A well-written, thoughtful, yet inadequately researched meditation on human fulfillment.
A philosophical treatise on finding purpose and fulfillment in life.
Humans have a genetic “programing” that has helped the species survive for hundreds of thousands of years. While many of these traits continue to be “life sustaining” and “drive us forward to advance learning,” Yari argues that others may “now impede the quality of our lives.” A propensity for escalating violence, overindulging, and developing religions must be shed—both individually and collectively—for humans to become more fulfilled. Yari advocates for undefined forms of agnostic spirituality that “embrace the ‘unknown’ while leaving it relatively unknown” but is critical of organized religion, which no longer fulfills humanity’s need for creativity and acceptance. Rather, the author proposes, its sole function today is to “control man,” whereas in the past, it played a more holistic role. Yari’s philosophic approach is best summed up by the title of his final chapter, “We Are Our Own Masters.” He contends, like many others, that peace and fulfillment can best be achieved through a positive attitude and gratitude; humanity as a whole has “lost thankfulness.” Perhaps most importantly, Yari’s approach emphasizes balance in all aspects of life—“work, play, socializing, sex, even fun.” True to form, the book’s practical emphasis on mindful living is balanced with lengthy, well-conceived ruminations on the nature of human consciousness and other concepts of philosophy. Adherents to organized religion, from Christians to Buddhists, may not only disagree with the book’s rejection of religious dogmas, but also its hedonistic directive to “live life to feel happiness in the ‘now’ of it all.” Alternately, social scientists will bristle at the book’s lack of citations or a bibliography, though many of its core tenets rely on modern sociological theory and scientific claims about the human mind. Still, while the book drifts into the genre of pop psychology, it’s a deft consideration of evolutionary biology.
A well-written, thoughtful, yet inadequately researched meditation on human fulfillment.Pub Date: April 21, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-66-552230-4
Page Count: 118
Publisher: AuthorHouse
Review Posted Online: July 31, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A virtuoso performance and an ode to an undervalued medium created by two talented artists.
The veteran actor, comedian, and banjo player teams up with the acclaimed illustrator to create a unique book of cartoons that communicates their personalities.
Martin, also a prolific author, has always been intrigued by the cartoons strewn throughout the pages of the New Yorker. So when he was presented with the opportunity to work with Bliss, who has been a staff cartoonist at the magazine since 1997, he seized the moment. “The idea of a one-panel image with or without a caption mystified me,” he writes. “I felt like, yeah, sometimes I’m funny, but there are these other weird freaks who are actually funny.” Once the duo agreed to work together, they established their creative process, which consisted of working forward and backward: “Forwards was me conceiving of several cartoon images and captions, and Harry would select his favorites; backwards was Harry sending me sketched or fully drawn cartoons for dialogue or banners.” Sometimes, he writes, “the perfect joke occurs two seconds before deadline.” There are several cartoons depicting this method, including a humorous multipanel piece highlighting their first meeting called “They Meet,” in which Martin thinks to himself, “He’ll never be able to translate my delicate and finely honed droll notions.” In the next panel, Bliss thinks, “I’m sure he won’t understand that the comic art form is way more subtle than his blunt-force humor.” The team collaborated for a year and created 150 cartoons featuring an array of topics, “from dogs and cats to outer space and art museums.” A witty creation of a bovine family sitting down to a gourmet meal and one of Dumbo getting his comeuppance highlight the duo’s comedic talent. What also makes this project successful is the team’s keen understanding of human behavior as viewed through their unconventional comedic minds.
A virtuoso performance and an ode to an undervalued medium created by two talented artists.Pub Date: Nov. 17, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-250-26289-9
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Celadon Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 30, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2020
PERSPECTIVES
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.
A compendium of charts, time lines, lists and illustrations to accompany study of the Bible.
This visually appealing resource provides a wide array of illustrative and textually concise references, beginning with three sets of charts covering the Bible as a whole, the Old Testament and the New Testament. These charts cover such topics as biblical weights and measures, feasts and holidays and the 12 disciples. Most of the charts use a variety of illustrative techniques to convey lessons and provide visual interest. A worthwhile example is “How We Got the Bible,” which provides a time line of translation history, comparisons of canons among faiths and portraits of important figures in biblical translation, such as Jerome and John Wycliffe. The book then presents a section of maps, followed by diagrams to conceptualize such structures as Noah’s Ark and Solomon’s Temple. Finally, a section on Christianity, cults and other religions describes key aspects of history and doctrine for certain Christian sects and other faith traditions. Overall, the authors take a traditionalist, conservative approach. For instance, they list Moses as the author of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible) without making mention of claims to the contrary. When comparing various Christian sects and world religions, the emphasis is on doctrine and orthodox theology. Some chapters, however, may not completely align with the needs of Catholic and Orthodox churches. But the authors’ leanings are muted enough and do not detract from the work’s usefulness. As a resource, it’s well organized, inviting and visually stimulating. Even the most seasoned reader will learn something while browsing.
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2005
ISBN: 978-1-5963-6022-8
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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