This is one of those very rare cases in which I thought the movie is better than the book. In addition to the stunning visuals, the movie expressed th...moreThis is one of those very rare cases in which I thought the movie is better than the book. In addition to the stunning visuals, the movie expressed the spiritual themes more clearly for me than the book did. The question of the stories we choose to tell and to believe may seem a simple one, but the narrative we choose to trust may determine how we look at the world: as a universe infused with meaning or as a cold chaotic jumble of events. As readers and viewers of Pi's story we are persuaded to adopt the story that the universe has meaning and ultimately a purpose. A universe filled with meaning is the more humanly seductive choice, but as we learn more about how the universe operates it becomes less and less feasible.(less)
Well written account of the architects involved in the planning and designing of the Chicago World's Fair of 1893. Engrossing in describing the diffic...moreWell written account of the architects involved in the planning and designing of the Chicago World's Fair of 1893. Engrossing in describing the difficulties that needed to be overcome in order to get the fair opened on time within an impossibly short time frame. Parallel to this drama is the story of a charming psychopathic serial murderer who swindles just about everyone he meets and manages to murder at least 2 dozen, and probably many more, mostly comely young women attracted from the countryside to the excitement and allure of the expanding opportunities--of all kinds, licit and otherwise--offered by Chicago. The mystery, from a contemporary point of view, is what took so long for suspicion to land on this guy.(less)
When Joan Didion's husband, the novelist, essayist, screenwriter John Gregory Dunne, suffered a fatal heart seizure at the dinner table in their New Y...moreWhen Joan Didion's husband, the novelist, essayist, screenwriter John Gregory Dunne, suffered a fatal heart seizure at the dinner table in their New York apartment on a December night in 2003, the last thing on her mind was to write about it. Herself a distinguished writer, it was almost a year before Didion could write anything. On top of coping with the death of her husband after forty years of marriage, her daughter, who herself had been recently married, lay in a coma in a New York hospital. Perhaps writing about the event of Dunne's death and near death of her daughter, Quintana, worked as a kind of therapy. Perhaps the assumption that she wrote out of a need to deal emotionally with his death is merely cheap psychologizing. She does write what was going through her mind, the emotions she felt, the memories evoked when she went to places where they were together, how she tried to avoid some of the places to avoid the evocation of those memories, the ups and downs of a long marriage and writing partnership, how she expected him to be with her at certain times and places and how unsettled she felt when he wasn't there, how she believed he would be there and the disappointment when he was not. Didion doesn't try to say anything phony or profound about her experiences. The book is remarkable for the lack of self-pitying despite her feelings of sorrow and grief, loneliness despite the efforts of her family and friends, and the gaping hole in her life left by his absence. Solace and comfort may not be the correct labels for what she found in books and poems related to death, but her own experiences helped her, it seems, to understand them better and to use them as a filter to better understand what she experienced. The reader will not find a trite account of that first year after Dunne's death. There are no descriptions of easy and obvious emotional reactions. Didion is too honest with the reader and with herself to score the expected cheap emotional points. Recommended.(less)
Fun book to read even if one, like me, has only a nodding acquaintance with Shakespeare's The Tempest. Plenty of plot twists and interesting character...moreFun book to read even if one, like me, has only a nodding acquaintance with Shakespeare's The Tempest. Plenty of plot twists and interesting characters. Looking forward to reading the second volume in the series.(less)
Covers the same ground as Rousseau's Dog by Edmunds and Eidinow, but with much more attention to how Hume's and Rousseau's philosophies was reflected...moreCovers the same ground as Rousseau's Dog by Edmunds and Eidinow, but with much more attention to how Hume's and Rousseau's philosophies was reflected in their characters, or perhaps it's the other way around. Hume's and Rousseau's personalities are sketched in more detail in this book. In spite of Zaretsky's attempt to picture Rousseau in the best light he can, it's hard not to recognize that Rousseau severely wronged Hume. He comes across as an ungrateful and self-regarding ass. Still, an interesting story showing a congenial Hume trying to do the right thing by his friend who proved unworthy of his friendship.(less)
The theme of Wilson's book is expressed by the title of one of Gauguin's last Tahitian masterpieces: Where did we come from? What are we? Where are we...moreThe theme of Wilson's book is expressed by the title of one of Gauguin's last Tahitian masterpieces: Where did we come from? What are we? Where are we going? Wilson brings a lifetime of study, research, and reflection to bear on these questions.
Much of the early part of the book is devoted to Wilson's passion, ants, as well as other social insects. He shows how through natural selection these social insects came to dominate the invertebrate species on land, that there is a biological advantage to eusociality--the presence of two or more generations that evolved to establish and protect nests, and to nurture new generations.
When he switches his focus to humanity, he demonstrates, based on what is currently known about the path of human evolution, how eusociality emerged as the social pattern that resulted in the domination of Earth by homo sapiens.
The bulk of the story he tells is about where we came from, and some of his arguments raised a dust storm of controversy. Decades ago he was on of the most important proponents of what's become know as the the selfish gene account of human evolution, which focuses on humans acting to preserve and transmit their own genes and those of their closest kin. Wilson no longer accepts that account, and now urges that a more accurate picture of human evolution must also include group selection. He points out that the kinship theory, in which an individual promotes the transmission of his own genes, is individualistic, selfish, and promotes some of the darker aspects of human behavior. Group selection, on the other hand, explains more readily the more angelic nature of humankind, namely our tendency to act altruistically, especially when it comes to protecting our own tribe, many of whose members are not kin.
As to where we are going, he is very optimistic despite the path humans have taken and the destructive forces we have unleashed in the last few decades, especially with respect to global warming. He believes we will be able to ultimately save ourselves from the total disaster of engineering our own extinction.
Wilson writing is relatively free of jargon, and given his advanced age may be his final great work. If you don't like the chapters about the insects, they can be easily skipped, though I found his descriptions of the insect world fascinating.(less)
Originally written to help historians avoid dozens of fallacies, this book is wittier than it ought to be. Engaging to read for non-historians interes...moreOriginally written to help historians avoid dozens of fallacies, this book is wittier than it ought to be. Engaging to read for non-historians interested in history. Helps those of us who read history for enjoyment and enlightenment to recognize errors made by even the most prominent and respected historians. Fischer spares no one, high or low, though he criticizes respectfully. Fischer takes an empiricist and utilitarian approach that is refreshingly forthright. He is actively hostile to historians who claim to find "stages" in history or impose ideological interpretations on historical events or processes. The historian's task is to solve problems, to ask appropriate questions and seek answers by actually researching the data based on archival and other methods of research. Interpretation is inevitable, but the interpretation should conform to the evidence. Moreover, there is a practical element as well. Writing in 1970, Fischer seemed to be motivated by the nuclear dangers of the Cold War, and he assigns to historians the responsibility of publicly discussing what the mistakes of the past can teach us today, and how solutions that may have worked yesterday are inappropriate to the problems of today. Fischer manages to be funny while being both thoughtful and thought provoking. A gem.(less)
I have long believed that while the brain is obviously necessary for the existence of the mind, that can not be the whole story. Johnson agrees and he...moreI have long believed that while the brain is obviously necessary for the existence of the mind, that can not be the whole story. Johnson agrees and he provides a plausible cultural explanation for reason as the invention (discovery?) of the ancient Greeks. Reason as we exercise he believes did not exist before the Greeks. An advantage of this book is its multidisciplinary breadth in supporting Johnson's arguments. The main discipline he mines is anthropology. Whether he is right or not I don't know, but his views are certainly worth considering.(less)
Readable book about the human animal, its primate cousins, distant and not so distant ancestors. Why did our species make it and the Neanderthals fail...moreReadable book about the human animal, its primate cousins, distant and not so distant ancestors. Why did our species make it and the Neanderthals fail? Why are we so much better at using tools and more linguistically talented than our nearest primate relatives or any one else? May be a bit our of date--written 13 years ago, that's is a long time in the sciences--but so engagingly written and a great starting point for exploring the place of homo sapien on the evolutionary tree(less)
Often witty and always intriguing, this back and forth communication between D'Agata and the guy assigned to fact check one of his essays reveals a te...moreOften witty and always intriguing, this back and forth communication between D'Agata and the guy assigned to fact check one of his essays reveals a tension between truth and accuracy. Fingal, the fact checker, constantly prods D'Agata to provide evidence for events and descriptions D'Agata makes in his article. Often exasperated by these questions, D'Agata's attitude is that the truth he reveals in his essay doesn't depend on the accuracy of his claims. He fudges the facts and even makes things up in the service of uncovering some greater truth. Some of his fudging serves to improve the stylistic quality of his writing. Ultimately, however, I have to come down on the fact checker's side. When I read an essay or article that purports to be nonfiction I expect the information conveyed to be accurate. When it isn't, then it seems like a kind of cheating or lying. Perhaps I'm small minded, but within this context the truth shouldn't be up for grabs.(less)
A real page turner. Weak on characterization but very strong on plot. Scott's descriptions of the settings are also weak, but with something dramatic...moreA real page turner. Weak on characterization but very strong on plot. Scott's descriptions of the settings are also weak, but with something dramatic happening at least every 4-5 pages one tends not to notice the drawbacks less.(less)
Easily the best philosophy book I've read in a long time. Accessible to the general reader without compromising rigorous thinking. Partly a memoir of...moreEasily the best philosophy book I've read in a long time. Accessible to the general reader without compromising rigorous thinking. Partly a memoir of Rowlands' experience living with a wolf adopted as a cub in Alabama and then took with him to live in Ireland and France, Rowlands also reflects on what he learned from Brenin on, for example, the differences and similarities between wolves and primates like humans. A serious look at how a man can co-exist with a wolf that allows both to thrive. Rowlands shows the reader that, like the wolf, he is also an animal. Rowlands deftly weaves lessons learned from Brenin with their philosophical implications with regard to love, death, sex, morality, and the meaning of life. Representative quote: "Sitting in the long grass, watching Brenin stalking rabbits, taught me that it is important in life to make sure you chase rabbits and not feelings. What is best about our lives -- the moments when we are, as we would put it, at our happiest -- is both pleasant and deeply unpleasant. Happiness is not a feeling; it is a way of being. If we focus on the feelings, we miss the point." I learned much from Rowlands' philosophical ruminations, and what I admire so much in this book is Rowlands' refusal to judge himself as superior to Brenin. Rowlands and Brenin were different kinds of animals with different sets of expertise tailored to the kinds of life their species evolved to live, and this made them a kind of equals. Rowlands sometimes erred and either he or Brenin paid the price. But Brenin only error was to fail to conform to human expectations, the kinds that might have led a less understanding companion to end the relationship but that Rowlands mercifully overlooked. Very highly recommended.(less)
Not a scholarly work, but a well-written introduction to the life of Bacon. Bacon is sometimes presented as the real author of Shakespeare's works, bu...moreNot a scholarly work, but a well-written introduction to the life of Bacon. Bacon is sometimes presented as the real author of Shakespeare's works, but it's hard to see how he would have had the time to write them given his prodigious accomplishments in politics and philosophy.
Bacon, as described by Bowen, had two ambitions: the ambition of the will and the ambition of the understanding. The ambition of the will imposed on Bacon, the son of Queen Elizabeth's favorite chancellor, the obligation to follow in his father's footsteps to serve his queen until finally attaining the same position as his father under James I, only to lose it by being impeached for bribery on a somewhat trumped-up accusation. He served loyally and brilliantly as he became an acknowledged expert and interpreter of English law. His ambition of the understanding, which he followed in his spare time and which he professed to be more in alignment with his character than his more worldly ambition, is what he is mainly remembered for. His philosophical achievement was to proclaim the rejection of Aristotelian explanations of the natural world and insist that the way to learn about nature is through experimentation. Though not the first to make such strong arguments in favor of scientific methods--his namesake the Franciscan friar Roger Bacon had made similar pronouncements 3 centuries earlier--Francis perhaps sensed the slow drippings of scientific discoveries of his day, to which he tried to contribute, and realized that those drops would eventually give way to the deluge we have today. The aim of scientific discoveries, for Bacon, was to improve the condition of humankind. Though the book is better at giving an account of Bacon's ambition of the will, it still gives the reader a decent summary of his intellectual accomplishments. (less)
Reading this book was, at times, a depressing experience. Obedience and trust by the common soldiers masquerading as courage and folly by generals and...moreReading this book was, at times, a depressing experience. Obedience and trust by the common soldiers masquerading as courage and folly by generals and political leaders masquerading as wisdom and good military strategy infected both sides. A war that could have been easily avoided was eagerly sought by all sides. Even though the Germans were the first to attack, the British, in their eagerness for a war, goaded the Germans to attack so that the Germans would be seen as the evil aggressors. Everyone falsely believed that their country would emerge as the victors after only a few months of traditional warfare featuring cavalry charges by brave aristocrats and infantry attacking weak points along the front. The generals failed to recognize the lethal power of machine guns that made such traditional tactics, especially the cavalry, irrelevant.
WW I was the seminal event of the 20th century. Counterfactuals are always tricky and uncertain, but it is legitimate to ask whether so many of the subsequent events would have happened had the war not occurred. Consider especially the triumph of the Communists in Russia and the Nazis in Germany, and the continuation of even greater slaughter in WW II. We can also throw in the conflicts in the Middle East of the last few decades as well.
The book follows the careers of several people in Britain beginning in the late 19th century. On the side eager for war were the generals, administrators, propagandists, and common soldiers. On the other were the pacifists, radical labor leaders, suffragettes, and a few intellectuals who struggled to prevent the war and then, during the war, protested against it. The second group, the antiwar crowd, had no chance to influence British policy except in rare cases. What may be unique about this book is the attention it gives to the antiwar activists, who the British government saw as dangerous enough that the protesters were spied on, arrested, abused, imprisoned, and generally held in low regard by both the government and the most of the "patriotic" citizens who, by the end, were themselves so fed up with the slaughter and shortages that they expressed little joy when the war ended.
There are echos in this book of the protests movements and foolish decisions made by the political and military leaders that happened with relation to Vietnam and the Iraq invasion, both also avoidable and unnecessary wars of questionable justification. It seems as if we are doomed to repeat the same mistakes again and again.(less)
I read this in the Nook edition, not the Kindle edition. Conservatives will hate this book, and even liberals won't be too happy with Leonhardt's pres...moreI read this in the Nook edition, not the Kindle edition. Conservatives will hate this book, and even liberals won't be too happy with Leonhardt's prescriptions for social security. Leonhardt, rightly, argues that our most pressing economic problem is putting people back to work and putting real money into people's pockets. The federal deficit, which has received most of the attention lately in Washington, is also a problem, but it is a long-term problem whose solution is actually manageable. His solutions are sensible, but of course in today's political climate sensible solutions are too radical to be implemented.(less)
Frankel tells several linked stories. First there is the true story of Cynthia Ann Parker, who witnessed her family's murder as a nine year old as she...moreFrankel tells several linked stories. First there is the true story of Cynthia Ann Parker, who witnessed her family's murder as a nine year old as she was kidnapped by Commanche raiders in East Texas in 1836; the persistent and futile efforts of her uncle, James Parker, to scour the Indian lands of Texas in a dangerous multi-year search for her before finally wearing out and giving up; her rescue years later by a combined force of US Army cavalry and Texas Rangers who massacred much of her Indian family before her eyes, leaving her again in shock and to struggle anew, this time with a baby daughter in a white world that was now alien to her; a massacre embellished with time so that when years later one of the Ranger leaders, Sul Ross, ran for Texas state governor the rescue of a white captive and massacre of mainly women and some old men evolved in the mind of Texans into a full-scale epic battle against blood-thirsty Commanches in which Ross played such a heroic and pivotal role in the white captive's rescue that it propelled him into the governor's chair. This story compares favorably with Scott Zesch's great book, The Captured: A True Story of Abduction by Indians on the Texas Frontier.
But Frankel also tells the story of one of Cynthia Ann's surviving two sons, Quanah Parker, whose fate was unknown to Cynthia Ann before she died a few years after her recapture. Quanah Parker grew up to be a scalp-taking warrior somewhat alienated from other Commanches due do his white blood. But Quanah Parker accurately sensed the ultimate fate of the American Indians and evolved into a de facto Commanche leader trusted by prominent white ranchers and leaders. Quanah Parker, as he preferred to be known after he began interfacing with the white world to emphasize his link to a famous white mother, prospered with his shrewd transition to a new reality, supporting a bevy of wives and children and hosting eminent white leaders in his large and impressive home, even welcoming President Theodore Roosevelt himself. Quanah Parker successfully represented the interests of the Commanches in Congress, delaying for many years the inevitable usurpation of Indian lands in Oklahoma. This story reveals a clever and intelligent survivor.
To this day both sides of Cynthia Ann's family, the white and the red separately, celebrate annual reunions and send ambassadors to one another's reunion in a spirit of familial memory.
But the real story of the book is how the raw material of history is transformed into myth. Alan Lemay, a Western novelist and Hollywood screenwriter, researched the circumstances of Cynthia Ann Parker's abduction and produced a great Western novel, The Searchers. Instead of Cynthia Ann's story, however, he fashioned a classic narrative inspired by her obsessed Uncle James, the family member who spent years searching but never finding her. The film director, John Ford, read the book and instructed his screenwriter, Frank Nugent, to produce a movie script. Ford dragged a company of over 100 to the roadless isolation of the hellish hot Monument Valley in Arizona where Navajo emerged like a mirage from the empty desert to assist behind the scenes and in front of the camera. Using Lemay's novel and Nugent's screenplay as a kind of template, Ford created a work of art that manipulated and transcended the familiar tropes of Western films: the savage Indians; the struggling homesteaders facing constant dangers; the harsh, unforgiving landscape that stubbornly refuses to give up whatever bounty it may hold; the vengeful white man of questionable background who understands them too well but is alienated from white society because of his cruelty and unpredictable wildness; the strong women who act as a socializing counterpoint to the barely civilized men among them. In The Searchers, Ford faithfully follows the admonition the newspaperman gives at the end of his last great Western, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence, "When the facts turn into legend, print the legend."
Frankel's prose never lags. The stories he tells are engaging. He describes John Wayne's development as an actor that provided the foundation for Wayne's greatest role and greatest performance. He fills us in on the details of how the money was raised to make the film so no studio could interfere with Ford's vision. After The Searchers was released in 1956, he shows us that movie goers and critics viewed the film as just another John Wayne oater and, though the movie turned a profit, how disappointed Wayne and others involved with the film were at its cool critical reception. It took the passage of time and the cinematic lessons taught by the film to the young film makers of the 1960s and '70s who championed it (Scorcese, Spielberg, Lucas, Coppola, Bogdanovich, and others) for the film to rise to the level of a movie classic in the estimation of movie buffs and critics. (less)
Dang! Why are teen books often more interesting than many adult books? This is another one of those vexing dystopian novels in which young people are...moreDang! Why are teen books often more interesting than many adult books? This is another one of those vexing dystopian novels in which young people are faced with impossible moral choices, where good people go bad and redemption is nigh impossible, and a fully imagined world containing mayhem, destruction, and death tests the loyalty, friendship, and courage of the young protagonists. Well-written and plotted. The narrative picks up speed gradually until the reader is sped headlong into disaster.(less)
The book dragged for me in the middle and towards the end. The characters became less interesting and sympathetic in this second volume of a trilogy....moreThe book dragged for me in the middle and towards the end. The characters became less interesting and sympathetic in this second volume of a trilogy. The plot twists became tiring and maintaining my suspension of belief too challenging. In my case, at least, familiarity bred boredom. I doubt I'll read the final volume when it comes out.(less)
Fascinating account of how number crunching by computers, or more accurately the algorithms created by innovative and imaginative programmers that do...moreFascinating account of how number crunching by computers, or more accurately the algorithms created by innovative and imaginative programmers that do the actual crunching, is coming to influence and even dominate our lives more and more. Beginning with the impact of algorithms on Wall Street and how they eventually contributed to the enormous collapse of 2008. While I knew about the dependence on PhDs in physics and maths on Wall Street, I didn't realize how much Wall Street firms sucked up the top PhD graduates in physics, engineering, and math year after year until 2008. Steiner also gives much space to how 'bots' are taking over in other fields, such as medicine, psychology, and even playing poker. Recommended.(less)
Criticisms of Klein’s book seem to fall into two categories. One is that she is unfair to Milton Friedman, that he did not support or condone the econ...moreCriticisms of Klein’s book seem to fall into two categories. One is that she is unfair to Milton Friedman, that he did not support or condone the economic policies undertaken in Chile after Pinochet took over after the coup or the alleged cheerleading of repressive regimes in Latin America and other regions where free market economists transformed the national economies and consequently led to the torture, murder, or disappearance of tens of thousands. Friedman may have been innocent, but his disciples were not. The other criticism is that she got some of the facts wrong.
Let’s grant that these criticisms are justified. But that does not undermine what I believe is the main thesis of the book: that economists and autocratic leaders used free market rhetoric (the key word here is “rhetoric”), often sincerely but too often cynically, to change their countries economic system for the worse. The beneficiaries were not the people, but the elites in the countries involved and large corporations who exploited the free market rhetoric to their own advantage. Some of the most damaging effects of this rhetoric occurred in Iraq under the American occupation where tens of billions of American taxpayer dollars were paid to mostly American corporations for infrastructure construction that either was not built or was so poorly constructed as to be worthless. No one credible, as far as I know, has argued to the contrary.
It’s worth noting that other writers, such as Joseph Stiglitz, make similar arguments as Klein, although from a more economically sophisticated perspective. (less)
Written by a co-author of Holy Blood, Holy Grail, the controversial book on which Brown's The DaVinci Code is partly based, this book explores the ori...moreWritten by a co-author of Holy Blood, Holy Grail, the controversial book on which Brown's The DaVinci Code is partly based, this book explores the origins of Christianity, including some discussion of the Dead Sea Scrolls. It seems his evidence is more circumstantial than solid, yet I learned much about the early days of the Inquisition--intitially formed to oversee the torture and massacre of the heretical Cathars in France--and disappearance of the Knights Templars. The last chapter or two petered out. The book reads like a journal of Baigent's explorations and discoveries in the convoluted and seedy corridors of the legal and illegal trading of ancient and medieval antiquities. Most of it is fascinating.(less)
Giordorno Bruno suffered, at least in some respects, the misfortune of being ahead of his time. Born in near Naples in 1548 and burned at the stake in...moreGiordorno Bruno suffered, at least in some respects, the misfortune of being ahead of his time. Born in near Naples in 1548 and burned at the stake in Rome in 1600, Bruno managed to pack in a lot of traveling and writing in his 52 years. This nicely written biography not only describes Bruno’s life, travels, and trial for heresy, but it also serves as a nice introduction to his philosophy.
Some other readers were not impressed with this book, regarding it as dry, dull, and unfocused, among other criticisms. Many didn’t seem to like Bruno, calling him an asshole and worse. Others couldn’t read the book without trembling at the injustice of this innocuous little man being executed by the Big Bad Catholic Church for believing and publicizing heresies. One can agree that the Bruno’s inquisitors behaved badly and unjustly, however, without painting the entire Church as complicit. Rowland certainly doesn’t do that. In fact, according to her it wasn’t Bruno’s alleged heresy that got him burned. It was his argument that the Inquisition had no authority to determine what was heretical and what was not.
What follows is a long summary of the book, especially dealing with Bruno’s philosophy. If you are bored by this you will be bored by the book, and I just saved you a few bucks.
Educated at the Dominican college in Naples, one of the most populous cities of Europe, he became a Dominican friar. His primary influences at the college were Aristotle and Aquinas, whose dry scholastic logic he employed frequently, especially against the Inquisition. But his emotional temper was more attracted to the Ideal philosophy of Plato, whose writings aroused renewed interest beginning in the 15th century and interest in Plato continued to grow in the 16th. Bruno studied Plato at the Augustinian college in Naples. He was also familiar with the mystic doctrines of the Kabbalah. He saw Plato and the Kabbalah as complements to Christian theology. The religion of the ancient Egyptians also exerted a strong influence, especially the writings of the alleged ancient Egyptian, Hermes Trismegistus. He also learned the ancient art of memory, which he modified with some powerful additions and which he thought was a key to understanding the universe. And as a child the stoical outlook of his father also had an important influence on him. He studied the Stoic philosophy more formally later in his life.
His feats of memory were prodigious and well known, and one way he supported himself once he was defrocked and excommunicated was to offer to teach this art of memory to kings and nobles as he traveled throughout Europe (Lyon, Toulouse, Paris, London, Geneva, Venice, among others) seeking a permanent haven. He sometimes held back some of the most effective memory techniques, however. This occasionally got him in trouble with his clients. His last client, an unstable nobleman who appears to have been motivated by pique rather than honesty and piety, denounced Bruno as a heretic to the Inquisition in Venice in 1592. The Inquisition dug up an equally unstable but necessary witness against Bruno (canon law required at least two witnesses against an accused), and he was imprisoned for 8 years. During this time he was taken to Rome where the Inquisition was less lenient than in Venice, and he vexed the Inquisition by both denouncing most of what he had been accused of and demanding that the Pope order him to revoke his views on the universe and Christianity. It appears had the Pope done so Bruno would have recanted and been set free. A summary of the trial, written at the time of the depositions Bruno gave the inquisitors, remains to give us some insight into his defense, life, and thought.
But most of our insights to Bruno’s philosophy emerge from his plays, dialogues, and poetry. Rowland translates a large hunk of Bruno’s poetry in the style, rhymes, and meters of the original. The poetry translations are especially evocative. He wrote in both Latin and his native neopolitan Italian. The more scholastic writings he wrote in the structured Latin prose favored by the educated. But the philosophically adventurous ideas he poeticized in his native vernacular. He seems to have been a kind of neoplatonist. Though many of his ideas seemed to fly in the face of Catholic dogma, he was able to show that his views were not so unusual. Although much of what he taught seemed new, he saw himself as renewing ancient philosophy, updating some of the ideas of Plato and reintroducing some of the truths of the Egyptians.
He was interested in the astronomy of his day and mathematics, especially geometry. He accepted the Copernican picture of the solar system. He believed that the stars were suns with planets revolving around them, and that many of the planets harbored life. He was one of the few of his day who understood that mathematics was the secret to all knowledge. Since his mind lent itself more to visual imagery, his mathematical understanding leaned more toward geometry than to calculation. Although a single divinity underpinned the universe, he viewed the universe as infinite (thus having no center) and there existed particles (atoms) that were infinitesimally small. Time is also infinite. He strove to produce a mathematics, an unsuccessful project until Newton and Leibniz invented the calculus a hundred years later, that reflected the infinities and the motions of the heavenly bodies he had surmised
Bruno wrote much about magic, but not the kind of magic that relies only on the supernatural or on conjurer’s tricks. He wrote of magic that was derived from the knowledge of how the world works. It involved an understanding of how magnetism and gunpowder worked, for example, and the art of memory was a crucial component to this magic. Bruno arranged ideas in his mind rather than manipulating external objects, and he believed that he could control the universe by storing and manipulating the knowledge in his mind. This internal mental architecture could be manipulated by the tool of imagination to turn sublime ideas into physical form. The understanding of the order--sense perception, imagination, and understanding--of how memory works reflects the harmony of the universe. Magic was divine when it involved supernatural principles, and natural when contemplating nature and her secrets. Sometimes what Bruno called ‘magic’ we would call common sense. Bruno saw parallels between his art of memory and the Kabbalah, another means of living the heavenly life.
For Bruno the universe is good and demands moral behavior. Yes, there is evil, but this evil results from the changeability of the structure of the cosmos. Evil is as self-inflicted as the agonies of lovers, he believed. The way to avoid evil is to follow the lessons expressed in the biblical Song of Songs and Plato’s Symposium. What they reveal is older than the universe: They, and Bruno, bring us closer to an understanding of philosophical love. “Love of God is the only love worth pursuing.” Divinity, Bruno believes, is in all things. So love all things. In a sense Bruno was a pantheist, though with a heavily Catholic strain.
His philosophy was so unusual that Bruno had trouble communicating it. He tried through drawings and diagrams as well through poetry. But these means were limited. He thought of himself as a Catholic, though his excommunication prevented him from taking the Communion and practicing the other rituals of his faith. He did not adhere to all the doctrines of the Church and believed that some of the dogmas were unimportant. These doubts were not unusual in his day and were not cause for punishment. Transubstantiation of the host during Mass was one of those dogmas disbelieved. He denied that God is only incarnate in Christ. God is incarnate everywhere, and substance changes everywhere in nature, not just in the Mass.
Sometimes he tried on for size the religious beliefs of where ever he happened to be, such as Calvinism when he lived in Geneva. But he always returned to his Catholic roots. What sealed his fate in Rome was not any heresy he might have uttered. The Inquisition could not punish Bruno for his publicized beliefs. After all, even the illustrious Dominican Doctor, St. Thomas Aquinas, was inclined to agree more with Bruno than with dogma of transubstantiation. The other accusations against Bruno stood equally in question. Ultimately the inquisitors punished Bruno for his denial of their authority to determine what was and what was not heretical. They responded by showing their power. On February 17, 1600 he was burned at the stake in the Campo de’ Fiora, the Field of Flowers. Today a statue of him stands near where his pyre burned.
I don’t know if Spinoza had read Bruno, though he must have known of him and his death. Some of Spinoza’s ideas had points of contact with Bruno’s philosophy, and Spinoza, though he lived in a more tolerant society in the Netherlands, wisely arranged for the publication of his Ethics following his death. Leibniz did read Bruno, Rowland tells us, though he and Bruno did not have much in common except for a shared interest the infinitely large and infinitesimally small, for which Leibniz succeeded where Bruno failed to develop the mathematics to unlock their secrets.
Rowland does a lovely job of telling Bruno’s story and explaining his philosophy. She writes about the influence of Bruno’s teachers and earlier thinkers such as Cusanus and Ficino on his thinking. There is much detail of his travels and the people he associated with, and she describes his often irascible nature. Anyone interested in Renaissance or early modern philosophy who would like to learn more about Bruno, an unjustly neglected philosopher, will learn much from this book. (less)
Most of the commentary I've seen on this book focuses on the different moral foundations liberals and conservatives rely on. Considering the chasm sep...moreMost of the commentary I've seen on this book focuses on the different moral foundations liberals and conservatives rely on. Considering the chasm separating liberals and conservatives these days, that focus is understandable. Crucial as this discussion is, the book is a really a work about moral psychology and spends relatively few pages discussing this chasm.
What this book has done for me is to rethink some of my fundamental assumptions about human nature. At the same time it confirmed others.
The book's most valuable contribution is to describe what influences people to choose one course of action over another. Haidt does not depend on armchair philosophy. Rather, he and other social psychologists have conducted numerous experiments and studies measuring people's attitudes along several dimensions. He also looks in detail at what evolutionary biology, neuroscience, anthropology, and other relevant disciplines tell us about human nature. He explicitly states that his project is descriptive rather than normative in the sense that his primary task in this book is to describe the psychology of our moral choices rather than to tell us how to act morally. A philosophy student as an undergraduate, he has a handle on the important philosophical moral theories. Based on the extensive research he presents in the book, he concludes that Plato's and Kant's moral theory fail to match human moral psychology. What comes closest is what he calls Durkheimian utilitarianism. In the end, this research explains how the sharp political and religious divisions arose, and offers tentative suggestions on how the chasm can at least be acknowledged without rancor and with more understanding on both sides.
Haidt's style is informal, readable, and rich in detail. As any good scientist, he does not claim that he has written the last word on the topic and that new data could change his interpretation. Highly recommended for anyone interested in human nature, moral philosophy, economics, politics, and religion.
The Surge, the increase in the number American troops on the ground in Iraq, is often given the credit for turning the tide against the deadly insurge...moreThe Surge, the increase in the number American troops on the ground in Iraq, is often given the credit for turning the tide against the deadly insurgents and establishing a more civil society as a consequence. Underappreciated and of greater importance was the decision of the sheikhs in western Iraq in the summer of 2006 to switch their support from Al Qaeda in Iraq to the Americans. Al Qaeda in Iraq had become more disruptive and dangerous in the lives of the local people than the Americans military. Crucial in this process helping the sheikhs, who were the tribal leaders, was the necessity for Americans to understand the Iraqi culture and mind.
Captain Patriquin had such an understanding that came from a sincere love of Arabic, the Iraqi people and their culture. He forged relationships with the key sheikhs and helped implement the increase in the number of Iraqi policemen from the tribes in Anbar province, especially in the provincial capital, Ramadi. The police gradually wrested control of the streets and the countryside from Al Qaeda in Iraq, whose leaders and many of the foot soldiers were not Iraqi and thus mistrusted by the local population. This not only made life safer for the Iraqis, it also made it much less dangerous for Americans. Patriquin's organizational, cultural, and social skills proved to be the difference in making this work. The Iraqis trusted him to such a high degree that they welcomed him into their families and he was even given a tribal name. After his death just before he was to return home, one of the police headquarters in Ramadi was named for him, the only American to have a building named after him in Iraq. Many Iraqis wept. He's become known as the Lawrence of Arabia of Iraq.
The happy outcome of the story is that through the effort of Patriquin and others just as dedicated and talented, Iraq became a safe enough place that eventually the Americans could withdraw. The ingenuity and courage of so many American military personnel placed in unimaginably difficult circumstances speaks volumes for their character and their skills.
The tragedy is that many fine American men and women, some of our best, never returned home alive or returned damaged in mind and body. To what purpose did they pay the price of their loyalty? For an unnecessary, immoral, incredibly expensive war in both lives, American and Iraqi, and treasure begun by an arrogant and willfully ignorant American presidential administration and supported by a majority of equally ignorant Americans.
Our men and women in uniform deserve better.(less)
Terrific book on what science can tell us about what kinds of exercise is most effective. Since I don't train for competition, I did not find that cha...moreTerrific book on what science can tell us about what kinds of exercise is most effective. Since I don't train for competition, I did not find that chapter relevant; others will find it enlightening. Scientific research surprisingly explodes long held assumptions about what works and what doesn't work about exercise. Recommended only if you want to be healthier for your remaining days on this planet.(less)
More's ideal society is egalitarian. Wealth is denigrated, slavery is permitted, and though trained to fight wars, the utopians would rather hire merc...moreMore's ideal society is egalitarian. Wealth is denigrated, slavery is permitted, and though trained to fight wars, the utopians would rather hire mercenaries. While such a society might have looked attractive to the Christians of the 16th century, it's doubtful that many of us would want to live in Utopia.(less)
This book is destined to be a combat classic. Parnell was the leader of an army platoon that patrolled the mountains and valleys of eastern Afghanista...moreThis book is destined to be a combat classic. Parnell was the leader of an army platoon that patrolled the mountains and valleys of eastern Afghanistan near the Pakistani border in 2006. Incredibly well-written, the book describes both the gradual scouring of his basic humanity and the intense emotional bond formed among the men he led. As gripping as any novel, Parnell describes the battles in extraordinary detail. His portraits of some his men paint them in bright and memorable hues. Each has their strengths, and their loyalty to one another and their incredible skills made them a cohesive, feared, and brutal fighting force.
On another level the book shows how leaders are made, how devotion to duty and comrades are necessary for success, and how focused discipline can turn impending disaster into victory. This book will stick with me for awhile. No praise is too high.(less)
Fun book to read with a bit of an introduction to art. Art works mentioned in the book from the National Gallery in London, and you can see the painti...moreFun book to read with a bit of an introduction to art. Art works mentioned in the book from the National Gallery in London, and you can see the paintings online. Very cool.(less)
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