SKU: 55758738047

Gardens: An Essay on the Human Condition

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Gardens: An Essay on the Human ConditionHumans have long turned to gardens both real and imaginary for sanctuary from the frenzy and tumult that surrounds them. Those gardens may be as far away from everyday reality as Gilgamesh's garden of the gods or as near as our own backyard, but in their very conception and the marks they bear of human care and cultivation, gardens stand as restorative, nourishing, necessary havens. With Gardens, Robert Pogue Harrison graces readers with a thoughtful,

Humans have long turned to gardens--both real and imaginary--for sanctuary from the frenzy and tumult that surrounds them. Those gardens may be as far away from everyday reality as Gilgamesh's garden of the gods or as near as our own backyard, but in their very conception and the marks they bear of human care and cultivation, gardens stand as restorative, nourishing, necessary havens.

With Gardens, Robert Pogue Harrison graces readers with a thoughtful, wide-ranging examination of the many ways gardens evoke the human condition. Moving from from the gardens of ancient philosophers to the gardens of homeless people in contemporary New York, he shows how, again and again, the garden has served as a check against the destruction and losses of history. The ancients, explains Harrison, viewed gardens as both a model and a location for the laborious self-cultivation and self-improvement that are essential to serenity and enlightenment, an association that has continued throughout the ages. The Bible and Qur'an; Plato's Academy and Epicurus's Garden School; Zen rock and Islamic carpet gardens; Boccaccio, Rihaku, Capek, Cao Xueqin, Italo Calvino, Ariosto, Michel Tournier, and Hannah Arendt--all come into play as this work explores the ways in which the concept and reality of the garden has informed human thinking about mortality, order, and power.

Alive with the echoes and arguments of Western thought, Gardens is a fitting continuation of the intellectual journeys of Harrison's earlier classics, Forests and The Dominion of the Dead. Voltaire famously urged us to cultivate our gardens; with this compelling volume, Robert Pogue Harrison reminds us of the nature of that responsibility--and its enduring importance to humanity.

I find myself completely besotted by a new book titled Gardens: An Essay on the Human Condition, by Robert Pogue Harrison. The author . . . is one of the very best cultural critics at work today. He is a man of deep learning, immense generosity of spirit, passionate curiosity and manifold rhetorical gifts.--Julia Keller, Chicago Tribune

This book is about gardens as a metaphor for the human condition. . . . Harrison draws freely and with brilliance from 5,000 years of Western literature and criticism, including works on philosophy and garden history. . . . He is a careful as well as an inspiring scholar.--Tom Turner, Times Higher Education

When I was a student, my Cambridge supervisor said, in the Olympian tone characteristic of his kind, that the only living literary critics for whom he would sell his shirt were William Empson and G. Wilson Knight. Having spent the subsequent 30 years in the febrile world of academic Lit. Crit. . . . I'm not sure that I'd sell my shirt for any living critic. But if there had to be one, it would unquestionably be Robert Pogue Harrison, whose study Forests: The Shadow of Civilization, published in 1992, has the true quality of literature, not of criticism--it stays with you, like an amiable ghost, long after you read it.

"Though more modest in scope, this new book is similarly destined to become a classic. It has two principal heroes: the ancient philosopher Epicurus . . . and the wonderfully witty Czech writer Karel Capek, apropos of whom it is remarked that, whereas most people believe gardening to be a subset of life, 'gardeners, including Capek, understand that life is a subset of gardening.'"--Jonathan Bate, The Spectator



Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Published: 09/01/2009
ISBN: 9780226317908
Pages: 248
Weight: 0.70lbs
Size: 8.40h x 5.50w x 0.70d

Review Citations: New York Times Book Review 10/11/2009 pg. 20
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SKU: 55758738047

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Dallas, US
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My dogs love these! They last forever too and I have some intense chewers.
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Kaci W.
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Goal!
Dog loves it, cute for hockey season!
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Nirpno
Natrona Heights, US
★★★★★ 2
NOT DURABLE, LONG-LASTING, OR USEFUL
Color: A-Navy, Color: A-Navy
I gave this dog toy 2-stars based on my dog toy rating system (DTRS) for “Albert” the Blue Bear! Safety (1-rating): Albert fell apart after 4-hours of use. 1. The ears were chewed off and I was only able to find one of them, which means my dog swallowed the other ear. Very big concern as it depends on how big your dog is to pass this object. The ear is about the size of 1.5-quarters. 2. The tail was almost chewed off entirely and was hanging on by a thread before I threw it out. 3. After the ears came off, the inside foam started to come out, which raised my concern for my dog’s saftey. 4. The entire body was soft and did not cause any harm to teeth, gums, paws, nose, etc. Durability (3-rating): 1. The ears and tail are the weakest parts of Albert as they can easily be chewed off. 2. The body is durable enough to sustain 4-hours of use, as I threw Albert out after the ears and tail were torn off within 4-hours. 3. The small squeaker inside Albert’s belly was broken after 15-minutes of use. Thank Goodness! 4. My next concern was how long the arms and legs would last; TBD! Squeaker (1-rating): 1. Small plastic squeaker, the size of a half-dollar, with a high pitched noise. Fatality (2-rating): 1. Albert was put to rest after 4-hours of use as I was concerned for the safety of my dog with continued use. 2. If Albert didn’t come with ears or a tail, I can only imagine how long he would’ve survived as the material seemed to be durable enough to withstand continued use. In conclusion, “Albert” the Blue Bear is not worth the money for a toy that falls apart after 4-hrs of use and with the concerns of safety. I was surprised that it was only 8-inches tall, next time I’ll confirm the size of the toy before I purchase the next one. About my dog “Cannoli” for comparison: Breed: Blue Healer / Lab mix Weight: 40-lbs Energy Level: High Age: 7-months Chew Rating: Aggressive
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Reviewed in the United States on February 20, 2025
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Steven D'Arcangelo
Dallas, US
★★★★★ 3
The dog won!
Color: A-Navy, Color: A-Navy
It’s not indestructible. Wonder if I can get a refund or another toy. It did last longer than most so I give them credit for that!
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Reviewed in the United States on May 26, 2026
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Heidi fishel
Draper, US
★★★★★ 5
Almost good enough
Color: E-Navy+Purple
My dog chewy can rip through anything, even these. I do love the toys they’re great. They’re made with coconut on the inside, but could somebody please!, make a chew toy worthy of my dogs teeth, cause this ain’t it. But it is the strongest so far . I would recommend it. My doodle chewy short for Chewbacca is insane about chewing.
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Reviewed in the United States on June 9, 2026

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