What Are People For?: Essays Second Edition, Kindle Edition
by Wendell Berry (Author)
4.5 out of 5 stars 55 customer reviews
Ranging from America’s insatiable consumerism and household economies to literary subjects and America’s attitude toward waste, here Berry gracefully navigates from one topic to the next. He speaks candidly about the ills plaguing America and the growing gap between people and the land. Despite the somber nature of these essays, Berry’s voice and prose provide an underlying sense of faith and hope. He frames his reflections with poetic responsibility, standing up as a firm believer in the power of the human race not only to fix its past mistakes but to build a future that will provide a better life for all.
ISBN-13: 978-1582434872
File Size: 557 KB
Print Length: 225 pages
Biography
Wendell E. Berry (born August 5, 1934) is an American novelist, poet, environmental activist, cultural critic, and farmer. A prolific author, he has written many novels, short stories, poems, and essays. He is an elected member of the Fellowship of Southern Writers, a recipient of The National Humanities Medal, and the Jefferson Lecturer for 2012. He is also a 2013 Fellow of The American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Berry was named the recipient of the 2013 Richard C. Holbrooke Distinguished Achievement Award. On January 28, 2015, he became the first living writer to be ushered into the Kentucky Writers Hall of Fame.
Bio from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Photo by Guy Mendes (Guy Mendes) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons.
55 customer reviews
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Lori R. Dowell
5.0 out of 5 starsmy favorite being Hannah CoulterNovember 11, 2015
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I have read several of Wendell Berry's novels, my favorite being Hannah Coulter, but have never read his essays before. His message in Hannah Coulter is similar to his message in this book, which is for us to think about the meaning of our lives, exactly as the title says. What is important to us and what should be important to us? This is an excellent book that I recommend to everyone. I will be buying several copies of this book for my friends for Christmas and Birthday gifts.
7 people found this helpful
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Kyle Gardner
5.0 out of 5 starsEssential Reading!March 14, 2014
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Wendell Berry is a national treasure. His contributions are monumental. This collection of essays is especially worthy of reading again and again – insightful brilliance throughout! I especially enjoyed his essay about Ed Abbey (who we lost 25 years ago today) and the piece entitled “Nature as Measure.” There is no better indictment of industrial agriculture and the cultural mindset which seeks only profit.
Only Berry could say this: “There is no sense and no sanity in objecting to the desecration of the flag while tolerating and justifying and encouraging as a daily business the desecration of the country for which it stands.” And that was 1989!
If you’re a fan of Wendell Berry you know and you nod in agreement. Now, can we spread the word? Berry’s wisdom, which is rooted in the land and his experience working the land, is critical for retaking the moral and political high ground from the corporate destroyers of the land. People are becoming aware and are willing to speak out. Can this tip the balance favorably?
We couldn’t do it without Wendell Berry!
Kyle Gardner, author, Momentary Threshold
5 people found this helpful
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Jim Wilder
5.0 out of 5 stars"This successful life we're livin' got us feuding ..."March 7, 2009
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This book inspired me to believe individuals and community can mutually enhance each other, and that God intended for us to enjoy our time on Earth much more than we generally do. It's full of inspiring quotes, e.g. "The more coherent one becomes within oneself as a creature, the more fully one enters into the communion of all creatures." The author is a philosopher, and his unique voice of exhortation is not overly preachy.
Mr. Berry touches on many far-ranging topics of quotidian life: the real values of education; the merits of decentralized control; the inherent biases toward, and the effects of, centralized control; the idea that language and writing should involve all senses; the concept that the future is faith based on all that we do now. The author delves into the most fundamental human motivations, and why we should be stewards of the Earth.
This book was a joy to read, and in these times of economic crisis it left me inspired that we can adapt and improve, and I feel sustained warm thoughts for the author. It was the first work of his I've read, and I'm eager to read more of his nonfiction and novels.
14 people found this helpful
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markfav
5.0 out of 5 starsBerry's insightful prose casts a light on our nature.December 15, 2014
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
Wendell Berry's essays are far ranging and diverse in topic, but unified by his curiosity about the human condition. These are essays and reviews that you can read over and over, and likely will, because they resonate with an inner longing of the reader. Berry has a way of persuading the reader, not just telling him, about something of import - taking him from unaware to deeply affected. A very worthwhile read.
4 people found this helpful
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Andrew M. Gordon
4.0 out of 5 starsin the American grainJune 1, 2014
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I first read Wendell Berry's novel Hannah Coulter. These reviews and essays explain the philosophy and ecology behind the fiction. While not as entertaining as a novel, his prose is very well crafted and a pleasure to read. Berry sometiems comes across as cranky, old-fashioned, or a Luddite (technophobe), but he is in the American grain of Thoreau. He emphasizes the values of community and loving the land and stresses all we have lost in the modern world.
4 people found this helpful
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JC_
5.0 out of 5 starsAs good as it getsMarch 19, 2014
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I gave this book a 5-star rating not because I agree with everything Berry has to say about economics or conservation. The 5-star rating comes from Berry's mastery of the English language. Even if you disagree with everything Berry has to say you will love his style.
Here is a sample: “Rats and roaches live by competition under the laws of supply and demand; it is the privilege of human beings to live under the laws of justice and mercy.”
Beautiful.
6 people found this helpful
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JAY BREMYER
5.0 out of 5 starsWendell Berry Is a TreasureNovember 14, 2015
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I've been reading Wendell Berry for 55 years, many of the books several times, and never come away less than moved, informed, and inspired.
5 people found this helpful
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Joel Patrick Senkar
5.0 out of 5 starsEven though the essays were written many years ago, ...May 21, 2016
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Even though the essays were written many years ago, "What Are People For?" is a thought provoking read that I wish had been introduced to me earlier. Take the time to at least think about the messages contained within.
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