{"product_id":"ben-backus-and-the-quest-christopher-bea-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\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Christopher Bea\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9798218642396\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Christopher Bea\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 06\/07\/2025\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 240\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.56lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.00h x 5.25w x 0.55d","brand":"Christopher Bea","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":47452878340351,"sku":"9798218642396","price":16.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_a6931f45-3813-4211-8e43-0d14f64711b6.jpg?v=1761931024","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/ben-backus-and-the-quest-christopher-bea-9798218642396","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}