The Passing of a Wise and Inquiring Man
by Floyd Kemske
Avenue Victor Hugo Bookshop lost a friend -- and the world lost a thinker of importance
-- in January when philosopher Robert Nozick died at 63 after eight years with stomach
cancer.
Nozick was the author of Invariances: The Structure of
the Objective World (2001), Socratic Puzzles (1997), The Nature of
Rationality (1995), The Examined Life (1989), and Philosophical Explanations
(1981). But he is best known for Anarchy, State, and Utopia (1974), which
he wrote as a critique of John Rawls's Theory of Justice (1971). Rawls's book
was a justification of modern bureaucracy and income redistribution. Nozick's book
developed the proposition that "The minimal state is the most extensive state
that can be justified." Nozick's book was listed by The Times Literary Supplement
as one of the 100 most influential books since the War. He is credited with bringing
Newcomb's Problem -- concerning free will -- to the attention of philosophers and
the public at large (see here. But his interests were wide- ranging, and he grappled with issues
like objectivity, consciousness, principles, and values. Unlike many philosophers,
who devote their careers to a single area, Nozick covered many different areas of
his discipline, and was driven mostly by a desire to relate philosophy to the tasks
of everyday life. His desire to examine many different questions was born in part
of necessity after the spectacular success of his first book. "I didn't want
to spend my life writing The Son of Anarchy, State, and Utopia," he said
in an interview. Anarchy, State, and Utopia argues for a minimal state, but
Nozick was anything but an ideologue. His rejection of ideology is best illustrated
by his unique concept of philosophical pluralism, developed in Philosophical Explanations.
He did not see the need for philosophical proofs but instead propounded the notion
of adopting several views simultaneously, gaining from each a different level of
truth and insight. "There are various philosophical views, mutually incompatible,
which cannot be dismissed or simply rejected. Philosophy's output is the basketful
of these admissible views, all together." In a world anxious to classify everything
into the categories of right and wrong (not to mention good and evil), this is more
than maturity. It is courage. Nozick taught at Harvard, having become a full professor
there in 1969 at the age of 30. Much of the information in this item is from his
obituary at the Harvard University Gazette. Go Virgin!
Yes, the new Virgin store has opened on the corner of our block -- if you're looking to find us, they're a good landmark: we're halfway down the block from them, on the other side of the street.
Sure is nice to have something back in that space. It would be more fun if we had it...maybe if we can get some of those friendly accountants from Arthur Anderson to get us a bunch of tax breaks like they did for those good old folks down in Texas. The Bushes. Wait, maybe it was Enron? Whoever. Somehow most of the biggest corporations end up not paying taxes, and somehow we do. Hmm. So anyway, we're glad there'll be more people coming to Newbury Street for books and music and such, don't forget to drop by! Times Two
The 2's (not so terrible, surely?) are upon us and we’re ready for them. We have selections of magazines for birthdays, anniversaries -- or any other reason -- from 1942, ‘52, ‘62, ‘72, & ‘82. Time, Life, Look, Saturday Evening Post, all are weeklies that could make neat gifts. We also have monthlies: the National Geographic, American Mercury, and Playboy.
We are by no means limited to just the anniversary years. We have magazines bound and unbound going back to the 1850s. Let us know what you're looking for and we'll see what we can find. Cataloguery Tales
This comes under the Best First Sentence of A Recently Cataloged Book.
"Oh! wicked city of New York - cruel, mysterious city of New York - where crime peeps forth with the setting sun and on-coming night, and stalks boldly abroad under the dim, flickering light of the stars!"
This is from the 1898 novel, Junie’s Love-Test, by Laura Jean Libbey, who wrote such other great works as Madcap Laddy The Flirt; Garnetta, The Silver King's Daughter; and My Sweet Idabel.
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Right now the candidate for the oldest book we’ve cataloged seems to be a book by Erasmus printed in 1527. We have something from 1557, and then some other stuff, including a love poem by Michaelangelo from the early 1600s. Good for the Books
Well, an extreme lack of winter has been apparent up and down the north east coast. And, while the birds, flowers, trees, and even the bugs(!) are confused and perhaps a little messed up, there's one section of the population who are happy: skiiers. No wait, I mean readers. After all, this is perfect weather to it the beach, go sailing, have lunch on the Common or in Post Office Square. And to bring along a book and read! |
Recommendations
So whats to read? How about a few of these?
Stupid White Men by Michael Moore (ReganBooks, $24.95). Yes, this book was halfway through it's printing in September of last year when everything was put on hold while we all fell in line behind the president. Or, the "president," as Moore would have it. All I can say it, I am glad this book got published. From the very start it is a scathing indictment of politics as usual -- it was enough to make me want to give up, lie under the desk and go to sleep for a hundred years, hoping that when I woke up it might all somehow have got better. No matter your political affiliation, Moore will get on your nerves, but read this book!
Radiance by Carter Scholz (Picador, $24.95). Don't miss this one, either. Scholz doesn't let the reader off the hook from the start. Salon and I agree -- although I don't know that I would throw around that "Pynchonesque" tag -- this is complicated, necessary reading.
The Birthday of the World by Ursula K. Le Guin, (HarperCollins, $24.95) is the latest collection of stories by one of the most thoughtful writers around. Get lost in the World.
Six Kinds of Sky by Luis Alberto Urrea, (Cinco Puntos Press, $12.95) is another wonderful short story collection. American Book Award-winner Urrea's stories range over the Southwest North America: down into Mexico, up to South Dakota and come down into the people that make up the places. Tall stories, true stories, great stories.
The Years of Rice and Salt by Kim Stanley Robinson, (Bantam, $25.95). It's an event when Robinson comes out with a novel, and this time is no different. [Rhetorical question: Is there any other fiction writer who has come up with at least two new systems of commerce that -- given a chance -- might work?]
After his wonderful Mars series, Robinson takes a look at our present world, but through a different lens: here the Black Plague has wiped out 99% of the European population, instead of 30%. Naturally other cultures rise to fill the niches left by the vanished Europeans.
The years of rice and salt are our middle years, the productive ones, say when we are 30-50, years old; when we have to figure out for ourselves what we're going to do with our lives. We can all be thankful that Robinson decided to write.
Life is Funny, E.R. Frank, (DK Publishing, $17.95 -- but soon out in paperback). Just read this young adult novel about a dozen kids and adults living in Brooklyn. Told from many viewpoints, you get to see different events from different perspectives -- it's a neat trick and gives a much richer view than the average novel can give.
Which reminds me of Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak, (Puffin, $7.99), a first-person account (funny how the phrase "first person" has been co-opted by videogamers) of a year in the life of a girl in high school. It's a powerful book, with, for once, a cover that fits. Read these two young adult books to remind yourself how powerfully books affect you when you're a teenager, and how powerfully teenagers feel.
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