Page 6 - Boca ViewPointe - January '21

Page 6, Viewpointe January 2021
Book Review

Transcendence: Regarding and genius in more than
Knowledge And Its one area. From the ancient
philosopher Pythagoras
Discontents who inferred mathematics,
studied astrology and came
Gaia Vince. Transcendence: How Humans Evolved Through up with the notion of the
Fire, Language, Beauty, and Time. New York: Basic Books, music of the spheres, and
2020. Aristotle who compiled the
Peter Burke. The Polymath: A Cultural History from definitive compendium of
Leonardo da Vinci to Susan Sontag. New Haven: Yale knowledge of the ancient
University Press, 2020. world, from Physics, and
Cass R. Sunstein. Too Much Information: Understanding Poetry to the authors of
What You Don’t Want to Know. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, the Encyclopedia in the
2020. Age of Reason and the
“Much learning does not teach understanding.” Heraclitus Scottish Enlightenment of
ca. 5th century B.C.E. the Eighteenth century. He notes the distinction put forward which he ably included in his writing as perhaps the most
“If ignorance is bliss, ’tis folly to be wise.” Thomas Gray by Isaiah Berlin of the intellectual pursuits by the hedgehog distinctive polymath of the Renaissance.
“A little learning is a dang’rous thing, who seeks to know one thing and know it very well, and In contrast, Cass R. Sunstein, a professor of Behavioral
Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian Spring.” Alexander Pope the fox who seeks in mischief to attain multitude branches Science at Harvard Law School, has published a book that
of knowledge. appears by its title to take a skeptical view of knowledge. Do
By Dr. Ronald J. Meyers Burke suggests that the Polymaths enjoy the gift of we know, or seek to know too much? He is not necessarily
prodigious memory, visual imagination, and not least agnostic, in despite of the title, a non-believer in knowledge.
The Greek myth posited abiding curiosity. Though they have been ridiculed and He argues that our culture today is given to excessive
that the god Prometheus denounced as Dilettantes, as Charlatans and as Plagiarists information, not necessarily relating to philosophy or
introduced the miraculous (from the original Greek meaning, derived from stealing a evolution but to the quiddities of daily life, from caloric
gift of fire to human beings, slave, to stealing a text or an idea). He offers his account of counts in our food, work-place risks, greenhouse gases, fuel
which allowed the species to the unique 500, discussing them in terms of their heredity emissions, credit ratings, disposition of wastes, to what he
achieve the peak of divinity and social status, some high born, many not, religion, terms dark knowledge of data mining and intrusions on
of transforming food, and Protestants, Catholics, Muslims and Jews, some educated, privacy. Having served as Administrator of the Office of
attaining warmth against some autodidacts, some bachelors, and their gender noting Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) in the Obama
the elements, and comfort; a Queen Christina of Sweden, George Eliot, Susan Sontag. administration, he witnessed how misusing quest for
gift to be jealously protected Our Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson make the knowledge can lead to anxiety and depression. He argues
by the gods, and it led to the impalement of Prometheus cut. The book perhaps lacks the heft of Ms. Vince’s rigid that we take a pragmatic view of knowledge, scaling back
by his fellow Olympians. The Hebrew Bible describes the historical analysis, but makes for a pleasant skim and the thrust of the information age in favor of focusing on
Lord speaking to Moses from the fiery bush, reinforcing parlor game over those who as been included. No mention matters that enhance our lives and contribute to our well-
the significance of fire to our cultural evolution. of the polymaths who appear on the popular game show being. I believe all three books reviewed here at the outset
Ms. Gaia Vince, a British science writer and television Jeopardy, which delights and teaches us. I would raise of 2021 contribute to expanding our understanding of the
journalist, has brilliantly developed this narrative in her objection regarding the exclusion of Shakespeare to the worth and joy of knowledge.
Transcendence, in which she traces the triad of genes, list. Along with Da Vinci, whose totality of knowledge is
environment and culture in the evolutionary process. Her contained in his notebooks, Shakespeare let it all hang out Dr. Ronald J. Meyers is a resident of La Paz and
learning is all-encompassing; she brings together physics, in his writing, his diverse interest extended to medicine, Emeritus Professor of English, a curious learner and
the Big Bang, the gigantic spark that created matter out of Psychology, philosophy, Politics, history, sports, flowers, aspiring polymath, though sufficiently aware of his own
energy, which over billions of years created the admixture fauna, food, drink, animals and even the essentials of limitations. rmeyers@esu.edu. 
of chemical reactions that brought about life as well as witchcraft, virtually everything that he learned and knew,
sufficient dead plant matter to sustain fire. The evolution
of our bodies emerged from the geological mass, walking
upright, loss of hair, and finally human culture the final step Boca Pointe Community Association, Inc.
in this process.
Ms. Vince suggests the symbiosis between biological 6909 SW 18th St., Suite A120 A special Thank You to our monthly volunteer contributing writers
and cultural development, between the human capacity Boca Raton, FL 33433
for planning ahead, guided by the evolution of our brains, Office (561) 395-7551 Fax (561) 395-5936 Steve Handwerker Harriet Rubin Lin Schader
Email: info@bocapointe.com
which represent 2% of our body mass and utilize 20% of Website: www.bocapointe.com Bob Kronish Jack Kulick Justin Mocha
our energy. Our first clock was the heavens which enabled Mort Mazor Elaine Rubinson Barry J. Haberman
Peter Sachs
Anne Gannon
Judith Levy
our species to gain understanding of the flow of time in Access Control Dr. Ronald J. Meyers Elyse Weintraub Brown Steven L. Abrams
Operator: (561) 395-3392
our existence. Noting and measuring the movements of Voice mail system: (561) 395-3369 Lisa Sileo Helen Karpel Arthur Dermer
the stars, the Babylonian and the Egyptians could interpret Website: www.gateaccess.net Rayna Becker Hillary Reynolds Alan Arnold
the processes of nature, the change of seasons, the flooding Staff Halli Moore Oris Martin William A. Gralnick
of the Nile, connection between sexual behavior and birth Kathleen O’Donovan, General Manager Harold Katz Robert Weinroth
nine moons ahead. We adapted to cataclysmic asteroid Lisa Cammaleri, Assistant Manager
crash 66 million years ago and severe periods of climate Yvonne Rivera, Administrative Assistant
change, and learned how to shield ourselves, to construct Justin Mocha, Director of Security
The views of the writers of the various articles in this newspaper do not
dwellings, string clothes from flesh and fiber to mitigate Viewpointe of Boca Pointe is the newspaper necessarily reflect the views of the Boca Pointe Community Association.
the merciless fluctuations of weather. of Boca Pointe Community Association, Inc. The Association nor the individual writers are not responsible for claims
Next Human Sapiens began vocalizing, producing Please direct all questions, comments or or promises contained in any advertising material appearing in the
bird-like twitters and animal sounds along with primitive articles for Viewpointe to lisa.cammaleri@ Viewpointe. Such claims and promises are the sole responsibility of the
tools like spears and axes that evolved over 40,000 years fsresidential.com. individual advertiser.
into our sophisticated use of grammar and language. The
gift of language led to story-telling as a methodology of
instruction fostering tribal pride and societal connection. Champagne ~ ‘Not Just For
Writing followed fostering commerce, keeping records of
transactions and narratives that wed survival to beauty.
Remnants of Beauty have remained as our species New Year’s!’
navigated our survival and left mementos of cave drawings,
architectures, beads, pottery, and pre-historic carbon stones, By Laura Berrio, Freelance and Champagne Bar.
amulets against death and disappearance. Ms. Vince even Writer/Blogger This Champagne bar absolutely delivered on creating
looks forwards to the next stage of evolution: the Cyborg, Champagne has crossed the experience. I enjoyed a glass of Taittinger, Reims
Champagne while nibbling on a macaroon. I was seated
technology literally harnessed to the human body that over into the mainstream. I in a beautiful bar, surrounded by two floors of literature
allows not merely the use of a cell phone, but antennae that used to only drink Champagne with jazz music playing in the background. What pairs
on New Year’s Eve, or at
allow us to morph into one. special events requiring a better with Champagne than books? Our inner bibliophile
Peter Burke also celebrates the force of culture in the toast. Now, I am seeing a nice surfaces!
distinctive evolution of our species, the Polymath, those variety of Champagnes by the To keep prices affordable, Champagne bars offer a
who have distinguished themselves by their brilliance glass offered at my favorite variety of Champagne by the glass, half bottle or bottle.
restaurants. If you are looking for a unique, fun experience, check
Champagne bars are the out the local Champagne bars in your area and let me
Golf Carts new “in vogue” place to try know what your new favorite Champagnes are!

~ Cheers
new bubbly! They create a sophisticated, yet affordable,
~ Keep the conversation going
Please Drive experience for the Champagne lover. The idea behind the and the bubbly flowing!
Champagne bar is to create a relaxed, less pretentious

Follow the Vine at: www.
setting to enjoy Champagne.
Carefully! I recently traveled to Asheville, N.C. and checked out VineVibeUncorked.com.
a local Champagne bar, the Battery Park Book Exchange
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