson's method, intellectual origins, and native genius that courageously broke with contemporary traditions to create a cohesive world-view so inspirational to many.
Emerson, more than any other author I have read, believed in the grandeur of the soul--not just his own--but in each of us. He wrote in his journal, "When I look at the rainbow I find myself the center of its arch. But so are you; and so is the man who sees it a mile from both of us. So also the globe is round, and every man therefore stands on the top. King George, and the chimney sweep no less."
If you are looking for a book to not only stretch your limits of understanding but help you realize the helping hand at the end of your own arm, enlighten yourself by studying Emerson with Richardson. You might also consider spending the extra few dollars and get the hardback . It'll last a lot longer under the wear you'll give it referring to it again and again.Emerson: The Mind on Fire (Centennial Books) Overview

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The Way of the Wizard: Twenty Spiritual Lessons for Creating the Life You Want Review

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The Way of the Wizard: Twenty Spiritual Lessons for Creating the Life You Want ReviewI have been reading and studying works of theology, spirituality, philosophy and mysticism for over twenty years, following my own path and doing my best to discern truth from the writings of Christian, Hindu, Buddhist and other backgrounds. I have a library of treasured works that have helped me along a journey that has taken me from a time of profound confusion, doubt, dread, depression, anxiety and pain to a life of pervasive peace, consistent joy and ever growing love.
In that vast library of works, many of the books I've read I considered great ... exceptionally well suited to guide me through the particular phase of life through which I was going ... but NO book I've EVER read was MORE PERFECTLY written for where I am now in my life than The Way of the Wizard.
Having been on this journey as long as I have, I can see how this work would seem fluffy and insubstantial to many and perhaps even most people who would read it. Had it been around for me to pick up 20 or even 10 years ago, I'm quite certain I wouldn't have understood it much or considered it profound. But when I finished reading this book for the first time (which I did in one sitting), it was as if the book had been written specifically for me. It rang so true to the precise experience of life I've had for the past several decades that at points I laughed out loud from the pure joy of recognition.
Others have written about the contents of this book ... I've chosen to address the way it left me feeling. There are those of you out there for whom that will be the more telling review. You know who you are.The Way of the Wizard: Twenty Spiritual Lessons for Creating the Life You Want Overview

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The Art of Shen Ku: The First Intergalactic Artform of the Entire Universe Review

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The Art of Shen Ku: The First Intergalactic Artform of the Entire Universe ReviewImagine, if you will, that you are in the company of a man who has travelled the world, seen many things that are NOT in the guidebooks, been in the company of many people both great and small, taken a lot of hard knocks, learned much to prevent repeating any mistakes, and lived to tell about it.
This is the book he wrote.
Equal parts Boy Scout Handbook, Whole Earth Catalogue and "Junior Woodchuck Guidebook" (the impossably complete reference book that Donald Duck's nephews carried with them), with painstakingly detailed illustrations on each and every page, tinted with Oriental wisdom.
Just a sampling of the contents (with randomly chosen pages): "Asian secrets of walking stick combat", "A traveler's guide to self-hypnosis", "Rapid reference accupressure treatments", "Emergency entertainment for bored, whining or fighting kids", "Effective beauty treatments with simple natural ingredients", "How to survive disaster situations", "How to condition for martial art strikes", "Non-violent child control", "Simple and healthy vegetarian recipes", "How to execute classic Kung Fu moves".
My friend, this is the one! From boating emergencies to avoiding a fight, from preventing food poisoning to physical fitness information, from natural therapies to preventing bedwetting, from Laws of the Sea to preventing skin problems, from tying knots to yoga postures....
I cannot say enough about this book. Buy it. Better yet, buy two and hide one copy. Someone is bound to "borrow" this from you.
(ADDENDUM: I sent a copy to a friend of mine. He has paid me to send him four additional copies to give away as presents.)The Art of Shen Ku: The First Intergalactic Artform of the Entire Universe Overview

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Stalking the Wild Pendulum: On the Mechanics of Consciousness Review

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Stalking the Wild Pendulum: On the Mechanics of Consciousness ReviewI can't even imagine how brilliant Bentov was, because he explains the Nature of Things so clearly, intuitively and humorously for the physics- and math-impaired that it boggles my mind. And he also very gently and humorously explains those mystical connections, synchronicities and the quirky nature of time. It's the kind of abstract but accessible knowledge that opens spiritual doors. And even though theoretical physics has advanced significantly since Bentov died, his thinking still holds up quite nicely. What a tour de force. My copy is dog-eared from all the times I've visited and revisited this book, and I'm happy to have this forum to express my admiration.Stalking the Wild Pendulum: On the Mechanics of Consciousness Overview

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The Proper Study of Mankind: An Anthology of Essays Review

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The Proper Study of Mankind: An Anthology of Essays Review"The Proper Study of Mankind" is an awe-inspiring anthology of seventeen essays in the Humanities by the erudite and engaging Isaiah Berlin. The title may seem a bit stilted for Berlin, who is no starched collar, and whose writing is crisp, crackling, and refreshingly free of pomp and pedantry. But then...so long as one stops and thinks (something going out of fashion these days, but still very much in the spirit of Berlin)...that title does make sense. Of course! "The proper study of Mankind is Man." Not ideals. Not ideologies. But human beings as they really are--and what they actually do.
Berlin does not believe in final solutions to human questions. There is no definitive answer once and for all. Nor is there one way, the way, the only way to be, live, act, think, learn, work, write, express oneself, etc. Man is not singular. Man is plural. That is what makes humanity so facinating to "study." The mystery, the drama, the unpredictability of these intractable creatures baffle social scientists, human engineers, controlling personalities who--try as they may!--cannot quite track down, trap, take prisoner the wildly elusive chimera of "human nature."
Ah, but Shakespeare delights in this dazzling dance. And so does Berlin. He writes with riveting wonder at the butterfly flights of human beings, human minds, human wills, human histories. He traces errant clues left behind, on scattered pages, to defy the wind of time. Berlin is sensitive to these fragile fragments of thought, these traces, these rumblings of the human spirit. He is a great historian of ideas--one who listens with a keen sense of hearing for echoes and reverberations in the din of cacophony. He is a perceptive discerner of patterns in space, careers through time, and points of origin. He is original. He does not regurgitate his enormous reading. Rather, he chews, tastes, savors, spits out fat, sucks up marrow, and digests. Thus fortified by this huge feast of reading, Berlin writes something utterly new, all his own, from all that he has read.
The most stirring, most exciting, pages in this anthology are those of the finale (section V) of Berlin's essay on "The Apotheosis of the Romantic Will." When Berlin writes like this, you don't just see light, you feel fire! But then, turning to Berlin's penetrating essay on "The Origins of Machiavelli," the reader is captivated by an utterly different set of sensations: depth, moisture, deep caves, dank smells, dirt, digging in darkness, fearful, clutching one's dagger, probing, deeper--a Dante-esque spiralling down to the bowels of the earth--followed by a swift sudden plunge into the heart of this seminal genius, this Machiavelli, this spectre of the night whose short, simple, virus-like books continue to plague the west, century after century. This too is great reading!
Indeed, all of the essays in this anthology are good. It's just that some are better than others--depending on what you are looking for. The first six essays are predominantly conceptual. They distill the ideas. Thus, they have punch and potency. But they are somewhat dry and lacking in flavor. Reading them, the connoisseur sips pure alcohol. All the while, however, he or she longs for the exquisite taste of an excellent wine: full-bodied, fruity, robust, bursting with bouquet, and delightfully complex. That is to say: the vintage Berlin.
Abruptly after the first six essays, however, the corks pop, the writing flows, and taste buds bathe in champagne. Berlin is at his best--humane, historical, humorous--in the nine essays that follow: four on "The History of Ideas"; three on "Russian Writers"; and two on "Romanticism and Nationalism." The remaining essays, the last two, on "Twentieth-Century Figures" (Churchill and Roosevelt) round out the feast with a delicious dessert. After devouring this book, however, I keep coming back for seconds, thirds, fourths from my favorite essays--those on Romanticism, Nationalism, the Counter-Enlightenment, and, of course, Machiavelli.
Still, each essay in this anthology is ingenious in its own way: the approach, the point of view, the style of writing...everything curved, shaped, fitted--just so--to suit the subject. But there is no forced compartmentalization. Ideas from one essay spill over into another--and can be found swimming, quite freely, in a third. Those who demand strict obedience, straight lines, right angles, cleanliness, order, stability, sterility, etc., will be appalled. But those who despise totalitarianism will be overjoyed.The Proper Study of Mankind: An Anthology of Essays Overview

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Introduction to Logic Review

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Introduction to Logic ReviewI agree with the other reviewers of this text that it is the best I've encountered (I have taught several different sections of logic over nearly ten years, using 6 or 7 different texts, and have reviewed countless others). The writing is admirably clear and precise, and reads well. Nothing extraneous here, but there is enough to elucidate ideas and strategies. There are two key features that distinguish this text from others, and render it extremely valuable.
(1) the examples and logic problems are INTERESTING, mostly because they are invariably drawn from philosophical arguments; this gives me an opportunity to tie the teaching of logic to discussion of philosophy and makes the relevance of logic to philosophy very clear; I often find students who are interested in philosophy because they have read existentialism or even Plato, and who appreciate the play of ideas they find in these texts; what they do not understand is that the poetry of ideas must be tied to logic, and, more importantly, that there is a kind of poetic rigor to logic; this text helps to make that clear.
(2) Gensler has developed a remarkably simple set of strategies for proof construction, that eliminates much of the confusion and ambiguity that students experience when encountering proofs for the first time; his "star test" for testing syllogisms is excellent, and a cinch to apply; it is even easier to grasp than Venn diagrams and is more versatile; his strategy for proofs in propositional and predicate logic is the best and easiest I've seen anywhere, and combines the merits of truth trees with standard deductive proofs, and has the advantage of yielding both proofs of validity and refutations by the very same method. The ease of the strategy means that it is possible to move much further in a single semester than usual. The content of the book goes further, too, than many of the standard textbooks. He goes into modal logic, belief logic, deontic logic and even has a chapter presenting a formalized ethical theory. Very cool stuff!!
(3) The only weakness I have found is in his explanation of translations; where he is very helpful and precise with strategies for producing proofs and refutations, his guidelines for producing translations into formal symbolism are a bit more vague and amount to only a few guidelines and a bit of hand waving. Still, even here I haven't seen much better elsewhere, so this is a minor quibble. In the context of my classroom, it just meant that this was something we spent more time on.
I really can't recommend this book highly enough for those who are interested in logic.Introduction to Logic Overview

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Fate, Time, and Language: An Essay on Free Will Review

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Fate, Time, and Language: An Essay on Free Will ReviewThis book centers around David Foster Wallace's undergraduate honors thesis in philosophy. It begins with a very well-written and interesting introduction to the philosophical argument DFW takes to task in his thesis, an argument by Taylor that takes a set of commonly accepted philosophical presuppositions and entails fatalism. The book then presents Taylor's article, originally published in the early 1960s, and a flurry of (sometimes heated) responses by other philosophers. All of this serves as the background for Wallace's work, which extends (seemingly substantially) upon those other responses.
I'm not a philosopher by either trade or background, and so I won't claim to have followed every nuance of all of the arguments, and as a reader, I found the back-and-forth regarding Taylor's original argument less interesting than either the introduction or DFW's contribution. However, the thesis itself is lucid (and I think easier to follow than several of the other arguments, even if it is not particularly light reading), and in a word, satisfying. It seems to me that David Foster Wallace was an exceptionally gifted person, and so I am glad that the editors and contributors put forth the effort to make it available. It was also enjoyable to detect elements of his literary style even at this early stage of his writing.
Based on this book alone, I'm not convinced that David Foster Wallace found the question of free will (as the subtitle might suggest) all that vexing or in need of defense - it seems as likely that he was concerned about the imprecise use of language and the confusion it may lead to - that doesn't detract from the book in any way. Very enjoyable for fans of DFW or, say, modal semantics.Fate, Time, and Language: An Essay on Free Will Overview

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Working With The Law Review

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Working With The Law ReviewThis is by far the best book I have ever read. It has been out of print for quite sometime and now I see that it is back. This is the common sense approach to how to live our lives. I have read this book over and over throughout my life. It will give you the simple understanding of how to have everything you could ever want in your life, provided you understand and respect the Laws of the Universe. It will give you a better understand and provide growth of your sprituality. I highly recommend this to the whole world!Working With The Law Overview

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Desiring the Kingdom: Worship, Worldview, and Cultural Formation (Cultural Liturgies) Review

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Desiring the Kingdom: Worship, Worldview, and Cultural Formation (Cultural Liturgies) ReviewWhich comes first?
Belief or practice?
Christian worship or a Christian worldview?
In recent years, evangelicals have rightly discerned that many people in our churches lack even a rudimentary understanding of theology and the Bible. Too often, the people sitting in our churches on Sunday do not know what they believe or why.
In response to this problem, leaders have created a number of resources designed to help Christians develop a Christian worldview - a biblical framework for understanding life. I am encouraged by the worldview trend, as I believe it addresses a neglected aspect of evangelical church life.
But James K. A. Smith says that worldview training does not go far enough. In his new book, Desiring the Kingdom: Worship, Worldview, and Cultural Formation (Baker, 2009), Smith makes the case that worldview training targets only one aspect of our humanity - the mind. The assumption is this: when we think like Christians, we will then act like Christians. Smith challenges this notion and calls evangelicals to look beyond informational understandings of discipleship to a worship-centered view of discipleship, one that demonstrates how our liturgies form us into the people of God.
The book begins with an excellent question:
"What if education wasn't first and foremost about what we know, but about what we love?" (18).
Smith invites us to see Christian education as formed by worship, not just informed by teaching. Christian discipleship should not be reduced to the transmission of knowledge; true discipleship forms our desires.
Smith begins by challenging the anthropology that casts humans primarily in the role of "thinkers". Instead, Smith believes humans are primarily "lovers" (worshippers). When we over-intellectualize what it means to become a Christian, we wind up with a "bobble-head" Christianity (42). We should realize instead that it is what we desire and love that animates our passion.
Smith also pays attention to other cultural "liturgies." By taking his readers through the cultural liturgy of the shopping mall, the sports arena, the academy, etc., Smith skillfully demonstrates how immersion into these cultures forms our desires and communicates what "the good life" looks like.
"The core claim of this book is that liturgies - whether "sacred" or "secular" - shape and constitute our identities by forming our most fundamental desires and our most basic attunement to the world. In short, liturgies make us certain kinds of people, and what defines us is what we love." (25)
Smith's proposal is very thought-provoking. But I have a few concerns.
My first concern is a personal pet peeve. I dislike seeing Christian writers refer to humans as "animals." Smith uses the description "desiring, imaginative animals" when speaking of humanity. As someone concerned about our culture's diminishing of the uniqueness of human life, I prefer that our terminology better reflect our theology about human value.
Secondly, Smith puts forth too many "either-ors" in this book. One example concerns patriotism. For Smith, there is no complexity when it comes to competing allegiances. It is so black and white that one must choose between God or country. I agree that some evangelicals overemphasize national allegiance, but this problem is not resolved by denying the place of patriotism altogether.
Another example is Smith's downplaying of the role of the intellect. It is one thing to say that worldview is not enough (point taken). But it is quite another to tip the scales in the other direction. Though his picture of "bobble-head" Christians is memorable, I don't think it is the most accurate description of contemporary evangelicals. When considering our lack of biblical knowledge, we might picture instead a bloated body with a shrunken head.
I wish Smith had addressed many of the objections that one could raise. For instance, how does he explain the fact that many people immerse themselves in Christian worship week to week and are still not formed into the image of Christ? How do we deal with this unfortunate reality? Liturgy cannot be the only (or even primary ) answer.
Likewise, in arguing that worship precedes worldview, Smith says that Christians worshipped "before they got around to abstract theologizing or formulating a Christian worldview." (139) True, but their worship was based on common beliefs. Worship eventually propelled them to "abstract theology" about Jesus Christ - his person and work.
For Smith, liturgy births doctrine, rather than doctrine birthing liturgy. I am not convinced that this is the case. The early Christians worshipped because of the truth of the resurrection of Christ. They believed; therefore, they worshipped. In turn, their worship solidifies their belief. There is a synergy between worship and worldview, not a direct cause and effect.
I love high-church liturgy. I am attracted to Smith's call to consider how our worship practices affect our discipleship and formation. I would like nothing more than to go along and say "yes" to everything in this book.
But some of Smith's dichotomies are false, and so while I greatly enjoyed this book, and found it to be one of the most thought-provoking books I read this year, I remain unconvinced that Smith's proposal offers the best answers to the problems in evangelical life.Desiring the Kingdom: Worship, Worldview, and Cultural Formation (Cultural Liturgies) Overview

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Meditations in an Emergency Review

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Meditations in an Emergency ReviewIf you wondered what Don Draper was reading and why he got that far away look in his eye then your curiosity is much like mine. I had to know. Meditations In An Emergency is that book. Frank O'Hara was the voice that spoke to the madness, the chaos, and the contradictions in the cultural transition between 50's and 60's America. He was one of the best poets of the twentieth century and along with writers like Denise Levertov, Allen Ginsberg, Robert Creeley, and Gary Snyder, a crucial contributor to what Donald Allen termed the New American Poetry.
O'Hara's poetry is vital, raw, gritty, and extremely moving.
And Don Draper is thinking:
Now I am quietly waiting for
the castastrophe of my personality
to seem beautiful again,
and interesting, and modern.
The country is grey and
brown and white in trees,
snows and skies of laughter
always diminishing, less funny
not just darker, not just grey.
It may be the coldest day of
the year, what does he think of
that? I mean, what do I? And if I do,
perhaps I am myself again.Meditations in an Emergency Overview

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Being Logical: A Guide to Good Thinking Review

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Being Logical: A Guide to Good Thinking ReviewThis is a great book for the right audience. By design, it starts with the most basic concepts of logical thought in order to build a solid foundation. For a student beginning a study of philosophy, this will be very valuable.
If your interest in logical thought is more casual, however, you may find that about 2/3 of this book is so basic as to not hold your attention very well. In the final third of the book McInerny addresses the common pitfalls of logical thought and the book becomes interesting even if you are a non-academic reader.
For that reason, I'd recommend "Crimes Against Logic" by Jamie Whyte for the reader interested in day-to-day logical thought rather than this book. This is a great one, however, if you are beginning an academic study of philosophy.Being Logical: A Guide to Good Thinking Overview

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The Bible According to Mark Twain: Irreverent Writings on Eden, Heaven, and the Flood by America's Master Satirist Review

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The Bible According to Mark Twain: Irreverent Writings on Eden, Heaven, and the Flood by America's Master Satirist ReviewIn the decades since his death, many of Mark Twain's writings have been reorganized into common themes such as protests, speeches, short stories and sketches, and full works of fiction in larger volumes. A recent welcome addition to these is The Bible According to Mark Twain, which includes diaries of Adam, Eve, and other Old Testament characters, various speculations on what the imaginary Heaven might be like (including Captain Stormfield's), some autobiographical dictations, a few pieces that appear in print for the first time, and, of course, Letters From the Earth.
It also contains too many of the editor's notes that plague most of Twain's posthumous releases. Here, notes take up 50 of the book's first 260 pages (10 more are blank). Why do editors feel compelled to insert their version of Twain's autobiography before every entry? If they must share this information with readers, they can do so at the start or the end of the book, without interrupting Twain's far superior writing. Granted, some of the details are worth knowing: Twain read Paine's Age of Reason while piloting riverboats. This helped shape his views toward Christianity. But other statements are extremely irritating: "...we have omitted the five-and-a-half page attack on the concept of the virgin birth (mistakenly referred to as the immaculate conception) because that discussion is not closely related to the writings in this volume." Yes it is! Claims like this make me wonder what else is missing. The rest of Twain's writings on religion need a book of their own, WITHOUT the gratuitous editorial comments.
I'll let Twain have the last word:
"From the beginning of time, whenever a king has lain dangerously ill, the priesthood and some part of the nation have prayed in unison that the king be spared to his grieving and anxious people (in case they were grieving and anxious, which was not usually the rule) and in no instance was their prayer ever answered. When Mr. Garfield lay near to death, the physicians and surgeons knew that nothing could save him, yet at an appointed signal all the pulpits in the United States broke forth with one simultaneous and supplicating appeal for the President's restoration to health. They did this with the same old innocent confidence with which the primeval savage had prayed to his imaginary devils to spare his perishing chief -- for that day will never come when facts and experience can teach a pulpit anything useful. Of course the President died, just the same."The Bible According to Mark Twain: Irreverent Writings on Eden, Heaven, and the Flood by America's Master Satirist Overview

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The Conquest of Happiness Review

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The Conquest of Happiness ReviewThe other reviewers have done a fine job reviewing the book, and I'd just like to emphasize a few points.
1. Although a few of the references are dated because the book was written in 1930, all of the ideas are still perfectly relevant.
2. This is not a book of formal philosophy; more of introspection. Of course Russel introspected with the same brilliant and critical mind that he used to contribute to mathematics and philosophy. But this is not rigorous, apologetic or systematic. Actually, it's more like gentle advice. And quite reasonable.
I'd like to quote a few passages that I found thought-provoking, to give a reader a sense of what to expect if you purchase and read this book:
p. 27, "[T]o be without some of the things you want is an indispensable part of happiness."
p. 29, "The habit of looking to the future and thinking that the whole meaning of the present lies in what it will bring forth is a pernicious one. There can be no value in the whole unless there is value in the parts."
p. 43, "I do not deny that the feeling of success makes it easier to enjoy life.... Nor do I deny that money, up to a certain point, is very capable of increasing happiness. What I do maintain is that success can only be one ingredient in happiness, and is too dearly purchased if all the other ingredients have been sacrificed to obtain it."
p. 74, "The essentials of human happiness are simple, so simple that sophisticated people cannot bring themselves to what it is that they really lack."
p. 94, "[R]emember that your motives are not always as altruistic as they seem to yourself... don't overestimate your own merits... don't expect others to take as much interest in you as you do in yourself."
p. 99, "No satisfaction based upon self-deception is solid, and however unpleasant the truth may be, it is better to face it once and for all, to get used to it, and to proceed to build your life in accordance with it."
p. 107, "One should respect public opinion in so far as is necessary to avoid starvation and to keep out of prison, but anything that goes beyond this is voluntary submission to an unnecessary tyranny, and is likely to interfere with happiness in all kinds of ways."
p. 109, "Happiness is promoted by associations of persons with similar tastes and similar opinions."
p. 123, "The secret of happiness is this: let your interests be as wide as possible, and let your reactions to the things and persons that interest you be as far as possible friendly rather than hostile."
p. 142, "In the best kind of affection a man hopes for a new happiness rather than for an escape from an old unhappiness."
p. 175, "To ignore our opportunities for knowledge, imperfect as they are, is like going to the theater and and not listening to the play."
Well, that's a reasonable sample. It's not a philosophical masterpiece, but it is mature, wise and edifying. I think most people who read books would do well to read this one too, so I give it a hearty endorsement.The Conquest of Happiness Overview

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Justice for Hedgehogs Review

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Justice for Hedgehogs ReviewA Dworkinian statement is usually clear, sharp, and pointedly thought-provoking. This book contains 423 pages of such statements covering a range of subjects from skepticism to morality, living the good life, interpretation, dignity, free will law, and truth. Dworkin's thesis here is that all these abstracts can be unified and grounded on the value he described as "Dignity". By conventional interpretation of the phrase "A fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing", the fox hesitates to form one single, all-encompassing value that attaches to all things on earth. The hedgehog, on the other hand, believes that it has its thumb pressed against that solitary, centrifugal nerve and the value that controls all values. It is Dworkin's thesis that a single principle (which he identifies as "dignity") unifies all moral values. He claims that the pluralism of thinkers like Isaiah Berlin cannot be sustained, let alone function because one cannot have two values diverse but equally true. Dworkin does not mask his intention to show us that he is an hedgehog, but can he assume that role without grasping and reconciling the truth in all the disparate values that philosophers, scientists, and theologians, have hitherto been unable to reconcile? If Dworkin could, and had done so, one wonders if he might not have been, like Tolstoy, a fox who thinks he is an hedgehog? How strong is his foundation based on "dignity"?
To have expressed all his views as emanating from one stock value in such a relatively short book, Dworkin might have had to omit steps in arguments which, no doubt, his critics will pursue. Indeed, Dworkin invites responses in a specially created website: www justiceforhedgehogs net (I have used a space instead of a period otherwise, for some strange reason, the website name does not appear on the review). There have already been comments and criticisms: See Michael Smith: 2009 Boston Law Review vol 90 p.509 (commenting on the draft manuscript). Nonetheless, "Justice for Hedgehogs", like most of Dworkin's books, is an elegant, charming, and provocative intellectual work.Justice for Hedgehogs Overview

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The Ultimate Harry Potter and Philosophy: Hogwarts for Muggles (The Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Series) Review

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The Ultimate Harry Potter and Philosophy: Hogwarts for Muggles (The Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Series) ReviewI whipped through this interesting collection of essays in one day. Examining ancient and contemporary philosophy through the lens of pop culture is not a new idea, but it's one I happily snap up whenever I find it.
In any collection with many writers, there are going to be some essays that are a pleasure to read, that reference the theme well (in this case, of the written world of Harry Potter), and are coherent. There are a few of these better writers sprinkled about the book.
However, too many of the essays in this book are not thematically as on-target as I'd like. Some of the writers are densely wordy and stray a bit far away from Harry Potter and Hogwarts, instead pounding the pulpit of their particular philosophical agenda.
It's fair enough that not all philosophers are also good writers. And some readers may prefer more philosophical meat and less of the 'fun of looking at the Wizarding world' elements that I enjoy. So perhaps there is a balance in this book - something for the pop culture fans, and something for people looking more for a philosophy text.The Ultimate Harry Potter and Philosophy: Hogwarts for Muggles (The Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Series) Overview

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House and Philosophy: Everybody Lies (The Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Series) Review

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House and Philosophy: Everybody Lies (The Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Series) ReviewI'm a big fan of the various series of books on philosophy and popular culture. (There are three such series that I'm aware of: "Popular Culture and Philosophy" from Open Court Publishing, the "Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Series" from Wiley, and "The Philosophy of Popular Culture" from The University of Kentucky.) All of these series use popular culture -- TV shows, movies, music, popular books, sports, fads, etc. -- to illustrate important issues in philosophy and ethics. I have read several of the books in these series, and have been very impressed with all of them. I especially enjoyed reading "House and Philosophy: Everybody Lies" (which is part of the Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Series). As a lifelong student of philosophy, and a huge fan of the TV series "House, M.D.", I had to get this book.
"House, M.D." is a show about Dr. Gregory House, a brilliant but misanthropic diagnostician with a razor sharp wit and a contemptuous disregard for the feelings of others. House has little use for hospital rules or medical ethics. He openly rebels against any form of authority that would attempt to interfere with his ability to do what he thinks is best. He abuses his staff, insults his patients, manipulates his friends, alienates everyone who cares about him, ridicules anyone who disagrees with him, and takes pleasure in making others as miserable as he is. He is an unrepentant drug addict, a heavy drinker, and a frequent client of prostitutes. He is a militant atheist with nothing but contempt for religion and conventional morality. He will not hesitate to break the law or violate other people's rights in order to get what he wants. He can be brutally honest or a boldfaced liar, depending on his mood and his motives. House is basically a sociopath. He also saves lives. He does it by solving medical mysteries that completely baffle other doctors. Although he doesn't really care about his patients as human beings, he is an obsessive puzzle solver; and he will not rest until he has figured out what is wrong and how to treat it. You wouldn't want House as your family doctor. But, if you were dying of a mysterious illness, you would definitely want House on the case.
As you might imagine, this show raises a number of fascinating ethical and philosophical issues. Many of these issues are explored in this wonderful book: "House and Philosophy: Everybody Lies". One thing I really like about the essays in this book is that they are very well written and accessible, even to someone with no background in philosophy or medical ethics. Some of the other philosophy and popular culture books I have read have included essays that dealt with fairly esoteric philosophical issues, and would be more suitable for readers who have a fairly strong background in philosophy. But this book avoids that. I think that anyone who is a fan of "House, M.D." will find this book engaging, entertaining, enlightening, and easy to follow, even if they've never taken a single class in philosophy or ethics.
One caveat though: While you don't have to have a background in philosophy in order to understand and enjoy this book, you do need to have at least a basic familiarity with the TV show "House, M.D." -- its premise, its characters, the overall story arc, etc. If you're new to the show, then you may want to wait until you've watched at least the first three seasons before you try to tackle this book. (Note that the book deals mainly with themes from the first three seasons of the show; though there are a few references to events from the early episodes of the fourth season.) I would highly recommend this book for all "House, M.D." fans -- especially those with an interest in philosophy and ethics.House and Philosophy: Everybody Lies (The Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Series) Overview

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The Question of God: C.S. Lewis and Sigmund Freud Debate God, Love, Sex, and the Meaning of Life Review

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The Question of God: C.S. Lewis and Sigmund Freud Debate God, Love, Sex, and the Meaning of Life ReviewI thoroughly enjoyed exploring both the thoughts of Freud and Lewis through Dr. Nicholi's summary in this book. People who are not familiar with the writings of Lewis or Freud (or both) will find this a very readable primer on their basic worldviews.
I confess that I am puzzled at those who accuse Nicholi of "stacking the deck" in favor of Lewis, or merely feigning objectivity while actually casting Freud in a poor light. The thinly veiled assertion seems to be that Freud was actually very different than he is made out to be in this book, and that Nicholi either consciously or unconsciously skews Freud's real positions and ideas. I found that far from the truth.
First, Nicholi readily acknowledges that no one is truly objective and dispassionate, particularly on such fundamental questions as the meaning of life and existence of God. But I believe he does an excellent job of not injecting his own bias into the equation. Second, Nicholi takes pains to point out many of the (rather substantial) contributions Freud has made to modern thought, particularly in his field of psychoanalysis. Finally, Nicholi's text is historical. Where people may have encountered frustration (particularly supporters or Freud's wordlview) is when Nicholi attempts to look at the actual EFFECT of each man's worldview on his life; a perfectly appropriate tactic given the goal of the book. Nicholi cites nothing but historically verifiable facts about these two men. Whether one believes in God or not, the rather dramatic nature of Lewis' conversion is undeniable -- one may debate the cause(s) of his change, but not the existence of the change. The same holds true for the despair and lonliness that Freud freely acknowledges experiencing in heavy doses. If Nicholi omitted important information about Freud, then critique him as a poor historian and offer factual backup. But do not simply react against the picture he paints merely because of how it looks.
I, for one, am categorically not an adherent to Freud's worldview. But I actually came away from Nicholi's book feeling like I now understand and appreciate Freud far more than I did before.The Question of God: C.S. Lewis and Sigmund Freud Debate God, Love, Sex, and the Meaning of Life Overview

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The Alchemy of Finance (Wiley Investment Classics) Review

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The Alchemy of Finance (Wiley Investment Classics) ReviewIn this updated edition, Soros summarizes his worldly philosophy--the connection between thought and reality and how it applies to financial markets. The heart of the book remains Mr. Soros's account of what he did with Quantum Fund in the mid-1980s, both as an example of his approach and a remarkable lesson in how to make money in markets where most of the time nobody, including Mr. Soros, knows what's coming next.
His philosophical tenet, Reflexivity, denotes a feedback loop: Individuals act on their views of a situation, thereby changing the situation. For example, if traders believe a stock is going up, they buy it, thereby bidding it up. But their belief caused the result; there may be no fundamental reason for the rise.
Thus what we think determines what we do and has consequences, but typically it is not correct.
Inspired by Heisenberg's rule about quantum particles, Soros proclaims a human uncertainty principle which suggests our understanding is often incoherent and always incomplete. From his case study, one notices that uncertainty continually besets Mr. Soros in managing his hedge fund, which has the same name as the particles subject to Heisenberg's uncertainty principle.
General models do not always translate into money making practice. But Soros provides an insight of great practical significance: traders need to be adaptive, because there is no way of knowing beforehand how a market situation will turn out.
The Quantum Fund experience demonstrates how that works. This exercise in global macro strategy, a master speculator's take on commodity, currency and equity markets, is a a litany of doubts and hazards.
He's been losing on currency trades for several years. Then in September 1985, he makes a killing by buying a lot of yen just before central banks switch to a new exchange rate system and the yen rises. There is a pattern: he sustains losses, reduces positions, gets out, then sees a great opportunity and pounces. In short, he constantly and quickly adapts to events.
Despite various setbacks, Quantum Fund's NAV per share rose 121% in 1985 and 43% in 1986. Such numbers make for legend and Mr. Soros became one.
How did he do it? He keeps an open mind and continually modifies his outlook with new information. As he remarks, "the markets provide a merciless reality check," and Mr. Soros never stays with an idea that fails the test. Most of the time he can't predict what's coming, but he promptly corrects course in response to feedback. That limits losses. On rare occasions he can see through the fog of uncertainty and hauls in the booty.
This is not an easy book to read, but as another hedge fund manager, Paul Tudor Jones, describes it in the foreword, it is a timeless guide.The Alchemy of Finance (Wiley Investment Classics) Overview

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Busting Loose From the Money Game: Mind-Blowing Strategies for Changing the Rules of a Game You Can't Win Review

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Busting Loose From the Money Game: Mind-Blowing Strategies for Changing the Rules of a Game You Can't Win ReviewI don't regret buying this book, as I received quite a lot of value from it, but at the same time I strongly disagree with some of his fundamental premises.
This book is difficult to summarise adequately, but basically he is saying - we create our reality (including our financial reality) with our minds. Our life experience is a illusory game created by what he calls our 'Expanded Self' - a larger, omnipotent creative intelligence, of which we are just a small aspect. This 'Human Game' is divided into 2 phases: Phase 1, which most people are stuck in, and Phase 2, which is the object of the processes in this book. Phase 1 appears to have rigid rules, and was purposely designed by our Expanded Self to convince us of our limitations and lack of power. When we are ready, we enter Phase 2, in which our Expanded Self leads us through the process of reclaiming our personal power and then 'busting loose' of the game. After busting loose, our desires & goals (including money) will fall into place with little effort, and we might even experience seemingly 'impossible' events, as the illusory nature of reality becomes apparent, and life no longer has to follow the usual rules.
What I liked about the book:
*I found it to be well written & some parts are very interesting & thought-provoking.
* The idea that our consciousness creates our reality is nothing new to me, and I'm already familiar with the holographic model of reality creation that he discusses. I've read many books on similar topics, most of which haven't really given me anything new. This book did at least take an approach I haven't encountered before, so I give it some credit for originality, even if there is much I disagree with. I can see how it could be a bit `far out' for some of those who are totally new to this kind of material.
*Scheinfeld offers four techniques which we can use to enter & progress through Phase 2, and even though I don't accept his notion of what Phase 2 should be like, I have found all of these techniques to be useful, and perhaps worth the price of book alone.
*I like his `no limit' thinking - he proposes a vision of what life could be like unencumbered by all the rules & regulations that most people accept as normal or just `how life is'. I do agree with him that our potential as conscious creators of our own realities is unlimited, and that so called `supernatural' or 'magical' events could be commonplace if only we could allow them, and it's good to see a writer who is unafraid to stick his neck out & make claims that probably sound preposterous to the average person (Star Trek's Q as a role model? - sounds good to me!)
* I also like his debunking of traditional ways of thinking about money, which I've always thought were rather unnecessary & limited too.What I didn't like
*While the holographic model in general makes sense to me, I don't accept that the other people (or animals etc) in my life are purely my creation. I see them more as independent consciousnesses who are also creating their own holographic realities, some aspects of which intersect with my own (based on the law of attraction), thus contributing to our shared experiences. I do agree that no-one else can create in our experience however, and tend to think that people will show whatever side of themselves that we attract from them, so in that sense we do have control over the type of behaviours we attract from others.
*I don't agree that we're just pawns in a game set up by our Expanded Self for its own amusement. I don't really see any distinction between that Expanded Self & the `me' that is here experiencing this life - its power is mine, and my experiences from this self-created perspective are of value to it. We are on the leading edge, and we (the `expanded you' plus the personality you know as `you') are in control - together.
*I don't agree that the `busting loose' process has to be painful & traumatic. Nor do I agree we have to just passively wait for our Expanded Self to pop unpleasant events into our experience for us to react to. It's perfectly possible to reclaim our power & release inner resistance without all the trauma & drama. The journey to freedom & personal power can be a pleasant one.
*Scheinfeld says that what we experience doesn't matter - it's no better to be wealthy than to be poor, or to have good relationships rather than bad ones. While I agree that it's unhealthy to be inflexible & to get overly attached to specific outcomes, and that any event can be a valuable learning experience, I can't accept that our desires and preferences have no value (just the opposite in fact - what's the point of being a deliberate creator without a personally defined, constantly evolving purpose towards which we can direct our energies?). Life may be an illusion, but some aspects of that illusion are undoubtedly more pleasant than others, so why not focus on attracting/creating the pleasant experiences that we prefer?
I would also add - this is not a 'mainstream' financial advice book (which you've probably guessed from the above comments!). You won't find advice about what actions to take to make money (there are plenty of other books on how to manage your money, choose investments etc), nor is it about the psychology of wealth in the usual sense (I like the Rich Dad Poor Dad series for that aspect of wealth building). It presents a metaphysical approach that requires an open-minded willingness to suspend disbelief and the need for 'proof', so if you're just looking for advice on how to get rich in the traditional ways, or are someone who isn't willing to consider a new idea unless it has been scientifically validated, this isn't the book for you!
I could go on, but won't! Scheinfeld is presenting his model of reality here, which is apparently working for him, and which seems to work well for many others too, but his model might not be the best approach for everyone. He's not saying - this is absolutely how it is & you must agree. It's just one perspective on the purpose & mechanics of this physical life experience. All in all, I can't give this book a terrible review, or a glowing one. As with any book or other information source, the best approach is to take what resonates with you, and discard the rest.
Personally, I like to forge my own path, but in terms of external teachings I strongly recommend the Abraham-Hicks material to anyone who is open-minded enough to accept that they are capable of creating an unlimited reality (including unlimited wealth), but who also prefers an easy-going, joyous path, in which they are in control and which is not fraught with trauma and unpleasant `learning' experiences!Busting Loose From the Money Game: Mind-Blowing Strategies for Changing the Rules of a Game You Can't Win Overview

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Asterios Polyp Review

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Asterios Polyp ReviewReading Asterios Polyp is a daunting experience. Or maybe not so much the reading, which can be accomplished easily enough, but the being able to speak sensibly about it afterward. I feel kind of like how I did after finishing Bolaño's 2666: A Novel, only not quite so out of my depth. Like Bolaño, Mazzucchelli's work here displays a breadth and depth that overtly requires multiple readings in order find ground solid enough to speak with any authority about the book.
But since I've only read the book once, you'll have to be satisfied with my initial thoughts. Asterios Polyp is, in the simplest terms, a coming-of-age story--one in which the fifty-year-old lead, celebrated architect Asterios Polyp, begins a quest to put away the childish things of his past and embarks on journey of both self-discovery and exploration of the world as it is rather than how he has intended to see it for so long. In this aspect, Asterios reminded me of Mr. Ryder from Ishiguro's The Unconsoled, a man at the top of his rarefied field who still must learn to grow up. And like Ryder, Asterios suffers from an inability to see the world as it is and is (really, like us all) victim to his own perceptions.
Reality, perception, and memory play a huge role in Mazzucchelli's work here even as they do in everything I've yet read by Ishiguro.
On top of this is layered the framework of Greek tragedy and specific allusion to the myth of Orpheus (this is pointed out through fistfuls of overt clues, not the least of which is a dream in which Asterios takes the role of Orpheus and his ex-wife Hana embodies Eurydice). We get narrative explanations from a meta-source in the Greek choral tradition. Comparisons to Dionysus and Apollo lead to an evaluation of dualistic systems (and perhaps systems generally) as Asterios gradually must free himself from systemic shackles in order to finally grow up. Of course we suspect if Asterios abandons one aspect he will be destroyed even as Orpheus was for abandoning Dionysius. As well, there are plenty of references to The Odyssey and this cross-pollination of mythologies only serves to enrich our experience of Asterios' journey.
The subject matter, by its summary, sounds simple enough but Mazzucchelli throws so much into this piece and exercises such deft control over the page that one can easily drown in the details. The art is very particular. Much is made of Mazzucchelli's use of colour through the book and, well, with good reason. The colouring itself offers storytelling that is available through no other means. In fact, so occasionally powerful is his use of colour that I worry for colourblind readers, that they might miss out on some of the book's more sublime moments.
On top of Mazzucchelli's tight reign over his colour spectrum, there is ample evidence that he maintains the same level of control over his linework and design. Asterios Polyp is a thoroughly designed experience, with every element from script to story to illustration to panel design to colouration to control of whitespace adding voice to the chorus of this performance. The battle between geometric and organic shapes gives the reader (who may not be familiar with all the names and ideas Asterios or his ghostly narrator reference) a hook on which to hang the interpreter's hat. One's experience of Asterios Polyp will no doubt be more enriched by a working knowledge of architectural history, familiarity with Greek mythology and Homeric tradition, and a smackerel of understanding of postmodern sculpture--but Mazzucchelli's conveyance of story through his visual sense means that even those with Asterios-sized gaps in their education can still get in there and have some deeper sense of what's going on.
As of this writing, I have only read Asterios Polyp once. Of course I still have questions. Of course I do. I think I understand the ending, but I'd like to reread and think on it again. I think I understand why he physically takes on the identity of his true last name in the book's final act (Polyp is only half his original surname, as the immigration official chopped in half the family name when his father immigrated to America). I sometimes understand what Mazzuchelli intends with his character names and sometimes not. I have the barest kernel of an idea why Mazzuchelli, in a mature work that depicts nudity and violence, insists on representing verbal obscenity with cartoony symbolic representation (e.g. "We made up a $#@*load of these"). I don't yet fully grasp Asterios' Ignazio dreams. I am certain, however, that many of these things will become more clear on subsequent readings.
As I said, I have only read Asterios Polyp once. And I can't wait to change that fact.Asterios Polyp Overview

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