Put it on the reading list for Philosophy 101 and beyond

books:


	• The Creed Room: A Novel of Ideas Daniel Spiro Aegis Press, 2006 - 352 pages average customer review:based on 29 reviews view larger image
	for more information click here

highly recommended

Great Reading

My objective in reading the Creed Room was to capture an overview of Spinoza's Philosophy. But I was captivated by the writer's style and the fluid narrative by which he conveyed his philosophical message. Mr. Spiro seduces the reader's interest in Philosophy by somehow being insightful on both an earthy sensual and transcendental level at the same time. The Creed Room is a vehicle for any reader eager to experience the lucidity with which Spiro translates philosophical ideas into a practical creed.

great reading!

How many of us have daydreamed about taking part in a think-tank discussion group with no other agenda than to kick around solutions to world problems? That is the premise of this novel experiment in philosophy. Sam Kramer, a young man in his late twenties, dropped out of law school to follow his bliss and 'make a real difference' by becoming a public school teacher. Although initially praised as a wonderful teacher, within a few years the reality of public school regimentation and ubiquitous cover-your-rear bureaucratic administrative policies is starting to get to him, and he begins to question his career decisions. At this point, he reads a rather cryptic insert in the Want Ads, and winds up as part of a small group, a cross-section of 'regular folks,' who are contracted and paid generously by a person known to them only as The Benefactor to meet on a regularly scheduled basis and discuss their views of life and society.
The ultimate assignment for this group is to come up with a social/political manifesto on which they can all agree, or on which each person can agree with most of it, and where disagreements continue, that each person will at least know and understand the view he or she opposes. The plot is thickened by various alliances and love interests that arise within the group and how these are worked through so that the overall project stays on track. Obviously a novel like this relies heavily on dialogue rather than plot, and Spiro manages to keep the dialogue interesting, moving and realistic. Unlike many other such philosophical novels, in which each character represents and speaks for a certain hard and fast view, Spiro brilliantly gets the various views and positions on issues outlined and explained through characters who are themselves intellectually complicated, often arguing as much with themselves as others in the group. Never once in the course of reading did I get the feeling this was simply Philosophy 101 by another name.
As the group moves toward success in its assignment, a question that lurked only in the background comes to the fore - "What is to be done with this manifesto, as well as the hours and hours of video-recorded dialogue of the group?" This points toward the larger question of how knowledge is used in modern society, a question that haunted many social theorists who have confronted it. The Benefactor, it turns out, owns all of this material and will make all decisions as to what will be done with it. Although it is never clearly resolved, there are ominous hints that they have mainly functioned all these months as a well-paid focus group for social and political ideas, and that the material will now be used not for idealistic purposes but rather for extremely conservative political spin doctors and pitch men to comb through for phrases and unconscious expressions, thus formulating evermore convincing ways of selling the conservative ideology to people across the political spectrum.
Despite these dark hints, this is a very enjoyable and readable novel, a great first effort by Daniel Spiro. Aegis Press as yet has a very limited catalog, but if it keeps publishing books like this one, it will soon be making its mark in serious literature.

for more information click here

Put it on the reading list for Philosophy 101 and beyond

Are you a philosophy teacher? Looking for a reading that makes sense to students who believe philosophy and theology are boring? Want to have a philosophical take on American society and soul? This is the book! Spiro's understanding of philosophers and philosophical issues is that of a professional, and his story is most realistic.

Something for Everyone

I'm a businessman, not a philosopher. I read books on airplanes or in hotel rooms, not in my library; but I read and enjoyed this book on several levels.

Wit & Wisdom - the author has a knack for taking deep thoughts or pointing out societal hypocrisies in a way that is thought-provoking, approachable and funny. The witticisms may be terse, but leaves a lasting impression; especially his exchanges with his precocious high school students.

Respect for Points of View - the main point of his book is to encourage us all to think more deeply about issues and to respect, explore and incorporate other people's competing points of view. In this sense, it is a great relief from partisan arguments where each side paints the other side as irresponsibly ignorant. This new approach is frankly a more thoughtful, realistic and grown-up approach that I hope to embrace and share with my family and friends. More importantly, if more people approached issues in this manner, the world would be better for it.

Real Life - not to spoil the book for you, but the main character is a tortured soul thirsty for a big gulp of validation. The plot turns and twists are not those you'd expect, and will take you in a few surprising directions that keep the fiction interesting.

Taste of the Classics - I am not a budding philosopher because I never had the patience for gazing at my navel while agonizing over the concept of being; but in reading this book, I got a great appreciation for great thinkers and how their thoughts from decades, centuries and millennia ago relate to the seemingly insurmountable problems we face today. It's a truly refreshing perspective that by itself makes this book a must read for people who think and want to have a say about the issues we face today.

for more information click here

A Perfect Balance Between Fiction and Philosophy

The Creed Room by Daniel Spiro is an engaging, thought provoking read that examines a wide range of social and political issues through the eyes and ideas of its richly developed characters. It is highly readable, and extremely entertaining, as one easily and quickly gets caught up in the characters and storyline. Yet Spiro skillfully balances the entertainment with philosophy as he encourages the reader to look at many ideas from new perspectives. This book truly makes you think!!

reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Sam Kramer is the kind of school teacher who is born to provoke?whether it?s his students? thoughts or his principal?s anger. In his classroom, he?s in charge. But he soon finds himself a pawn in someone else?s classroom when he responds to a cryptic ad in the Washington Post and visits an old Victorian mansion. There, he and eight others are given a proposition: for a handsome fee, work together over the next several months to develop a new creed for humankind, a unifying philosophy that will give hope to an increasingly divided world. The group starts out with great devotion to the man who brought them together. What they don?t realize until later is that this ?benefactor? may in fact have created the creed room for his own, more sinister purposes.

Daniel Spiro?s characters pull no punches as they spar about religious fundamentalism, racism, poverty and the question of God. Sometimes, these characters find common ground. They also find romance. And in the end, they change history.

The Creed Room is a dramatic, thought-provoking journey through the ideological divide that now strangles the American soul. Fortunately, Mr. Spiro doesn?t simply diagnose the problem; the ?creed? he offers as a solution succeeds in marrying many of the best ideas on both sides of the Great Divide.

for more information click here

hot