Customer Reviews

How Philosophy Can Save Your Life: 10 Ideas That Matter Most

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Why is the art of clear thinking often so difficult to achieve?? McCarty has written an upbeat and multi-faceted gem of a book that challenges us to focus on big questions, some seemingly easy, but in reality elusive such as: "What is joy?" or "What are the essential ingredients of empathy?" or "Do you know the sound of your voice?" You can read the book alone, but it is meant for conversation; and, with its plethora of offerings of music, poetry and other media that support each chapter, you've got the makings of a great party!

McCarty asks us to go deep to that often under-used place within us that begs to express itself. She invites us to explore, dance with and absorb, with the help of well-versed philosophers, ten Big Ideas. Besides an intelligent and often humorous discussion of each topic, we are also given "homework". "Listen and hum" invites us to explore music's take on the topic, whether it's Phish's approach to Belonging, or John Coltrane's free-flying saxophone belting out "My Favorite Things". How's that for Joy? In the "Recite and Write" part of the chapter on Perspective, McCarty suggests we read Wallace Stevens "Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird". Why not?

Look at each of the ideas with "beginner's mind", and, if you are like me, you will find whole new ways of expressing yourself, maybe even with new friends. I can see gatherings of budding philosophers engaging on levels way beyond that of most book groups, partaking in the abundant buffet of delicious resources the book offers that entice the soul to search with all its senses - and sensibilities.

I know, I know, previous reviews rate the book as one of the best books on "practical Philosophy" ever written, however I believe it is not, here is why: let's consider the structure of the book: for each chapter or idea there comes a light introduction about how miserable and lacking our life is in that respect, then comes what this or that philosopher(s) said about it, finally there comes some truly superficial activities for working in groups. The problem with the first section (introduction plus exposition of the philosopher's thinking) is that it is very short and superficial, no real discussion of the idea, but just one point of view and that's it, even worse, sometimes this single point of view is explained in a poor, not even coherent way, as for example when the author talks about Jaspers' ideas on communication.

Now, the section that disappointed me most is the homework: full of trivial, sometimes even silly suggestions that I honestly doubt even people who gave the book 5 stars would take seriously. On the other hand, the section called "Discussion Questions" does indeed contain some interesting and important questions, but wait a minute, should not the author -a philosopher herself- at least have tried to answer some of them? No, not in this life!, all that hard work is left to the reader.

In general my view is this: the author is well intended, she really tries to put philosophy to the level of basically everybody but she did it in a wrong way, they way she did it makes philosophy look more like the cheap, good for nothing self-help books that can be found by thousands. The extremes are bad, hard, academic Philosophy is not easy to understand, with no practical application in sight, on the other hand philosophy as presented here is too superficial, trying to make Philosophy accessible is "accomplished" by paying a high price: a complete lack of depth, a lack of real arguments therefore, the result is not surprisingly disappointing.

I honestly believe Philosophy do matter, actually whether we like it or not it is always with us because we live our lives according to a particular form of it (understood as a set of principles, values and shared views that guide our thinking, decisions and behavior and therefore our social project). In our case, we live under the unwritten philosophy of modern capitalism. Not being truly aware of this, not thinking about it in a reflexive, highly critical way so we can take action can lead us to our own destruction because many of its core values put the survival and the continuing functioning of the system right above basically everything else.

Well, too harsh a review maybe, but in the author's favor I have to say that at least she made the word philosophy visible again, and perhaps made many people think, which is good of course. In general, her commentaries and advise are OK, the problem starts when she mixes it with light, too superficial philosophical arguments, in this respect the title and especially the editorial review are misleading, creating expectations the book does not fulfill.

Many years ago I took a philosophy course in college. I was so enthralled with it that I considered becoming a philosophy major. That dream faded fast, however with each passing class as so many of the ideas and language I read in our homework felt like a mental bootcamp for those willing to work hard just to decipher it sentence by painful sentence. I wanted so much to be part of this club but it felt like an elitist group I could never hope to be a part of.

So imagine my delight all these years later to find this book by Marietta McCarty! Finally philosophy is demystified in such a way that I can immediately understand and apply it to my daily life. It is written with a discussion group in mind but it is also a book you will want to keep by your bedside every night. It is a book you will read over and over again. A book like a friend that you can turn to in times of doubt or challenge and read a passage to calm you. A book that can give you insights, reassurance, wisdom, joy.

This book is such a triumph! There is no book out there like it. It is not only very enjoyable to read but it is a very important one to have.
Give yourself the gift of this book.

Who knew philosophy could be fun, accessible, poignant, illuminating, and helpful? In the past, boring, complex, and unattainable were some of the adjectives that came to mind whenever someone mentioned philosophy. That was before I read "How Philosophy Can Save Your Life" ("HPCSYL") by Marietta McCarty. Today, when I hear the word philosophy I think: curiosity, discovery, community, happiness....

"HPCSYL" is an invitation to explore and celebrate valuable ideals. It is a cookbook of savory philosophy and thoughtful activities to help individuals cultivate a meaningful or "good life". Enjoy it on your own, preferably from in a comfy seat with a choice beverage, then give one to friends and family. When it is shared with others, the book comes alive, growing from a personal treasure into an attractive starting point for valuable conversation and connection.

In "HPCSYL", McCarty makes seemingly complex and meaningful topics approachable, understandable, dissectible. She carefully samples diverse philosophers, including eastern and western, ancient and modern, male and female. Her skillful style, insight and dashes of humor make her distillation of philosophy enjoyable and accessible. Her message to me: Philosophy isn't old, dusty and limited those in ivory towers; it can be clean, modern and for everyone! Her questions and suggestions encourage personal exploration, creative pursuits, and help strike up life-changing conversations. Ideas and exchanges ensue, helping to grow and focus personal perspectives and journeys.

"HPCSYL" walks the walk. It highlights the importance of community and belonging and becomes a great tool for connecting groups of people. Recently, we hosted a town-wide book group to discuss the first chapter of "HPCSYL". Over thirty people gathered together at our local library to form one big philosophy circle. What a sight! Ultimately, we broke up into smaller circles and we will continue to meet biweekly, discussing each chapter's topic. Local artists have jumped on board to show their "perspectives" via their individual mediums. The "possibilities" for enjoying this book and your own philosophical quest are endless.

In an age where sound bites and regurgitated rhetoric pass for thought, this book offers hope for a return to discourse and reasoned thinking. It's a brilliant, non-threatening introduction to the really difficult questions of life. As great ideas are best shared and great confusions best untangled through conversation, the book suggests starting "philosophy" groups and offers loose guidance for format and more than enough material to chew over for a lifetime. Perhaps the best possible outcome would be that we relearn how to respectfully hear others' opinions and learn to question our own. Where DID those ideas of ours come from? Are they unique? Do they serve us well? One answer is clear - this book is definitely worth pondering.

Philosophy underlies how we think, what we believe, who we are. Marietta McCarty, who teaches philosophy at a community college in Virginia, has come up with 10 areas where philosophy helps us live fulfilling lives: simplicity, communication, perspective, flexibility, empathy, individuality, belonging, serenity, possibility and joy. For each of them she chooses two philosophers' work, pairing the famous (the Dalai Lama and Martin Luther King Jr. on empathy, for example) along with the unfamiliar or surprising (Shunryu Suzuki and Jane Addams on joy).

But the real strength of the book is in the "homework," extensive exercises, suggestions and questions for personal growth and group discussion. They encompass music, literature, experience and thought in exhilarating, far-ranging combinations. "Flexibility," for instance, contrasts "Old Man River" from Show Boat with the Moldau by Bedrich Smetana while also invoking David Bowie, John Cage, Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd, Chubby Checker, Enya, Haydn and seven others -- and that is just the music. Also cited are works of poetry, prose, drama and documentary. This book could keep you exploring your personal path for years.

-- Fran Gardner, New Connexion Journal
[...]

In my life so far, questions have always arisen - usually without answers, but this book "How Philosophy Can Save Your Life: 10 Ideas That Matter Most," provides other interesting and, in some cases, exciting perspectives on how values and one's own thoughts pertain to so many conflicting cultural values in our country and around the world. Even if we set a path for ourselves when young, have we considered the options? Do we know we have choices? Do we know we have choices as we come to the end of life? Marietta McCarty wants to send us on our own ways - not hers, accompanied by the philosophers she introduces, but she hopes we will find friends and acquaintances to share the dialogue, listen to the music, and read the poetry along our own journeys in search of contentment in living. The end-of-chapter suggestions provide an abundance of opportunities to deepen our own understandings and appreciation of each of the ten ideas.

The biggest "why" that Marietta McCarty doesn't answer? Why are these the 10 most important ideas in philosophy? Personally, "skepticism" would be at or near the list of my top 10, with Hume definitely being one of the two or three exemplar philosophers. What led her to the conclusion that these are the 10 most important ideas? How does she justify the generalization that what appear to be the 10 main ways philosophy can save HER life will apply to all?

The biggest "how" question that is unasked? How do different of McCarty's 10 principles balance with each other? "Individuality" and "belonging" came immediately to mind. Now, one could say that McCarty is inviting the reader to figure that out on his or her own, but ... if one is to make a value judgment between two principles, is there a guiding idea McCarty has for that?

Other problems. Some modern philosophers or authors may not be as familiar to a casual reader, or casual would-be philosopher, as Plato, etc., to put it mildly. Shouldn't McCarty have had additional biographical information? For that matter, shouldn't she have told us more as to why she chose each philosopher she did?

And, speaking of those philosophers. McCarty works with the "mainstream philosophers'" understanding of Plato's portrayal of Socrates as being largely true-to-life. Even if one doesn't buy ever conclusion of Izzy Stone in his "Trial of Socrates," nonetheless, a good skeptical analysis will show that this Socrates was more a literary convention of Plato, a mouthpiece for him to set up and knock down straw man cheap caricatures of Sophists, etc. (Socrates was actually an anti-democratic elitist; though tried for heresy against the gods of the polis, he was really guilty of treason against the democracy of Athens, which didn't have such a law explicitly on its books.)

Meanwhile, philosophers here conflict with each other. Beauvior is quotes as talking about resignation's "sadness" as a virtue in the "possibility" chapter. Meanwhile, Epictetus and Lao Tzu, under "serenity," would be hard to be topped as exemplars of promoting resignation.

I had started with this at a 3-star review, but just can't quite do it. Especially anticipating that it will get other five-star reviews, I moved mine down a star.

Beyond that, seeing the individual and group exercises at the end of each chapter made me realize this book could have been more, even much more, without in any way getting laden down with philosophical jargon or "heaviness."

Even there, there's problems. How can Beethoven's "Ode to Joy" not be one of the musical listening exercises in the "joy" chapter?

Finally, is it psychology more than philosophy? Well, at least, it risks being seen as "pop philosophy."

What a wonderful piece of writing with lots of self or group work after each Chapter.