Review of Philosophy from the Mud
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Matt Graves
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Review of Philosophy from the Mud
[Following is a volunteer review of "Philosophy from the Mud" by Erik Quisling.]
Erik Quisling’s brilliant, hilarious Philosophy from the Mud is the only inspirational book I’ve come across within the past year that I felt a lot better off for having read. This unique work is hard to fit into one genre. It could be considered a comic book, even though its illustrations are mere doodles showing little to no artistic merit. One could call it a work of philosophy, but then, it is not boring, stuffy, or obfuscated enough to qualify as a serious philosophical book in the minds of many. And if one were to classify it as a self-help manual, one would really have to believe that laughter is the best medicine. Besides, there is a gritty realism to these three stories that is very much at odds with the feel-good pap that is generally found in that section of a bookstore. This book is in a category of its own.
Essentially, this is a weaving together of two of Quisling’s previous books: Effortless and Fables from the Mud. The two complement one another so well that it feels like a conversation with the author between each of his fables. It has a very Zen feel at times, and Quisling does make it clear that he has been strongly influenced by Buddhism and Taoism.
Having said that, this is one of those rare works that can be enjoyed by anyone of any religion or philosophy. Just as Monty Python’s films can be equally enjoyed by devout churchgoers and hardcore atheists. As someone who would come closer to fitting into the latter category, I can honestly say that I haven’t laughed this much since the last time I read a Kurt Vonnegut novel or watched an old Woody Allen flick. One particular illustration in the third story, the one about the angry clam, was an obvious nod to Vonnegut. And the overall tone finds a lot of fun in the absurdities of existence.
If there is one book I could compare this to, it would be Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach. Though the whimsical (yet at times also brutal) humor of these three comics makes such a comparison seem absurd at first glance, the earnest philosophy the author weaves in between each story definitely shows a similar intent. These fables are meant to be contemplated; the reader is being encouraged to engage in some serious thought about the nature of life, after he has gotten the laughter out of his system.
There were a few quibbles I had, some aspects of the philosophy I did not find consistent or sensible. In his five laws of the “Quantum Theory of Abundance,” the author states that the universe is non-judgmental, which seems at odds with the Buddhist idea of karma. And he does refer to Buddhist philosophy a lot. I also wasn’t quite buying into his statement that abundance is limitless. I know of many people who are struggling financially despite taking a good attitude toward life (as this book suggests they should) and working really hard. Times are tough. And the past few years have made me aware of the exact opposite: of just how limited our resources in this world can be, how they need to be used more wisely. He also lost me to some extent in talking about needing to calm one’s mind to dissolve the ego and have fewer thoughts. Again, I believe the opposite of this is what might make the world a better place: if people engaged in more thinking, and had a healthy sense of pride in themselves.
Yet a lot of the philosophical advice was sound. I especially enjoyed the true story he told about his sister, and how she turned her life around for the better, using the principles he espouses in the philosophical sections. I don’t quite agree with his calling the doors that opened for her “miracles,” but they could reasonably be called Jungian synchronicities. And I can’t help but love a guy who can quote Goethe and Bruce Springsteen back-to-back, to get his message across about how the universe rewards courage and action. This is one of the best books I’ve read in a long time.
And I am going to give it a full five out of five stars. This decision required some deliberation. Because of my quibbles with some of the philosophical points, I started to only give it four out of five stars. But then, as I read on, I realized that to overanalyze this book was to miss the whole point of it. Herein we have the story of a worm struggling with suicidal tendencies, an ant reading great drama and adventure into the simple experience of being stepped on, and a clam who tries to be a Moslem. Even in the philosophical musings between such stories, Quisling refuses to take himself too seriously. And so do I. Even a school paper does not have to be flawlessly perfect to merit a grade of “A” for being excellent; it only has to be 90% of the way to perfection.
This truly is excellent. I finished it in one evening, on a day I wasn’t particularly in the mood for reading. While the humor was the main thing I enjoyed, reading this also encouraged me about life in general, even as I insisted on nitpicking and arguing with the author, here and there. And while I was given a free e-book copy to review, I intend to buy a real, physical copy that I can keep on my shelf. Because I will definitely be reading it again. I recommend that you do the same.
******
Philosophy from the Mud
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Erik Quisling’s brilliant, hilarious Philosophy from the Mud is the only inspirational book I’ve come across within the past year that I felt a lot better off for having read. This unique work is hard to fit into one genre. It could be considered a comic book, even though its illustrations are mere doodles showing little to no artistic merit. One could call it a work of philosophy, but then, it is not boring, stuffy, or obfuscated enough to qualify as a serious philosophical book in the minds of many. And if one were to classify it as a self-help manual, one would really have to believe that laughter is the best medicine. Besides, there is a gritty realism to these three stories that is very much at odds with the feel-good pap that is generally found in that section of a bookstore. This book is in a category of its own.
Essentially, this is a weaving together of two of Quisling’s previous books: Effortless and Fables from the Mud. The two complement one another so well that it feels like a conversation with the author between each of his fables. It has a very Zen feel at times, and Quisling does make it clear that he has been strongly influenced by Buddhism and Taoism.
Having said that, this is one of those rare works that can be enjoyed by anyone of any religion or philosophy. Just as Monty Python’s films can be equally enjoyed by devout churchgoers and hardcore atheists. As someone who would come closer to fitting into the latter category, I can honestly say that I haven’t laughed this much since the last time I read a Kurt Vonnegut novel or watched an old Woody Allen flick. One particular illustration in the third story, the one about the angry clam, was an obvious nod to Vonnegut. And the overall tone finds a lot of fun in the absurdities of existence.
If there is one book I could compare this to, it would be Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach. Though the whimsical (yet at times also brutal) humor of these three comics makes such a comparison seem absurd at first glance, the earnest philosophy the author weaves in between each story definitely shows a similar intent. These fables are meant to be contemplated; the reader is being encouraged to engage in some serious thought about the nature of life, after he has gotten the laughter out of his system.
There were a few quibbles I had, some aspects of the philosophy I did not find consistent or sensible. In his five laws of the “Quantum Theory of Abundance,” the author states that the universe is non-judgmental, which seems at odds with the Buddhist idea of karma. And he does refer to Buddhist philosophy a lot. I also wasn’t quite buying into his statement that abundance is limitless. I know of many people who are struggling financially despite taking a good attitude toward life (as this book suggests they should) and working really hard. Times are tough. And the past few years have made me aware of the exact opposite: of just how limited our resources in this world can be, how they need to be used more wisely. He also lost me to some extent in talking about needing to calm one’s mind to dissolve the ego and have fewer thoughts. Again, I believe the opposite of this is what might make the world a better place: if people engaged in more thinking, and had a healthy sense of pride in themselves.
Yet a lot of the philosophical advice was sound. I especially enjoyed the true story he told about his sister, and how she turned her life around for the better, using the principles he espouses in the philosophical sections. I don’t quite agree with his calling the doors that opened for her “miracles,” but they could reasonably be called Jungian synchronicities. And I can’t help but love a guy who can quote Goethe and Bruce Springsteen back-to-back, to get his message across about how the universe rewards courage and action. This is one of the best books I’ve read in a long time.
And I am going to give it a full five out of five stars. This decision required some deliberation. Because of my quibbles with some of the philosophical points, I started to only give it four out of five stars. But then, as I read on, I realized that to overanalyze this book was to miss the whole point of it. Herein we have the story of a worm struggling with suicidal tendencies, an ant reading great drama and adventure into the simple experience of being stepped on, and a clam who tries to be a Moslem. Even in the philosophical musings between such stories, Quisling refuses to take himself too seriously. And so do I. Even a school paper does not have to be flawlessly perfect to merit a grade of “A” for being excellent; it only has to be 90% of the way to perfection.
This truly is excellent. I finished it in one evening, on a day I wasn’t particularly in the mood for reading. While the humor was the main thing I enjoyed, reading this also encouraged me about life in general, even as I insisted on nitpicking and arguing with the author, here and there. And while I was given a free e-book copy to review, I intend to buy a real, physical copy that I can keep on my shelf. Because I will definitely be reading it again. I recommend that you do the same.
******
Philosophy from the Mud
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Claudia Angelucci
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This is a great review, Matt. The book is a great read too! I read it some time ago, and I agree with your comments. And you know what? I really like Monty Python’s films too. Haha, I'm not sure if they can be equally enjoyed by devout churchgoers though! Have a lovely day.Matt Graves wrote: ↑16 Feb 2024, 01:58 [Following is a volunteer review of "Philosophy from the Mud" by Erik Quisling.]
Erik Quisling’s brilliant, hilarious Philosophy from the Mud is the only inspirational book I’ve come across within the past year that I felt a lot better off for having read. This unique work is hard to fit into one genre. It could be considered a comic book, even though its illustrations are mere doodles showing little to no artistic merit. One could call it a work of philosophy, but then, it is not boring, stuffy, or obfuscated enough to qualify as a serious philosophical book in the minds of many. And if one were to classify it as a self-help manual, one would really have to believe that laughter is the best medicine. Besides, there is a gritty realism to these three stories that is very much at odds with the feel-good pap that is generally found in that section of a bookstore. This book is in a category of its own.
Essentially, this is a weaving together of two of Quisling’s previous books: Effortless and Fables from the Mud. The two complement one another so well that it feels like a conversation with the author between each of his fables. It has a very Zen feel at times, and Quisling does make it clear that he has been strongly influenced by Buddhism and Taoism.
Having said that, this is one of those rare works that can be enjoyed by anyone of any religion or philosophy. Just as Monty Python’s films can be equally enjoyed by devout churchgoers and hardcore atheists. As someone who would come closer to fitting into the latter category, I can honestly say that I haven’t laughed this much since the last time I read a Kurt Vonnegut novel or watched an old Woody Allen flick. One particular illustration in the third story, the one about the angry clam, was an obvious nod to Vonnegut. And the overall tone finds a lot of fun in the absurdities of existence.
If there is one book I could compare this to, it would be Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach. Though the whimsical (yet at times also brutal) humor of these three comics makes such a comparison seem absurd at first glance, the earnest philosophy the author weaves in between each story definitely shows a similar intent. These fables are meant to be contemplated; the reader is being encouraged to engage in some serious thought about the nature of life, after he has gotten the laughter out of his system.
There were a few quibbles I had, some aspects of the philosophy I did not find consistent or sensible. In his five laws of the “Quantum Theory of Abundance,” the author states that the universe is non-judgmental, which seems at odds with the Buddhist idea of karma. And he does refer to Buddhist philosophy a lot. I also wasn’t quite buying into his statement that abundance is limitless. I know of many people who are struggling financially despite taking a good attitude toward life (as this book suggests they should) and working really hard. Times are tough. And the past few years have made me aware of the exact opposite: of just how limited our resources in this world can be, how they need to be used more wisely. He also lost me to some extent in talking about needing to calm one’s mind to dissolve the ego and have fewer thoughts. Again, I believe the opposite of this is what might make the world a better place: if people engaged in more thinking, and had a healthy sense of pride in themselves.
Yet a lot of the philosophical advice was sound. I especially enjoyed the true story he told about his sister, and how she turned her life around for the better, using the principles he espouses in the philosophical sections. I don’t quite agree with his calling the doors that opened for her “miracles,” but they could reasonably be called Jungian synchronicities. And I can’t help but love a guy who can quote Goethe and Bruce Springsteen back-to-back, to get his message across about how the universe rewards courage and action. This is one of the best books I’ve read in a long time.
And I am going to give it a full five out of five stars. This decision required some deliberation. Because of my quibbles with some of the philosophical points, I started to only give it four out of five stars. But then, as I read on, I realized that to overanalyze this book was to miss the whole point of it. Herein we have the story of a worm struggling with suicidal tendencies, an ant reading great drama and adventure into the simple experience of being stepped on, and a clam who tries to be a Moslem. Even in the philosophical musings between such stories, Quisling refuses to take himself too seriously. And so do I. Even a school paper does not have to be flawlessly perfect to merit a grade of “A” for being excellent; it only has to be 90% of the way to perfection.
This truly is excellent. I finished it in one evening, on a day I wasn’t particularly in the mood for reading. While the humor was the main thing I enjoyed, reading this also encouraged me about life in general, even as I insisted on nitpicking and arguing with the author, here and there. And while I was given a free e-book copy to review, I intend to buy a real, physical copy that I can keep on my shelf. Because I will definitely be reading it again. I recommend that you do the same.
******
Philosophy from the Mud
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Brothers Bound by Bruce K. Berger
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Matt Graves
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Appreciate the reply. Though it did post on April Fools Day, so how do I know it's real ... ?
The main person who introduced me to Monty Python was a religious fanatic. To the point that when we all watched The Exorcist one night, he kept interrupting it, getting mad at details that were not consistent with the Bible. I've known some characters. I sort of assumed Monty Python had a universal appeal, sort of like Sofía Vergara, who does have a great sense of humor along with some other qualities that people might notice first.
Anyway I like your hat ... very classic magician style. Perhaps some day I will become fluent in emoji, but for now, I find Spanish goes more smoothly.
Hasta luego.
The main person who introduced me to Monty Python was a religious fanatic. To the point that when we all watched The Exorcist one night, he kept interrupting it, getting mad at details that were not consistent with the Bible. I've known some characters. I sort of assumed Monty Python had a universal appeal, sort of like Sofía Vergara, who does have a great sense of humor along with some other qualities that people might notice first.
Anyway I like your hat ... very classic magician style. Perhaps some day I will become fluent in emoji, but for now, I find Spanish goes more smoothly.
Hasta luego.
Latest Review: The Reverend Psychopath by Dr Andrew Rynne
