Blessed Are the Contrarians

I first ran into author, Rob Piccoli, on a now defunct bloggers website. At the time I was very impressed by his intellect and his curiosity. Both shine through Blessed Are The Contrarians, a book of essays which covers a wide range of topics—nature, beauty, politics, art, and religion. Though I consider myself to be well read, this book introduced me to writers I've missed. Among them—Montaigne, G.K. Chesterton, and Ralph Waldo Emerson. By sharing who's inspired him, Rob has now inspired me to read their works as well.
A philosopher by nature and education, Piccoli writes about political life in both his native country, Italy (the whole Berlusconi fiasco) and in America (the ongoing battles between Obama and the Republicans). Because I'm left leaning in politics, it was refreshing to read his point of view, which is more conservative than mine. I was enlightened in ways I couldn't have imagined.
Some of his essays are about religion. Since I've drifted away from organized religion, I was fascinated by his attention to God, and the Catholic church. Though I didn't agree with all his positions, he made me think, and he opened my mind up to other possibilities. He gave me a new understanding of the Crusades and how it's been misinterpreted by Islam and others.
But there is much more. Piccoli also draws on the writings of Shakespeare and the Bible. He discusses the advances made by Galileo, the furor caused by Dante, and the art of Giotto.
Though he's drawn his ideas from the news and from history, he's also peppered his writing with anecdotes from his own life. I was especially moved by his story of how, during a family vacation, he had stumbled upon a group of volunteer soldiers who had come out to help earthquake survivors. Unbeknownst to Rob, among them was a man who “had helped to carve the tombstone” of his father's grave. This is just one of the many stories that will give you pause.
Blessed Are The Contrarians is an intelligent discourse of our times—from the value of solitude to the nature of beauty. This is a book I want to read again.