A World of Ideas II [Paperback]

Bill Moyers (Author)

Book Description

Series: World of Ideas | Publication Date: October 1, 1990

Another best-selling round of thought-provoking conversations with 29 men and  women whose dynamic ideas and decisions are defining the present and charting the course of tomorrow's America.



B & W photographs throughout

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

"You do not have to be a romantic to see television not only as an instrument of commerce but as a means of communication. You have only to experience it," says Moyers. Moyers's own World of Ideas PBS series has provided such experiences. A follow-up to the successful A World of Ideas ( LJ 4/15/90), this collection encompasses 29 more interviews, including conversations with writer Maxine Hong Kingston, theater director Peter Sellars, medical researcher Jonas Salk, and journalist William L. Shirer. Two interviews stand out: Toni Morrison draws us into the creation of her painful yet beautiful novels that explore the black consciousness, and poet Robert Bly examines the problems of the American male psyche, with Ronald Reagan a classic and influential case of emotional denial. Recommended for public libraries, especially where the first volume proved popular. --Judy Quinn, "Library Journal"
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From the Publisher

Another best-selling round of thought-provoking conversations with 29 men and women whose dynamic ideas and decisions are defining the present and charting the course of tomorrow's America.

B & W photographs throughout

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 284 pages
• Publisher: Main Street Books; 1 edition (October 1, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385416652
• ISBN-13: 978-0385416658
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,190,199 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Terrific Collection Of Intellectual Conversations!, November 21, 2003

By 

Barron Laycock "Labradorman" (Temple, New Hampshire United States) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A World of Ideas II (Paperback)

One certainly has to give Bill Moyers due credit for having many intriguing and innovative ideas. Given the various television series and books he has produced over the last several decades, he is by far one of the most prolific contributors and critics of the American social and cultural scene. This particular book, a sequel to a previous effort, represents another fascinating look at an eclectic collection of seminal thinkers, some two dozen or so academics, statesmen, and luminaries whose thoughts, ideas, and perspectives help the rest of us to better understand and appreciate the power of the world of ideas.

I read somewhere that Moyers thought it would be immensely beneficial at this point in the secular history of the republic to have a kind of old-fashioned chautaugua series of public discussions featuring such intellectuals as a way of sparking further discussion and debate about the most basic and yet enduring aspects of democracy itself, and wanted to further the flow of ideas within the public realm. Herein, as with the first marvelous offering, he has succeeded quite marvelously, and what has been rendered for your reading pleasure and edification is worthwhile indeed.

In doing so Moyers opens up the possibility for both television (the series was originally a very popular series) as well in printed format to become instruments of more meaningful communication. The intellectuals featured herein range from Ronald Reagan to director Peter Sellars, from medical researcher Jonas Salk to poet Robert Bly, and from novelist Toni Morrison to writer and critic Maxine Hong Kingston. My favorite interview here is with the late writer/historian William Shirer, who proves to be as erudite and provocative as a subject for such discussions as he is as a writer. Many of the discussions center around Moyers' own concerns for the state of the polity, but also range from discussions about personal morality to more family-oriented concerns. This is a lovely book full of thought-provoking conversations with people you would love to have facing you across the living room coffee table. Enjoy!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 29 heads are better than one, August 7, 2006

By 

David Bonesteel (Fresno, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A World of Ideas II (Paperback)

As a companion volume to his PBS series of the early 90s, journalist Bill Moyers published this collection of 29 interviews with intellectuals who contribute their insights on American society and its future. This book is consistently fascinating but the highlights for me were probably historian William Shirer and authors Richard Rodriguez and Toni Morrison. Moyers is skilled at engaging with these thinkers. Speaking soon after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the fall of the Berlin Wall, and the birth of numerous Eastern European democracies, there is often a note of optimism in these discussions that some sort of awakening has begun to take place in the world. It is disheartening to stand this optimism up against the world situation in 2006, when we are engaged in a truly frightening clash between cultures that appears to be capable of escalating into a truly cataclysmic disaster.