Philosophy & Religion
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by George R. Tyler (Get the Book)
In his first book, Tyler, a former Clinton administration deputy assistant Treasury secretary, slams popular acquiescence to low wages, imperious CEOs, and diminished national net worth. He contrasts the pursuit abroad of "family capitalism"-a doctrine of healthy compensation, job retraining, and productivity growth-with the increasing income disparities in the U.S. that destroy economic mobility and perpetuate poverty. Tyler identifies the Reagan era and its free-market dogma as the beginning of the reversal of middle-class growth, but sees little change since then. He argues that a first step toward recovery would be to boost the wages of lower-income households; he cites Australia and Europe as examples showing that prosperity and living wages are complementary, not contradictory. Whatever the merits of his proposals, the array of data he presents justifies popular apprehension about America's future. The key issue is not big government vs. small government, he maintains, but rather the distribution of wealth. While Tyler's recommendations seem hard to achieve, he provokes outrage with his impassioned portrait of an America where job security is a relic of the past. --Publishers Weekly
by Kyle Idleman (Get the Book)
"When it comes to Jesus, I am not a fan." That is the attention-snagging message megachurch pastor Idleman hopes readers are repeating by the end of this book. Addressing all Christians-including himself, Idleman writes that "the biggest threat to the church today is fans" who admire Jesus but aren't fully committed to being followers. Using Biblical examples and 11 startlingly honest testimonials from present-day followers, the author shows that being a Christian requires sacrifice and an all-consuming commitment to Jesus. Though his message is a direct challenge to the reader, Idleman offers humor and conversation instead of guilt and condemnation. He takes old themes (e.g., take up your cross, suffer for a greater purpose) and repackages them with natural wit and 21st century relevance. The meat of this succinct message could be lost if the titular catchphrase becomes yet another T-shirt slogan. But if readers latch onto the deeper meaning, they could find themselves reevaluating everything from their careers to their relationships. A refreshing read to recharge apathetic churchgoers. --Library Journal
by Polly Morland (Get the Book)
British documentary filmmaker Morland takes readers on an expansive philosophical inquiry into the nuanced qualities of timidity and courage. With a mix of cheerful camaraderie and robust curiosity, she reports on individuals in widely diverging circumstances that try their courage or cowardice. Her choices range from veterans of the war in Afghanistan and big-wave surfers to a computer scientist with ALS and an opera singer heckled at La Scala. As she wades through thorny moral and ethical issues, Morland also delves into etymology, making frequent use of major writers and thinkers who have pondered the value of courage. Another tricky notion Morland tackles is whether selfless acts trump self-serving, high-risk adventures like high-wire walking and scaling skyscrapers. Occasionally, it seems as if she is comparing apples and oranges, but generally Morland steers deftly through touchy areas like the role of non-violent yet courageous actions. Her well-chosen examples are thought-provoking, and her refusal to offer a pat answer opens dialogue that will continue long after the book ends, making it a great choice for book clubs and classrooms. --Publishers Weekly
by Jon Kabat-Zinn (Get the Book)
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 In his latest book, Kabat-Zinn (founder, Stress Reduction Clinic & Ctr. for Mindfulness, Univ. of Massachusetts Medical Sch.) simplifies the approach to mindfulness he presented in his notable Wherever You Go, There You Are and makes it more inviting for beginners. He provides mindfulness teachings and over 40 practices for those interested in meditating to reduce stress, reenergize the body, clear the mind, and bring compassionate attention to situations and relationships. Kabat-Zinn thoroughly discusses the how-tos of mindfulness and offers several guided meditations with an accompanying CD (not heard by this reviewer). The brief, straightforward chapters make this book a valuable entry point for meditation novices. --Library Journal |
by Erica Brown (Get the Book)
Living well seems to be the fixation of every disposition and discipline; there is never a shortage of opinions. Dying well, however, has traditionally fallen to the philosopher. Confronting death head on, Brown (Inspired Jewish Leadership) illustrates a practical stance on approaching the unknown. We all will die, so why avoid the inevitable? But why expedite it as well? Despite America's youth-obsessed and aging-averse culture, significant progress is being made in the field of thanatology (the study of death), and Brown establishes her place among the heavyweights of the field-even suggesting an additional stage to Kubler-Ross's five stages of death: inspiration. As the dark matter of life, death affects many aspects of everyday living; the financial, in the booming and discomforting "death industry" and embalming dedicated to preserving remains; the medical, with treatments aimed at delaying the inevitable; the spiritual, serving the contemplation of the soul; and the ritualistic, with detailed traditions surrounding death and mourning. Fear and death don't present themselves as the most ideal topics for a life-affirming book, but Brown manages to overcome negativity in her effort to create happier endings, for the living and the dying. --Publishers Weekly
by Jon Kabatt-Zinn (Get the Book)
In his latest book, Kabat-Zinn (founder, Stress Reduction Clinic & Ctr. for Mindfulness, Univ. of Massachusetts Medical Sch.) simplifies the approach to mindfulness he presented in his notable Wherever You Go, There You Are and makes it more inviting for beginners. He provides mindfulness teachings and over 40 practices for those interested in meditating to reduce stress, reenergize the body, clear the mind, and bring compassionate attention to situations and relationships. Kabat-Zinn thoroughly discusses the how-tos of mindfulness and offers several guided meditations with an accompanying CD (not heard by this reviewer). The brief, straightforward chapters make this book a valuable entry point for meditation novices. --Library Journal
by Cornelis de Wall (Get the Book)
Charles Sanders Peirce, the founder of pragmatism, is a hugely important and influential thinker in the history of American philosophy. His philosophical interests were broad and he made significant contributions in several different areas of thought. Moreover, his contributions are intimately connected and his philosophy designed to form a coherent and systematic whole. Peirce: A Guide for the Perplexed is a clear and thorough account of Peirce's life and thought, his major works and ideas, providing an ideal guide to this important and complex thinker. The book introduces all the key concepts and themes in Peirce's thought, exploring his contributions to logic, pragmatism, truth, semiotics and metaphysics and demonstrating how his ideas developed into a coherent system of thought. Geared towards the specific requirements of students who need to reach a sound understanding of Peirce's ideas, the book serves as a clear and concise introduction to his philosophy. This is the idea companion to study of this most influential and challenging of thinkers. (Summary)
by Pope Francis (Get the Book)
"New York Times" Bestseller From the man who became Pope Francis, Jorge Mario Bergoglio shares his thoughts on religion, reason, and the challenges the world faces in the 21st century with Abraham Skorka, a rabbi and biophysicist. For years Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, archbishop of Argentina, and Rabbi Abraham Skorka were tenacious promoters of interreligious dialogues on faith and reason. They both sought to build bridges among Catholicism, Judaism, and the world at large. On Heaven and Earth, originally published in Argentina in 2010, brings together a series of these conversations where both men talked about various theological and worldly issues, including God, fundamentalism, atheism, abortion, homosexuality, euthanasia, same-sex marriage, and globalization. From these personal and accessible talks comes a first-hand view of the man who would become pope to 1.2 billion Catholics around the world in March 2013. (Summary)
by Daniel Dennett (Get the Book)
Dennett (philosophy, Tufts Univ.; Consciousness Explained) thinks of intuition as ideas that have a central place around which other ideas hang. His phrase, "intuition pumps," refers to the philosopher's tools used to push such ideas to their limits. He argues that intuitions are either pushed aside and replaced with new ones, or they survive and become even more firmly rooted. According to Dennett, some of these tools are formal (the reductio ad absurdum), others are informal (various rhetorical fallacies), and still others resemble thought experiments. He introduces these general philosophical tools and then moves to a discussion of topics in which he is well known, such as evolution, consciousness, free will, etc. The author's weakness is lack of analysis; however, the concept of intuition pumps is in general provocative and makes for an entertaining intellectual appetizer. VERDICT Dennett shows himself again to be both avuncular to the curious and confrontational with opposing scholars. General readers and professionals should find him most engaging. --Library Journal
by George R. Tyler (Get the Book)
