The “great clockmaker” goes digital.
A database programmer’s formula for leading an efficient and righteous life.
Abbasi (Oracle SQL in 10 Minutes, 2007, etc.) presents God as the supreme “Progneer,” a word coined out of his amalgamation of “programmer” and “engineer.” Within this concept, the universe is basically rational or predictable, but subject to a certain amount of uncertainty, or what the author calls the “God factor.” In decision-making, the best humans can hope for is to achieve the most optimal outcome, while accepting the fact that God might have other plans. Since all of creation is part of God’s programming, when an individual optimizes his decision-making process, he or she is acting in harmony, or as close as can be humanly achieved, with the universe. According to Abbasi, the keys to arriving at the most optimal decisions are to adopt the “adaptive-decision-making model” he outlines and to optimize the function of the human brain by understanding how it works and by maximizing the data and processes contained therein. The pursuit of such efficiency is not for one’s own sake, at least not in terms of rewards reaped in this world, but is part of following the four basic principles of a righteous life: harming no one by words or deed, practicing patience, being humble and honoring God. The primary factor embedded in our programming that inhibits us from living by these principles is our tendency to take things for granted. The author urges readers to reduce this propensity in their lives and reminds that God sees all deeds. This quick though sometimes repetitive read gives guidance in tune with today’s technology-driven culture to those seeking to reorient their lives according to some basic principles. Some readers may not take to Abbasi’s computer-oriented analogies, nor the fact that his exhortations toward righteous behavior are often framed in self-serving terms, e.g., points to be redeemed in heaven rather than on earth.
The “great clockmaker” goes digital.Pub Date: Feb. 6, 1936
ISBN: 978-0-9770739-4-8
Page Count: 145
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis...
Privately published by Strunk of Cornell in 1918 and revised by his student E. B. White in 1959, that "little book" is back again with more White updatings.
Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis (whoops — "A bankrupt expression") a unique guide (which means "without like or equal").Pub Date: May 15, 1972
ISBN: 0205632645
Page Count: 105
Publisher: Macmillan
Review Posted Online: Oct. 28, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1972
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
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