Review by mst727 -- The Banned Book about Love
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mst727
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- Latest Review: "The Banned Book about Love" by Scott Hughes
Review by mst727 -- The Banned Book about Love
[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Banned Book about Love" by Scott Hughes.]
4 out of 4 stars
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I gave this book four out of four stars
The Banned Book About Love by Scott Hughes is an engaging nonfiction book that takes a look at the obsessive irrationality of hate as a means to effect change. Originally and explosively titled "I Love Brock Turner" the author may have proved his point entitle; when the book was banned from Amazon after only a few days due to the outrage stirred up in consumers. Some of whom never looked past the cover to read the book.
Mr. Hughes isn’t defending Brock Turner or advocating for anyone else to do so either. Instead he has chosen to use vitriolic public reaction to Turner’s sentencing to point out how we, as a society can sometimes use hate as an excuse to excuse our own inaction in dealing with major social issues and the work that is entailed in effectively resolving these issues. The work of love.
As the author points out it isn’t necessarily hateful to wish harsher sentences for crimes that deserve them but that people have a tendency to focus on their own self righteous outrage rather than do the work that would affect actual change as opposed to the rabble rousing that is a more common reaction when real issues are present.
Boldly stating that he loves everybody unconditionally; including “drunk kids convicted of attempted rape, full blown rapists, murders and terrorists; Mr. Hughes delves deep into what love really means and what it doesn’t and why we should.
While the author writes that religion has nothing to do with his reasons for deciding to love and states that he knows many loving people who are both religious and not; he includes passages from scripture to help make his point for those who are. Citing Leviticus 19:18 “Love thy neighbor as thyself” and Matthew 5:44 “Love your enemies; do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you” he makes it impossible for even the most religous person to deny God’s intended goodwill toward mankind.
“It’s easy to write ‘I love Brock Turner.’ To live it is much harder”, Mr. Hughes admits. “Love (sic) incessantly calls us to productive, difficult labor. Hate is easy to indulge” he states; acknowledging his own hypocrisy in complaining about the hypocrisy of the hateful. Love is hard, he tells us, but it’s crucial, it takes endurance and hard work but it can be done.
The Banned Book About Love may prove to be a better title as it presents a more accurate portrayal of the premise of this book; that love is the answer.
******
The Banned Book about Love
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
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4 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
I gave this book four out of four stars
The Banned Book About Love by Scott Hughes is an engaging nonfiction book that takes a look at the obsessive irrationality of hate as a means to effect change. Originally and explosively titled "I Love Brock Turner" the author may have proved his point entitle; when the book was banned from Amazon after only a few days due to the outrage stirred up in consumers. Some of whom never looked past the cover to read the book.
Mr. Hughes isn’t defending Brock Turner or advocating for anyone else to do so either. Instead he has chosen to use vitriolic public reaction to Turner’s sentencing to point out how we, as a society can sometimes use hate as an excuse to excuse our own inaction in dealing with major social issues and the work that is entailed in effectively resolving these issues. The work of love.
As the author points out it isn’t necessarily hateful to wish harsher sentences for crimes that deserve them but that people have a tendency to focus on their own self righteous outrage rather than do the work that would affect actual change as opposed to the rabble rousing that is a more common reaction when real issues are present.
Boldly stating that he loves everybody unconditionally; including “drunk kids convicted of attempted rape, full blown rapists, murders and terrorists; Mr. Hughes delves deep into what love really means and what it doesn’t and why we should.
While the author writes that religion has nothing to do with his reasons for deciding to love and states that he knows many loving people who are both religious and not; he includes passages from scripture to help make his point for those who are. Citing Leviticus 19:18 “Love thy neighbor as thyself” and Matthew 5:44 “Love your enemies; do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you” he makes it impossible for even the most religous person to deny God’s intended goodwill toward mankind.
“It’s easy to write ‘I love Brock Turner.’ To live it is much harder”, Mr. Hughes admits. “Love (sic) incessantly calls us to productive, difficult labor. Hate is easy to indulge” he states; acknowledging his own hypocrisy in complaining about the hypocrisy of the hateful. Love is hard, he tells us, but it’s crucial, it takes endurance and hard work but it can be done.
The Banned Book About Love may prove to be a better title as it presents a more accurate portrayal of the premise of this book; that love is the answer.
******
The Banned Book about Love
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Like mst727's review? Post a comment saying so!
Latest Review: "The Banned Book about Love" by Scott Hughes
