The Private Adam: Becoming a Hero in a Selfish Age

by Shmuley Boteach and Rabbi Shmuley Boteach

Book Overview

Contemporary culture blasts us daily with models of how we should behave -- dubious models at best. From the strip club aesthetics of MTV teen idols to the clawing, hell-bent competitions of reality TV, sometimes it can seem that every corner of our media-drenched society is sending an unmistakable message to us and our children: Shed your dignity, exploit yourself and others, and you'll be on the path to glory.

And yet, as popular talk-radio...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060393475
• ISBN13: 9780060393472
• Release Date: May 2003
• Publisher: William Morrow & Company
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 1.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Effective cure for hedonism and narcissism

Part One is called The Princes Are In Peril; here the author examines the spiritual crisis in the West. People live longer, healthier lives and enjoy greater material wealth than ever before. Obviously prosperity is not enough since negatives like stress disorders and divorce are widespread. Many people are perpetually medicated. The missing element is purpose/meaning; people try to obtain it through financial prosperity or other external means of recognition. It is also expressed vicariously through imagined heroes like celebrities in sport, music and film. The author claims that human beings have an inherent desire to be heroic. This book is about true heroism; what it is and how to pursue it. Genuine heroism is within reach of all and its attributes include doing what is good, living with dignity, helping others, controlling our passions and choosing to do the right rather than the popular thing. The Good Book provides a model for two kinds of hero: Adam as public hero who is to dominate the earth and Adam as private hero who is commanded to nurture it. The Bible offers us the alternative to Homer's classical superhero in works like the Iliad and Odyssey. The biblical hero seeks righteousness rather than recognition, virtue instead of victory, and moral courage over mortal conquest. The classical hero uses force, subdues others, and seeks the adulation of the masses plus material rewards as well as glory and fame. These desires are all born of insecurity; it's a game of win and lose. The needs of the classical hero that permeate today's celebrity culture erode self-esteem. In contrast, the biblical hero does not seek personal glory and performs unsung acts of heroism. Examples are Moses and the firefighters of 9/11. This hero has a strong consciousness of the Godly nature. S/he knows that people are inherently valuable and worthy of love simply because we are made in the image of God. Excellent insights emerge from the chapter on the Machiavellian view. Be very wary of the false perception that "nice guys finish last." Sometimes it may appear to be true, as also reflected in the saying "no good deed goes unpunished." Choosing right action does seem to harm us in some cases by creating circumstances in which people take advantage of us. But the author shows how Machiavelli missed the point. The most important things will always be God, family and friends. One's aim ought to be a struggle for goodness, not material success. Goodness is definitely not the opposite of material success anyway but a psychological necessity, not easy to achieve and demanding constant effort. It is a process of unceasing inspiration rather than a goal to be reached. A further point of vital importance is that personal imperfection is no impediment to making this choice! If one has a weakness, that is no excuse for an "anything goes" attitude; hypocrisy remains the tribute that vice pays to virtue. Fallibility makes our determination more inspiring; it is through the

Sur me ra, ve ase tov, bekesh shalom ve radfehu! (Psalm 34:15)

In part one: The Princes Are In Peril, the author discusses the spiritual crisis in the West. We live longer, healthier lives and enjoy greater prosperity than ever before. Obviously material abundance is not enough since negatives like stress disorders and divorce are widespread. Many people are perpetually medicated. The missing element is purpose/meaning; people try to attain it by financial prosperity or other external means of recognition. It is also expressed vicariously through imagined heroes like celebrities in sport, music and film. The author claims that human beings have an inherent desire to be heroic. This book is about true heroism; what it is and how to pursue it. Genuine heroism is within reach of all and its attributes include doing what is good, living with dignity, helping others, controlling our passions and choosing to do the right rather than the popular thing. The Good Book provides a model for two kinds of hero: Adam as public hero who is to dominate the earth and Adam as private hero who is commanded to nurture it. The Bible offers us the alternative to Homer's classical superhero in works like the Iliad and Odyssey. The biblical hero seeks righteousness rather than recognition, virtue instead of victory, and moral courage over mortal conquest. The classical hero uses force, subdues others, and seeks the adulation of the masses plus material rewards as well as glory and fame. These desires are all born of insecurity. It's a game of win and lose. The needs of the classical hero, unfortunately permeating today's celebrity culture, erode self-esteem. In contrast, the biblical hero does not seek personal glory and performs unsung acts of heroism. Examples are Moses and the firefighters of 9/11. This hero has a strong consciousness of the Godly nature. S/he knows that people are inherently valuable and worthy of love simply because we are made in the image of God. Excellent insights emerge from the chapter on the Machiavellian view. Be very wary of the false perception that "nice guys finish last." At times it may appear to be thus, as also reflected in the saying "no good deed goes unpunished." Choosing right action does seem to harm us in some cases by creating circumstances in which people take advantage of us. But the author shows how Machiavelli missed the point. The most important things will always be God, family and friends. One's aim ought to be a struggle for goodness, not material success. Goodness is definitely not the opposite of material success anyway but a psychological necessity, not easy to achieve and demanding constant effort. It is a process of unceasing inspiration rather than a goal to be reached. A further point of vital importance is that personal imperfection is no impediment to making this choice! If one has a weakness, that is no excuse for an "anything goes" attitude; hypocrisy remains the tribute that vice pays to virtue. Fallibility makes our determination more inspiring; it is through the une

Life Changing

This book is a life changing book. After reading this book, you will want to read ALL of Boteach's books. His writing style is contemporary and easy to digest. Read this book to find out the true meaning of being a superhero.