This was excellent- I have given it to friends and discussed the "emotional illiteracy" part in particular (helped explain a friend's husband's reaction to our talk!).  The wanting things to be black or white without shading makes me think of your other post about E.O.Wilson and also about Wendell Berry's words on Wilson and scientists/academia in his book Life is a Miracle.  When I first read Berry's views in that book, I was horrified and saddened by what I felt was a personal attack on Wilson as The Representative of Scientists and by the polarization of science/academia versus spirituality and connection to people/places/poetry.  It was so angry.  I wrote Berry a long letter about it after several sleepless nights.  Indeed, many people in academia at times seem one-dimensional and constricted in their view of the world (and academia seems to foster and encourage this)but this is something to feel compassionate about, rather than demonize the person.  Your piece helped me revisit my feelings about the "science and soul" debate (yes, I have read Wilber's book!) but also gave me a handy tag for the many situations where I am overwhelmed by the emotional complexity!

Yes, Karen C, this is an interesting series.

We over-the-top sensitive boys already know pretty much most of the background that David is describing.  So it is very good news indeed that he has dedicated some time and thought to the subject, before heading out to Flathead Lake.

Thanks also for your words about E. O. Wilson.  I do not know the Wendell Berry book, but shall look into it.

I would not so easily associate "science" and "academia."  Well, OK, sure, it is possible, but it only gets us so far.  If you take for the sake of comparison the respective faculties of departments of, say, philosophy, English, biology, civil engineering, marketing and sculpture, probably there would be a lot of commonalities, as well as those much more particular values and interests which drove those professors to profess what they profess.  I agree that both academics and scientists sometimes seem to think in "one-dimensional and constricted" ways, for political reasons maybe, or out of professional habit, or also out of professional self-identity.  Hopefully, though, they all can think more critically and independently too, sometimes.

I do not know either E. O. Wilson or Wendell Berry well enough yet to have a judgment, and I am enjoying learning about them.  Thanks, Karen C, for adding to my education.

Chickens are our cousins! So are other sensitive animals! Enough is enough! No more factory farms!