I see that, elsewhere on this site, this particular program was panned by another reviewer. I completely disagree. In fact, in many ways, this is the most interesting radio I have heard in several months.
Now, what we have here is, in many ways, the exact opposite of what many program directors are looking for. There are no breaks for newscasts, traffic reports, or underwriting announcements. This is a half-hour-long discussion with one person (an author), who isn't even in the studio, but is on a telephone line with a (not too terrible, but still audible) hum in it. There are no opportunities for listeners to call in. The interviewer sometimes lets the guest go on at some length, and never challenges any of his premises or conclusions. There isn't even any theme music at the beginning or the end of the show. In many ways, the "sound" of this program is much more like the non-commercial radio of a generation or two ago -- from back in those ancient times when people "listened" to the radio, as opposed to today, when they supposedly "use" it.
But this program made me sit, and listen, and learn, and think. I won't repeat the main themes that are discussed, or the details about the author and his book. You can read them in the program description. We live in a time of war -- as have, at some point, the vast majority of human beings who have ever inhabited this planet. But, as this program makes clear, modern societies and modern militaries have lost touch with "the spiritual warrior's path" which enabled people to go out and commit the horrible act of killing -- and then return to their communities and re-integrate with them, without the terrible, long-lasting, soul-destroying effects that so often afflict returning veterans today.
Would I like the rest of the programs in this series? I have no idea. But I give a very high rating to this particular episode, topic and discussion.
Review of War and the Soul
Gary Covino
Posted on April 02, 2006 at 09:48 PM
I see that, elsewhere on this site, this particular program was panned by another reviewer. I completely disagree. In fact, in many ways, this is the most interesting radio I have heard in several months.
Now, what we have here is, in many ways, the exact opposite of what many program directors are looking for. There are no breaks for newscasts, traffic reports, or underwriting announcements. This is a half-hour-long discussion with one person (an author), who isn't even in the studio, but is on a telephone line with a (not too terrible, but still audible) hum in it. There are no opportunities for listeners to call in. The interviewer sometimes lets the guest go on at some length, and never challenges any of his premises or conclusions. There isn't even any theme music at the beginning or the end of the show. In many ways, the "sound" of this program is much more like the non-commercial radio of a generation or two ago -- from back in those ancient times when people "listened" to the radio, as opposed to today, when they supposedly "use" it.
But this program made me sit, and listen, and learn, and think. I won't repeat the main themes that are discussed, or the details about the author and his book. You can read them in the program description. We live in a time of war -- as have, at some point, the vast majority of human beings who have ever inhabited this planet. But, as this program makes clear, modern societies and modern militaries have lost touch with "the spiritual warrior's path" which enabled people to go out and commit the horrible act of killing -- and then return to their communities and re-integrate with them, without the terrible, long-lasting, soul-destroying effects that so often afflict returning veterans today.
Would I like the rest of the programs in this series? I have no idea. But I give a very high rating to this particular episode, topic and discussion.