Bill Moyers' World Of Ideas Anthology

Culled from the popular PBS television series of the same name, this three volume compilation of excerpts which feature Moyers interviewing various thinkers from the realms of art, science, politics, and religion is a consistently stimulating, thought-provoking, look into three areas: "The National Soul" (Vol. 1), the "Crisis of Democracy" (Vol. 2), and the planet at large in "Dissolving Boundaries" (Vol. 3). A look at the first volume is indicative of the range and quality of the thinkers Moyers has sampled: novelist E. L. Doctorow claims that the value of dissent seems to be discounted these days--especially unfortunate since, according to Doctorow,"...the average man's mind is structured for fascism"; the late historian Barbara Tuchman eloquently bemoans the loss of a moral sense in Americans in general, and the confusion of celebrity with true heroism, in particular; psychiatrist and author Willard Gaylin continues on the same theme, citing the American romance with the concept of frontier as a major problem (Americans don't understand the concept of limited resources or boundaries); historian Elaine Pagels re-examines the Adam and Eve story; minister and author F. Forrester Church talks about our deadly virtues--citing Contragate as an example of where we've forgotten the means in our rush to celebrate the ends; authors Michael Dorris & Louise Erdrich discuss the Native American experience, while playwright August Wilson talks about the Black American experience. Volume 1 closes with the warning remarks of pediatrician and author T. Berry Brazelton, who posits a new, more mechanical, individual in future generations, unless steps are taken now. Vols. 2 and 3 feature such luminaries as Joseph Heller, Henry Steele Commager, Tom Wolfe, and Isaac Asimov. A perfect choice for public libraries. Highly recommended. (Available from: Mystic Fire Video, P.O. Box 9323, Dept. WB, S. Burlington, VT 05403; 1-800-727-8433.)