Magida was a Pulitzer Prize finalist for his reporting on the controversial leader of the Nation of Islam, but this biography adds little to our knowledge or understanding of this fiery, notorious man. Editorial director of Jewish Lights and a former editor at the Baltimore Jewish Times, Magida might not seem like the ideal biographer for a man who calls Jews ``bloodsuckers.'' But a lack of objectivity and fairness are not the flaws of this rather thin work. The problem is that, despite having obtained several personal interviews with Farrakhan—no mean accomplishment—Magida mostly rehashes the public record of the minister's activities, especially his growing conflicts with Jews during the 1980s and '90s. There are occasional insights, such as a clarification of Farrakhan's reference to Judaism as a ``dirty religion.'' Noting that ``Farrakhan's religious vocabulary was so peculiar, so idiosyncratic'' that it was virtually incomprehensible, Magida shows by other examples that the phrase refers to hypocrisy in religion, rather than the content of any particular faith. Farrakhan, nÇ Louis Eugene Walcott, was the son of a West Indian immigrant woman in Roxbury, Mass., who supported her children by working as a maid. We learn that the star pupil and gifted young violinist always had an innate sense of his ``chosenness'' as well as a gift for performance and a love of fame and adulation. But we don't learn what motivated the popular young calypso performer known as ``the Charmer'' to join NOI, nor do we get beyond his public statements on such heated topics as his relationship with Malcolm X, his split with NOI leader Elijah Muhammad's son and successor, and his dealings with other black leaders. In the end, though hardly exonerating Farrakhan's anti-Semitic rhetoric, Magida is perhaps too fair to this false prophet. He is certainly too far removed from the workings of NOI to give a full picture of a divisive and difficult figure.
Pub Date: July 3, 1996
ISBN: 0-465-06436-1
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Basic Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 1996
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
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
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