Connecting relatively obscure philosophy to modern, rural life, Perry offers up his usual charming discourse on everything from gas nozzles and banjo Connecting relatively obscure philosophy to modern, rural life, Perry offers up his usual charming discourse on everything from gas nozzles and banjo players to fatherhood, politics, and religion. This book is a nice, contemplative ramble. I recommend it for anyone who enjoys dabbling in philosophy. ...more
Illustrating a classic is always difficult, but I greatly enjoyed this simple, no-nonsense approach. In basic black and white the many torments of helIllustrating a classic is always difficult, but I greatly enjoyed this simple, no-nonsense approach. In basic black and white the many torments of hell and purgatory are not nearly as graphic as a different graphic adaptation would make them. Instead, the allegory is boiled down to its bare essentials, making this a nice quick perusal for anyone interested in revisiting the classic or looking for an introduction to the work. ...more
Civil rights, workplace discrimination, and integration are important themes, but the meat of this book is the noAnd suddenly I care about elevators.
Civil rights, workplace discrimination, and integration are important themes, but the meat of this book is the noir style. Is that another metaphor? Is there anything in this book that isn't a metaphor? And given that elevators are a metaphor for social mobility, why is it all so depressing? The nice Jewish boy who contents himself with escalators? The first black elevator inspector who does what he has to do to get by. The corruption of the industry and the one cop who honestly wants the truth. The muckraking journalist who doesn't suck at his job.
Lila Mae Watson doesn't content herself with anything. The first black woman elevator inspector doesn't bend, trust, or stop. She's the perfect noir heroine. In a world that is crazy about elevators, she finds an even deeper meaning.
Brilliant, well written, and astoundingly detailed. I highly recommend this book. ...more
This is not Hit By A Farm. This is the story of a woman who keeps farm animals as pets, listens to cantaloupe, and owns a telepathic cat. While I respThis is not Hit By A Farm. This is the story of a woman who keeps farm animals as pets, listens to cantaloupe, and owns a telepathic cat. While I respect and admire her for providing a home and medical care to animals that might not have otherwise been adopted, I'm perhaps too skeptical to learn her holistic lessons about the energy fields that surround us all.
For anyone in the mood for a story about a city person learning to take care of sheep in an organic way, I highly recommend Hit By A Farm. ...more
On the surface this is just some pretty good advice: be concerned for other people, take time to reflect, maintain poise, and be accessible. With the On the surface this is just some pretty good advice: be concerned for other people, take time to reflect, maintain poise, and be accessible. With the context of the author, however, more should be taken into our account. The vaunting of Lincoln's temperance over William Lloyd Garrison's "enthusiasm" in particular is questionable coming from the president who brought segregation up to the federal level. So this is the advice of a politician to his public and must be taken with a liberal helping of salt. Still, it remains an interesting look at the philosophy of a historical figure we don't often think of in conjunction with ideas rather than events.
Worth a read if that sort of thing floats your boat. ...more
The advantages of the broad span and excellent selections of this anthology are only surpassed by the fascinating historical context given for each poThe advantages of the broad span and excellent selections of this anthology are only surpassed by the fascinating historical context given for each poet or time period. I have to admit to feeling something of a stereotype for classic Chinese poetry. I expected tranquil poems with natural metaphors and deep, mindful insights. Naturally, a number of the poems and poets collected here do follow that vein, but there are also poems protesting wars, calling for social change, waxing lyrical about wine instead of the moon, and some fairly purple stuff about women losing their robes.
I found something of a favorite in Meng Chiao (751-814 C.E.) for his unexpectedly passionate--almost violent--work.
Young clear-voiced dragons in these gorges howl. Fresh scales born of rock,
they spew froth of fetid rain, breath heaving, churning up black sinkholes.
Strange new lights glint, and hungry swords await. This venerable old maw
still hasn't eaten its fill. Ageless teeth cry a fury of cliffs, cascades gnawing
through these three gorges, gorges full of jostling and snarling, snarling.
Writing during a century long civil war--a war that lasted longer than his own life--Chiao's poetry is not the intellectual scribblings of a hermit on a mountain or a scholar in a garden. It retains the natural metaphor and measured form of much Chinese poetry, but it is really something quite different. This book is complete enough to give someone like me--not well versed in poetry to say the least--a real appreciation for artists like Chiao and the other men and women whose work has traveled down through thousands of years and multiple languages to find a modern audience.
I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in history, poetry, Tao, Buddhism, or China. ...more
Generally any anthropomorphism--especially persisting through the entire book--wins me over immediately; however, this novel was far too spiritual forGenerally any anthropomorphism--especially persisting through the entire book--wins me over immediately; however, this novel was far too spiritual for my taste. The idea that we are all beings of power and light capable of anything so long as we can overcome the limitations of our minds is an attractive one, of course, but not one I've ever been tempted to take very seriously.
Still, a fun read if you only look at the Seagulls who love flying and the pretty black and white photographs interspersed at strategic points with the story. ...more
The hilarious-yet-sad memoir of a young woman raised as a Jehovah's Witness. Most of the humor lies in the conflict between a teenager's desire for inThe hilarious-yet-sad memoir of a young woman raised as a Jehovah's Witness. Most of the humor lies in the conflict between a teenager's desire for independence and the fierce strictures of a cult, so at times the book can feel too personal. That said, it never feels anything less than gut-busting funny. ...more
More than a discussion of the tea ceremony and less than a complete discourse on Tao and Zen, this book is exactly what it was intended to be when it More than a discussion of the tea ceremony and less than a complete discourse on Tao and Zen, this book is exactly what it was intended to be when it was written in 1906: an introduction to Japanese philosophy. Beautiful and informative, I highly recommend it to anyone in the mood for a little light thought. However, readers should note, for the sake of their own sanity, that the Romaji is all turn of the century. That is, Tokyo is spelled Tokio and suchlike. This can be understandably distracting. ...more
WARNING: This book contains rape, incest, murder, child-murder, pedophilia, child brides, statutory rape, racism, dub-con, non-con, religion, more rapWARNING: This book contains rape, incest, murder, child-murder, pedophilia, child brides, statutory rape, racism, dub-con, non-con, religion, more rape, assholes who think they're right with God, power dynamics, graphic violence, ... and did I mention rape?
I found this book revolting, but only literally, and I am glad that I forced myself through it. The topic that Krakauer explores through his look at extreme Mormon Fundamentalism is an important one for modern people to think about. This book explores religious extremism--what incites it, what it affects, and how it works. Everything was well written and thoroughly researched. In spite of the horrific nature of much of the content, this was a story worth reading. ...more
A wonderful call to realism, this book explores the positive thinking industry and how it serves to make people complacent in their own difficulties. A wonderful call to realism, this book explores the positive thinking industry and how it serves to make people complacent in their own difficulties. I found it endlessly fascinating that the head of the APA and the original proponent of positive psychology was also the experimenter who discovered that dogs eventually lie down and tolerate torture when it is administered in random, unfair ways. The "power of positive thinking" seems to be in operating as an opiate, getting people to act without thinking, and teaching them to tolerate the intolerable. Thus the popularity of positivity with big businesses making lay-offs.
Barbara Ehrenreich is a clear, intelligent writer who is very good at making a point, and this is a point well worth making. The world will not magically get better if we all wish it to be so. Nothing can be improved without work to make it happen. ...more
Charles Collins! Why do you insist on recommending books to make me want to drop out of school again? Because of course one who buys completely into tCharles Collins! Why do you insist on recommending books to make me want to drop out of school again? Because of course one who buys completely into this argument--that only stochastic repair-type work allows for thoughtful, autonomous work in the modern American economy--would have to pick up a trade as suggested.
Still, in spite of over using Anaxagoras, this book does make an important point about experiencing the world as it is, rather than in the abstract academic. It will be a long time before I forget the first day of my EE150 class, when the professor asked what experience everyone had working on electric projects and only one guy had ever played with the stuff for real. There is a definite removal from the operation of modern technology, and that lack of understanding is a shame. Crawford does make extremely compelling philosophical points, but not everyone wants to work in a speed shop. ...more
The subtitle for this book is fairly descriptive. Paulos does not attempt to prove that there is no god, or that belief is somehow wrong, he simply usThe subtitle for this book is fairly descriptive. Paulos does not attempt to prove that there is no god, or that belief is somehow wrong, he simply uses logic to disprove most of the common arguments that God exists. It is a good book and well worth perusing whichever side of the great theological divide you camp on. For one thing, it is never bad to consider deeply consider the logic of your arguments. For another, it is always good to consider the logic of the arguments of someone you might disagree with. As a mathematician, Paulos approaches the subject entirely on its logical consistencies, which is always a solid position to argue from. ...more
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