A jokey yet earnest and useful guide to enlightenment for badass readers.
A motivational work blazes a spiritual path for those who consider themselves too cool for such things.
Dixon has always been interested in spirituality. But the term’s normal associations—rules, feelings, meditation, submission before a higher power—aren’t really part of his personal brand: “I love making lots of money. I love cool cars. I love taking vacations in tropical places. I love hanging out with friends and being potty mouthed. I love watching Netflix. I love sitting around on the weekends and doing absolutely nothing. There are a lot of things this badass loves.” A litany of badass things aside (and badass here essentially refers to a vision of American masculinity that fears being perceived as vulnerable), the author admits that his spiritual quest has helped him manage some of the less badass aspects of his personality, including depression, anxiety, timidity, and nihilism. He mixes stories from his own slacker’s quest for enlightenment with lessons from modern psychology, thought-provoking parables, and awareness exercises, all delivered as part of his jocular, profane, and fourth wall–breaking monologue. Chapters end with what Dixon calls “Spiritual Badass Lessons,” which remind readers how to react in various situations, generally by falling back on mindfulness or awareness practices. Along the way, the author encourages readers to visit his website, which features video content to supplement the material in the book. Dixon’s prose is direct and conversational by design: “So, before we continue down this road, fall head over heels in love, and end up drunk in a Vegas chapel…whaddya say we pause for a minute and I’ll explain how this book works? I’m a pretty sensitive schmuck and was already feeling your anxiety hit the roof.” Dixon’s meta he-man shtick will likely turn off some readers—possibly even most of them. But the manual’s intended readers seem to be a specific type: those who maybe don’t peruse that many books and who need this sort of playful hand-holding in order to access the spirituality they crave but are scared to explore. For that audience, Dixon has much to offer, repackaging mysticism, intentionality, and self-care into something proudly lowbrow and accessible.
A jokey yet earnest and useful guide to enlightenment for badass readers.Pub Date: Jan. 11, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-9858579-0-5
Page Count: 329
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: Sept. 22, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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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