Reseña del libro "The Stuff of Life (en Inglés)"
BLUEINK REVIEW In this book of essays, Asif Zaidi, a banker and advisor to business leaders, takes on fundamental questions of meaning and morality. Zaidi conveys his thoughts in brief essays, ranging over a wide spectrum of topics. In “Rational Thought and Religion,” for example, the author argues that it’s possible to balance the dictates of religion and science. He believes that religious practice has a valid role to play in terms of how individuals make meaning of their lives, while averring that reason can “foster mediation between different faiths by creating a consensus around the common and the essential.” Zaidi also writes about more day-to-day matters, such as the distractions of our omnipresent devices. He argues that the Internet is a valuable way to stay in touch with family and friends but that it must not replace real-time social interaction. Zaidi’s approach is moderate and rational. He avoids dogmatism and absolutes, emphasizing that each person must find their own answers. The psychological insight he has gained from his own spiritual life as well as his successful career, balances his work, avoiding the extremes of either ivory tower speculations or bland self-help platitudes. The author writes in a conversational tone, never falling into jargon. His narrative reveals a cultured mind, well-read in the works of many cultures, from Islam to Ancient Greece, while drawing on the wisdom of authors from Ghalib to Dostoyevsky. Above all, he conveys a refreshing humanism and a lack of alarmism or extremism rare in an increasingly polarized world. Open-minded readers may find in these pages a means of cracking open the doors of perception just a little bit further. FOREWROD In his collection of essays, The Stuff of Life, Asif Zaidi takes on a series of often grand subjects and makes them relevant to the lives people lead, distilling the wisdom of thinkers both ancient and modern to assist him.Divided into categories such as “Soulful Reflections” and “Human Relations,” Zaidi’s essays approach a wide range of subjects. The collection is at its best when the essays are more instructive than contemplative. Other high points include essays that entail personal disclosures. Essays benefit from the inclusion of details from their author’s life, which provide a firm basis for the insights that are on offer.The Stuff of Life takes on a broad range of subjects, using the words of great thinkers and the author’s own insights. For readers with a casual interest in philosophy, and those in search of some inspiration of their own, there is much here that is rewarding.
