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On Equilibrium, by John Ralston Saul

What does John Ralston Saul’s influential philosophical trilogyVoltaire’s Bastards, The Doubter’s Companion and The Unconscious Civilization mean for the real lives of individuals? Is it possible to apply his groundbreaking theories to everyday life?

On Equilibrium presents us with a virtual “how to”of the ways that ideas can translate into action. Saul explains how our different qualities give us the intelligence, self-confidence and ability to think and act as responsible individuals.

Saul argues that when human qualities are worshipped in isolation they become weaknesses, even forces of destruction or self-destruction. In short, they become ideologies. But as he explores the qualities he has identified as being necessary to integrated human behaviour, he shows us that the key is to use these qualities in combination. How can we use these qualities as positive forces in our own lives and in society? How can we use them to reinforce us as humans?

On Equilibrium is an intelligent, persuasive and controversial exploration of the essential qualities of humanity and how to use them to achieve equilibrium for the self and for an ethical society. It is a logical, compelling and humane successor to his bestselling trilogy.

( from the sleeve,  hardcover 370 pages )

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Bill Moyers, Genesis, A Living Conversation

The stories in the book of Genesis captured our ancestors’ imagination thousands of years ago — and they speak to us today. In Genesis, acclaimed television journalist Bill Moyers explores the contemporary relevance of the ageless wisdom from the Bible’s epic first book.

Creation, temptation, murder, exile, and family strife–these emerge from every page of Genesis and speak to us today. Genesis invites readers into a lively and accessible discussion of the manifold meanings of these stories, and engages us in a fascinating exploration of the relationship between interpreter and text. Among the scores of writers, theologians, artists, and thinkers in the series are Mary Gordon, Phyllis Trible, John Barth, Faye Kellerman, Samuel Proctor, Aviva Zornberg, Walter Brueggemann, Robert Alter, Oscar Hijuelos, Charles Johnson, Stephen Mitchell, Leon Kass, Elaine Pagels, Bharati Mukherjee, Seyyed Hossein Nasr, Elizabeth Swados, Renita Weems–all in a dazzling, multi-layered chorus of voices.

With the same interplay of text, photographs, and art that made The Power of Myth and Healing and the Mind so dynamic and unforgettable, Genesis has the capacity to enrich people’s lives intellectually and spiritually.

( from the sleeve,  hardcover 361 pages )