A well-intentioned investigation of the failings of humanity that offers limited solutions.
Humans can alter their trajectory by rethinking their approach to sexual relations, argues this philosophical treatise.
“Imagine a world in which humanity cares for itself. That is what a fully sentient race would do,” writes Whickwithy in the introduction to this series opener. According to the author, humans have fallen far short of this mark. A key reason for this shortcoming, Whickwithy suggests, is that “mankind created stories to explain existence in order to comfort mankind’s desire for comprehension.” Belief in “myths” such as “Pandora’s Box” and the Garden of Eden have led to the ingrained belief that women are cursed. This in turn has impacted humanity’s behavior, specifically with regard to the subjugation of women through various forms of punishment, from misogyny to domestic abuse. Men’s approach to sex has also been damaged by this distorted perception of women. Men, according to Whickwithy, have a predisposition toward animalistic “rutting” as opposed to “loving sex.” The author advocates that an “evolution of awareness” can occur “by engaging eye to eye in a loving tangle”—this, in the author’s opinion, is a way to step beyond the instincts of animals and become “human.” Whickwithy’s message of “make love, not lust” has a built-in benevolence. The author argues the point in an erudite manner: “Our intellect continues to wreak havoc in the absence of the emotional stability provided by mutually satisfying sex.” Unfortunately, Whickwithy’s treatise contains some flaws. Most notably, the argument is never developed; rather, the author continually reiterates the point that “rutting” is mindless and damaging without supplying a satisfactory road map for change. Whickwithy’s thesis is limited in that it is founded on heterosexual relations and does not take into consideration other sexual orientations. The author is also prone to making sweeping statements without delivering supporting evidence: “Look at the statistics sometime. An optimistic estimate is that seventy percent of men are bad at sex.” Whickwithy’s writing is often thought-provoking, but the author’s argument lacks the necessary depth and scope to make a significant impact.
A well-intentioned investigation of the failings of humanity that offers limited solutions.Pub Date: Feb. 11, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-9971412-3-8
Page Count: 93
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: Oct. 28, 2020
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
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
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
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