The Cider House Rules – by: John Irving

A friend of mine sent me this book as a gift, knowing how much I enjoy reading an intelligently written story. I was familiar, of course, with Irving, and had read and enjoyed at least a couple of his books before (i.e. The World According To Garp, and The Hotel New Hampshire – both excellent stories). Irving is a good storyteller, and anyone interested in the art of telling a good story would be well advised to read his books to see how it should be done. And since so many people have been suggesting to me lately that I should write a «story», I was glad for Irving's example of how it should be done.

A Clockwork Orange – by: Anthony Burgess (1962, 1986)

I read this book in tandem with my girlfriend, one chapter a day over the course of twenty-one days. My girl had seen the movie, but never read the book; and I had never heard much of either until my lawyer mentioned that some of my own ideas about the importance of our «freedom to choose» seemed to be reflected in this story. My lawyer had only seen the movie himself, but since I can't just get the movies that I want to see for any reason in here I asked my girlfriend if she wanted to read the book with me (something we like to do on occassion as a way to share an experience together even though we're thousands of kilometers apart --- kind of like dating).

Burgess, the author, comes close to my idea about the importance of free choice (as opposed to a system of oppressive laws that restrict our choices). But, he only does so on his way to making another point about free will itself (i.e. personal volition). Definitely a thought-provoking book, and my girl says the book makes more sense than the movie did; but, I still would of liked to have seen the movie myself. I think it could help me better understand the «tone» of the book that I suspect is so crucial to the artistic intention.

Man and His Symbols – Ed. by: Carl Jung (1964)

Jung wasn't known for writing books for the layperson, but this is one of the very few he did. A friend got this book for me some time ago after we had been discussing Jung's work and the influence of the “collective unconscious” on our modern minds, not to mention dreams and their meanings (which this book can't avoid discussing).

Brother of Sleep – by: Robert Schneider (1992); translated by: Shaun Whiteside (1995)

I got this book as a surprise birthday gift and enjoyed reading it, though I disagree with the main premise; namely that genuis can be lost to the world if it cannot flourish because of worldly circumstances. I don't believe any true talent, or genius, is ever lost, because it is always derived from a larger whole. What doesn't emerge in one place (or person) will eventually find expression someplace else. The story is well told though, and provides lots of food for thought.

The Wisdom of Psychopaths: What Saints, Spies, and Serial Killers can Teach Us about Success – by: Kevin Dutton (2012)

I’ve been struggling to read this book off and on for the past six months. After reading a little more than half of it I’ve decided that there is no point in finishing it. The author bases nearly all of his arguments and studies on an arbitrary definition of psychopaths called the PPI or PCL-R (Psychopath Personality Inventory, and Psychopathy Checklist-Revised, respectively, each consisting of about 20 questions with assigned point values that define a person’s level of “psychopathology”). These defining instruments are no more substantial than the checklists and questionnaires once used to define (and consequently prosecute) witches. In fact, if you analyze the nature of the questions it becomes evident that they really are precisely the same as those used to define witches. The questions focus on socially abnormal behavior, and unusual emotional responses, just as the witch trials did.

But, a real scientist (or any serious thinking person for that matter) knows that any arbitrarily defined group (witches, psychopaths, criminals, etc.) that you can think of will exhibit unique traits. So it is a logical error (and hence, scientific error, or just plain un-scientific) to support an arbitrary definition with the unique traits that the defined group exhibits. The witch hunters, slave owners, racial supremists, and religious persecutors have all exploited this error of reason to promote their prejudicial views. This book, and all the “psychopath” books like it are no different. 

No Excuses: Existentialism and the Meaning of Life – DVD lecture series by: Professor Robert Solomon (University of Texas, 2000)

This two part college lecture series takes a look at existentialism as a living and relevant philosophy of our age. Solomon, the lecturer, lays a foundation for existential principles by reviewing the emergence of individual responsibility in the writings and philosophy of such well-known existentialists as Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Camus, Heidegger, and others, before he concludes the series with six lectures covering the greatest existentialist of them all, Jean-Paul Sartre.

As part of this course I have read selected passages from several books, as well as some relevant plays and other short stories and essays written from the existential viewpoint and meant to express its tenants, including the following:

Existentialism – edited by: Robert C. Solomon (1974). This is the main accompanying text that goes with this lecture series.

From Rationalism to Existentialism: The Existentialists and their Nineteenth-Century Backgrounds – by: Robert C. Solomon (1972). This was one of the secondary accompanying texts.

Sartre, The Wall, and Other Stories – translated by: Lloyd Alexander (1948). An interesting collection of fiction written by Sartre to express his key ideas in practical terms. The Wall, and parts of these other stories are discussed in Solomon’s lectures.

The Trial – by: Franz Kafka, translation by David Wyllie. Another story discussed at some length by Solomon.

Existentialism From Dostoevsky to Sartre: Basic Writings of Existentialism by Sartre, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Kafka, Heidegger, and others – Selected and Introduced by: Walter Kaufmann (1956, 1974, 2004). This book was sent to me by a good friend who’d heard I was studying existentialism and thought it would help. And it did help, especially by providing alternative translations for some of the important writings discussed by Solomon, and also by providing an alternative take on the meaning of existentialism itself somewhat different from Solomon’s view.

Kaufmann defines existentialism like this: “The refusal to belong to any school of thought, the repudiation of the adequacy of any body of beliefs whatever, and especially of systems, and a marked dissatisfaction with traditional philosophy as superficial, academic, and remote from life – that is the heart of existentialism.”

If that were the accepted definition for existentialism then I’d say, “Sign me up!” But, unfortunately, others, such as Solomon, and the great existential philosophers themselves, while generally agreeing that existentialism ultimately defies any fixed definition (i.e. it is generally agreed to be a living, developing, and hence changing philosophy) it has other premises that are fundamental to its cause. And one of those fundamental tenants is the idea of freedom (free will) and individual responsibility (as suggested by the very title of Solomon’s lecture series).

I take issue with such concepts, but only in variation to how these terms are defined and used. In other words, I don’t necessarily disagree, I just feel it is critically important to be extremely careful about how one does agree.

Man’s Search For Meaning --- by: Viktor E. Frankl (1959, 2006)

This book was a gift from a friend of mine. I’m surprised that I have never read it before now. It is extremely well known and revered, and exactly the kind of book that would have piqued my interest if I had ever picked it up and read the back cover.

It is the memoir of a Jewish psychiatrist who survived several years in various Nazi death camps. He uses his experiences there to illustrate his ideas about the psychological (and/or spiritual) importance of finding a reason to live (i.e. meaning). He also writes some about the psychoanalytical therapy technique based on this principle that he developed and calls “logotherapy”.

I really like the way he thinks, and his ideas are extremely consistent with my own (especially since my “epiphany”, which in a real sense was no more than my own personal realization that all my suffering was for a reason – i.e. I found the exact kind of “meaning” that Frankl writes about in this book). My only real critique is that he doesn’t acknowledge the fact that while everyone has a choice in how they respond to injustice and suffering, not everyone REALIZES that they have a choice; and this realization is NOT a choice, but a kind of gift (in the same sense that good health is a gift).