A well-researched introduction to the concept of wisdom.
A historian surveys various philosophical approaches to wisdom in this nonfiction book.
“The pursuit of knowledge is not a static endeavor,” Kelley writes in his book’s preface, “but a dynamic and ongoing journey” and “collective quest” of humans that spans time and cultures. Divided into five parts, the book begins with an overview of the “multifaceted nature of wisdom,” emphasizing its interdisciplinary nature and eschewing simplistic definitions. While spiritual and philosophical giants from Buddha to Socrates are important figures in the book (and are centered in Part II’s narrative), Part III highlights community leaders, artists, and others who put “wisdom in action” and who offer alternative insights into wisdom beyond the esoteric, theoretical realms. Part IV takes readers to the present day as it explores the complex role of technology and globalization in fostering access to knowledge, as well as the challenges associated with the unregulated disinformation that proliferates on social media and the internet. While the “high-beam headlights of modernity” outshine the “luminous glow of ancient wisdom,” per the author, we must recognize that more information does not equate to better information. The book’s final section is an essay exploring “the multifaceted nature of wisdom through a comparative study across cultures and eras, emphasizing the importance of integrating diverse wisdom traditions to address contemporary challenges and enrich human understanding.” The strength of the book lies in its diverse sources, with examples spanning from India and China to Greece and medieval Europe. At just over 100 total pages, the book may oversell its claim to offer “a panoramic view” of wisdom “that connects disparate points into a cohesive whole,” since entire continents (particularly Africa and the pre-Columbian Americas) are omitted. But as an introduction to the emphasis humanity has placed on wisdom throughout history, this is a refreshingly diverse, interdisciplinary overview. Kelley, who has authored more than a dozen history books, is particularly skilled at distilling complex information into an engaging read. The text includes a useful glossary of key terms, a host of scholarly footnotes, and a 12-page bibliography.
A well-researched introduction to the concept of wisdom.Pub Date: April 14, 2024
ISBN: 9798322859567
Page Count: 159
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: June 7, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A virtuoso performance and an ode to an undervalued medium created by two talented artists.
The veteran actor, comedian, and banjo player teams up with the acclaimed illustrator to create a unique book of cartoons that communicates their personalities.
Martin, also a prolific author, has always been intrigued by the cartoons strewn throughout the pages of the New Yorker. So when he was presented with the opportunity to work with Bliss, who has been a staff cartoonist at the magazine since 1997, he seized the moment. “The idea of a one-panel image with or without a caption mystified me,” he writes. “I felt like, yeah, sometimes I’m funny, but there are these other weird freaks who are actually funny.” Once the duo agreed to work together, they established their creative process, which consisted of working forward and backward: “Forwards was me conceiving of several cartoon images and captions, and Harry would select his favorites; backwards was Harry sending me sketched or fully drawn cartoons for dialogue or banners.” Sometimes, he writes, “the perfect joke occurs two seconds before deadline.” There are several cartoons depicting this method, including a humorous multipanel piece highlighting their first meeting called “They Meet,” in which Martin thinks to himself, “He’ll never be able to translate my delicate and finely honed droll notions.” In the next panel, Bliss thinks, “I’m sure he won’t understand that the comic art form is way more subtle than his blunt-force humor.” The team collaborated for a year and created 150 cartoons featuring an array of topics, “from dogs and cats to outer space and art museums.” A witty creation of a bovine family sitting down to a gourmet meal and one of Dumbo getting his comeuppance highlight the duo’s comedic talent. What also makes this project successful is the team’s keen understanding of human behavior as viewed through their unconventional comedic minds.
A virtuoso performance and an ode to an undervalued medium created by two talented artists.Pub Date: Nov. 17, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-250-26289-9
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Celadon Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 30, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2020
PERSPECTIVES
An ebullient nature lover’s paean to birds.
A charming bird journey with the bestselling author.
In his introduction to Tan’s “nature journal,” David Allen Sibley, the acclaimed ornithologist, nails the spirit of this book: a “collection of delightfully quirky, thoughtful, and personal observations of birds in sketches and words.” For years, Tan has looked out on her California backyard “paradise”—oaks, periwinkle vines, birch, Japanese maple, fuchsia shrubs—observing more than 60 species of birds, and she fashions her findings into delightful and approachable journal excerpts, accompanied by her gorgeous color sketches. As the entries—“a record of my life”—move along, the author becomes more adept at identifying and capturing them with words and pencils. Her first entry is September 16, 2017: Shortly after putting up hummingbird feeders, one of the tiny, delicate creatures landed on her hand and fed. “We have a relationship,” she writes. “I am in love.” By August 2018, her backyard “has become a menagerie of fledglings…all learning to fly.” Day by day, she has continued to learn more about the birds, their activities, and how she should relate to them; she also admits mistakes when they occur. In December 2018, she was excited to observe a Townsend’s Warbler—“Omigod! It’s looking at me. Displeased expression.” Battling pesky squirrels, Tan deployed Hot Pepper Suet to keep them away, and she deterred crows by hanging a fake one upside down. The author also declared war on outdoor cats when she learned they kill more than 1 billion birds per year. In May 2019, she notes that she spends $250 per month on beetle larvae. In June 2019, she confesses “spending more hours a day staring at birds than writing. How can I not?” Her last entry, on December 15, 2022, celebrates when an eating bird pauses, “looks and acknowledges I am there.”
An ebullient nature lover’s paean to birds.Pub Date: April 23, 2024
ISBN: 9780593536131
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: Jan. 19, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2024
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