I suggest it to people with no BS in classical studies but with the will to educate themselves.
Greek thought is the cornerstone of the western culture. It is so to speak the 'point of genesis'. Every educated person needs today (irespective of his profession) to have a ground in psychology and sociology in order for him to be an adequate
citizen. Studying this book helps very much in this respect.What the Greeks thought about psyche and society are indespensable today. In fact in clear oposition to the alternative religious
views of these things (jewish, Christian, Mouslim) the Greek
way offers rational answers to the central questions what is psyche and what is society.
This book is a very good *introduction* to greek thought:
treats every contribution to science (all in special
chapters), schools of thought (very thoroughly) and the last part (perhaps the best) is a kind of dictionary which comments
extensively (10-30 pgs) on individual personalities; the chapter
on cynicism is very nice and practically every thought current is covered. I regret that there is no chapter on Demosthenes
(too strange for such a big book).
In opposition to other books this one covers **all** greek thought from -800 to +500 (already inside Byzantine Greek thought); however it covers **only** non-christian Greek thought.
The binding is *excellent*. One complaint though about the paper quality; but this sound as details to a fantastic picture;
buy it and learn; study it and be educated; think about its content and you will become better men!
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It will be hard for some to believe that any book about Jesus could be appreciated by everyone from the fundamentalist Christian to the atheist, but I believe this very well might be the case here. It is a must-have for anyone, regardless of religious persuasion, who takes Jesus of Nazareth seriously as a teacher, force in human history, or as the Messiah. Through his powerful and concise prose, his comprehensive familiarity with ancient Jewish life, and his incisive insights into the significance of the Christian story, Duquesne allows readers of his book to really gain a vivid sense of what it would be like to walk next to Jesus and his disciples through the dusty towns of Galilee and Judea, and brings a distant, foreign world and the enigmatic figure of Jesus of Nazareth richly to life. I have a large library and read a lot, but I don't know of another book that comes close to achieving this.
This book is that rarest of literary gems, a profound, moving, enlightening, scholarly book that is a pleasurable and riveting read. It should be far better known.
You can't lose with this one. It's terrific.
Last night on Jeopardy!, someone flubbed a question re the Stuart dynasty. If they had only been exposed to this book, they would have remembered instantly: "James and Charles, Charles and James. They all looked well in picture frames." Another contestant did not know Cromwell's title. Farjeon fans would have recalled: "Lord protect us from Protectors." A unique, valuable, and fun book.
What however, Girish Karnad has done is to transform it into a masterful piece of drama by depicting conflicting human emotions through the characters. It is an excellent combination of the elements--human, metaphysical and supernatural that constitute the core of the play. Karnad successfully makes use of the divine element--especially in the climax where the hero holds a conversation with the Gods, and the final result of the rain pouring on a drought-ridden land.
The play also focusses both on the negative and positive human emotions--jealousy, betrayal, deceit, as well as selfless love (evidenced by the hero and the heroine, Nittilai)and sacrifice. The hero, like most of Karnad's heroes is a man torn between moral righteousness, love and duty. It is interesting to trace this path of the hero to its fitting end.
Karnad has stated that "the play lived in my mind for 37 years" before assuming its present form. It is in short, a splendid culmination of his creative intelligence. As stated earlier, the story is so obscure that none gives a second thought to it, and to translate the same to a play requires immense skill, which is evidenced by the book. It only shows that with each of his play, Girish Karnad is only getting better.
A must read!
I have waited for a long time for Girish Karnad to return to his roots in theater, after his sojourn in the world of cinema and commercial movie making. In my opinion, he has exceeded all expectations. The Fire and the Rain is a complex play that weaves contemperory and ancient, Indian and European themes and metaphors.
It is a must read (and perform) GrecoVedic tragedy for theater buffs of all cultures around the world. It is so insightful in its observation of fundamental human behavior, and theatrically so malleable that its relevance to local contexts and audiences, worldwide, will be obvious. It is truly a play for global audiences, transcending political, cultural, and geographic boundaries.
McCamy's prose is lively and accessible. It will provide a solid foundation for anyone to understand and answer the philosophical underpinnings of pluralism and relativism. Its value is threefold: its historical perspective on Kantian subjectivism, a ready compendium for some sound philosophy, and real insight into the philosophical sloppiness of modern pluralism. This is a wonderful addition to any library!
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On first hand I though that the book would be about the Greek philosophy, but that was a very misplaces thought. In fact the book is so much more wider of scale. It will take everything into the research and tries to explain the Greek thinking not only from of a philopsopcal side (although there is a bog part on that to) but more from of the general idea thoughts. It will tell you what Greek thought about a huge scale of things and topics.
So when you want to get into the mind of an Ancient Greek, and who doesn't !!! (remember that was The reason for Socrates to die, since he was looing forward to meet Hesiod & Homer) Then surely this is your book.
So be a good person and take Machiavelli's advise that a firm knowlegde of our (and then I speak of us Europeans) own Classical inheritage is absolutely crucial in life for true and read this book.