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The World According to Star Wars
The World According to Star Wars | Cass R. Sunstein
24 posts | 8 read | 19 to read
"Star Wars is the ultimate mythological tale of our age, a hero's journey that is a tribute to the beauty of human freedom as well as an exploration of its dark complexities. In this gem of a book, the brilliant Cass Sunstein uses the series to explore profound questions about being a parent, a child, and a human. It will change the way you think about your own journey, and it might even make you pick up the phone and call your dad." Walter Isaacson A deeply original celebration of George Lucass masterpiece as it relates to history, presidential politics, law, economics, fatherhood, and culture by Harvard legal scholar and former White House advisor. Theres Santa Claus, Shakespeare, Mickey Mouse, The Bible, and then theres Star Wars. Nothing quite compares to sitting with down with a young child and hearing the sound of John Williams score as those beloved golden letters fill the screen. In this fun, erudite and often moving book, Cass R. Sunstein explores the lessons of Star Wars as they relate to childhood, fathers, the Dark Side, rebellion, and redemption. As it turns out, Star Wars also has a lot to teach us about constitutional law, economics, and political uprisings. In rich detail, Sunstein tells story of the films wildly unanticipated success and what it has to say about why some things succeed while others fail. Ultimately, Sunstein argues, Star Wars is about the freedom of choice and our never-ending ability to make the right decision when the chips are down. Written with buoyant prose and considerable heart, The World According to Star Wars shines new light on the most beloved story of our time.
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Vivlio_Gnosi
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Pickpick

⭐⭐⭐⭐
Full Disclosure: I'm not a Star Wars fan at all. Now that's out of the way, I recommend this book. The author nicely weaves his passion for the franchise w/an analytical look at the various social issues that underlay the series. I enjoyed the book for the deeper themes that it covered.
#audiobook

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Vivlio_Gnosi
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Started listening to this #audiobook!

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Jgotham
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Bailedbailed

I tried this book multiple times over a week. I just couldn‘t. I‘ve stopped at about 3 hours in-it started off promising then just lapsed from fun Star Wars ro random topics with bits of Star Wars sprinkled in. Totally lost my interest 🤷🏽‍♀️

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AlexandraGriffin
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Mehso-so

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i started this one the other day for May the 4th day, because it was fitting. I'm such a nerd. But overall, this book was just kinda meh. Sometimes his point of relating star wars to something else got kind of lost... It was ok, but didn't really captivate me or feel like I learned anything.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ of 5

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Suzze
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Am I totally alone in not caring a bit about Star Wars? I saw the original movie and....meh. #maybookflowers #inagalaxyfarfaraway

Meg11726 @Suzze I'm with you. I don't get it. I've watched a few but it's hit or miss for me. I prefer books I guess 😂 8y
Jaimelire I love it...in a house with three boys, I have no choice! 😉 8y
Simona I'm not interested 🤷‍♀️ 8y
See All 20 Comments
LibrarianRyan It's almost like a light saber to the heart 😫😫😫😫 no but seriously, everyone can find something that is popular that they do t really care about it. For me, E. Lockheart, and Maas books. 8y
AnnieReads You are not alone. I have zero interest in Star Wars. 8y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks You are not alone!!!!! 😳😝😂 8y
stargazerblue49 I agree with @LibrarianRyan. Everyone's got their things that they don't jive with. For me, it's Twilight and Dan Brown (blasphemy!). ✌🏽✌🏽✌🏽 8y
Reviewsbylola I have never seen any of the movies and truly could not care less, but to each their own! 8y
Soubhiville I like Star Wars enough to watch the movies with the hubs, but not enough to remember the new character's names 🤣. He's so ashamed of me. 8y
TrishB Not alone. Zero interest! We all love different things! 8y
rubyslippersreads I loved it when I was younger, but have kind of lost interest and don't really care about seeing the new movies, especially now that Carrie Fisher is gone. 8y
OriginalCyn620 I'm totally with you on this one! 8y
Karen3 Yeah not into Star Wars at all. Just isn't my cup of tea. 8y
Suzze @Jaimelire I had two boys too. But it was also pre-video so they saw it at the show only once. As adults they still like them. In fact I have a Star Wars theme as my oldest's ringtone. 8y
GoldenGirl No! I've never seen any of them 8y
TheKidUpstairs I'm with you! Not into Star Wars at all. 8y
MicheleinPhilly You're not alone. I watched the original 3 countless times as a kid and had action figures. But I haven't seen, and have no interest in seeing any of the others. 8y
Reese_Pearly.Pages Not a fan either. 8y
Moray_Reads Me neither 😉 8y
Read4life I'm in this group, too. But my husband gets to geek out over Star Wars all he wants and he doesn't comment on all the HP stuff I buy or Sherlock stuff I try to find to buy. 🤓 8y
81 likes20 comments
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Riveted_Reader_Melissa
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Pickpick

What a great unexpected book. I was expecting just a history/lore of the franchise, and it is that, but there is also a lot here that reminded me more of "But What If We're Wrong", than of "George Lucas:A Life" (tag below). There are some pretty interesting chapters discussing why it became a phenomenon that are more analyzing behavior than the movies, some philosophy of free will, as well as the politics of strict constitutionalism and Scalia....

Riveted_Reader_Melissa ... It doesn't sound like it should all go together, but it does very well. 8y
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MrBook Sounds good! I like the cover. 8y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa @MrBook It was, the author is a legal scholar and former White House Advisor, so he's not at all shy about bringing in economic debates or fan theories, human behavioral studies or Lucas's re-writing of his own series, or alternate universe versions of what it could have meant. Very interesting no matter what subject he is delving into. (edited) 8y
MrBook 😁👏🏻👏🏻 8y
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Riveted_Reader_Melissa
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Riveted_Reader_Melissa
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I knew it, but yet I never thought of the prequels in quite that way.

tournevis These are precisely the reasons my husband gives me for liking I II and III. I still hate them, even as I know this. They are basically "Nice try, no cookie" for me. 8y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa @tournevis hahaha! I agree, the original trilogy just holds a special place in my nostalgic heart. But I did enjoy the newest (Force Awakens).... for me I think it's because I can anticipate a cathartic happy ending, but the prequels...well you just knew it was going to end badly for the characters that you were getting attached to. 8y
tournevis @Riveted_Reader_Melissa I loved The Force Awakens. But the prequels? Yeah. My problem is with the acting and the inane dialogue. Would have been better as silent movies. 8y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa @tournevis hahaha! You have a point I never did warm up to young adult Ani. 8y
tournevis @Riveted_Reader_Melissa Such a good actor giving such a terrible performance. It killed his carreer dead there. Man! 8y
39 likes5 comments
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Riveted_Reader_Melissa
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Riveted_Reader_Melissa
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#TBRTuesday and I better get reading because the bottom row of 'up soon' are almost all books that popped up from the library on my hold list in the past week!

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Riveted_Reader_Melissa
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Hahahaha! If only Lost had pulled off the big reveal tying everything together half as well as Star Wars. I guess it all boils down to... "what I told you was true, from a certain point of view"

thegirlwiththelibrarybag I knew bailing on lost after the third season was a solid idea... 8y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa @thegirlwiththelibrarybag It was the best idea! I stuck it out and regretted it. 8y
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Riveted_Reader_Melissa
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And even when you're writing crap, just keep writing and revising. This sentence made me chuckle, I read George Lucas's biography earlier this year, and an itch he couldn't help but keep scratching at is perfect, many times he say he needed a break but was knee deep in writing the next stage the next day anyway, to the point of making himself physically ill at times.

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Riveted_Reader_Melissa
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I love these more honest insights into the writing process. The true struggles writers have, instead of the more polished 'it all just came to me' stories.... even if that's true, writing is still a process, and something you have to work at.

Plus... if only it was the computer age so we could retrieve those early version and take a peak.

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Riveted_Reader_Melissa
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"You can always be forgiven, and you can always be redeemed"

thegirlwiththelibrarybag Even Emo Boy? 8y
thegirlwiththelibrarybag @Riveted_Reader_Melissa, I'm reserving judgement 🤣 8y
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Riveted_Reader_Melissa @thegirlwiththelibrarybag I can't imagine why... he's made it very difficult. But if Vader could do it, why not? 8y
thegirlwiththelibrarybag @Riveted_Reader_Melissa, guess we'll see soon enough. 8y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa @thegirlwiththelibrarybag definitely, it would be interesting either way! 8y
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Riveted_Reader_Melissa
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I've had The Hero With a Thousand Faces sitting on my shelf for awhile now.... I really need to read that one soon!

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Riveted_Reader_Melissa
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Hmmm.... interesting idea, but no. If I learned anything from the prequels it's that Star Wars can't handle a senate (or UN) seat, things tend to go badly for the republic if Star Wars is anywhere near the halls of governance. 😉😂 Not that it's necessarily its fault, but my experience has been that you give Star Wars voting powers and next thing you know the whole thing's voting to give unilateral power to a dark lord.

Laura317 😂😂😂👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼 8y
21 likes1 comment
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Riveted_Reader_Melissa
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Riveted_Reader_Melissa
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What do you do when you're helping out family at a garage sale and there is a huge lull, but you don't have your current hardcover, can't listen to your current audiobook, and your current ebook refuses to load on Hoopla for whatever reason? 🤔

Well have no fear, just start another ebook that's already downloaded to your kindle app and will load! #BookishProblemsJustKidding! 😂

Donna_sBookMinute Oh. I thought you were gonna say you bought one of your friend's books at the sale. 😂 Well, it's good you had something on Kindle. Enjoy. 8y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa @Donna_sBookMinute We were having an estate sale for my grandparents house....my grandmother passed in Dec. And normally that would have been a great plan, but I already adopted any of her books that I wanted and took them home before the sale. 8y
Donna_sBookMinute Ok. I read it wrong. I thought you missed typing the word "a" before family. That's why I said "your friend's." I'm sorry you lost your grandmother, though. Removing the books you wanted was a good idea. I hope they come somewhat close to filling the void you must feel. 8y
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Riveted_Reader_Melissa @Donna_sBookMinute No problem. It was a hard day and I definitely enjoyed a distraction during the lull's. Everything family wanted or could use, we'd already adopted and taken home...but that didn't stop me from thinking I should take everything else that was left home with me at some point or another throughout the day. I just had to laugh at myself for starting yet another book when I already had 3 going, plus the fact that I had access.... 8y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa ...to yet another book handy and on my person, even when the other three didn't work out. A book lover is always prepared, and carries a spare read! 8y
Donna_sBookMinute Always 👍🏽 8y
NovelGirl82 😂😂😂 I feel you! I went and bought a new book today to take to my mom's this weekend, like I don't have a million to read, and won't have my kindle with me! 8y
48 likes7 comments
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kaykay521
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Mehso-so

This was a fun read, would have liked it to be a little more in depth, but still an interesting study of Star Wars in our culture.

DGRachel I adore the cover. 😍 8y
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kaykay521
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So I don't have any books by Carrie Fisher yet, however this one seemed appropriate for now. 😊📚❤️

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Chelleo
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First audiobook of 2017. After seeing Rogue One I'm in the zone.

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Crystalblu
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Pickpick

Nursing my sicko husband

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GregoryCass
Pickpick

This was a good read, but a bit shallow. I would recommend it for casual fans, but the more hardcore should go for Chris Taylor's How Star Wars conquered the Universe.

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GregoryCass
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Great epigraph from Kasdan!