Blooming in the Ruins is a rare achievement - a genuinely gripping philosophy book. Part introduction to major figures and themes in Mexican Philosophy, part autobiography, and part meditation on what it means to do philosophy while taking one's roots seriously, Sánchez blends accessibility and profundity with confidence and skill. Above all, this book shows how attending to cultural and historical particularity can offer insights and wisdom that speaks to everybody.
Dr. Michael J. Monahan, Professor of Philosophy, University of Memphis
Self-proclaimed 'accidental' philosopher Carlos Alberto Sánchez blooms again, delving into lived experience, circumstance, empiricism, death, choice, rights, education, and, above all, respect, this time against the backdrop of a pantheon of major Mexican philosophers including Antonio Caso, Samuel Ramos, Leopoldo Zea, Emilio Uranga, Abelardo Villegas, Luis Villoro, and Jorge Portilla, to reveal ultimately, in accessible and entertaining ways, how self knowledge and serious reflection benefit human experience.
Amy A. Oliver, Associate Professor of Philosophy and Spanish & Latin American Studies, American University
This book is beautiful and wise in equal measure. Only Carlos Sánchez could take us on this exhilarating, kaleidoscopic tour of 20th century Mexican philosophy. He shows how Mexican philosophy provides lessons in transmuting insecurity, violence, liberation, and catastrophe into lessons for living better every day. This is the kind of book that can change people's lives.
Manuel Vargas, University of California San Diego
Sánchez shows how Mexican philosophy inverts traditional assumptions and hierarchies ... and bolsters his analyses through historical context and resonant personal anecdotes ... This captivates.
Publishers Weekly
Surprisingly breezy to read, this book, subtitled "How Mexican Philosophy Can Guide Us Toward the Good Life," revealed mind-blowing concepts from a field I didn't know existed.
Simon Romero, New York Times
The book is…a resounding success in that it leaves the reader with both a feeling of empowerment and a desire to learn more about Mexican philosophy.
Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews