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All Things Shining: Reading the Western Canon to Find Meaning in a Secular World Audiobook
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(3.01) - 508 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
The religious turn to their faith to find meaning. But what about the many people who lead secular lives and are also hungry for meaning? What guides, what approaches are available to them? Distinguished philosophers, Hubert Dreyfus and Sean Dorrance Kelly explain that a secular life charged with meaning is indeed within reach. It is achieved by a passionate, skillful engagement with the people, events, and wonders present in the most ordinary days—an approach to meaning that modern Western culture seems to have abandoned. Dreyfus and Kelly use some of the greatest works of the Western Canon to trace the way we lost this passionate engagement to our surroundings and to show us how to get it back. Taking us on a journey from the wonder and openness of Homer’s polytheistic world, to the monotheism of Dante, to the nihilism of Kant, to the pantheism of Melville, and finally to the spiritual difficulties of the world evoked by modern authors such as David Foster Wallace and Elizabeth Gilbert, All Things Shining will change the way we understand our culture, our history, our sacred practices, and ourselves, and offer a new—and very old—way to celebrate a secular existence.
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"In it we hear that what is new in our times is the lack of guidance amid a plethora of choice. The Gods, or belief in a God, is what took care of individual's decisions in life and that in today's society we are on our own, free will is at the cafeteria and the lunch lady of the past is not doling out what we consume anymore. Hey, what do you know, we have to be adult, be mature, take responsibility for our choices. Ahab was a zealot, who could avoid choice, his self assurance precluded reasoning. Dante's Hell was for people that lived outside the scope of worship, not for sinners. Christ's way or the Highway to Hell. The literary topics are a gem to read, so far."
— Bob (4 out of 5 stars)
All Things Shining Listener Reviews
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" If you have to use post-it flags to read a book, it better be for school, or some crazy punishment. Sigh. Too hard for August. bit.ly/PHgOU0 "
— Aimee, 2/20/2014 -
" Ever wondered why so many people in our modern western world look to other cultures to find meaning? Why does the west struggle with this? This is the book for you if you want to find meaning without yoga, jesus or buddha. "
— Peter, 2/20/2014 -
" An enlightening book about recapturing the "sacred" in a western culture which moving decidedly away from it. I enjoyed the historical aspects, the writings of Homer, Dante, Melville and the analysis of their works as they relate to their times. I may have to go and read "Moby Dick" now. I'm not sure what to make of the authors conclusions regarding the subject matter. I would recommend this book. "
— Richard, 2/14/2014 -
" An interesting philosophical perspective on today's search for meaning. "
— Eric, 2/13/2014 -
" fun, meandering read. "
— marcali, 1/16/2014 -
" This is my airplane reading. Which means, inevitably, I'll finish it before we even get to the airport. A look at literature (including such disparate authors as Dante, Melville, D.F. Wallace, and Descartes) as a guiding moral force in a secular age. "
— Michael, 9/19/2013 -
" Started off well, but in my opinion the authors became too entranced with their writing and lost the story. Once they settled into Moby Dick as an example, they lost the storyline and they lost me. Not as good a read as I hoped. "
— Skyla, 9/6/2013 -
" Great book. Not sure I agree with all the precepts set forth, but I loved having so much food for thought. "
— Haley, 7/4/2013 -
" Deep, questions the meaning of life, our relationship to God (and the gods) through the written history through literature from Homer to Melville. Moby Dick took on a whole new meaning for me, I'll have to read it again. "
— Derek, 3/7/2013 -
" Absolutely the Most Interesting book I've read this year! Anyone with an interest in The Classics and Philosophy should find this a most important read. I highly recommend this book.All Things Shining: Reading the Western Classics to Find Meaning in a Secular Age "
— Michael, 12/21/2011 -
" I thought this book looked interesting if esoteric and intellectual. Well, I can dig esoteric and intellectual with the best of them, but this one was too much for me. Bleh "
— doug, 6/5/2011 -
" Poorly researched and poorly written. A sprawling mess of a book. "
— John, 6/1/2011 -
" Interesting and thought-provoking literary criticism, although the last self-help-esque chapter can easily fall short of expectations. This book doesn't do much in terms of telling you what you should do, but it has changed the way I think about certain things. "
— Aileen, 5/8/2011 -
" Ever wondered why so many people in our modern western world look to other cultures to find meaning? Why does the west struggle with this? This is the book for you if you want to find meaning without yoga, jesus or buddha. "
— Peter, 3/30/2011 -
" Poorly researched and poorly written. A sprawling mess of a book. "
— John, 3/28/2011 -
" surprisingly and disappointingly shallow. overly simplistic readings, especially of the christian tradition. their proposal for "meaning in a secular age" is embarrassingly naive. "
— Chris, 3/20/2011 -
" Great book. Not sure I agree with all the precepts set forth, but I loved having so much food for thought. "
— Haley, 3/1/2011 -
" Did you know DFW had a tattoo of Mary Karr's name inside a heart on his arm, then when he got married crossed out Mary, put an asterisk beside the heart, and lower on his arm put his wife's name next to another asterisk? Me either. So far, so good, if you're at all indecisive. "
— Michael, 2/14/2011 -
" This is a wonderful book and I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 because much of it in the middle was just over my head - I did not have the background in the classics to make sense of those parts. However there was plenty I could understand and it is a book I'll refer to from time to time. "
— Corinna, 2/12/2011 -
" Promising start but soon derailed by simplistic analysis of Western cultural and religious traditions. "
— jen8998, 2/9/2011
About the Authors
David Drummond has made his living as an actor for over twenty-five years, appearing on stages large and small throughout the country and in Seattle, Washington, his hometown. He has narrated over thirty audiobooks, in genres ranging from current political commentary to historical nonfiction, fantasy, military, thrillers, and humor. He received an AudioFile Earphones Award for his first audiobook, Love ’Em or Lose ’Em: Getting Good People to Stay. When not narrating, he keeps busy writing plays and stories for children.
About David Drummond
David Drummond has made his living as an actor for over twenty-five years, appearing on stages large and small throughout the country and in Seattle, Washington, his hometown. He has narrated over thirty audiobooks, in genres ranging from current political commentary to historical nonfiction, fantasy, military, thrillers, and humor. He received an AudioFile Earphones Award for his first audiobook, Love ’Em or Lose ’Em: Getting Good People to Stay. When not narrating, he keeps busy writing plays and stories for children.