false 18 122 59 true 5657110 read 0 true 1962699 currently-reading 63 true 1962698 to-read http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/29057528 to: Physics of the Impossible: A Scientific Exploration of the World of Phasers, Force Fields, Teleportation, and Time Travel (Hardcover) by Michio Kaku
I had hoped this book would be more interesting than it was. Although I suppose I was not the "correct" audience. I'm not a big fan of science fiction and this book talks a lot about science fiction. So if you are a big Star Trek fan, you'd probably like this book a lot more than I did. But I am still glad I forced myself to finish it.
]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/77947060 to: Chinese Whispers: Searching for Forgiveness in Beijing (Paperback) by Jan Wong
I was able to read this book in about a day. One long day but still.
And having been to Beijing, it was interesting to read a book set there.
The author tells her real life tale of turning in a fellow student during the Cultural Revolution and then going back to Beijing years later to try to find the woman and ask for forgiveness. The book very nicely weaves history from the Cultural Revolution, the Tiananmen Square Massacre and current times in Beijing (well, up until 2007 when the book was published) together into a solid whole. The information is both personal and detailed which I always find gives a history that is easier to grasp than far-away facts.
]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/51649514 Beth's review of The First Word: The Search for the Origins of Language
by Christine Kenneally

This was a very interesting book about the evolution of language. Not about how human language developed, Latin to French or words to sentences, but how LANGUAGE as a whole entity developed, gestures to vocalizations to symbolic communication, etc. It made me think about language in a whole new way. Plus this author gives an overview of what is going on in the field of evolutionary linguists, showing both sides of the arguments. It is a very well written book about a very complex subject made easy for the lay reader. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/76990176 to: The Blue Sweater: Bridging the Gap Between Rich and Poor in an Interconnected World (Hardcover) by Jacqueline Novogratz
I think I really want to give this book 3.5 stars. I started it on a plane ride and when I got back from the trip, with it not yet finished, I set it down on the coffee table only to completely forget about it for a week or more. So obviously it didn't completely enthrall me. On the other hand, once I started reading it again, I did find the information very thought-provoking.
This book is about philanthropy, but not the kind that only makes the giver feel good. It talks about how to use philanthropy in a business-minded manner so that poor people are not thought of as "those poor people" but as customers and consumers. And by changing that underlying ideology, changing how philanthropy works and becomes accountable and sustainable. As I said, a very thought-provoking book. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/76788899 to: The Road Less Traveled, 25th Anniversary Edition (Paperback) by M. Scott Peck
I read this book twenty years ago and have always thought of it as a seminal work. So I thought it was time to re-read it.
I enjoyed it and still think it holds much wisdom. In fact, maybe it holds more wisdom but now I recognize also the hard work that it is prescribing in order to achieve "spiritual growth" as the author describes it.
Also, this time I stopped reading when I got to the section on Growth and Religion. I'm not so interested in his views on religion or what he perceives to be "religion."
But overall, still a book I hold in high regard. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/76676118 The Mustard Seed (Paperback) by Osho
bookshelves: to-read
]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/76675877 The Gnostic Gospels (Paperback) by Elaine Pagels
bookshelves: to-read
]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/74257471 Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide (Hardcover) by Nicholas D. Kristof
bookshelves: to-read
]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/72986257 Beyond Belief: The Secret Gospel of Thomas (Hardcover) by Elaine Pagels
bookshelves: to-read
]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/72986240 The Gospel of Thomas: The Hidden Sayings of Jesus (hardback) by Marvin Meyer
bookshelves: to-read
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