Thoughtful guidance in tumultuous times.
Prescriptions for change.
Collins, a physician, evangelical Christian, and former director of the National Institutes of Health, seeks a remedy for the divisiveness and anger that beset our nation. Healing, he asserts, depends on four sources of clarity and wisdom: truth, science, faith, and trust. The Covid-19 crisis, especially, darkened his “usual optimistic view of society,” making him realize “how much we have lost track of the sources of wisdom—how we have let politics on both the right and the left become our touchstone.” He examines controversies that emerged about protocols for managing the virus (masking, business and school closures, social distancing), the cause of the pandemic, and the effectiveness of vaccines; he also discusses other incendiary topics, including climate change and the results of the 2020 presidential election. People’s opinions on these issues have been swayed, Collins asserts, by six kinds of untruth: ignorance, falsehood, lies or “intentional distortion of the truth,” delusion, bullshit, and propaganda. Those who use social media as their main source of information about the world can be “unwittingly manipulated” by these forms of untruth. Collins asserts that identifying falsehoods boils down to trust in the integrity and competence of the person or institution conveying information, and he cautions against believing only those whose values align with one’s own. Drawing on examples from his personal and professional experiences, he reveals times when his trust has been honored and times when it has been broken. As a scientist who finds belief in a Christian God “entirely consistent” with his faith in evidence-based truths and scientific methods, he recounts his journey from atheism to Christianity. Overall, Collins urges each reader to create a renewed sense of community through “reanchoring your worldview”; engaging with family, friends, and community; and carefully distinguishing facts from fakes.
Thoughtful guidance in tumultuous times.Pub Date: Sept. 17, 2024
ISBN: 9780316576307
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Aug. 2, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2024
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
A powerful reiteration of principles—and some fresh ideas—from the longest-serving independent in congressional history.
Another chapter in a long fight against inequality.
Building on his Fighting Oligarchy tour, which this year drew 280,000 people to rallies in red and blue states, Sanders amplifies his enduring campaign for economic fairness. The Vermont senator offers well-timed advice for combating corruption and issues a robust plea for national soul-searching. His argument rests on alarming data on the widening wealth gap’s impact on democracy. Bolstered by a 2010 Supreme Court decision that removed campaign finance limits, “100 billionaire families spent $2.6 billion” on 2024 elections. Sanders focuses on the Trump administration and congressional Republicans, describing their enactment of the “Big Beautiful Bill,” with its $1 trillion in tax breaks for the richest Americans and big social safety net cuts, as the “largest transfer of wealth” in living memory. But as is his custom, he spreads the blame, dinging Democrats for courting wealthy donors while ignoring the “needs and suffering” of the working class. “Trump filled the political vacuum that the Democrats created,” he writes, a resonant diagnosis. Urging readers not to surrender to despair, Sanders offers numerous legislative proposals. These would empower labor unions, cut the workweek to 32 hours, regulate campaign spending, reduce gerrymandering, and automatically register 18-year-olds to vote. Grassroots supporters can help by running for local office, volunteering with a campaign, and asking educators how to help support public schools. Meanwhile, Sanders asks us “to question the fundamental moral values that underlie” a system that enables “the top 1 percent” to “own more wealth than the bottom 93 percent.” Though his prose sometimes reads like a transcribed speech with built-in applause lines, Sanders’ ideas are specific, clear, and commonsensical. And because it echoes previous statements, his call for collective introspection lands as genuine.
A powerful reiteration of principles—and some fresh ideas—from the longest-serving independent in congressional history.Pub Date: Oct. 21, 2025
ISBN: 9798217089161
Page Count: 160
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: Oct. 21, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2025
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