2 comments about John Stuart Mill: A Biography.

1. From the view of philosophy departments, Mill is frequently read as as figure in the line of traditional empiricists stretching from Locke to Russell. In that context, some of his teachings, such as the quality of pleasure and the primacy of social good seem like, well, mistakes. In fact, that's how it was presented to me in school and I'm afraid I may have passed that view on. I always wondered how a guy so smart could be so dumb. By bringing in the French connection (and Mill's intellectual environment in general), Capaldi presents the complete thinker. That's a service. Of course, given their format, no title in this series from Cambridge can be either a full scale biography or a full scale commentary.



2. Contemporary analytic philosophers tend to present a rather skewed view of Mill, ignoring the larger textual and personal context of his work. Capaldi's book goes a long way to correcting these errors.
   
   For instance, Capaldi provides strong reasons to think that Utilitarianism should be read in light of On Liberty, not vice versa, as contemporary textbooks tend to present Mill. In addition, Capaldi provides an in-depth examination of Mill's intellectual growth. He starts with Mill's early education and exposure to the philosophical radicalism of his father and Jeremy Bentham, and describes how Mill spent a large part of his life struggling to keep what he believed was good about their hedonistic utilitarianism while rejecting its inadequacies. Capaldi shows us how the style of education Mill received permanently influences Mill's manner of thinking. Capaldi demonstrates how Mill is essentially a dialectical thinker attempting to synthesize Romantic deontology with its emphasis on autonomous self-development, with empiricist ethical methodology with its emphasis on pleasure and associationist human psychology. At the same time, Capaldi illuminates the precise ways that figures like Carlyle, Hegel, Comte, Coleridge, and of course Harriot Taylor influenced Mill. Capaldi helps us learn how to read Mill, based on who Mill's audience was and the purpose of his various texts. One's view of Utilitarianism, for instance, will be radically changed in light of Capaldi's biography. This text, taken as the definitive statement of Mill's theory by most contemporary philosophers, emerges as a rather restrained attempt to defend a general class of philosophies, will Mill's own beliefs quite hidden under the surface.
   
   The picture of Mill that emerges is that of a powerful mind with continually evolving ideas. For the typical philosopher who has read at most a few of Mill's works, this book is very valuable indeed.
   
   As an aside, by way of illustrating what the reputation of Capaldi's intellectual biography is, let me relate the following. I recently had a paper defending a thesis of Mill's accepted for publication in a major philosophy journal. The reviewer asked me to make some revisions in light of this work. This book is quickly becoming the authoritative source on John Stuart Mill. In comparing Capaldi's work with that of others who have written on Mill, one gets the feeling that Capaldi is the only one taking Mill--and intellectual history--seriously.
   
   As such, I highly recommend that any philosopher interested in ethics or the history of philosophy read this.

No comments about Wittgenstein in Cambridge: Letters and Documents 1911-1951.

2 comments about The Enemy: An Intellectual Portrait of Carl Schmitt.

1. _The Enemy_ provides an excellent and thorough introducion to the life and thinking of the German political philosopher and jurist Carl Schmitt. The book traces the developments in his thoughts from his earliest days as a Catholic schoolchild in the Rhineland to his eventual professorship in constitutional law and his involvement with the Third Reich regime and the subsequent developments in his thought after the Third Reich had fallen. Schmitt is normally considered to belong with the "conservative revolutionaries" such as Ernst Junger, Oswald Spengler, Martin Heidegger, and several other important figures in the Weimar republic prior to the advent of the Third Reich. These thinkers were important for their political and philosophical thought which was firmly opposed to liberalism, bolshevism, and modernism. An important aspect behind Schmitt's thought was his Catholicism (however tenuous that link may have become for him at various moments in his life). Certain interpreters of Schmitt have made the claim that Schmitt's writings can be understood on the basis of a "fundamentalist" Catholicism , in which the crisis in the modern world is perceived in apocalyptic terms involving an encounter between Christ and Antichrist. Schmitt became a jurist and a professor of constitutional law and a great deal of his writing is concerned with the application of his political principles to the legal status of the constitution. Schmitt's thinking is heavily influenced by the German Romantics such as Schlegel and Hegelianism, but also has a Latin character influenced by such Catholic counter-revolutionaries as Joseph de Maistre and Donoso Cortes, as well as the writings of Thomas Hobbes in his _Leviathan_, and the writings of Machiavelli. Perhaps Schmitt is most famous for his understanding of the political in terms of the "friend-enemy" distinction. He outlined this distinction in his famous work _The Concept of the Political_. Schmitt came to occupy a central place in the Third Reich regime and was often regarded as the "Crown Jurist" of that regime. The particular problematic of Schmitt's involvement with the Third Reich and his adherence to certain anti-Semitic beliefs is firmly covered in this book. After the defeat of the Third Reich, Schmitt would come to partially renounce some of his earlier alignment with it; however, he would also come to regard the process of denazification which involved him spending several years in captivity as equally abominable. Much of Schmitt's work focused on a particular interpretation of Thomas Hobbes in hiw book _Leviathan_. Schmitt may have believed in an apocalyptic myth involving an obscure quasi-Messianic figure, the Katechon (see the discussion in the book; but also see Paul's epistle to the Thessalonians where it is explained that the Katechon refers to a "restrainer" who is to come). The book also discusses Schmitt's relationship with the new international order subsequent to the Nazi regime. The importance of Schmitt's thought here in regards to our modern era which is closely coming to approximate a New World Order and a system of international law based in the United Nations (i.e. the League of Nations in Schmitt's time) cannot be overestimated. Schmitt's later works include a book entitled _Land and Sea_ which outlines the differences between land and sea powers and a work entitled _The Law of the Earth_. The relationship between a landlocked continental German power and a seafaring English power rooted in the Calvinistic religion plays an important role in Schmitt's writings. Schmitt's later days were spent in relative obscurity as a figure who was considered anathema by the new intellectuals; however, he continued to write and work and gather a group of students around him. Carl Schmitt is a fascinating figure who encountered the dark side and whose thinking still poses interesting questions for the modern world. His distinction between friend and enemy continues to occupy an important place in the role of political theory and although some on the Left have attempted to usurp his ideas, his ideas remain firmly grounded in the tradition of right wing intellectuals of the conservative revolution. This book provides an excellent introduction and outline of his life and thought and is to be highly recommended to all those interested in this figure.



2. This is the best all-around survey of and introduction to Carl Schmitt's thought. Balakrishnan does a good job of identifying each of the many, many "turns" in Schmitt's thought and situating each of them within the contemporaneous political developments in German-speaking Europe. There is some basic discussion of Schmitt's personal and religious life, as well as his political allegiances and the vicissitudes of his unstable status within the German establishment. This book is scholarly, clear and readable. If there's a problem with The Enemy, it is that Schmitt's thought does not lend itself to summary. He seems not only to have 'evolved' intellectually over time, but also to have taken simultaneously contradictory positions in contemporaneous works.
   
   Schmitt's brand of legal nihilism is fashionably dangerous. But, in my view, he is an artifact of a bygone moment in German history and has little to teach contemporary Anglo-American lawyers. Schmitt is frequently cited as an intellectual ancestor of Bush's lawyers John Yoo and David Addington but I suspect any similarity is accidental. In any event, the comparison is less than enlightening. However dubious their legal advice, Yoo and Addington both speak the language of precedent, jurisprudence and constitutional authority. Schmitt's arguments were grounded in a muscular continental mysticism - the gestalt of force and submission. Yoo and Addington are perhaps overly concerned with the defense of the republic, but they take its legitimacy for granted. Schmitt was suspicious of the very possibility of parliamentary rule. He sensed that deliberation was an arbitrary process with no logical endpoint. He feared that parliamentary politics was foundationless - that it was, to steal a phrase from Steven Hawking, 'just turtles all the way down.' Schmitt sought sovereign power as the font of political legitimacy - the solid ground beneath the State's feet. He seems to have concluded that sovereign power comes into being through an act of will or faith. This notion is alien to Anglo-American legal thought, where legal authority is derived from text, tradition, history, or natural law. Schmitt is compelling because he shows us an alternative law and politics of reactionary postmodernism - critical legal theory in service to naked power.
   
   In the end, Schmitt is historically important for his two aphorisms: "He is sovereign who decides the exception." and "Tell me who your enemy is and I will tell you who you are." Meditate upon these long enough and you won't need this or any other book on Carl Schmitt.

5 comments about Pythagoras: The Mathemagician.

1. While reading this book, my surprise and delight went increasing. My surprise first, for discovering Pythagoras represented much more than his well known theorem as he also was a philosopher, a great traveller through space, time, spirits and dimensions. The author Karim, like Pythagoras a seeker of harmony, provided me with great delight as sweet thoughts wandered in my imagination when his book made me dive back into ancient civilisations and traditions described so precisely and so charming, in a state where these two worlds of reality and mysticism brush against each other often and mix with each other sometimes. A great thank to the author and to his thorough and complete research and work in its description of what was Pythagoras life.



2. In Pythagoras: The Mathemagician, Karim El-Kousa has written a delightful story about a great philosopher. But he has also managed to convey vibrant details of a great civilization that I am most proud to be one of its descendents: The Phoenicians. Having lived the first twenty one years of my life in the great Phoenician city of Byblos and being the grandson of a Saydounian family makes this story really personal.



3. The first question I ask myself when I face a book on Pythagoras: "did the Author subjectively limit Pythagoras to a particular specialization like math, music or philosophy? In this book on Pythagoras, the author has succeeded to present Pythagoras as a "polymath"... breaking the bonds of subjectivity to reach a global view... In this context, the familiar image that often presented the "scientific" and the "spiritual", the "tangible" and the "subtle" as diametrically opposed, is replaced with a view that unites both in the oneness of knowledge and the Love of Wisdom - the ultimate Philo-Sophia.
   Someone attached to numbers, like the Pythagoreans, would have felt comfort if they read page 7 which elucidates the "spiritual royal purple color" - the 7th ray... Even if we neglect the page numbers and count the pages from the beginning of the book up to the special number 33, we will find ourselves in front of the famous quote graved on the plate above the entrance...: "Man, know thyself...", and the author did not hesitate to proceed at the end of the same page with "... you will know the secrets of the universe and the gods"
   WATCH OUT! The book may grab you by the thought and leads you to the "Pytha-Goras" concealed deep in each of us... You start reading a book on history and philosophy and you end up - somehow - I do not know how - hearing the music of the spheres...



4. When I first heard about the book, I didn't give it much attention. Of course I was excused, because in my opinion, the author's previous book titled "blooming planes" was a disaster. It is true that Karim's debut with "Reflecting Unitas" was excellent, but it was very depressing with the second one.
   
   Anyway, the author is a friend of mine, and I had to buy the book just to see what's inside. But when I started reading, I was kind of amazed because this book was very different from both its predecessors.
   
   Storyline:
   The storyline is well built. The life of Pythagoras is astoundingly described based on historical facts. No doubt Karim has made lots of research and interpreted tons of history books before writing this book. The events are accurately placed in the chronological timeline. Furthermore, the story is of an exploratory nature in a way that the reader is always yearning to read more.
   
   Style:
   The writing style is firm even though it is written in simple English, no complicated expressions, just simple and clear with good descriptions and dialogues. Simplicity and solidarity are both present in the author's script.
   
   Conclusion:
   All in all, a stunning book that really deserves all the awards it has won. And a must-have to every person interested in Greek or Middle Eastern history.



5. A writer that can actually make a person reading his words, feel like they are walking along with the characters, is very gifted. I believe Karim has an extrodinary gift of mixing reality with mystisism giving us all the feeling of being apart of his books. I look forward to reading more of your books, keep writing.

No comments about Xenophon: Memorabilia (Agora Editions).

5 comments about Descartes's Secret Notebook: A True Tale of Mathematics, Mysticism, and the Quest to Understand the Universe.

1. I'm a Mechanical Engineer with enough Mathematics and Philosophy study in my past to have a basic understanding of Descartes. I went into the book with no knowledge of Aczel, the secret notebook, or of the details of Descartes life. With that said I found the book to be great. I walked away understanding much more of Descartes' life and studies. I feel the secret notebook was addressed fairly well through out hinting that it existed through Descartes' fear of publishing. We know the secret notebook is lost to time and very little of it is known, so I'm not sure that we can expect the detail that some reviewers are demanding. All in all I liked it. Fine, if you are a mathematics or Descartes scholar you will not learn much here. But for 99.9% of the population, you will learn of a great Mathematician and Philosopher. Thanks Aczel.



2. When one reads a book titled "Descartes's Secret Notebook," one expects a few things: a) information about Descartes, b) information about the secret notebook. But Aczel does a slipshod job of presenting both to us.
   
   First, information about Descartes. What biographical information we can find within this book we can find on the internet in greater abundance and depth. I see no reason to buy this book if a) there are many points of inaccuracy with regard to facts in this book, b) what can be found here can already be found on the net.
   
   Second, the secret notebook. We expect to see the links between Rosicrucian teachings and Descartes's notebook, but what we find is the links between Descartes' life and Rosicrucian teachings, and that between Leibniz's beliefs and Descartes' notebook. So Aczel does not offer us what he promises when he claims a connection between the notebook and Rosicrucian teachings.
   
   Besides, why should I buy this book when it is a poor summary of a 1987 article by Pierre Costabel? Aczel should be ashamed.
   
   And if the Wikiproduct report at the bottom of this page is true (and evidence suggests that this is so), then Aczel should be as ashamed of his lack of integrity as he should be at his lack of scholarship.



3. It's no surprise that this book wasn't published by an academic press, because no peer review process could possibly have permitted Aczel so completely to misrepresent the contents of Descartes' `secret notebook.' When he purports to be describing the theorem Descartes discovered, Aczel is actually describing work that was done by Euler more than a century later.
   
   One of the `Featured Reviewers' at this site says Aczel "has a talent for explaining mathematical ideas and formulas that might seem daunting to the lay reader." But how can the `lay reader,' including this reviewer, assess how good well he's explaining the material unless he is already familiar with it? Otherwise, an `expert' like Aczel can fabricate his story, the `lay reader' will never be the wiser.
   
   In about 1750 Euler proved that if you count up the number V of vertices of a convex polyhedron, the number E of edges and the number F of faces, then V - E + F is always equal to 2. This is the theorem Aczel attributes to Descartes in the last 2 chapters of his book, a book which is otherwise just a rehash of old biographies of Descartes.
   
   What Descartes actually proved is this: take the same convex polyhedron, calculate the angle deficiency at each vertex and sum these up - the answer is always 8 right angles (720 degrees). What's an angle deficiency? It's the sum of all the plane angles that meet at a given vertex, subtracted from 360. Let's take the octahedron as an example: at each of its vertices, four equilateral triangles meet. So the angle deficiency is [360 - (60 + 60 + 60 + 60)], which is 120 degrees. Since an octahedron has 6 identical vertices, the sum of the angle deficiencies is 6x120 = 720 degrees, or 8 right angles. The octahedron is only one particular case; this works equally well for any convex solid figure. Try it yourself for a cube, where 8x90 = 720.
   
   Well, these two theorems are certainly very different results, but in the late 1800s, after Descartes notebook was re-discovered, people realized that you could deduce Euler's theorem from Descartes theorem. As a result, in the early 20th century some French chauvinists renamed Euler's formula for Descartes.
   
   There is no evidence that Euler ever saw Descartes notebook, although Aczel fabricates a `fact' to make it seem like he did. There is no evidence that Euler ever visited Hanover.
   
   Now the real facts would make a really good story for a popular math book. A real master of the genre, like William Dunham, Simon Singh or Eli Maor, would explain both Descartes' theorem and Euler's theorem to their audience and then demonstrate the logical equivalence of the two.
   
   Aczel is apparently incapable of doing this, or at least was unwilling to do the real work that it would involve. Instead, he describes Euler's theorem where he claims to be describing Descartes' notebook. Specifically, he claims that Descartes counted the edges of a polyhedron, which he most certainly did not. Euler was the first person ever to consider the edge of a polyhedron as an item of mathematical interest, so that he actually had to coin a Latin word (acies) for it.
   
   As is well documented in other reviews: (1) most of this book is a re-hash of various biographies of Descartes and 90% of it has nothing to do with `secret notebook,' and (2) it is absolutely loaded with factual errors about mathematics and the history of mathematics.
   
   What's much worse is the tiny portion that does cover the notebook itself is an amazingly inaccurate and even dishonest misrepresentation of what Descartes really did. Shame, shame, shame.



4. I've enjoyed several other Aczel works: Fermat's Last Theorem, God's Equation, Mystery of the Aleph, and I struggled mightily to get through this one, but it's just too dull. Blah, blah, blah, then this clown wrote to that one and said meaningless things; blah, blah, blah, these phrases from this ancient manuscript appeared in this person's letters, proving he was influenced by it. Blech.



5. The very fact that the German polymath Leibniz sat down to transcribe pages of a "secret notebook" written by Rene Descartes could send chills up the spine of any fan of these superstars of the Enlightenment, and indeed that is exactly what happened to me. I was so intrigued by the title that I pre-ordered this book and waited for it to arrive in Japan with a kid on Christmas eve kind of feeling. But after I devoured it in one sitting, I found myself wondering how this mishmash of potted biographies and wobbly argumentation (Descartes was in such and such a city at the same time as such and such a reputed Rosicrucian was passing through the same city, therefore Descartes was a Rosicrucian), could add up to a book to be taken seriously. I learned that Descartes might have been poisoned, that he might have fathered a child by a mistress, that maybe he routed a boat-load of pirates all by his Popeye self, which would have made him a considerable scrapper if it were true. Leibniz comes in for an even more nebulous portrait as he glides through the pages, a mere excuse for the plot to ramble on. Finally, at the end of the book we're allowed to look over Leibniz's shoulder as he decrypts and transcribes (in record time!) an equation that would later be rediscovered by Euler, the great mathematician and associate of Gauss, the Beethoven of pure math. Yes, this is remarkable stuff, but it's really not explained in enough depth before Aczel attempts to stretch the significance of Descartes' discovery into a hyper-Einsteinian cosmological intuition of the nature of the dimensional structuring of the universe itself--a truly breathtaking, and--a truly unwarranted--leap. Add to this mix the halting, spavined style that hobbles the narrative and you have what resembles a one trick pony of a book that will leave you hoping for a Native Dancer to canter by some day.

1 comments about John Rawls: His Life and Theory of Justice.

1. This book has been a great introduction to Rawls and his Theory of Justice. As a non-professional this book provided for me a great overview of the major important parts of the theory. It also provides a set of critiques brought on by others and by the author himself. Most objections to portions of the theory are addressed but Pogge has offered others that are still open to discussion. The book covers not just the Theory of Justice but the restatement and current topics relating to the theory. All-in-all a very good read.

3 comments about The Legacy of Isaiah Berlin.

1. Can't wait to see this one. Lilla and Dworkin is like a collaboration between Ken Vandermark and Wynton Marsalis.



2. This book, which was published from a conference dedicated to discussing aspects of Berlin's emphasis on value pluralism, is divided into three sections. The first focuses on his pluralism as he saw it within history. The second takes his pluralism and speaks of it in relation to moral theory. The third discusses that pluralism as relating to the question of Israel and nationalism. Obligatory disclosure: I skipped section three as Israel is not a question that interests me, so my review is on the first two sections.

   Now, anyone who's read Berlin knows that he is notoriously hard to pin down. He is to historical to be a philosopher yet to philosophical to be a historian. As one who wrote more historical studies than philosophical essays (in the proper sense) Berlin's thought is hard to synthesize. This book, though, does a good service by focusing on Berlin's central theme: the plurality of values and their connection to history and philosophy. See, for Berlin, no one system could account for our moral lives. Values, ends, means, these all conflict inter- and intra-personally. No system, said he, will resolve these so that they all line up and 'hang together'. Abstractions, too, like Liberty, are meaningless without a concrete context; liberty of what according to who's view? That pluralism is what this book discusses: the first part on its affect on Berlin's historical study, the second on his philosophy.

   There is a great group of thinkers here: Mark Lilla, Michael Walzer, Ronald Dworkin, Thomas Nagel, Charles Taylor - on and on. The essays, more-or-less, form a consensus and largely find Berlin's pluralism unproblematic as far as its truth goes (the only article that takes issue is Dworkin's). Each thinker, though, has a different take on what accepting pluralism means and whether, if conflicting values is 'inevitable', how far we should go to TRY and reconcile them. That's where the fun is; in these small differences. I should mention to that each section ends with a 20-or-so page 'discussion' section that must have been transcribed during the seminar. We see a lot of good interchange here between the panelists.

   All in all, this is a book that should not be missed by those that find value (or question) in Berlinian pluralism.




3. One of the distinctive elements of the writing of Isaiah Berlin is that he made intellectual history exciting for the reader. His writing has a flair, a sweep a rhythm and way of connecting the story of a thinker with his ideas which keep the reader thinking and awake.
   The essays here are more bland material. And even if in the consideration of Berlin's objective- value-pluralism they do raise 'hard questions' they seem far more 'academic' than Berlin himself was.
   As for the section on Israel and nationalism I am not sure that they underline sufficiently how devoted a Zionist Berlin was.

5 comments about Bill W.: The absorbing and deeply moving life story of Bill Wilson, co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous.

1. Excellent and insightful look at a complex and fascinating visonary who helped changed the culture of the 20th century.



2. Bill W describes how an extremely motivated, accomplished student, athlete and successful business man, became a hopeless alcoholic, experienced a spiritual miracle, became sober and founded Alcoholics Anonymous. Bill W is well written, with surprisingly detailed insights, into the childhood, psyche, motivations, influences and drives of a fascinating man. The author, Robert Thomsen, obviously performed extensive research, to obtain the extensive biographical information contained in this book. Bill's family history, numerous business successes and failures along with his gradual descent into alcoholism are described along with numerous attempts to control his binge drinking.
   
   The evolution of Alcoholics Anonymous and the 12 steps, from the 10 step Oxford Group are chronicled, almost step by step, along with numerous controversies and dilemmas,confronting the founders as they learned how to work effectively with alcoholics and ensure the spread and perpetuation of their movement. The history of failed attempts to obtain corporate sponsorship for Alcoholics Anonymous and the adoption of AA principles including anonymity, self supporting groups and no opinion on outside issues are well described.
   
   Bill W suffered anxiety, panic attacks, depression and appears to have been hypoglycemic. He ultimately learned how to treat his alcoholism, depression and hypoglycemia nutritionally, with results surpassing his initial spiritual efforts. Would Bill W have become an alcoholic, if he had received adequate treatment for hypoglycemia, depression, and anxiety ? Unfortunately, his attempts to incorporate nutritional, medical and scientific advances into Alcoholics Anonymous were rejected by the International Board of Alcoholics Anonymous.
   
   Bill Wilson was living proof that "No matter how far we have fallen, we can use our experience to help others."
   
   Perhaps most importantly, readers will be able to perceive a higher power, at work, while they read this biography of Bill Wilson, which is also a biography of the 12 step self help movement.
   
   Steven Sponaugle
   Research Director, Florida Detox



3. I am a long time member of AA, and knew quite a bit about Bill Wilson prior to reading this book. But I have found out so much more than I expected to from the book, and it is very well written. I can recommend this highly to anyone wanting to know more about the man who founded one of the most important organizations of the 20th Century.
   
   - John T, San Francisco, CA



4. I've been a "friend" of Bill and Dr. Bob since Christmas 1990, and have read a lot of material, both "conference approved" and other, and this biography of Bill W. ranks among the best, but it definitely gives the impression of being written from Bill's perspective.
   
   Fully half the book is devoted to Bill's childhood and early adulthood, through his marriage to Lois and up to the fateful encounter with Dr. Bob, and so this fleshes out that portion of his life. I was disappointed, however, in that the impact and devastation of Bill's many (and prolonged) drinking binges seemed somewhat minimized with regard to their impact on the lives of Bill and Lois as a young married couple. Perhaps Bill simply had a poor recollection of these episodes, as he was not in great condition to remember these things, and so these are not fully reflected in Thomsen's work.
   
   The latter half of Thomsen's book deals with better known AA history, but as a biography of Bill's life, my impression is this book glosses over the other human frailties of Bill, and so does not present as complete a picture as it could of this remarkable man. I think the reader would be more impressed with Bill's life accomplishments if more of his human "character defects" were revealed in this book.
   
   I strongly suggest also reading Francis Hartigan's "Bill W.: A Biography of Alcoholics Anonymous Cofounder Bill Wilson" to help fill in the deficiencies and areas not covered by Robert Thomsen. Hartigan's book better presents Lois Wilson's perspective, and more completely covers topics such as the terrible impact of Bill's binges on his business ventures and marriage, Bill's infidelities, his long periods of depression, Bill's exploration of the potential therapeutic uses of LSD and Niacin for the treatment of alcoholism, and does a better job, in my opinion, painting a more full picture of Bill Wilson.
   
   DD...GTM... RTBB



5. 
   Wilson was serially unfaithful to his wife Lois. Wilson 's affairs with women caused controversy and concern within AA and it was common knowledge in New York AA circles. His interest in younger women increased with his age, and caused Barry Leach and other friends of Wilson to form a "Founders Watch". People were assigned to keep an eye on Wilson during the socializing that followed AA functions and to separate and steer away those young women who caught Wilson's interest. Wilson, like many in his generation, could be sexist, but he was also "capable of treating the women who worked with him with dignity and respect". In the mid 1950s he began an affair with Helen Wyn, a woman 22 years his junior, "in duration, intensity and scope" this was different from his other affairs. Wilson at one point discussed divorcing Lois to marry Helen. Wilson with determined perseverance was able to overcome the AA trustees objections, and renegotiated his royalty agreements with them in 1963, which allowed him to include Helen Wynn in his estate. He left 10% of his book royalties to Helen and the other 90% to his wife Lois. In 1968 with Wilson's illness making it harder for them to spend time together, Helen bought a house in Ireland.
   
   In the 1950s Wilson experimented with LSD in medically supervised experiments with Gerard Heard and Aldous Huxley. With Wilson's invitation his wife Lois, Father Dowling, and Nell Wing also participated in experimentation of this drug. Later Wilson wrote to Carl Jung, praising the results and recommending it as validation of Jung's spiritual experience. (The letter was not in fact sent as Jung had died.)
   
   At a parapsychology meeting in the 1960s, Wilson met Abram Hoffer and learned about the potential mood-stabilizing effects of niacin. Wilson was impressed with experiments indicating that alcoholics who were given niacin had a better sobriety rate, and he began to see niacin "as completing the third leg in the stool, the physical to complement the spiritual and emotional." Wilson also believed that niacin had given him relief from depression, and he promoted the vitamin within the AA community and with the National Institute of Mental Health as a treatment for schizophrenia. However, Wilson created a major furor in AA because he used the AA office and letterhead in his promotion.
   
   For Wilson, spiritualism (communicating with the spirits of the dead) was a life-long interest. One of his letters to his spiritual adviser Father Ed Dowling suggests that while Wilson was working on his book Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions he felt that spirits were helping him, in particular a 15th century monk named Boniface.[18] Wilson believed that the living could communicate with the dead and kept a "Spook Room" in his basement, where he along and others would conduct seances with a Ouijiboard, as well as experiment with automatic writing. Despite his conviction that he had evidence for the reality of the spiritual world, Wilson chose not to share this with AA.
   One problem that any Christian will have with Alcoholics Anonymous is the organization's abandoning of the Bible. The Big Book, Alcoholics Anonymous, is their new Bible. Some members claim to still use the Bible; I sometimes hear a bit of lip service to the Bible like, "Keep the Big Book next to the Good Book," but you won't see a Bible at a meeting, and you won't hear it quoted. Everybody is carrying the Big Book, and all readings come from it, or from a similar book of daily meditations, also written by Bill Wilson and other members of A.A..
   
   In fact, reading aloud from the Bible at Alcoholics Anonymous meetings is usually forbidden. The Bible is considered "outside literature". Reading aloud at meetings from anything but A.A. "Council Approved" (and A.A.-published) literature is forbidden.
   
   In addition, A.A. has essentially abandoned Jesus Christ. The A.A. faithful believe that Bill Wilson is superior to Jesus Christ when it comes to dealing with alcoholism, and you will hear Bill Wilson quoted a hundred times more often than Jesus Christ. (As a matter of fact, I can't really remember the last time I heard Jesus Christ quoted in an A.A. or N.A. meeting...)
   
   The third edition of the A.A. Big Book does not contain the word "Jesus" anywhere, not even once. Bill Wilson raved constantly about "God", but didn't talk about Jesus Christ at all. There is one and only one mention of "Christ" in the entire book, and it is Bill Wilson's statement that before his hallucinatory experience on belladonna, his so-called "spiritual experience," he didn't have much use for Christ:
   
   
   With ministers, and the world's religions, I parted right there. When they talked of a God personal to me, who was love, superhuman strength and direction, I became irritated and my mind snapped shut against such a theory. To Christ I conceded the certainty of a great man, not too closely followed by those who claimed Him. His moral teaching -- most excellent. For myself, I had adopted those parts which seemed convenient and not too difficult; the rest I disregarded.
   The Big Book, 3rd Edition, William G. Wilson, chapter 1, Bill's Story, pages 10-11.
   Apparently, Bill continued to disregard a lot of that stuff even after he "saw the light," or saw "the God of the preachers", because Bill never mentioned Jesus or Christ again, not anywhere in the Big Book, not ever.
   
   The first edition of the Big Book contained one story, "My Wife and I," that contained a line mentioning Jesus Christ:
   
   
   Here were these men who visited me and they, like myself, had tried everything else and although it was plain to be seen none of them were perfect, they were living proof that the sincere attempt to follow the cardinal teaching of Jesus Christ was keeping them sober.
   That story was dropped from the second, third, and fourth editions.
   
   
   The word "God" appears in the first 164 pages of the Big Book (which William G. Wilson either wrote, co-authored, or edited) 106 times,
   the word "Power", as in "Higher Power" or "that Power, which is God" appears 22 times,
   the divine "Him" appears 26 times,
   and the divine "His" is used 15 times,
   but there is no mention of "Jesus Christ", not one single mention.
   Alcoholics Anonymous is not a Christian religion, no matter what some members like to say. It is a religion all right, in spite of the denials of the members who claim that it is only a "spiritual program." Alcoholics Anonymous is a Buchmanite religion. Alcoholics Anonymous is just Frank Buchman's crazy "Oxford Group / Moral Re-Armament" religion, only slightly edited by William G. Wilson and Dr. Robert H. Smith.
   Basically, Alcoholics Anonymous believes in and practices the teachings of Dr. Frank Nathan Daniel Buchman, another man who had little use for Jesus Christ, because he preferred his own beliefs and teachings to those of Jesus. Bill Wilson did not invent the theology of A.A. -- he merely copied it from Frank Buchman.
   
   In spite of that fact that Bill Wilson tried to hide the strong connections between Frank Buchman and A.A., Buchman's Oxford Group got three mentions in the third edition of the Big Book, while Christ got only one. (The first two mentions of the Oxford Group are in the Forward to the Second Edition, and the third is on page 218 of the third edition, in the story "He Thought He Could Drink Like A Gentleman".)
   
   For that matter, when you consider the fact that Jesus' first miracle was changing water into wine at a wedding party, there might be a real problem with Jesus being a member of Alcoholics Anonymous... (John 2:1 to 2:11.)
   
   I am reminded of a contemporary critic of Frank Buchman's Oxford Group, Pastor H. A. Ironside, who criticized Buchmanism by saying that it was not a Christian religion, in spite of Buchman's claims that it was, because everything in Buchmanism would still be possible even if Jesus Christ had never been born. The same thing is true of Alcoholics Anonymous. A.A. would not have to change one word of the official church dogma even if Jesus Christ had never been born. The sacred Twelve Steps of Bill Wilson do not mention Jesus Christ, and do not require Jesus Christ in order to work, and the Twelve Steps don't even require Jesus Christ to have ever existed.
   
   Neither are the Twelve Steps based on any of the teachings of Jesus Christ. (They are based on the teachings of Dr. Frank Buchman.)
   
   Alcoholics Anonymous simply has no need for, and no use for, Jesus Christ. A.A. worships Bill Wilson and Doctor Bob, not Jesus Christ.

3 comments about The Way Things Are: Conversations with Huston Smith on the Spiritual Life.

1. Among the most sought after religious writers of this century, author of The World's Religions and Why Religion Matters, Professor Emeritus of Philosophy, Huston Smith is a reference library of the rites, rituals and beliefs of world religions.
   In The Way Things Are Conversations with Huston Smith, author and editor Phil Cousineau records twenty three interviews in which Smith debates his thoughts and theories with renowned scholars, theologians and journalists. This new compilation encapsulates both his personal contemplation, and public conversations, regarding religion and spirituality in contemporary society.
   Brought up in China by Christian missionary parents, Smith describes his first contact with religion as one of simple trust. "We are in good hands and in gratitude of that fact it would be good if we bore one another's burdens."
   A frequent reference of Smith's is to his concept of a primordial tradition. By forming a list of the common elements within all religions, he has uncovered what he calls the spine of religion. Informing our similarities, while warning us to "Beware of the differences that blind us to the unity that binds us", he encourages readers to see beyond personal beliefs and acknowledge others relationship to divinity.
   This unity, or single religious root, should not be confused with the modern trend of religious pluralism. He banks on the integrity of individual traditions, rather than the scotch-taped spiritual beliefs of pluralism, which have left people alienated from their traditional roots. "The moral is to find some tradition and to steep one's soul in it. To me it is immaterial which tradition; it is of maximum materiality that it be a tradition."
   An area of concern for Smith is the ever-encroaching "Newtonian view.", in which all reality is relative. A reality of relativity provides no room for the existence of an Absolute, the foundational element of religion. Without an Absolute we are left floundering with what Smith describes as an unlivable philosophy, based on the technically competent but metaphysically impoverished methods of science. "Scientism", the religion of science, or oracle we now look to establish truth, leads us further into isolation, cynicism and despair.
   Conversations with Huston Smith guide the reader, using both religious traditions and scientific discovery as signposts, on the quest toward the greater mysteries. Revered for his insight and wisdom, this book is a tribute to Smith's life work and a challenging read for any curious seeker. Though cynics may be adverse to the constant reverence and faith Huston Smith places in God, reading The Way Things Are may result in a basic trust that things are as they should be.



2. If you are like me and have read nearly if not all of his other books--then you may also have wondered, "Okay, but what do you really think? That is, Mr. Smith, what have you concluded about the reality and nature of God, the one true religion, and other questions, etc?" I searched for a personal website, blog or something of his and still can't locate. So I tried this book. Some of these questions I found answers to which was fabulous. But really definitive answers are lacking. Questions that compared one religion to another--he sidesteps--basically refuses to answer. So bottom line, there's nothing new in here from his books, just in a much more conversational (question and answer) format. As a final note, I won't give the book away, but what I have deduced from reading all the interviews in the book, is Mr. Smith himself has studied religions, lived among other religions, but has not come to know God. Truly God is not religion. Most of you know this if you are reading here. Again, I can only go by the most recent interviews, he does not seem to have come to a point where he is living a life based on a back and forth relationship with God. For that, I will take a leap here--again working off these questions and answers and assuming he is answering them honestly and from his heart-- and say that he is not a mature believer--he attends Christian church at this point but he really didn't seem to grasp what mature non-religious Christians understand about Jesus. I've learned a lot from his books but I have to say I've needed to fill in many blanks by seeking other writers or people themselves--such as my Hindu friends. I've learned more about what it means to be Hindu by knowing them than reading books. I do hope this helps. I wish you the best in your own search and understanding. God will lead you if you ask.



3. The way things are would be even better if there were more people like Huston Smith.
   
   This book is a window into the "winnowed wisdom of the human race," and the lifelong insight of a deeply devout and humble man that has spent his entire life seeking truth wherever it may be found, while upholding the sacred traditions of mankind.
   
   Smith is a perennialist in the tradition of Aldous Huxley (who he knew personally) and a traditionalist in the vein of Frithjof Schuon, who sees truth as principial, primordial, absolute, unowned, and variegated. Smith mentions that Schuon was instrumental in his own personal understanding of several religions.
   
   The book is actually a series of private conversations with various other seekers of truth and one will feel as if you are sitting in a zen garden sipping a nice cup of coffee while the bluebird sings in the background. The Way Things Are is also an easy read as it does not dwell long on any theoretical or philosophical depths. This is more of an inspirational book with many sweet gems of wisdom.
   
   I found myself feeling more at ease with the world as every possible important subject known to man is discussed with heartfelt sincerity and from personal religious experience for Smith spends every morning praying a Muslim prayer, performing hatha yoga, and reading a passage from the Holy Bible. On Sundays he is typically found worshiping in his Methodist church. Smith has also spent time with a Zen roshi, with Native American worship, using entheogens with Huxley and Leary, and his daughter has married a devout Jew with whom he observes Shabbat.
   
   You will be hard-pressed to ever find another person that is as well-versed and personally experienced in the richness of world religion as Smith, and yet Smith also speaks from several decades as a professor at prestigious universities, and as a son of Protestant missionaries to China (where he spent his childhood).
   
   Smith gives us his final advice from his roshi, "Infinite gratitude towards all things past; infinite service to all things present; infinite responsibility to all things future," to which I can only say a hearty AMEN.
   
   This book is highly recommended.