A valuable, transformative prescription for a life of greater truth.
A guide offers a journey into the nature of truth.
In Hinsley’s view, truth is the result of a balance of “Form & Essence”—an interconnection between the measurable, physical world and the invisible threads of spirit that give life larger meaning. But the culture that readers know is frequently out of balance, valuing force and focusing on superficial hallmarks of success. Sidetracked by the allure of comparison, people praise high grades and trophies over mental health and allow social media obsessions to supplant social interactions. In this Form-focused world, people’s peace of mind is sacrificed in the pursuit of status symbols, resulting in a society that is at best distracted and at worst polarized and toxic. But, as the author asserts, hope for a better life is not lost. The peace of mind that readers seek lies buried amid their material possessions, competitions, and social media feeds in the realm of Essence. Though intangible, Essence surrounds people in emotions, personality, and creativity—all the subtle qualities that make them human and wonderfully unique. While Hinsley is not alone in suggesting that immaterialism offers a path to greater well-being, he does not advocate a life devoid of measurable achievements. Instead, he asserts that Form & Essence yield interconnected value, revealing and empowering success through truth. Drawing on numerous real-world examples, the author skillfully illustrates how fear, defensiveness, and perfectionism can stifle achievement. Supporting these stories with the writings of various thinkers, such as Eckhart Tolle, Nir Eyal, and Angela Lee Duckworth, and citing popular works like David Wan, John de Graaf, and Thomas Naylor’s Affluenza (2001) and Jim Collins’ Good to Great (2001), Hinsley crafts a meticulously researched argument that will keep readers engaged and inspired. Discussing subjects ranging from education and fundraising to business and family, the author shows that readers can choose to master their awareness, consume content that uplifts them, and uncover motivations that ignite their sense of purpose. Moreover, this emotional evolution comes not at the expense of success but through creating it—resulting in joy for both readers and their communities.
A valuable, transformative prescription for a life of greater truth.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: 425
Publisher: Envision Arts
Review Posted Online: Dec. 29, 2022
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
A sweet final word from an actor who leaves a legacy of compassion and kindness.
The late actor offers a gentle guide for living with more purpose, love, and joy.
Mixing poetry, prescriptive challenges, and elements of memoir, Heche (1969-2022) delivers a narrative that is more encouraging workbook than life story. The author wants to share what she has discovered over the course of a life filled with abuse, advocacy, and uncanny turning points. Her greatest discovery? Love. “Open yourself up to love and transform kindness from a feeling you extend to those around you to actions that you perform for them,” she writes. “Only by caring can we open ourselves up to the universe, and only by opening up to the universe can we fully experience all the wonders that it holds, the greatest of which is love.” Throughout the occasionally overwrought text, Heche is heavy on the concept of care. She wants us to experience joy as she does, and she provides a road map for how to get there. Instead of slinking away from Hollywood and the ridicule that she endured there, Heche found the good and hung on, with Alec Baldwin and Harrison Ford starring as particularly shining knights in her story. Some readers may dismiss this material as vapid Hollywood stuff, but Heche’s perspective is an empathetic blend of Buddhism (minimize suffering), dialectical behavioral therapy (tolerating distress), Christianity (do unto others), and pre-Socratic philosophy (sufficient reason). “You’re not out to change the whole world, but to increase the levels of love and kindness in the world, drop by drop,” she writes. “Over time, these actions wear away the coldness, hate, and indifference around us as surely as water slowly wearing away stone.” Readers grieving her loss will take solace knowing that she lived her love-filled life on her own terms. Heche’s business and podcast partner, Heather Duffy, writes the epilogue, closing the book on a life well lived.
A sweet final word from an actor who leaves a legacy of compassion and kindness.Pub Date: Jan. 24, 2023
ISBN: 9781627783316
Page Count: 176
Publisher: Viva Editions
Review Posted Online: Feb. 6, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2023
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