James M. Skelly is director of the Centre on Critical Thinking, which he founded, and a faculty member at the Institute for Social and European Studies in Koszeg, Hungary. He served as the director of the Baker Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies and professor of peace studies at Juniata College in Pennsylvania, and has held teaching posts and lectured in countries throughout the world. As a young U.S. military officer, his refusal to serve in Vietnam led to his federal lawsuit, Skelly v. Laird, against the United States Secretary of Defense, which helped to redefine the criteria for in-service conscientious objection. During this period, he worked actively against the war in South East Asia through several groups which he helped to found including the Concerned Officers' Movement. Following his honorable discharge, he worked with Jane Fonda, Donald Sutherland, and other entertainment industry figures, as the advance man and political coordinator for the "FTA" show which was designed to encourage U.S. soldiers and sailors to freely express their opposition to continuation of the war in Southeast Asia.
In this book, Jim Skelly illuminates the inherently perilous nature of identity, especially national identities. Drawing on his own research and personal experiences, including his lawsuit against the U.S. Secretary of Defense, he makes a compelling case for resisting the identities that other individuals and institutions try to impose upon us-an insight that has particular relevance in an age of ever increasing surveillance by governments and corporations. -- Daniel Ellsberg, activist and former military analyst, and author of Papers on the War, Secrets: A Memoir of Vietnam and the Pentagon Papers, and Risk, Ambiguity and Decision This is a rich and thoughtful assembly of reflections on the author's experiences as a questioning younger person and his reach into a remarkable array of relevant literature for answers. The trip Skelly takes us on is like sailing from one compelling island to another in an effort to find just the right place to anchor. The result is a wonderful journey into the meaning of words, the meaning of life, and the meaning of meaning. A rare and special gathering of sanity. -- Kai Erikson, William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor Emeritus of sociology and American studies, Yale University, and author of Wayward Puritans, Everything in its Path, and A New Species of Trouble, among others When a book is about the dangers of imposing 'identity', it may seem perverse to say its author, true to his Irish roots, is a born story-teller. But he is, and it's why Jim Skelly's book is such a treat. Between the well-informed academic passages, it throbs with the heart-breaking stories of real lives-not least the remarkable story of Skelly's own escape from the prison of military service. -- Nicholas Humphrey, emeritus professor of psychology, London School of Economics, and author of Consciousness Regained, A History of the Mind, and Soul Dust, among others
|
Ask a Question About this Product More... |
|
