A bracing, philosophically rich argument for writing well as a personal journey and a social good.
Why write?
This thoughtful, epigrammatic book by a scholar at Saint Mary’s College of California encourages us all to write not simply to communicate with others but to shape ourselves. “Writing changes us,” writes Arndt, author of Arendt on the Political (2019). “In a way, it is similar to practices such as athletics for the body or meditation for the mind: just as the practice of physical exercise changes the body, so the practice of writing changes the soul.” This book goads us into writing well: not just by developing a style but by considering the very ethics of our work, our needs, and our responsibilities to be true and honest to ourselves and others. Marcel Proust offers one guide: We should not “model writing on conversation but on solitary meditation,” Arndt writes. Good writing leads to wisdom: The order of words in the sentence, the structure of the paragraph, and the arc of the essay all contribute to a form of knowing. The first sentence should arrest attention. Rousseau: “Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains.” There’s high philosophy here, and there’s blunt advice: “Don’t futz around.” Be concise. Organize your argument. Find the right word. In the end, writing well is about conveying truth beautifully, to “effect some sort of good.” Read this book and you’ll never think of freshman composition in the same way again.
A bracing, philosophically rich argument for writing well as a personal journey and a social good.Pub Date: Jan. 8, 2026
ISBN: 9781350473904
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic
Review Posted Online: Nov. 5, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2025
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
This a book of earlier, philosophical essays concerned with the essential "absurdity" of life and the concept that- to overcome the strong tendency to suicide in every thoughtful man-one must accept life on its own terms with its values of revolt, liberty and passion. A dreary thesis- derived from and distorting the beliefs of the founders of existentialism, Jaspers, Heldegger and Kierkegaard, etc., the point of view seems peculiarly outmoded. It is based on the experience of war and the resistance, liberally laced with Andre Gide's excessive intellectualism. The younger existentialists such as Sartre and Camus, with their gift for the terse novel or intense drama, seem to have omitted from their philosophy all the deep religiosity which permeates the work of the great existentialist thinkers. This contributes to a basic lack of vitality in themselves, in these essays, and ten years after the war Camus seems unaware that the life force has healed old wounds... Largely for avant garde aesthetes and his special coterie.
Pub Date: Sept. 26, 1955
ISBN: 0679733736
Page Count: 228
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: Sept. 19, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1955
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