by Tay Nils ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 3, 2012
Despite an admirable attention to philosophically important themes, this treatise is disappointingly uncritical for a...
A spirited call for the restoration of dignity surrendered to irrational superstition.
In this brief book, first-time author Nils seeks to revive an apparently battered sense of human dignity and its core features: autonomy, freedom, and rationality. However, he also emphasizes the emotional component of human nature as well as its vulnerability to pernicious influence, because human beings are, he says, “indiscriminately susceptible creatures.” Blinkered fanaticism and irrational illusion are the primary obstacles to the realization of this understanding of dignity, namely the ignorance Nils attributes to religion in general, the Catholic Church in particular. He also reserves considerable scorn for governmental incompetence, discussing religion and government as the twinned obstacles to human decency. The book’s primary complaint against government is that it robs its citizens of their independence, though precisely how is never made adequately clear. Religion itself is simply dismissed as fantastical mythology. “How do you tell a child who deeply believes in Christmas that Santa Claus does not come from the North Pole but all from the sheer imagination of his parents? Likewise, how do you tell a Christian that much of what he or she has learned is not necessarily that relevant and is sadly futile information?” Nils covers an array of topics including multiculturalism and identity, big business, homosexuality, and the nature of human consciousness, though it’s hard to locate an abiding theme along this meandering tour of ideas other than the aforementioned hostility to religious belief. Over the course of the book, references to famous philosophical figures abound, but none are subjected to rigorous analysis. Also, the prose is turgid and clunky, making a relatively short volume a surprisingly long read: “People willingly maintain the integrity of their ethnic belongingness, but just as they can stick through thick they do not hesitate to migrate elsewhere for opportunities if the local environment wears thin.” The author considers his study “existentialistic,” but it is never clear what precisely he means. Nils should certainly be credited for his grand intellectual ambitions as well as the obvious passion he has for the subject. However, his persuasiveness is undermined by reflexive dogmatism and the book’s disorganization.
Despite an admirable attention to philosophically important themes, this treatise is disappointingly uncritical for a defense of reason.Pub Date: April 3, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-4701-5354-0
Page Count: 126
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: Nov. 18, 2015
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Share your opinion of this book
by E.T.A. Hoffmann ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 28, 1996
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
Share your opinion of this book
More by E.T.A. Hoffmann
BOOK REVIEW
by E.T.A. Hoffmann ; adapted by Natalie Andrewson ; illustrated by Natalie Andrewson
BOOK REVIEW
by E.T.A. Hoffmann & illustrated by Julie Paschkis
by Ludwig Bemelmans ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 23, 1955
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.
Pub Date: Feb. 23, 1955
ISBN: 0670717797
Page Count: -
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1955
Share your opinion of this book
More by Ludwig Bemelmans
BOOK REVIEW
developed by Ludwig Bemelmans ; illustrated by Steven Salerno
BOOK REVIEW
by Ludwig Bemelmans ; illustrated by Steven Salerno
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Hey there, book lover.
We’re glad you found a book that interests you!
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Don’t fret. We’ll find you.