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‘Utterly brilliant. We all need to read this book’ CLAUDIA WINKLEMAN 'Patrick’s book is fascinating and sobering and makes a compelling argument for going back to basics’ JOE LYCETT
"An original man is governed by none other than himself and the choices he makes. The men in this book hold a reputation for being peculiar, odd, or special - they are all true originals as displayed by their contributions to the arts, sports and politics. Loosely labelled artist, heroes, libertines and stylists, these men have shaped the world we live in and inspire us to lead less ordinary lives ourselves ... Grant has compiled a collection of portraits of men who go beyond a veneer of stylish attire to wring every last drop out of life with their actions, thoughts and words"--Publisher's description.
The Art of the Personal offers a strikingly original, meticulously researched interpretation of what it means to be a person, and is highly relevant for the times in which we live. The 238 excerpts are selected from 21 books published by Patrick Grant during the past 50 years. The excerpts reach across a wide range of topics, including psychology, aesthetics, literary theory, Biblical criticism, political theory, the Northern Ireland Troubles, Sri Lanka, the place of religion in ethnic conflict, the perennial philosophy and the history of spirituality, among others. The excerpts are arranged under general headings, which are introduced and interpreted by brief essays. This format invites an interactive, dialogical response, as the book makes a case for an understanding of the person as situated within the complex networks of discourse by which its threshold status is constituted but not defined, and to which the art of dialogue is indispensable.
The Cost of Our Clothes -- The Fibershed Movement -- Soil-to-Soil Clothing and the Carbon Cycle -- The False Solution of Synthetic Biology -- Implementing the Vision with Plant-Based Fibers -- Implementing the Vision with Animal Fibers and Mills -- Expanding the Fibershed Model -- A Future Based in Truth.
"... aspirations to perfection awaken us to our actual imperfection." It is in the space between these aspirations and our inability to achieve them that Grant reflects upon imperfection. Grant argues that an awareness of imperfection, defined as both suffering and the need for justice, drive us to an unrelenting search for perfection, freedom, and self-determination. The twenty-one brief chapters of Imperfection develop this governing idea as it relates to the present situation of the God debate, modern ethnic conflicts, and the pursuit of freedom in relation to the uncertainties of personal identity and the quest for self-determination.
Imagine a murder victim hated because of arrogance and cruelty towards her children, whose lives she dominated. But it is the housekeeper who is found dead. Had a mistake been made and the wrong woman killed? Dr. Patrick Grant uses his powers of logic and deduction, but can only solve the mystery by incriminating an innocent person.
Savile Row is the home of hand tailoring. This short street is home to many of the world's finest tailoring houses, a street where for over 200 years royals, rock stars, and giants of the business and political worlds have come to have their clothes cut, sewn and fitted. Patrick Grant, co-owner of Savile Row tailors Norton & Sons, describes the long-standing traditions of craftsmanship that are maintained in the workrooms of this quiet corner of London's Mayfair - a fascinating and uniquely storied world. He celebrates the extraordinary ecosystem, from the British weavers and cloth houses to the trimmings merchants, that allows Savile Row to flourish. Grant shines a light on the captivating ...
Patrick Grant explores the relationship between Buddhism and violent ethnic conflict in modern Sri Lanka using the concept of "regressive inversion." Regressive inversion occurs when universal teaching, such as that of the Buddha, is redeployed to supercharge passions associated with the kinds of group loyalty that the universal teaching itself intends to transcend. The book begins with an account of the main teachings of Theravada Buddhism and looks at how these inform, or fail to inform, modern interpreters. Grant considers the writings of three key figures—Anagarika Dharmapala, Walpola Rahula, and J. R. Jayewardene—who addressed Buddhism and politics in the years leading up to Sri Lanka's political independence from Britain, and subsequently, in postcolonial Sri Lanka. This book makes the Sri Lankan conflict accessible to readers interested in the modern global phenomenon of ethnic violence involving religion and also illuminates similar conflicts around the world.