Holiday Reading

The Fourth Figure in the Furnace  by Stanley K. Freiburg; Newport Bay Publishing Ltd., 2009, 75 pages.

To say that this is an unusual book would be an understatement.  Freiburg takes his readers on a whirlwind tour of the western world's history in order to illustrate his basic theme.  Using apocalyptic imagery from many different traditions, he demonstrates how "imagination suffocates in the armor of exploitation."

Throughout the narrative, Abraham, an unevolved crocodile, watches humankind consistently choosing the path of war and empire building.  In the process, vision struggles to keep from being totally overwhelmed.  Organized religion suffers the same fatal flaw as political magnates when militant fundamentalists take over power.  Basic goodness hasn't a chance in the face of bombs and missiles.

The book ends with a most haunting poem describing the Art Gallery of Wladyslau Hasior in Zakopane, Poland.  

Mr. Freiburg is a resident of James Bay