With an open mind and a firm grasp of the issues, Rieder brings the question of living a decent life into the modern era.
An informed, careful investigation of the connection between individual choices and large, complex problems.
The problem of how to lead a good, unselfish life is timeless, and Rieder, an academic specializing in bioethics and author of In Pain: A Bioethicist’s Personal Struggle With Opioids, argues that the question has become even more important in the era of climate change, resource depletion, and other world-changing issues. “What is each of us to do?” he asks as he examines various historical approaches. “How do we live a morally decent life when we can’t even get our arms around the problems?” Rieder doesn’t have much time for those who apparently hate to see anyone enjoying themselves, and even less for those who simply deny the challenges. Individual actions—such as reducing resource use and recycling—are important, but every action can generate new dilemmas. For example, does driving a Tesla mean supporting the exploitation of African cobalt miners? Must we calculate our environmental footprint on a daily basis? These kinds of inquiries can entirely consume one’s energies and lead to a dismal, over-audited life. There is an obligation to do the right thing, but you don’t have to be a miserable bully about it. In the closing sections, Rieder proposes some solutions. Do what you can with the resources and skills you have; push for major policy changes where possible; act rather than merely talk; and accept responsibilities small and large. In this multifaceted way, “we rescue our moral agency from the threat of nihilism” and “build a meaningful life.” This approach might disappoint readers who wanted a rousing to-the-barricades ending, but upon reflection, it might be the best advice possible.
With an open mind and a firm grasp of the issues, Rieder brings the question of living a decent life into the modern era.Pub Date: March 5, 2024
ISBN: 9780593471975
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Dutton
Review Posted Online: Dec. 6, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2024
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
The Stoics did much better with the much shorter Enchiridion.
A follow-on to the author’s garbled but popular 48 Laws of Power, promising that readers will learn how to win friends and influence people, to say nothing of outfoxing all those “toxic types” out in the world.
Greene (Mastery, 2012, etc.) begins with a big sell, averring that his book “is designed to immerse you in all aspects of human behavior and illuminate its root causes.” To gauge by this fat compendium, human behavior is mostly rotten, a presumption that fits with the author’s neo-Machiavellian program of self-validation and eventual strategic supremacy. The author works to formula: First, state a “law,” such as “confront your dark side” or “know your limits,” the latter of which seems pale compared to the Delphic oracle’s “nothing in excess.” Next, elaborate on that law with what might seem to be as plain as day: “Losing contact with reality, we make irrational decisions. That is why our success often does not last.” One imagines there might be other reasons for the evanescence of glory, but there you go. Finally, spin out a long tutelary yarn, seemingly the longer the better, to shore up the truism—in this case, the cometary rise and fall of one-time Disney CEO Michael Eisner, with the warning, “his fate could easily be yours, albeit most likely on a smaller scale,” which ranks right up there with the fortuneteller’s “I sense that someone you know has died" in orders of probability. It’s enough to inspire a new law: Beware of those who spend too much time telling you what you already know, even when it’s dressed up in fresh-sounding terms. “Continually mix the visceral with the analytic” is the language of a consultant’s report, more important-sounding than “go with your gut but use your head, too.”
The Stoics did much better with the much shorter Enchiridion.Pub Date: Oct. 23, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-525-42814-5
Page Count: 580
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: July 30, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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