THE CONVICTION AND ULTIMATE CHOICE OF GREATNESS is a sprawling book. Author Somadina Nnaji Chukwu has sought to create a work that encapsulates his life lessons, but the style and structure make it difficult to assemble those lessons into a greater whole.

The work consists of nine books, as well as a “Book of Great Images,” which comprises photographs of Chukwu with family members: mountaineering expeditions, a university graduation, etc. Chukwu touches on everything from perseverance to leadership, from “Practical Hope” to transcending limitations in his pursuit of wisdom. There are no formal philosophical, political, or theological underpinnings on display, though Chukwu dabbles in all three areas. Philosophically, he most closely resembles a consequentialist, with one eye firmly on the results of one’s actions and how they affect others. His political persuasions are harder to characterize, though he obviously cares deeply for the well-being of his native Nigeria and is attentive to the pre-eminence of the rule of law. In terms of gender relations, he believes in, as he puts it, “strengthen[ing] socio-political education for both women and men.” The most nebulous beliefs of all are his religious ones. He defines God as “the energy that pulses through human experience, summoned through the consciousness of spoken words and thoughts.” Lengthier explanation of this aspect of his value system would have been instructive.

That said, a major drawback is the vague way in which much of this material is presented. The language is portentous, grandiloquent (for example: “time invariably unveils its masterpiece of truth, revealing what lies beneath”), and has the effect of obfuscating meaning by shying away from definitions. For example, when Chukwu writes that “A leader must learn from the universe and integrate multiple dimensions, whether three, four, or more,” it is hard to know precisely what he means. There are indeed nuggets of wisdom here: Chukwu has sensible and cogent things to say on such subjects as planning ahead, the qualities that exemplify leadership, and the importance of being resolute in the face of adversity.

But there are missteps as well. A passage defending the idea that one times one equals two—propounded, Chukwu notes, by Terrance Howard on The Joe Rogan Experience—on the grounds that it carries “profound metaphorical weight” is ill-advised. Also, Chukwu’s reliance on non-sequiturs as a method of attacking the precepts of elementary math subtracts credibility from the whole.

THE CONVICTION AND ULTIMATE CHOICE OF GREATNESS has the feel of a commonplace book, with Chukwu touching on this or that subject as the mood takes him. Therein lies its weakness; rigorous editing would massively improve a work that, as it stands, requires readers looking for useful advice and aphorisms to clamber over heaps of overblown and arcane prose in order to get to them.

Though containing many commonsense rules for living one’s life, Somadina Nnaji Chukwu’s THE CONVICTION AND ULTIMATE CHOICE OF GREATNESS is hampered by a lack of theoretical underpinning and vague language.

~ Craig Jones for IndieReader