Review of Modern Wisdom
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Mmeje Jeremy Solomon
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Review of Modern Wisdom
[Following is a volunteer review of "Modern Wisdom" by Brian Lipkin.]
Brian Lipkin's Modern Wisdom is more or less the collection of random thoughts from an experienced, curious, and intelligent mind. The author has a go at a wide range of topics, from environmental to political, social, philosophical, and most definitely psychological.
I think you'll be really unhinged to agree with everything the author writes, but you can't deny the amount of obvious common sense in the midst of all the rants. There's also the occasional jewel that hits you deep the first time and opens your eyes to a whole lot of possibilities. Then there's the real dilemma: the quotes that are very logical but offensive to conservative sensibilities, and they pull at different parts of your being. The author puts down thoughts that when you really open your mind to them, they make you question some of your most strongly held beliefs, to the point where even if they remain unshaken, you're forced to acknowledge some irrefutable truth in the said quote. But as usual with works like these, you can tell that it's completely unhinged, and so while there are some truly beautiful quotes in there, there are also some that are quite controversial and nonsensical, in my opinion, some of them downright dangerous in the wrong hands. I definitely wouldn't pitch this to young impressionable minds, but I like to think that if your truths and principles can't be challenged, then you're one step away from fanaticism and villainy, because every terrible human who ever lived thought he was right and his enemies wrong.
These kinds of work exist so we don't ever imagine ourselves as heralds of supreme good but rather as highly fallible creatures who do more harm when trying to do good than when trying to do harm. They allow us to ask uncomfortable questions that we wouldn't ask normally, for the answers to our motivations and the true workings of the heart lie in those equally uncomfortable answers.
But most importantly, this is freedom of art and expression at its finest. The ability to have a go at anyone and anything boldly and proudly should always be celebrated as a measure of advancement in our race, for when we begin to silence the opposition, then we've become tyrants, and everyone knows that nothing grows under tyranny.
There were a lot of controversial statements and uncomfortable quotes, so I advise the reader to go into the book with a strong, unbiased mind, as this is not for the faint or rigid of heart. This is a high level of liberalism, so conservatives of any degree are bound to be offended.
The author also seems to have a strong dislike for President Trump; one or two lines would've been okay, but the repeated jabs left a sore taste in my mouth and felt too hateful.
Strong pro-Semitic views were also proclaimed in the book, which I found very nice.
A significant amount of anti-religious and atheist quotes were prominent in this book (some of them downright blasphemous); religious readers are bound to find this offensive.
I like how the author is not afraid to speak their mind and attack any part of society they feel is redundant or downright counterproductive to our development as a species; religion felt the brunt of this.
And finally, strong feminist views, which border on misandry, were also littered all over the book. Conservative male readers will also find it inappropriate and offensive.
I like to think that the reader was well aware of the effects this book would have on certain people and either didn't care about them or sought to evoke these reactions. This shouldn't take anything away from some of the truly enlightening pieces of wisdom and inspiration that fill this book.
The book was well edited, as I found no errors. I rate it a 3/5 because I found it dangerous to some extent and quite radical, if I'm being honest; there was a lot of aggression emanating from the pages, and it doesn't sit well with my sensibilities. An interesting read nonetheless.
******
Modern Wisdom
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Brian Lipkin's Modern Wisdom is more or less the collection of random thoughts from an experienced, curious, and intelligent mind. The author has a go at a wide range of topics, from environmental to political, social, philosophical, and most definitely psychological.
I think you'll be really unhinged to agree with everything the author writes, but you can't deny the amount of obvious common sense in the midst of all the rants. There's also the occasional jewel that hits you deep the first time and opens your eyes to a whole lot of possibilities. Then there's the real dilemma: the quotes that are very logical but offensive to conservative sensibilities, and they pull at different parts of your being. The author puts down thoughts that when you really open your mind to them, they make you question some of your most strongly held beliefs, to the point where even if they remain unshaken, you're forced to acknowledge some irrefutable truth in the said quote. But as usual with works like these, you can tell that it's completely unhinged, and so while there are some truly beautiful quotes in there, there are also some that are quite controversial and nonsensical, in my opinion, some of them downright dangerous in the wrong hands. I definitely wouldn't pitch this to young impressionable minds, but I like to think that if your truths and principles can't be challenged, then you're one step away from fanaticism and villainy, because every terrible human who ever lived thought he was right and his enemies wrong.
These kinds of work exist so we don't ever imagine ourselves as heralds of supreme good but rather as highly fallible creatures who do more harm when trying to do good than when trying to do harm. They allow us to ask uncomfortable questions that we wouldn't ask normally, for the answers to our motivations and the true workings of the heart lie in those equally uncomfortable answers.
But most importantly, this is freedom of art and expression at its finest. The ability to have a go at anyone and anything boldly and proudly should always be celebrated as a measure of advancement in our race, for when we begin to silence the opposition, then we've become tyrants, and everyone knows that nothing grows under tyranny.
There were a lot of controversial statements and uncomfortable quotes, so I advise the reader to go into the book with a strong, unbiased mind, as this is not for the faint or rigid of heart. This is a high level of liberalism, so conservatives of any degree are bound to be offended.
The author also seems to have a strong dislike for President Trump; one or two lines would've been okay, but the repeated jabs left a sore taste in my mouth and felt too hateful.
Strong pro-Semitic views were also proclaimed in the book, which I found very nice.
A significant amount of anti-religious and atheist quotes were prominent in this book (some of them downright blasphemous); religious readers are bound to find this offensive.
I like how the author is not afraid to speak their mind and attack any part of society they feel is redundant or downright counterproductive to our development as a species; religion felt the brunt of this.
And finally, strong feminist views, which border on misandry, were also littered all over the book. Conservative male readers will also find it inappropriate and offensive.
I like to think that the reader was well aware of the effects this book would have on certain people and either didn't care about them or sought to evoke these reactions. This shouldn't take anything away from some of the truly enlightening pieces of wisdom and inspiration that fill this book.
The book was well edited, as I found no errors. I rate it a 3/5 because I found it dangerous to some extent and quite radical, if I'm being honest; there was a lot of aggression emanating from the pages, and it doesn't sit well with my sensibilities. An interesting read nonetheless.
******
Modern Wisdom
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Sex and the Sixty Something Guy by Mr. X
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Mateo Kante
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I enjoyed reading this review. It showed me a lot about the book and the review was great. It is a great review
