Book Reviews
“The whole of [Good Sex] is accomplished with panache. The style is clear, direct, honest, and witty. The arguments are concisely formulated, the criticism well directed and the examples imaginative. The book provides both a good introduction to the topic and a plausible account of what good sex should amount to.”
The Philosophical Quarterly
“The composition [of Good Sex] is limpid, an idea-engendering and promising work that delivers an edifying discussion of sexual ethics that incorporates historical acuity, analytic detail and seasoned moral wisdom. A fine contribution to the literature.”
The Reader’s Review
“[In Seeking Identity] Belliotti has something worthwhile to say on each of the varied topics he addresses, and the effect of combining these issues in this way sheds considerable light on the underlying problem of identity.”
Philosophy in Review
“Justifying Law is full of insight, clear reasoning, and common sense. It is clearly the result of years of thorough thinking about problems in jurisprudence and should be valued for the breadth and rigor of its analysis . . . The wide-ranging examination reveals Belliotti’s substantial scholarship and keen intelligence. He offers the reader a remarkable knowledge of the field of jurisprudence and a capacity to appreciate and critique its various schools of thought and individual theorists . . . Belliotti’s ability to provide skilled and balanced analyses of markedly disparate approaches to legal theory is a mark of his analytic talents . . . Justifying Law is a valuable book. . . Belliotti has enriched and advanced jurisprudential dialogue and inquiry.”
The Journal of Value Inquiry
“It is through his biographical history [in Seeking Identity], as the son of Italian immigreants, that his powerful theoretivcal insights are illustrated in precise detail. Adopting neither the emotionally sterile stance of the detached observer nor the skepticism and nihilism, of the moral relativist, Belliotti is able to explore more fully the intricacies and nuances of the object/subject, individual/collective, and relativist/essentialist continuums. . . Belliotti has gone a long way toward completing a task that he himself may see as insurmountable—a reconciliation of traditional, modern, and postmodern sensibilities through a recognition of individual and collective representations. Highly recommended.”
Choice
“Belliotti’s Seeking Identity is a bold experiment that seeks to wrestle with specific instances that illustrate the dialectic dimensions characterizing the individual-community continuum. As a philosophical endeavor, it shows how ‘the human struggle for feeling and meaning must acknowledge the truths of blood’ and illustrates how successful philosophical exercises involve an interaction binding passion and reason, historical rootedness and rational abstraction, and the intimately personal and the public.”
The Personalist Forum
“Belliotti’s Stalking Nietzsche proves o be a straightforward and cleverly constructed general introduction to Nietzsche’s thinking as a whole . . .it is how each chapter ends that ultimately makes Stalking Nietzsche a genuinely valuable contribution. . . Belliotti opts to close each chapter with a very fluid dialogue between two passionate interlocutors. . .what makes each chapter’s dialogue both especially helpful and true to the spirit of Nietzsche’s thought is their fundamental plasticity. . . Belliotti endeavors to have his interlocutors exemplify rather than simple explain Nietzsche’s broad themes. And in this he is largely successful . . . their spirited dialogue is consistently rewarding and informative”
Philosophy in Review
“The most interesting aspect of Belliotti’s [Jesus or Nietzsche?] is the manner in which he attempts to synthesis what he perceives to be Jesus’ perfectionism and Nietzsche’s perfectionism. . .Belliotti is clearly a subtle interpreter of Jesus and Nietzsche. . . Belliotti’s views are generally well argued and well presented . . .Belliotti writes well and with conviction and criticizes not just Nietzsche bit also Jesus forthrightly.”
Religious Studies
“[Jesus the Radical] is a fine example of a serious philosopher putting ancient texts into critical dialogue with other classic works.”
Choice
“Belliotti’s [Roman Philosophy and the Good Life] brings out the degree to which Roman Philosophy is a practical guide to public and private life, rather than an abstract theoretical activity . . .Clearly written in a lively, engaging style, tis book is a useful guide.”
Choice
“[In Roman Philosophy and the Good Life], Belliotti captures the major philosophical currents pf the ancient Roman world in action. . . Belliotti’s skill in depicting Greek philosophy in action, especially in terms of character formation and attaining the good life . . . [the book] succeeds in its main task of presenting philosophy in action through the lives of significant figures in Roman history.”
The Review of Metaphysics
“The gravitas of Professor Belliotti’s background keeps the readings [of Watching Baseball, Seeing Philosophy] fascinating. . . Thoughtful, inquisitive, always enlightening, without condescending to either baseball fans or philosophy majors but creating an intriguing synthesis that by the way cries for a second or third volume that extends the range of this inquisitorial model into other sports.”
Aethlon
“In this thought-provoking book [Dante’s Deadly Sins] Belliotti draws Dante’s Commedia into conversation with existential philosophy . . . Belliotti’s book is essential reading for anyone interested in Dante. In it the reader will find a refreshingly different take on the moral vision underscored by Dante’s Commedia.”
Heythrop Journal
“Belliotti argues [in Machiavelli’s Secret] that Machiavelli does provide readers with sufficient information to make judgments about the inner life or soul of the Machiavellian statesman . . .the book offers a valuable contribution to contemporary Machiavellian scholarship.”
Choice
“In one of the best surveys in the field, [In Happiness is Overrated] Belliotti economically sweeps both historical and contemporary sources into a solidly readable, powerful analysis, achieving the rare status of general public accessibility without sacrificing any scholarly meat . . .this book substantially improves on [another well known book in the field] and does a superior job of presenting the subject matter to a wide audience. Highly recommended.”
Choice
“[Happiness is Overrated] provides clear explanations and critical evaluations of the views of important figures from the history of philosophy as well as the views of various contemporary thinkers. . . Belliotti provides a very fair and balanced treatment of the philosophers he discusses. . . Happiness is Overrated is a good book. Belliotti shows himself to be a clear writer and thinker who is well versed in both the history of philosophy and contemporary philosophy. The breadth of his knowledge and understanding is very impressive . . .I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in finding out what philosophers have had to say about the nature and value of happiness and the meaning of human existence.”
The Review of Metaphysics
[Seeking Identity] is a rewarding reading that adds to the findings of previous research from an appealing and eclectic prospective which combines philosophy, sociology, history, and autobiographical narrative.”
American Italian Historical Association Newsletter
[Seeking Identity]is a book that has lessons for everyone, most especially for Italian Americans. . . Alternately didactic and dramatic, Belliotti reveals there is a personal in the political, reminding us that the intellectual, whether artist or critic, is shaped by his or her relationship to the family, community, and the nation state.”
Fra Noi
“[Seeking Identity] is an original and unusual mix of moral theories and political philosophies, as well as is equally evident the sociological and historical nature of the book. . . a unique study of the importance that the Italian American family has had and has in American society. . . Belliotti succeeds in reconciling the tensions between the self and the surrounding society . . . his considerations bring new elements to the debate on emigration in a broad sense, on society in general . . . a way of confronting oneself and a chance to find oneself again and better serve the social interests of all.”
Oggi
“[Watching Baseball, Seeing Philosophy], perhaps the most unexpected and unusual baseball book ever reveals uncanny connections between nine baseball greats and the great thinkers of the West . . . The book deserves a look, if for no other reason than Professor Belliotti’s courage.”
Sports Collectors Digest
“In this charming book [Watching Baseball, Seeing Philosophy] Raymond Angelo Belliotti does his own update on Plutarch’s Parallel Lives. . . Throughout the book, Belliotti—an avid baseball fan and coach as well as a distinguished philosophy—ably demonstrates his knowledge of both the playing field and the ivory tower. . . there are plenty of fascinating and unexpected overlapping scenarios. . . [The book] proves that matters such as faith, concern for good character, fall and redemption (see especially the chapter on Mickey Mantle) and the need for heroes is as important today as it has been throughout human history and the world of baseball is a microcosm of all we hold dear.”
Journal of Popular Culture
“It may seem bizarre to put Ted Williams in the same sentence with Albert Camus, or Mickey Mantle with St. Thomas Aquinas, but Raymond Angelo Belliotti, author of Watching Baseball, Seeing Philosophy makes some compelling connections . . . The most intriguing chapter links Jose Canseco with Immanuel Kant in a fascinating ‘dialogue’ between those who advocate the use of steroids and those who see them as providing a detriment to fair play and sportsmanship.”
Ron Kaplan’s Baseball Bookshelf
“[Justifying Law] has an extremely helpful three page ‘dialogue’ that displays the rhetorical structure of contemporary jurisprudential discussions . . . Belliotti’s pluralism fits well into recent developments in jurisprudence, and his book is a useful contribution.”
