Book Review - High-Rise by J.G. Ballard

By: David G. Markham — 30 June 2025 at 13:40

What do you think about human nurture? Is homo sapiens essentially good or bad? When left to their own devices will human beings exalt one another or subjugate and oppress one another?

J.G. Ballard’s novel High-Rise answers this question with a dystopian description of the collapse of civilized behavior.

Plot summary from Gemini AI:

J.G. Ballard's High-Rise chronicles the rapid descent into savagery of the residents of a luxurious, state-of-the-art skyscraper in London. Designed as a self-sufficient vertical city, the tower initially promises an idyllic, insulated existence for its affluent inhabitants. However, minor inconveniences and class tensions between floors quickly escalate into open warfare, with power outages, dog fights, and structural sabotage becoming commonplace. As the building's infrastructure collapses and its residents become increasingly isolated from the outside world, they abandon all societal norms, succumbing to primal urges, violence, and a perverse tribalism, transforming their once-aspirational home into a brutal, self-contained dystopia.

How accurate is Ballard’s view of human nature as depicted in this novel? If you were in this vertical city do you think you would behave in the ways the characters behave? As the social dynamics became more dysfunctional most people didn’t leave but stayed. How do you account for this? Would you have left?

Who should read this book and reflect on its lessons? Probably people with a sociological and philosophical interest and who are mature and somewhat spiritually intelligent. The fundamental question is what is the basic nature of human nature?

(If anyone wants my copy free of charge send your shipping address to davidgmarkham@gmail.com)

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Unitarian Universalist

Why I’m Leaving My UU Church

By: ／u／Sale_Competitive — 30 June 2025 at 12:57

I’ve been deeply involved in my Unitarian Universalist congregation over the years — serving on the board, finance committee, Caring Ministry, and Welcoming Group. My wife and I have loved the community and the people, and we didn’t come to this decision lightly. But we’ve recently made the choice to step away from our UU church.

While the relationships have been meaningful, we’ve increasingly found the spiritual side of the services lacking. The sermons often feel dry and without the kind of depth or guidance I need to carry with me into the week. Maybe that expectation — of a spiritual or transformative core — doesn’t align well with the UU tradition, but I’ve realized that in these challenging times, I need something more.

To be clear, I’m not looking for evangelical dogma or rigid theology. But I do long for messages that go beyond “Trump is bad,” “the world is burning,” and what feels like a constant focus on identity politics. Those are real and important issues, but I also want to hear how we can ground ourselves, grow, and take meaningful steps in our daily lives. Present the problem, yes — but offer some tools, some hope, some deeper spiritual reflection too.

The final turning point for me came during a service led by a visiting minister. She made a point to set up a mask display in the lobby, and masks were required for that particular service. Her sermon centered entirely around masking as a symbol of radical inclusion. While I respect anyone’s choice to wear a mask and understand the intent, devoting an entire service to that topic felt, frankly, excessive — especially when so many people are searching for grounding, clarity, and spiritual renewal.

UUs are good, compassionate people. But in my view, the movement has drifted. Instead of just telling us it’s raining, I’m looking for a community that hands out umbrellas — or better yet, teaches us how to build our own.