Herman Melville's Genius

Herman Melville was a genius endowed with a remarkable capacity to detect fraud and humbug. From the composition of Moby-Dick in 1851 until his death in 1891, his writings are slyly disguised and damning exposes of the flawed assumptions and ideologies that prevailed in his day. Similarly flawed assumptions and ideologies are just as prominent today. With the powerful perception and reasoning of innate genius, Melville’s writings clarify the causes behind, for example, the ideological polarization and gridlock in today’s politics, the growing hostilities between religions, and the flawed ethics driving Wall Street. But he also implies a very powerful solution to these problems. His writings provide a template for thinking effectively about religion, economics, politics, philosophy, the role of corporations, and far more. This book makes clear for the first time that beneath the familiar persona of a colorful adventurer and great story-teller, Melville was also a first-rate philosopher offering valuable and practicable solutions to real-world issues.