- Hardcover: 626 pages
- Publisher: Sterling (Oct 2007)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 1402743440
- ISBN-13: 978-1402743443
- Product Dimensions: 22.9 x 15.5 x 5.1 cm
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,077,177 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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12 reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Good, But Not Extremely Good
9 Jan 2009
Format:Hardcover
I made it all the way through this book. Enjoyed it for the most part, but I will admit that I'm predisposed to agree with any book that critiques the various polarizations that seem to imminently threaten our society.
In a key chapter on intellectual extremes, the extreme poles that Marinoff identifies are the reactionary religous right vs. what he terms the post-modern, deconstructed, collectivist radical left. In terms of rhetorical emphasis, he clearly feels that the extreme left is currently the greater threat to our society. And speaking from the middle-left of the American political road, I think he makes a pretty good case. Not that I want the Bible rammed up my statutes, but the radical left is firmly entrenched in American intelligentsia, where it wields the power to undermine liberal education, suppress critical thinking and open discourse, and subvert moderately progressive causes to a degree well beyond Christian fundamentalism's reach.
One word of criticism and caution. In parts of the book, Marinoff's arguments leans very heavily on sociobiology, the notion that behavior differences, e.g. between the sexes, can be accounted for physiologically, as by-products of evolution. While many of the theories promulgated by sociobiologists resonate with prevailing folk wisdom, they remain controversial in the academic community for good reasons. As counterpoint, read "Evolution of the Mind: 4 Fallacies of Psychology" in the December, 2008 issue of Scientific American [..]
It's obvious that Marinoff writes with some biases (the Middle Way is an ideal, after all), but most of the chapters seem reasonably balanced and provoke rather than suppress thought. (Disclaimer: I don't know enough about Middle East politics or history to judge the merits of that chapter.) I enjoyed the chapter on geometry, which I take to be nothing more than a playful digression before delving into weighty and serious matters. And I agree with other reviewers here that the breadth of subject matter is impressive and Marinoff's source material provides rich opportunities for further reading. Marinoff's style can get a bit bombastic when it comes to touting the "Middle Way," but he can also be an engaging, down-to-earth writer on many subjects.
Overall, three stars, plus a sympathy star for tackling a lot of difficult subjects with erudition and the best of humanistic intentions. Too bad the extremists who would get the most out of reading this book probably never will.
In a key chapter on intellectual extremes, the extreme poles that Marinoff identifies are the reactionary religous right vs. what he terms the post-modern, deconstructed, collectivist radical left. In terms of rhetorical emphasis, he clearly feels that the extreme left is currently the greater threat to our society. And speaking from the middle-left of the American political road, I think he makes a pretty good case. Not that I want the Bible rammed up my statutes, but the radical left is firmly entrenched in American intelligentsia, where it wields the power to undermine liberal education, suppress critical thinking and open discourse, and subvert moderately progressive causes to a degree well beyond Christian fundamentalism's reach.
One word of criticism and caution. In parts of the book, Marinoff's arguments leans very heavily on sociobiology, the notion that behavior differences, e.g. between the sexes, can be accounted for physiologically, as by-products of evolution. While many of the theories promulgated by sociobiologists resonate with prevailing folk wisdom, they remain controversial in the academic community for good reasons. As counterpoint, read "Evolution of the Mind: 4 Fallacies of Psychology" in the December, 2008 issue of Scientific American [..]
It's obvious that Marinoff writes with some biases (the Middle Way is an ideal, after all), but most of the chapters seem reasonably balanced and provoke rather than suppress thought. (Disclaimer: I don't know enough about Middle East politics or history to judge the merits of that chapter.) I enjoyed the chapter on geometry, which I take to be nothing more than a playful digression before delving into weighty and serious matters. And I agree with other reviewers here that the breadth of subject matter is impressive and Marinoff's source material provides rich opportunities for further reading. Marinoff's style can get a bit bombastic when it comes to touting the "Middle Way," but he can also be an engaging, down-to-earth writer on many subjects.
Overall, three stars, plus a sympathy star for tackling a lot of difficult subjects with erudition and the best of humanistic intentions. Too bad the extremists who would get the most out of reading this book probably never will.
14 of 18 people found the following review helpful
The Right Side of Middle
27 Jan 2008
Format:Hardcover
Three disclosures before I begin this review: First, I could not finish this book in its entirety; rather I skimmed the last half in hopes finding merit that had been missing since page one hundred sixty-three. Secondly, it has been approximately twenty years since I spent any time in the American university system. Lastly, I have never been to Canada.
Dr. Marinoff makes his first stumble with the subtitle of the book, Finding Happiness in a World of Extremes. A better choice might have been 640 Pages of Paranoia Driven Anti-Post Modernisms. What starts out as a fascinating treatise on the links between Buddhism, Taoism and Aristotelian philosophies rapidly devolves into one long rant about the detrimental effects of post modernism on Western society.
A self proclaimed "refugee from Canadian totalitarianism", Marinoff characterizes himself as "part of the solution, not part of the problem" of "commies ... running America's universities". For my part, I can't remember a single communist in any of my university classes, and of the several Canadians I consider friends, none have ever uttered the phrase "Canadian Totalitarianism" in my presence.
Not that the left is without its prejudices to be sure, but there is simply too much focus on it in this book.
Dr. Marinoff makes his first stumble with the subtitle of the book, Finding Happiness in a World of Extremes. A better choice might have been 640 Pages of Paranoia Driven Anti-Post Modernisms. What starts out as a fascinating treatise on the links between Buddhism, Taoism and Aristotelian philosophies rapidly devolves into one long rant about the detrimental effects of post modernism on Western society.
A self proclaimed "refugee from Canadian totalitarianism", Marinoff characterizes himself as "part of the solution, not part of the problem" of "commies ... running America's universities". For my part, I can't remember a single communist in any of my university classes, and of the several Canadians I consider friends, none have ever uttered the phrase "Canadian Totalitarianism" in my presence.
Not that the left is without its prejudices to be sure, but there is simply too much focus on it in this book.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Buddha's Middle Way Devolves into a Muddle on Globalization
14 Feb 2009
Format:Hardcover
What starts out great as a text which compares the ABC's -- Aristotle, Buddha, and Confucius -- and how they relate to Buddha's Middle Way, devolves into a muddled presentation of globalization and various kinds of random examples of extremism. That might be okay, but over 2/3 of the book pertains to the examples of extremism, with little reference to Buddha's Middle Way.
The first 166 pages of the 596 page tome (about the first 1/3 of the text) read quickly and seem like a tightly thought out presentation of: 1) Buddha and the roots of the Middle Way in the world of Aristotle and Confucius; 2) a succinct comparison of Hellenic, Abrahamic, Vedic, and Sinic civilizations; and, 3) a comparison of Indian, East Asian, Islamic, and Western civilizations' cultural DNA and the Core Formula (e.g. Indian: all Gods, all books, all prophets; East Asian: no Gods, no books, no prophets; Islamic: one God, one book, one prophet; Western: any Gods, any books, any prophets). This portion of the book is quite intriguing and draws the reader in to digest the well-presented material.
After page 166, however, the book takes on a different, non-spiritual, scatter-brained, hard to pin down, personality. This dual presentation is hard to follow at times and tends to be a victim of repetative digressions.
The first 166 pages of the 596 page tome (about the first 1/3 of the text) read quickly and seem like a tightly thought out presentation of: 1) Buddha and the roots of the Middle Way in the world of Aristotle and Confucius; 2) a succinct comparison of Hellenic, Abrahamic, Vedic, and Sinic civilizations; and, 3) a comparison of Indian, East Asian, Islamic, and Western civilizations' cultural DNA and the Core Formula (e.g. Indian: all Gods, all books, all prophets; East Asian: no Gods, no books, no prophets; Islamic: one God, one book, one prophet; Western: any Gods, any books, any prophets). This portion of the book is quite intriguing and draws the reader in to digest the well-presented material.
After page 166, however, the book takes on a different, non-spiritual, scatter-brained, hard to pin down, personality. This dual presentation is hard to follow at times and tends to be a victim of repetative digressions.
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