The Bridge

by David Hillstrom

Broken into two parts, The Bridge by David Hillstrom is an intriguing blend of the philosophical and the political. With an exceptionally bold and highly readable prose, the author's nimble... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 141969863X
• ISBN13: 9781419698637
• Release Date: July 2008
• Publisher: Booksurge Publishing
• Length: 130 Pages
• Weight: 0.31 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 5.2" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Wonderful Food for thought

Everyone should read this intelligent book. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in philosophy, politics and religion. The author is definitely knowledgeable and well versed.

Great Book. Thought Provoking. World Peace!

This book will be out there for most people. It is very intellectually challenging to read yet very simple, really. It challenges our myths and believes and asks new questions for our world's nations. The author seeks to integrate the scientific method with politics in order to bring about a new world reality. I really like the challenges and hope that this author brings. He is very well educated and makes some very good points that are worth reading. This books borders on spiritual texts with analogies to living in the present and crossing the bridge of new beginnings. I will pass this book on to my friends to read.

Intelligent ideas, just as the book suggested

I'm not sure where to start because the ideas presented in Hillstrom's "The Bridge" are both engaging and clearly not intended to be the end of the discussion. Instead it's an invitation for further discussion. While Hillstrom is committed to his ideas I appreciate the fact that the brief essays are presented as discussion points and not thorough studies. For some this book does not live up to their expectations. That's a good thing and I'll explain why: those complaining are used to all itellectual points being hammered home through copious references, notes, repeated evidence and presented through books that are best suited as college text books. The problem with this is simple; no one reads those books except fellow intellectuals and students who have well intentioned parents paying through the nose for their education. Those same students forget those great ideas when they start to pursue an income. That's not an efficient way to promote change. If it was effective we would not be where we are today. David Hillstrom recognizes this fact and has decided that we, as a nation, and as an inreasingly global community have to face facts in order to not just thrive but actually survive our current follies. From the increased threat of climate change to the plunging of our global markets and useless, illegal and immoral wars, we need to rethink the way we try to solve problems. One overriding example he proposes is to use logic to address these issues. In order for this to work we have to leave religious, nationalistic and cultural prejudices out of the process. These things have not helped because they prevent us from having a lasting and shared consensus. This is not a case of bashing religion but it is a case for elevating logic to the head of problem solving. He makes a great, brief case for ways in which we can do this (like making the UN work on behalf of ALL the peoples it is supposed to represent). This is a good book to get people thinking and a brilliant way to engage the very people who have been left out of the discussion. He's not promoting a utopian ideal and recognizes how those notions are unrealistic.

THIS BOOK IS SYNCRETISTIC. YES, I HAD TO LOOK THAT WORD UP

Syncretistic pertains to 'the combination or reconciliation of differing beliefs in religion, philosophy, etc.' Which makes this slim book perfect for an eclectic reader like me. And maybe you? It skillfully, in an almost conversational way, weaves together a wide array of disciplines in a way that clarifies and provides context while provoking alot of synergistic interaction. Like, it exemplifies something that I've always felt; that for every effect there are many causes, and for every cause, many effects. Which could translate to discovering every belief or scientific theory or philosophic conclusion being primarily pretty complex. Hillstrom simplifies the complexity while connecting the dots nicely. But his unpretentious, no-nonsense presentation makes eminent sense while being a comfortable, informative, interesting read. One reason I like this book is that his bibliography showed we've been doing the same homework. Classic philosophers/ social scientists' are only briefly referred to, but it's contemporary writers who have contributed the most to The Bridge. Which makes this book pretty much the last word. For today, at least. A synthesis of synthesis'? A few of the very many cited, all worthy reads Consilience: The Unity of Knowledge, A Short History of Nearly Everything, The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order, The End of History and the Last Man The Bridge, like these other fine books, expresses a much broader and for me a clearer view of how all such disciplines relate and impact the whole interconnected mess of ideas and beliefs. A last comment: It took me a relatively long time to read through this book's 114 pages. T'was because I stopped so often to think about what was being said. This book prompts alot of margin notes, underlining and that rare activity, thinking. If your thinking goes to putting together The Big Picture, The Bridge is a good start.