William James : Writings 1902-1910 : The Varieties of Religious Experience / Pragmatism / A Pluralistic Universe / The Meaning of Truth / Some Problems of Philosophy / Essays (Library of America)

Rating:
Summary: Antidote for those who overvalue dogma and ignore feeling
Review: A great book by a great philosopher who knows how to write well as well as edify. Good antidote for those who only value dogma and institutional religion rather than feeling and experience.

Rating:
Summary: Philosophy of/in common sense
Review: I loved this book. It's a bit of a long haul to read though as it encompasses I suppose many books in one volume. The author in my opinion writes very well, it might take a bit of getting used to but believe me it's well worth the perseverence! The information he provides seems to be concentrated in each sentence, so if you're in for a casual read with a thought here and there on whats being presented you're gonna struggle to get the full worth of this book. Having said that, understanding comes in levels and I think to deepen your realisation of some of the ideas presented here a scan re-read could be in order! Just a brief word about style and approach. Like I have said in the title, common sense seems to shine through on a lot of the ideas here, with James seemingly steering us home taking us away from our wayward thoughts and bringing us to that place where he appears to be totally grounded. Definitely some different and refreshing approaches though, with thoughts of "yeah, that's quite good, I might have come to that conclusion had I really thought about it" coming when you read some of the passages. But I suppose his real strength, is his ability to penetrate into the heart of issues and expose the core of the matter at hand, and divulge points using the succinctness of logic. As much as he asks of himself he will ask of others, I refer of course to his critics. Some of the passages look at those who oppose his ideas, and where his strict governance of himself is telling in the text, he exposes the lack of veracity and looseness in his opponents words.
Overall then, a great book, with some great ideas giving direction and purpose to those willing to invest in thought and definitely (due to the length!) in time!

Rating:
Summary: Bulk Jamesian Goodness
Review: James is not the kind of writer you will want to put down. For that reason, it is good to have his writings in bulk. This collection is a varitable cornicopia of sweet Jamesian goodness: books, essays, letters and miscellany. Furthermore, it give is us the mature James of his later years, when he produced his best works. The Varieties of Religious Experience / Pragmatism / A Pluralistic Universe / The Meaning of Truth / Some Problems of Philosophy - it's all in there. Now all you have to do is get your hands on volume I, which covers the early years, and your set!!

Rating:
Summary: flawed, incomplete selections
Review: James is wonderful and to the extent that this volume contains many of his important writings, it is wonderful. However, because the volume does not include the crucial "Essays in Radical Empiricism" or the key chapters/essays from either "Principles of Psychology" or "The Will to Believe" it is very incomplete. Readers interested in James would do better to pick up a copy of the "Writings of William James" edited by John J. McDermott (whose own introduction to James is also far superior to that of the editor of this volume).

Rating:
Summary: flawed, incomplete selections
Review: James is wonderful and to the extent that this volume contains many of his important writings, it is wonderful. However, because the volume does not include the crucial "Essays in Radical Empiricism" or the key chapters/essays from either "Principles of Psychology" or "The Will to Believe" it is very incomplete. Readers interested in James would do better to pick up a copy of the "Writings of William James" edited by John J. McDermott (whose own introduction to James is also far superior to that of the editor of this volume).

Rating:
Summary: What American philosophy and psychology could have been
Review: Marvelous book. James is a clear -- and humorous -- writer. He clearly saw that psychology and philosophy are not completely separate disciplines, as they are so often considered today. Psychology unfortunately in many ways was sidetracked by Freud. And philosophy got bushwhacked by the unintelligible babblings of existentialists like Sartre. James was a wide-ranging writer -- not only did he take psychology and philosophy seriously, but also religion, including mysticism -- hence the title _The Varities of Religious Experience._ James was no ivory-tower egghead: he even tried mescaline once (although he admits he barfed it up). This collection contains his amazing essay, "Does Consciousness Exist?" in which he argues that the subject/object dichotomy that appears to be so obvious cannot be true. In fact, he was able to convince Bertrand Russell of the his truth of his position -- an astonishing feat indeed. If you want to see what _could_ have been, James is one of the places to start.

Rating:
Summary: A grand collection...
Review: This book is both an excellent introduction to James' style and views and a valuable addition to the library of anyone who appreciates James' work. It is also a beautiful volume and, I believe, Kuklick and The Library of America have truly done an outstanding job in the production of this collection. I consider 'William James: Writings 1902 - 1910' to be one of the treasures in my collection of philosophical works.