George Bernard Shaw was called, with good reason, the "English
Nietzsche". Though Nietzsche was an aristocrat and Shaw a socialist,
both cherished the dream of the superman and looked forward to the day
when he would be realised. Both, however, were characterised by their
mordant wit and intellectual cynicism, in which "Man and Superman"
abounds. Shaw manages to compress a number of disparate themes into a
relatively taut dramatic format, even throwing in a scene in which Don
Juan, the Devil and a gang of anarchist brigands make an appearance.
The central event of the plot involves the wealthy Tanner, a member of
the "Idle Rich Class" making himself subservient to the Life Force and
seeking the perfect woman to marry, who would guarantee him a very
special offspring, his ideal, the superman himself.
Rather than a give the story of philosophy in 50 pages, Dr. McInerny
points students of philosophy in a direction such that their
philosophical studies might actually benefit their lives. The book is
thus a defense of perennial philosophy, and the classical view that
philosophy is something humans are "naturally" drawn to do, because it
completes our lives. Dr. McInerny engages the reader in argument, as he
defends this view against modern views of philosophy, and discusses the
nature of certainty, common sense, and the role of science. Its most
important value is the great faith in human intellect and reason,
implicit throughout the book. This book would make a good beginning for
college philosophy classes. A concluding bibliographical appendix by
Joshua Hochschild gives a brief overview of main philosophers
throughout history, and some good suggestions for reading.
Where are my heroes? Whenever I'm reading a book by one of my
favorite authors I find I'm falling for the wrong guy -- not the hero,
but the other man -- and what I really want is for him to have his own
story.
Like Jake Linley, from Someone to Watch Over Me by Lisa Kleypas…that doctor could sit by my bedside if I ever got sick. And Ned Blydon in Splendid by Julia Quinn...he makes me want to learn to waltz! I never thought living in a drafty castle would be much fun until Simon of Ravenswood in Master of Desire by Kinley MacGregor came along.
Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that these are my men -- when do they get their stories?
The inside track on how to beat the "logic puzzle" job interview
As if job interviews weren't nerve-wracking enough, many companies, in their pursuit of the brightest and best, have begun beleaguering applicants with tests of logic, creativity, and analytical abilities. Many firms have replaced traditional interview questions such as "Tell us about yourself" or "What's your biggest weakness?" with mind-benders such as:
- Why are beer cans tapered at both ends?
- How many piano tuners are there in the world?
- How many Ping-Pong balls can you stuff into a Boeing 747?
- How would you design a bathroom for the CEO of the company?
- If you could remove any one of the 50 U.S.states, which one would it be?
In How to Ace the Brain Teaser Interview, bestselling careers author John Kador gives readers the inside track on this new interview technique. He provides 75 puzzles actually used by HR departments across the nation, and he offers tips on how to solve them and present the solutions so as to make the best possible impression.
