Wednesday, April 05, 2006

Mr. Stanley, it's time to find Dr. Livingston again

kw: book reviews, nonfiction, relationships

The chapters have snappy titles, and in themselves, provide most of the content. A few of my favorites: "The statute of limitations has expired on most of our childhood traumas," "Only bad things happen quickly," and "Not all who wander are lost."

The book is Too Soon Old, Too Late Smart: Thirty True Things You Need to Know Now by Gordon Livingston, M.D. Even in large print, it's a small book. A lot of folks really love Dr. Livingston. I found the book disappointing. Reminded me of Gertrude Stein's aphorism, "There is no there there."

Dr. Livingston, a psychiatrist and decorated Vietnam veteran, has lived through enough hell to earn his agnosticism. But it is the source of the emptiness of his discursions. I think if I lost my son, I'd also question God...but I reckon I'd recover. A life without faith is lonely indeed.

An aphorism of my own: All authors reveal themselves; good authors help us know others around us; the best authors reveal us to ourselves. I'd put this author on the border between the first and second categories.

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