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Gilgamesh in the 21st Century

Name: Gilgamesh in the 21st Century
Author: Paul Bracken
ISBN: 978-0-615-96860-5

A PERSONAL QUEST TO UNDERSTAND MORTALITY

by Paul Bracken ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 8, 2013

An optimistic view of short-lived humans.

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A wide-ranging debut exploration of how civilization deals with the reality of the finite life.

A science educator and a former official with The Planetary Society, Bracken begins by echoing the same question as the ancient Mesopotamian king Gilgamesh: “Must I die?” His answer is basically yes, with caveats. In this work, Bracken sets out to examine what death means to the human race, beyond its traumatic aspect. His views on the subject of mortality are definitively atheistic, and he sees death as the end of one’s existence. However, having been raised and educated in a Christian setting, he has experience with religious views. He seems to see such a mindset as naïve, however, and argues that the human race must rely upon its own best qualities, rather than the possibility of supernatural intervention and guidance: “The reality is that unless there are gods, the only hope for humanity is humanity itself.” Bracken admits that there’s a sad proclivity toward barbarism throughout human history, but he points toward human progress as a point of optimism: “Far from being backward and barbaric, humans are the very definition of civilization,” he writes. Bracken leans on science-fiction ideas to visualize a world that endorses the best human qualities, and where science lengthens life and makes it better. In fact, he envisions a time when life can be replicated through technological advances, creating a sort of immortality. Bracken provides readers with meaningful food for thought, not to mention a positive starting point for discussion concerning the fate of humanity. He doesn’t fall prey to naysayers or doomsday theorists, believing that humans have the ability, and the attributes, to survive and evolve. His prose is certainly readable and erudite, but his reliance upon popular culture and science fiction can be almost jarring at times in an otherwise serious work.

An optimistic view of short-lived humans.

Pub Date: Oct. 8, 2013

ISBN: 978-0-615-96860-5

Page Count: 290

Publisher: Paul Bracken

Review Posted Online: June 29, 2015

Review Program: Kirkus Indie

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

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NUTCRACKER

by E.T.A. Hoffmann ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 28, 1996

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This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)

Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996

ISBN: 0-15-100227-4

Page Count: 136

Publisher: Harcourt

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER AND THE MOUSE KING
by E.T.A. Hoffmann ; adapted by Natalie Andrewson ; illustrated by Natalie Andrewson

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER
by E.T.A. Hoffmann & illustrated by Julie Paschkis

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TO THE ONE I LOVE THE BEST

EPISODES FROM THE LIFE OF LADY MENDL (ELSIE DE WOLFE)

by Ludwig Bemelmans ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 23, 1955

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An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.