Review of Rediscovering the Wisdom of Human Nature
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Ngozi Onyibor
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Review of Rediscovering the Wisdom of Human Nature
[Following is a volunteer review of "Rediscovering the Wisdom of Human Nature" by Chet Shupe.]
Have you ever wondered why there is so much suffering and unhappiness in the world? Even though the earth is brimming with people, people are lonelier than ever. The more technology strives to keep us connected, the more disconnected we feel. In Rediscovering the Wisdom of Human Nature, Chet Shupe has some hypotheses that address this phenomenon.
Chet surmises that the general misery and unhappiness in today's world result from humanity's deviation from the wisdom of the human spirit in favour of individualistic modern civilization and institutionalized laws.
He believes that the ultimate duty of a human is to serve life. Hence, he opines that a life of sisterhood and brotherhood, where people live communally in service to each other, is the most gratifying experience for the human soul. He likens modern life to a "desert for the soul." In this book, he illustrates how modernity affects humanity and hints at what a society of collaborative communities would look like.
I like how the author presents his ideas. His writing style is simple and logical. He employs lucid examples that engage the senses. I particularly like his views about not worrying about the future or fixating on having every second of our lives mapped out. Fretting about the future rarely improves it.
Chet's ideas are lofty, and the sort of society he proposes would be interesting if it comes to fruition. However, I'm glad that he acknowledged he has no historical or experiential evidence of living in such a society. Thus, he proposes no guidelines for the creation of one.
Although the author made his points brilliantly, I still have a few quibbles about the book. First, sometimes, the author references the Bible to support his arguments even though he doesn't believe in religion; this seems contradictory to me.
Secondly, the book seems a little repetitive in some places. I observed that the author says the same thing differently or outrightly uses similar explanations in distinct chapters. It's probably for emphasis or to jog the reader's memory. However, I noticed lots of it.
Based on the strength of his arguments, I rate the book 3 out of 4 stars. The author presented his ideas clearly and brilliantly. Also, the book's editing is impeccable. But I think the book could have been more concise. Hence, I'm detracting a star for the quibbles mentioned above.
The book is philosophical. So it's best suited to readers that enjoy philosophical literature and musings about humanity. It's appropriate for a young audience as well since it doesn't contain any profanity.
******
Rediscovering the Wisdom of Human Nature
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Have you ever wondered why there is so much suffering and unhappiness in the world? Even though the earth is brimming with people, people are lonelier than ever. The more technology strives to keep us connected, the more disconnected we feel. In Rediscovering the Wisdom of Human Nature, Chet Shupe has some hypotheses that address this phenomenon.
Chet surmises that the general misery and unhappiness in today's world result from humanity's deviation from the wisdom of the human spirit in favour of individualistic modern civilization and institutionalized laws.
He believes that the ultimate duty of a human is to serve life. Hence, he opines that a life of sisterhood and brotherhood, where people live communally in service to each other, is the most gratifying experience for the human soul. He likens modern life to a "desert for the soul." In this book, he illustrates how modernity affects humanity and hints at what a society of collaborative communities would look like.
I like how the author presents his ideas. His writing style is simple and logical. He employs lucid examples that engage the senses. I particularly like his views about not worrying about the future or fixating on having every second of our lives mapped out. Fretting about the future rarely improves it.
Chet's ideas are lofty, and the sort of society he proposes would be interesting if it comes to fruition. However, I'm glad that he acknowledged he has no historical or experiential evidence of living in such a society. Thus, he proposes no guidelines for the creation of one.
Although the author made his points brilliantly, I still have a few quibbles about the book. First, sometimes, the author references the Bible to support his arguments even though he doesn't believe in religion; this seems contradictory to me.
Secondly, the book seems a little repetitive in some places. I observed that the author says the same thing differently or outrightly uses similar explanations in distinct chapters. It's probably for emphasis or to jog the reader's memory. However, I noticed lots of it.
Based on the strength of his arguments, I rate the book 3 out of 4 stars. The author presented his ideas clearly and brilliantly. Also, the book's editing is impeccable. But I think the book could have been more concise. Hence, I'm detracting a star for the quibbles mentioned above.
The book is philosophical. So it's best suited to readers that enjoy philosophical literature and musings about humanity. It's appropriate for a young audience as well since it doesn't contain any profanity.
******
Rediscovering the Wisdom of Human Nature
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Secrets of the Kashmir Valley by Farhana Qazi
