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How to Save the West: Ancient Wisdom for 5 Modern Crises
A book to let you know you're not the wisdom of the ages can guide us through the struggles of the present. The fate of our civilization depends on whether ordinary people internalize the truth and beauty conveyed in the masterpieces of Western culture. Spencer Klavan, classicist and podcaster, defends that culture and explains why and how we must hand it on to the next generation.
It has been proclaimed many times, but perhaps never more convincingly than now, when every news cycle seems to deliver further confirmation of a world gone mad.
Is this the endgame? Have we come to closing time in the West?
Author Spencer Klavan is a classicist, with a Ph.D. from Oxford, and a deep understanding of the West. His The situation is dire. But every crisis we face today, we have faced before. And we can surmount each one. Today’s “five essential crises”
• The Crisis of Is there such a thing as objective truth—and even if there is, can “virtual reality” replace it?
• The Crisis of the Not just the “transgender” insanity, but the push for a “transhumanist” future
• The Crisis of Evolution—both biological and cultural—is a process of endless replication, of copying. But is there an original model that gives us an aspiration to aim for? Do our lives and actions have meaning?
• The Crisis of Science has not eliminated man's religious impulse, but rather misdirected it—and wrongly dismissed the profound philosophical plausibility of Judeo-Christian revelation.
• The Crisis of the Has America reached a point of inevitable collapse? Republican government was meant to end the destructive cycle of regimes rising and falling—but can it?
Klavan brings to the West’s defense the insights of Plato, Aristotle, the Bible, and the Founding Fathers to show that in the wisdom of the past lies hope for the future. That wisdom can improve our own lives and the lives of those around us—and ultimately save the West.
It has been proclaimed many times, but perhaps never more convincingly than now, when every news cycle seems to deliver further confirmation of a world gone mad.
Is this the endgame? Have we come to closing time in the West?
Author Spencer Klavan is a classicist, with a Ph.D. from Oxford, and a deep understanding of the West. His The situation is dire. But every crisis we face today, we have faced before. And we can surmount each one. Today’s “five essential crises”
• The Crisis of Is there such a thing as objective truth—and even if there is, can “virtual reality” replace it?
• The Crisis of the Not just the “transgender” insanity, but the push for a “transhumanist” future
• The Crisis of Evolution—both biological and cultural—is a process of endless replication, of copying. But is there an original model that gives us an aspiration to aim for? Do our lives and actions have meaning?
• The Crisis of Science has not eliminated man's religious impulse, but rather misdirected it—and wrongly dismissed the profound philosophical plausibility of Judeo-Christian revelation.
• The Crisis of the Has America reached a point of inevitable collapse? Republican government was meant to end the destructive cycle of regimes rising and falling—but can it?
Klavan brings to the West’s defense the insights of Plato, Aristotle, the Bible, and the Founding Fathers to show that in the wisdom of the past lies hope for the future. That wisdom can improve our own lives and the lives of those around us—and ultimately save the West.
256 pages, Hardcover
Published February 14, 2023
193 people are currently reading
2776 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews
September 4, 2023
I fully expected this to be another "the world is going to hell in a hand basket" book,* and I was ready to embrace it for that. He does lament the deterioration of the West. But most of the page-time is spent on positive aspects of Western Civilization: truth, goodness, beauty, art, body, soul, mind, morality, science, reason, faith, human nature, good government, etc.
*For such books, see:
—Who Killed Homer? The Demise of Classical Education and the Recovery of Greek Wisdom
—Postmodern Times: A Christian Guide to Contemporary Thought and Culture
—The Closing of the American Mind
—The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas Are Setting Up a Generation for Failure
—The Decadent Society: How We Became the Victims of Our Own Success
—Truth Decay: Defending Christianity Against the Challenges of Postmodernism
—The Benedict Option: A Strategy for Christians in a Post-Christian Nation
—Why Johnny Can't Preach
—Cynical Theories: How Activist Scholarship Made Everything about Race, Gender, and Identity—and Why This Harms Everybody
—The Vanishing American Adult: Our Coming-of-Age Crisis—and How to Rebuild a Culture of Self-Reliance
*For such books, see:
—Who Killed Homer? The Demise of Classical Education and the Recovery of Greek Wisdom
—Postmodern Times: A Christian Guide to Contemporary Thought and Culture
—The Closing of the American Mind
—The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas Are Setting Up a Generation for Failure
—The Decadent Society: How We Became the Victims of Our Own Success
—Truth Decay: Defending Christianity Against the Challenges of Postmodernism
—The Benedict Option: A Strategy for Christians in a Post-Christian Nation
—Why Johnny Can't Preach
—Cynical Theories: How Activist Scholarship Made Everything about Race, Gender, and Identity—and Why This Harms Everybody
—The Vanishing American Adult: Our Coming-of-Age Crisis—and How to Rebuild a Culture of Self-Reliance
March 13, 2023
I received this book through a Goodreads giveaway, and apparently should have paid more attention to the summary. I was intrigued by the title, and didn't realize (though I probably should have) that it would be conservative claptrap.
I appreciated the historical detail parts of the chapters. Klavan's clearly very knowledgeable regarding Greek and Roman history, and writes compellingly about those events and figures, though his writing style is a bit pretentious. Despite the obvious depth of his knowledge about the ancient viewpoints, I didn't see a strong connection between the history and his arguments. It was mostly a history lesson, followed by conservative points that are loosely related to the previous discussion. I certainly didn't see any actual justification for the conservative viewpoint or approach being provided by the historical accounts. There was also no real solution offered to the 'crises' as he stated them, except to indicate that people just should stop doing what he doesn't like. There was no actual argument, and there was certainly nothing convincing in the book. Conservatives will read it and feel like they're smart for agreeing (because wow, ancient wisdom!), and liberals, if they read it, will certainly not be swayed to change their point of view.
I did not wholly disagree with everything that was said here - for instance, I am also hesitant about embracing the metaverse, and don't think the answer to today's discontent is living an even more virtual life. But in almost every way, I strongly disagree with many 'points' Klavan makes and how he connects it with 'ancient wisdom,' and he doesn't offer any defense of his viewpoint. He also, of course, cherry-picks the pieces of ancient Greece and Rome that he chooses to hold up as the wisdom of our ancestors - no mention of the queer and trans/non-gender conforming aspects of the cultures. Why acknowledge that? But again, because he actually doesn't draw connections between how we can use the ancient world to solve our problems, it ends up being irrelevant that he doesn't present the whole picture of what the ancient world included. The whole book boils down to being a narrow-minded, racist, misogynistic, homophobic, transphobic, superficial, hypocritical and dismissive self-indulgent essay that makes no points, just complains about the same old talking points that conservatives always do.
I appreciated the historical detail parts of the chapters. Klavan's clearly very knowledgeable regarding Greek and Roman history, and writes compellingly about those events and figures, though his writing style is a bit pretentious. Despite the obvious depth of his knowledge about the ancient viewpoints, I didn't see a strong connection between the history and his arguments. It was mostly a history lesson, followed by conservative points that are loosely related to the previous discussion. I certainly didn't see any actual justification for the conservative viewpoint or approach being provided by the historical accounts. There was also no real solution offered to the 'crises' as he stated them, except to indicate that people just should stop doing what he doesn't like. There was no actual argument, and there was certainly nothing convincing in the book. Conservatives will read it and feel like they're smart for agreeing (because wow, ancient wisdom!), and liberals, if they read it, will certainly not be swayed to change their point of view.
I did not wholly disagree with everything that was said here - for instance, I am also hesitant about embracing the metaverse, and don't think the answer to today's discontent is living an even more virtual life. But in almost every way, I strongly disagree with many 'points' Klavan makes and how he connects it with 'ancient wisdom,' and he doesn't offer any defense of his viewpoint. He also, of course, cherry-picks the pieces of ancient Greece and Rome that he chooses to hold up as the wisdom of our ancestors - no mention of the queer and trans/non-gender conforming aspects of the cultures. Why acknowledge that? But again, because he actually doesn't draw connections between how we can use the ancient world to solve our problems, it ends up being irrelevant that he doesn't present the whole picture of what the ancient world included. The whole book boils down to being a narrow-minded, racist, misogynistic, homophobic, transphobic, superficial, hypocritical and dismissive self-indulgent essay that makes no points, just complains about the same old talking points that conservatives always do.
March 27, 2023
I recommend this book for anyone with an interest in modern politics and culture. While the average reader of this will probably lean a bit conservative, I think it’s accessible to everyone except raging communists.
If you’ve been paying attention at all to the cultural shifts over the past few years and decades, nothing in this book will come as a big surprise to you. This is a pleasantly concise look at 5 “pillars” (subjective vs objective reality; the body/soul and materialism; the crisis of meaning; religion; and government structures/regime) with an analysis through classics and history compared to its impact on modern western society. Some ideas are also traced through history so the reader can understand how we’ve gotten to this point.
There is no big secret here about how to “save” the west, and Klaven acknowledges that it’s nothing an individual could even do. The solutions boil down to: engage with your local community, add meaning to your life, let go of identity politics. If you’re looking at this book wanting actionable solutions, you will not find them. However this is probably the most uplifting book about modern politics I’ve ever read :)
This was well written, well organized, and was an enjoyable listen as an audiobook, narrated by the author.
If you’ve been paying attention at all to the cultural shifts over the past few years and decades, nothing in this book will come as a big surprise to you. This is a pleasantly concise look at 5 “pillars” (subjective vs objective reality; the body/soul and materialism; the crisis of meaning; religion; and government structures/regime) with an analysis through classics and history compared to its impact on modern western society. Some ideas are also traced through history so the reader can understand how we’ve gotten to this point.
There is no big secret here about how to “save” the west, and Klaven acknowledges that it’s nothing an individual could even do. The solutions boil down to: engage with your local community, add meaning to your life, let go of identity politics. If you’re looking at this book wanting actionable solutions, you will not find them. However this is probably the most uplifting book about modern politics I’ve ever read :)
This was well written, well organized, and was an enjoyable listen as an audiobook, narrated by the author.
May 14, 2024
“…hold on to what is truly real.”
I was not prepared to like HOW TO SAVE THE WEST as much as I did. I had heard Mr. Klavan on various podcasts and was impressed by his obvious intelligence. The premise of this book, that Western Civilization is facing some dire crises, but that the crises are not new, and have been successfully dealt with by Western Civ before is an intriguing one. The five crises that Mr. Klavan examines are the crises of reality, the body, meaning, religion, and regime.
The organization of the text is that a “crisis” is examined in its modern iteration and then it is examined and dealt with through the wisdom and the practice of our forebears from ancient practice. And I was surprised at how very interesting an exercise that is! If there is one thing that this book makes abundantly clear, it is the Ecclesiastical admonition that “there is nothing new under the sun.” The story of history is one of endurance (that is also a biblical admonition) and this book is one that leans on that hope.
The 16-page Introduction to the book is brilliant. And I don’t use that word lightly. It is good! I kept going back to go over some sections of it again. By the end of the intro, I knew this book was going to be worth my time.
I am going to share a lot more quotes than I usually do, because this is one interesting text!
Quotes:
• “People become friends for various reasons: because they enjoy each other’s company, because they have some advantage to offer each other, or simply and purely because they recognize one another’s excellence of character.”
• “Even for all the manuscripts that are lost heedlessly or burned in war, for all the towers that come crashing down, some things-the memory of lost republics, the nagging conviction that justice is eternal-endure. They endure because they too are God’s.”
• “Your life is not some toy for you to bat listlessly at in search of a new thrill. It is a holy thing, made holy by the fact that everything you do and say has meaning.”
• “Every worthwhile account of human life and experience depends on reference to concepts that have no meaningful location on a brain scan.”
• “We are language-makers because God makes language, and the thing we try to express in all our utterance-whether in words or images or actions-is love.”
• “All science takes place within the context of philosophy-within a universe of meaning and understanding.”
• “There is a danger in a word like “love,” which has been so belittled as to look pathetic.”
• “Love is what says with unbridled intensity. “this is good” and, by comparison, “this is evil.”
• “Political and cultural authorities do not like to have their ignorance exposed.”
• “Athens’ crisis of reality was everywhere, just like ours: to a man, practically everyone in power had abandoned real wisdom for the sake of personal gain.”
• “…the neuroscience, though interesting, only confirms what our ancestral wisdom could have told us: that we learn, grow, and connect by imitating one another.”
• “If everything is just matter, nothing can really mean anything.”
• “If there truly is nothing beyond nature, both art and life are meaningless.”
• “We breathe in stories like oxygen, and they shape who we become.”
• “There is an inescapable feedback loop here; art is not only the object which receives our moral evaluations but also the teacher which informs them.”
• “But anyone who wants art and human life to have significance should want to believe in God-otherwise, we have no ground to stand on.”
I listened to this book on audio, but I was so impressed by it that I will read it again. So, I went out and purchased a hard copy. HOW TO SAVE THE WEST is not a long book, but it is one that makes its rather profound points in a succinct and powerful manner.
At one point Klavan muses that the West is “used to rising from the ashes of its own ruin.” I am going to cling to that verdict. Civilizational battles are not new. May we take the best bits of the lessons of antiquity that preceded us and carry them forward.
I was not prepared to like HOW TO SAVE THE WEST as much as I did. I had heard Mr. Klavan on various podcasts and was impressed by his obvious intelligence. The premise of this book, that Western Civilization is facing some dire crises, but that the crises are not new, and have been successfully dealt with by Western Civ before is an intriguing one. The five crises that Mr. Klavan examines are the crises of reality, the body, meaning, religion, and regime.
The organization of the text is that a “crisis” is examined in its modern iteration and then it is examined and dealt with through the wisdom and the practice of our forebears from ancient practice. And I was surprised at how very interesting an exercise that is! If there is one thing that this book makes abundantly clear, it is the Ecclesiastical admonition that “there is nothing new under the sun.” The story of history is one of endurance (that is also a biblical admonition) and this book is one that leans on that hope.
The 16-page Introduction to the book is brilliant. And I don’t use that word lightly. It is good! I kept going back to go over some sections of it again. By the end of the intro, I knew this book was going to be worth my time.
I am going to share a lot more quotes than I usually do, because this is one interesting text!
Quotes:
• “People become friends for various reasons: because they enjoy each other’s company, because they have some advantage to offer each other, or simply and purely because they recognize one another’s excellence of character.”
• “Even for all the manuscripts that are lost heedlessly or burned in war, for all the towers that come crashing down, some things-the memory of lost republics, the nagging conviction that justice is eternal-endure. They endure because they too are God’s.”
• “Your life is not some toy for you to bat listlessly at in search of a new thrill. It is a holy thing, made holy by the fact that everything you do and say has meaning.”
• “Every worthwhile account of human life and experience depends on reference to concepts that have no meaningful location on a brain scan.”
• “We are language-makers because God makes language, and the thing we try to express in all our utterance-whether in words or images or actions-is love.”
• “All science takes place within the context of philosophy-within a universe of meaning and understanding.”
• “There is a danger in a word like “love,” which has been so belittled as to look pathetic.”
• “Love is what says with unbridled intensity. “this is good” and, by comparison, “this is evil.”
• “Political and cultural authorities do not like to have their ignorance exposed.”
• “Athens’ crisis of reality was everywhere, just like ours: to a man, practically everyone in power had abandoned real wisdom for the sake of personal gain.”
• “…the neuroscience, though interesting, only confirms what our ancestral wisdom could have told us: that we learn, grow, and connect by imitating one another.”
• “If everything is just matter, nothing can really mean anything.”
• “If there truly is nothing beyond nature, both art and life are meaningless.”
• “We breathe in stories like oxygen, and they shape who we become.”
• “There is an inescapable feedback loop here; art is not only the object which receives our moral evaluations but also the teacher which informs them.”
• “But anyone who wants art and human life to have significance should want to believe in God-otherwise, we have no ground to stand on.”
I listened to this book on audio, but I was so impressed by it that I will read it again. So, I went out and purchased a hard copy. HOW TO SAVE THE WEST is not a long book, but it is one that makes its rather profound points in a succinct and powerful manner.
At one point Klavan muses that the West is “used to rising from the ashes of its own ruin.” I am going to cling to that verdict. Civilizational battles are not new. May we take the best bits of the lessons of antiquity that preceded us and carry them forward.
February 18, 2023
A wonderful read on the wisdom needed, today. This is perhaps my favourite book of the last year. In part because Spencer has his finger on the pulse of both intellectual history and pop culture. He has discerned and admirably distilled the biggest challenges we face in the twenty first century. Better yet, he has many antidotes at hand - informed by his devoted studies of the Classics. He transcends simplistic labels, for those put off by a catchy title like this, and his book avoids being unduly reactive or angry.
This book is not merely a nostalgic screed but a positive vision of the good life, focused on reintegrating the arts, the polis and the human person.
Dr Klavan's a great writer, who reaches to the ends and fundamental purposes of reason itself, individual and communal, at a time when utilitarianism reigns. Going beyond a 'chronological snobbery' which sees Darwin's work as the origin of civilised species, Spencer sojourns through history and shares antique insights that we can still use as tools for real life. The through line runs from Plato's Cave, to the problems with Transhumanism, to the eternal truths by which we must live.
The section on the political significance of friendship was excellent and apropos for a culture struggling with antagonistic tribalism. If we live these patterns out in our communities, we will be much better off and can restore society beyond the state and market. On this point, he reminded me of the late, Jonathan Sacks.
Thankfully, we don't have to start from scratch. We have what we need to get going. The renewal of Classical Education, especially in the U.S.A., provides a shining example of how, and affirms the arguments of this book. Despite the difficult topics addressed in the How to Save the West, this message of Hope is consistent in Klavan.
For more, feel free to check out my interview with Dr Klavan:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCfvV...
This book is not merely a nostalgic screed but a positive vision of the good life, focused on reintegrating the arts, the polis and the human person.
Dr Klavan's a great writer, who reaches to the ends and fundamental purposes of reason itself, individual and communal, at a time when utilitarianism reigns. Going beyond a 'chronological snobbery' which sees Darwin's work as the origin of civilised species, Spencer sojourns through history and shares antique insights that we can still use as tools for real life. The through line runs from Plato's Cave, to the problems with Transhumanism, to the eternal truths by which we must live.
The section on the political significance of friendship was excellent and apropos for a culture struggling with antagonistic tribalism. If we live these patterns out in our communities, we will be much better off and can restore society beyond the state and market. On this point, he reminded me of the late, Jonathan Sacks.
Thankfully, we don't have to start from scratch. We have what we need to get going. The renewal of Classical Education, especially in the U.S.A., provides a shining example of how, and affirms the arguments of this book. Despite the difficult topics addressed in the How to Save the West, this message of Hope is consistent in Klavan.
For more, feel free to check out my interview with Dr Klavan:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCfvV...
February 27, 2023
The main problem with this book is that it's too short. Klavan needs to get to work on another
June 15, 2023
I enjoyed the book but wasn’t in love with it. I agreed with most the points but found some of the arguments unoriginal, unconvincing or in some cases overly opaque and florid. I am in total agreement with the overall thesis of the book which underscores the importance of believing in (or at least striving to or pretend to believe in) a God and some final truth worth replicating. I agree there is certainly a “crisis of meaning” (interconnected to “crisis of religion”) if, as Richard Dawkins argues, life is just memes all the way down. That there is nothing at the heart and there is nothing too exaggerated in comparing any part of life with a cat video with clever caption. I felt the first part of the book suffered from the tendency to take the stance that metaphysical truth must exist because if it didn’t life is meaningless (simply a sound and a fury). I felt the latter half of the book redeemed itself.
February 22, 2023
Remarkable!
He made many outstanding points in this book. Some of them I’d not thought about before, quite a few I had, most all I agree with wholeheartedly.
I was ready for the book to be rather didactic, as he can come across that way at times, but this wasn’t that way at all. I didn’t feel as if I’d been sat in class for five hours, nor did I get a bit sleepy ;) .
Thank you for your wonderful book, Mr. Klavan, the younger (no relation to the elder).
He made many outstanding points in this book. Some of them I’d not thought about before, quite a few I had, most all I agree with wholeheartedly.
I was ready for the book to be rather didactic, as he can come across that way at times, but this wasn’t that way at all. I didn’t feel as if I’d been sat in class for five hours, nor did I get a bit sleepy ;) .
Thank you for your wonderful book, Mr. Klavan, the younger (no relation to the elder).
October 29, 2023
This book was phenomenal, one of the greatest philosophical reads of my life. The wisdom found within its pages transcends the bounds of situation and time. This is a book for many decades, not just for today. The West is not past saving. It isn’t.
I encourage anyone and everyone to read this masterpiece.
I encourage anyone and everyone to read this masterpiece.
August 20, 2025
Classical Christian Education Friends, this is a great summary of why we do what we do. He takes a 35,000 ft view of the problems we sense around us and tells us what the ancients in the West had to say about them. His solutions seemed to me to echo Wendell Berry. Overall, an encouraging read.
Want to read
February 21, 2023Added to books I bought instead of the one written by the dumb prince and his stupid wife.
March 9, 2023
Generally Christ-less. Intellectual, but fairly useless. Epitomizes the “conservative movement’s” bankrupt attempt to save culture by mixing shallow Christianity with pagan “wisdom.”
March 29, 2024
Is Western civilization coming to an end? And, if so, can we save it? Classicist Spenser Klavan, host of the Young Heretics podcast and co-writer of The New Jerusalem Substack, says that the West is facing five major crises. But, it has faced them before. So, let’s look to the wisdom of the past and see what we can learn from that.
Here are the five crises:
1. The crisis of reality. In a world of AI and VR, what is real life?
2. The crisis of the body. Is it okay to manipulate or deny our fleshly shells?
3. The crisis of meaning. Why look for anything deeper than the here and now?
4. The crisis of religion. If we refuse to worship God, what do we worship instead?
5. The crisis of regimes. Is democracy done?
He draws heavily on Plato, Aristotle, the Bible, and other thinkers of the past to help bring sanity to these five areas that seem to be devolving into chaos—or so riddled by controversy and conflicting viewpoints that stability and harmony seem impossible.
I’m not one to over-listen to the news or political talking heads. Nor do I have an active Twitter/X account to provide a nonstop stream of news to my phone. I’m not an expert in politics and culture, and it’s been many moons since I’ve read the ancient and classical philosophers (let alone modern ones). Having divulged that grain of salt, Klavan makes a lot of sense to me. This is no surprise given that the author’s worldview overlaps heavily with mine.
So, even though I’m probably biased beyond measure, I found this book incredibly readable and edifying. It’s edifying because Klavan’s moral soil is rich. Even though he doesn’t lean into scripture (he explains why) it’s clear that his arguments align.
The book is organized logically according to the five crises. Klavan explains each one and then offers wisdom from the past to help point us toward truth.
It’s readable because the language is beautiful and clear. Klavan takes dense material and makes it understandable (but not exactly easy).
I highly recommend listening to the audiobook. Klavan’s got a rad bass going on.
Here are the five crises:
1. The crisis of reality. In a world of AI and VR, what is real life?
2. The crisis of the body. Is it okay to manipulate or deny our fleshly shells?
3. The crisis of meaning. Why look for anything deeper than the here and now?
4. The crisis of religion. If we refuse to worship God, what do we worship instead?
5. The crisis of regimes. Is democracy done?
He draws heavily on Plato, Aristotle, the Bible, and other thinkers of the past to help bring sanity to these five areas that seem to be devolving into chaos—or so riddled by controversy and conflicting viewpoints that stability and harmony seem impossible.
I’m not one to over-listen to the news or political talking heads. Nor do I have an active Twitter/X account to provide a nonstop stream of news to my phone. I’m not an expert in politics and culture, and it’s been many moons since I’ve read the ancient and classical philosophers (let alone modern ones). Having divulged that grain of salt, Klavan makes a lot of sense to me. This is no surprise given that the author’s worldview overlaps heavily with mine.
So, even though I’m probably biased beyond measure, I found this book incredibly readable and edifying. It’s edifying because Klavan’s moral soil is rich. Even though he doesn’t lean into scripture (he explains why) it’s clear that his arguments align.
The book is organized logically according to the five crises. Klavan explains each one and then offers wisdom from the past to help point us toward truth.
It’s readable because the language is beautiful and clear. Klavan takes dense material and makes it understandable (but not exactly easy).
I highly recommend listening to the audiobook. Klavan’s got a rad bass going on.
September 9, 2023
A thoughtful synthesis of ancient wisdom applied to cultural issues. Argues that our purpose is to live lives of virtue, becoming our most excellent selves. Klavan believes that our whole world and lives point us to the existence of God, which gives us meaning and truth. As a result, what matters is doing our small part to love God and love our neighbors in our narrow sliver of the world. We don’t have to worry about saving the world, we can just be faithful where we are with who we’re with.
January 14, 2024
I learned alot from this classical scholar and Christian thinker and the last 3 chapters in particular are full of clarity and hope.
June 24, 2024
Amazing book! I recommend everyone to read this!
February 18, 2023
3 1/2 stars
The bottom line: I wanted to like this book a lot more than I actually did. Not sure I would recommend it to most.
First, I love ancient classical history, so the concept of the book caught my eye from the start.
And it is not bad.
The section on Socrates is good.
But interestingly, the author is clearly Christian (nothing wrong with that) and keeps inserting his arguments for his religious views in ways that I found odd. Not all of his ancient wisdom is pre-Christian (although the majority is), and I just was not convinced by the author's attempts to insert his overlay. (NOTE: He tries, and starts successfully, to state that he is not trying to make a specific religious argument, but by the end his open pleas for his faith fill almost every page.)
The section claiming the Marvel Cinematic Universe's film interpretation of the "multiverse" is actually representative the claims of modern physics is a bit of a straw man argument. (Although his more valid point is that the narrative vitality, overall impact and meaning of a multi-verse storyline are compromised and less impactful if every outcome can be undone by playing with a multi-verse of infinite-but-equal universes...)
My favorite section is the the author's concluding chapters which deal with Polybius and his theory of anacylosis (the cycles of government) and the theory's impact on the American system.
However, while I found the book interesting - I did not enjoy it to the point where I would make a strong recommendation to others.
The bottom line: I wanted to like this book a lot more than I actually did. Not sure I would recommend it to most.
First, I love ancient classical history, so the concept of the book caught my eye from the start.
And it is not bad.
The section on Socrates is good.
But interestingly, the author is clearly Christian (nothing wrong with that) and keeps inserting his arguments for his religious views in ways that I found odd. Not all of his ancient wisdom is pre-Christian (although the majority is), and I just was not convinced by the author's attempts to insert his overlay. (NOTE: He tries, and starts successfully, to state that he is not trying to make a specific religious argument, but by the end his open pleas for his faith fill almost every page.)
The section claiming the Marvel Cinematic Universe's film interpretation of the "multiverse" is actually representative the claims of modern physics is a bit of a straw man argument. (Although his more valid point is that the narrative vitality, overall impact and meaning of a multi-verse storyline are compromised and less impactful if every outcome can be undone by playing with a multi-verse of infinite-but-equal universes...)
My favorite section is the the author's concluding chapters which deal with Polybius and his theory of anacylosis (the cycles of government) and the theory's impact on the American system.
However, while I found the book interesting - I did not enjoy it to the point where I would make a strong recommendation to others.
November 4, 2023
I listened to this audiobook a while ago and I recall thinking it was really good, I was particularly struck by how insightful Aristotle was on various issues that predictably arise from different political systems. What irks me is how I cannot describe exactly what the insight was.
Klavan pointed to ancient wisdom for 5 modern crises, yet to remember them, I would need to relisten and this time take notes, and then actively reflect and discuss them with others, and even then a lot would still be lost. It is sad just how little sticks from really good books.
When I am especially busy, I still listen to audiobooks in the morning while I get ready, in the car and when cleaning the house, and thus regardless of how full my days are, I make my way through a lot--but almost none of it is remembered. I wonder how much becomes part of me--kind of like the food I eat, long after I remember eating it, and how much is simply excreted. How valuable to hearing things that we can't recall?
Klavan pointed to ancient wisdom for 5 modern crises, yet to remember them, I would need to relisten and this time take notes, and then actively reflect and discuss them with others, and even then a lot would still be lost. It is sad just how little sticks from really good books.
When I am especially busy, I still listen to audiobooks in the morning while I get ready, in the car and when cleaning the house, and thus regardless of how full my days are, I make my way through a lot--but almost none of it is remembered. I wonder how much becomes part of me--kind of like the food I eat, long after I remember eating it, and how much is simply excreted. How valuable to hearing things that we can't recall?
May 25, 2024
The author is clearly an intelligent guy but if you don’t believe firmly in God or a higher power going in this book will be tiresome. There’s also just a lot of far right nonsense smuggled in at various points in ways that really make it hard to take the more abstract parts seriously.
June 15, 2023
Boring.
April 10, 2023
I really don’t know where to begin with this review; I very nearly didn’t give this book a try because of the title, and I’m so very glad I trusted the author and his previous content! In theory, I’ve known that America is not what is meant when saying, “the West.” In practicality, the two have been synonymous and interchangeable in my mind. As an American raised in an international community in Asia, I’ve quite frankly despised America since graduating from high school and moving here for university. The secular and religious cultures were so counter to everything I was raised to value, and while being an outsider is one thing, being shattered by the culture I (wrongly) believed to be the West and its pinnacle I was supposed to love was another. It would be hyperbole to say this book changed me, because this book is far from a standalone. This book is one of the many invitations offered by the author: know and seek Truth, then love it enough to live it and pass it on to the next generation. It’s a journey that has taken on a whole new depth and meaning since the beginning of 2023.
“The history of the West is not the history of one nation, or even of a few extraordinary heroes. It is a story of disaster after disaster, and if people who took care to save what they could from the flames.” This book brings focus and clarity to modern chaos, and thing offers hope that is grounded in Wisdom and Truth from people who came before us. I deeply appreciated reference to Plato’s Cave in chapter two: “We can only climb out of the cave if our soul and our reason see beyond the things that change to the things that stay the same: Truth, Justice, and Beauty.” I found myself stopping and rewinding many times in chapter four to hear this gem over and over: “In other words, human virtues are not just perfections of the soul. They are real actions of the body: things we do…. We strive for virtues with our soul, but we put them into practice, we make them real, with our bodies.”
As a mother and aunt, I see myself in this profound truth in chapter five: “As often, the neuroscience, though interesting, only confirms what our ancestral wisdom could have told us: that we learn, grow, and connect by imitating one another.” This from chapter five captured me completely: “Words are like stones that catch different kinds of light when you turn them this way and that in your hand. Build a structure out of them and it can house human passion; can put the experience of another man or woman from centuries ago before your eyes, or into your ears, and through your eyes and ears into your very soul.” And I listened to the chapters in Part IV three times through before moving on to Part V—it was captivating, ending with the poignant, “We ought to believe what we believe.” In chapter nine he writes, “And governments, like angels, do fall,” and his concluding chapters were practical and grounding.
How to Save the West is neither the saccharine positivity from a past that never existed offered by some conservatives, nor the cries of ‘Wolf!’ other commentators scream anew with every breaking story. This book is rich nourishment: a feast for the soul. “Hold on to what is truly real,” Spencer Klavan says in his closing chapter. This book was renewal and hope from beginning to end. Affirmation in my foundational upbringing in another country, and wholly encouraging as I take steps to grow deeper roots in a new community. Brilliant, eloquent people are out there living and communicating; trying to be a voice in the wilderness by any avenue available. Spencer Klavan’s is one of the voices I look forward to hearing more from.
(Side note: I would recommend reading “The Truth and Beauty” by, Andrew Klavan immediately following this book if not already read; father and son seem to be playing a beautiful, old-fashioned game of catch for the world to see, as thoughts from each book flow seamlessly from one to the other. Finally, the British pronunciation of “controversy” is a delight to listen to!)
“The history of the West is not the history of one nation, or even of a few extraordinary heroes. It is a story of disaster after disaster, and if people who took care to save what they could from the flames.” This book brings focus and clarity to modern chaos, and thing offers hope that is grounded in Wisdom and Truth from people who came before us. I deeply appreciated reference to Plato’s Cave in chapter two: “We can only climb out of the cave if our soul and our reason see beyond the things that change to the things that stay the same: Truth, Justice, and Beauty.” I found myself stopping and rewinding many times in chapter four to hear this gem over and over: “In other words, human virtues are not just perfections of the soul. They are real actions of the body: things we do…. We strive for virtues with our soul, but we put them into practice, we make them real, with our bodies.”
As a mother and aunt, I see myself in this profound truth in chapter five: “As often, the neuroscience, though interesting, only confirms what our ancestral wisdom could have told us: that we learn, grow, and connect by imitating one another.” This from chapter five captured me completely: “Words are like stones that catch different kinds of light when you turn them this way and that in your hand. Build a structure out of them and it can house human passion; can put the experience of another man or woman from centuries ago before your eyes, or into your ears, and through your eyes and ears into your very soul.” And I listened to the chapters in Part IV three times through before moving on to Part V—it was captivating, ending with the poignant, “We ought to believe what we believe.” In chapter nine he writes, “And governments, like angels, do fall,” and his concluding chapters were practical and grounding.
How to Save the West is neither the saccharine positivity from a past that never existed offered by some conservatives, nor the cries of ‘Wolf!’ other commentators scream anew with every breaking story. This book is rich nourishment: a feast for the soul. “Hold on to what is truly real,” Spencer Klavan says in his closing chapter. This book was renewal and hope from beginning to end. Affirmation in my foundational upbringing in another country, and wholly encouraging as I take steps to grow deeper roots in a new community. Brilliant, eloquent people are out there living and communicating; trying to be a voice in the wilderness by any avenue available. Spencer Klavan’s is one of the voices I look forward to hearing more from.
(Side note: I would recommend reading “The Truth and Beauty” by, Andrew Klavan immediately following this book if not already read; father and son seem to be playing a beautiful, old-fashioned game of catch for the world to see, as thoughts from each book flow seamlessly from one to the other. Finally, the British pronunciation of “controversy” is a delight to listen to!)
November 13, 2023
This book was so fascinating! There were SO many things to think about. It made me think about my opinions and gut feelings, and even religious beliefs, in a different way, not in the sense that I started to doubt or question them - because although this author and I don't share every belief in common, we do share many - but in the sense of looking at them from a different angle. A year ago I gave a speech on one of the topics he covers, wherein I essentially said the same thing. But THIS author said it 1000 times better, with logical evidence and examples. It made my attempt to verbalize my similar thoughts look like preschool word vomit! Ha ha! So I appreciated his clarity of thought and logical organization, and fabulous presentation of ideas.
The problem is that many who fight against the "West" don't actually know what it is, so inherently, their arguments are flawed. They are arguing about something they've been told exists or something they've made up in their minds, and then called it "The West" and went on the attack. This book doesn't explain what the West is on purpose, but does do a good job of explaining that the West is not a nation or a country. Western nations rise and fall, but the ideologies of the West remain. His action call, then, is not how to save Europe or the United States - that would make this a very political and probably unsavory book to read - but it is about how, if we value our culture and our roots, there is a way to preserve those despite whatever political nonsense is going on.
Also, it's important to know that this author isn't talking about crises in the sense of emergencies or violence confrontations. A famine is a crisis, and war is a crisis, but that's not what he means. He is talking about the conflict between ideas and how to determine what is true or what is valuable. He takes 5 major ideas that the West has a stance on and talks about the modern ideas in our culture conflicting with those. Then he goes to what the West has already said about these conflicts (since this isn't the first time these conflicting ideas had come up) and helps us better understand how and why the Western culture and thought believes what they do about these certain ideological conflicts.
(This is probably the most poorly explained and worded review I have EVER written, but I'm tired and in a hurry. This book, however, was the most exciting for me to read in a very long time. I think it will be valuable for those in Western nations to understand the thought conflicts going on around them, despite their own personal views, and it would probably be beneficial for those of Eastern or other value traditions to get an idea of why the Western world feels so strongly about certain issues and how the conflicting ideas entering our culture are straining the fabric of our communities.)
The problem is that many who fight against the "West" don't actually know what it is, so inherently, their arguments are flawed. They are arguing about something they've been told exists or something they've made up in their minds, and then called it "The West" and went on the attack. This book doesn't explain what the West is on purpose, but does do a good job of explaining that the West is not a nation or a country. Western nations rise and fall, but the ideologies of the West remain. His action call, then, is not how to save Europe or the United States - that would make this a very political and probably unsavory book to read - but it is about how, if we value our culture and our roots, there is a way to preserve those despite whatever political nonsense is going on.
Also, it's important to know that this author isn't talking about crises in the sense of emergencies or violence confrontations. A famine is a crisis, and war is a crisis, but that's not what he means. He is talking about the conflict between ideas and how to determine what is true or what is valuable. He takes 5 major ideas that the West has a stance on and talks about the modern ideas in our culture conflicting with those. Then he goes to what the West has already said about these conflicts (since this isn't the first time these conflicting ideas had come up) and helps us better understand how and why the Western culture and thought believes what they do about these certain ideological conflicts.
(This is probably the most poorly explained and worded review I have EVER written, but I'm tired and in a hurry. This book, however, was the most exciting for me to read in a very long time. I think it will be valuable for those in Western nations to understand the thought conflicts going on around them, despite their own personal views, and it would probably be beneficial for those of Eastern or other value traditions to get an idea of why the Western world feels so strongly about certain issues and how the conflicting ideas entering our culture are straining the fabric of our communities.)
June 16, 2023
Well, I am exasperated after just a few dozen pages.
If one is going to give one’s work the portentous title How to Save the West, he should take exacting care with the text. Today’s Wall Street Journal shows the meticulous word-by-word proofreading that Nathaniel Hawthorne gave the draft print of The Scarlet Letter. The evidence here suggests a rather different degree of attention to detail.
On page xxv, we are told that “The Total Information Awareness program to monitor and track potential terrorists . . . was partially outsourced to Google to the tune of $2.07 million.” Can that paltry sum be accurate? There’s no footnote and I couldn’t find a reference online. If it is accurate, who cares about $2 million?
On the same page, we see the text “$100 billion dollars.” Dollars is redundant.
On page 8, “ossified” perhaps should be followed by a comma, because otherwise the material doesn’t make sense to me. Maybe I’m misunderstanding something.
On page 11, acknowledgment is spelled twice as “acknowledgement.” Technically, that’s okay (the Microsoft Word spell-checker doesn’t flag it), and it’s preferred in the UK and Commonwealth, but it jumps out at the reader, since it’s a variant spelling in the US.
I was startled to read on page 12 that Plato was Aristotle’s student and on page 14 that Aristotle was Plato’s student. I looked online and to my surprise, both statements appear to be true, but it’s jarring to read when there’s no explanation.
I thumbed ahead. The psychologist John Money is criticized for, if I understand the passage correctly, having “popularized this way of speaking,” i.e., conflating the terms gender and biological sex. (P. 47.) But Wikipedia reports that “Despite widespread popular belief, Money did not coin ‘gender identity.’” (Italics deleted.) He did, according to Wikipedia, refer to gender roles. But of course there are gender roles, and they sometimes deviate from sex roles.
Maybe the author is right about Money and Wikipedia is wrong. Or maybe both are right and I am again misunderstanding something. But how can I keep reading when I wonder what is accurate and what may not be? I’m going to quit and resume reading the French espionage thriller I’m also engaged in, because it’s fiction and doesn’t purport to be accurate about anything.
If one is going to give one’s work the portentous title How to Save the West, he should take exacting care with the text. Today’s Wall Street Journal shows the meticulous word-by-word proofreading that Nathaniel Hawthorne gave the draft print of The Scarlet Letter. The evidence here suggests a rather different degree of attention to detail.
On page xxv, we are told that “The Total Information Awareness program to monitor and track potential terrorists . . . was partially outsourced to Google to the tune of $2.07 million.” Can that paltry sum be accurate? There’s no footnote and I couldn’t find a reference online. If it is accurate, who cares about $2 million?
On the same page, we see the text “$100 billion dollars.” Dollars is redundant.
On page 8, “ossified” perhaps should be followed by a comma, because otherwise the material doesn’t make sense to me. Maybe I’m misunderstanding something.
On page 11, acknowledgment is spelled twice as “acknowledgement.” Technically, that’s okay (the Microsoft Word spell-checker doesn’t flag it), and it’s preferred in the UK and Commonwealth, but it jumps out at the reader, since it’s a variant spelling in the US.
I was startled to read on page 12 that Plato was Aristotle’s student and on page 14 that Aristotle was Plato’s student. I looked online and to my surprise, both statements appear to be true, but it’s jarring to read when there’s no explanation.
I thumbed ahead. The psychologist John Money is criticized for, if I understand the passage correctly, having “popularized this way of speaking,” i.e., conflating the terms gender and biological sex. (P. 47.) But Wikipedia reports that “Despite widespread popular belief, Money did not coin ‘gender identity.’” (Italics deleted.) He did, according to Wikipedia, refer to gender roles. But of course there are gender roles, and they sometimes deviate from sex roles.
Maybe the author is right about Money and Wikipedia is wrong. Or maybe both are right and I am again misunderstanding something. But how can I keep reading when I wonder what is accurate and what may not be? I’m going to quit and resume reading the French espionage thriller I’m also engaged in, because it’s fiction and doesn’t purport to be accurate about anything.
March 22, 2023
"Whatever good you will do, whatever excellence you may seek, will not exist in some imagined sphere of perfection. Your quiet actions of tomorrow morning - waking up early, working out, praying, making breakfast for your kids - will count for more than all the grand designs you dream up or the beautiful ideas you have about yourself...You are not on your way to some communion with the eternal or the infinite. The infinite is already here, expressed in the medium of your flesh and blood, in the hard, solid world you can see and touch."
"Each [form of government], as it decays, gives way to the other. Monarchy is natural, as a strong leader takes control of his people. But in time, the pride of kings makes them perverse, and so,...monarchy first changes into its corrupted shadow self - tyranny. Next, the abolition of all forms of kingship produces aristocracy. Aristocracy, by its very nature, degenerates into oligarchy, and when the masses become angry enough to take vengeance on this government for its unjust rule, then comes democracy. Eventually, the licentiousness and lawlessness of this form of government produces mob rule to complete the series."
"Complacent kings are unseated by restless nobles, and aristocracy is born. But the best and the brightest soon become corrupt themselves, and responsible noblemen give way to self-dealing elites. When oligarchs push their subjects too far, the people rise up and take control. But democracy too easily gives way to covetousness and class rivalry, which turns into mob rule, the ruthless struggle for majority dominance. This creates just the kind of chaotic power vacuum that a strongman needs to step in and take control, and so the cycle begins again."
"Hard times create strong men. Strong men create good times. Good times create weak men. And weak men create hard times."
"Each [form of government], as it decays, gives way to the other. Monarchy is natural, as a strong leader takes control of his people. But in time, the pride of kings makes them perverse, and so,...monarchy first changes into its corrupted shadow self - tyranny. Next, the abolition of all forms of kingship produces aristocracy. Aristocracy, by its very nature, degenerates into oligarchy, and when the masses become angry enough to take vengeance on this government for its unjust rule, then comes democracy. Eventually, the licentiousness and lawlessness of this form of government produces mob rule to complete the series."
"Complacent kings are unseated by restless nobles, and aristocracy is born. But the best and the brightest soon become corrupt themselves, and responsible noblemen give way to self-dealing elites. When oligarchs push their subjects too far, the people rise up and take control. But democracy too easily gives way to covetousness and class rivalry, which turns into mob rule, the ruthless struggle for majority dominance. This creates just the kind of chaotic power vacuum that a strongman needs to step in and take control, and so the cycle begins again."
"Hard times create strong men. Strong men create good times. Good times create weak men. And weak men create hard times."
May 23, 2023
I haven't made it past the introduction; the awful writing made it too painful to continue, so if you want a review of the whole book please ignore this one.
But the writing is awful. In the first paragraph he quotes "a twitter user" to help make his point. He uses strawman arguments (e.g. "Received conventional wisdom these days is that we ought to revile the past."), weird generalisations, obscure causality and simply misleading assertions. All in the introduction.
Actually, whether or not you think the above quote is a strawman may be a good indicator of whether you will like this book.
The book is about crises. The author defines a crisis thus:
"A crisis - krisis, in Greek - is a moment a conflict of between two radically different and irreconcilable ways of looking at the world."
That is not what a crisis is. Such a conflict could easily exist without it being a crisis, and most crises that exist do not fall within that definition. You cannot just make up new meanings for existing words.
The completely superfluous translation into Greek, speaks volumes.
This is far from the worst bit of writing (even in the first few pages) but seems pretty relevant given the title of the book.
But the writing is awful. In the first paragraph he quotes "a twitter user" to help make his point. He uses strawman arguments (e.g. "Received conventional wisdom these days is that we ought to revile the past."), weird generalisations, obscure causality and simply misleading assertions. All in the introduction.
Actually, whether or not you think the above quote is a strawman may be a good indicator of whether you will like this book.
The book is about crises. The author defines a crisis thus:
"A crisis - krisis, in Greek - is a moment a conflict of between two radically different and irreconcilable ways of looking at the world."
That is not what a crisis is. Such a conflict could easily exist without it being a crisis, and most crises that exist do not fall within that definition. You cannot just make up new meanings for existing words.
The completely superfluous translation into Greek, speaks volumes.
This is far from the worst bit of writing (even in the first few pages) but seems pretty relevant given the title of the book.
May 24, 2024
Klavan is well-read and thoughtful. However, I couldn't quite figure out what kind of book this was trying to be? Is this a manual for individuals as they face the continuing pace of societal decadence? Is this a defense of "western civilization" against the enemies of the West? Who are the West's greatest enemies? People who don't read their Aristotle? Marxists? Mark Zuckerburg?
On top of that, I disagree with Klavan's assessment of classical liberalism. I also found his obsession with tech companies as uniquely powerful to be strange and out of place. The worst thing that Facebook can do to me is block me from their network. It's valid to be concerned about how these platforms intentionally shape the information space (e.g. TikTok), but Klavan seems to subscribe to the common carrier understanding of these platforms, which is deeply misguided.
That's perhaps all to say that while Klavan has several valuable points to make, I don't think he has anything approaching a coherent or compelling vision of the value and place of western civilization in our contemporary context. This book ends up reading more as the polished ramblings of an influencer bro and less an expert in the classics that Klavan presents himself as.
On top of that, I disagree with Klavan's assessment of classical liberalism. I also found his obsession with tech companies as uniquely powerful to be strange and out of place. The worst thing that Facebook can do to me is block me from their network. It's valid to be concerned about how these platforms intentionally shape the information space (e.g. TikTok), but Klavan seems to subscribe to the common carrier understanding of these platforms, which is deeply misguided.
That's perhaps all to say that while Klavan has several valuable points to make, I don't think he has anything approaching a coherent or compelling vision of the value and place of western civilization in our contemporary context. This book ends up reading more as the polished ramblings of an influencer bro and less an expert in the classics that Klavan presents himself as.
November 27, 2024
This is a very impressive book by a thoroughly educated and highly articulate young man. It was a pleasure to hear the problems and prescriptions laid out so clearly and succinctly.
It's main flaw in my mind is that while he does identify both the right and the left as contributors to our current crisis, he mostly blames the left.
That many of the ideas of the liberal left have toxic elements I do not dispute. But the cupidity and venality of the right, and it's current propensity for violence and disorder a la Charlottesville, January 6th, and in the innumerable acts of violence against the underclass are also toxic, and a country of liars, for liars and by lying liars cannot long stand. Klavan tosses a condemnation or two in that direction, but not with the frequency he condemns the left.
One wonders if the lack of a more evenhanded treatment means his publisher, the well-known right wing book house, Regnery, refused to publish a more balanced account, or if Klavan sees the speck brother's eye but can't see the log in his own.
I must say, it was a real pleasure to listen to a book about the current state of the world that was as well written and free of cant and abstraction as this one is. Kudos to Klavan! Please give us more.
It's main flaw in my mind is that while he does identify both the right and the left as contributors to our current crisis, he mostly blames the left.
That many of the ideas of the liberal left have toxic elements I do not dispute. But the cupidity and venality of the right, and it's current propensity for violence and disorder a la Charlottesville, January 6th, and in the innumerable acts of violence against the underclass are also toxic, and a country of liars, for liars and by lying liars cannot long stand. Klavan tosses a condemnation or two in that direction, but not with the frequency he condemns the left.
One wonders if the lack of a more evenhanded treatment means his publisher, the well-known right wing book house, Regnery, refused to publish a more balanced account, or if Klavan sees the speck brother's eye but can't see the log in his own.
I must say, it was a real pleasure to listen to a book about the current state of the world that was as well written and free of cant and abstraction as this one is. Kudos to Klavan! Please give us more.
March 9, 2023
Our world feels uniquely broken right now. It’s easy to assume that we’ve never been here before and that we have reached a point of no return. In this book, classicist Spencer Klavan (son of Andrew Klavan, whose podcast and books I enjoy) argues that the answer to our current cultural challenges can be found in the past—the distant past, in the form of classic works whose truths speak to contemporary issues in surprisingly prescient ways.
Klavan begins by identifying five existential crises that we are facing: a crisis of reality, a crisis of the body, a crisis of meaning, a crisis of religion, and a crisis of regime. In other words, we are a culture that disregards absolute truth and the need for religion, who has lost a sense of purpose and has disconnected from the physical aspects of our humanity, and who is questioning the form and function of governmental systems. Klavan addresses each of these concerns with insights from Plato, Aristotle, the Bible, and other classical wisdom sources, offering hope for a way forward through some well-trodden paths.
This is such a fascinating take on contemporary concerns. Spencer Klavan’s insights and applications are astounding, his ability to make sense of our problems and offer time-tested wisdom truly unique. Frankly, much of the book went over my head. These are not easy subjects to understand and Klavan’s discourse is at such a high level that at times I struggled to make sense of it. But as a whole, Klavan does an excellent job of narrowing down the main ideas for those of us less well-versed in his classical source material. I was encouraged by reminders of why our society is worthy of preserving and embracing, and hearted by Klavan’s ability to apply timeless truth to problems that can feel too new to have solutions. This is a Big Picture book with real-life implication; I am glad I listened, and it’s definitely worth a re-read in print in the near future.
My Rating: 4 Stars // Book Format: Audiobook
Klavan begins by identifying five existential crises that we are facing: a crisis of reality, a crisis of the body, a crisis of meaning, a crisis of religion, and a crisis of regime. In other words, we are a culture that disregards absolute truth and the need for religion, who has lost a sense of purpose and has disconnected from the physical aspects of our humanity, and who is questioning the form and function of governmental systems. Klavan addresses each of these concerns with insights from Plato, Aristotle, the Bible, and other classical wisdom sources, offering hope for a way forward through some well-trodden paths.
This is such a fascinating take on contemporary concerns. Spencer Klavan’s insights and applications are astounding, his ability to make sense of our problems and offer time-tested wisdom truly unique. Frankly, much of the book went over my head. These are not easy subjects to understand and Klavan’s discourse is at such a high level that at times I struggled to make sense of it. But as a whole, Klavan does an excellent job of narrowing down the main ideas for those of us less well-versed in his classical source material. I was encouraged by reminders of why our society is worthy of preserving and embracing, and hearted by Klavan’s ability to apply timeless truth to problems that can feel too new to have solutions. This is a Big Picture book with real-life implication; I am glad I listened, and it’s definitely worth a re-read in print in the near future.
My Rating: 4 Stars // Book Format: Audiobook
June 9, 2023
Copying review from user Lorraine, "3.5 stars. This was an interesting read, and I’m glad I kept reading despite finding I didn’t share some of the author’s values. The book is especially powerful when it draws from classical sources to make its arguments. The author’s occasional forays into outright dogmatism (e.g., women are doomed to be chronically unfulfilled if they don’t have children as their ‘essential’ nature is to procreate) act as curious counterpoints to the philological underpinning of the rest. One of the book’s major flaws was the gradual reduction of the ‘West’ from ideology, to signifying a large swath of the world to being a byword solely for the U.S. by the conclusion. Indeed, the conclusion is the weakest part of the book because it’s so clearly addressing Americans and is infused with stock, and frankly, regressive, American values. It was frustrating that so many exciting interpretations of universal ‘Western’ ideas dovetailed into the platitudes and easy answers of the conclusion. Dommage!"
The book had some incredible chapters and quotes. But also some stuff that totally misses.
The book had some incredible chapters and quotes. But also some stuff that totally misses.
August 23, 2023
I would give this book six stars if I could. An excellent survey of the modern condition, informed by history and enriched by reference to some of the classic works of Western thought. A few quotes:
"Your body is not expendable, and your mind is not a mistake. Your body and your soul are inescapably connected, just as light is inescapably connected to the sun. You have never seen or shown love, patience, or generosity merely in the abstract: you have always embodied these virtues in action. You cannot simply help a man by feeling nice about him. You can only take bread in your hands, give it to him, and let him chew and eat it."
"Your flesh, for all its flaws and failings, has something to say about who you are. Your masculinity or your femininity is not something you perform: it is something you aspire to fulfill."
"If you're in the metaverse, then someone else is outside, controlling it. Who? And to what end?"
"Your body is not expendable, and your mind is not a mistake. Your body and your soul are inescapably connected, just as light is inescapably connected to the sun. You have never seen or shown love, patience, or generosity merely in the abstract: you have always embodied these virtues in action. You cannot simply help a man by feeling nice about him. You can only take bread in your hands, give it to him, and let him chew and eat it."
"Your flesh, for all its flaws and failings, has something to say about who you are. Your masculinity or your femininity is not something you perform: it is something you aspire to fulfill."
"If you're in the metaverse, then someone else is outside, controlling it. Who? And to what end?"
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