Boétie Legacy is up; need Spanish reader
Defend liberty; protect the innocents; serve man for the sake of God.
Hi everyone!
First
I have started publishing, The Boétie Legacy, and a World in Peril, in its own section on the home page. You have to sign up to receive these posts (just like with the Hijo de hombre, section): they will not come to you automatically. The tab is in the navigation bar.
Chapter 1, is up, and I will publish the rest at about five day intervals (I think…). The Preface, Legacy, and reviews are below.
Second
I need to send someone in the US the proof copies for Volumes 1 and 2 in Spanish. It costs too much to have them sent to me to proof. All they need to do is give it a two minute look-over and I can approve them for global distribution.
But obviously, it would help to send them to people interested in the story who would read it and pass it on to other UB readers.
If you know of someone who might be interested, please pass this on.
Preface
While much of humanity will always be polarized in their views of the world, people from all nations, cultures, and religions are reaching levels of thought that allow them to move beyond our differences and instead embrace our commonalities. These people are our guides out of the horrors born of fundamentalism and extreme materialism, and they are the leaders who can best steer us through the challenges we’ll meet bringing forth a more peaceful, compassionate, and sustainable world. To this end, The Boétie Legacy, and a World in Peril is offered.
The Legacy of Étienne de La Boétie (Pronounced: boy–see)
1548: Étienne de La Boétie (1530–1563) writes the Discourse on Voluntary Servitude, or The Anti–Dictator, stating that tyrants can rule only through our voluntary consent and that we can dispose of them by withdrawing that cooperation if we so choose.
1908: Leo Tolstoy (1828–1910) revives Boétie’s doctrine and influences Mahatma Gandhi’s thought when he asks Tarak Nath Das (editor of the newspaper Free Hindustan) in A Letter to a Hindu, “Do not the figures make it clear that it is not the English who have enslaved the Indians, but the Indians who have enslaved themselves?”
1955: The Urantia revelation, published as The Urantia Book, claims that unlimited national sovereignty must give way to the collective sovereignty of humanity as a whole if we wish to end war on Earth. It also affirms yet evolves the traditional idea of enlightenment that states, “all is one,” to recognize that we are each unique selves creating potential eternal souls through the melding of the ultimate personality of Spirit with our temporal personality arising at birth.
1993: Gene Sharp (b. 1928), founder of the Albert Einstein Institution, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the study of nonviolent conflict, writes the manual From Dictatorship to Democracy, which has been used around the world by people to overthrow dictators and bring forth freer and more democratic societies.
Buy, The Boétie Legacy, and a World in Peril, HERE.
Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars Is it possible to have a bodice-ripper novel as the vehicle for an important message? Read The Boétie Legacy and find out!
Reviewed in the United States on October 9, 2017
Étienne de la Boétie is best known for his assertion that the illusory authority of tyrants and dictators can be stripped away by non-violent civil disobedience and resistance. In Kezer's eponymous novel, the protagonist (Luke Canton) has emigrated from the United States to Nicaragua as he begins his search for the best way to educate and motivate people the world over to utilize the power they have to affect desperately needed change through cooperative non-violent resistance.
The Boétie Legacy follows Luke's efforts as he settles in to his new surroundings, meets new faces, discusses his ideas with receptive new friends as well as hardened skeptics, and struggles with his emotions though a hot and steamy love interest that rapidly develops and weaves its way through the storyline. The book is obviously meant to serve as a framework for advancing the author's philosophical views through Luke's voice; however, it is so well-written and structured that it doesn't come across as preachy, stilted, forced or overly academic. Kezer has done a great job getting his message across in an extremely readable, interesting, entertaining and--dare I say it?--sexy way.
5.0 out of 5 stars A crash course in important thought systems for the hopeful future of Earthlings
Reviewed in the United States on February 19, 2016
This book is receiving a five star review because of the importance of it's material and the ease with which you may absorb it through a reading.
I sped through it, and thoroughly enjoyed the thought provoking discussions the characters have throughout. I think that a lot of us are thinking in the direction of this book on one level or another, and it is good to have something bring those thoughts into cohesion.
It's like getting a free and entertaining snippet of the authors PhD.
The characters and plot itself aren't a five star work, but they aren't boring or hard to deal with either. When approaching this book it may be best to think of them as the background scenery of your upcoming tutorial on non-violent conflict, the peoples mandate to govern themselves, and more.
If you are interested in how we can get out of the mess we've made of the planet, you should pick this up today!
5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific main course with some yummy side dishes
Reviewed in the United States on October 6, 2017
This was a really unexpected read: exciting ideas in the context of a gritty, sexy, realistic story. There was a gift every few pages, such as the awareness that old techniques like goal setting can't work in times of such rapid, complicated and unpredictable change, that flowing is the way that works best. This is my personal experience as well.
The writing is excellent and thoughtful, even to the professor who gets intense about his passions. The love story is down to earth and steamy, an earthy balance for the heady ideas. The ideas about nonviolent conflict suggest possible applications for real life situations that currently create despair. This is a book I will read again to absorb the ideas and to enjoy characters I really like.
Well done, Mr. Kezer.
5.0 out of 5 stars Bob Kezer's fine novel deals with difficult moral issues in much the ...
Reviewed in the United States on June 2, 2015
Bob Kezer's fine novel deals with difficult moral issues in much the way that early Huxley dealt with such issues: by bringing together a variety of people who, in the process of coming together in normal life, voice their different points of view. One in particular, Lucas, is the center and presents a set of values that this book wants us to consider might actually make the world a better place to live in. As the book progresses, so does the complexity of the moral choices presented. Above all, it's a book with hope for the future.
One person found this helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars big ideas, great sex, and acceleration at the end
Reviewed in the United States on March 5, 2016
I liked this novel—actually I ended up loving it. The ideas presented are big and initially dense. Then, when the author brings in the main character’s family history and some hot sex scenes the pace picks up remarkably. I highly recommend this book—and reading it with an open mind and heart.
4.0 out of 5 stars this reads almost like a textbook (albeit a less contrived and sanitized textbook ...
Reviewed in the United States on June 8, 2015
Edgy, current, and relevant. Relatable characters with regard to their inner worlds, set in a realistic yet foreign outer world that supports the thoughtful political narrative. The Boetie Legacy is on the pulse of current global events and simplifies the generally overlooked and ties of those events to recent history, offering clarity and motivation for social action to the reader. In the end, this reads almost like a textbook (albeit a less contrived and sanitized textbook than you find in institutions) couched in just enough plausible fiction to make it more accessible to those who rarely dabble in books with such depth and meaning. This challenges the reader's notions of what it means to be a moral human in a privileged modern society and creates a framework for changing the scene without compromising personal convictions. Very thought provoking.
Beyond the social action scope of the book, which is where the bulk of its merit lies, I have to mention how refreshing it was to read a book that portrays a sexual relationship between more mature adults and the unique difficulties and complexities therein. Just as nothing was sanitized politically, neither was anything tidied up for the reader in terms of the complicated relationship between Luke and Jo and what it means to be sexual past the prime of youth.
Not a light summer read, but still a must read!
5.0 out of 5 stars Most interesting read.
Reviewed in the United States on April 9, 2019
Robert Kezer finds a way to write about complex subjects in an entertaining manner. Very enjoyable and interesting read, thank you.
4.0 out of 5 stars The Challenges of Love in The Tropics
Reviewed in the United States on June 21, 2015
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Bob Kezer's novel. What stands out is the the intimacy of the two main characters. I really appreciated their vulnerability as they move through expat life on the edge of tropical culture, not to mention their sexual challenges. While their relationship caries the plot, it offers an interesting way of providing the reader the opportunity to become familiar with the author's more scholarly perspectives on social change and the potential for a peaceful future. An interesting adaptation of more philosophical perspectives, the novel weaves story and theory in an accessible manner. Overall, the writing is engaging and the situation novel. Easy to read, with a strong narrative voice, I recommend this book as a refreshing read.
5.0 out of 5 stars This inspiring book gives people hope and courage to change their world...
Reviewed in the United States on December 7, 2015
The novel is set in Granada, Nicaragua, and follows main protagonist, Luke Canton. Luke is half way through his life with no income, a few friends and finds himself once again starting over in a foreign country. After 12 years of study and a PHD in Transformative Studies, Luke sets out on a mission to let people know that they have been mislead and he wants to empower them to understand that they have the power to change their world through the movement of nonviolent conflict for global transformation. However, his unique offering to the world to promote human sovereignty doesn’t go as planned as he encounters an unexpected romance that will challenge him in ways he never thought possible and perhaps encourage him to find his greatest purpose in life.
The Boetie Legacy and a World in Peril is a thought-provoking book that deals with difficult moral issues, global issues and exposes the misinformation being used to wield the public. This inspiring book gives people hope and courage to change their world and will equip readers with a better understanding of what nonviolent conflict is and how it can be used in the future to counter oppression.
My Ranking: 5 Stars
Bob
Buy, The Boétie Legacy, and a World in Peril, HERE.