annieb123's Review of Professor at Large

by John Cleese

And now for something completely different. Professor at Large features beloved English comedian and actor John Cleese in the role of Ivy League professor at Cornell University. His almost twenty years as professor-at-large has led to many talks, essays, and lectures on campus. This collection of the very best moments from Cleese under his mortarboard provides a unique view of his endless pursuit of intellectual discovery across a range of topics. Since 1999, Cleese has provided Cornell students and local citizens with his ideas on everything from scriptwriting to psychology, religion to hotel management, and wine to medicine.

His incredibly popular events and classes—including talks, workshops, and an analysis of A Fish Called Wanda and The Life of Brian—draw hundreds of people. He has given a sermon at Sage Chapel, narrated Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf with the Cornell Chamber Orchestra, conducted a class on script writing, and lectured on psychology and human development. Each time Cleese has visited the campus in Ithaca, NY, he held a public presentation, attended and or lectured in classes, and met privately with researchers. From the archives of these visits, Professor at Large includes an interview with screenwriter William Goldman, a lecture about creativity entitled, "Hare Brain, Tortoise Mind," talks about Professor at Large and The Life of Brian, a discussion of facial recognition, and Cleese's musings on group dynamics with business students and faculty.

Professor at Large provides a window into the workings of John Cleese's scholarly mind, showcasing the wit and intelligence that have driven his career as a comedian, while demonstrating his knack of pinpointing the essence of humans and human problems. His genius on the screen has long been lauded; now his academic chops get their moment in the spotlight, too.

Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Professor at Large: The Cornell Years is a collection of vignettes showcasing a series of talks, lectures, and workshops delivered by John Cleese during his more than decade long association with Cornell University as a visiting professor. The subjects are wide ranging, always witty, often profound and a joy to read.

In the current culture of anti-intellectualism it's all too easy to become disillusioned and exhausted by all of the backlash against well spoken prose, language, literature, intelligence... This book (and Professor Cleese) are erudite and unapologetically intelligent. Additionally, the people who join him in his talks are also intelligent (often brilliant), well spoken, and profound. His back-and-forth with William Goldman alone is worth the price of the book. The other chapters include neurologists, psychologists, discussions on religion, culture and the meaning of life.

There's a lot of material here for fans of Monty Python and Cleese the Actor, but there's also a lot to love here for anyone who loves to read intelligent well spoken people talking about interesting topics.

I enjoyed it hugely and recommend it to everyone.

248 pages, available in ebook and hardcover formats.
Anticipated release date: October 15, 2018 from Cornell University Press.

Five stars
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Professor at Large

by John Cleese

Reviewed by annieb123 on Jun 24, 2018

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