John Ringo’s “Black Tide Rising” series presents a world devastated by a bio-engineered viral plague. The plague destroys upper brain functions turning the infected into mindless cannibals, effectively zombies. It’s highly contagious. It’s contracted through blood-to-blood contact with the infected—usually as they attack those not infected, to eat them. The series focuses on how survivors…
Freedom Through Leisure in ‘Leisure: The Basis of Culture’
We are a society that all too often focuses on work, but do we ever stop and think about rest and leisure? What constitutes work, and for that matter, what exactly is leisure? German philosopher Josef Pieper (1904–1997) delves deeply into this question in his classic work, “Leisure: The Basis of Culture.” Here, Pieper demonstrates…
When Silicon Valley Values Meet West Texas
Texas ranching has been under economic siege almost since it began. It has always offered an opportunity to make a small fortune, nowadays by starting with a large one. Yet for all its flaws, ranching is addictive. So is abandoning ranching. “The Big Empty,” a novel by Loren Steffy, steals one of the classic tropes…
Seeing Beauty
British philosopher Roger Scruton (1944–2020) was a defender of beauty and traditional art throughout his long writing career. In his book “Beauty: A Very Short Introduction,” Scruton guides the reader through the world of the beautiful: from art to architecture to nature to even the simple pleasures of everyday acts, such as eating. He writes…
‘The Phantom Toolbooth’
Norton Juster died in March 2021. He was an architect, as well as an author in his spare time. Despite an impressive career as an architect, he is best known as an author. “The Phantom Tollbooth” was Juster’s best-known book. It appeared in 1961 and has been in print ever since. Milo, a child, never…
Looking for Signs of Life: ‘The Disappearance of Rituals’
We may be communicating with one another daily, but are we relating? This significant question has been asked in our society in recent years, and it needs to be addressed. Byung-Chul Han’s new book, “The Disappearance of Rituals,” makes useful and necessary philosophical distinctions that allow the reader to further contemplate man’s place in a…
‘Oblivion or Glory: 1921 and the Making of Winston Churchill’
As 1920 ended, Winston Churchill seemed headed for obscurity. The British failure at Gallipoli brought his political career to collapse in 1916. While partially restored before the Great War ended, he was stalemated in a dead-end cabinet position as 1921 opened. His judgment was widely questioned. He was experiencing financial difficulties. When 1921 ended, everything…
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