Dwelling in a Set of Paradoxes
Suppose you, and many others, were of two minds on a critical issue. “Which suggests not only that opposing positions are held, but that the person holding them is aware…
Hobbes on Sovereignty
It was 373 years ago that Thomas Hobbes wrote Leviathan, a book that many regard as THE masterwork of political philosophy. It was in large part a response to the…
Living Personification of the Marvellous
Virgil hailed him as the greatest part of his fame. He was the “living personification of the marvellous,” and a “central enhancing embellishment” of the first Roman Emperor, Augustus. And…
The Climate of History
Note that the title of this book is not ‘the history of climate,’ but rather ‘the climate of history.’ It summarises the views of a host of thinkers, who wax…
There is no such thing as Blank Page
This book focuses on 18 lives, but it should have been 19. Author Adam Smyth (professor of English literature at Balliol College, Univ. of Oxford) omitted one of the most…
New Reagan Biography
An estimated 11,000 books (!) have been written about President Ronald Reagan. Now, we have another one. Max Boot is senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, and a…
THERE IS A LAND OF PURE DELIGHT
Neo-Latin: Two Fascinating Books photo: Mary Sidney (1561-1621) “There is a land of pure delight.” That is the first line of a hymnody by Isaac Watts, who published a book…
The Great Chain of Being
While the German word is not used here, this book is actually a festschrift. That is, a book honouring a respected scholar, in this case Susan A. Stephens, Professor Emerita…
Supply Chain Seesaw – The Ups and Downs
Books are delivered to our office for review, and they pile up like so many skyscrapers. Right now, there are over 40 seeking attention. One of them, Supply Chain Seesaw—The…
Self-awareness & The Elusive Subject
“The nettles were like fine, stinging strands of silk, sticky to touch, and difficult to untangle.” This slim but cogently argued book approaches the subject of self-awareness by disentangling those…