A complex and stimulatingly provocative look at just how possible a fulfilling life might be.
Bostrom conducts a philosophical inquiry into what gives life meaning.
The author (Superintelligence, 2014) here examines what he calls “the problem of utopia: the problem we will face after we have solved all the other problems.” He refers to this post-problem “deep utopia” as a “kind of philosophical particle accelerator” that, though clearly hypothetical (as he puts it, “We appear in no imminent danger of running out of woe”), is useful in examining what gives life meaning. Bostrom breaks down a number of different kinds of meaning life might obtain if all obstacles to fulfillment were removed, ranging from pure hedonistic pleasure to “social entanglement”; generally, he’s talking about the mixture of the practical and the personal that’s typically defined as “purpose.” “If someone proclaims X to be the meaning of their life,” he writes, “we may reasonably take X to be some sort of declaration of what they’re about, what they stand for, and what they are ultimately up to.” The author examines various ideas of personal fulfillment against the backdrop of an “encompassing transcendental purpose,” often including references to various schools of philosophy. The “decabillionaire’s gigayacht” is discussed right alongside Nietzsche and Camus in a quest to understand what kinds of things might give life meaning in a world without problems—and, by extension, in a world currently full of problems. One might think that as those problems get smaller, the passion they generate would also decline, but Bostrom points out that this isn’t always so: As he observes, more people cheer a soccer goal than cheer the eradication of a disease.
Bostrom is a marvelously energetic prose stylist; it’s uncanny how often he turns subjects like utilitarianism and Malthusian superabundance into genuinely thrilling reading. He vigorously explores the ramifications of the “age of abundance” he envisions that might supplant the “shallow redundancy” of current occupational labor: “Since it would eliminate both the need and the opportunity for paid work,” he writes, “it would cause one source of purpose to dry up, namely the purpose that many people currently find in their jobs.” Some of his authorial devices might come off as a bit twee (the ongoing Socratic dialogue between voices called Kelvin, Tessius, and Firafix, for instance, which runs throughout the book and grows tiresome after three pages), and some of his contentions will strike readers as debatable, to say the least. When he posits that a “maximally technologically capable” society would also be “very good,” for instance, he might be taking optimism a bit far. But the bulk of the text is immensely accessible and thought-provoking. Through it all, Bostrom employs a wry understated humor that’s often very quiet in its punchlines. “While technically doable,” he writes in one of many such passages, “eliminating boredom feelings would incur an ethical cost by distancing us from the normative ideal that our attitudes should match reality.” Tech fans will have much to consider here.
A complex and stimulatingly provocative look at just how possible a fulfilling life might be.Pub Date: March 27, 2024
ISBN: 9781646871643
Page Count: 536
Publisher: Ideapress Publishing
Review Posted Online: May 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A conversational, pleasurable look into McConaughey’s life and thought.
All right, all right, all right: The affable, laconic actor delivers a combination of memoir and self-help book.
“This is an approach book,” writes McConaughey, adding that it contains “philosophies that can be objectively understood, and if you choose, subjectively adopted, by either changing your reality, or changing how you see it. This is a playbook, based on adventures in my life.” Some of those philosophies come in the form of apothegms: “When you can design your own weather, blow in the breeze”; “Simplify, focus, conserve to liberate.” Others come in the form of sometimes rambling stories that never take the shortest route from point A to point B, as when he recounts a dream-spurred, challenging visit to the Malian musician Ali Farka Touré, who offered a significant lesson in how disagreement can be expressed politely and without rancor. Fans of McConaughey will enjoy his memories—which line up squarely with other accounts in Melissa Maerz’s recent oral history, Alright, Alright, Alright—of his debut in Richard Linklater’s Dazed and Confused, to which he contributed not just that signature phrase, but also a kind of too-cool-for-school hipness that dissolves a bit upon realizing that he’s an older guy on the prowl for teenage girls. McConaughey’s prep to settle into the role of Wooderson involved inhabiting the mind of a dude who digs cars, rock ’n’ roll, and “chicks,” and he ran with it, reminding readers that the film originally had only three scripted scenes for his character. The lesson: “Do one thing well, then another. Once, then once more.” It’s clear that the author is a thoughtful man, even an intellectual of sorts, though without the earnestness of Ethan Hawke or James Franco. Though some of the sentiments are greeting card–ish, this book is entertaining and full of good lessons.
A conversational, pleasurable look into McConaughey’s life and thought.Pub Date: Oct. 20, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-13913-4
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: Oct. 27, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
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
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