HundredFlowersBloom
While the giants on whose shoulders Paglia stands are extenuated by their positions at the beginnings of psychology, anthropology, and other social sciences, this author has no excuse citing works like The Golden Bough in 1990, long after their academic disaccredation. With propositions as droll as “cats are female animals” and “fascism is homoerotic”, Paglia is intentionally contrary to the point of senselessness. Sexual Personae's strength is in psychoanalysis, though psychoanalysis reveals as much of the analyst as it does in the patient, as the analyst is the prism through which the neurosis is divined. A psychoanalysis applied to all humanity, this work reveals little about its subject due to reliance on bunk science, but a humanity's worth about Paglia herself.
Although I do not doubt the credibility of this book's various claims, this was a poor history. The chapters jump between periods and narratives so frequently that I found no use in attempting to form a conceptual sequence of events. A “history of Rome” is simply too great a task for any single publication to accomplish, and this book ends up disjointed and spread thin over many concepts.
Grossly simplifies and cites outdated studies like the Milgram experiment. Full of truisms that serve only to appeal to the intended liberal reader's sense of superiority and intelligence. I didn't find it worth finishing despite its brevity.
It all came together as I finished it in a way I cannot describe more than saying it occurred super-textually, like a wave that cascaded backwards, justifying every word Joyce wrote.
It will forever puzzle me that Cassius and Brutus are put in the innermost circle alongside Judas, seemingly elevating Caesar above the Christ.
My second Foucault. While he makes some interesting general ideas, most of what he writes is unsourced, unconvincing, and nonsensical. I approached this text with an appreciative eye and I still got very little out of it, at best an appreciation for the historical trend of sexual discourse Foucault identifies. Had I been more sceptical a reader I would have put the book down long before I finished it.
The connection of Alan Dulles to Jack Kennedy's assassination is thinner than mere attribution to the CIA, but the outline of the less speculative events in the man's life is adequate.
Yet another pop science book where economists try to convince you that they came up with a basic concept. This time: statistical variation.
Everyone authors an autobiography with a spin in mind, and rewriting the history of a legal battle nobody but the author cares about is such a dull spin.
3.5/10.
An appreciatively broad history that is too liberal in outlook to give “socialism with Chinese characteristics” (or the post-colonial African variant) its fair shake, though its scepticism is warranted for the various other perversions of Mao's project. This book could have focused more on the Chinese context and the specifics of Tse-tung's policies, given that these provide the entire impetus for Maoism's global reach.
Undoubtedly the best of his writings: well-paced and entreating all sorts of speculations. Its only categorical flaw is his overuse of ‘decadence' to hammer in his theme of civilisational decline.
Although it isn't quite “easy reading”, Literary Theory condenses major philosophical-literary movements into somewhat accessible summaries and histories. Eagleton handles straightforward theories like reception theory and psychoanalysis well, but the more enigmatic areas of semiotics and post-structuralism are best left uncondensed.
What a letdown following Manufacturing Consent. This book is no more than a weak addendum to that masterpiece. Where the Herman-Chomsky opus has concise examples, clear argument, and engaging structure, Necessary Illusions has examples that go on too long without reaching a defined point, a stagnant and vague thesis of “media serves power”, and is mystifyingly structured into a short text followed by a series of plotless appendices. This book could be simply formulated as a comparison of the case studies of US media treatment of Nicaragua and Israel. That's all this book is. Instead, Chomsky flits between the two studies without rhyme or reason, alternating information about the case studies in nonsensical sequence.
Provides a lukewarm opposition to the popular view of Putin as a domestically unrestricted autocrat. I do not think the book successfully proves its thesis that Putin is far weaker than imagined, though it does temper the majority account.
An even-handed history of the Occupation of Japan, though scant on analysis. Wish it engaged with long-term political and cultural effects of the occupation, both on Japan and globally.
Remarkably defensive of the state of the economy considering the book's title and subject matter. The Profit Paradox summarises entry-level economics for the majority of the book, only introducing novel ideas in its scant and underdeveloped final chapter.
One of those mystifying books I'll read over and over again for the hope of understanding just one more sentence.
Certainly a better analysis of H. P. Lovecraft's literary themes than biography of his life, and Lovecraft is not so abstruse that one would need a separate text to understand his work. There are still some interesting parts, namely Houllebecq's summary of Lovecraft's racism, contempt for modernity, and disregard for sex and money, both in his life and his books, and they are what make this biography worth reading, though they might have worked better as an introduction to a collection of Lovecraft's short stories.
A decent investigation into the history and business practices of one of the world's most successful corporations. Most interesting is the portion covering Coca-Cola's bottled water ventures and consequent attempts to exploit weak municipal water distribution.
Phenomenal chapter on Scientology's embodiment of neoliberal economics, but the collection as a whole is undermined by the apologetic chapter by a self-admitted NRM adherent, out of place in an academic textbook.
Although beginning slowly with the unimpressive beginnings of early 20th century American art, the rest of the book makes a valiant effort to summarise all the culturally significant art happenings in America. The book truly excels when Rose gets to the subjects of her expertise: abstract expressionism, pop art, and modern sculpture.
Not so enamoured with this popular book. Taleb finds himself incredibly intelligent for stating that hedging one's bets is a good idea and that randomness exists. Much of the book is spent on autofellatio and disparaging complex philosophy. It starts being a worthwhile read at about page 206. The typeface is the book's greatest achievement.
One of the most informative, best-written histories I have ever read. Hobsbawm takes on the Herculean task of summarising over half a century of general European history and pulls it off. His socialist perspective on history is invaluable, as he transforms historical materialism from theory to actual analysis. This book is dry and dense, yet engaging it in its interface of the impact of Hobsbawm's “dual revolution” to class development.