For Common Things: Irony, Trust and Commitment in America Today

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Jedediah Purdy is only in his mid-20s, but there are times when, working your way through Purdy's precisely crafted sentences, you would swear that the author is an old man. The problem with the world today, Purdy says, is that too many of us have withdrawn from it. "Often it begins in ironic avoidance," he writes, "the studied refusal to trust or hope openly. Elsewhere it comes from reckless credulity, the embrace of a tissue of illusions bound together by untested hope." He urges a revitalization of the notion of public responsibility, "the active preservation of things that we must hold in common or, eventually, lose altogether." Purdy is well aware that politics, the most visible of the public arenas, is nowadays regarded as a training ground for opportunists and hypocrites. But he insists that if we invest our lives with a dignity rooted in "the harmony of commitment, knowledge, and work," even politics might be restored.

For Common Things is quick to make pronouncements along the lines of "Today's young people are adept with phrases that reduce personality to symptoms," without mentioning that it was their therapy-happy baby boomer parents who introduced words like passive-aggressive and repressed into their vocabulary--and without broaching the possibility that it was the combined failure of the '60s counterculture movement and the loss of faith in government attendant to the Watergate scandal that nurtured cynicism and ironic detachment within the boomers. (Well, perhaps solving the problem is more important than assigning the blame.) At times, the Harvard-educated author's erudition gets the best of him, and his prose takes on a certain academic stiffness. (One wonders, at such moments, if perhaps the book has its roots in a senior thesis.) But when Purdy focuses on personal matters related to his homeschooled West Virginia upbringing, one can detect traces of a passion and intensity that would be well worth developing in future writings. Which is not to say that Purdy doesn't feel strongly about the restoration of civic commitment; this book stands as proof that he does. But anybody can--and many people do--make impersonal assessments of the state of the world; there is a story, however, that only Jedediah Purdy can tell us about community and responsibility. The traces of that story in For Common Things may leave many readers clamoring for more details. --Ron Hogan

Book Description

Jedediah Purdy calls For Common Things his "letter of love for the world's possibilities." Indeed, these pages--which have already garnered a flurry of attention among readers and in the media--constitute a passionate and persuasive testament to the value of political, social, and community reengagement. Drawing on a wide range of literary and cultural influences--from the writings of Montaigne and Thoreau to the recent popularity of empty entertainment and breathless chroniclers of the technological age--Purdy raises potent questions about our stewardship of civic values.

Most important, Purdy offers us an engaging, honest, and bracing reminder of what is crucial to the healing and betterment of society, and impels us to consider all that we hold in common.

Customer Reviews:

Interesting.......2006-07-05

The ideas in this book are very interesting and give words to the subconscious and formerly unspoken idea of social apathy - in the form of Purdy's ironists. These observations, while not original, are quite well discussed. Purdy is an exemplary expository writer, discussing various very complicated ideas, and addressing in words the emotional undertone of American society. My only criticism is that it is very apparent that Purdy grew up in a small town, in a pastoral farm setting in West Virginia, and was home-schooled. Detachment from the "normal" American experience gives him an outsider's perspective; while I can appreciate his passion against strip-mining for coal in West-Virginia, I can't related. He misses the very relevant reality of American life. Furthermore, I find something ironic in an ivy-league lawyer writing about the American experience of social apathy when his idyllic rearing experience was far removed from the average American's more provincial or urban upbringing. Rather, Purdy comes across as somewhat of an ivy-league elitist that is pedantic in his opinions and naive in his view (but, I mean that in a good way). Understand, that to criticize this book is my highest form of flattery. I am not at all bashing Purdy. I wholly recommend reading this book and encourage more of this form of expression.

The idea of personal responsibility.......2006-04-28

It is misguided to focus on the academic and family history of Jedediah Purdy when reviewing this book. It is also wrong to assign him any particular political position, as this book does not focus on partisan issues, but is rather a call to embrace what is common and good in all people, and can be thus interpreted from both liberal and conservative viewpoints. I found that the most important and relevant idea I took away from this book was Mr. Purdy's call to personal responsibility in your actions towards yourself, towards your neighbors and towards humanity as a whole. Most of the book focuses on how we as individuals and as a nation have become irresponsible and disillusioned, and discusses the reasons why this has happened. The center of his thought though, is personal responsibility. He asserts that by living responsibly, we become aware of the consequences of our actions, and will accordingly try to live in a way that does more good than harm to ourselves and our communities. Although his writing has many flaws, I thought that this idea was so interesting and so overlooked by other thinkers, that I would recommend this book to anyone.

Something to think about.......2004-09-15

A good look at the state of our communities and how the deterioration of the traditional community has led to a lack of responsibility when it comes to the use of our natural resources. An important book. It opened me up to some new ideas about what we're doing.

Interesting, but empty........2004-01-31

When I first saw this book, I was intriqued by the very straightforward writing of the author, and immediately related to his desire to see a simpler world that was not unnecessarily complicated by greed and insincerity. Seeing as this book was published right as the dot-com boom was at its crest, the digiterati of silicon valley (and elsewhere) seemed an easy target. I admit that I took a more than a little pleasure in seeing the fall of many of the dot-commers.

However, the book quickly languished in identifying the problems of modern society without giving any concrete alternatives to the society against which it railed. Jedediah seems to take great pains in telling us about his early life in West Virginia, but does nothing to enable us to translate his earlier experiences into modern society. In the end, this comes painfully close to becoming a "Things were better back in the good-old days" type of book.

Overall, I was disappointed, but not surprised. If all of the worlds ills could be dispelled just by writing about them, things would be much easier.

no concrete solutions.......2003-10-20

Purdy's book best represents the decline of the American left. Throughout Purdy's book, he never mentions any concrete solutions to America's problems. Instead we just get a diatribe against urbanity and materialism. Purdy's obsession with culture can be seen in American universities that constantly mentoned cultural differeance but never economic or insitutional solutions to America's problems.

For Common Things - Irony, Trust, And Commitment In America Today

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For Common Things - Irony, Trust, And Commitment In America Today
Jedediah Purdy
Manufacturer: Alfred A. Knopf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000K1OKEQ

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For Common Things: Irony, Trust and Commitment in America Today
Jedediah Purdy
Manufacturer: Alfred A. Knopf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000P56WXO

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FOR COMMON THINGS: IRONY, TRUST, AND COMMITMENT IN AMERICA TODAY
JEDEDIAH PURDY
Manufacturer: Vintage Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000K3DXMO

Stupidity at work.: An article from: New Criterion

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Stupidity at work.: An article from: New Criterion
James Bowman
Manufacturer: Foundation for Cultural Review
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Book Banning | Books & Reading | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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Book Description

This digital document is an article from New Criterion, published by Foundation for Cultural Review on October 1, 1999. The length of the article is 4025 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

From the supplier: The educational and media standards of the US in the late 20th century are examined, focusing on the decline of culture, the problems of censorship, and the danger of teaching books reflecting cultural diversity but not complex philosophy. Topics include a book written by 24-year-old Harvard graduate Jedediah Purdy, changes in censorship standards since the 1950s, and how the tastes of teenagers influence media values.

Citation Details
Title: Stupidity at work.
Author: James Bowman
Publication: New Criterion (Magazine/Journal)
Date: October 1, 1999
Publisher: Foundation for Cultural Review
Volume: 18 Issue: 2 Page: 54

Distributed by Thomson Gale

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FOR COMMON THINGS: IRONY, TRUST, AND COMMITMENT IN AMERICA TODAY.
JEDEDIAH PURDY
Manufacturer: Vintage Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000K3C91A

Customer Reviews:

Birds of the Indian Subcontinent.......2004-06-26

This is the most perfect book. It takes you to every country in the area with detailed maps for every of the 1200 species that`s been recorded. The plates are excellent with no exceptions and every bird are depicted more than once.

A Field Guide to the Birds of the Indian Subcontinent

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Slightly above average
Handy Field Guide
The Excellent work on Indian Ornethology
wonderful--but not a field guide

A Field Guide to the Birds of the Indian Subcontinent
Krys Kazmierczak
Manufacturer: Yale University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0300079214

Book Description

This up-to-date pocket-sized guide is essential for anyone interested in the birds of Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, or Sri Lanka. The book includes information on field identification, habitat, range, and status of the 1,300 species of birds found these countries, as well as illustrations and distribution maps for each.

Customer Reviews:

Slightly above average.......2006-03-08

Plates were small and seemed to be more of a "blend" than the other book we took along. Still they were serviceable for us. The hard cover made it somewhat difficult to carry along during our short visit, but the latter would help preserve the book for someone wanting a more long lasting reference.

Handy Field Guide.......2004-07-29

Of the several field guides to Indian birds, this is certainly one of the best researched, illustrated and sleekly designed books. The pictorial index in the inside cover page is brilliant and a great help for birders out in the field. Distribution maps are easy to locate and acurate.

One would have liked to have a little more descriptive write ups on each bird, but the need to keep the size of the book manageable might perhaps have prompted the authers keep them short and sweet. However, due to the criptic and short descriptions in the book I find myself carrying two instead of one book in my backpack, Kazmierczak as a ready reference and Salim Ali for details.

Illustrations are the best among all field guides available to date.

Overall, a good and necessary addition to one's collection of bird books of Indian Region.

The Excellent work on Indian Ornethology.......2003-10-16

It's an outstanding book for the birds of indian sub continent, I found it great in field especially. The illustaration by Ber van Perlo are excellent. And the text is so brief and informative for the use in field identification.

wonderful--but not a field guide.......2002-11-05

The plates are delightful and the descriptions of habitat, song, geographical distribution etc are well done and accurate. However, what is needed is a FIELD guide! Why not base the book on Peterson guides and make it fit in the pocket. As it is you have to cut out the plates with a razor blade to make it into a field guide--or leave it at home. This is true for most bird guides, whether it be Costa Rica or Ecuador--or India. What we need is a book we can use in the field. Since 90% of birding is done with guides we do not need all the other stuff!!

A Photographic Guide to the Birds of India: And the Indian Subcontinent, Including Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives (Princeton Field Guides)

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Birds of India
Avoid
"A" for effort, "B plus" for results

A Photographic Guide to the Birds of India: And the Indian Subcontinent, Including Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives (Princeton Field Guides)
Bikram Grewal , and Bill Harvey
Manufacturer: Princeton University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 069111496X

Book Description

This is the most comprehensive photographic guide to the birds of India and the Indian subcontinent. Never before have so many of the region's species been illustrated in one book.

The brilliant photographs--most of which appear here for the first time--have been carefully selected to show not only the most common Passerine and non-Passerine species, but also more elusive species and distinctive subspecies. An up-to-date distribution map and a unique code indicating frequency and global status are provided for each of the 668 species covered. The concise text provides vital information on habitats, habits, and voice to ensure accurate identification.

Designed for easy use, the book places photos and maps in close proximity to provide an at-a-glance overview for each species. Birds are indexed by both their common and scientific names.

This is an essential volume for all birdwatchers and wildlife enthusiasts as well as for anyone traveling to India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Pakistan, Bangladesh, or Bhutan.

Bikram Grewal has written more than twenty books on India, including three guides to its birds. He is a biodiversity expert for the Indian government. Bill Harvey is a lifelong birdwatcher who has lived throughout the Indian subcontinent. He published the first authoritative checklist on the birds of Bangladesh as well as numerous articles and is a cofounder of the Northern Indian Bird Network. Otto Pfister is a wildlife photographer whose work has appeared in numerous publications. He has also published several illustrated articles on birds.

Gorgeous full-color photographs
Distribution maps for all species
Abundance icons
Photographs, text, and maps in close proximity for at-a-glance overview
Expert text aids species identification

Customer Reviews:

Birds of India.......2007-03-20

The book helped me to identify one bird I saw in Pakistan which I tried in other books.

Avoid.......2003-07-26

wORTH aVOIDING - BAD PICTURES ( A FEW GOOD) NO MATCH FOR THE INSKIPP - NOT A GUIDE BUT A PICTURE BOOK

"A" for effort, "B plus" for results.......2003-04-21

This book is a very noble effort at a photographic field guide to Indian birds. Not surprisingly, the quality of the photos varies from excellent to marginal-at-best; a few species could not possibly be intentified from the photos provided. Having said that, this book does contain several valuable features lacking from the other Indian bird guides. The range maps are displayed along with each species, with symbols and notes on the relative rarity of each species. Another very nice feature is the inclusion of the older, common (English) names which is great for those who have birded in India for awhile. I also like the smaller size and portablility of this book. The bottom line: if you are going to take one bird field guide to India, I wouldn't take this one- the Grimmett/Inskipps or Kazmeirczak "non-photo" guides are better bets. However, if you are a serious birder and don't mind packing two bird books, I'd highly recommned taking this one along to supplement the information in the other field guides.

Field Guide To The Mammals Of The Indian Subcontinent: WHERE TO WATCH MAMMALS IN INDIA, NEPAL, BHUTAN, BANGLADESH, SRILANKA AND PAKISTAN (Ap Natural World)

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Disappointed As Well
Quite Disappointed
Good field guide - bad entertainment

Field Guide To The Mammals Of The Indian Subcontinent: WHERE TO WATCH MAMMALS IN INDIA, NEPAL, BHUTAN, BANGLADESH, SRILANKA AND PAKISTAN (Ap Natural World)
K.K. GURUNG
Manufacturer: Academic Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0123093503

Book Description

This book is a field guide to the mammals of this unique subcontinent and includes the best places to watch them. It describes each of the 100 plus species that can be recognized in the field, including identification, habitat, range, behavior, diet, breeding, status, and similar species. The Field Guide also contains color illustrations of each mammal as well as tracks of the more prominent species, and mammal lists and maps for each national park.

Key Features:

The only current guide to mammals of the region
Contains color pictures and full text on the 106 larger species likely to be encountered
Includes drawings of tracks of key species to aid identification
Presents full details of 23 parks and reserves, with location maps, visiting details and species lists for each

Customer Reviews:

Disappointed As Well.......2006-03-03

I have to concur with the first reviewer, this book was a big disappointment. I was looking for a resource that would allow me to identify mammals in the field. This book does not do that. If you have even the most rudimentary knowledge of animals (e.g. you can identify an elephant) then you can probably get by without this book.

The plates are few and of poor quality. Maybe the authors just tried to do too much, but the format leaves a lot to be desired and most of the material either needs to be removed or expanded upon (removal might be preferable: the 3 page list of what is on the 9 color plates is silly, a better index would work fine). While it is small and sturdy as a good field guide should be, the overall information probably won't help you much in identifying mammals. I saw three species of sheep in the Indian Himalaya and only one was listed in the guide. Similarly, I saw two species of pika and I am still not sure if they are the two described and illustrated.

I actually liked the section towards the back regarding where to look for animals. However, that this more of a reference or travel planning source, and it is only a brief overview at that. Allowing that it accounts for about 40% of the entire guide, it is a lot to carry around for little information.

The bottom line is that I would never carry this book into the field again.

Quite Disappointed.......2002-03-08

I found this book to be overall pretty disappointing. First off, the illustrations are horrible. They look like children's cartoon drawings. Why don't the editors of mammal-books hire the same artists who do bird guides? The latter are generally really good.

Secondly, there is a lot of important information lacking. For example the book states that it describes "almost all the species that can be identified in the field easily". I was hoping for a book to 'the mammals of the indian subcontinent' (ALL of them) not a book of 'the mammals of the indian subcontinent that can be easily identified'. The whole section at the end on 'Where to Watch mammals' is pretty useless. I'll get that info from the 'Lonely Planet', thanks. That space should have been spent instead on descriptions (and better illustrations) of more species.

Good field guide - bad entertainment.......2000-06-23

This book covers the land mammals of the Indian Subregion or in other words it cover: India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan. However, it also does exclude the smaller and often inconspicious mammals like baths, schrews, and most rodents. A number of small but often conspicious mammals are included. For instance both squirrels and pikas are included. In total it depicts and describes 106 species in deatail. It starts in the typical manner with an introduction to the region, mammals, and mammal observing. This section is highly usefull to the unexperienced reader, but will probably seem quite borring to most, as it is short and only mentiones the most bassal things. The next fourty pages is devoted to the mammal species themselves. This means that there is 2-3 species per page. About each species the book descibes identification, habitat, range (no range maps!), behavior, diet, breeding, status, and similar species. The text is not for pleasure reading, but it is highly usefull in the field. A thing to remember - not mentioned in the book - is that the status refers to subregion only, not the intire world. An example is the Red Deer (Cervus elaphus) which is described as endangered. The next pages are assigned to 12 colour plates with drawings of the mammals. The drawings are not especialy beautiful, but all the important details usefull in identification are remembered. The next 12 plates are devoted to animal tracks. The last third of the book describes 23 national parks/reserves in the region including the famous Chitwan NP and Sunderbars NP. These pages are the highlight of the book. In this part there is a map of each park and a quite thorrow descibtion of acces, accomodation facilities, season to go there, larger mammals of the area etc. Sadly similar chapters in other books have been shown to go quickly out of date. At the end of the book there is a chapter called "futher reading" which obviously seems equal to bibliograpy.

In total the book seems to be good in the field, but there are quite a few large lacks. For instance a number of large species known in the area are not mentioned at all. An example is the Toque Macaque (Macaca sinica). The Slender Lori (Loris tardigrandus) is mentioned only briefly in "similar species" of the Slow Lori ( Nycticebus coucang). This seems strange as the Slende lori occurs in a much larger part of the subregion. Sadley this is also a fact with a number of other species. They also use a number of outdated latin names. An example is the use of the genus Felis for all the smaller cats. In the beginning of the book they mention that the reason for the use of "old names" is because they are more familiar to people! But they are still incorrect in my opinion (I know other people don't find them to be so). It is however still a very good and usefull companion when watching wildlife in the region.

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The only complete field guide for the birds of India.

A Pictorial Guide to the Birds of the Indian Subcontinent
Salim Ali , and S. Dillon Ripley
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0195637321

Book Description

This comprehensive book depicts all bird species found on the Indian Subcontinent. The entries are arranged familywise on 106 colour plates which follow each other in systematic order and are thus easy to find. Beautifully illustrated by the American bird painter, John Henry Dick, the book provides concise information concerning status, size, habitat and distribution within subcontinental limits. The text has also been completely revised and updated with a great deal of new data.

Customer Reviews:

The only complete field guide for the birds of India........1998-08-14

I used this book for three years while living in India. While its illustrations are not as robust or detailed as those of western field guides, they are usually adequate. First, and foremost, though, is that this volume is currently the ONLY book that contains all the species. Others contain a mere fraction. For that reason alone, this is the one book you should get for IDing birds in India. The rest lead only to disappointment, unless used in conjunction with this one.

This book is the illustration subset of the much larger Handbook, which comes in a 10-volume set (or in one tiny-print "compact" volume). The two work well together: one for your field forays, and one for the bookshelf back home. Be warned, though: the compact Handbook, while an exhaustive study of each species (including migration maps and exhumed stomach contents, etc.) is expensive when you can find it.

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Birds of the Indian Subcontinent
Richard Grimmett , Carol Inskipp , and Tim Inskipp
Manufacturer: A & C Black (Publishers) Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0713640049

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Birds of the Indian Subcontinent
Bikram Grewal
Manufacturer: Local Colour
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 9628711075

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A Field Guide to Birds of the Indian Subcontinent
Krys Kazmierczak
Manufacturer: Pica / Christopher Helm
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1873403798

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A Pictorial Guide to the Birds of the Indian Subcontinent
Salim; Ripley, S. Dillion Ali
Manufacturer: Oxford Univ Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000MBUFJS

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A Synopsis of the Birds of India and Pakistan together with those of Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan, and Ceylon.
Sidney Dillon II Ripley
Manufacturer: Bombay Natural History Society
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000IMY1GO

Product Description

List of the birds of India and Pakistan along with those of Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan, and Ceylon. An attempt to relate the knowledge of both the distribution and nomenclature of the Indian Subcontinent's avifauna.

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