Money and the Meaning of Life

Rating:
Summary: Buy It But Skip The First 20 Chapters
Review: A self-described "trained philosopher" (a term which he never defines), Professor Needleman is also an undisciplined writer. Had this book not been recommended to me by one of my more intelligent students, I would have thrown it aside after reading the first few chapters. Instead, based upon my student's recommendation, I read it through to the end, and am glad I did.

The topic, the place of money in the life of the modern thinking person, is a compelling one, and Professor Needleman provides a lucid and intelligent discussion of it in the third part of the book, beginning at chapter 21. Unfortunately, you will gain nothing more by reading the first 20 chapters, which consist of undisciplined ramblings by an author who considers himself charismatic. It is as if they were written by a totally different person.

Rating:
Summary: Get the Cliff Notes
Review: There are good ideas, interesting asides, and new philosophical propositions to spare in Money and the Secret of Life. The basic premise--that money is a technology invented, not to accumulate wealth, but to realize human potential--is certainly worth our attention. Needleman is best describing money as the great tool of capitalism and capitalism as a great metaphysical system. The problem with Money and the Meaning of Life is that Jacob Needleman set out to write an inquiry into the spiritual potential of money, then sketched out a history of Western religious thought, and ended up writing a first person narrative full of punch lines thinly disguised as surprise philosophical discoveries. Mixing Max Weber, Guradjieff, Maimonodes, King Solomon, and an anonymous businessman (who really DOES know the meaning of life) could have been a rollercoaster ride full of unexpected connections and insights; what it actually ends up being is long-winded, self-conscious, and pretentious. In terms of the capitalist object, a good product, but, word for word, not exactly a terrific value.

Rating:
Summary: Extraordinary... provided you can *really* understand it.
Review: This book is extraordinary. Literally. It takes a mercyless look at the "unbalanced" importance human beings are giving to money nowadays, particularly in the american society. Needleman himself describes his most intimate feelings towards the power of money, and this he does objectively, corageously, without lie and -most important- with enlightning. Unfortunately I guess, not a tenth of the readers will be able to fully appreciate the unvaluable ideas (in fact many of them were new to me) contained in this book. If you are ready to stop self-deceiving as what to the incidence of money in your life refers, or if you already have, then you should read this book, no matter what.