Philosophy

> Tag: Philosophy

Unexpected Delight

This Book Will Make You Kinder: An Empathy Handbook by Henry James Garrett

July 30, 2022 by ASKReviews 1 Comment

Best for: All of humanity (but mostly the privileged folks). In a nutshell: Philosopher Garrett makes his case for the reasons we should be kind, and the ways people falter at it. Worth quoting: “The problem is not that oppressed people don’t empathize enough with their oppressors; the problem is that privileged folk don’t empathize enough with the oppressed.” “Our beliefs about the inevitability of certain forms of suffering are intimately connected with our beliefs about what type of world is possible.” “If you believe […]

A graphic history of the philosophy of science

Heretics! The Wondrous (and Dangerous) Beginnings of Modern Philosophy by Steven Nadler, Ben Nadler

July 23, 2022 by ElCicco Leave a Comment

CBR14bingo star (the philosopher/scientists dealt with, among other things, astronomy) This graphic history of 17th century philosophical and scientific thought was written by Philosophy Professor (Univ. Wisconsin, Madison) Steven Nadler and drawn by his brother artist Ben Nadler. Using clever drawings and simple explanations, the Nadlers explain one of the most important centuries for scientific thought — the 17th century. If you ever took a Metaphysics course in college, you will recognize the names and ideas, and I wish I had had a book like […]

[got me] to a nunnery!

Matrix by Lauren Groff

Heloise & Abelard: A New Biography by James Burge

The Tigress of Forlì: Renaissance Italy's Most Courageous and Notorious Countess, Caterina Riario Sforza de Medici by Elizabeth Lev

Letters of a Portuguese Nun: Uncovering the Mystery Behind a 17th Century Forbidden Love by Myriam Cyr

July 5, 2022 by andtheIToldYouSos 2 Comments

I thought I was going to need some time to recover from the exquisite The Everlasting, but really it flung me head-first into a literal rabbit-hole. A warren. An abbey. A nunnery, if you will. Also- The Atlantic just posted a list of books that were done dirty by pandemic releases, and OF COURE The Everlasting resides within those vaulted halls. I was immediately drawn to Caterina Riario Sforza de Medici after she was mentioned several times in The Everlasting. A distant relative of her spots her likeness in the […]

“It’s a calming thing, to learn there’s a word for something you’ve felt all your life, but didn’t know was shared by anyone else.”

The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows by John Koenig

June 11, 2022 by KimMiE" Leave a Comment

That sentence from the introduction of The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows sums up what this book is about. A dictionary of “made-up” words (I know, as if there are words growing naturally in the wild somewhere), it gives voice to the thoughts and feelings that we have every day but didn’t know anyone else shared. Part linguistics, part philosophy, part self-help, and a (very little) part humor, this book will make you feel, above all else, that somebody out there gets you. Author John Koenig […]

Like a Warm Bath

The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down: How to be Calm in a Busy World by Haemin Sunim

May 21, 2022 by ASKReviews Leave a Comment

Best for: Anyone who feels a bit overwhelmed by life. Anyone who doesn’t, but still wants some suggestions for how to slow down and calm down. In a nutshell: Buddhist monk and professor Sunim offers reflections on ways to more deeply experience different aspects of life: rest, mindfulness, passion, relationships, love, life, the future, and spirituality. Worth quoting: “Unless we recognize the still point beneath the surface of our changing emotions, we will feel we are hostage to their whims.” “When you make a mistake, […]

I hide and the book finds me

SmileRise: A very short poem by Bachar Samawi

May 16, 2022 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

A recent Saturday at my house: the nephew is tearing the front porch apart. Sawing, hammering, swearing, unable to get things to plug in. My sister and her boyfriend (swearing and telling everyone what to do) are there. The niece-in-law-to-be is there. My father (with his just worked on knee) is there, fuming because he could do it right. Where am I? Running and errand and hiding in the library for over an hour. And even with a most enthusiastic child that was vocally enjoying […]

Emmalita on But who ever really knows the experience of another?I've been burned by author recommendations so many times.
Emmalita on “Your body was numb to grief; perhaps you had felt it once, but you did not feel it anymore.”I'll send you another one if you need it later. The invitations do time out.
narfna on “Your body was numb to grief; perhaps you had felt it once, but you did not feel it anymore.”Well, I just clicked the link but it's blocked at my work, so. Sucky.
Emmalita on New Love and a Complete Bingo Board!Congratulations!
wicherwill on thank you to my friend EvinThe characters also don't really do the fantasy bits--they begrudgingly put up with the weird, which is why I was struggling with whether this counts...

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