{"product_id":"9798218642396","title":"Ben Backus and the Quest for Cosmic Consciousness","description":"\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eCome face to face with the star-exploding wonder...\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt's the summer of 1982 in San Francisco, a time before cell phones and the Internet. Michael is an underpaid, retail microcomputer salesperson struggling to find his place in the world when Ben Backus--a philosophy professor on a personal mission to experience a big realization about human existence--appears. Michael's reaction to the man with the startling intellect who has suddenly come into his life is often uncertain and humorous.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOver the summer--along with visits to Golden Gate Park, the Shakespeare Garden, the de Young Museum, Fort Funston Beach, and Mount Davidson--Ben shares his ideas about being and identity, as well as his insights into the Greek god Dionysus, Plato, Aristotle, Shakespeare, Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, James, Spengler, Sartre, Jung, and others.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWill Ben inspire Michael to change the circumstances of his own life? And, more importantly, will Ben find a way to experience the big realization known as cosmic consciousness before he has to return to the Midwest for the start of the school year?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eGet ready for the education of a lifetime. Get ready for a host of emotional, comical, and illuminating surprises. Then come face to face with the star-exploding wonder that lies beneath the surface of everyday reality, waiting to be realized.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"A consistently engaging crash course in philosophy in narrative form.\"--\u003cem\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"Compelling and immersive, with an unexpected ending...\"--\u003cem\u003ePublisher's Weekly BookLife\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"Replete with ideas for serious contemplation...\"--\u003cem\u003eReedsy Discovery\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Christopher Bea","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42698010394685,"sku":"9798218642396","price":16.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0603\/0838\/9949\/files\/9798218642396_p0.jpg?v=1771574396","url":"https:\/\/www.tatteredcover.mom\/products\/9798218642396","provider":"Tattered Cover","version":"1.0","type":"link"}