APN's Book Reviews: an attempt!

[amateurphilosophynerd]

I am going to post Philosophy Book Reviews as my attempt to do something remotely helpful as a response to the books I have read.
This is merely to do my bit Book Review wise even though I stumble. I learn my stumbling and would wish to emmulate academics and Broadsheet Book Reviewers. So here goes.

[amateurphilosophynerd]

This book is the start of me formally attempting to reply to the Research Draft Proposal Draft with something pertaining to a sensible answer without of course having the elementary qualifications those in Academia are blessed to have Charles Taylor is part of two Philosophers I am reading that attempt to go beyond the ISMS and Ideologies as fundamental explanations. (As I stand I think both sides need listening too ). This is to discover the subtleties and nauced explanations and theories and range of explanations that give a deeper picture than just the ISM's and Continental Philosophy which have influenced Literature and the Arts so much. These voices deserve to be heard and one must remain open. Just like Chritchley defends the right of Continental Philosophers to be heard alongside Analytic Philosophers. So I am defending my right to read both sides and see value in opposing sides. This book took me SIX MONTHS to read but by persevering even when I may have lost hold of the Books Plot. Taylor I discover does NOT like Marxism. But he employs a wide ranges of Philosophers to account for the Philosopher-leading accounts of PHILOSOPHERS and their respective theories and ideologies as accounting for the types of person in Society. This is I think very Philosopher Kings of Plato. Taylor does not think philosophical insights should come from the populace but rather the experts which must make him a Platonist. However in additon to this I have seen Taylor quoted as an Hegelian Nietzschean which means I have had to plough thorough 'Beyond Good and Evil' on Librivox (not finished yet) and look into Hegel. I have downloaded his History of Philosophy just to get a taste of a man I believe to espouse transcendental modes of philosophy. The extra work means audiobooks are coming into their own and more scans if you like are in order just to get a flavour or try too, of where he is coming from. So this is my take: I think he is an Orthodox Platonist (?) ( I am ignorant of Philosophy per se but read Philosphy books which means I am learning loads), who favours the Experts Philosopher Kings of the Academy as central connoters of identities on the ground. This is shown in the analysis of various Philosopher viewpoints: the Humean Self, The Punctual Self of Locke, the Homeric Self, The Self of Rational Reason (Plato highly influential). IN THEORY his rationale could be extended to any and every Philosopher under the sun-including Marx to generate a database of 'selves'. This could be a useful instrument to both Philosphers and preferably people at the bottom who end up niavely taking on these 'selves'.. An interesting well written clear book with a couple of niggle points which I believe has greater challenges in terms of inspiring agenda setting ideas in terms of the philosophy of the various selves around the world. 537 words

[amateurphilosophynerd]

Synder and Mitchell The Cultural Locations of Disability 2006

I brought this to provide some particularities data to the thinking I am having around exploring the peculiar circumstances regarding the word 'emancipation' and the problem it poses to us who are effectively institutionalized by a variety of practices designed ostensibly for our good good..

And particularities it does. Synder and Mitchell are one of the few Academics providing for us a radical account of the actualites of disabled peoples lives as a source of a 'never ending research machine'. The research machine also provides rehabilitation and taxomonies based on medical need. But instead of heed it's emancipatory arms ie critical theory and ethical philosophy, it imposes a whole infrastruture of control where the disabled lose rights by very right of their being disabled.

(Phamaceutical companies in this instance institute open season on such disabilies by chemical Coshes, and medicalisation of deviant behaviours separate from actual medical need). It is US based but despite of the analysis being based on US eugencics practices it is useful for all disabilies studies-especially those of service users who are the benefactors of the researcher machine whose knowledge is not needed as phenomenological experts.

Synder and Mitchell couragously in my humble opinion describe the assumption that disabled people don't have rights by right of them being institutionalized and the practices therein. The Service users are powerless to resist the movements of the Superior Body on account of their inarticulacy* (charles taylor as yet unexplored concept and critcal one at that). Control of their inmates is top priority.

Foucaldian analysis is used to explicate the circumstances of the above in an acount that will both disturb and enlighten and once again make angry any who are concerned for this group

NOTE: I wish I was a Psychiatrist Psychologist Neuroscientist because then my emancipatory perspectives would be able to have some biological form.

[amateurphilosophynerd]

Book No 2 'Gang Leader for a day'
800 words

How a Postgraduate Student (now a Professor and going places) exposed the other side of Gang Culture which goes beyond the usaul hackneyed Gang Culture Narrative.
We all hear stories of Gangs running amok on Estates and we are right to be afraid and not wish for similar in our circumstances; but Sudhir Venkatesh 's sensitive account shows that there is another side to the horrors we are so used to hearing about.
Like Alternative Provision of Services that would normally provided by Professionals from electricians to furnishings welfare and so forth.
That is no mean feat and the efforts to do so are time consuming to say the least.
I am adverse to rough environment like the next person; but I found my heart warming to the Gangs and the people on the Estate the Chicago Robert Taylor Estate which was made a political point of; only to be demolished at the end of the story.
My heart which normally flees was drawn by the caring way Venkatesh responds to the people doing what I find out is PARTICIPANT OBSERVATION, a methodology academics are forbidden to practice due to Ethics commitees who have to make sure Research is conducted in an ethical manner. ETHNOGRAPHY and GROUNDED THEORY all enter the eqaution that Vankadesh explores. (without mentioning the above Methodologies but living the story that unfolds).
237 words 200 words to go
Descriptions are horrible disturbing how he managed to enter their world I don't know, but he enters their World and after passing a few tests becomes a trusted member of their community right down to having meals with Mrs Mae to be gaurded by JT's foot soldiers. Somehow he manages to combine both Postgraduate student identity with a growing knowledge of the community at hand who call him 'Mr Professor' even though he is yet to write; let alone complete his Dissertation and end up as a successful PG Student and the Professor he is now.
The Dissertation he has done has spun off other Projects resulting in much important discussion from within Academia (Google Scholar).
This is a guy to take seriously and keep in mind when one does one's own 'research'
I was lent this book because of my commitment to learn Grounded Theory which is a lynchpin of this Research draft reply project the most demanding challenging academic Project I have ever embarked upon. This book is one to help you get behind the questions one might ask and the spirit of enquiry that it is gonna have to take. I for one am glad I have read it.
437 words Review = 3000 words written and writing.

Write Up
I brought myself a copy of the 'London Review of Books' just to cut the monotony of what I am reading a Weekly Paper plus Philosophy Now which needs private blogging.
So today I have done a bit of Reading and my Writing; this is just a bit of writing to up the word counts so I get them nice and large so by the end of the sentence I have done 500 words here and the rest in main writing today.

524 word count

[amateurphilosophynerd]

This is a shocking account of Shock Therapy which tells how Milton Friedman. Chicago School Economists one size fits all Policies . Resulted in gross inequalities and poverty for many Nations round the World.

She shows us how . Shock Therapy Regimes are imposed to circumvent grassroots resistance which is an eye opener into pervasive corporatism which is deliberately seeking to avoid Governance and the Government ; and in effect run their own Mini-States within a weakened dis-empowered State.

(US Military Provision using Private Companies which famous Politicans such as Donald Rumsfeld benefited from financially). This has implications for Democracy and the Democratic Process. Dahl a famous Democracy Theorist at the University of Chicago says quite plainly that the Capitalist System is best served by Democracy. Naomi Kleins courageous honest well researched and thorough analysis is yet another example of what good research is. Her intellectual honesty is refreshing too.

The books begins with the disturbing accounts of Psychic Driving as done by Dr Ewen Cameron whose methods were later utilised as Torture methods. You see the poor woman whose life has been ruined by psychic driving, without any legal recompense or compensation. Others of course have suffered a similar fate. Then she develops her account of how the Chicago School of Free Market Economists have used Shock Therapy to force Free Market Ideologies WHICH THEY KNOW WILL BE DEMOCRATICALLY OPPOSED to an unwilling populace with devastating consequences. As a result the word 'controversial' is the only word that can be applied to this book hence every human being in the world should attempt to grab a copy.

Klein rightly defends the Market but within a socially just framework which the Shock Doctors of Chicago have not done.

All in all this is a balanced and truly controversial account which ought to be sky high in Bestseller lists all over the world.

335 words

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[amateurphilosophynerd]

I am in the School of Practice Practice Practice when it comes to Book Reviews especially Philosophy and Academic.