A Thousand Names For Joy: How To Live In Harmony With The Way Things Are

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Through it all, his wit, his optimism, and his playful vision of art as meaningful expression remain unstoppable. The little he wrote about himself and his early years is entwined with details of his father's life.

This drive to express, and lack of concern for his own safety, landed Ai Weiwei in prison and under torture.From the first few pages, I was spellbound by the story of Ai Weiwei's life, which he begins with the story of his father--a highly respected poet who suffered throughout his life for his beliefs and poetry.

His political activism has long made him a target of the Chinese authorities, which culminated in months of secret detention without charge in 2011. Ai Weiwei seems to never once think that his efforts are in vain; maybe it is ego, maybe it is an unrelenting sense of history, but he keeps the flame alive for all. New: A brand-new, unused, unopened and undamaged item in original retail packaging (where packaging .The fact of the matter, though, is that I operate from behind a US-lens that I am constantly trying to deconstruct, and the fact that my country continues to whip itself into a Sinophobic frenzy means I have to notice every time Ai criticizes China and falls silent in regards to the US, and there was enough inconsistency in certain key respects that words such as "democracy" were a bit too cherry-picked by this work's conclusion. I know I’m not alone when I say Ai Wei Wei is one of the most important artists / activists of our time, and I deeply appreciate his and his family’s sacrifices that make this world a better place. Throughout his life, Ai has sacrificed almost every creature comfort and stability in pursuit of his artistic freedom (and the right of others to enjoy the same) against overwhelming odds, enduring a fallen-apart marriage, an art studio bulldozed before his eyes, hostile 24/7 surveillance by Chinese police and state, and much more. I've reached the close of my review, and I haven't decided to tip my rating over to the four star side of things.