Through Common Things is a philosophical exploration of both western and eastern popular culture. Barkman achieves what is rare: to preserve the integrity of the popular culture in question - while at the same time looking at it from a variety of angles. Readers will gain a deeper appreciation of the subject matter and encounter insights that can lead to personal awareness and growth. ~.~.~ "Barkman presents us with an amazingly wide-ranging collection of philosophical reflections grounded in the everyday things of popular culture - past and present, eastern and western, factual and fictional. ... This is an informative and entertaining book to read!" ~.~.~ - Doug Blomberg, Professor of Philosophy, Institute for Christian Studies " Expansive in scope, Barkman's analysis traverses eastern and western culture, canvassing an array of philosophical topics, using the language of the hoi polloi and icons of popular culture to direct our gaze first to and then through the flickering images of Plato's cave to deeper realities and questions that matter. Well argued, intriguing, engaging; highly recommended!" ~.~.~ - David Baggett, Associate Professor of Philosophy, Liberty University "Effortlessly bridging the gap between 'high' and 'low' culture, Through Common Things, thanks to its jargon-free, lucid language, is eminently readable and, what is more, worth reading." ~.~.~ - Dieter Petzold, Professor of English Literature, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg "This book is unique a