| Matters
Literary |
October
2002 |
Nuremburg: The Reckoning by William F. Buckley,
Jr.
The setting has great promise -- The Nuremburg War Crimes Trials.
The characters include the best and worst of humanity. The themes are as
philosophical as they come: good and evil, law versus justice, defiance and
repentance. The author is one of America's finest minds. So, why does this book
disappoint and annoy? Click here for more.
Profiles in Courage for Our Time, by
Caroline Kennedy
President Kennedy's "Profiles in Courage" was
not much of a book, but the idea was a solid one, and the timing of its
publication significant. His daughter's new compilation can be summed up in the
same words. The idea of a collection of essays examining the quality of courage
immediately grabs the reader. And in days like these, perhaps, we need the
inspiration of past examples. But this still isn't much of a book. Click here to read
why.
The Future of Life, by Edward O.
Wilson
Dr. Wilson's latest work is a shorter and more accessible
effort than his tome Ants (his greatest field of expertise) and
Sociobiology (probably his most important work to date). However, as the
title suggests, he packs a great deal into a small amount of space. His chief
concern is the damage that Homo Sapiens as a species does to the planet's
biosphere. Click
here to read more.