Product Description
When Bill Wilson, with his friend Dr. Bob Smith, founded Alcoholics Anonymous in 1935, his hope was that AA would become a safe haven for those who suffered from this disease. Thirty years after his death, AA continues to help millions of alcoholics recover from what had been commonly regarded as a hopeless addiction. Still, while Wilson was a visionary for millions, he was no saint. After cofounding Alcoholics Anonymous, he stayed sober for over thirty-five years, helping countless thousands rebuild their lives. But at the same time, Wilson suffered form debilitating bouts of clinical depression, was a womanizer, and experimented with LSD.

Francis Hartigan, the former secretary and confidant to Wilson's wife, Lois, has exhaustively researched his subject, writing with a complete insider's knowledge. Drawing on extensive interviews with Lois Wilson and scores of early members of AA, he fully explores Wilson's organizational genius, his devotion to the cause, and almost martyr-like selflessness. That Wilson, like all of us, had to struggle with his own personal demons makes this biography all the more moving and inspirational. Hartigan reveals the story of Wilson's life to be as humorous, horrific, and powerful as any of the AA vignettes told daily around the world.
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Customer Reviews (18)

Lets Not Be Afraid of The Truth about Bill W. - Lets Embrace It and HIM With all His Humanity
Did you know that Bill Wilson suffered from depression most of his life? That he actually asked for a drink of whiskey as he neared death TWICE? I didn't until I read this book. And, know what, it didn't reduce my respect for Bill W. or his accomplishments one bit.

What I liked about this book is the straight-forward telling of a miracle. The amazing contribution of Bill Wilson, a very human person, is nothing less than staggering/miraculous. I loved reading how, and marveling that, he was able to rise above his egotism to allow the AA organization, traditions and philosphy to grow through and around him.

Millions owe him their lives and also owe him the respect to get to know him as he really was. An extraordinary man yet also wonderfully ordinary. Not a saint, just someone who did the best he could to grow along spiritual lines and brought millions along on his journey.

The unvarnished truth
I was fascinated by this book, which I read during my long and difficult struggle to "recover from recovery".During my many years in AA, my experience was that the vast majority of members viewed Bill W. as a saint. Everything he wrote was viewed as inarguably true and quoted with the same level of veneration as the Bible, even if it was contradictory or nonsensical.As Mr. Hartigan's wonderfully researched book reveals, however, many of Bill's writings embodied far more hypocrisy than wisdom, coming as they did from a man who in no way lived the "spiritual program of rigorous honesty" he set forth for others.

Insightful Look at the Human Bill W.
I've been a "friend" of Bill and Dr. Bob since Christmas 1990, and have read a lot of material, both "conference approved" and other, and this book is probably the best biography of Bill W. that I've come across. I have to disagree with the reviewers who gave this work a low rating... I do not see this biography as a "hatchet job" or any sort of attempt to demean or diminish the memory of Bill Wilson.

Bill was not saint, and he never really sought sainthood. If some hold him to saintly standards or infallible behavior, those depictions were\are pressed on him.

Hartigan successfully describes Bill's childhood, young adulthood, service years, marriage and the early years of AA's struggles in great detail. Until I read this book, I knew from other readings that Bill had many faults, but I did not fully appreciate the depth of his alcoholic behavior, and its effect on both Bill and Lois.I also did not appreciate the severity Bill's lifelong struggle with deep depression.

This biography also does a good job putting context and details to Bill's lesser known "adventures" which folks hostile to AA use to discredit Bill and the AA program.

Bill experimented with LSD, starting in the 50's and into the 60's... starting when the drug was legal and being investigated for psychotherapeutic potential to help alcoholics and schizophrenics.

Bill actively promoted niacin for alcoholics, dragging the AA name into this promotion, but it was out of enthusiasm and hope to help the still suffering alcoholic.He was called to task for this, and the AA name removed from such endorsements.

Bill was unfaithful to Lois and maintained long term relationships outside his marriage. This biography, written by the personal secretary to Lois at the end of her long life, makes no excuses for this behavior, but does add context.

I came away with greater appreciation of Bill Wilson, the man, who overcame many serious problems to help create an organization that has helped many thousands of people live better lives.

The book is truthful without lingering on the rough spots.
The author went to work for Bill W's widow.Eventually this book resulted, after both were dead.

The book provides a much needed perspective.It is clear on Bill's early atheism (which he called agnosticism) and helps focus how AA is a spiritual program and not a religious one and wny.

Over and over again it explains the forces that were being reacted against.If you've listened to Bill and Charlie (they are available for free on the internet as mp3 downloads for ipods and similar products -- or your computer), this fills in the gaps.

For example, everyone knows about Bill as a womanizer in his later years.What people do not know is that about the time he turned forty, his wife decided that she was done with sex.She was older than he was, went through menopause and retired from sex.No wonder that has he got into his fifties he started thinking of her more as a mother figure and less as a wife figure.

In a modern hospital, such as where my wife works, everyone knows about "banana bags" (IVs that are yellow from the b-vitamins, especially niacin, used routinely on alcoholics who have serious problems because of bad diet) -- but I never knew that started with niacin for alcoholics.

Or the rumors of financial misuse -- at complete odds with poverty and the audits -- now I know how they started and how they kept going.

I'm not an alcoholic (well, I've never had a drink, so I'm at least a very dry alcoholic), though I've sent a number of clients to 12 step programs, until recently I did not have the slightest idea what they were about.

With this I understand what makes AA different from every other program out there, why it found that balance and how it was shaped and touched by the personality of its founder.

The book is an easy read, and gripping.I finished it over a weekend, along with other projects and preparing and teaching a Sunday School lesson.

It was interesting, complex, consistent and had a basic appreciation and fondness for the subject.

I'm not sure how it plays inside AA, but from the outside I find myself admiring Bill W and AA a great deal from having read this book.Heck, I even got started on the "Big Book" (I've read about half of it so far).

If you've gotten to this page where the book is advertised, it is probably worth your while to buy it.I got my copy at half price books for six dollars.They had a bundle of them.Used copies in excellent to new condition abound.

Buy it, read it, think about it.Well worth the read.

As I see It
This is an amazing bio of Bill W.

I've read pass it on and afew other AA related books, nothing has held my interest with such awe as this wonderful book.

This book gives you a better understanding of Bill. Everyone has there own opinion. ... Read more

Product Description
This is the powerful and moving story of the remarkable Jewish woman who converted to Catholicism, gained fame as a great philosopher in Germany, became a Carmelite nun, and was put to death in a Nazi concentration camp. Recently beatified by Pope John Paul II, Edith Stein was a courageous, intelligent and holy woman who speaks powerfully to us even today. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Great intro to her life
This is a well written, thoroughly researched biography of this Saint. It deipcts her virtues and warm and balanced personality, showing clearly the good contributions of her Jewish upbringing in her moral and personal formation, and her growth in Christian life and charity, but it's a modern historical biography rather than a devotional hagiography. Edith Stein was a woman of considerable learning and intelligence, who sought Truth with passion, this led her to be baptized a Catholic Christian which she considered the fulfillment of the Jewish faith, and to become a Discalced Carmelite nun and to humbly and willingly follow Christ in the Way of the Cross to the fate of a death in Auschwitz, a victim of Nazi retaliation against the Catholic Church for speaking up in defense of the Jews. This biography moves at an even pace and never bogs down or gets on a soapbox.

The author, Waltraud Herbstrith, is a Carmelite nun, who did not know Sister Teresia Benedicta a Cruce (Edith Stein) personally but certainly understands being a Carmelite nun, and interviewed many who did know the Saint personally. Herbstrith also shows good understanding of the difficult philosopical topics (Phenomenology in the school of Husserl, and later the Scholastic thought of Saint Thomas Aquinas) that Edith Stein pursued and wrote about and was known and respected for, explaining them on the level of a general readership. This is a great book to read to be introduced to this popular Saint who was a woman intellectual and feminist, a humble cloistered nun, and a Christian martyr who was happy to be a Jew.

Blessed Edith Stein-Scholar, Courageous Woman, , and Saint
Sister Waltraud Herbstrith, O.C.D.,wrote one of the most thoughtful books this reviewer has read. Edith Stein was born and raised as an Otrhodox Jew, converted to Catholicism, and became a cloistered Carmelite Nun. The book details Edith Stein's outstanding scholarly achievements, compassion, and rare courage. This book conveyed a rare look at an unalloyed heroine who was not a self appointed martyr, but whose resolve and compassion plus intellectual prowess made Edith Stein an exemplar of what men and women should aspire to. This review is divided into two sections. One deals with Edith's religious conversion and intellectual achievements,and the other deals with Edith Stein's charity, compassion, and courage.

Edith Stein (1892-1942)was born into an Orthodox Jewish family. She showed academic promise and quickly made her way into the German university system at a time when such admission was rare for German women. Miss Stein had a passion for truth which altered her academic career. She first wanted to focus on psychology, but she was disappointed when she discovered that what were then considered modern psychologists were more concerned with manipulation( too often naive self serving nonsense) than with an honest search for truth. She changed her focus and studied philosophy under Husserl (1859-1938)and studied phenomenolgy. She considered the study of phenomena as an avenue of truth(not the only avenue). She realized that while phenomonlogy was a means of honest intellectual endeavor, she also understood that metaphysical and ontological thinking provideda means of truth and understanding.

Edith Stein's studies resulted in her advanced Ph.D. Degree. She became a well known and respected German scholar. Her studies also led her spiritual and religious convictions which led to her conversion to Catholicism which disappointed her family who were never bitter. The family members were alert enough to realize that Edith Stein had changed, and they left her conversion at that. Edith Stein also became something of a Catholic mystic after having read the works of Ste. Teresa of Avela (1515-1582) and St. John of the Cross (1542-1591). While Edith Stein was satisfied with Catholic mysticism, she learned Scholastic Philosophy by translating the work of St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274). She then tried to make clear that Ultimate Truth, God, or whatever terms are used can be gained by both mysticism/faith and reason. Her book titled FINITE AND INFINITE BEING was highly acclaimed by German scholars and philosophers.

Edith Stein's personal life and compassion are also detailed in this book. Prior to her conversion to Catholcism, she considered Lutheran Protestantism until she read Soren Kierkegaard's (1813-1855) work. Edith Stein thought this book far too pessimistic. Kiergegaard's view that somehow men are helpless victims in front of an angry God made men to futile to achieve which was a view that Edith Stein rejected. While Edith Stein was a first rate scholar, she certainly was no snob. During W.W. I, she served as a volunteer nurse with the Austrain army and served admirably in this capacity in spite of the blood, death, and tragedy. When Edith Stein took religous vows and became a cloistered nun, she was never too busy to help the less fortunate. She kept herself busy with scholarly work, the Rule of the Order, and assisting when she could.

The last years of Edith Stein's life were marked by danger and her courage. Edith Stein never sought martyrdom, but she expected the worst given her understanding of events in Germany in the late 1930s and early 1940s. She was sent to the Netherlands only to confront danger there when the Germans defeated the Dutch in 1940. She had a chance to emigrate to Switzerland, but she refused when her sister was denied entry. She was arrested on Aguust 2, 1942, and the best records state her death on August 9 1942. According to eye witness accounts, Edith Stein faced her arrest and death with courage, dignity, and calm resolve. On the way to her death, she tried to help the spirits of those who were justifiably terrified.

This book is a testimony to a great woman and indirectly the Catholic Church. The Catholic authorities recognized and encouraged both mysticism and reason in approaching Ultimate Truth. One of the reasons for Edith Stein's arrest and death was the fact that German authorities were outraged by Pope Pius XII's condemnation of their race/religious persecutions. The German authorities moved against Dutch Catholics when Dutch Catholic Bishops and priests excorated German policies from the pulpit and Catholic publications. Readers should note that some of the Duthch Protestant were just as adament in their denounciations of German tyrannical policies.

The undersigned recommends this book to those who are Jewish, Catholic, Protestant, etc. The book not only deals with intellectual achievement,but it also deals with what some call the interior life. The review and the book are not meant to convert anyone to "the other side." The book only deals with the intellectual and spiritual journey of an Orthodox Jewish woman who made a committed change in her life. Readers can find those who were Christian who converted to Judaism. What the book demonstrates that regardless of religious sects, men and women of good will can find a common bond that helps them to understand each other as well as an honest search for decent character and truth.

James E. Egolf
December 30, 2008

A great bioagraphy
Edith Stien was a Jew who in the 1920's of Germany converted to Catholicism and then became a nun much to the dismay of her orthodox mother. Those who are have heard of Edith Stien know that ultimately she was martyred in Auschwitz because of her outspokenness against the Nazi's as well as the fact that the Catholic Church in occupied Holland was the only large church organization willing to preach against the nazi regeim.

What must people don't know about Edith Stien was what an incredibly couragous and brillant woman she was even long before she was martyred. As this book tells the story , often in her own words and in the words of those that were close to her, she was a college professer, philosopher, and political activist at a time when a professional woman was at best a grade school teacher or nurse. Even as a nun she worked on her philosophy and her writing.

Waltraud Herbstrith does an excellent job portraying the complete Edith Stien, Her faith Her family and her intellect. An excellent book.

POWERFUL, ENTHRALLING WORK
I consider this a "must read" for anyone interested in great women in history. The spiritual insights, life story, and heroic sacrifices of this brilliant woman, who was both a Jew and a Carmellite nun areamazing. Look closely at the cover art, as my interpretation was that EdithStein possessed the "ear of God." The only complaint I have isthe print was far too small. If it comes in a large print edition, youmight be wise to order it. My eyesight is fairly normal.

Excellent Book
This book is an excellent introduction to the life and thought of Edith Stein (St. Theresa Benedicta).Waltraud Herbstrith presents a biography that encompases the philosophical, spiritual, and personal aspects of hersubject with great care.I came away from this book with a trueappreciation for Edith Stein, in particular her writings on women and herdeep love of God. ... Read more

Product Description
This is the story of a remarkable life, told in Karl Koenig's own words. Born in 1902, Koenig grew up in Vienna. He studied medicine and during that time encountered the work of Rudolf Steiner. Soon after graduating, König worked with Dr. Ita Wegman, who was developing a medical clinic in Switzerland based on anthroposophic medical methods.

In Germany, Karl Koenig founded Pilgrimshain, a home for children with special needs. Following the annexation of Austria by the Nazis, however, he and many other young people around him moved to Great Britain as refugees. In 1939, the ideal of working together as a community was put into practice with the establishment of Camphill. Koenig became the driving force that led to the expansion of the Camphill movement throughout the world. He died in 1966. ... Read more

Product Description
This is a psycho-social analysis of the life of Bill Wilson, Cofounder of Alcoholic Anonymous.

This Book is acknowledging the greatness of an unusual man who made a virue of anonymity, this revealing biography esplores Bill W's seven faces, showing how each role he played - among them communicater, peacemaker, entrepreneur, and founder/statesman - helped and hindered the development of Alcoholics Anonymous. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Mel B. is a national resourse and a national treasure!
Mel's book My Search for Bill W. is one of the two best Bio's written about Bill W.Any student of spirituality, philosophy, and thought movements in America should make room on their shelves for ALL of Mel's books. Mel's works are exact, insightful and a banquet for the soul. I'm glad I stumbled upon the first book and I'm extremely grateful I've read them all, over and over... I'd be a damn fool if I didn't say; Thanks Mel!

mediocre
From a recovery point of view, this book will not change your program or anything. It's one of those quick knock-offs that someone did when they needed money. I liked Mel B's work on "Pass It On" and the book about Ebby, but she really sold short on this one. You could simply read the chapter titles in this book and you've read the whole thing. And while vaguely illustrating her points, Mel wanders off into conjecture and personal opinion, and admits that's what she's doing!
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Product Description
This is a provocative account of pianist Glenn Gould's intellectual and musical thought. Gould was a philosopher who incessantly pursued wisdom through his art. If the reader follows Gould's ardent campaign through the metaphorical thicket found in his ideas, a compelling Gouldian model for a philosophy of music unfolds. Gould argues that music is not only a reflection of social dynamics, but could also be a tool for the betterment of society. The original methodology conceived and implemented in this study contributes an important design for subsequent historical/philosophical studies, particularly in music education. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

For the terminally pedantic only
I must agree with an earlier reviewer, who called this book "an overdone research paper." Utterly useless, pedantic... I wasn't surprised to learn that it began as a dissertation. (Heavens, this is what passes for erudition in our halls of learning these days?) Much, much better: Kevin Bazzana's book, A Performer in the Work.

Philosopher at the Keyboard: Gleen Gould
Philosopher at the Keyboard is a scholarly, well written acoount of Gould's intellectual legacy.This book is a must have in any serious reader's library.

Philosopher at the Keyboard: Glenn Gould
This book stimulates the reader to probe deeper into Glenn Gould's written opus. The author presents a thorough analysis of Gould's thought in the light of the philosophy of music and music education. The book is not forthe reader who wants to skim along. It requires re-reading and lots ofreflection. But, it is certainly worth the effort. I wholeheartedlyrecommend it to especially the serious music student, teacher or Gouldenthusiast.

This book was a bit repetetive, and over-formalized.
Hoping for an interesting perspective on the ideas of Glenn Gould, I purchased this book. For the most part, the book sounded like an overdone research paper, inwhich the author stated a thesis, and spent the rest of the book attemptingto validate this thesis.If I were grading this paper, I would definitelysubtract points for the repetetive set of ideas that kept resurfacing underdifferent headings.These ideas were well recieved the first time around,but I would expect a fan of Glenn Gould to come up with a more creative wayof proving that Mr. Gould's ideas were consistent and meaningful. Foranyone interested in Glenn Gould, I would suggest something written by Mr.Gould himself, he knew what he was saying, and I see the interpetations ofothers as a hindrance to Gould's message. ... Read more

Product Description
"I am a philosopher because I am a Christian," writes Brian Leftow. "To many intellectuals, this probably sounds like saying that I am a dog because I am a cat." Indeed, prejudice against religious belief runs deep in the academy; in particular, many philosophers hold that faith is incompatible with their profession. But Thomas Morris has met that view head-on by asking a distinguished group of philosophers to write about the union of faith and reason in their lives.

God and the Philosphers offers a series of highly personal, thoughtful essays by traditionally religious philosophers, revealing the power of belief in their intellectually rigorous lives and work. Figures such as William P. Alston, William J. Wainwright, Marilyn McCord Adams, Peter van Inwagen, and Morris himself, to name a few, speak of their own spiritual journeys, sharing their experiences as philosphically reflective individuals seeking to center themselves on God. We read of conversions from unbelief, struggles with doubts raised by the presence of evil in the world, and changing convictions shaped by constant questioning and communing with God.For example, Brian Leftow describes his acceptance of Christianity, after being raised in a secular Jewish home, and Laura Garcia writes about her conversion to Catholicism from her earlier Protestant stance.Along the way, the writers reveal religious philosophy at work--demonstrating, as Arthur F. Holmes writes, "the motivation to intellectual inquiry that Christian faith brings." Here we see how individuals with extraordinary intellectual training, discipline, and knowledge grapple with personal and existential problems, drawing on their faith as well as their finely honed reason to achieve new understanding.

Profoundly honest and deeply thoughtful, these essays reveal how highly educated philosophers--working in the halls of dispassionate analysis--come to grips with their faith in a skeptical world. Together, they make a profound statement on contemporary spirituality, and the quandaries facing today's religious individual. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Understand the Purpose of this Book
This book is *not* a book of apologetics.It is, rather, an insightful look into the personal lives and thoughts of some of the worlds top philosophers who are also Christians.It is very successful in that task.The contributors list is a veritable Who's Who of philosophy:

Thomas Morris
William P. Alston
Peter van Inwagen
Michael J. Murray
William J. Wainwritght
Merold Westphal
C. Stephen Layman
Jerry Walls
Robert C. Roberts
Jeff Jordan
Marilyn McCord Adams
Brian Leftow
George Mavrodes
Eleonore Stump

This book will challenge the discerning reader from both the rationalistic Christian perspective as well as the skeptic who is reading attentively.Very highly recommended.

An awesome blend of philosophy of faith
"Most of the philosophers in the history of Western Civilization have believed in God" editor Tom Morris writes in the introduction of this book, and so many of the American academic world's leading professional philosophers come forward to share their exciting journeys of faith and life in this exciting collection.Readers come to realize how many of these writers have not only clung to their faith in a very secular world, but have continued to examine and strengthen it after finding truth and reason in Christian theism.Many of the philosophers briefly describe how they find their positions of faith to be the most reasonable to the other alternatives(I say briefly because I know each one could turn their essay into an entire book).They also strongly examine the weaknesses associated with their beliefs(such as the problem of evil) by carefully examining those weaknesses and giving strong arguments towards those weaknesses.The philosophers also show how religious and spiritual faith is not simply based on reason(like demonstrating a mathematical formula's truth or demonstrating the strongest chemical reaction) but also a great life commitment.Each demonstrates how their faith challenges them to become a better person physically, ethically, spiritually, as well as intellectually.I recommend this book to all who want to better understand how religious faith and spirituality are not only compatible with intellectual endeavors, but also greatly enhance them.

Somewhat Disappointing
I suppose I expected more from this book.After reading the introduction by editor Thomas Morris, I was expecting what he termed biographical essays "from the heart".Indeed there were several insightful essays from this slant discussing people's life experiences as they mingled reason and faith.Most of this book, however, was extremely disappointing to me.I found many authors drudging on regarding points that strayed very far from the stated "thesis" of the book and many of the essays were rehashings of the other essays in the book.

I really struggled to find the motivation to finish this book and that is quite a strong statement coming from me.

Mixed Bag
This collection of essays is a mixed bag of good and not so good. Several of the authors obviously cling to Christianity because they grew up in it, have had a favourable experience with it and enjoy the sense of community that it brings. But these kinds of reasons could apply to any number of social organizations created by man.
I agree that one of the better essays is by Peter van Inwagen. I am troubled somewhat by his remark on p.37 "Nowadays I would say that I don't expect that the New Testament always gives an exact account of Jesus' words.......". (This comment was in reference to the Parousia (the second coming of Jesus)). So how exactly are we to know which words attributed to Jesus are authentic? If, on major points like this Sciprture is not demonstrably reliable then why believe any of it?

Rationality of Belief in God
Is it rational to believe in God?Do faith and reason go together?Can philosophers believe in God?This collection of autobiographical essays answers these questions in the affirmative.The main collective argument of this book is that it is rational to believe in God.Philosophers need not fear belief in God.Indeed this book shows in contemporary form how philosophers have historically believed in God.

These essays are personal journeys as to how twenty modern philosophers have handled their religious beliefs in their field of study.There is a diversity of Evangelical, Catholic, Episcopalian, and Jewish philosophers.The essays are of varying degree in quality and content.

Here are a few highlights: Peter van Inwagen's essay entitled "Quam Dilecta" is probably one of the best in this collection. He argues that in recent times the deck is stacked against religious belief in academic circles.It has been commonly accepted that religion and philosophy do not mix and that they must be compartmentalized.However he proves this to be a false disjunction.They cannot and should not be separated.In fact they should be wed together.

Brian Leftow's "From Jerusalem to Athens" is probably the second best essay in the collection.He argues that he is a philosopher because he is first a Christian.Christian belief is a help to the intellectual life and it was Christianity, which brought him to philosophy.He shows that historically it has been commonplace for philosophers to base their philosophy on theistic belief.He seeks to return philosophy to its rightful place as being rooted in the Christian religion.

Given the diversity of contributors it makes for a mixed bag of essays.I believe the worst one (biblically speaking) was that of Marilyn McCord Adams.This significantly highlights the biblical injunction to be careful of hollow and deceptive philosophy (Colossians 2:8).Adams' essay is a negative warning to not acquiesce one's theology for the sake of philosophy.All too often as evidenced in this volume one has to give up key elements of the faith to be seen as respectable in the eyes of the university philosophy department (cf. Garcia giving up justification by faith alone and the doctrine of Scripture alone).For Adams emotion and feeling is often placed over God's divine revelation as disclosed in the Bible.She has faulted to the worldly wisdom, which God has made foolish (1 Corinthians 1:20).

One will be both encouraged and depressed as one reads through this volume.It is encouraging that many philosophers believe in God.Belief in God has become respectable and it is now seen as rational.Yet it is discouraging in that many are giving up central elements of the faith to make their beliefs respectable in the philosophy department.The God who is being believed in is not always the God of the Bible in his entire splendor and majesty.May we pray for more philosophers who are strongly committed to the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments.And may God be glorified in our philosophy. ... Read more

Product Description
Prince Eugene of Savoy-Carignan (1663 ?1736), was one of the most prominent and powerful Austrians of his time. He emphasized his country?s fortunes but also its art and cultural history. All his life, he spent time and energy building his extensive collections of paintings and etchings, of incunables, illuminated manuscripts and books. They filled his Vienna palaces. From the different theatres of war and battle grounds he corresponded to artists and artist-craftsmen, to garden architects, architects and to the leading personalities of his time. His passion for the fine arts, scholarship and sciences determined his life; his cultural and academic legacy will have lasting effects allour days. ... Read more

Product Description

Product Description
Tales both playful and profound exploring answers to life's Big Questions. Teaching philosophy to retired people should be a path to wisdom, Ron Manheimer thought. He was right, but in an unexpected fashion. His lively Socratic "dialogues" with older people led him into hilarious and provocative conversations with a colorful cast of fellow seekers: from his bon vivant Danish mentor Augie Nielsen to his strong-willed elderly student Hildegard, from his ironic teenaged daughter Esther to his wisecracking Uncle Joe. Like James Carse in Breakfast at the Victory, Manheimer reinvigorates the ancient tradition of using storytelling to explore truth. What is romantic love? How do we shape the stories we tell ourselves about our own pasts? Does the purpose of life become clearer in old age? How do we find common meanings across religious, ethnic, and generational divides? What is the essence of a person? What does it mean to live a "full" life? Showing how ideas and lives can illuminate one another, Manheimer's engaging narratives address these questions while providing an inviting exploration of the ideas of thinkers from Plato and Aristotle to Kierkegaard, John Stuart Mill, and Martin Buber. A great teacher, Manheimer shows how these philosophers might provide the footgear for treading everyday paths of human experience, on our inevitable journeys to "the end of time."Amazon.com Review
In 1976, inspired by Tennyson's poem "Ulysses"--in which the hero of Greek mythology declares his intention late in life "to follow knowledge like a sinking star / beyond the utmost bound of human thought"--Ronald Manheimer began teaching philosophy to retired senior citizens, hoping to gain some insight into growing older through listening to their stories. The conversations collected in A Map to the End of Time demonstrate the fruitfulness of that project, putting a modern spin on the search for answers to the eternal questions. Although the dialogue is almost too good to be true in some spots, the analyses of texts like T.S. Eliot's Four Quartets (or more traditional philosophers such as Plato and Mill) that emerge from his stories are often both poignant and penetrating. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Elegant and Inspiring
I stumbled on this book in the university bookstore and was fascinated from the first pages.Mannheimer does a beautiful job illuminating the ideas of philosophers through the stories of older people he has met.Iwas particularly taken with Uncle Joe, whose musings at a bar mitvah on thesources of laughter were delightful and profound.If you are looking foran entertaining, gentle, and thoughtful read filled with wonderfulcharacters -- this is the book for you.

Philosophy as a tool for one's own journey into old age.
When it comes to bookstores and libraries, I'm a browser and a grazer-always looking for and often finding serendipitously that book I can't put down until I've read it cover-to-cover. Ron Manheimer's "AMap to the End of Time" is one of those finds! Recognizing theauthor's name from our professional connections in gerontology and adulteducation, I picked the book off the "New Non-Fiction" shelf at afavorite bookstore where I can read and have my Saturday morning latte andscone at the same time. By the time the last scone crumb was devoured, Iwas hooked on this book.Over the next few days, I found I could hardlyput it down and, when I came to the last page, I immediately turned back tothe first page and started reading it again. Then, I began to ask what itis about this book that captured me. Part of the answer is theconversational style that allows me to think of what I would ask and say inconversations with Ron's "wayfaring friends and philosophers"-Ron opens the door and invites the reader in as a participant. Even morecompelling is how this author carries the reader along on his shoulder ashe journeys through his own search for answers to his own questions aboutthe meaning, tasks, and new opportunities of old age. Through his ownsearch, then, Ron role models how a philosophical perspective enriches boththe journey and the search. Because he continues to ask new questions orrephrase those previously asked, he encourages readers to explore their ownpath with their own questions. Instead of an abstract and eruditediscipline, this book has helped me learn how to use philosophy as a toolin my personal search for the meaning of my own aging and to think aboutwhat it is that I want to do and am meant to do as I take my own journeyinto the land of old age. (C. Joanne Grabinski, President, AgeEd)

Focus's on older people's look at what is important in life.
A conversational look at how and why older people look at life's key issues differently than younger people.Ron Manheimer is a trained philosopher who began teaching philosophy to retired people and becamefascinated by their perspective on the key issues with which philosophershave busied themselves over the centuries.This is philosophy for thelayman at it's best,because it ties abstract ideas and theories to realpeople and their personal experiences.It is almost as if one were takingone of Ron's classes with him - he describes his students personalities andhistories and then gives you their interchange in the classes he taught. But the book is more about the evolution of his own thinking on aging andhow increasing experience can change one's perspective on TRUTH.Theshortfall of the book is that Ron may try to do too much - we get to knowsome of his students and then they disappear as he embarks on his ownjourney and then we find ourselves in another class with different students20 years later.He is trying to cover a lot of ideas and does it easilyand well - using his various classes and experiences as backdrops uponwhich to paint his picture.Some times I could have stayed longer in onesetting before he moved on.But I really enjoyed the book and am buying acopy for my mother in law who would have been a great character in thisbook.It is clear Ron Manheimer loves his subject and the people and ideashe writes about - that love comes out in his book. ... Read more

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Philosophy is a dangerous profession, risking censorship, prison, even death. And no wonder: philosophers have questioned traditional pieties and threatened the established political order. Some claimed to know what was thought unknowable; others doubted what was believed to be certain. Some attacked religion in the name of science; others attacked science in the name of mystical poetry; some served tyrants; others were radical revolutionaries. This historically based collection of philosophers' reflections--the letters, journals, prefaces that reveal their hopes and hesitations, their triumphs and struggles, their deepest doubts and convictions--allow us to witness philosophical thought-in-process. It sheds light on the many--and conflicting--aims of philosophy: to express skepticism or overcome it, to support theology or attack it, to develop an ethical system or reduce it to practical politics. As their audiences differed, philosophers experimented with distinctive rhetorical strategies, writing dialogues, meditations, treatises, aphorisms. Ranging from Plato to Hannah Arendt, with contributions from 44 philosophers (Augustine, Maimonides, AlGhazali, Descartes, Pascal, Leibniz, Voltaire, Rousseau, Hobbes, Hume, Kant, Nietzsche, Kierkegaard, Wittgenstein, among others) this remarkable collection documents philosophers' claim that they change as well as understand the world. In her introductory essay, "Witnessing Philosophers," Amelie Rorty locates philosophers' reflections in the larger context of the many facets of their other activities and commitments. ... Read more

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Like David Hume, whose work on justice she engages here, Annette C. Baier is a consummate essayist: her spirited, witty prose captures nuances and telling examples in order to elucidate important philosophical ideas.

Baier is also one of Hume's most sensitive and insightful readers. In The Cautious Jealous Virtue, she deepens our understanding of Hume by examining what he meant by "justice." In Baier's account, Hume always understood justice to be closely linked to self-interest (hence his description of it in An Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals as "the cautious jealous virtue"), but his understanding of the virtue expanded over time, as evidenced by later works, including his History of England.

Along with justice, Baier investigates the role of the natural virtue of equity (which Hume always understood to constrain justice) in Hume's thought, arguing that Hume's view of equity can serve to balance his account of the artificial virtue of justice. The Cautious Jealous Virtue is an illuminating meditation that will interest not only Hume scholars but also those interested in the issues of justice and in ethics more generally.

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Karl Menger (1902--1985), a pure mathematician of distinction, also took an active interest in both philosophy and economics. In this memoir, which he was composing at the time of his death, he relates how all these subjects developed and flourished against the Viennese background (itself described in depth and with affection), and did so despite the political developments of the '20s and '30s, which depressed but did not silence him. He continued his work in the United States. The memoir describes his membership of the Vienna Circle (the scientifically minded philosophers that gathered around Moritz Schlick) for whom he was an invaluable intermediary, bringing them into contact with Brouwer's intuitionism, with the work of the Polish logicians, especially that of Tarski, but more generally with rigorous mathematical thinking.Indeed, the other Viennese group described here is the Mathematical Colloquium, which he founded, whose Proceedings (still read) show it to have been a powerhouse of ideas. There are also valuable chapters on philosophy and mathematics in the Poland of the '20s and '30s and the U.S. of the '30s and '40s. The memoir devotes particular attention to Wittgenstein (with whose family Menger was acquainted) and to Godel, whom he was instrumental in bringing to America. The genesis of Menger's own writings on philosophy is also described and the work abounds in mathematical examples lucidly applied to that subject. This volume (which can now be placed beside the two by Menger already published in the Vienna Circle Collection) gives an unequalled impression of the fruitful interdisciplinarity of the tradition to which he partly belonged and partly created. It testifies both to Menger's power to inspire and to the critical eye he always turned on even the philosophers he most approved of. A brief account of his life is given in an Introduction by the Editors (all of whom knew him personally), and his important contribution to the social sciences -- only touched on in the text -- is elucidated by Professor Lionello Punzo. ... Read more

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This record of Elgar's intimate friendship with Alice Stuart Wortley--daughter of the painter Millais and wife of an MP--and her family chronicles a period of great artistic accomplishment set against a brilliant background of Edwardian theater, Royal Academy dinners, and private concerts. Containing some of Elgar's finest letters, many never before published, the volume also draws on diaries, manuscript notes, and personal recollections to fill gaps in the correspondence, creating a rich and full portrait of a fascinating society and a great artist at the height of his powers. ... Read more

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Sir William Jones was a brilliant and engaged man of letters and law closely involved with the significant figures of Great Britain, America and India during the American Revolution and the early days of the Raj. He essentially introduced the Western world to Oriental peoples and cultures. To linguists, he is known as the founder of Indo-European linguistics. In the field of South Asian Studies, he is known as one of the early pioneers of Indology, and the founder of the Royal Asiatic Society of Bengal. His translations of Arabic, Persian and Sanskrit poetry and drama are credited with having a major impact on the English romantic poets. Within the history of English jurisprudence, he is known for a classic treatise on the Law of Bailment, and his translations of key Hindu and Islamic legal treatises such as the Laws of Manu.

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This book is an intimate memoir of a very vivid set of experiences in the author’s life. Fascinated by a distant event, she becomes so drawn into it; she loses her mind, in the eyes of the world. Yet to her, it is a profoundly enlightening and moving experience, which instead of fading, only grows. Life imitates art, which imitates life and back again. What really is the nature of our consciousness, and what are its possibilities? Do we have any idea? ... Read more

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