Rakuen Growlithe, you did not understand the book, you took an opposite approach to what it intended.
The chapter "The Spirit Is Willing, but the Flesh Is Furry" was actually my favorite one. It makes the book the more special. The book isn't meant to be a recollection of objective data. We have countless sources for that already, Wikifur, Fred Patten articles & books, sources on YouTube and The Prancing Skiltaire guys, and many other sources on the internet.
Joe Strike began with the idea of making the objective sort of book you'd seem to like, but publishers specifically inquired about the personal twist. Where's the personality. The essence. The 'Spirit'.
There is an etymologically more interesting meaning to the word 'spirit' that gets lost in translation when Americans speak about spiritual matters (because of the narrowing view of Christian tradition). Spirit is Anima. It is livelihood, drive, essence, it's what motivates you. The WHY. Why are you doing this, what is it that makes you do what you do. Is there a transcendent view to all this? To the art, to the culture. You can choose not to have such a view, but some do have it. You don't need to be religious either, or to be a therian. All that's required is to have, or search for, a meaningful abstract purpose relating to animality.
You haven't understood the point of the book because you see this as opposing objectivity, when it's not opposed to it. Joe doesn't lie in that chapter. He's describing beliefs, and experiences, acknowledging they're subjective. It is objectively true those beliefs and experiences happen. Whether you think they're delusional or mistaken is beyond the point. Their mere existence and notable part of animal anthropomorphism to some members warrants talking about it, in a moderately integral book about furry.
I'd argue the other objections you have but I think you didn't read the book with the proper mindset, so it's moot. You shouldn't read a somewhat personal book and complain it's not an accurate text book. You acknowledge it's a personal book, but then you hate the most personal chapter for being personal.
Rakuen Growlithe, you did not understand the book, you took an opposite approach to what it intended.
The chapter "The Spirit Is Willing, but the Flesh Is Furry" was actually my favorite one. It makes the book the more special. The book isn't meant to be a recollection of objective data. We have countless sources for that already, Wikifur, Fred Patten articles & books, sources on YouTube and The Prancing Skiltaire guys, and many other sources on the internet.
Joe Strike began with the idea of making the objective sort of book you'd seem to like, but publishers specifically inquired about the personal twist. Where's the personality. The essence. The 'Spirit'.
There is an etymologically more interesting meaning to the word 'spirit' that gets lost in translation when Americans speak about spiritual matters (because of the narrowing view of Christian tradition). Spirit is Anima. It is livelihood, drive, essence, it's what motivates you. The WHY. Why are you doing this, what is it that makes you do what you do. Is there a transcendent view to all this? To the art, to the culture. You can choose not to have such a view, but some do have it. You don't need to be religious either, or to be a therian. All that's required is to have, or search for, a meaningful abstract purpose relating to animality.
You haven't understood the point of the book because you see this as opposing objectivity, when it's not opposed to it. Joe doesn't lie in that chapter. He's describing beliefs, and experiences, acknowledging they're subjective. It is objectively true those beliefs and experiences happen. Whether you think they're delusional or mistaken is beyond the point. Their mere existence and notable part of animal anthropomorphism to some members warrants talking about it, in a moderately integral book about furry.
I'd argue the other objections you have but I think you didn't read the book with the proper mindset, so it's moot. You shouldn't read a somewhat personal book and complain it's not an accurate text book. You acknowledge it's a personal book, but then you hate the most personal chapter for being personal.
On another note, you can find my review of the book at http://www.furryfandom.es/