A charming book that a friend recommended as an introduction to philosophy. Part fictional that escapade through existential landscapes and part exposition of the beliefs and theories of philosophers from the early Greeks through to the 21st century, it’s an ideal introduction for teenagers and adults alike. Just what I was looking for to get … Continue reading Sophie’s World. A wonderful introduction to philosophy
I have dipped in and out of this book, not a thorough reading at all. Here for my own purposes, I will record only the list of people towards the back of the book who have in some way epitomised knwoledge and occasionally wisdom, who might be worth knowing more about some time. This is … Continue reading Knowing what we know by Simon Winchester
Based on the book Dominion by Tom Holland, this post covers the period of the Enlightenment c 1750 through to the modern Era A Jewish student of Manasseh, Baruch Spinoza, expelled by the Jewish synagogue in Amserdam, in 1656, writes a book, his Theological-Political Treatise in defence of religious liberty. He brought a new philosophy, … Continue reading A brief history of Christianity (part 4 of 4)
Based on the book Dominion by Tom Holland. This post covers The discovery of the New World, the reformation period from c1500 to c1750 and overlaps with what we now call the Renaissance era… In Spain Isabella is queen of Castile, and her husband, king Ferdinand of the neighbouring realm of Aragon have pushed back … Continue reading A brief history of Christianity (Part 3 of 4)
Based on Tom Holland’s book Dominion. This section covers c1000 to c1500, including the Latin Reformatio, and the crusades. In c1025 some clerics in Orleans claimed there was no such thing as the church and are the first to be executed as heretics. Up to this point priests, unlike monks, had never pledged themselves to … Continue reading A brief history of Christianity (part 2 of 4)
This is based on my reading of Dominion by Tom Holland, who gives a detailed narrative the history of the development of Christianity and its influence on global thinking over two millennia. In the words of Jewish scholar Boyarin, Christianity emerges from the Roman Empire as ‘the most powerful of hegemonic cultural system in the … Continue reading A brief history of Christianity (1 of 4)
As I don’t have time to do full write-ups on everything I get through, here is just a brief few comments on the books I chose to read in 2018 and the key things I want to remember of them. Roughly in the order I would recommend them for general consumption… 1. Man’s search for … Continue reading Books of 2018
The book picks up on several themes that I think are very important for understanding where the world is trending over the coming years. Politics Disillusionment picks up on the rise of anti ellitest autocratic and populist rulers (connections to The Demise of Western Liberalism by Edward Luce). Issues of identity, nationalism clash with global … Continue reading 21 lessons for the 21st century by Yuval Noah Harari
The basic idea behind this book is that in an age of increasing distraction, being able to really concentrate and do deep focused work is a super-power. He spends the first half of the book explaining why he believes this is the case and the second half offering some really pragmatic strategies for achieving this. … Continue reading Deep Work by Cal Newport
Viktor Frankl was a Jewish pioneer in psychotherapy. He was developing his own insights into psychology in Austria prior to World War 2. In the war he was arrested by the Nazis and transported to Auschwitz. In his book “Man’s search for meaning” he relays the experiences of surviving in a concentration camp and his … Continue reading Book review: Man’s search for meaning by Viktor Frankl
Here's something that inspired me... 