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sonofisildur 's review for:
12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos
by Jordan B. Peterson
It's been a while since I picked up a self help book, having grown little tired of the all too simple preachy solutions to quite complex problems. Since I have been following Peterson's work for some time now, I knew him to be an articulate thinker if nothing else. I didn't expect him to have given shallow thought and on that part he delivered. It's the other parts which I found problematic.
Some of Peterson's rules for life are good axioms to leave by. There is some serious thought given to ways for betterment of life. Taking agency to solve a problem, finding momentary respites whenever possible while going through periods of distress are all good advises. Author, to convey the time tested quality of his ideas, cites giants like Nietzsche, Freud, Dostoyevsky and others but none quite in abundance like the Bible. The religious text finds its way so often in the book that it starts feeling like indoctrination at a point. Peterson is a rare intellectual who still believes in God given roles of genders in society and why they are important for mankind to survive and thrive. Not to mention his not-so-subtle ways to criticize the changing structure of society ("Women have "strong proclivity" to marry across or up the economic dominance hierarchy. Men are "perfectly willing" to marry across or down, although with preference for young mates." Sheesh!) Often there are religious overtures to the suggestions put forth. Some just sound like commandments themselves.
In conclusion, it seems that Peterson has tried to use his predilection of the Bible & early philosophers' works as well as his articulate thought processes to pen down a handbook to fruitful life, but could not help but come off as crass and out of touch in places.
For someone who has shown clear contempt for "self appointed judges of human race", he sure managed to sound like one!
Some of Peterson's rules for life are good axioms to leave by. There is some serious thought given to ways for betterment of life. Taking agency to solve a problem, finding momentary respites whenever possible while going through periods of distress are all good advises. Author, to convey the time tested quality of his ideas, cites giants like Nietzsche, Freud, Dostoyevsky and others but none quite in abundance like the Bible. The religious text finds its way so often in the book that it starts feeling like indoctrination at a point. Peterson is a rare intellectual who still believes in God given roles of genders in society and why they are important for mankind to survive and thrive. Not to mention his not-so-subtle ways to criticize the changing structure of society ("Women have "strong proclivity" to marry across or up the economic dominance hierarchy. Men are "perfectly willing" to marry across or down, although with preference for young mates." Sheesh!) Often there are religious overtures to the suggestions put forth. Some just sound like commandments themselves.
In conclusion, it seems that Peterson has tried to use his predilection of the Bible & early philosophers' works as well as his articulate thought processes to pen down a handbook to fruitful life, but could not help but come off as crass and out of touch in places.
For someone who has shown clear contempt for "self appointed judges of human race", he sure managed to sound like one!