The Book of Nussbaum – Book Review

BOOK REVIEW by MC SIMON
The Book of Nussbaum
Travel through the portals of the mind
Robert Lipkowitz

A veritable roller coaster for any reader’s feelings, The Book of Nussbaum made me face a hero that, normally, I would hate from the very first line. Because… what else can you do when you meet such a perfect, wonderful and amazing super human being who… “dreamed of one day walking into the establishment unnoticed, a regular guy sitting down to enjoy a meal”?

I was already wondering how my “Nussbaum” reading trip will be when… after very few pages… my feelings turned from hate to a loving volcano that melted my heart.

Going back to Nussbaum’s childhood… I’ve met an almost tortured child, partially educated by a father who, soon, will step out but not before showing his volatile anger usually marked by physical abuse, raised by a self-centered mother who “saw happiness as a precursor to some bad news and found it impossible to be overly complimentary about anything”.

“Misunderstood by parents, who often made him feel unwanted and unloved, Nussbaum was a lonely youngster who craved acceptance but would fall short and constantly be reminded of it.”

For sure, Robert Lipkowitz, the author of this amazing story that brought to life a very equally amazing book… made me think, question myself, and… why not… dream a lot. For a better world… even if, nowadays, this sounds like a cliché.

For, how can you think different when… no matter how many hardships Nussbaum encountered in life, no matter how many apparent end-roads he had to face, still… his illusions would always place him in a position of strength.

Now, after I turned over the last page of The Book of Nussbaum, I dreamed and felt the urge to have… more Nussbaums on this planet. Because, “Nussbaum cared about people and roiled at injustice, favoring compassion over criticism while dismissing and chastising those who condemned the less fortunate. An outspoken advocate for the downtrodden and needy, he was a hero to many voiceless people, who worshiped his courage and resolve in making things happen.”

The Book of Nussbaum is not a book only about one hero’s life. The author has an interesting and amazing catchy talent to introduce other remarkable people to the reader. Fascinating and many times mysterious, all these characters will immerse you into astonishing stories that will inspire you.

Many aspects were catching my attention in this book but… what I loved most is that it sounds so real! While Nussbaum became “the celebrity he had fantasized about during his typically unhappy life”, “a guru was emerging, a refurbished young man with an uncanny ability for guessing right on business moves.”

I always said that the ONLY power to change the world lies in the writers’ hands. Therefore, Nussbaum’s life while becoming a notorious writer and the Beverly Hills’ latest prophet brought me hope.

“Each of us believes in something we can’t prove.”, says the author. Well… for me, this book is living proof that I was right.

Because…

But, allow me not to tell you the whole story. Instead, I am heartfully inviting you to read the book for yourself. The sudden turns will immerse you in life areas you don’t expect.

Part memoir, part action, part romance, part supernatural… and so much more, you’ll be pleased you did it. “Science and art, storytelling and actual fact, truth and make-believe, were merging” in a clever and catchy way.

At one point, the author said… “When we travel to space, shouldn’t we also explore the space between our ears?”

“Finally, ask yourself this, my good man. How much of what we’ve allowed our mind to conceive has resulted in strange phenomena, as you’ve put it, that we never thought possible, never imagined in our wildest dreams, never believed we’d see in our lifetime?”

For me, this was… mind-blowing.

Nussbaum was a brilliant writer with a gift… but… the author, Robert Lipkowitz, is an amazing writer who made me think a lot after I turned over the last page of the book.

Paraphrasing Shakespeare’s words and one of the most widely known and quoted lines in modern English, I would like to ask the author about what I’ve just read… while looking directly into his eyes.

“Fiction or nonfiction? This is the question.”

5 Stars from MC Simon, the WritersPayItForward’s reviewer.