Customer Reviews

The Janus Paradigm

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I sincerely like this book. I first picked it up mainly out of a curiosity over what was meant by the " massacre of genius." I discovered that the author defines genius as a special wisdom that we all have but because of the dominance of Western objectivism, it is rarely explored. The fact that the Dramatic Arts were used as the model for Hime's theories was also interesting. I have heard college and university theatre students complain about many of the very things he explains in this book. For example, the writer brings out the fact that university theatre needs to be a laboratory where students are told that their mistakes are merely a part of their growth and not a reflection on their ability and that the Dramatic Arts must become a course of study where students are led to discover the extent of their abilities and desire as well as receive a general education through, what he calls, "layered instruction." Because this kind of training is rarely, if ever, being done, the full intellectual and creative potential of the vast majority of students is being "massacred." What I found particularly interesting was the author's dual emphasis upon student and faculty self-discovery and interdisciplinary collaboration. I liked the way he used established scholars to substantiate his theories, which if he had not, much of the surprising information he has uncovered would be hard to believe. I am amazed at why it's so difficult for dedicated educators to put into effect student-centered programs. It was frustrating at first when I found that I had to read this book slowly, a little bit at a time, in order to digest the information. The author doesn't present his concepts in a simple fashion which makes this book a challenge to read. But, the author states that a paradigm is suppose to stimulate thought and not dictate solutions. And so, I had to form my own beliefs about what I was reading. It reminded me of the book, HOW WE THINK by John Dewey. In my opinion, the writer of THE JANUS PARADIGM has a similar enigmatic style and thought provoking outlook about the development of higher education since 1950 and where it's heading in the next century as Dewey did about the twentieth century. Dan Beutner, professional educator

This book kicks butt! Finally somebody wrote a book who understands what students are going through. Dr. Himes writes about the things that too many professors are afraid to discuss. He even brings out that fact-- explains why, and offers solutions about how the faculty and administration can improvethe current situation and lack of understanding. This guy recognizes the fact that we are paying a lot more for our education and so deserve more attention and time from professors. We are not paying all this money to support their research-we want to learn directly from them and we want them to give us the time we are paying for instead of spending most of it on their own publications for advancement. There's a lot of real great ideas in this book that people who run colleges and work in them should pay attention to and even give them a try. I recommend this book to college students too! It's helped me realize what to look for in a class or professor and know more about what is right and wrong with how I am being given the grades that will affect my whole life. The book could be used as an awesome discussion focus between students and teachers. What's also cool, I thought, is that it's written like a reference book so I could read about I was interested in at the time and not have to read everything to get the important stuff. We need more books like this one.

For those interested in the current state of liberal arts and the performing arts among institutions of higher learning, this is a book worth adding to one's library.The section of the book dealing with the political and corporate influence on higher education during the post WWII period make intere4sting reading, although one may question the conclusions the author has drawn. The author is an excellent writer and has important things to say. The book, however, is highly derivative and thus it is difficult to separate his voice from all the quotes and references. Dr. Himes' views could provide an important contribution ti the refining and improvement of the Performing Arts curriculum of US colleges and universities. .