Listen, Little Man! by Wilhelm Reich

I would have looked at this book in a completely different manner had I any idea who Reich was when I picked the thing up. I bought it for all those reasons they tell you not to buy a book: a) good cover, b) cheap, c) short. But it also has a great title, and was illustrated by William Steig.

This entire book is Reich basically yelling at you for being such a weak-minded, pathetic, socially irresponsible person. But wait! you say, and then Shut up! he says.

If you can humble yourself enough to ignore that fact you're basically being screamed at in text format, then this book is actually a pretty good read. For all the social justice they tried to teach me in high school, and all the world perspective they tried to give me in college, this little book actually made me understand what my responsibilities as a common woman are. Is that weird?

This guy may be a total crackpot. I'm not sure. I haven't had a chance to research orgones, but I plan to. He is certainly angry, and arrogant, but it's forgivable. There isn't anything really forgivable about it in the actual writing, but in his life story.

Some of the best social philosophers would probably back up his thought process. He made me think of Foucault frequently - webs of power and oppressing each other and whatnot. But Reich makes it easy for you to digest, and Steig illustrates to lighten the mood as well.

In a way, you could say this book is about a failed career, an abundance of trust in science, failed revolutions, the cruelty of man, our tendencies to destroy our friends and revere our enemies, the destruction of love, the pornografication of love-making (yes, I made up a word, so what?), the importance of sex, the importance of responsibility, ignoring the Eye of the Other, reshaping your modes of criticism, and more! With cartoons!

I would recommend this book to almost anyone, actually. It's kinda funny, but it also makes you think. If you don't introspect, as a general rule, you will probably be insulted, or think the book is rather pedestrian. But I found Reich hitting on some important aspects of human psychology - little patterns of thinking that destroy our interpersonal relationships as easily as our political ones.

I wouldn't say this guy is a new disciple or anything, but it might be worth listening to him for even just one concentrated afternoon. I felt somewhat inspired to live differently, or more consciously (if that's possible).