I was born in the Caribbean as a member of
a racially mixed family (Spanish, African and French). Received a British and
America education, and have traveled and work in Europe, North and South
America. I currently work as a consultant in the area of strategic business and
technology transformation planning, have enjoyed short forays in the professions
of art and architecture, as well as adjunct faculty member at two universities. I am also trying to publish a book
that I have written and named:
LeBertrand
Assorted Reflections.
Book synopsis:
Reflections of personal experiences that are sometimes amusing, interspersed
with some fiction and discussions that attempt to address some less frivolous
but enduring and elemental issues of human existence, from a Caribbean Islander
in the USA. Le Bertrand firmly believes that certain enduring ideas from past to
present need to be revisited frequently, and as a result, these reflections are
interspersed with some discussions of enduring ideas expressed from as far back
as the years B.C. to present. The reflections go on to explore the ideas of
skepticism, judgments we make, our desires, liberalism, religion, some
metaphysics, and the manner in which some misinformation and emotional
distractions presented via media and politics tend to diminish mankind’s
appreciation or pursuit of enduring ideas, individual reasoning and wisdom. He
hopes that many readers will be entertained by some of the reflections, or
simply enjoy this opportunity to get exposed, revisit, question or embrace some
enduring ideas.
The reflections begin by exploring life on a once isolated Caribbean Island, St. Lucia, populated mostly by African and Asiatic peoples, some British and French expatriates and the eventual mixed races, all with limited experiences but exposed to an excellent British educational system. The reflections continue to include some Island religiosity, general ideas regarding some historical missteps, and the need for better collaboration between religion and science; skepticism, desires and judgments we make; liberalism with regard to its origins, contributors / detractors to classic political / economical liberalism and their intent, and issues introduced by new elitist-liberals causing a divergence from original intent; Le Bertrand’s foray into the architectural profession provides a historical perspective that should promote better appreciation of the subject; Le Bertrand’s life in Americas as pertains to his interest, issues, and some anecdotal experiences that are sometimes amusing; and some metaphysics.
The reflections end with a fictional short story about a place called Arlainia where enduring ideas are uppermost in mind. Le Bertrand arrives at this place where he meets his idea of the perfect woman, some fascinating new friends, and gains exposure to a society far more advanced than any on Earth. Coincident with his arrival, the inhabitants of Arlainia received information about their true origins, and some begin to realize how their current obsession with human technology integration, genetic modification, and the constant presentation of misinformation and emotional distractions via media and politics have begun to diminish their appreciation of enduring ideas, engagement in individual reasoning and pursuit of wisdom, in a manner very similar to the experiences of their ancestors. Some confusion ensues, a small enlightened segment of the society express their concern that such issues may contribute to a less elevated microevolution or possible devolution of the population, but life continues. This short fictional story introduces some of the main characters of a novel that the author has begun to write, ‘The Turgots of Arlainia’.
Who should read this Book?
Adults young to old worldwide who are capable of reading English, and are not afraid to explore questions such as follows: What does it mean to be educated and engage in the lifelong pursuit of wisdom? Should religion accommodate man’s acquired tastes that contradict its tenets? Do we tend to be too judgmental and assume that there is no doubt associated with our judgments? Is truth purely subjective? Do we distinguish our wants from needs? Are we being manipulated by some politicians, educators, capitalists, self appointed leaders and media with misinformation and emotional promotions? What are some of the issues pertaining to genetic modification that should concern us? Are we all connected via some cosmic consciousness? Etc., etc., etc. The author avoids being judgmental, but tends to challenge complacency and many ideas that we accept simply because they appear to provide some level of comfort.
Author’s Bio:
Bertrand Arlain was born on the beautiful island of St. Lucia in the Caribbean, a former French then British colony, which is currently an independent member of the British Commonwealth. He received a Master of Science degree from New York University (Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences) in 1973, after having obtained other degrees from other institutions. Currently, he works as a consultant in the area of Business and Technology Transformation Strategy, has enjoyed short forays in the professions of art and architecture, and has been an adjunct faculty member at two universities in Florida where he taught graduate courses related to business and technology transformation.
He credits the attainment of most of his education to his indulgence in substantial independent reading about the diverse subjects that interest him. He enjoys reading and writing; attending the opera, symphony, some theatre and visiting museums; the sports of cricket, tennis, soccer, and the occasional well tempered indulgence in some epicurean delights. He also enjoys traveling and has had the opportunity to work in Europe, Latin America and various states in the USA.
He believes that more intellectuals and laypersons need to be engaging in the lifelong pursuit of wisdom to prevail over human fallibility. Intellect and knowledge simply represent some of the requirements for the pursuit and attainment of wisdom. We all need to contemplate and become more cognizant of the causal relationship between knowledge and behavior as prescribed by the cumulative attainment of wisdom.