Field of Gourds

Intellectual, geeky, and highly creative, Field of Gourds: A Guide to Intellectual Rebellion is presented as a dialogue between Rob Fisher with his dog, Bella. They explore the nature of rationality and discuss how, as a society, we are on the verge of losing what constitutes the foundation of individual and spiritual freedom. The author argues that most people are trapped in an intellectual prison, consuming ideas and culture like they are eating macaroni and cheese their mothers cooked for them. Believing knowledge-culture, art, science, and religion-are consumables meant to be received from others, they might find some interesting, others boring, but they never think of exploring for themselves. In other words, they fail to wield their own intellectual prowess. They do not construct knowledge, or even realize that they have an active and critical role to play in building their own understanding of things. Rather than take responsibility for what they think, believe, or feel, they passively digest other people's visions of the world, and in the cacophony of viewpoints that characterize modern life, they wonder why they are left feeling confused with no sense of purpose. As it entertains, inspires, and challenges the reader, this book romps through some big ideas on the interrelationships among science, economics, technology, politics, democracy, religion, and theater and suggests how one should navigate the modern world. A unique cross between the self-help genre and philosophy of science, it shows how to free your mind from false traps and actively engage in creative and collaborative projects with those around you in order to manifest your full capabilities and achieve ultimate happiness. It could even change your life.