Hope on a Tightrope: Words and Wisdom Book

I'm going to assume you know who Cornel West is, because no one accidentally reads a Cornel West book. Either you were assigned one of his books in a political science or African-American studies class, or you're already a fan of his. So I'm limiting my review of this book to its literary merits and not the merits of its content. Hope on a Tightrope is unlike his other books in that he is not laying out a comprehensive argument and building its proof (e.g. Race Matters or Democracy Matters). Instead, this book is more a free-flowing rant on a variety of subjects such as courage, leadership, social justice, family, music, etc. Dr. West tries to tie them together by discussing the idea of "hope" and defining it as something different from optimism; it is rather, having a vision for a changed future. The tightrope part of his concept of hope is that blind visions of the future are often derailed by the reality of the struggle that will be necessary to accomplish that future. I don't think he is completely successful in unifying the variety of topics he covers, but given the breadth of the subjects he opines on, I don't hold that against him. From a prose perspective, it reads like you are listening to Dr. West speak in person - which means it's sermonizing that is part aphorism ("Truth is all about allowing suffering to speak") and part political rhetoric (i.e. he uses terms like "neocon" and "military-industrial complex") and part progressive poetry ("The marketplace culture of consumption undermines community, undermines links to history . . . and undermines relationships"). The book is accompanied by a free CD that is Dr. West being interviewed by Tavis Smiley set to some jazz, so that's a bonus point. But unfortunately, I found it mostly shallow, with Dr. West spouting opinions without backing them up. Fans of Cornel West will love this; I could take it or leave it.