Searching for Meaning in a Less than Idealistic Society
340719
This is a book that MUST, yes, MUST be read by parents, teachers, and counselors of gifted kids. It is the most relevant book of the last ten years in terms of understanding gifted kids and adolescents and what they are going through. Building on the work of Viktor Frankl and Dabrowski and others James Webb has brought together a concise, succinct book that explains much of the " sturm und drang " that gifted kids experience.  The " bright mind " of the gifted child sees the injustices, the wrongs, the problems in the world- and is depressed that they can do so little about it. There is hope though that they might be able to make some small contribution, and in Webb's words- create a " ripple effect " that may bring about some good- and help them to maintain a semblance of sanity in a somewhat insane world. Any therapist working with gifted kids or adolescents needs to read this book and alert parents to it's importance. Teachers too, would benefit from understanding the feelings and issues that are going on in the mind of the gifted individual.
1458116
A study group of four of us selected this book for an in-depth conversation.  It made us realize how much of our social interaction has been reduced economic like activity, devoid of moral and ethical activity.  We were left questioning, how do we change this.
3848041
Many of us struggle to understand the meaning of life. It's worse when life itself is a struggle, as it is for the protagonist in this book. Attempting to overcome a brutal existence, he aspires to be a writer, and finds that task more than Herculean. A study in values and societal mores, this book is a fictional depiction of many aspects of the life of Jack London, and is a powerful story that writers should read before complaining how hard their lives are.
4270940
Elie Wiesel, unlike seeing from the mind of a psychologist, observed from the innocence of adolescence .  Viktor Frankl's book Man's Search for Meaning, certainly set the bar high observing empirically the behaviors of both the survivors and the victims but Elie Wiesel's perspective adds the perspective of naivet and assimilated reflection.  An excellent read that succeeds in the portrayal of mans inhumanity and survival's inherent instinct.
2142573
This book presents a different, non-traditional approach towards living a less stressful life.  The concepts presented follow a logical development and the reader can follow along in a general fashion.  To really appreciate the message, however, I believe that one needs to read some of the book several times.  One needs to reflect the concepts presented in terms of what the author offers; one also needs to reflect on individual patterns of thought and action with relationship to the author's message.
1757593
Not a book for hard-core reductionist materialists, this work is outside the academic orthodoxy. For those comfortable with a more intuitive ontology, this is a rich worldview.
1302517
Using the author's terminology, this book may be aligned with Love, but not with Intelligence. It is a nice compassionate philosophy compartmentalized into 7 great-sounding words that have only occasional overlap with the actual content assigned to them.

The author creates the impression of a good person, and a great marketer. A good philosopher, however, he is not.
4598360
I found this book to be thought provoking, especially on how messed up people get in the search for meaning or purpose.  In this case, the author searches for fulfillment in sexual relationships and as a result the fulfillment is temporary.  Through the course of the book the author greaves the loss of love and slowly recovers by spending time examining herself (and spiritual dimensions) but at the end falls back into the love seeking cycle.  It is an interesting book and is filled with vibrant imagery.
3466338
The fact that many think that to degrade and to surrender one self to others are the opposite of freedom, is a very superficial assumption. Through this novel the woman writer explores sex roles, desire, and philosophical ideas of devotion and freedom that are beyond sex: the immoral side of culture, and even the immoral side of faith and martyrdom. An exiting book in all the scope of the word. A treaty in sex from a female point of view, that blurs into systems of faith and the angst of existence. Not for the moralist superficial.
420143
"Life After God" is a collection of short works, some of which are obviously fictional and some it is hard to tell. The common theme running through all the stories is of life without the certainty of the existence of God. In various ways the author grapples with the implications of a world without God through telling stories of the people struggling to find meaning and purpose in various, and sometimes very strange, situations. This book is a lament for something lost with comfortable modernity, but it poses no answers and there is very little certainty between the covers of this little book.

I found myself devouring the pithy, but often beautiful prose as I stumbled with the characters through shattered inner landscapes amid malls, airports, cubicles, and family homes. I haven't read something so melancholy and true for a very long time. As you read Coupland's struggle will resonate with you on several levels. You'll see yourself, your friends and loved ones, and our culture at large. Even though this was fiction it was honest in a way that most writing isn't. So, read this and think deeply about our loss. What will become of a world without God? Coupland doesn't know, and doesn't give any indication that he believes in God. Let me close with a quote from the book that sums it up nicely without giving too much away.

"My secret is that I need God - that I am sick and can no longer make it alone. I need God to help me give, because I no longer seem to be capable of giving; to help me be kind, as I no longer seem capable of kindness; to help me love, as I seem beyond being able to love."

This is definitely worth your time.
4653309
Owen Flanagan endeavours to find meaning in a material world - no less. And what a quest it is! Never mind his conclusions, Flanagan's book trumps the not-so-intelligent works of design theorists by its sheer breadth of argument, imaginative approach and evocative style, empowering its readers to summon up their own wisdom in answering the one really hard question that life has in store for us: supposing that consciousness is nothing but an emergent property of a functioning brain, what does that mean? Who else would have the philosophical wherewithal to draw on the Dalai Lama's interlocutory exploration of Western science to shed light on our own culture's tentative grappling with the findings of neuroscience and evolutionary biology? Flanagan's graceful treatment of the Dalai Lama's so-called caveat - not finding something does not prove it does not exist - is a first, as is his discussion of this modern Tibetan philosopher's stance on the neuronal-correlates-of-consciousness view. Any reader who prefers to think for himself of herself about the meaning of life - instead of being lectured on it ex cathedra - should read Owen Flanagan's work.
680607
Many people like to believe that books which are of a dark and negative nature are those in which the lessons and concepts described in them cannot be fully absorbed by the reader, as providing a consistently negative outlook on life, with no redemption at the end, dilutes the importance of certain themes, as there is no displayed way of one bettering ones own life by adhering to such themes. Things Fall Apart, however, does not fit this stereotype. While this story is certainly dark, the tone does not reduce the importance of its message. A message of how masculinity and societies obsession over it can lead to the mental destruction of people, and perhaps even worse. The book tells the story of how Okonkwo, the main character, uses the concept of masculinity to empower himself up the societal ladder in order to achieve higher status. Throughout his story, he is presented with numerous roadblocks which test this idea of masculinity, and during these ordeals, becomes increasingly overwhelmed with the burden of maintaining this mask of masculinity. Eventually, it leads to a breakdown of his masculine shield, and he begins to process emotions more organically. However, it comes with enormous sacrifices. Overall, this theme of masculinity is used throughout the book to describe the enormous pressures men have in certain circumstances to maintain a certain faade, and to keep them from displaying emotion. This book uses this type of theme to perfection, and conveys the desperate struggle of trying to maintain a public image, while at the same time, caring for ones emotionally psyche.
3086616
The title of this wonderful book barely hints at what is to be found within. While there is indeed a critique of popular Christianity, the book is a presentation of a system for internalizing and personalizing the spiritual truths and insights that can be found in myth and religion worldwide. The authors share their personal experiences of delving deep into the meaning of stories from the Bible and from a variety of other traditions, including Hindu, Buddhist and modern New Age sources. The technique offered--and dramatized through the authors' sharing of their own personal experiences--is to approach religious imagery and myth as one would a dream, understanding and analyzing the symbols to discover greater meaning than just the quasi-historical story.

The punchline, as it were, of this book is that we human beings are all one with God just by the nature of God and human consciousness. But this is often not easy to realize or to understand how to act out of. So techniques, like Rhodes and Stephenson present, can assist in this important personal task of internalizing the meaning of religion and so discovering the presence of God within oneself.

In a lovely and gentle way, I thought, this book "explains" what religion really is and should and could be. And such a practice of "higher consciousness" religion really could save the world (including the "Christians"). This is really a deeply Christian book!
2926992
If you check www.amazon.co.uk, you will see that this is a popular book among young European intellectuals who delight in finding the parallels between aspects of this book and the writings of lesser known European  philosophers.  Many indicate that they come back to this novel again and  again.  I found myself thinking, however, that this might  not have been  necessary if the author had been less ambiguous, more specific. Ostensibly  the story of four students, one of whom has disappeared, during a time of  political tumult, the book explores philosophy, politics, social upheavals,  the characters and their inner lives, the historical past and its effect on  the present, the specific mystery of Immanuele and her fate, the  relationship between love and death, the connections between physical and  idealistic love, the effects of fear, the relationships between  dreams/reality/nightmare/fantasy, the bird and water "symbols"  and their possible meanings, etc.
  Though I liked the book and admired  the "reach" of the author, I felt that in many ways the reach was  greater than the grasp and that the book was not successful as a novel in  its own right.  Alternating between ambiguity and stark reality, between  moral conundrums and fleeting nightmare, between staccato sentences and  ethereal moods, I found myself looking for more coherence. Readers who  consider buying this book would do well to seek an alternate opinion on  www.amazon.co.uk.
967579
Have you ever wondered what creates societal change?  Is it individual leaders, movements, a spread of ideas, coercion, politics, organizations?  How does one begin to situate themselves in this discussion?  Sztompka provides a context for understanding sociological change through a historical lens and brings the reader to the argument of adopting a tolerance for change, the crucial role of human agency, and the complexities of social movements and revolutions.  While this book was published in 1993, many of the concepts, such as modernity and postmodernity, are still relevant discussions for those concerned about the current state of society and the critical need to tolerate uncertainty and ambiguity.  Readers who enjoy an analytical academic tone and theoretical perspectives would find this book appealing.  This is an ideal book for researchers, grad students, and those interested in social change to glean an understanding of the theory of change versus detailed examples of specific social movements.  While there are a few examples throughout the book of social movements, if one is looking to delve into specific events it would be recommended to seek out a different text focusing on social revolutions.  The way the book is organized allows the reader to pick and choose which area to focus attention on: Concepts and Categories, Three Grand Visions of History, Alternative Vision: Making History, and Aspects of Social Becoming.  Overall, it is a supportive resource for deepening ones understanding of the theory of social change and would likely be useful for academic citations in fields related to sociology.
723617
This work is well worth reading as a challenge to sociobiological thinking on values, ethics, and religion. One need not agree to the author's conclusions entirely to feel a breath of fresh air, and some common sense, applied to the Darwin debate, and the hopeless venture of deriving a genetic explanation for the religious evolutionary emergentism visible in world history and corresponding very little to the current regime of explanations.  It is also true that challenging sociobiology is not so hard, and that by comparison almost any religious viewpoint looks superior! We still end back at square one, needing to find some resolution of the dilemma of naturalism, ethics, and evolution! That is, unless we abandon the scientific perspective and grant the exception of values altogether to any naturalistic account. Part of the problem is seen in the term 'naturalistic fallacy'. This is a fallacy in our own minds, but it would seem nature has few difficulties here for it does not honor this misnomer. Thus, the dilemma remains here of the boundaries of the natural and the transcendent, so-called. This is a point much clearer in a religion such as Buddhism, where no nonsense about man's 'spirit' is allowed to intrude on the 'self' whose phenomenology is assumed to be entirely natural.  But this work cannot be faulted for not resolving the arcana of religion and does superbly as a challenge to the completely baffling oversimplifications of much ultra-Darwinian pontification of the subject of consciousness and ethics.
4687372
A. short story about a man who thinks,so little about himself until he is pushed to carry out the wishes of his family and the preacher.  As you read on there is the hope that the innocent individual will be free, in the end he prove he was not "just like a dog".  He is set free by a man who felt trapped in the community he was working and living in.  Both me find meaning to there situation.