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On Equilibrium (Ideas)
 
 
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On Equilibrium (Ideas) [Audiobook] [Audio CD]

John Ralston Saul (Author)
4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)


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Book Description

Ideas November 2002

What does John Ralston Saul's influential philosophical trilogy Voltaire's Bastards, The Doubter's Companion and The Unconscious Civilization mean for the real lives of individuals? Is it possible to apply his groundbreaking theories to everyday life?

On Equilibrium presents us with a virtual "how to" of the ways that ideas can translate into action. Saul explains how our different qualities give us the intelligence, self-confidence and ability to think and act as responsible individuals.

Saul argues that when human qualities are worshipped in isolation they become weaknesses, even forces of destruction or self-destruction. In short, they become ideologies. But as he explores the qualities he has identified as being necessary to integrated human behaviour, he shows us that the key is to use these qualities in combination. How can we use these qualities as positive forces in our own lives and in society? How can we use them to reinforce us as humans?

On Equilibrium is an intelligent, persuasive and controversial exploration of the essential qualities of humanity and how to use them to achieve equilibrium for the self and for an ethical society. It is a logical, compelling and humane successor to his bestselling trilogy.

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Product Details

  • Audio CD
  • Publisher: Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC Audio) (November 2002)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0660187973
  • ISBN-13: 978-0660187976
  • Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 3.5 ounces
  • Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,031,577 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

 

Customer Reviews

4 Reviews
5 star:
 (2)
4 star:
 (1)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:
 (1)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.0 out of 5 stars (4 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars An insightful book; deeper than it looks, April 19, 2003
By 
Stuart Hammond (Montreal, Canada) - See all my reviews
This review is from: On Equilibrium (Ideas) (Audio CD)
John Ralston Saul's latest book carries on a theme that runs through Voltaire's Bastards and The Unconscious Civilisation: reason, deprived of memory, imagination, common sense and other human qualities, inevitably leads to disaster. Whereas Saul's previous books depicted the disaster (e.g. a chapter on the international arms trade, `The Flowering of Armaments' in Voltaire's Bastards) this book focuses on a remedy to unchecked reason- 6 human qualities, which balance one another. These are: Common Sense, Ethics, Intuition, Imagination, Memory & Reason.
Initially I found this book fluffy reading; it lacks the detailed, fact-filled, and societally oriented argumentation that makes up Voltaire's Bastards. With time and reflection I have come to see wisdom in Saul's approach; the book is encourages us to rethink society through our own lives and with our own qualities. As Donald Rumsfeld lectures about invading Iraq, Reason listens to his arguments while Memory sees Rumsfeld shaking hands with Saddam Hussein in 1983. Witnessing the slow pace of the United Nations, Ethics worries that humanitarian aid is being delayed, but Common sense remains calm, knowing that compromise comes slowly or not at all.
I highly recommend this book.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A Brilliant Tour de Force, August 29, 2003
This review is from: On Equilibrium (Hardcover)
This is quite possibly the best book Saul has written to date. His writting style is lucid and in a sense, quite remarkable. He examines the central aspects that make us human and examines them in comparison to history. Highly Recommended.
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5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Book, November 16, 2008
This review is from: On Equilibrium (Paperback)
I'm dismayed by the low rating of this book. I enjoyed it immensely, particularly the part about Jean Moulin, the French Resistance leader who was an astonishing individual. I love Saul's books because he offers fascinating and little known examples from history while making angry but spot on points about the decline of our culture. I wish he wrote more.
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