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Brief Book Reviews - 4 |
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Index to Brief Book Reviews:
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Distracted: The Erosion of Attention and the Coming Dark Age by Maggie Jackson Prometheus Books - June 2008 Reviewed by Dr. Jonathan Dolhenty
This latter point, of course, is a paraphrase of the title of Maggie Jackson's latest book Distracted: The Erosion of Attention and the Coming Dark Age. The major problem we face now, Jackson seems to say, is INATTENTION; that is, we are no longer engaging in such activities as reflection, searching for deeper meanings, taking time to relax and participate in traditionally intimate conversations, getting to know people in a personable way, taking the time to discern the really important from the merely transitory, and so on. We as a society and as individuals are, in other words, not paying ATTENTION. At least to the things we ought to be paying proper attention to. In her book, Jackson provides a historical survey of the problem, cites a lot of research drawn from a wide range of scholarly fields including empirical science and philosophy, and provides quotations from a diverse population of thinkers who have considered aspects of the main problem she addresses. There is a lot of detail here to be digested; the reader, hopefully, is not suffering from the very problem the author discusses. One may argue, however, as to whether the current situation will lead to a genuine "dark age." Some might say that that suggestion might be just a little bit hyperbolic. Nevertheless, the author does raise some interesting questions and attempts to provide some workable solutions. So, in this period of constant motion, multitasking, social networking, instant messaging, and electronic overload, it might just be worthwhile for everyone to slow down a little, sit back and relax, read this book, and pay ATTENTION to what Jackson is saying.
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Where Does the Money Go?: Your Guided Tour to the Federal Budget Crisis by Scott Bittle and Jean Johnson Collins - February 2008 Reviewed by Dr. Jonathan Dolhenty
Outside of global terrorism and the international need to urgently develop a winning strategy for bringing about fully functioning nation-states with liberal democratic governments, I can't think of a more important topic for national discussion in this election year than dealing with the immense problem all Americans face with the national debt at the point it is ($9 trillion and growing!). Something simply has to be done and done quickly; an economic catastrophe for the United States looms on the near horizon. Now, it needs to be said that Bittle and Johnson do not propose "the" solution to the problem of the growing national debt. They do an excellent job of presenting the problem (both historically and in its present manifestation), providing the reader with a multitude of statistics (with appropriate graphs and charts), and analyzing the ins and outs of various ways to approach the problem, with critiques of some solutions already suggested. In the final pages of the book, the authors state six "realities" which every voting American ought to internalize: (1) We have to start now; (2) We have a short-term problem and a long-term problem -- we need to address them both; (3) We need to address the waste, fraud, and abuse issue, and then we need to move on; (4) We need voters to demand that candidates take a stand on this issue; (5) We need to think about what we can live with -- not what we personally want; and (6) To solve this problem, we need a different state of mind. In my opinion, these pretty much summarize the ideas that Americans need to face before it is too late. If there is any good news in this book, it is that Bittle and Johnson are convinced that the federal budget problem and, therefore, the problem of the national debt, can be solved. And, furthermore, in the appendix, they provide many resources that the reader can use for more information, including websites, printed publications, groups working on the issue with varied points of view, plus resources to consult before you vote in this year's election. Highly recommended reading -- especially right now!
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by Traci L. Slatton Delta - January 2008 Reviewed by Dr. Jonathan Dolhenty
The setting, for me, couldn't be better: the city of Florence and its environs during the Italian Renaissance. This is a period of history that I continue to study with particular interest. Combining a fictional protagonist, Luca Bastardo ("Luca the bastard"), with actual historical personalities, such as Giotto di Bondone, Leonardo da Vinci, the Medicis, and so forth, along with actual historical events such as the Inquisition and the terrible medieval plague, can be fraught with danger since all too often it results in a story with a mono-dimensional protagonist, shallow historical characters, a superficial plot, and a less than profound background against which the action plays. Fortunately, that is not the case in this story; Slatton has done her research. The major themes in this delightful book are Luca's search for who he is, where he came from, and what his destiny is. These are the major themes of any truly "classical" work of literature. But that is not all that Slatton brings to this work. Virtually all of the perennial problems with which humanity suffers and the very fundamental questions which we all ask ourselves at some point in our lives play a part in this beautiful story. I think the reader will find this a hard book to put aside. I know I did. It is not often that a literary work of this type can be described as a page-turner. Furthermore, I don't think any serious reader will come away from the reading without being profoundly affected. And, maybe, that more than anything, makes this story a potential future classic. Highly, highly recommended.
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There
is little doubt that over the past few decades,
particularly during what has been referred to as
"the computer age," the world of intellectual
activity has substantially changed. So-called
"multitasking" has become common. "Sound-bites"
provide many people with all the news they get.
Rapid-moving video games provide many with most of
the entertainment they experience. The technology
of "virtual" reality is becoming so "real" it is
becoming increasingly difficult to determine what
is "actually real" from what is "virtually real."
Add to all this the reports that attention deficit
syndrome (ADD) and hyperactive behavior among the
young are growing problems in our fast-moving
society, and one might be tempted to conclude that
we are, in fact, "distracted" to the point where
the erosion of attention will result in a
soon-to-occur "dark age."
Scott
Bittle is an award-winning journalist as well as
the executive editor of a public affairs website
called Public Agenda Online. In Where Does the
Money Go? he and his co-author Jean Johnson
have put together an extremely valuable tool for
American voters, especially so in this vital
presidential election year. The book, as described
by the authors in the preface, is "a
straightforward explanation of what politicians,
economists, think tanks, and lobbyists are arguing
about when they fight about the federal budget."
And so it is.
I
read quite a few popular new novels during the
course of a year, but I generally don't write
reviews of them. Now and then, however, a novel
comes along that really impresses me and, indeed, I
think may well become a classic piece of
literature. Immortal by Traci L. Slatton, a
first-class historical novel, is just such a work.
It satisfies many of the criteria that I think a
true classic must meet such as a great theme (or
themes), deals with important human values, has
memorable characters, has the potential to speak
across time, and is written in fine prose. Whether
or not this book becomes a genuine literary
classic, of course, will depend on whether it is
read by the generations to come. It does, in my
opinion, have that potential.
Main Page & Index
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