Bøger af Morris Berman

Who among us has never wondered whether our lives could be completely different? What exactly could we change, if we could? From the poetry of Robert Frost to the blockbuster cinema of "Back to the Future," the notion of "what if?" holds an almost obsessive fascination over us. Are we shaped by fate, or by conscious choice? "Destiny" is a series of three interrelated novellas that revolve around a single theme: Is it possible, as an act of will, for an individual to change what appears to be his or her fate? Can one deliberately modify the ingrained patterns of one's life, and thereby alter its course? In the case of each of these tales, the central character undertakes to do this, and in each case the outcome is radically different. The path of the protagonist of the first story, "La Vita Nuova," is an occult one, involving meditation, parallel universes, time travel, and a training in Sufi out-of-body experiences. Jason Green, a rather timid librarian in New York City, finally gets the life he wanted, but it comes with a catch, one he cannot seem to resolve. In the second story, "The Observer," Irene Davis is a talented artist who has spent her life keeping everyone at a distance. She wakes up on her fortieth birthday to discover that she is single, friendless, and devoid of any real meaning in her life. In the course of working with a therapist she begins to explore the possibilities for turning this around. The final story, "The Seven Deadly Sins," revolves around the life of a high school social science teacher, George Crystal, who unexpectedly writes a best-seller and subsequently retires to a small village in England. From this vantage point, he decides to "purify" his life by working through the Seven Deadly Sins--Pride, Envy, Anger, Sloth, Greed, Gluttony, and Lust--one by one. After some initial success, the project starts to go awry, and then takes an unexpected turn when George falls in love with another American expatriate. The fact that there are three separate, and fundamentally different, answers to the central question of the book finally lends it a philosophical or existential dimension, one that propels the reader to reflect on his or her own destiny, and what the possibilities are for having the life we really want.

A Question of Values is Morris Berman's seventh book of cultural history and social criticism, and his first book of essays, which were written during 2007-10. Timely and uncompromising, they range across four principal topics: American culture and politics; the human existential condition; a close look at the nature of "progress"; and some thoughts on where Western civilization, in general, is headed. These articles pull no punches regarding our current situation, and represent some of Berman's finest writing to date. He challenges his readers to rethink the accepted mainstream system of values, and argues that in the end, our problems are as ethical in nature as they are political. In the context of a value system that is rapidly turning against us, Berman's message is simple: change or die.

Neurotic Beauty is a remarkable reevaluation of Japan's role in the modern world. It includes a new assessment of the events leading up to the dropping of the bomb on Hiroshima, and of the potential role of Japanese philosophy in creating a dynamic approach to human nature and our understanding of reality. The book also shows the interrelatedness of various facets of Japanese history and society, including psychological orientation, pop culture, and Japan's vibrant craft tradition. Finally, it concludes with a possible prediction, that whereas the United States will not be able to escape from its neoliberal economic categories and its commitment to a self-defeating philosophy of "growth," Japan might surprise us, and turn out to be the frontrunner in the development of post-capitalist alternatives in the 21stcentury. Written in a personal and accessible style, the book is likely to provide a focus for debate about issues of economy, ecology, and sustainability for years to come.

An expression of gratitude for a life lived away from the madding crowd. This poetry collection was penned about a year after Berman moved to a small town in Mexico. With the frenzy of American life receding into the background, he was able to sink into the stillness of his new surroundings, allowing long-dormant creative energies to surface.

George Haskel, a retired professor of German literature, decides to found an institute to promote dullness, as a counterpoint to the hustling celebrity culture of contemporary America. The venture soon attracts a number of brilliant misfits, who transform the project into a political movement, the Authentic Party, that ultimately swells to 8 million members. Events begin to overtake George and his merry band, as luminaries such as Bill Maher, Woody Allen, and Jerry Brown get on board. The final showdown with the White House threatens a coup d'ãaetat: Will America undertake a radical shift in the direction of authenticity, or will it remain committed to business as usual? -Amazon.

"Provocative...stimulating and insightful."-Publishers Weekly

The Reenchantment of the World is a perceptive study of our scientific consciousness and a cogent and forceful challenge to its supremacy. Focusing on the rise of the mechanistic idea that we can know the natural world only by distancing ourselves...