All Things Shining

Dreyfus and Kelly present an intriguing argument, based in Western literary and philosophical classics, for avoiding nihilism and being engaged with, and finding meaning in, the world as it is. David Drummond narrates at a slightly elevated pitch of excitement, as if urging someone to hurry. Despite the potential urgency of the book's message, its tone is thoughtful and analytical. The uneasy fit makes Drummond's manner seem all the more artificial. There are several prominent mispronunciations, but an egregious mistake is the word "agape," Christian love. However, Drummond's energy doesn't let the book lag, and his clarity is admirable. The basic job of conveying the book is roughly but effectively done. W.M. (c) AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine

May 30, 2011
Dreyfus and Kelly re-evaluate such classics as Melville's Moby Dick, Homer's Odyssey, and Dante's Divine Comedy to give modern readers a sense of "the wonder we were once capable of." The authors do not push to recover religion but rather to repossess the moods and intensity of the ancient Greeks and shrug off what they perceive to be the present age's epidemic of apathy and nihilism. By juxtaposing canonized authors with David Foster Wallaceâand even Elizabeth GilbertâDreyfus and Kelly explain, expand, and give direction in how to live in a secular age. David Drummond's voice sounds both famous and familiarâas if constantly narrating a movie trailer. As professional as he sounds, over long periods of time it becomes difficult to decipher what is urgent and important when everything sounds so portentous, and movements between chapters and jumps between authors make the listening tricky; it's not always easy to discern where the argument is going and from where it originated without pages to reference. A Free Press hardcover.