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August 31
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Penny
gave  to:
Presentation Zen Design (Voices That Matter)
by
Garr Reynolds
read in August, 2010
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my rating:
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Penny said:
"
This book is worth a quick cover-to-cover read, but then keep it next to your computer so it's handy the next time you have to prepare a presentation. The text is helpful, but the abundance of "do this, not that" slide examples is what make ...more
This book is worth a quick cover-to-cover read, but then keep it next to your computer so it's handy the next time you have to prepare a presentation. The text is helpful, but the abundance of "do this, not that" slide examples is what makes this a valuable reference book. (less)
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August 01
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Penny
is currently reading:
Mamba Point
by
Kurtis Scaletta (Goodreads Author)
bookshelves:
currently-reading
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my rating:
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July 22
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Penny
marked as to-read:
Just Kids
by
Patti Smith
bookshelves:
to-read
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my rating:
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June 20
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Penny
gave  to:
By What Authority?: An Evangelical Discovers Catholic Tradition
by
Mark P. Shea
read in June, 2010
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my rating:
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Penny said:
"
This book is an easy read but still includes enough "meat" to satisfy those really trying to gain a better understanding of the issue. The author was an evangelical protestant who began an inquiry in response to the "modernist" pe ...more
This book is an easy read but still includes enough "meat" to satisfy those really trying to gain a better understanding of the issue. The author was an evangelical protestant who began an inquiry in response to the "modernist" perspective proposed by The Jesus Seminar*, and found that his evangelical "scripture alone" approach wasn't adequate to refute those arguments. At the end of his study he was convinced of the importance of tradition along with the Bible as a complete version of what's been handed down to us by the Apostles. So convinced, in fact, that he converted to Catholicism.
All in all, a helpful book for giving me a better understanding of the tradition that I was born into and sometimes take for granted.
*The Jesus Seminar folks, whom I was unfamiliar with before, come off looking like total crackpots here. That's disappointing to me since I just read a Borg & Crossan book that I kind of liked. :-( (less)
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June 17
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Penny
gave to:
The Last Self-help Book You'll Ever Need: Repress Your Anger, Think Negatively, Be a Good Blamer, And Throttle Your Inner Child
by
Paul Pearsall
read in June, 2010
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my rating:
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Penny said:
"
In a nutshell, Pearsall tells us to be mindful of the moment, savor all of what makes us human and alive (even the painful parts), focus less on self fulfillment and more on the significant others in our lives, and look at the popular press self help ...more
In a nutshell, Pearsall tells us to be mindful of the moment, savor all of what makes us human and alive (even the painful parts), focus less on self fulfillment and more on the significant others in our lives, and look at the popular press self help literature with what he calls "contrarian consciousness" but is known more widely as healthy skepticism.
For me this was common sense and I can't say I learned anything new, but sometimes I need to be reminded of common sense. His "contrarian" humor (the kind you might see on a demotivator poster) made it an enjoyable reminder indeed. (less)
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June 12
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Penny
gave to:
Rome Sweet Home: Our Journey to Catholicism
by
Scott Hahn
read in June, 2010
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my rating:
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Penny said:
"
This book is relatively light on theology and heavy on personal narrative. I was a bit disappointed because that wasn't quite the balance I was expecting, but on the other hand I did end up reading it in a few hours without stopping. So, I guess I ha ...more
This book is relatively light on theology and heavy on personal narrative. I was a bit disappointed because that wasn't quite the balance I was expecting, but on the other hand I did end up reading it in a few hours without stopping. So, I guess I have to say it was engaging.
As a "cradle Catholic" who detoured to the Presbyterian church for a while and then returned to the RC church for mainly cultural (rather than spiritual) reasons, I was really interested in hearing why this couple made the switch. I'm still not totally sure, but that might be because I read the book fast. At some point I should go back and dig deeper into the little bits of theology they do discuss along the way. (less)
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June 08
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Penny
gave to:
The Great Good Place: Cafes, Coffee Shops, Bookstores, Bars, Hair Salons, and Other Hangouts at the Heart of a Community
by
Ray Oldenburg
read in June, 2010
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my rating:
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Penny said:
"
I only read Part I of this book and skimmed the rest very quickly. In Part I he defines "third place" and explains it's benefits and how we've lost it in American culture. In Part II he describes several examples of third places past and pr ...more
I only read Part I of this book and skimmed the rest very quickly. In Part I he defines "third place" and explains it's benefits and how we've lost it in American culture. In Part II he describes several examples of third places past and present around the world, and in Part III he discusses some miscellaneous issues related to third places and ends with a call to restore them (mainly by creating spaces for them in our neighborhoods and cities).
The premise in Part I is that third places – the local pub or other "hang-out" that is not work and not home, is vital to our personal contentment and to the health of society. Third places provide space for people of different social classes to mix in a more or less egalitarian way, a place to develop casual, non-burdensome friendships (as opposed to thinking that a spouse or one close friend should meet all our emotional needs), promote civil behavior (due to providing harmless stress relief, etc.) and even strengthen democracy. Oldenburg believes that our suburban life has led to an unhealthy level of isolation because neighborhoods are zoned to prohibit informal gathering spaces that can become third places. Providing the space is crucial because third places need to arise organically; they cannot be "organized."
As other Goodreads readers have said, there are some problems with this book. First, it is screaming for an update in our internet age, but I believe there are people studying "virtual third places" so maybe someone will write the sequel soon. Second, he is very male-centric, though I don't think he's as blatantly sexist as some reviewers have said. The problem is not so much that he is anti-woman as it is that he is sometimes oblivious to the problem of women's lack of access to these third places, and at other times acknowledges it but seems to minimize it. (And by the way, Mr. Oldenburg: a place where women have to bring their children along when they gather is NOT a third place by your definition! It is, at best, a 1st place/3rd place hybrid.)
But his real concern and the point of this book is that these third places are lacking for everyone, male and female, in American culture. His description of the pleasures and benefits of third places in Part I certainly convinced me that this is something I would love to have in any city I lived in.
(less)
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June 05
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Penny
marked as to-read:
Dialogic, Education and Technology: Expanding the Space of Learning (Computer-supported Collaborative Learning Series)
by
Rupert Wegerif
bookshelves:
to-read
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my rating:
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Penny
marked as to-read:
Smart Answers and Bad Jokes From a Priest Who Proves God Has a Sense of Humor
by
Joe Krupp
bookshelves:
to-read
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my rating:
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Penny
marked as to-read:
Theology Of The Body For Beginners
by
Christopher West
bookshelves:
maybe,
to-read
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my rating:
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