
All Things Shining
Reading the Western Classics to Find Meaning in a Secular Age
Free Press · Print & ebook · August 9, 2011
An inspirational book that is “a smart, sweeping run through the history of Western philosophy.
We earn from qualifying purchases.
- Who it’s for
- A thoughtful guide to reading classics for meaning, without pretending the question is simple.
- Genres
- Ethics, Religion & Philosophy, Books & Reading
- Published
- Free Press, August 9, 2011
Nearest books
Matched by what the books are about, then ordered by what their readers also loved.
Humanly PossibleSarah Bakewell61% match
Classical Mythology: a Very Short IntroductionHelen Morales55% match
Yes to LifeViktor E. Frankl, Joelle Young54% match
How to LiveSarah Bakewell53% match
Start with three books, and this one can be the first.
Members get a new edition every morning: a route out from their books to essays, research and talks, with the reason for each.
Start with this bookAbout this book
An inspirational book that is “a smart, sweeping run through the history of Western philosophy. Important for the way it illuminates life today and for the controversial advice it offers on how to live” (The New York Times). “What constitutes human excellence?” and “What is the best way to live a life?” These are questions that human beings have been asking since the beginning of time.
Continue reading
In their critically acclaimed book, All Things Shining, Hubert Dreyfus and Sean Dorrance Kelly argue that our search for meaning was once fulfilled by our responsiveness to forces greater than ourselves, whether one God or many. These forces drew us in and imbued the ordinary moments of life with wonder and gratitude. Dreyfus and Kelly argue in this thought-provoking work that as we began to rely on the power of our own independent will we lost our skill for encountering the sacred. Through their original and transformative discussion of some of the greatest works of Western literature, from Homer’s Odyssey to Melville’s Moby Dick, Dreyfus and Kelly reveal how we have lost our passionate engagement with the things that gave our lives purpose, and show how, by reading our culture’s classics anew, we can once again be drawn into intense involvement with the wonder and beauty of the world. Well on its way to becoming a classic itself, this inspirational book will change the way we understand our culture, our history, our sacred practices, and ourselves.
Reading for Meaning
A thoughtful guide to reading classics for meaning, without pretending the question is simple.
Come here for
- Western classics in a secular frame
- Philosophical, spiritually alert reading
Expect
- Cultural literacy with a philosophical edge
- Layered, reflective interpretation
Where it sits
| Ethics | 29% |
|---|---|
| Books & Reading | 19% |
| Religion & Philosophy | 19% |
Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.
Publisher categories
- Existentialism
- Philosophy Overviews
- Humanism
- Authors
- Hubert Dreyfus, Sean Dorrance Kelly, Hubert L. Dreyfus
- Publisher
- Free Press
- Published
- August 9, 2011
- Format
- Print & ebook
- Reading lane
- Existentialism