very cleverly written in order to place our world at hand into the context of the greater philosophy of star wars. One can tell that the author gave a great deal of thought and organization to the manner in which the material was presented. He certainly has a firm grasp of Star Wars.

I received this book from NetGalley at the recommendation of the author. My review is in no way influenced by those facts.

I have listened to Stephen's podcast "Beltway Banthas" and was very excited to read this. This book was a combination of Star Wars, politics, culture, and personal improvement. Each chapter narrowed in on a specific topic and drew parallels from Star Wars to what we see in the world today. I particularly enjoyed that each chapter ended with specific examples of things one can do to bring the Force into our world. You don't need to remember every detail from Star Wars to understand the examples Stephen shares and you don't need to be a political expert or someone who watches the news every single day to understand the political topics he highlights. You're in very good hands with this author.

While some may be turned off by the fact that Stephen politically leans to the right, you absolutely shouldn't be. I'm someone who leans more to the left and absolutely enjoyed every moment of this book and found a lot to think about in its pages.

I would highly recommend this for anyone who enjoys Star Wars and discussions on society.

Suburban Politics and Star Wars

By Kenneth Silber, published at Splice Today 11/4/21

The closeness of the gubernatorial race in New Jersey wasn’t entirely a surprise to me. I’d noticed that lawn signs for “Jack,” the Republican candidate, were ubiquitous in the North Jersey suburbs, while those for Murphy, the incumbent Democrat, were nowhere to be seen. An email from my town’s Democratic club had informed anyone wanting a Murphy sign about a place they could pick one up, which is a lot less effective than asking who wants one and then not only delivering the sign but sticking it into the grass for them.

Once I’d have been surprised that any of this has any connection to me. I’d long have doubted I’d ever be a suburbanite, and definitely didn’t think I’d be a Democrat. For that matter, I’d have been skeptical, decades ago, that I’d ever be an Episcopalian or member of my church’s vestry (nor would I have known what a vestry is); or a father; or on a Boy Scout troop’s committee, as unlike my brother or Splice Today’s proprietor, I avoided scouting in my youth.

I also might’ve been surprised that I’d turn out not much of a Star Wars fan. When I saw the original, later dubbed “Episode IV,” in 1977 at Manhattan’s vast Ziegfeld Theatre, I was enthralled. But unlike with Star Trek and Lord of the Rings, my interest diminished over the decades. Still, contemplating the latest elections, and the political and cultural conflicts playing out in America’s suburbs more broadly, the galactic saga does take on a certain relevance, adeptly probed by a new book, How the Force Can Fix the World: Reflections on Life, Liberty, and Happiness from a Galaxy Far, Far Away, by Stephen Kent.

Kent’s a libertarian writer who distinguished himself, in my mind, by writing a worthwhile response to a recent controversial Scientific American opinion piece on Star Wars and social justice. While there’d been a lot of backlash against the piece, most of this never got beyond mocking it as self-evidently absurd, a rhetorical strategy of limited value. By contrast, Kent wrote a perceptive analysis at the Federalist website, pointing out that the social justice critics failed to grasp that the Jedi are meant to be understood as falling short of their ideals; this failure, along with humorlessness, made their critique of the warrior-monks obtuse.

In How the Force Can Fix the World, Kent applies themes from Star Wars to America today. A key one is balance, focused on the struggle between the light and dark sides of the Force. “At its most simple,” Kent writes, “the light side is serenity, the promotion of harmony and of logic in place of one’s base passions. The light promotes selflessness and the pursuit of knowledge to solve problems. The dark side is raw emotion and indulgence; it is selfishness and the accumulation of power above all else.”

Moreover, Kent points out, “the light and dark themselves are not synonymous with good and evil. While the dark certainly makes more space for wicked acts to occur with its intense focus on self-gratification, the dispassionate zen of the light can lead to an aloofness that can sometimes accommodate evil.” The Phantom Menace holds an example of this, when Qui-Gon Jinn, Anakin Skywalker’s mentor, points out on their mission to Tatooine that freeing slaves was not the reason they came there.

The Jedi overlook the need for balance when they put their hopes in a “Chosen One,” who’ll destroy their enemies, the Sith. They are engaged, Kent sadly notes, in their own version of the “Flight 93” tendency where any means are justified to counter a putatively urgent and all-consuming threat; and of the overwrought attitude whereby each election is supposedly the most important ever.

At the end of each of his chapters, Kent offers tips aimed at giving practical advice. To restore some balance in one own’s life and thinking, he advocates recognizing the inevitability of disagreement; that some people will have views you dislike or find abhorrent. He also suggests bringing a certain mindfulness to one’s intake of information: “If your news consumption or social media habits are occupying your thoughts longer than you’d like, you need to take ownership of that problem.”

Kent: “Politics is filling a void in our country created by the dissolution of community ties, whether it be your church, union, civic organization, or an enthusiast club. Having ways to associate with folks unlike ourselves that aren’t linked to politics gives us new ways of relating and identifying common ground.” This strikes me as healthy advice. The suburbs, where moderate politics and swing voting prevail to a considerable degree, may benefit from people having too much on their plates to become political fanatics.

—Kenneth Silber is author of In DeWitt’s Footsteps: Seeing History on the Erie Canal and is on Twitter: @kennethsilber

Many fans of a galaxy far, far away use Star Wars as an escape from reality - as all have every right to do. But the more you peel back the layers of the franchise’s story, the more difficult it becomes to separate the fictional world’s themes and ideas from our own very real lives.

How the Force Can Fix the World builds its foundations on this very concept - that it’s not only possible, but beneficial to use Star Wars as a means of personal growth. Stephen uses historical examples from the American political landscape to draw parallels between Star Wars and modern society, using the stories we know and love to show us how we can rethink the way we interact with the people around us - both those we agree with and those we don’t.

Reading this book made me feel a sense of hope I haven’t felt in quite some time. I’m beyond grateful to the author for providing me an advanced copy and that I can wholeheartedly recommend the book to all of you.

May the Force be with us. Always.

I’m a longtime listener of the Beltway Banthas podcast, so I’m familiar with Stephen Kent’s thoughts on the intersection between politics and Star Wars. How the Force Can Fix the World is a distillation of some of his discussions on the podcast. However, it’s probably better to characterize this book as a self-help manual than a political analysis. Howt the Force Can Fix the World does discuss how Star Wars can inform our approach to politics, but more than that it’s about how Star Wars can help us live more mindful lives and become better citizens.

Each chapter of the book discusses a moral or philosophical concept, such as free will or redemption, and draws explicit lessons from the Star Wars films (and occasionally the TV shows). For example, Kent argues that the redemptions of Anakin Skywalker and Ben Solo are urgent reminders of how forgiveness and empathy aren’t just naive ideals, but help keep our society civil. The chapters on hope and choice are pleas to remain optimistic even during Dark Times. Each chapter ends with several mindfulness techniques designed to help readers live the values of Star Wars in their own lives. In this sense, How the Force Can Fix the World is less about fixing the world and more about fixing ourselves.

Building on his background as a political commentators, many of Kent’s examples involve politics or political discourse. Kent is a self-described conservative/libertarian. Sadly, that might put off some readers, but shouldn’t. Kent is that rare breed of thoughtful, compassionate conservative; he’s not a conspiracy theorist and he believes in social justice. How the Force Can Fix the World does critique excesses of both the Left and the Right, but generally focuses less on specific policies and more on how we conduct ourselves in the political sphere. In other words, How the Force Can Fix the World doesn’t push a conservative or libertarian policy agenda, but does challenge readers to disagree respectfully. In this respect, Kent reminds me of Arthur Brooks, another conservative “happy warrior” whose work focuses at least as much on emotional wellbeing as on deregulation.

My favorite parts of the book are the most autobiographical. Kent sometimes discusses his personal struggles and how Star Wars helped him put his problems in perspective. The epilogue’s message of allowing the moral lessons of Star Wars to live inside us despite the toxicity in fandom particularly resonated with me. Even if you don’t agree with Kent’s politics or his interpretations of each film, How the Force Can Fix the World is a useful reminder that we should strive to live the virtues embodied in our favorite franchise. Star Wars is more than entertainment; it’s a moral education.

[NOTE: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.]

This was pretty interesting. This isn’t what I usually pick up but since it was available on Netgalley I said why not. This was pretty fun and interesting and I really loved the authors writing style and Will for sure pick up a lot more in the future!

I’m not brave enough for politics, but I appreciated the Star Wars references throughout the book that made the politics aspect easier to read through. As a Star Wars fan, I too look at the lessons and words of wise disseminated throughout Star Wars’ various avenues of storytelling and relate it to my life, to determine how I can grow as a person, et cetera. It was reassuring to see that at least someone else does the same thing, and I appreciated the different perspectives to infamous quotes and events from a galaxy far, far away.

Who teaches us loyalty better than Chewy? The way Luke fought Darth Vader with bravery and mercy is a model for standing up to the opposition without viewing or treating them as inhuman. Surprise! We can learn from fiction without it being preachy (and enjoy it too!). This book is a guide for how Star Wars can teach us about the “emotional and ethical nature of humanity.” Who says stories full of aliens or mystical forces can’t teach us how to be better humans?

Entertaining style. Insightful content. This book is a quick, fun read that really gets you thinking. I absolutely loved it. (Although being a die hard Star Wars fan might make me a bit bias.)

The use of Star Wars references as a shared “language” to open a dialogue on moral and social issues is sure to delight Star Wars fans. This “language” lessens tension when discussing highly politically charged issues. It might even add a little fun too.

In these troubled and politically polarized times, Star Wars reminds that even people whose views and actions judge to be horribly wrong are still human. And treating your opposition as anything less would only make it harder for yourself and others to see the humanity in you. The true and tempting dark side is not seeing and treating each other as human.

WARNING: Vague mentions of past sexual abuse in the “FOREWORD: PART II” section.

I received a free copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
#NetGalley
#HowtheForceCanFixtheWorld

I’ll admit I’m a bit of a geek (okay perhaps more than just a bit) and I grew up on Star Wars. Seriously some of my most vivid childhood memories are of seeing the films of the original trilogy. I was hooked right from the star and have been consuming everything Star Wars since: the prequels/sequels/books/ video games/ tv series. Heck, sitting in my one of my closets is even the Hamilton Collection of Star Wars collectors plates. So when I got the opportunity from Center Street and NetGalley to read an eARC of Stephen Kent’s How the Force Can Fix he World, I jumped at it.
This book is slotted in the politics category, and it definitely belongs there, but I believe it also speaks beyond politics. And for those that don’t know Stephen Kent’s politics he falls on the conservative/libertarian, but I believe the core of what this book has to say speaks to people all along the political spectrum.
So can The Force really fix the world? Well Stephen Kent certainly thinks so, especially if people would embrace the main principles of the Star Wars movies, and really the extended Star Wars universe. What are those principles? Humility-Empathy-Fear-Hope-Reckoning-Balance-Choice.
Over the course the book Stephen examines each of these principles in the context of the Star Wars, not just in terms the main films but also the spin-offs (yes including The Mandalorian, Rogue One, heck even Solo). He talks about these principles and why we should embrace them (except for Fear, that one we should reject) gives examples of where we see them in the movies/shows (even references the video game Knights of the Old Republic…actually that was the first Star Wars reference in the book) and their effect on the movies. I should also note that there is also a fair number of religious references, which really isn’t surprising given the religious tones of The Force, and how many of these principles are aligned with the principles of Christianity.
I have to say I found the book extremely enjoyable, and not just because I’m a huge Star Wars geek—though that definitely helps, and in exploring many of Kent’s examples I actually found a new appreciation for the movies (even the ones that I considered to be kind of mess….yes, I’m looking at you prequel trilogy!!)
I enjoyed this book quite a bit, and could actually agree with the book’s premise, except for the fact that the entire world would need to really adhere to these principles and as Kent himself says many times throughout the book, most people are locked into their own echo chambers, which I sadly think means most will be unable/unwilling to embrace these principles, never mind seeing issues from the other sides point of view.

Who would have thought the concepts from a long time ago in a galaxy far away could be so well aligned with how to navigate our modern world and political landscape? I guess the simple answer is Stephen Kent. I do not believe the author makes any attempt to hide his background or his political alignment. What I truly appreciate bout this book is how Kent displayed that background and our politics do not have to control our interactions in our world. Kent does an amazing job of demonstrating how the concepts that guide the force and provide balance to the Star Wars universe can be adapted to assist us with navigating the treacherous landscape of modern politics with family and friends.