Mere Humanity: G.K. Chesterton, C.S. Lewis, and J.R.R. Tolkien on the Human Condition

A very insightful and thought-provoking exploration of the spiritual, philosophical, and emotional themes of works by Chesterton, Lewis, and Tolkien. Dr. Williams was my English professor in numerous classes in college, and there were times when I could hear his voice as I read his weighty but still accessible prose. A book dealing with topics as heavy as these could easily have been expanded into a 1,000 page monolith (and I'm sure Dr. Williams had to resist this very temptation) but the chapters breeze by, though this was sometimes disappointing because there were some mammoth-sized hunks of literary meat that would take an entire college semester to digest. Mere Humanity is a must-read if you're a fan of these titans of Western literature or if you like a bit of fantasy and whimsy blended in with apologetics and intellectual gymnastics.

A beautiful weaving together of the prescient insights of the three literary giants and their complimentary works. Touching on the diversity of both the authors and their subjects, Donald continues to write in an engaging manner, utilizing his broad knowledge of the men and his deep understanding of the topics and their implications for our times. Although the three of them lived decades ago, their insights are as relevant (or more) than much of our contemporary commentary. For fans of Chesterton and the two most well known Inklings, it is an entertaining and very informative read. I very highly recommend it!

This is not an easy read but is definitely a must for followers of Lewis, Chesterton and Tolkien. The book is fascinating and uses excerpts from the works of these literary geniuses to present their defense of the value of man's existence and more importantly (to me) the value of spirituality in humanity. Will read again and will probably gain another set of lessons at that time.

I LOVED this book! I'm already a fan of Chesterton, Lewis, and Tolkien, and so this book was an excellent look at the way in which those authors wrote about the human condition from different perspectives and in different ways. It was insightful, challenging, and encouraging, as well as being engaging and informative. I strongly recommend it to anyone who enjoys those authors, or to anyone who wants to better understand the various themes of their major works (especially Lewis's fiction).

I cannot recommend this book highly enough, it is deep, thought provoking , I will undoubtedly re-read this one many times. I am adding Donald T Williams to my favorite authors list!

This book provides a wonderful counterpoint to C.S. Lewis' Mere Christianity. The author distills the essence of Chesterton, Lewis, and Tolkien to show how their stories reflected the great story Author of the universe. The second appendix reflection on postmodernism offered immense value, even if the rest of the book didn't offer enough to ponder!

Somewhat laborious to read. This is due to the profound amount of research information provided, which is also the source of the book's value.

Clear thinking from clear thinkers. One of my favorite aspects of Mere Humanity. It the way it adheres to reality. It is not lost in modern or postmodern confusion of relativism.