A thought-provoking, if somewhat wordy, philosophical overview of life.
A writer provides a series of philosophical reflections on spirituality and the universe.
This latest book from Blaise (Life Itself as a Modern Religion, 2018, etc.) presents a wide variety of thoughts on science, philosophy, and literature, grouped by loosely conceived general themes and usually offered in bite-sized segments designed both for easy sequential reading and random dipping in. The author starts with the Big Bang and the concept of a god or gods, seeking a broad-based philosophical interpretation rather than one that adheres to a specific religion, and hinting at the improbability of any kind of Creator. This spiritual rather than religious tone is largely maintained throughout, although some of Blaise’s rhetorical questions make it clear he has Christianity on his mind: “Doesn’t every sunrise radiate that we have been able to evolve here to find joy in a perfectible home, rather than sent, as a result of an absurdly trivial infraction, to a place of vengeful reform, with guilt to be expiated unto the furthest generation?” Ultimately, the author tends to agree with the Apostle John that “God is love,” characterized by power, knowledge, affection, and immortality but not dictating every aspect of a broader existence. And about that broader existence, Blaise delivers a large number of intriguing observations, from the permanence of fleeting moments (“Even if I simply touch your hand with affection, it will have always been, at that moment, touched”) to the more loving and emotional side of sex (“We may also be reassured by the truth that lovemaking’s pleasures are more attuned to the gentle stimulation of nerve endings than to the excessive press of musculature”). Unfortunately, the author tends to display a pompous verbosity (The end of life is the “death of our life-inherent potential”). Still, his ruminations are refreshingly judgment free and full of acceptance for all kinds of people, sexualities, and beliefs. And his contemplative “Ten Suggestions” counterpoint to the Ten Commandments is the highlight of the book.
A thought-provoking, if somewhat wordy, philosophical overview of life.Pub Date: Sept. 6, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-9816664-3-3
Page Count: 170
Publisher: To Reason Publishing
Review Posted Online: Dec. 17, 2019
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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