Lost in Thought: The Hidden Pleasures of an Intellectual Life
Lost in Thought: The Hidden Pleasures of an Intellectual Life
Hitz, Zena
product information
Condition: New, UPC: 9780691178714, Publication Date: Fri, May 1, 2020, Type: Hardcover ,
join & start selling
description
every walk of life to rediscover the impractical splendors of a life of learning

In an overloaded, superficial, technological world, in which almost everything and everybody is judged by its usefulness, where can we turn for escape, lasting pleasure, contemplation, or connection to others? While many forms of leisure meet these needs, Zena Hitz writes, few experiences are so fulfilling as the inner life, whether that of a bookworm, an amateur astronomer, a birdwatcher, or someone who takes a deep interest in one of countless other subjects. Drawing on inspiring examples, from Socrates and Augustine to Malcolm X and Elena Ferrante, and from films to Hitz's own experiences as someone who walked away from elite university life in search of greater fulfillment, Lost in Thought is a passionate and timely reminder that a rich life is a life rich in thought.

Today, when even the humanities are often defended only for their economic or political usefulness, Hitz says our intellectual lives are valuable not despite but because of their practical uselessness. And while anyone can have an intellectual life, she encourages academics in particular to get back in touch with the desire to learn for its own sake, and calls on universities to return to the person-to-person transmission of the habits of mind and heart that bring out the best in us.

Reminding us of who we once were and who we might become, Lost in Thought is a moving account of why renewing our inner lives is fundamental to preserving our humanity.

reviews

Be the first to write a review

member goods

No member items were found under this heading.

listens & views

WELCOME BACK MY FRIENDS TO ...

by EMERSON LAKE AND PALMER

COMPACT DISC

out of stock

$32.99

MY ORBIT

by COMA

12-INCH SINGLE

out of stock

$12.99

UNPLUGGED REMASTER & EXPANDED (JPN)

by CLAPTON,ERIC

COMPACT DISC

out of stock

$37.99

Return Policy

All sales are final

Shipping

No special shipping considerations available.
Shipping fees determined at checkout.