The Way of Response: Martin Buber

by Nahum N. (Editor) Glatzer

Excellent Book

Genres: Philosophy, Judaism

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1966

Reviews

[Justin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finally got around to reading Buber (I know that sounds funny..), after many people had recommended him to me.
A tremendous thinker whose point of view I deeply admire (at least based on this book).

[Barry Hammer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Martin Buber's book, "The Way of Response," presents his views in a much more straightforward, plain, succinct, easily understandable manner than some of his other philosophical books, such as, "I and Thou," or "Between Man and Man," for example. Buber rightfully emphasizes the importance of connecting deeply to the relational reality of life by engaging in responsive dialogue and being fully, passionately, immersed in the immediacy or "mystery" of the "everyday," or the here and now present moment. This ethos of directly contacting other individuals and life experience, without mediating that encounter through preconceived interpretations, demanding judgmental expectations, and distancing abstractions, is epitomized by Buber's dictum, "All real living is meeting." In his essay, "The Third Alternative," Buber indicates that connecting deeply to other individuals helps us discover our own genuine individuality and genuine community. I expect that this book will likely be of significant value and interest to other readers who wish to explore how to relate to other individuals, their own individual experience, and the Divine or spiritual reality of life with greater genuineness, vitality, meaning, and spontaneity, grounded in greater openness to unmediated direct encounter with aspects of experience that are beyond definable words and concepts.

In my own two recently published books (which are listed and described on my Goodreads profile page), I discuss how people can make greater, richer, deeper contact with what is experientially genuine, vital, and creatively insightful in themselves, other individuals, and the whole relational field of life experience. This attentive way of functioning involves going beyond preconceived interpretations of oneself and others, as well as habitual, restrictive, ways of perceiving and functioning. My books also discuss how to liberate oneself from self-imposed and socially-conditioned illusions, or groundless distorted presumptions, and thereby heal oneself of unnecessary emotional pain, inner conflict, as well as related interpersonal conflict and estrangement.