Money and the Meaning of Life
Author: Jacob Needleman
List Price: $17.95
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ISBN: 0385262426
Publisher: Currency (15 September, 1994)
Sales Rank: 47,650
Average Customer Rating: 4 out of 5
Customer Reviews
Rating: 3 out of 5
Buy It But Skip The First 20 Chapters
A self-described "trained philosopher" (a term which he never defines), Professor Needleman is also an undisciplined writer. Had this book not been recommended to me by one of my more intelligent students, I would have thrown it aside after reading the first few chapters. Instead, based upon my student's recommendation, I read it through to the end, and am glad I did.The topic, the place of money in the life of the modern thinking person, is a compelling one, and Professor Needleman provides a lucid and intelligent discussion of it in the third part of the book, beginning at chapter 21. Unfortunately, you will gain nothing more by reading the first 20 chapters, which consist of undisciplined ramblings by an author who considers himself charismatic. It is as if they were written by a totally different person.
Rating: 4 out of 5
A wake up call for those who live in the market economy.
Needleman presents a philosophical discussion of the role of money in personal life. Rather than blanketly dismissing the material side of our existence he seeks to demonstrate the necessary balance between the spiritual and the mundane.The book is strongly based in traditional philosophy as the author attempts to clarify, sythesize, and interpret classic works that support (or can be made to support) his premise. In some instances there is inadeqate discussion of the philosophical context on which the arguments are based. A portion of the work is a narrative which I found distracting. The book is an attempt to present a philosophical treatise to non-philosophers - perhaps the author should have either written an academic text or resigned himself to more adequately developing his thesis in the beginning with more limited supporting material.
Overall this is a provocative book for those who are searching to resolve the apparent conflicts between the spiritual and the material. How likely is this to occur in a global economy built on consumerism? An interesting sequel to the work might be an edited volume of articles by economists, sociologists, theologians and anthropologists related to the implications and feasibility of infusing some degree of moderation into this market-oriented world.
Rating: 3 out of 5
Get the Cliff Notes
There are good ideas, interesting asides, and new philosophical propositions to spare in Money and the Secret of Life. The basic premise--that money is a technology invented, not to accumulate wealth, but to realize human potential--is certainly worth our attention. Needleman is best describing money as the great tool of capitalism and capitalism as a great metaphysical system. The problem with Money and the Meaning of Life is that Jacob Needleman set out to write an inquiry into the spiritual potential of money, then sketched out a history of Western religious thought, and ended up writing a first person narrative full of punch lines thinly disguised as surprise philosophical discoveries. Mixing Max Weber, Guradjieff, Maimonodes, King Solomon, and an anonymous businessman (who really DOES know the meaning of life) could have been a rollercoaster ride full of unexpected connections and insights; what it actually ends up being is long-winded, self-conscious, and pretentious. In terms of the capitalist object, a good product, but, word for word, not exactly a terrific value. Similar Products
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