Loyal Rue

The Old WC tells the story of a man who is in the throes of an existential crisis, occasioned by his struggles with persistent philosophical questions and emergent personal problems. Philosophically, Halvor Bjornsen is troubled by the tension between truth and comfort, as well as the challenge of finding meaning in human suffering. On the personal level his marriage is falling apart and his life has been invaded by his radically hedonistic sister. These philosophical and personal themes intersect as the narrative unfolds. In his attempt to come to terms with his problems Halvor seeks to connect with his Norwegian ancestry. Along the way we encounter a family patriarch, an oil-rich Norwegian bachelor farmer, a childhood sweetheart, a criminally insane sister and a charming pair of teen-age twins. This book is, by turns, humorous, serious, somewhat quirky and ultimately heartwarming.

2006 Choice Outstanding Academic Title Thousands of religious traditions have appeared over the course of human history but only a relative few have survived. Some speak of a myriad of gods, others of only one, and some recognize no gods at all. Volumes have been written attempting to prove the existence or nonexistence of supernatural being(s). So, if religion is not about God, then what is it about?In this provocative book, Loyal Rue contends that religion, very basically, is about us. Successful religions are narrative (myth) traditions that influence human nature so that we might think, feel, and act in ways that are good for us, both individually and collectively. Through the use of images, symbols, and rituals, religion promotes reproductive fitness and survival through the facilitation of harmonious social relations. Drawing on examples from the major traditions—Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism—Rue shows how each religion, in its own way, has guided human behavior to advance the twin goals of personal fulfillment and social coherence.As all faiths are increasingly faced with a crisis of intellectual plausibility and moral relevance, this book presents a compelling and positive view of the centrality and meaning of religion.

This exhilarating tale of natural history illuminates the evolution of matter, life, and consciousness. In Everybody's Story, Loyal Rue finds the means for global solidarity and cooperation in the shared story of humanity.In a compelling read for anyone interested in where we came from and where we're going, Everybody's Story offers an exhilarating tour of natural history that illuminates the evolution of matter, life, and consciousness. As old myths, religious stories, and other shared narratives of humankind are increasingly viewed as intellectually implausible and morally irrelevant, they become less likely to fulfill their original purpose-to give people answers and provide a sense of stability and peace in daily life. Loyal Rue restores that imbalance with a new story based on fact. Rue, author of a New York Times Notable Book of 1994, By the Grace of Guile: The Role of Deception in Natural History in Human Affairs, now provides an evolutionary tour recounting our shared "epic of evolution."

In this ambitious, interdisciplinary work, Loyal D. Rue reassesses the value of deception in nature, and in human society, asserting that myths are essential to the health, and even survival, of a culture as a whole. Advancing his theory of the Noble Lie, he maintains that we urgently require a new myth to replace the religious beliefs rejected by the modern mind. Such a Lie, Rue believes, offers our only salvation from the psychological and social chaos now threatened by the spread of scepticism about the meaning of the universe and life. Rue holds our deeply ingrained western bias against deception up to rigorous examination, comparing it to what he calls the natural bias in favour of deception. Evolution rewards the successful deceiver, he maintains, and cites examples from the natural world and from psychological research indicating that strategies of deception and self-deception are essential to our personal well-being.