Rating: 
Summary: An Easy to Understand Primer On Truth VS Postmodernism
Review: Os Guinness, a rare conservative Anglican and author of other popular Evangelical books such as "Fit Bodies - Fat Minds" has produced a simple, easy to understand, and very short book on the loss of absolutes in a modern and postmodern soceity. In his introduction, he sets the stage by recounting a speech by Noble Prize winner Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn on truth. He further states his biase that he finds the "modernists and postmodernists" world equaly dangerous. Guinness strageticaly starts chapter one by discussing a professor's observations on recent classroom discussions involving the story "The Lottery." In short, twenty years ago people were replused by the ending, now students did not find the ending (the sacrifce of someone by the community) all that troubling. He further analyzes the new art of "spin", especially in the politcal circles and the lack of truth or its necessity. He quickly discusses Darwin, Nietzsche, and Marx then goes on to make a case on their effect in developing a postmodern culture. The book does have some weaknesses, however; including broad-brushing statements because it is so short. I know the authors intent was to write a primer and therefore a short text, but it is still somewhat of a laibility. One, I think he was willing to take. Because it is a short text, this book is very, very easy to understand (disregard the reviewer who had troubles with this book, it is extermely easy to understand). All in all, it accomplishes what the author intended it to do and it provides a primer foundation for those new to the battle in the postmodern culture war.
Rating: 
Summary: No Argument is Unarguable
Review: Take hope you who are seeking truth (as in Absolute) Just finished reading the book - I would recommend this to any liberal, critic, humanist, relativist seeking serious answers to 'life' in general. Get this book and give it to your university son/daughter or even professor. This author is so well read - quotes from many sources, poets, statesmn, politcians, religious, scientific - it is such an illuminating read just on the background material he uses. I just wish there were footnotes!!!! A 120 pager - 2 days to finsih it - I like the fact he takes the post modern view to its logical end (good story from GK Chesterson's life), which is negative; and then provides 'signals of transcendence = the postive side. I gave the book to a humanist friend - Scripture is quoted sparingly, making the book inviting to those of non-Christian/Jewish persuasion. MUST read
Rating:
Summary: The Truth is Out There, and (should also be) In Here!
Review: The author, born in China and educated in England, has earned his reputation as a thoughtful and intelligent Christian thinker and writer. He offers many valuable insights into the postmodern assault on truth, calling it the mirror image of modernism, born of its deficiencies. The Truth eventually prevails, as illustrated by the historic implosion of the former USSR. Heroes in that struggle relied on this fact in countering overwhelming physical force with the sheer moral force of Truth. The Judeo-Christian view of Truth captures the best of both modernism (strong respect for Truth) and postmodernism (recognition of human tendency to error/bias), while avoiding their pitfalls (making reason autonomous and denying Truth, respectively). Although the discipline of living in truth is demanding, it is urgent in our society. "The lies of Western society - particularly as they are compounded by the `culture cartel' of postmodern academia, advertising, entertainment, and youth culture - are more seductive and enduring than those of communist society." Guinness identifies the 1880s writings of the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche as "the most powerful philosophical source of the crisis of truth." He taught that our response to any claims to truth or virtue should be irony, suspicion and an agenda of unmasking, debunking and dismantling those claims. Examples of modern truth-twisting include the refusal to condemn immoral practices in other societies, the use of creative fiction posing as fact in support of a political/social agenda (e.g. I, Rigoberta Menchu) and Samuel Clemens' creative, but inauthentic, self-reinvention as Mark Twain. Ethics and character are related: if God is dead, as many believe, not only are all things permitted (bye-bye ethics), but any self is possible, and the question of which one is `true' becomes meaningless (bye-bye character). Although believers may see the rise of Christianity as inevitable and permanent, paganism is making a strong comeback in many parts of the modern world. The sobering implication is that God blesses those receptive to Him and abandons others (including the West?) to sin, darkness and decline. When faced with raw evil in the world, man can either despair (e.g. "if there is an Auschwitz, there can be no God") or simply (if fearfully) trust that God (and Truth, Beauty, Goodness, Justice) will eventually prevail. This choice is far from merely theoretical or academic, it makes an enormous practical difference, both personally and to society (e.g. Leoni's suicide vs. Solzhenitzen's victory). A commitment to Truth is important, since without it: 1) the charge that our faith is based on fear, not fact, will stick; 2) we question "the trustworthiness of God himself;" 3) we are all vulnerable to manipulation (i.e. might makes right, e.g. Spencer, Marx, Dawkins); 4) there can be no genuine freedom and fulfillment in life. Albert Camus, Friedrich Nietzsche and many other secular thinkers had unhappy childhoods and coped by lying to themselves and others. They illustrate that personal problems can make "living in truth" strenuous and demanding. This is the central challenge to living free; do we conform the truth to our desires (by creating and believing emotionally satisfying theories), or conform our desires to the (perhaps painful) truth. The importance of this choice was the topic of Kierkegaard's famous "Either/Or." Enlightenment thinkers shortchange the role of personal bias, sometimes even arguing (e.g. Bertrand Russell, A. N. Wilson) that belief is inimical to the search for truth. But belief is the basis of knowledge (e.g. the scientific enterprise depends upon unprovable beliefs such as the existence of objective truth and our ability to comprehend it) and wrong beliefs will always color our findings. The role of will was frankly admitted by Aldous Huxley (in Ends and Means): "I had motives for not wanting the world to have meaning;...assumed that...and was able without any difficulty to find satisfying reasons for this assumption" and "the philosopher who finds no meaning in the world is not concerned exclusively with a problem in metaphysics [but also to] to prove that there is no valid reason why he personally should not do as he wants." Nietzsche also admitted that "it is our preference that decides against Christianity, not arguments." Guinness cites "an embarrassingly long list of Western thinkers" whose intelligence "outdistanced their morals." Unbelief is not merely a passive "getting it wrong" at a few points. It is, rather, active, willful and rebellious. Its attitude toward truth is, at different points, suppressive, exploitative, subversive, self-deceptive or delusive (creating tension, since truth remains unaffected by attempts to deny it). In contrast, Christian confession involves affirming the true and good, admitting that we've fallen short of it and committing not to repeat the error. The author's main goals are establishing the gravity of the crisis, lifting the debate out of the modern vs. postmodern rut, and demonstrating the strength of the biblical view of truth. "God laughs at those who think they have killed off truth, yet reaches out to all who long for its rock-like safety." The West is a living embodiment of the biblical promise that "the truth will set you free," but the converse is unfortunately also true. Tocqueville said "if a man has no faith he must obey, and if he is free he must believe." Guinness' last two sentences are appropriate: "The choice is ours. So also will be the consequences."
Rating:
Summary: The Truth is Out There, and (should also be) In Here!
Review: The author, born in China and educated in England, has earned his reputation as a thoughtful and intelligent Christian thinker and writer. He offers many valuable insights into the postmodern assault on truth, calling it the mirror image of modernism, born of its deficiencies. The Truth eventually prevails, as illustrated by the historic implosion of the former USSR. Heroes in that struggle relied on this fact in countering overwhelming physical force with the sheer moral force of Truth. The Judeo-Christian view of Truth captures the best of both modernism (strong respect for Truth) and postmodernism (recognition of human tendency to error/bias), while avoiding their pitfalls (making reason autonomous and denying Truth, respectively). Although the discipline of living in truth is demanding, it is urgent in our society. "The lies of Western society - particularly as they are compounded by the 'culture cartel' of postmodern academia, advertising, entertainment, and youth culture - are more seductive and enduring than those of communist society." Guinness identifies the 1880s writings of the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche as "the most powerful philosophical source of the crisis of truth." He taught that our response to any claims to truth or virtue should be irony, suspicion and an agenda of unmasking, debunking and dismantling those claims. Examples of modern truth-twisting include the refusal to condemn immoral practices in other societies, the use of creative fiction posing as fact in support of a political/social agenda (e.g. I, Rigoberta Menchu) and Samuel Clemens' creative, but inauthentic, self-reinvention as Mark Twain. Ethics and character are related: if God is dead, as many believe, not only are all things permitted (bye-bye ethics), but any self is possible, and the question of which one is 'true' becomes meaningless (bye-bye character). Although believers may see the rise of Christianity as inevitable and permanent, paganism is making a strong comeback in many parts of the modern world. The sobering implication is that God blesses those receptive to Him and abandons others (including the West?) to sin, darkness and decline. When faced with raw evil in the world, man can either despair (e.g. "if there is an Auschwitz, there can be no God") or simply (if fearfully) trust that God (and Truth, Beauty, Goodness, Justice) will eventually prevail. This choice is far from merely theoretical or academic, it makes an enormous practical difference, both personally and to society (e.g. Leoni's suicide vs. Solzhenitzen's victory). A commitment to Truth is important, since without it: 1) the charge that our faith is based on fear, not fact, will stick; 2) we question "the trustworthiness of God himself;" 3) we are all vulnerable to manipulation (i.e. might makes right, e.g. Spencer, Marx, Dawkins); 4) there can be no genuine freedom and fulfillment in life. Albert Camus, Friedrich Nietzsche and many other secular thinkers had unhappy childhoods and coped by lying to themselves and others. They illustrate that personal problems can make "living in truth" strenuous and demanding. This is the central challenge to living free; do we conform the truth to our desires (by creating and believing emotionally satisfying theories), or conform our desires to the (perhaps painful) truth. The importance of this choice was the topic of Kierkegaard's famous "Either/Or." Enlightenment thinkers shortchange the role of personal bias, sometimes even arguing (e.g. Bertrand Russell, A. N. Wilson) that belief is inimical to the search for truth. But belief is the basis of knowledge (e.g. the scientific enterprise depends upon unprovable beliefs such as the existence of objective truth and our ability to comprehend it) and wrong beliefs will always color our findings. The role of will was frankly admitted by Aldous Huxley (in Ends and Means): "I had motives for not wanting the world to have meaning;...assumed that...and was able without any difficulty to find satisfying reasons for this assumption" and "the philosopher who finds no meaning in the world is not concerned exclusively with a problem in metaphysics [but also to] to prove that there is no valid reason why he personally should not do as he wants." Nietzsche also admitted that "it is our preference that decides against Christianity, not arguments." Guinness cites "an embarrassingly long list of Western thinkers" whose intelligence "outdistanced their morals." Unbelief is not merely a passive "getting it wrong" at a few points. It is, rather, active, willful and rebellious. Its attitude toward truth is, at different points, suppressive, exploitative, subversive, self-deceptive or delusive (creating tension, since truth remains unaffected by attempts to deny it). In contrast, Christian confession involves affirming the true and good, admitting that we've fallen short of it and committing not to repeat the error. The author's main goals are establishing the gravity of the crisis, lifting the debate out of the modern vs. postmodern rut, and demonstrating the strength of the biblical view of truth. "God laughs at those who think they have killed off truth, yet reaches out to all who long for its rock-like safety." The West is a living embodiment of the biblical promise that "the truth will set you free," but the converse is unfortunately also true. Tocqueville said "if a man has no faith he must obey, and if he is free he must believe." Guinness' last two sentences are appropriate: "The choice is ours. So also will be the consequences."
Rating: 
Summary: If you would consult an astrologer . . .
Review: The subtitle caught my eye . . . living free in a world of lies, hype & spin. Who wouldn't like to? Leafing through the book, I caught sight of the names Bill Clinton and O.J. Simpson. I hadn't heard of the author, but the book was short, so why not give it a try? I took it home and began to read. It didn't take long for me to realize that "Time for Truth" was written by and for evangelicals. That will teach me to be more careful in the future. But, I had the book, and I would like to live in a world free of lies, hype & spin, so I decided to read it. In a nutshell, this book views the world through Christian-Judaic eyes. Buddhists and Hindus aren't quite up at the same level. And, God is a him. We can solve our problems by living in the truth. Dr. Guinness tells us, "God is truth just as God is love." Normally, I stay strictly away from others' belief systems. They trap truth seekers just as tar pits trap thirsty animals. But this author practically begged me to read his book, with the photo of tanks on the front, the blurbs by political types on the back, and . . . that subtitle: living free in a world of lies, hype & spin. The Church had a great opportunity to counter lies, hype and spin during its centuries of overwhelming dominance. Instead, it established the Inquisition, incited the Reformation, and harried students of the natural world, Galileo among them. If you would consult an astrologer about the nature of the heavens, or an alchemist about the nature of matter, then by all means consult this book about ways to solve our social problems. The author is a good writer, however.
Rating:
Summary: Truth is True: Even if No One Believes it.
Review: The title of this review is a direct quote from this book (p. 80 hardcover edition). Os Guinness exposes falsehood in society at large and in the United States in particular. Guinness throughout this book takes on the stance of "relativism" in the modern world, and then shows from history the result of that belief system and its consequences. He quotes Nietzche who said, "It is our preference that decides against Christianity, not arguments (p. 114)." Guinness lays out that those who believe in no absolutes, like Nietzche, have false beliefs that will betray them in the end. Guinness draws out an argumentation that says truth, which is reality, will always have the final say. Guinness pulls no punches when he attacks governmental leaders as well. He quotes Tacitus, who was a Roman poet who said, "The more corrupt the state, the more laws (p. 86)." Then Guinness takes the argument for truth and living by the truth, straight back to God who requires true living. Guinness shows how false beliefs affects not just the individual who has those beliefs, but how when this belief system becomes the common way of thinking, it affects the society as a whole. Guinness does give the answer for a return to a truthful society and the great consequences on one's life and the society's as well. I have read some of Guinness' other works which I highly recommend. But if I had to pick one of this author's books to recommend to anyone, it is this book by far. And, that's the truth. (Review is from hardcover edition).
Rating:
Summary: Truth Is True: Even if No One Believes It.
Review: The title of this review is a direct quote from this book (p. 80). Os Guinness exposes falsehood in society at large and in the United States in particular. Guiness throughout this book takes on the stance of "relativism" in the modern world, and then shows from history the result of that belief system and its consequences. He quotes Nietzche who said, "It is our preference that decides against Christianity, not arguments (p. 114)." Guinness lays out that those who believe in no absolutes, like Nietzche, have false beliefs that will betray them in the end. Guinness draws out an argumentation that says truth, which is reality, will always have the final say. Guiness pulls no punches when he attacks governmental leaders as well. He quotes Tacitus, who was a Roman poet who said, "The more corrupt the state, the more laws (p. 86)." Then Guinness takes the argument for truth and living by the truth, straight back to God who requires true living. Guinnes shows how false beliefs affect not just the individual who has those beliefs, but how when this belief system becomes the common way of thinking, it affects the society as a whole. Guinness does give the answer for a return to a truthful society and the great consequences on one's life and the society's as well. I have read some of Guinness' other works which I highly recommend. But if I had to pick one of this author's book to recommend to anyone, it is this book by far. And, that's the truth.
Rating: 
Summary: Articulate, rhetorical, religious and political.
Review: This book did not cover what I expected it to given the title and subtitle, and I found what it did have to say to be of little value to me. I bought it because of the number of positive reviews I saw here. I gave it 2 stars only because it was well-written. This book does not talk about the specific areas of lying, oppression, or misrepresentation that we all recognize, such as the corporate-owned media, political partisanship, scripted political talks shows, or profit-over-safety-minded companies. This book is really an attack on postmodernism and Bill Clinton (who, according to the author, exemplifies postmodernism) and it provides a religious definition of what the truth is. The author presents quote after quote from poets, authors, actors, politicians, etc. as if they are facts. For example, he quotes poet W.H. Auden: "The whole trend of liberal thought has been to undermine faith in the absolute." The author himself says things that sound rather prophetic but are, in fact, quite vacuous: "Whatever people may say the world is or who they are, it is what it is and they are who they are." The author presents a definition of 'absolute truth' as provided by God. The discussion then goes on to point out that religion is only true in a pragmatic, subjective or relativistic sense, which I consider to be a major problem. If religion itself is not considered an absolute truth, how then can it be trusted to provide us with a definition of absolute truth? The attacks on postmodernism are quite poor. For instance, the author claims that because alternative medicine is not "scientifically proven" and he has managed to imply a connection to postmodernism, this means that postmodernism "opens the door and ushers in an assortment of the weird, the wild, and the wonderful - with no questions asked or allowed." Quite a leap, I think, and completely unsubstantiated. He states that Bill Clinton is the "Corruptingest" president of them all. I had to note that none of the recent Republican presidents were mentioned when discussing presidential lying, just the Democrats. So the book struck me as overly religious and political at the same time.
Rating: 
Summary: Do conservatives ever lie?
Review: This book was recommended to me, and I have found it
somewhat disappointing. The author seems to be
promoting a not so subtle political agenda. Lots of
anti-Clinton statements and other jabs something like "liberals are not the only ones capable of lying." The main political theme of today seems to be a debate
over whether the President's less than truthful comments
on Iraq are relevant. In other words, what difference does
it make if Bush spoke untruthfully making the case for war,
because there were plenty of other good reasons to go to war? I searched the web high and low hoping to see some
writings by Mr. Guinness on President Bush's false
statements, or at best half-truths, on the case for
war with Iraq. I was disappointed not to find anything. I am giving the book two stars because the book has
potential. If in the next edition Mr. Guinness includes
a chapter on President Bush distorting the truth to build
support for the war, I will raise my review to 5 stars. For
that matter if I find any writings by Mr. Guinness saying
that although he supports the war, he finds it very troubling
that President Bush and his closest advisors would be
less than truthful in making the case for war, I will raise
my review to 5 stars. Unfortunately I believe Mr. Guinness
will be less concerned about conservatives tolerating lies
when it advances their agenda, than when liberals do so.
Prove me wrong Mr Guinness! Principles or politics ... it is your choice to make.
Rating:
Summary: Do conservatives ever lie?
Review: This book was recommended to me, and I have found it
somewhat disappointing. The author seems to be
promoting a not so subtle political agenda. Lots of
anti-Clinton statements and other jabs something like "liberals are not the only ones capable of lying." The main political theme of today seems to be a debate
over whether the President's less than truthful comments
on Iraq are relevant. In other words, what difference does
it make if Bush spoke untruthfully making the case for war,
because there were plenty of other good reasons to go to war? I searched the web high and low hoping to see some
writings by Mr. Guinness on President Bush's false
statements, or at best half-truths, on the case for
war with Iraq. I was disappointed not to find anything. I am giving the book two stars because the book has
potential. If in the next edition Mr. Guinness includes
a chapter on President Bush distorting the truth to build
support for the war, I will raise my review to 5 stars. For
that matter if I find any writings by Mr. Guinness saying
that although he supports the war, he finds it very troubling
that President Bush and his closest advisors would be
less than truthful in making the case for war, I will raise
my review to 5 stars. Unfortunately I believe Mr. Guinness
will be less concerned about conservatives tolerating lies
when it advances their agenda, than when liberals do so.
Prove me wrong Mr Guinness! Principles or politics ... it is your choice to make.
| 
