Recently "The Big Year" made a surprise place for itself among my time 3 to 5 books of all time. The unusual part for me is for it to be done by a pie...moreRecently "The Big Year" made a surprise place for itself among my time 3 to 5 books of all time. The unusual part for me is for it to be done by a piece of journalism. I like "The Physics of Wall Street" as much or nearly as much. This piece of journalistic magic was written by a physicist.(less)
I don't rate many books with a 5. I think the Hitchhiker books are brilliant in the way I believe Ron Wesley means something is brilliant that he is r...moreI don't rate many books with a 5. I think the Hitchhiker books are brilliant in the way I believe Ron Wesley means something is brilliant that he is referring to in the Harry Potter books.
Memory is a bit hazy because I am getting a little long in the tooth. But, I first heard about "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" in 1981 or 1982 when I was a freshman at Westminster College in Fulton, Mo. I had a friend who enthused about it. I don't remember if he carried on about the book before or after he got his handwritten letter from Douglas Adams. Regardless, my friend had written Douglas Adams a fan letter because he had loved the book so much. And Adams responded with a handwritten response (It was at least 2 pages, maybe 3 or 4 long)because my friend's letter had been the first fan letter he had ever received.
Well, I had never heard of the book, and wasn't even interested in looking at the letter because my friend was in the habit of enthusing about things that ended up leaving me disappointed.
But, I did read "Hitchhikers". I thought it was Okay, and have often wondered if I didn't see what was there just because I was digging my heels in, or what. When it came out I skimmed "Restaurant". Owned a copy of the 3rd book and never read it.
About 10 years ago I reread "Hitchhikers" a couple of times and was finally won over. I think it is brilliant but could not bring myself to return tot he trough for the rest of the books.
A few months ago my 14-year-old borrowed my copy, wanted me to check out the rest of the books for her and she recommended that I read them. Well, what else do you do other than read the rest of the books.
I will happily admit that my friend was right, I was wrong. I would eat crow if I could read the words on that letter. I know, I know...there are probably real Adams fans out there who would salivate over this story.
Me, when I heard about Adams' death all of those years ago, after his phenomenal success, I was sorry that he was finished. I also thought about my friend and his great good fortune, though, I am positive he would have traded it for the great man getting to live a few more decades.(less)
This book really appeals to me. It is loaded with graphs of statistical data from a 2006 phone survey of over 3000 participants.
It is like finding a...moreThis book really appeals to me. It is loaded with graphs of statistical data from a 2006 phone survey of over 3000 participants.
It is like finding a particularly striking fossil on the shelf of a souvenir shop. It is probably just another fossil (just another book about religion), more or less, the same as all of the rest on the shelf that are for sell. But this one appeals to you (in this case me).
This book should appeal to people interested in looking at and evaluating the statistical data. The book says things about religion in the United States. It should appeal to readers interested in what the authors have to say about our perceptions of folk with various degrees of religiosity and the view that we are a country divided in the political arena by religion.
Personally, I find it to be a dazzling piece of writing to look at and to think about. There is so much there that, like the fossil from the souvenir shop, I look forward to the pleasure of looking at it and letting it inspire my imagination. Maybe in time it will impact what I think. Regardless, I really like this book. (less)
Another Wow! book. Would complement the principles of change presented in Kerry Patterson's "Change Anything" and "Influencer". This book carries the...moreAnother Wow! book. Would complement the principles of change presented in Kerry Patterson's "Change Anything" and "Influencer". This book carries the medical science further than is presented in the VitalSmarts books.(less)
7th or 8th time to reread this book. It is more beautiful each time I read it.
It shows a world in which the power of evil appears to be all powerful....more7th or 8th time to reread this book. It is more beautiful each time I read it.
It shows a world in which the power of evil appears to be all powerful. However, the point is that each being is a tool of the One God and his plan. The only question is whether each being is a willing or unwilling tool.
Other books discussing responses to the apparent dominance of evil in the world that I have been reading lately are: Frankl's "Man's Search for Meaning" and Yogananda's "The Essence of the Bhagavad Gita".
Of particular interest in this reading of the book is my new interpretation of the story of "Turin Son of Hurin". The first time I read the book I remember being put out and puzzled that Tolkien would include a story with incest in his great mythology. Later I came to interpret the story as showing the extent of Morgoth's evil to use his power to drive the children of Hurin to commit such an act. I believe that is part of it.
During this reading I was thinking about the difference between Judas and Peter in what they did with their betrayals of Jesus during the same night. One gave in to despair and committed suicide, the other became the rock of Christianity. I believe Tolkien wanted us to think about how the apparent all-power of Morgoth could have been broken by Turin if he had approached his suffering with meaning or what Frankl would have called logos. I think we are supposed to think about what sort of rock Turin was destined to make of the curse of Morgoth.(less)
This is another Wow! book. It is another book I think would go well with the VitalSmarts suite of books.
Fankl argues that meaning is more important th...moreThis is another Wow! book. It is another book I think would go well with the VitalSmarts suite of books.
Fankl argues that meaning is more important than happiness or pleasure. I highly recommend this book.(less)
I discovered the movie "The Big Year" based on this book on television when on vacation last year. The movie has become one of my favorites. Watching...moreI discovered the movie "The Big Year" based on this book on television when on vacation last year. The movie has become one of my favorites. Watching it makes me feel good.
It is natural that I would get to the book eventually. It hooks and fills me with the same pleasure I get from watching the movie.
Both the movie and the book are about the pursuit of a passion. I admire the characters and their adventures.
Today 2/25/13 I finished rereading this book. I know, I know...The last time I finished reading it was 2/16/13. That isn't an error in what I have written. I have actually read this book twice this month. Why? Because that is how much pleasure I get from it.(less)
I read this for the first when I was in high school. I have no idea how many times I have reread it over the years. It always seem so right. And, it i...moreI read this for the first when I was in high school. I have no idea how many times I have reread it over the years. It always seem so right. And, it is soothing to read.
A few months ago a friend sent me a published letter of C.S. Lewis' in which he claims the true religion has to be either Christianity or Hinduism. With my memory of the Bhagavad Gita I could understand the attraction for him. However, while rereading I kept finding ideas that sounded just like Lewis' "The Great Divorce". (less)
Influencer: The Power to Change Anything opens with the observation that people go to great effort to find serenit...morePredates their book Change Anything.
Influencer: The Power to Change Anything opens with the observation that people go to great effort to find serenity in the face of all of the problems in their worlds that they feel helpless to do anything about. The authors put forward that instead of seeking serenity that each person can use the techniques in the book to be influencers for change that will resolve the problems that threaten them, even if that means getting others to change.
Influencer provides principles for being a change agent in society and is loaded with engaging success stories. In fact, many of the stories are referred to in Change Anything, though, in brief. I would recommend reading Influencer first, if for no other reason than to avoid the experience of feeling the authors should have told us more about these people (my experience upon reading the later book first).
The difference in the books is that Influencer focuses upon how to change things by influencing other people's behavior. Change Anything is more about how to change one's self. The opening idea in the later book is that we don't have to be victims of the Will Power Trap. There are things we can do to make successful changes that go beyond having a strong will to change.
I believe liberal arts colleges should be giving copies of this book to every prospective student they come into contact with. One of the many things...moreI believe liberal arts colleges should be giving copies of this book to every prospective student they come into contact with. One of the many things described is the nature and value of what we would call a liberal arts education in the United States.
The book is a transcription of questions and answers between a group of students-and-teachers and the author Jiddu Krishnamurti. The type of audience within the book determined its primary focus of grappling with questions of education. However, those questions lead to discussions of how to live one's life, how to be sensitive to beauty and abundance in the world--leading to a relationship with God, and the changes that come about by having a quiet mind.
I would characterize the book as a blend of a very readable presentation of Sartre's bad_faith/authenticity/philosophy_of_mind with C.S. Lewis' description in "The Great Divorce" of how the world is already functioning within eternity but we lose perspective of that relationship/we only have to open our eyes to experience a life of joy/ and we serve up our own hell to ourselves.
You put these together and you get "Think on These Things" by Jiddu Krishnamurti. (less)
Usually I say "A Tale of Two Cities" is the best popular novel ever written. More precisely, 'in my opinion "A Tale of Two Cities" is the best popular...moreUsually I say "A Tale of Two Cities" is the best popular novel ever written. More precisely, 'in my opinion "A Tale of Two Cities" is the best popular novel written in English that I have read.'
--No, it's the best popular novel ever written.
It is one of my long time favorites. I have read it 3 or 4 times.
The opening could be from an American western. The mail coach is stopped by men on horses. Guns are present and the nervous coach-men expect the incident to degenerate into a robbery...
An old man has been retrieved from 18 years imprisonment in the Bastille and placed in the care of his faithful daughter. The prisoner spent those years in the dark making lady's shoes...
The novel spans a tumultuous period in European history. Yet, it is an intimate presentation of a small number of nicely painted characters whose lives are whisked about by the larger historical events.
If you are looking for an exciting piece of historical fiction "A Tale of Two Cities" is a good choice. If you are looking for grist to mull over while reading "Critique of Dialectical Reason" by Jean Paul Sartre "A Tale of Two Cities" is a good choice...
Actually, it is a good choice no matter what you are doing.(less)
I picked up this book in the summer of 1985. Over the next three years I read and reread it seven times. Once I realized it was going to be a multiple...moreI picked up this book in the summer of 1985. Over the next three years I read and reread it seven times. Once I realized it was going to be a multiple reading event I started varying my approach with each pass by dividing the book up into chunks and reading them in different orders. During my sixth run-through I did it backwards. I started with the last page of the book and read each page until I got to the title page. After that, I really had the content down and during the seventh I was able to comprehend everything like I would any other book during the first read through.
Why would a 21 to 24 year-old be motivated to do such a thing? Because it intrigued me. During each reread I picked up a little more. I liked what I saw, and during each pass I held more of the over-all picture in my mind. What he wrote was and is important to me. Because in the end, I believe Sartre was right more often than not.
He characterized us with the phrase "Man is the being who is what he is not and is not what he is." I think the way he worked that out in theme after theme explains a lot about what humans are, our behavior, and the reason we do the things we do. The last major section is easy to read. It outlines a new psychology based upon his phenomenological existentialism. I have always wished I could find such a thing.
In the decades since, I have returned to the book when my inner compulsion reaches a tipping point. I believe the last time was within the last two or three years. It will probably always be my number one favorite book.(less)
Probably around my 9th time to read this. It has been in the neighborhood of a decade since last time. I remembered liking it. But I had forgotten how...moreProbably around my 9th time to read this. It has been in the neighborhood of a decade since last time. I remembered liking it. But I had forgotten how brilliant the writing is.(less)
I have just finished reading both titles in this hideous volume that I bought through Amazon books titled "On the Fourfold Root of he Principle of Suf...moreI have just finished reading both titles in this hideous volume that I bought through Amazon books titled "On the Fourfold Root of he Principle of Sufficient Reason" by Arthur Schopenhauer. I call it hideous because the printing standards are low. The publisher is such a nonentity that they don't have a webpage. The publisher hasn't even taken credit for their work anywhere on the book. It is just listed as Davies Press in the Amazon description. These are odd behaviors for any business wanting more business.
I am convinced that someone owns one of those print on demand machines that some libraries have. They have taken a file in which someone has scanned the book with the settings for 300 DPI and black and white and just printed it without looking at what they had. The letters of the words are often splotchy or missing so that I have had to halt my reading to figure out what many of the words were supposed to be. This happened often enough that it diminished the pleasure of reading the book.
Also, the second title in the volume is not mentioned on the cover or the title page. Nor is it mentioned in the Amazon description. I get the feeling that the publisher had no idea what their product was. Also, as I got into the second title there were places that looked like copies of hand drawn underlinings of words from a library book. I haven't contacted Amazon because I have had the book for a few months. My experience with the product just kept getting worse and worse the further in I got. Yuck.
About the first title "On the Fourfold Root of the Principle of Sufficient Reason" by Arthur Schopenhauer, which comprises the first 189 pages of this truly hideous edition. It is the 1855 revised 3rd edition of his Doctoral Thesis from the 1815. I read this book because the author tells us to in the introduction to his principle work "The World as Will and Representation". In the introduction of his principle work he tells the reader not to even bother with reading the book if we are not willing to do the following: 1) Read both volumes of "The World as Will and Representation" twice. 2) Before starting with that the reader is to have already read his "On the Fourfold Root of the Principle of Sufficient Reason". 3) The reader is required to be familiar with the works of Kant and Plato. According to him these are the minimum requisites for the reader to have any hope of understanding his philosophy at all. Of course, there are other things he recommends the reader to have read ahead of time as well, but the above are the minimum requirements. He also wrote that he did not care if any individual reader became confused or frustrated or didn't like his writing because he didn't write for individual readers, instead he wrote for the ages. He was confident his readers would find him throughout the ages.
What a cute little old poop.
I finished reading "On the Fourfold Root of the Principle of Sufficient Reason" march 8th. It is a difficult volume. I immediately reread the book because the first reading became more a matter of getting my bearings within the work than an actual reading of the first 80 pages. I completed rereading the entire thing 4 days later on March 12.
I would recommend this book to someone with an interest in New Age philosophy. (view spoiler)[ 1) Schopenhauer's big idea was that all things, both animate and inanimate have a Will. The Will is the primary aspect of existence for any thing. He calls it the 'thing in itself'. The Will of each thing competes to be sensed as a representation in the world at the expense of the Will of other things also desiring to be represented as part of the World.
2) The only difference between the Will of humans and of other animals is that other animals have a lesser experience because they are not capable of abstract thought. They live in an eternal present because they have no concept of time or causality.
3) The book describes the correct beginnings of the ancient philosophers and how subsequent thinkers have gotten some things right but have mostly taken wrong steps in their attempts to understand the world. Schopenhauer describes the four aspects of reality and of mental viewing necessary for knowing a thing in the world. (hide spoiler)]
"On The Will in Nature" begins on p. 190 and runs through to p. 380 of As of today I have read the entire volume. That means I have read "On the Fourfold Root of the Principle of Sufficient Reason" Twice in the past few weeks and "On The Will in Nature" once.
The first 15 pages are bluster from the author. (view spoiler)[Then he discusses what he means by an inanimate or animate thing having a will. He sees the human soul as a secondary entity within humans. The Will is the primary structure of our being. Then the intellect and the soul are at least two parts of a poly-existent entity.
Schopenhauer discusses the nature of the existence of plant life in a chapter of its own. Of great interest is a chapter he calls animal magnetism. In "On the Fourfold Root..." he is quite clear that there is no organ of our bodies that allow us to sense or have a relationship with God. For this reason, he says, his philosophy cannot be the foundation of a theology. Yet, his chapter on animal magnetism describes how the Will of a person can effect the Will of weaker persons, lower animals, or inanimate things, producing the effect we describe as magic.
The following chapter called 'sinology' discusses how his thoughts are described in the Buddhist and Hindu religions, though he was not aware of the beliefs of those religions when he wrote his first book. He sees this and many other scientific studies of the early to mid-1800s as confirmations of his philosophy. I had warmed to Schopenhauer as I reread "On the Fourfold Root...". However, he gave me a bad taste the more he discussed Buddhist and Hindu religions. by the end of "On the Will and Nature" I was back to thinking of him as a maniacal jackass. But he is an interesting enough jackass that I intend to finish reading "The World as Will and Representation". I am currently up to page 300 of volume 1. (hide spoiler)]
The reason I have been looking at Schopenhauer is because I listened to an audio book on "Life After Death" by Dinesh D'Souza last year and he said some intriguing things about Schopenhauer's philosophy. He (Schopenhauer) posed the possibility that our individual identities are an illusion and that in reality we are one person. If that were true then it gives a new meaning to Christ's injunction to love your neighbor as yourself. I found it to be an intriguing enough idea to look at Schopenhauer myself. After all, if D'Souza's interpretation of Schopenhauer is correct then "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" suddenly has a new force to it. It makes sense that we would be created so that our decisions to harm others is actually directly harming oneself, even if we don't realize that that is what is happening. The idea has the bizarre logic to it that I have come to expect from spiritual teachings.
In the end I wanted to see if Schopenhauer wrote what D'Souza said that he wrote. Last Summer I happened upon an inexpensive Dover set of "The World as Will and Representation" at a used bookstore. I snapped at the opportunity to satisfy my curiosity. The past few months have been slow reading as I tried to get through "On the Fourfold Root..." the first time. In Dec. my mother-in-law gave me a copy of "The Exegesis of Philip K. Dick" as a Christmas present. As it turns out PKD was a Schopenhauer fan. As I complete Schopenhauer's two titles in the hideous volume I can see the influence.
For me reading Schopehauer is worth the time and effort.
I loved reading this book. Its beauty is in its contribution to both the "History of Middle-Earth" and "The History of the Lord of the Rings" by provi...moreI loved reading this book. Its beauty is in its contribution to both the "History of Middle-Earth" and "The History of the Lord of the Rings" by providing background depth to the "Lord of the Rings" that we all love. It represents the novel from the "Flotsam and Jetsam" chapter to the parley with the 'Mouth of Sauron' scene.
We see Gandalf's evaluation of Saruman's skill as a wizard. Gandalf is shown to agonize over what the palentir was and we see his attempt to discover its place within the scheme of unfolding events.
More details are provided about the Treebeard, the Ents, and the Hurons.
Also, (again) even more details about the palentir, not just the one taken from Isengard, but all five. Three of the five are described as part of the action: first, at Isengard; second, we see details of the role another plays in triggering the downfall of Denethor, Steward of Gondor; and third, another is retrieved from the Paths of the Dead when Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli pass through during their mission to conquer the Corsairs, immobilizing them as a threat and to take action that increases their own military numbers.
This volume of "The History of the Lord of the Rings" is different from the first two volumes. In the earlier volumes we see J.R.R. Tolkien stumbling around attempting to discover what his story is. He changes from writing a sequel to a children's story to writing a dark heroic saga with links to his legendarium. He goes through many changes in his cast of characters and finalizing what their names will be.
By the time he has reached the material represented in "The War of the Ring" Tolkien knows what kind of story he is writing and who the characters are going to be. Instead of another presentation as seen in the first two volumes of "The History of Middle-Earth" we see details that were more developed than what remained in the final version of "The Lord of the Rings"
Also, the book describes the chronology of when Tolkien wrote different parts of the book.
"The War of the Ring" does a wonderful job of giving us more from the "Lord of the Rings". Sometimes those extra details answer background questions about what was in the novel. But, it always provides more depth to one's experience of that great novel and the world in which it is set. (less)
"The Treason of Isengard: The History of the Lord of the Rings, Part 2" in which the subject matter is written by J.R.R. Tolkien and the commentary by...more"The Treason of Isengard: The History of the Lord of the Rings, Part 2" in which the subject matter is written by J.R.R. Tolkien and the commentary by his son Christopher Tolkien is a fun, informative, glorious read.
We millions of die-hard Tolkien fans are fortunate to have Christopher Tolkien in the world to make his father's papers available to us. It is a great fortune that he has just the right educational background, inclination, and ambition to present them as he does in all of the "History of Middle-earth" books.
This particular volume covers a writing period spanning 1941-1942. He explains that this period of productivity on "The Lord of the Rings" started after LTR was unworked-on for over a year. Christopher Tolkien presents the narrative of the writing of LTR in the chronology of his father's writing rather than the chronology of the story of "The Lord of the Rings". The result is that episodes of the novel might appear multiple times and reappear later in Christopher Tolkien's telling of the writing of the novel if his father rewrote an episode in order to make his many changes.
To recap what is presented in "The History of the Lord of the Rings, Part 1" describes J.R.R. Tolkien's opening attempt to write a sequel to "The Hobbit". Throughout its evolution the story became darker. The Hero went through many name changes. He got to Rivendall before the first phase of writing ends.
"The Treason of Isengard: The History of the Lord of the Rings, Part 2" shows the evolution of the hobbit character named Trotter as he changes into a man and becomes Aragorn. This evolution represents a change in the tale from being a hobbit tale to one about the beginning of the age of man. It takes practically the entire volume for Trotter to have completely and securely changed from being a hobbit into the man Aragorn.
The change of Trotter into Aragorn is representative of the many changes occurring throughout the writing of LTR. Earlier editions of the "Lord of the Rings" describe in their front matter how errors were corrected from previous editions. After seeing the fumbling way J.R.R. Tolkien went about discovering his story, the continuous changes in character names and persons, plus Tolkien's hurried pencil penmanship on used paper--it is amazing that a final draft came into being at all that would be acceptable to a publishing company. My point is that Christopher Tolkien's books leave me with no surprise that there were errors in the books long after their first publication.
"The Treason of Isengard" Begins with the secret council in Rivendell in which the forces of good decide what to do with 'The one ring.' A fellowship of 9 representatives of hobbits, men, dwarves, and elves begin their mission. By the end of Christopher Tolkien's volume the fellowship is broken up.
Two side discussions interrupt Christopher Tolkien's larger narrative. One is a description of an early, multilayer-ed map that his father drew during the late 1930s. The second is a presentation rune-lore material created by J.R.R. Tolkien.
"The Treason of Isengard: The History of the Lord of the Rings, Part 2" is another worthy contribution to Christopher Tolkien's larger series on the "History of Middle-earth." The books are demanding. My recommendation is that a person try them if he or she is ready to set aside expectations and simply enjoy the ride as it is.
Reading "The History of Middle-earth" books make me think of the commentary and 'special features' on DVD movies. The difference is that the writer/di...moreReading "The History of Middle-earth" books make me think of the commentary and 'special features' on DVD movies. The difference is that the writer/director/producer is dead and so it is all hosted by his son Christopher Tolkien.
"The Return of the Shadow" is so much fun. It contains descriptions of the way Tolkien fumbled his way along as he wrote LTRs. We get to see characters drawn differently, some with different names [So very, very many differnt names]. We see Tolkien discover the story that is so beloved by millions to be probed and uncovered from his designed intention to write a children's book that would be a follow up to "The Hobbit".
Extending the comparison to movie 'special features' a bit further, Christopher Tolkien provides extended cuts and deleted scenes to all of his father's popular published work. To read multiple volumes of Christopher Tolkien's "History" has had a cumulative effect on this reader.
At first, I just wanted to see what was there and I was interested because I have read and reread JRR Tolkien's principle works so many times that I was finally ready to give the "History" a try. I came to appreciate the various versions of stories and poems on their own merit.
Finally, the on going commentary to show the evolution of JRR Tolkien's work has grown on me. Christopher Tolkien has a lot to offer in his description of the various papers he has available to tell his story. He also has personal experiences and memories of living in the household where the papers were written. Sometimes he helped his father with drawing maps or making fair copies of manuscripts or begging his father to keep characters that Tolkien planned to alter or eliminate. Christopher Tolkien stayed in touch with his father's progress even when C. was away fighting in WWII. My point is that Christopher Tolkien has been engaged with his father's work throughout his life in a way that has positioned him to share the story of the evolution of his father's work in a unique way that gives depth to the reader's understanding of all of Tolkien's work.
If you have been rereading "The Lord of the Rings" multiple times then you might want to give this a try for variety.(less)
This book of aphorisms comment upon religion (specifically Christianity), honesty, mathematics, music, Shakespeare--and more, but these are reoccurrin...moreThis book of aphorisms comment upon religion (specifically Christianity), honesty, mathematics, music, Shakespeare--and more, but these are reoccurring topics.
In one of my favorites Wittgenstein speculates upon why he lies to himself when the the difference between being truthful and of lying is equivalent to that of the difference between drinking bitter or sweet coffee. Yet, he lies to himself.
"Culture and Value" is a good place to get a taste of a great mind of the 20th Century.
This argues that the reason WWI occurred was because there was no no ethical component to the scientific method. Essentially, scientists where so busy...moreThis argues that the reason WWI occurred was because there was no no ethical component to the scientific method. Essentially, scientists where so busy pushing the boundaries of science that they did not consider whether or not they ought to have. It was a culture of scientific and nationalistic competitiveness, without the restraint of a scientific ethics, that allowed the machine of war to be loosed upon the European population.
It is helpful to remember that Husserl lost his son to WWI.
This piece was too short. I wish he had completed it so that it was more developed.(less)
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