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The Resource Drawing life : surviving the Unabomber, David Gelernter

Drawing life : surviving the Unabomber, David Gelernter

Creator
Summary
On June 24, 1993, David Gelernter opened a package that exploded, blowing off most of his right hand and damaging his hearing, eyesight, and chest. Ironically, the perpetrator, the technology-phobic "mad genius" we know as the Unabomber, managed to punish one of the very few people who are deeply skeptical about computers and openly critical of technology. Perhaps the greater irony is that the bomb meant to destroy a man's life remade it, and the wounds meant to break his spirit only strengthened it. Now, in this haunting memoir, Gelernter makes a metaphor of himself, seeing in his own near-death and recovery the same disfigurement and promise for American society as a whole. As he ponders his own spiritual condition and the healing power he found in family, religion, community, and art, he critiques the American soul and its devaluing of these very treasures. Instead of teaching and lauding the virtues of courage, critical thinking, and good judgment, Americans have made a media circus out of crime. We are so busy peeking pruriently into the twisted minds of madmen that we have forgotten the acts of violence are not significant because they tickle our bloodlust, but because they force us to rethink our priorities. In a power analysis of the media's response to his experience, for example, Gelernter points out that the Unabomber was described as a "genius," as "sick," as "fascinating," but never as evil. Gelernter asks the chilling question: What does it mean when a culture no longer believes in evil? What happens to a society that has lost its ability to react morally in a crisis? After all, when a man is blown up by a bomb, we should question, not gawk; learn the deeper lessons, not bask in the lurid details. A gripping and poignant narrative as well as a thought-provoking analysis of our culture and where it's headed, Drawing Life is about the resurrection of an extremely thoughtful human being and the extraordinary power of one man's will to live
Language
eng
Work
Instance
Label
Drawing life : surviving the Unabomber
Title
Drawing life
Title remainder
surviving the Unabomber
Statement of responsibility
David Gelernter
Creator
Subject
Genre
Language
eng
Summary
On June 24, 1993, David Gelernter opened a package that exploded, blowing off most of his right hand and damaging his hearing, eyesight, and chest. Ironically, the perpetrator, the technology-phobic "mad genius" we know as the Unabomber, managed to punish one of the very few people who are deeply skeptical about computers and openly critical of technology. Perhaps the greater irony is that the bomb meant to destroy a man's life remade it, and the wounds meant to break his spirit only strengthened it. Now, in this haunting memoir, Gelernter makes a metaphor of himself, seeing in his own near-death and recovery the same disfigurement and promise for American society as a whole. As he ponders his own spiritual condition and the healing power he found in family, religion, community, and art, he critiques the American soul and its devaluing of these very treasures. Instead of teaching and lauding the virtues of courage, critical thinking, and good judgment, Americans have made a media circus out of crime. We are so busy peeking pruriently into the twisted minds of madmen that we have forgotten the acts of violence are not significant because they tickle our bloodlust, but because they force us to rethink our priorities. In a power analysis of the media's response to his experience, for example, Gelernter points out that the Unabomber was described as a "genius," as "sick," as "fascinating," but never as evil. Gelernter asks the chilling question: What does it mean when a culture no longer believes in evil? What happens to a society that has lost its ability to react morally in a crisis? After all, when a man is blown up by a bomb, we should question, not gawk; learn the deeper lessons, not bask in the lurid details. A gripping and poignant narrative as well as a thought-provoking analysis of our culture and where it's headed, Drawing Life is about the resurrection of an extremely thoughtful human being and the extraordinary power of one man's will to live
Biography type
autobiography
Cataloging source
DLC
http://library.link/vocab/creatorName
Gelernter, David Hillel
Dewey number
  • 364.15/23/092
  • B
Index
no index present
LC call number
HV6432.G45
LC item number
A3 1997
Literary form
non fiction
Nature of contents
dictionaries
http://library.link/vocab/subjectName
  • Gelernter, David Hillel
  • Victims of terrorism
  • Bombings
  • Kaczynski, Theodore John
  • Gelernter, David
  • F. C
Label
Drawing life : surviving the Unabomber, David Gelernter
Link
Instantiates
Publication
Extent
1 online resource (viii, 159 pages)
Form of item
online
Specific material designation
remote
System control number
(OCoLC)654218858
Label
Drawing life : surviving the Unabomber, David Gelernter
Link
Publication
Extent
1 online resource (viii, 159 pages)
Form of item
online
Specific material designation
remote
System control number
(OCoLC)654218858

Subject

Genre

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    300 Funston Ave, San Francisco, CA, 94118, US
    37.7823215 -122.4716373

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