52 Books in 52 Weeks, it's called. The challenge is simple: read a book every week for a year.
05. Life is a miracle: an essay against modern superstition.
Addressing some of his common themes: stretching the ‘machine’ analogy beyond metaphor is harmful to creatures; man cannot know all that he thinks he can know; ‘place,’ ‘small,’ ‘familiar’ are all more important than the modern era allows. But most specifically about the danger of making reductionist science-and-technology into a religion — of the new, of the ‘frontier’ — that causes real harm to real people and places without any real accountability or forethought. Spends a large portion of the book addressing counterarguments to Edward O. Wilson’s Consilience, which campaigns for a scientifically-based unity of all disciplines, both the sciences and the humanities. Berry, predictably, thinks this is hogwash, and makes his case with blinding elegance, thought and assurance (also predictably). I’m not done with this man yet.
Wendell Berry always challenges and delights me. I’ve been delving into his novels of late, particularly “Jayber Crow” and “Hannah Coulter.” I certainly recommend them.
Andy Whitman. February 13th. 2009. 3:49 pm.
Good rec.
I can’t stand Wilson either.
e. February 14th. 2009. 5:27 am.