The Way Back to Paradise

Restoring the Balance between Magic and Reason

We live in a culture that denies and derides peak spiritual experiences, yet this “macho” mentality only weakens us by cutting off the creative and magical half of ourselves. In this absorbing book, Joseph Felser centers his argument around a richly imagined re-interpretation of the biblical story of Eve, and shows that it is precisely these peak experiences that allow us to unleash our creative potential and transform our lives.

Felser, a professor of philosophy, argues persuasively against what he calls “Answerism”–the dogma of cultural and religious traditions that retain power by claiming to have all the answers. Instead, Felser insists we must, like the biblical Eve, find the courage to question all that we have been told by the duly established authorities. We must learn to trust ourselves and heed the voice of our own direct experience of life.

This narrative + personal journey

• Proposes that Eve got a bad rap, and that she is actually a hero to those with the courage to question conventional wisdom
• Argues that our insatiable curiosity and our intimate connection to the natural world are our two greatest gifts
• A sophisticated yet accessible memoir blending personal experience with incisive analysis.