As we approach the new millenium; the moral; intellectual;and spiritual crisis of our time is visible most plainly in the sickness of the arts. The "postmodern" cultural establishment is philosophically empty and esthetically corrupt. But no one has been able to explain this decline or give a satisfying answer to the question of the proper role of the arts in our society. Now; in The Culture of Hope -- a manifesto for a new vision of culture that is both radical and classical -- Frederick Turner goes beyond the stale dichotomies of Left and Right to take the "third side" in the culture war: the side of art itself.Great art can never be politically correct; Turner reminds us; whether the correction comes from Right or Left; because its sources are deeper than politics. The visionary modernists (Picasso; Joyce; Stravinsky) understood this; but their successors today; as well as their conservative opponents; have forgotten. Turner sharply indicts the bankrupt tribe of venal mediocrities who now infest the arts; citing their naive rejection of morality; their ignorant denial of scientific truth; and their lazy dismissal of the Western cultural heritage. On the other hand; conservatives who call for a return to traditional values seek a socially "safe" vision of art that has never existed and never can.In the past; the arts have flowered when they drew their inspiration from new scientific visions of the cosmos. Thus Turner argues that the revolution in cosmology that is occurring today in the frontier fields of scientific thought will powerfully invigorate the artists of the future. A new esthetic synthesis arising from the unexpected convergence of religion; art; and science will restore a hopeful vision of the cosmos as intelligent; creative; and self-ordering and provide the missing ground for the recovery of classical values in the arts; such as beauty; order; harmony; and meaning. Turner points to new developments in chaos theory; neurobiology; evolution; and environmental science; among other fields; to offer us a guide to the emerging art of the "radical center" which he predicts will shape the culture of the future.
#1527902 in eBooks 2007-11-01 2005-08-30File Name: B001CJNZAU
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. A Great Brief History of the Greeks in ChicagoBy A readerA Great Brief History of the Greeks in ChicagoBy Robert ConstantI truly enjoyed reading the book Greeks in Chicago. The city of Chicago is one of the great centers of the Greek diaspora; however very little has been written about the history of this important ethnic group. Greeks in Chicago fills the gap of the lack of such information.The author has done an excellent job is compiling a brief history of the Greek Chicagoans. He has cleverly arranged the historical information into 12 interesting and informative chapters; namely; Migration and Immigration; The Early Years; Family Life; Business and Work; Tradition and Community; The Churches; Social and Fraternal Organizations; Arts; Culture and Recreation; Notable Greeks in Chicago; and Preservation and the Backward Glance to the Homeland. Each chapter is profusely illustrated with great historical photos. The page limitations imposed on the author precluded a more extensive coverage of each topic. It is anticipated that future books will provide a broader study needed for each topic.Other reviewers on have criticized this book and have given it a low rating. Although the deficiencies noted are legitimate I believe the low rating is unfair. Even the great is displaying the wrong photo of the books cover. But this inaccuracy will be corrected one of these days. Whatever errors exist in Greeks of Chicago do not detract from the overall objective of the book and I expect the errors will be corrected in future editions.The major growth of the Greek American population in Chicago took place in the 20th Century when a large number of Greek immigrants settled in Chicago. Those pioneer immigrants first preoccupation was to assimilate and to earn a living. They did not have the luxury of writing their history. Now their descendents have made notable inroads in the arts and other professions and we should anticipate more books on the history of their ethnicity. Greeks in Chicago is a good forerunner of such books.If you are interested in learning about the history of the Greeks in Chicago; especially if you live in Chicago or if you are of Hellenic heritage; pick up a copy of the book Greeks in Chicago.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Well researched; great photos !By DennieNice to have this ethnic info available on Chicago area. This series of books has quite a diverse selection for cities throughout the US.0 of 1 people found the following review helpful. More of a statistical analysisBy JKMore of a historical data presentation styled type writing.
