Rowan's bookshelf: all en-US Thu, 01 May 2025 10:49:08 -0700 60 Rowan's bookshelf: all 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg Walden or, Life in the Woods 16902 352 Henry David Thoreau Rowan 0
The first and longest chapter, Economy, may also be the most boring. I didn't find it to be a particularly hot start. Firstly, the prose is certainly a product of its time, being long winded and rife with uninterrupted long streams in vain efforts to string together an individual thought. There are occasional moments of insight, but most of this chapter (and many of the chapters) could easily have been greatly condensed. Perhaps that would take away from the tone of the author, I don't know. What I do know is that despite being maybe slightly above average in length, the book certainly feels like it drags on in some instances. The first chapter is meant as a justification of sorts, as to Thoreau plans to spend two years in the wood (o illustrate the spiritual benefits of a simplified lifestyle, in case you were wondering). Furthermore, he gives a detailed breakdown of the expenditures which the arrangement entails, making it seem not so very exorbitant. While I felt mostly disregard toward this section, there are a few good quips: "I know of no more encouraging fact than the unquestionable ability of man to elevate his life by a conscious endeavor." Essentially calling us to a purposeful life. "I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not live".

The second chapter, Reading, speaks a little more to me. I find it shocking that Thoreau essentially outlines the modern issue of practical illiteracy as long ago as he did. He bemoans the idea that we are a literate society, when so many know not of the classics, or have truly read beyond necessity. We are taught to read, he explains, at a young age, but never exercise this freedom outside of school. "[A man will go out of his way] to pick up a silver dollar, but here are golden words, which the wisest men of antiquity have uttered... and yet we learn to read only as far as easy reading, the primers and class-books. And when we leave school... our reading, our conversation and thinking, are all on a very low level, worthy only of pygmies and manikins.
]]> 3.77 1854 Walden or, Life in the Woods
author: Henry David Thoreau
name: Rowan
average rating: 3.77
book published: 1854
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/05/01
shelves: 2025-reading-list, currently-reading
review:
Walden is broken up into various sections, most of which taking advantage of the various senses, as one would be wont to expect. It details HDT's life in the secluded woods, as well as some general critiques of the societal life.

The first and longest chapter, Economy, may also be the most boring. I didn't find it to be a particularly hot start. Firstly, the prose is certainly a product of its time, being long winded and rife with uninterrupted long streams in vain efforts to string together an individual thought. There are occasional moments of insight, but most of this chapter (and many of the chapters) could easily have been greatly condensed. Perhaps that would take away from the tone of the author, I don't know. What I do know is that despite being maybe slightly above average in length, the book certainly feels like it drags on in some instances. The first chapter is meant as a justification of sorts, as to Thoreau plans to spend two years in the wood (o illustrate the spiritual benefits of a simplified lifestyle, in case you were wondering). Furthermore, he gives a detailed breakdown of the expenditures which the arrangement entails, making it seem not so very exorbitant. While I felt mostly disregard toward this section, there are a few good quips: "I know of no more encouraging fact than the unquestionable ability of man to elevate his life by a conscious endeavor." Essentially calling us to a purposeful life. "I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not live".

The second chapter, Reading, speaks a little more to me. I find it shocking that Thoreau essentially outlines the modern issue of practical illiteracy as long ago as he did. He bemoans the idea that we are a literate society, when so many know not of the classics, or have truly read beyond necessity. We are taught to read, he explains, at a young age, but never exercise this freedom outside of school. "[A man will go out of his way] to pick up a silver dollar, but here are golden words, which the wisest men of antiquity have uttered... and yet we learn to read only as far as easy reading, the primers and class-books. And when we leave school... our reading, our conversation and thinking, are all on a very low level, worthy only of pygmies and manikins.

]]> <![CDATA[The Big Book of Catholic Answers- Volume 1: The Object of Faith]]> 220849210 506 Catholic Answers 168357365X Rowan 0 to-read 0.0 The Big Book of Catholic Answers- Volume 1: The Object of Faith
author: Catholic Answers
name: Rowan
average rating: 0.0
book published:
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/05/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Finding the Light: Science and its Vision]]> 123230906 188 Dr James A Cannon 1662865783 Rowan 0 to-read 0.0 Finding the Light: Science and its Vision
author: Dr James A Cannon
name: Rowan
average rating: 0.0
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/28
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Against Civilization: Readings and Reflections]]> 449948
This anthology about "the pathology of civilization" offers insight into how progress and technology have led to emptiness and alienation.]]> 276 John Zerzan 0922915989 Rowan 3 2025-reading-list
Section I: Outside Civilization
This section I found to be none too enlightening. There was an interesting selection of writings, spanning from essays to poetry, but the ideas promoted here aren't so very novel. The best thing that can be said here is that it was surprising and somewhat harrowing the things that were being said in these essays over 50, if not 100+, years ago, which today seem like such obvious observations. In particular, I refer to the weakness and pacification of the modern man, the feminization of the savage, if you will, as comfort and convenience has surrounded him. It's somewhat amazing to think that Jean-Jaque Rousseau could say, in comparing wild vs domestic animals to man: In becoming sociable and a slave he becomes weak, fearful, servile; and his soft and effeminate way of life completes the enervation of both his strength and his courage. This is a sentiment that may be commonly expressed these days, particularly among right-wing male commentators, but to here this in 1754 with seemingly no heeding of said warning is quite surprising.

One essay in the third section uses the Holocaust as an argument against civilization. Essentially, the argument is that only in the confines of "civilization" could something like this occur. He argues that it wasn't a failure of civilization as is commonly argued, but in fact could only be brought into place because of it. "The Nazi mass murder of the European Jewry was not only the technological achievement of an industrial society, but also the organizational achievement of a bureaucratic society". I see the point he's making here, but I don't totally agree. Obviously something on this scale could only exist under this context, but the "organizational success" goes both ways. In a sense, it's the "accepted risk" one takes to live "civilized".

I have mixed feelings on the organization and arrangement of the various selections included in this book. For one thing, I do think it eases in decently well to the whole anti-civilization thing. It doesn't start heavy handed, but rather begins with a romanticized account of pre-civilization and then gradually builds into the nature of civilization and its flaws. I think it works well because essays like the previously mentioned Holocaust one may come off as off-putting were it to be toward the front of the selection, but work rather well as you work your way in. That being said, there are plenty of duds that don't seem to fit the picture so well. Right after the insightful Holocaust essay is this edgy, teenaged attempt at a poetic blend wrapped in prose on "Civilization is Like a Jetliner"

Section IV: The Pathology of Civilization
At first glance, this and the previous section seemed to be the same, though the author explains this immediately. He points out very specifically that, unlike the first three sections, this one can't be totally severed from the one right before it. Instead, he outlines that the difference beteween section III and IV is in emphasis. In particular, Section III emphasized civilization as it is in concept, and Section IV (supposedly) refers more to the logical conclusion of, or the future potential developments of, civilization. There are

Section V

Section V is when this book really loses me. It turns from more of a naturalist perspective to a whiny liberal one. Furthermore, the outlook is very bleak and nihilistic, making most of the selections prior seem worthless. The editor kicks off the section saying essentially that the focal point from the selections in this section is that the writers essentially think the whole prospect his hopeless and that there's nothing we can do. That we're just stuck in a world of our own reckoning, with no escape. How dismal and disappointing. A seemingly precise and dissecting approach building all to the master solution of "it doesn't matter anyways, we're all doomed :("

Also, this section brings out more clearly that part of this is hidden not in a love for the world, but for a nasty hatred for something else. There are vain platitudes against some vague patriarchy, and several anti-Church and anti-religion jabs spread throughout the final section. It makes the whole thing feel disengenious, as if it was really a hidden political frustration, rather than a consequential and worldly one.

It also becomes increasingly clear to me that the construction of this book, and the continuity of the selections really isn't all that great. For one thing, it's just not a unified effort. When I read through these nonsensical bleeding heart rants in the later sections, it becomes hard to fathom that TJK was somehow also selected, and I would assume possibly to his dismay. This is to say, if we're to believe the ideas here are all a shared sentiment trying to culminate in one ultimate message from the editor, then we would be quickly disappointed to find how many of these selections seem totally incompatible with others. You may argue this is just a presentation of diversity of thought on the topic, but I disagree. Really it just makes it difficult for this book to truly grasp any one reader, and aside from some platitudes of "le society bad, monke good", it hardly makes any one clear statement. This is all confounded by the foreward to section V, which abandons these formerly impassioned messages by essentially brushing it all off as "it's over. There is nothing we can do". Funnily enough, this is exactly what TJK made fun of in his Anti-Tech Revolution book which I just read.

Overall, there is value to be gleaned from this collection where you choose to find it, but it's somewhat sloppy, and builds into an underwhelming climax to say the least. That, and all of the insane self-victimizing essays (which ironically is a behavior I would subscribe to the rise and perversion of society), land this book firmly in the C- Tier.]]> 3.85 1998 Against Civilization: Readings and Reflections
author: John Zerzan
name: Rowan
average rating: 3.85
book published: 1998
rating: 3
read at: 2025/04/24
date added: 2025/04/25
shelves: 2025-reading-list
review:
This collection of essays regarding nature, society, and civilization, is split into 5 sections, each containing a number of essays which are to be in some way or another strung together via similar ideas. I won't hit every section, and I apologize for the lack of organization, I've been very busy and already have a backlog of reviews to finish, and figured I'd rather spend my free time on those books rather than this one which a) I didn't like all too much, and b) is not one concentrated work, but rather a loose connection of essays from various people who likely have a plethora of complaints against each other.

Section I: Outside Civilization
This section I found to be none too enlightening. There was an interesting selection of writings, spanning from essays to poetry, but the ideas promoted here aren't so very novel. The best thing that can be said here is that it was surprising and somewhat harrowing the things that were being said in these essays over 50, if not 100+, years ago, which today seem like such obvious observations. In particular, I refer to the weakness and pacification of the modern man, the feminization of the savage, if you will, as comfort and convenience has surrounded him. It's somewhat amazing to think that Jean-Jaque Rousseau could say, in comparing wild vs domestic animals to man: In becoming sociable and a slave he becomes weak, fearful, servile; and his soft and effeminate way of life completes the enervation of both his strength and his courage. This is a sentiment that may be commonly expressed these days, particularly among right-wing male commentators, but to here this in 1754 with seemingly no heeding of said warning is quite surprising.

One essay in the third section uses the Holocaust as an argument against civilization. Essentially, the argument is that only in the confines of "civilization" could something like this occur. He argues that it wasn't a failure of civilization as is commonly argued, but in fact could only be brought into place because of it. "The Nazi mass murder of the European Jewry was not only the technological achievement of an industrial society, but also the organizational achievement of a bureaucratic society". I see the point he's making here, but I don't totally agree. Obviously something on this scale could only exist under this context, but the "organizational success" goes both ways. In a sense, it's the "accepted risk" one takes to live "civilized".

I have mixed feelings on the organization and arrangement of the various selections included in this book. For one thing, I do think it eases in decently well to the whole anti-civilization thing. It doesn't start heavy handed, but rather begins with a romanticized account of pre-civilization and then gradually builds into the nature of civilization and its flaws. I think it works well because essays like the previously mentioned Holocaust one may come off as off-putting were it to be toward the front of the selection, but work rather well as you work your way in. That being said, there are plenty of duds that don't seem to fit the picture so well. Right after the insightful Holocaust essay is this edgy, teenaged attempt at a poetic blend wrapped in prose on "Civilization is Like a Jetliner"

Section IV: The Pathology of Civilization
At first glance, this and the previous section seemed to be the same, though the author explains this immediately. He points out very specifically that, unlike the first three sections, this one can't be totally severed from the one right before it. Instead, he outlines that the difference beteween section III and IV is in emphasis. In particular, Section III emphasized civilization as it is in concept, and Section IV (supposedly) refers more to the logical conclusion of, or the future potential developments of, civilization. There are

Section V

Section V is when this book really loses me. It turns from more of a naturalist perspective to a whiny liberal one. Furthermore, the outlook is very bleak and nihilistic, making most of the selections prior seem worthless. The editor kicks off the section saying essentially that the focal point from the selections in this section is that the writers essentially think the whole prospect his hopeless and that there's nothing we can do. That we're just stuck in a world of our own reckoning, with no escape. How dismal and disappointing. A seemingly precise and dissecting approach building all to the master solution of "it doesn't matter anyways, we're all doomed :("

Also, this section brings out more clearly that part of this is hidden not in a love for the world, but for a nasty hatred for something else. There are vain platitudes against some vague patriarchy, and several anti-Church and anti-religion jabs spread throughout the final section. It makes the whole thing feel disengenious, as if it was really a hidden political frustration, rather than a consequential and worldly one.

It also becomes increasingly clear to me that the construction of this book, and the continuity of the selections really isn't all that great. For one thing, it's just not a unified effort. When I read through these nonsensical bleeding heart rants in the later sections, it becomes hard to fathom that TJK was somehow also selected, and I would assume possibly to his dismay. This is to say, if we're to believe the ideas here are all a shared sentiment trying to culminate in one ultimate message from the editor, then we would be quickly disappointed to find how many of these selections seem totally incompatible with others. You may argue this is just a presentation of diversity of thought on the topic, but I disagree. Really it just makes it difficult for this book to truly grasp any one reader, and aside from some platitudes of "le society bad, monke good", it hardly makes any one clear statement. This is all confounded by the foreward to section V, which abandons these formerly impassioned messages by essentially brushing it all off as "it's over. There is nothing we can do". Funnily enough, this is exactly what TJK made fun of in his Anti-Tech Revolution book which I just read.

Overall, there is value to be gleaned from this collection where you choose to find it, but it's somewhat sloppy, and builds into an underwhelming climax to say the least. That, and all of the insane self-victimizing essays (which ironically is a behavior I would subscribe to the rise and perversion of society), land this book firmly in the C- Tier.
]]> <![CDATA[The city of God; (A Doubleday image book)]]> 129023366 551 Augustine of Hippo Rowan 0 5.00 426 The city of God; (A Doubleday image book)
author: Augustine of Hippo
name: Rowan
average rating: 5.00
book published: 426
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/25
shelves: books-i-own-don-t-buy-again, possible-end-of-year-reads, currently-reading
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Catechism of the Catholic Church: Complete and Updated]]> 110795
Here it is - the first new Catechism of the Catholic Church in more than 400 years, a complete summary of what Catholics around the world commonly believe.

The Catechism draws on the Bible, the Mass, the Sacraments, Church tradition and teaching, and the lives of saints. It comes with a complete index, footnotes and cross-references for a fuller understanding of every subject. The word catechism means "instruction" - this book will serve as the standard for all future catechisms.

Using the tradition of explaining what the Church believes (the Creed), what she celebrates (the Sacraments), what she lives (the Commandments), and what she prays (the Lord's Prayer), the Catechism of the Catholic Church offers challenges for believers and answers for all those interested in learning about the mystery of the Catholic faith.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church is a positive, coherent and contemporary map for our spiritual journey toward transformation.]]> 846 Catholic Church 0385479670 Rowan 5 4.47 1992 Catechism of the Catholic Church: Complete and Updated
author: Catholic Church
name: Rowan
average rating: 4.47
book published: 1992
rating: 5
read at: 2025/04/23
date added: 2025/04/23
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Jesus of Nazareth: From the Baptism in the Jordan to the Transfiguration]]> 82405 Pope Benedict XVI's iconic life of Jesus, a rich, compelling, flesh-and-blood portrait of the central figure of the Christian faith.

"This book is . . . my personal search 'for the face of the Lord.'"--Benedict XVI

In this bold, momentous work, the Pope seeks to salvage the person of Jesus from today's "popular" depictions and to restore his true identity as discovered in the Gospels. Through his brilliance as a theologian and his personal conviction as a believer, the Pope incites us to encounter Jesus face to face.

From Jesus of Nazareth ". . . the great question that will be with us throughout this entire book: But what has Jesus really brought, then, if he has not brought world peace, universal prosperity, and a better world? What has he brought? The answer is very simple: God. He has brought God! He has brought the God who once gradually unveiled his countenance first to Abraham, then to Moses and the prophets, and then in the wisdom literature-the God who showed his face only in Israel, even though he was also honored among the pagans in various shadowy guises. It is this God, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, the true God, whom he has brought to the peoples of the earth. He has brought God, and now we know his face, now we can call upon him. Now we know the path that we human beings have to take in this world. Jesus has brought God and with God the truth about where we are going and where we come from: faith, hope, and love."]]> 374 Pope Benedict XVI 0385523416 Rowan 0 to-read 4.43 2007 Jesus of Nazareth: From the Baptism in the Jordan to the Transfiguration
author: Pope Benedict XVI
name: Rowan
average rating: 4.43
book published: 2007
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/23
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[We Have Never Been Woke: The Cultural Contradictions of a New Elite]]> 211003982 How a new “woke� elite uses the language of social justice to gain more power and status—without helping the marginalized and disadvantaged

Society has never been more egalitarian—in theory. Prejudice is taboo, and diversity is strongly valued. At the same time, social and economic inequality have exploded. In We Have Never Been Woke, Musa al-Gharbi argues that these trends are closely related, each tied to the rise of a new elite—the symbolic capitalists. In education, media, nonprofits, and beyond, members of this elite work primarily with words, ideas, images, and data, and are very likely to identify as allies of antiracist, feminist, LGBTQ, and other progressive causes. Their dominant ideology is “wokeness� and, while their commitment to equality is sincere, they actively benefit from and perpetuate the inequalities they decry. Indeed, their egalitarian credentials help them gain more power and status, often at the expense of the marginalized and disadvantaged.

We Have Never Been Woke details how the language of social justice is increasingly used to justify this elite—and to portray the losers in the knowledge economy as deserving their lot because they think or say the “wrong� things about race, gender, and sexuality. Al-Gharbi’s point is not to accuse symbolic capitalists of hypocrisy or cynicism. Rather, he examines how their genuine beliefs prevent them from recognizing how they contribute to social problems—or how their actions regularly provoke backlash against the social justice causes they champion.

A powerful critique, We Have Never Been Woke reveals that only by challenging this elite’s self-serving narratives can we hope to address social and economic inequality effectively.]]> 432 Musa al-Gharbi 0691232601 Rowan 0 to-read 4.23 We Have Never Been Woke: The Cultural Contradictions of a New Elite
author: Musa al-Gharbi
name: Rowan
average rating: 4.23
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/17
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Propaganda 493212 168 Edward L. Bernays 0970312598 Rowan 0 to-read 3.75 1928 Propaganda
author: Edward L. Bernays
name: Rowan
average rating: 3.75
book published: 1928
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/17
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Holy Bible: Revised Standard Version]]> 7012984 keywords: bibles, 2nd edition, second edition]]> 1096 Anonymous 0898708346 Rowan 5 favorites 4.88 1966 The Holy Bible: Revised Standard Version
author: Anonymous
name: Rowan
average rating: 4.88
book published: 1966
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2025/04/11
shelves: favorites
review:

]]> Little Women 341288 Meg, Jo, Amy, and Beth--four "little women" enduring hardships and enjoying adventures in Civil War New England

The charming story of the March sisters, Little Women has been adored for generations. Readers have rooted for Laurie in his pursuit of Jo's hand, cried over little Beth's untimely death, and dreamed of traveling through Europe with old Aunt March and Amy. Aspiring writers have found inspiration in Jo's devotion to her writing. In this simple, enthralling tale, Louisa May Alcott has created four of American literature's most beloved women.

In her enlightening, thoughtful introduction, Elaine Showalter discusses Louisa May Alcott's influences and her aspirations for Little Women, as well as the impact the novel has had on such women writers as Joyce Carol Oates and Cynthia Ozick.

]]> 504 Louisa May Alcott 0140390693 Rowan 3 2025-reading-list
There is still some charm to be gleamed, though. Jo, for example, is a delightful little character. She has a mild tomboyish nature and intellectual sensibilities, not to mention a fancy for the neighborhood boy. It's light, it's cute, whatever.

My favorite character may actually be the mother, for she seems to me (at times) to be the only one to lay any semblance of message or substance to the book. She gives true motherly advice, such as telling them not to marry for money: "I'd rather see you poor men's wives, if you were happy, beloved, contented, than queens on thrones, without self-respect and peace". Certainly a resounding lesson, just as strong over 150 years later. Or telling them to embrace their burdens, and not seek easy comforts: "take up your little burdens again; for though they seem heavy sometimes, they are good for us, and lighten as we learn to carry them. Work is wholesome..."

Still I must admit the story can become a bore at times, and I can feel myself drifting in and out of it consciously. This gets especially precarious when it (at times) seems to trail off into unrelated tangents. Such as when the characters are playing that game where someone is telling a story and then someone else takes over. I sit there reading a nonsense story that the characters are making up as a game for no reason.

There feels to me to be less plausible impact when they get a telegram 150 pages in saying their father is gravely ill and they all start weeping. Oh, remember him? Me neither. Obviously, he's been out of the picture with military service, but the fact that we got no insight to his impact on the family, how he's perceived, and his general roles in the family dynamic, but now I'm supposed to feel for them as he's randomly brought back up is kind of crazy to me.

I continue to feel a characteristic frivolity with these novels, though perhaps that is part of their historic impact, because it shows how a woman's worries have changed over the last 150 years. One of the somewhat more interesting conflicts, for example, involves Meg after she gets married. Their mother had been telling them as they grew up to not marry a man for his wealth, so Meg ended up marrying a good man without so much money. Well, she has a wealthy friend, who makes fun of the fact that Meg can't afford to be so flippant with her spending. Because of this, and Meg's insecurities and ego, she makes a point to buy nice things to give the impression to this person that she can, in fact, afford it. The husband finds out then feels badly that he can't provide well enough for his wife to have so many nice things. That is literally one of the peak conflicts in my opinion, and while it seems like a realistic domestic issue, it's so meaningless to me.

The language is easy enough to read, but doesn't have any real character, no personality, from what I can discern. The flow isn't great, as I find myself falling out of a smooth rhythm from time to time, but overall the language and prose is inoffensive.

There were, from time to time, some emotional draws that sufficed for entertainment and contemplation. Perhaps my favorite chapter, Chapter 35 "Heartache", would be a good example of this. Jo tells her dear Laurie boy that she can never love him, and that they would never get along as romantical partners, and he has to essentially come to grips with this, while trying to tame his deep sorrow. It was certainly heartfelt, though I can't help but wonder if Jo wasn't being cowardly in this moment, protesting that it would never work out, despite Teddy being her best friend. Essentially, it seems she wouldn't take the chance, out of fear of pain, and instead that pain is redirected to the poor Laurie boy. This isn't to say that she was malicious, just to point out that he took the pain so her potential pain could be spared. There was also an interesting tangent brought up by Jo in her thoughts around this point in the book that I found myself entertaining. She brought up how she wished she hadn't any sense of morals, that it would be much easier to get along in life without them, and I think this is something that many devout Christians especially can relate to. The difficulty of maintaining a Godly life, when it would be much easier, and much more soothing to our carnal/mortal desires, to cast them away and just indulge in pleasure.

Things pick up somewhat toward the ending, what with Beth's ailing health and eventual death (which she took gracefully, might I add), and Laurie's ultimate marriage to Amy, with him and Jo left to process the feelings.

Still though, I can't say I was much too satisfied toward the end here. I feel badly for Laurie. I still feel like Jo threw away what could've been a great thing out of fear of it not working out, and essentially not being able to take the chance on going further. Laurie, then, I think also copes by trying to get the "next best thing". It's even said (though perhaps not directly in this context) that Amy has filled Jo's spot in Laurie's heart. I think it's exactly true, it is truly only Jo's spot, but he knows he can't have her. I find it personally tragic. Furthermore, I found Jo's eventual marriage to the professor to be a bit uncomfortable and out right unagreeable. It's kind of gross, as I thought of him as the closest thing to a father figure for her as we really got in the book, and then she goes and marries him. It really does affect how I feel about the protagonist here, as I understand the importance of marrying for a woman in that age, but I feel like she lowered herself here toward the end, and I ultimately find her to not be among the most favorable protagonists.

Overall, the book was fine, but nothing special in my eyes. I was much slower reading it than I had hoped to be, but have been rather busy, and didn't find it all too compelling enough to one to breeze through it. I like the era, but didn't feel the time period enough in the writing. Though there were some interesting plot points, and the intrigue did pick up toward the end of the book. Overall I'd have to give it a moderate C+, which is unfortunately still good for one of the better books I've read this year so far.]]> 4.12 1868 Little Women
author: Louisa May Alcott
name: Rowan
average rating: 4.12
book published: 1868
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/21
date added: 2025/04/11
shelves: 2025-reading-list
review:
ah, growing up as a pampered american girl in the 1800s, what a dream. Little Women, a literary classic known by most, is one of just a few books like it that I have read. I'm beginning to notice a similar frivilous theme. It's funny, I feel like I can almost feel the living divide in the culture of the sexes. I pickup an american fellow's book, and it invloves despair, bloodshed, and grotesque horrors that one must endure. I pick up an american woman's novel, and we have children, whose father (a soldier) is seemingly forgotten for the majority, and coquettish games and frivilous fancies. It's not a bad book, of course, I just can't help but notice again that the elements of the story seem to be (perhaps not entirely) inconsequential to anything substantial. (edited)

There is still some charm to be gleamed, though. Jo, for example, is a delightful little character. She has a mild tomboyish nature and intellectual sensibilities, not to mention a fancy for the neighborhood boy. It's light, it's cute, whatever.

My favorite character may actually be the mother, for she seems to me (at times) to be the only one to lay any semblance of message or substance to the book. She gives true motherly advice, such as telling them not to marry for money: "I'd rather see you poor men's wives, if you were happy, beloved, contented, than queens on thrones, without self-respect and peace". Certainly a resounding lesson, just as strong over 150 years later. Or telling them to embrace their burdens, and not seek easy comforts: "take up your little burdens again; for though they seem heavy sometimes, they are good for us, and lighten as we learn to carry them. Work is wholesome..."

Still I must admit the story can become a bore at times, and I can feel myself drifting in and out of it consciously. This gets especially precarious when it (at times) seems to trail off into unrelated tangents. Such as when the characters are playing that game where someone is telling a story and then someone else takes over. I sit there reading a nonsense story that the characters are making up as a game for no reason.

There feels to me to be less plausible impact when they get a telegram 150 pages in saying their father is gravely ill and they all start weeping. Oh, remember him? Me neither. Obviously, he's been out of the picture with military service, but the fact that we got no insight to his impact on the family, how he's perceived, and his general roles in the family dynamic, but now I'm supposed to feel for them as he's randomly brought back up is kind of crazy to me.

I continue to feel a characteristic frivolity with these novels, though perhaps that is part of their historic impact, because it shows how a woman's worries have changed over the last 150 years. One of the somewhat more interesting conflicts, for example, involves Meg after she gets married. Their mother had been telling them as they grew up to not marry a man for his wealth, so Meg ended up marrying a good man without so much money. Well, she has a wealthy friend, who makes fun of the fact that Meg can't afford to be so flippant with her spending. Because of this, and Meg's insecurities and ego, she makes a point to buy nice things to give the impression to this person that she can, in fact, afford it. The husband finds out then feels badly that he can't provide well enough for his wife to have so many nice things. That is literally one of the peak conflicts in my opinion, and while it seems like a realistic domestic issue, it's so meaningless to me.

The language is easy enough to read, but doesn't have any real character, no personality, from what I can discern. The flow isn't great, as I find myself falling out of a smooth rhythm from time to time, but overall the language and prose is inoffensive.

There were, from time to time, some emotional draws that sufficed for entertainment and contemplation. Perhaps my favorite chapter, Chapter 35 "Heartache", would be a good example of this. Jo tells her dear Laurie boy that she can never love him, and that they would never get along as romantical partners, and he has to essentially come to grips with this, while trying to tame his deep sorrow. It was certainly heartfelt, though I can't help but wonder if Jo wasn't being cowardly in this moment, protesting that it would never work out, despite Teddy being her best friend. Essentially, it seems she wouldn't take the chance, out of fear of pain, and instead that pain is redirected to the poor Laurie boy. This isn't to say that she was malicious, just to point out that he took the pain so her potential pain could be spared. There was also an interesting tangent brought up by Jo in her thoughts around this point in the book that I found myself entertaining. She brought up how she wished she hadn't any sense of morals, that it would be much easier to get along in life without them, and I think this is something that many devout Christians especially can relate to. The difficulty of maintaining a Godly life, when it would be much easier, and much more soothing to our carnal/mortal desires, to cast them away and just indulge in pleasure.

Things pick up somewhat toward the ending, what with Beth's ailing health and eventual death (which she took gracefully, might I add), and Laurie's ultimate marriage to Amy, with him and Jo left to process the feelings.

Still though, I can't say I was much too satisfied toward the end here. I feel badly for Laurie. I still feel like Jo threw away what could've been a great thing out of fear of it not working out, and essentially not being able to take the chance on going further. Laurie, then, I think also copes by trying to get the "next best thing". It's even said (though perhaps not directly in this context) that Amy has filled Jo's spot in Laurie's heart. I think it's exactly true, it is truly only Jo's spot, but he knows he can't have her. I find it personally tragic. Furthermore, I found Jo's eventual marriage to the professor to be a bit uncomfortable and out right unagreeable. It's kind of gross, as I thought of him as the closest thing to a father figure for her as we really got in the book, and then she goes and marries him. It really does affect how I feel about the protagonist here, as I understand the importance of marrying for a woman in that age, but I feel like she lowered herself here toward the end, and I ultimately find her to not be among the most favorable protagonists.

Overall, the book was fine, but nothing special in my eyes. I was much slower reading it than I had hoped to be, but have been rather busy, and didn't find it all too compelling enough to one to breeze through it. I like the era, but didn't feel the time period enough in the writing. Though there were some interesting plot points, and the intrigue did pick up toward the end of the book. Overall I'd have to give it a moderate C+, which is unfortunately still good for one of the better books I've read this year so far.
]]> The Picture of Dorian Gray 489732 'The horror, whatever it was, had not yet entirely spoiled that marvellous beauty'

Enthralled by his own exquisite portrait, Dorian Gray exchanges his soul for eternal youth and beauty. Influenced by his friend Lord Henry Wotton, he is drawn into a corrupt double life, indulging his desires in secret while remaining a gentleman in the eyes of polite society. Only his portrait bears the traces of his decadence. The Picture of Dorian Gray was a succès de scandale. Early readers were shocked by its hints at unspeakable sins, and the book was later used as evidence against Wilde at the Old Bailey in 1895.

This definitive edition includes a selection of contemporary reviews condemning the novel's immorality, and the introduction to the first Penguin Classics edition by Peter Ackroyd.]]> 253 Oscar Wilde 0141439572 Rowan 4 "I am jealous of everything whose beauty does not die."

My, what a way with words Oscar Wilde has. I could sit here sharing lines and quotes for the full 20000 characters, and have pages to spare. Truly, regardless of content, this was a pleasure to read. In a sense, then, I was reminded of Lolita, which I proclaimed not to be my favorite story at the time of reading it, but the best written story I'd known.

"I wonder who it was defined man as a rational animal. It was the most premature definition ever given."

Okay, but enough. I digress. Not only is the language lovable, it's rife, too, with wonderful scenes. Such as Dorian first meeting Lord Henry, and soon after growing enamored with the portrait, or the meeting of the lords, and their hilariously disparaging conversation regarding American women. The finale, as well, rings between my ears after the back cover is closed.

The book is truly fascinating at times. We really see the vanity and inexperience of youth. One part that particularly stood out to me was how Dorian treated Sibyl Vane, and especially his monologue after hearing about her death. He talks about loving her in the past tense, when he had literally proposed not two days ago. Right before that, of course, he was disgusted with her because she had a lifeless performance in a play she performed in. How fickle Dorian is. It really speaks to how suggestible he must be, and how with people like Sir Henry, we must remember that "bad company corrupts good morals".

This book really does speak to the pain and desperation of aging, and I should know as a 21 year old. It's tragic before it even begins. Before the deal is made, that bargaining rears its ugly a head, a desperation for life that, paradoxically leads to a death in sin. The body is inferior to the spirit, it would seem.

It's really a beautiful book, though. That avoidance and bargaining separates him from the necessary disillusionment and sorrow that can come with aging. Living is about experiencing pain and purpose, not in abandoning it, and Dorian Gray serves as a wretched reminder. "A man who is master of himself can end a sorrow as easily as he can invent a pleasure. I don't want to be at the mercy of my emotions. I want to use them, to enjoy them, and to dominate them". Harrowing words, to be sure.

I think that its reputation certianly precedes it, and from what I know of its contemporary reviews, I was expecting much more shock and debauchery. I could understand given the era if, like I had originally presumed, the deal with the devil had been glorified, but it clearly isn't. It comes off as quite the cautionary tale to not forgo one's mortal limitations and to not fall victim to self-idolation and pride.

There are instances in which the book feels slow, and (though mostly the fault of the hubbub surrounding the book) the depths of the depravity that ravaged our protagonist, and the general horror aspect was far more muted than anticipated. Still, it was a book which I found to be an enjoyable read, even with pieces of fat and some claws dulled. This would have to be a solid B/B+ Tier for me, and probably worth a re-read at some point.

"Like the painting of a sorrow, a face without a heart"]]> 4.21 1890 The Picture of Dorian Gray
author: Oscar Wilde
name: Rowan
average rating: 4.21
book published: 1890
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/08
date added: 2025/04/11
shelves: 2025-reading-list, books-i-own-don-t-buy-again
review:
"Youth is the only thing worth having."
"I am jealous of everything whose beauty does not die."

My, what a way with words Oscar Wilde has. I could sit here sharing lines and quotes for the full 20000 characters, and have pages to spare. Truly, regardless of content, this was a pleasure to read. In a sense, then, I was reminded of Lolita, which I proclaimed not to be my favorite story at the time of reading it, but the best written story I'd known.

"I wonder who it was defined man as a rational animal. It was the most premature definition ever given."

Okay, but enough. I digress. Not only is the language lovable, it's rife, too, with wonderful scenes. Such as Dorian first meeting Lord Henry, and soon after growing enamored with the portrait, or the meeting of the lords, and their hilariously disparaging conversation regarding American women. The finale, as well, rings between my ears after the back cover is closed.

The book is truly fascinating at times. We really see the vanity and inexperience of youth. One part that particularly stood out to me was how Dorian treated Sibyl Vane, and especially his monologue after hearing about her death. He talks about loving her in the past tense, when he had literally proposed not two days ago. Right before that, of course, he was disgusted with her because she had a lifeless performance in a play she performed in. How fickle Dorian is. It really speaks to how suggestible he must be, and how with people like Sir Henry, we must remember that "bad company corrupts good morals".

This book really does speak to the pain and desperation of aging, and I should know as a 21 year old. It's tragic before it even begins. Before the deal is made, that bargaining rears its ugly a head, a desperation for life that, paradoxically leads to a death in sin. The body is inferior to the spirit, it would seem.

It's really a beautiful book, though. That avoidance and bargaining separates him from the necessary disillusionment and sorrow that can come with aging. Living is about experiencing pain and purpose, not in abandoning it, and Dorian Gray serves as a wretched reminder. "A man who is master of himself can end a sorrow as easily as he can invent a pleasure. I don't want to be at the mercy of my emotions. I want to use them, to enjoy them, and to dominate them". Harrowing words, to be sure.

I think that its reputation certianly precedes it, and from what I know of its contemporary reviews, I was expecting much more shock and debauchery. I could understand given the era if, like I had originally presumed, the deal with the devil had been glorified, but it clearly isn't. It comes off as quite the cautionary tale to not forgo one's mortal limitations and to not fall victim to self-idolation and pride.

There are instances in which the book feels slow, and (though mostly the fault of the hubbub surrounding the book) the depths of the depravity that ravaged our protagonist, and the general horror aspect was far more muted than anticipated. Still, it was a book which I found to be an enjoyable read, even with pieces of fat and some claws dulled. This would have to be a solid B/B+ Tier for me, and probably worth a re-read at some point.

"Like the painting of a sorrow, a face without a heart"
]]> Becoming Brigitte 227780642 332 Xavier Poussard Rowan 0 to-read 4.44 Becoming Brigitte
author: Xavier Poussard
name: Rowan
average rating: 4.44
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/08
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Tom Jones: Volume 1 15366257 408 Henry Fielding 0460003550 Rowan 0 to-read 3.66 1748 Tom Jones: Volume 1
author: Henry Fielding
name: Rowan
average rating: 3.66
book published: 1748
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/03
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Chaos: Charles Manson, the CIA, and the Secret History of the Sixties]]> 43015073
In 1999, when Tom O'Neill was assigned a magazine piece about the thirtieth anniversary of the Manson murders, he worried there was nothing new to say. Weren't the facts indisputable? Charles Manson had ordered his teenage followers to commit seven brutal murders, and in his thrall, they'd gladly complied. But when O'Neill began reporting the story, he kept finding holes in the prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi's narrative, long enshrined in the best-selling Helter Skelter. Before long, O'Neill had questions about everything from the motive to the manhunt. Though he'd never considered himself a conspiracy theorist, the Manson murders swallowed the next two decades of his career. He was obsessed.

Searching but never speculative, CHAOS follows O'Neill's twenty-year effort to rebut the "official" story behind Manson. Who were his real friends in Hollywood, and how far would they go to hide their ties? Why didn't law enforcement act on their many chances to stop him? And how did he turn a group of peaceful hippies into remorseless killers? O'Neill's hunt for answers leads him from reclusive celebrities to seasoned spies, from the Summer of Love to the shadowy sites of the CIA's mind-control experiments, on a trail rife with cover-ups and coincidences.

Featuring hundreds of new interviews and dozens of never-before-seen documents from the LAPD, the FBI, and the CIA, CHAOS mounts an argument that could be, according to Los Angeles Deputy District Attorney Stephen Kay, strong enough to overturn the verdicts on the Manson murders. In those two dark nights in Los Angeles, O'Neill finds the story of California in the sixties: when charlatans mixed with prodigies, free love was as possible as brainwashing, and utopia-or dystopia-was just an acid trip away.



]]> 504 Tom O'Neill 0316477575 Rowan 0 to-read 4.04 2019 Chaos: Charles Manson, the CIA, and the Secret History of the Sixties
author: Tom O'Neill
name: Rowan
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/02
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis]]> 27161156 Alternate cover edition of ISBN 9780062300546.

Hillbilly Elegy recounts J.D. Vance's powerful origin story...

From a former marine and Yale Law School graduate now serving as a U.S. Senator from Ohio and the Republican Vice Presidential candidate for the 2024 election, an incisive account of growing up in a poor Rust Belt town that offers a broader, probing look at the struggles of America's white working class.

Hillbilly Elegy is a passionate and personal analysis of a culture in crisis—that of white working-class Americans. The disintegration of this group, a process that has been slowly occurring now for more than forty years, has been reported with growing frequency and alarm, but has never before been written about as searingly from the inside. J. D. Vance tells the true story of what a social, regional, and class decline feels like when you were born with it hung around your neck.

The Vance family story begins hopefully in postwar America. J. D.'s grandparents were "dirt poor and in love," and moved north from Kentucky's Appalachia region to Ohio in the hopes of escaping the dreadful poverty around them. They raised a middle-class family, and eventually one of their grandchildren would graduate from Yale Law School, a conventional marker of success in achieving generational upward mobility. But as the family saga of Hillbilly Elegy plays out, we learn that J.D.'s grandparents, aunt, uncle, and, most of all, his mother struggled profoundly with the demands of their new middle-class life, never fully escaping the legacy of abuse, alcoholism, poverty, and trauma so characteristic of their part of America. With piercing honesty, Vance shows how he himself still carries around the demons of his chaotic family history.

A deeply moving memoir, with its share of humor and vividly colorful figures, Hillbilly Elegy is the story of how upward mobility really feels. And it is an urgent and troubling meditation on the loss of the American dream for a large segment of this country.]]> 264 J.D. Vance Rowan 0 to-read 3.81 2016 Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis
author: J.D. Vance
name: Rowan
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/31
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Importance of Being Earnest]]> 92303
Cecily Cardew and Gwendolen Fairfax are both in love with the same mythical suitor. Jack Worthing has wooed Gwendolen as Ernest while Algernon has also posed as Ernest to win the heart of Jack's ward, Cecily. When all four arrive at Jack's country home on the same weekend the "rivals" to fight for Ernest's undivided attention and the "Ernests" to claim their beloveds pandemonium breaks loose. Only a senile nursemaid and an old, discarded hand-bag can save the day!

This Prestwick House Literary Touchstone Edition includes a glossary and reader's notes to help the modern reader appreciate Wilde's wry wit and elaborate plot twists.]]> 89 Oscar Wilde 158049580X Rowan 0 to-read 4.17 1895 The Importance of Being Earnest
author: Oscar Wilde
name: Rowan
average rating: 4.17
book published: 1895
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/31
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Anti-Tech Revolution: Why and How]]> 50532267
In Anti-Tech Why and How , Kaczynski argues why the rational prediction and control of the development of society is impossible while expounding on the existence of a process fundamental to technological growth that inevitably leads to a universal process akin to biological natural selection operating autonomously on all dynamic systems and determining the long-term outcome of all significant social developments.

Taking a highly logical, fact-based, and intellectually rigorous approach, Kaczynski seamlessly systematizes a vast breadth of knowledge and elegantly reconciles the social sciences with biology to illustrate how technological growth in and of itself necessarily leads to disastrous disruption of global biological systems. Together with this new understanding of social and biological change, and by way of an extensive examination of the dynamics of social movements, Kaczynski argues why there is only one route available to avoid the disaster that technological growth a revolution against technology and industrial society.

Through critical and comprehensive analysis of the principles of social revolutions and by carefully developing an exacting theory of successful revolution, Kaczynski offers a practical, rational, and realistic guide for preventing the fast-approaching technology-induced catastrophe. This new second edition (2020) contains various updates and improvements over the first edition (2016), including two new appendices.

Theodore John Kaczynski does not receive any remuneration for this book.]]> 268 Theodore John Kaczynski 1944228020 Rowan 4 2025-reading-list The Development of a Society Can Never Be Subject to Rational Human Control

In the first chapter, TJK goes into why, despite commonly pedaled beliefs, society can't be subject to rational human control. There are multiple reasons, such as conflicting ideologues harming each other's ideas for development, or unforseen circumstances and the virtual impossibility of correctly predicting future outcomes, but the one that I found most intriguing was the point against the idea of "absolute power". Essentially, TJK gives a history lesson, in which he exemplifies how little control your average executive figure really has. Even those commonly touted as being absolute in their power, such as King Louis XIV or Hitler, were undermined, conspired against / sabotaged, or otherwise limited within the confines of their respective governments. A quote from Harry Truman: "People talk about the powers of a President, all the powers that a Chief Executive has, and what he can do. Let me tell you something-from experience! The President may have a great many powers given to him by the Constitution and may have certain powers under certain laws which are given to him by the Congress of the United States; but the principal power that the President has is to bring people in and try to persuade them to do what they ought to do without persuasion. That's what I spend most of my time doing. That's what the powers of the President amount to."

Why The Technological System Will Destroy Itself
Another solid chapter. One thing I admire is how from the get, TJK separates this chapter from the others. He clearly prefaces with the understanding that, while the prior and proceeding chapters are more analytically or historically based, this second chapter is admittedly opinionated. That being said, he does back up his opinion with more than suitable evidence, making it seem like a rather reasonable claim. One point he brings up, which harkens back to the bulk of the systems infrastructure outlined in his manifesto, an aspect of his writing which I often reference back to, is surrogate activities. He talks about how big firms, aside from being able to shield their environmental destruction to the point that the numbers of those boycotting are insignificant, also get people so wrapped up in their products (vidya, tv, movies, porn) that they become too absorbed in hedonism to allow for time toward environmental pursuits. They play a role in making people utterly dependent on their products. In order to buy these products, they need money and thus need a job. This can gets kicked further down the line, because people will then surrender environmental damage for the sake of economic growth in order to feed their wants. I'm not sure if his solution is merely that everyone should generate their own power to their own needs (bike powered blender, or other such contraptions), but TJK does brilliantly at looking past the fossil fuels which most have come to see as environmentally dangerous, but even attacks the inadequacies of "renewable" energies. Wind Turbines have magnets which require neodymium, and so wind farms end up creating radioactive waste. They also kill birds, which obviously disrupts the environment through the food chain as well. If solar power is meant to totally take over fossil fuels, TJK points out, we cannot forget that the state's behavior will not change. The space demand for solar panels will inevitably lead to the invasion of various habitats. He doubles down, showing it not to be speculation, but actually sites very real plans to do just as he said. TJK ends by explaining that technological advancement, to its logical conclusion, will destroy the biosphere, leaving very few humans, if any, and killing itself. Recognizing that the technological structure will eventually die off on its own, he espouses the need to dismantle it sooner rather than letting it reach this conclusion, because there is still a great deal that can be saved.

How to Transform a Society: Errors to Avoid

[Will Finish Review Later]]]> 3.96 2016 Anti-Tech Revolution: Why and How
author: Theodore John Kaczynski
name: Rowan
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/29
date added: 2025/03/29
shelves: 2025-reading-list
review:
The Development of a Society Can Never Be Subject to Rational Human Control

In the first chapter, TJK goes into why, despite commonly pedaled beliefs, society can't be subject to rational human control. There are multiple reasons, such as conflicting ideologues harming each other's ideas for development, or unforseen circumstances and the virtual impossibility of correctly predicting future outcomes, but the one that I found most intriguing was the point against the idea of "absolute power". Essentially, TJK gives a history lesson, in which he exemplifies how little control your average executive figure really has. Even those commonly touted as being absolute in their power, such as King Louis XIV or Hitler, were undermined, conspired against / sabotaged, or otherwise limited within the confines of their respective governments. A quote from Harry Truman: "People talk about the powers of a President, all the powers that a Chief Executive has, and what he can do. Let me tell you something-from experience! The President may have a great many powers given to him by the Constitution and may have certain powers under certain laws which are given to him by the Congress of the United States; but the principal power that the President has is to bring people in and try to persuade them to do what they ought to do without persuasion. That's what I spend most of my time doing. That's what the powers of the President amount to."

Why The Technological System Will Destroy Itself
Another solid chapter. One thing I admire is how from the get, TJK separates this chapter from the others. He clearly prefaces with the understanding that, while the prior and proceeding chapters are more analytically or historically based, this second chapter is admittedly opinionated. That being said, he does back up his opinion with more than suitable evidence, making it seem like a rather reasonable claim. One point he brings up, which harkens back to the bulk of the systems infrastructure outlined in his manifesto, an aspect of his writing which I often reference back to, is surrogate activities. He talks about how big firms, aside from being able to shield their environmental destruction to the point that the numbers of those boycotting are insignificant, also get people so wrapped up in their products (vidya, tv, movies, porn) that they become too absorbed in hedonism to allow for time toward environmental pursuits. They play a role in making people utterly dependent on their products. In order to buy these products, they need money and thus need a job. This can gets kicked further down the line, because people will then surrender environmental damage for the sake of economic growth in order to feed their wants. I'm not sure if his solution is merely that everyone should generate their own power to their own needs (bike powered blender, or other such contraptions), but TJK does brilliantly at looking past the fossil fuels which most have come to see as environmentally dangerous, but even attacks the inadequacies of "renewable" energies. Wind Turbines have magnets which require neodymium, and so wind farms end up creating radioactive waste. They also kill birds, which obviously disrupts the environment through the food chain as well. If solar power is meant to totally take over fossil fuels, TJK points out, we cannot forget that the state's behavior will not change. The space demand for solar panels will inevitably lead to the invasion of various habitats. He doubles down, showing it not to be speculation, but actually sites very real plans to do just as he said. TJK ends by explaining that technological advancement, to its logical conclusion, will destroy the biosphere, leaving very few humans, if any, and killing itself. Recognizing that the technological structure will eventually die off on its own, he espouses the need to dismantle it sooner rather than letting it reach this conclusion, because there is still a great deal that can be saved.

How to Transform a Society: Errors to Avoid

[Will Finish Review Later]
]]> <![CDATA[Swirling: How to Date, Mate, and Relate Mixing Race, Culture, and Creed]]> 13259937
The first handbook on navigating the exciting, tricky, and potentially disastrous terrain of interracial relationships, with testimony and expert tips on how to make the bumpy ride a bit smoother.]]> 272 Christelyn D. Karazin 1451625855 Rowan 0 to-read 3.75 2012 Swirling: How to Date, Mate, and Relate Mixing Race, Culture, and Creed
author: Christelyn D. Karazin
name: Rowan
average rating: 3.75
book published: 2012
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/24
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[When Kids Say They're Trans: A Guide for Thoughtful Parents]]> 157471225 419 Sasha Ayad 1800752652 Rowan 0 to-read 3.73 2023 When Kids Say They're Trans: A Guide for Thoughtful Parents
author: Sasha Ayad
name: Rowan
average rating: 3.73
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/23
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Madness of Crowds: Gender, Race and Identity]]> 44667183
We are living through a postmodern era in which the grand narratives of religion and political ideology have collapsed. In their place have emerged a crusading desire to right perceived wrongs and a weaponization of identity, both accelerated by the new forms of social and news media. Narrow sets of interests now dominate the agenda as society becomes more and more tribal--and, as Murray shows, the casualties are mounting.]]> 293 Douglas Murray 1635579988 Rowan 0 to-read 4.18 2019 The Madness of Crowds: Gender, Race and Identity
author: Douglas Murray
name: Rowan
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/23
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The New Puritans: How the Religion of Social Justice Captured the Western World]]> 59568391
'Andrew Doyle has written a masterful broadside against the woke that will also discomfit the anti-woke, proposing to both the radical notion that rather than being identities, we embrace our status as individuals' Critic

Engaging, incisive and acute, The New Puritans is a deeply necessary exploration of our current cultural climate and an urgent appeal to return to a truly liberal society.

The puritans of the seventeenth century sought to refashion society in accordance with their own beliefs, but they were deep thinkers who were aware of their own fallibility. Today, in the grasp of the new puritans, we see a very different story.

Leading a cultural revolution driven by identity politics and so-called 'social justice', the new puritanism movement is best understood as a religion - one that makes grand claims to moral purity and tolerates no dissent. Its disciples even have their own language, rituals and a determination to root out sinners through what has become known as 'cancel culture'.

In The New Puritans , Andrew Doyle powerfully examines the underlying belief-systems of this ideology, and how it has risen so rapidly to dominate all major political, cultural and corporate institutions. He reasons that, to move forward, we need to understand where these new puritans came from and what they hope to achieve. Written in the spirit of optimism and understanding, Doyle offers an eloquent and powerful case for the reinstatement of liberal values and explains why it's important we act now.]]> 336 Andrew Doyle 0349135320 Rowan 0 to-read 4.15 2022 The New Puritans: How the Religion of Social Justice Captured the Western World
author: Andrew Doyle
name: Rowan
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/23
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The War on the West 58838847 An Instant New York Times Bestseller!

China has concentration camps now. Why do Westerners claim our sins are unique?

It is now in vogue to celebrate non-Western cultures and disparage Western ones. Some of this is a much-needed reckoning, but much of it fatally undermines the very things that created the greatest, most humane civilization in the world.

In The War on the West, Douglas Murray shows how many well-meaning people have been fooled by hypocritical and inconsistent anti-West rhetoric. After all, if we must discard the ideas of Kant, Hume, and Mill for their opinions on race, shouldn't we discard Marx, whose work is peppered with racial slurs and anti-Semitism? Embers of racism remain to be stamped out in America, but what about the raging racist inferno in the Middle East and Asia?

It's not just dishonest scholars who benefit from this intellectual fraud but hostile nations and human rights abusers hoping to distract from their own ongoing villainy. Dictators who slaughter their own people are happy to jump on the "America is a racist country" bandwagon and mimic the language of antiracism and "pro-justice" movements as PR while making authoritarian conquests.

If the West is to survive, it must be defended. The War on the West is not only an incisive takedown of foolish anti-Western arguments but also a rigorous new apologetic for civilization itself.]]> 308 Douglas Murray 0063162024 Rowan 0 to-read 4.22 2022 The War on the West
author: Douglas Murray
name: Rowan
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/23
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Five Lies of Our Anti-Christian Age]]> 60354443
In this powerful book, Rosaria Butterfield uses Scripture to confront 5 common lies about sexuality, faith, feminism, gender roles, and modesty often promoted in our secular culture today. Written in the style of a memoir, this book explores Butterfield’s personal battle with these lies―interwoven with cultural studies, literary criticism, and theology―to help readers see the beauty in biblical womanhood, marriage, and motherhood.]]> 368 Rosaria Champagne Butterfield 1433573539 Rowan 0 to-read 4.49 Five Lies of Our Anti-Christian Age
author: Rosaria Champagne Butterfield
name: Rowan
average rating: 4.49
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/23
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Lost in Trans Nation: A Child Psychiatrist's Guide Out of the Madness]]> 67958998
Medical, educational, and government authorities advise us to support the “gender journeys� of still developing kids, including medical interventions with poor evidence of long-term improvement.

This would not be acceptable in any other field of medicine. Indeed, the treatments our medical authorities and Washington call “crucial� and “life-saving� have been banned in progressive Sweden, Finland, and Britain.

Dr. Miriam Grossman is a child and adolescent psychiatrist whose practice consists of trans-identified youth and their families. In Lost in Trans Nation, she implores parents to reject the advice of gender experts and politicians and trust their guts—their parental instincts—in the face of an onslaught of ideologically driven misinformation that steers them and their children toward risky decisions they may end up mourning for the rest of their lives.

The beliefs that male and female are human inventions; that the sex of a newborn is arbitrarily “assigned�; and that as a result the child requires “affirmation� through medical interventions—these ideas are divorced from reality and therefore hazardous, especially to children. The core belief—that biology can and should be denied—is a repudiation of reality and a mockery of what hard science teaches about being male and female.

Dr. Grossman believes that parents know their child best; they especially know if they have a son or daughter. But currently in our country when it comes to gender identity, everyone knows better than mom and dad. Schools enable students to live double lives—Patrick at home, Patti at school. Activists tell kids their loving homes are “unsafe� when parents voice doubts about the child’s new identity. For refusing to see their son as their daughter, parents might be reported to protective services, a development that can lead to a family’s destruction.

Lost in Trans Nation arms parents with the ammunition to avoid, or, if necessary, fight what many families describe as the most difficult challenge of their lives. Parents will learn what to say and how—at home, at school, and if necessary, to police when they appear at the door.

“Don’t be blindsided like so many parents I know,� warns Grossman, “be proactive and get educated. Feel prepared and confident to discuss trans, nonbinary, or whatever your child brings to the dinner table.� Whether it’s the “trans is as common as red hair� claim, or the “I’m not your son, I’m your daughter� proclamation, or the “do you prefer a live son or a dead daughter� threat, says Grossman, no family is immune, and every parent must be prepared.

No child is born in the wrong body, Dr. Grossman reassures us, their bodies are just fine; it’s their emotional lives that need healing. Whether you’re facing a gender identity battle in your home right now, or want to prevent one, you need this book to guide you and your loved ones out of the madness.
]]> 362 Miriam Grossman 151077775X Rowan 0 to-read 4.37 2023 Lost in Trans Nation: A Child Psychiatrist's Guide Out of the Madness
author: Miriam Grossman
name: Rowan
average rating: 4.37
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/23
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Queering of the American Child: How a New School Religious Cult Poisons the Minds and Bodies of Normal Kids]]> 205514584
American education wasn't like this forty years ago. The cult of Queer Theory changed everything. Inspired by the religious teachings of Michel Foucault, Judith Butler, and Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick, Queer Activists "queered" American education. Schools are no longer teaching children how to flourish in society—they are initiating children into the cult of Queer Theory. Once initiated, children "experience the queer" as they adopt a new cult identity and embark on the destructive path of social and medical "transition."

In this book, The Queering of the American Child, Logan Lancing and James Lindsay explain what Queer Theory is, where it comes from, how it got into schools, and what it's doing to children nationwide. The cult of Queer Theory preys on children, and it must be understood if we are ever to stop the madness.]]> 256 Logan Lancing Rowan 0 to-read 4.28 2024 The Queering of the American Child: How a New School Religious Cult Poisons the Minds and Bodies of Normal Kids
author: Logan Lancing
name: Rowan
average rating: 4.28
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/23
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Castle 333538 Translated and with a preface by Mark Harman

Left unfinished by Kafka in 1922 and not published until 1926, two years after his death, The Castle is the haunting tale of K.’s relentless, unavailing struggle with an inscrutable authority in order to gain access to the Castle. Scrupulously following the fluidity and breathlessness of the sparsely punctuated original manuscript, Mark Harman’s new translation reveals levels of comedy, energy, and visual power, previously unknown to English language readers.]]> 328 Franz Kafka 0805211063 Rowan 0 to-read 3.97 1926 The Castle
author: Franz Kafka
name: Rowan
average rating: 3.97
book published: 1926
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/23
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Essay on the Freedom of the Will]]> 19511 Schopenhauer makes a distinction between freedom of acting (which he endorses) and the freedom of willing (which he refutes). The philosopher regards human activity as entirely determined, but he also posits that the variety of freedom that cannot be established in the sphere of human activity resides at the level of individuated will � a reality that transcends all dependency on outside factors. Because the essay's clear and rigorous argument reveals many basic features of his thought, it forms a useful introduction to Schopenhauer for students of philosophy or religion.]]> 128 Arthur Schopenhauer 0486440117 Rowan 0 to-read 4.18 1839 Essay on the Freedom of the Will
author: Arthur Schopenhauer
name: Rowan
average rating: 4.18
book published: 1839
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/23
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Birth of Tragedy 2823 The Birth of Tragedy has become a key text in European culture and in literary criticism.]]> 121 Friedrich Nietzsche 0140433392 Rowan 0 to-read 4.01 1871 The Birth of Tragedy
author: Friedrich Nietzsche
name: Rowan
average rating: 4.01
book published: 1871
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/23
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Technological Slavery 45035203 Technological Slaveryradically reinvigorates and reforms the intellectual foundations of an age-old and resurgent world-view: "Progress" is a myth.Wild nature and humanity are fundamentally incompatible with technological growth.

InTechnological Slavery, Kaczynski argues that: (i) the unfolding human and environmental crises are the direct, inevitable result of technology itself; (ii) many of the stresses endured in contemporary life are not normal to the human condition, but unique to technological conditions; (iii) wilderness and human life close to nature are realistic and supreme ideals; and, (iv) a revolution to eliminate modern technology and attain these ideals is necessary and far more achievable than would first appear.

Drawing ona broad range of disciplines, Kaczynski weaves together a set of visionary social theories to form a revolutionary perspective on the dynamics of history and the evolution of societies. The result is a comprehensive challenge to the fundamental values and assumptions of the modern technology-driven world, pinning the cause of the rapidly unfolding catastrophe on technology itself, while offering a realistic hope for ultimate recovery.

Note: Theodore John Kaczynski does not receive any remuneration for this book.]]> 355 Theodore John Kaczynski 1944228012 Rowan 0 to-read 4.24 2010 Technological Slavery
author: Theodore John Kaczynski
name: Rowan
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2010
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/23
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Relationship Road Map: Step-by-Step Directions to Finding Your Spouse]]> 211399771 Practical, biblical guidance for every step of your relationship journey—from single to dating to engaged to married from the bestselling author of Stop Waiting for Permission.If you are single and desire to be married, you’re on a journey. And like any journey worth taking, this journey is challenging, exhilarating, and discouraging all at once.Navigating the modern dating scene of apps and social media can feel overwhelming and disorienting—like trying to get directions without knowing your current location. Despite these challenges, there is a way to get your bearings, to date thoughtfully and intentionally, with your character and integrity intact. Stephen Chandler, pastor of one of America's fastest growing churches can show you how.]]> 240 Stephen Chandler 0593194284 Rowan 0 to-read 4.42 Relationship Road Map: Step-by-Step Directions to Finding Your Spouse
author: Stephen Chandler
name: Rowan
average rating: 4.42
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/23
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Stop Waiting for Permission: Harness Your Gifts, Find Your Purpose, and Unleash Your Personal Genius]]> 59948514
“If you’re tired of hitting roadblocks and want to dig deep to achieve your God-given potential, today is the day.”� New York Times bestselling authorCraig Groeschel, pastor of Life.Church

We each have a unique purpose in this life, one embedded within us by the Creator of the universe before time began.

Yet we rarely experience this greatness because the glory of God within us is still waiting to be uncovered. So we spend our lives running after the wrong goals. Eventually we burn out and stop believing that God has any bigger plans for us in light of our past failures and false starts.

However, Stephen Chandler believes God created everyone, including you, for greatness . . . and doesn’t want anything to get in the way of that destiny.

In Stop Waiting for Permission, you’ll discover the keys to unlock your unique calling and activate your innate, God-given strengths by

� identifying what’s holding you back
� discovering your unique genius
� maximizing your God-given greatness
� living in your purpose with perseverance

The time to act is now! Stop waiting for permission.]]> 224 Stephen Chandler 0593194233 Rowan 0 to-read 4.21 Stop Waiting for Permission: Harness Your Gifts, Find Your Purpose, and Unleash Your Personal Genius
author: Stephen Chandler
name: Rowan
average rating: 4.21
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/23
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Behold Your Mother: A Biblical and Historical Defense of the Marian Doctrines]]> 22633331 352 Tim Staples 1938983807 Rowan 0 to-read 4.54 2014 Behold Your Mother: A Biblical and Historical Defense of the Marian Doctrines
author: Tim Staples
name: Rowan
average rating: 4.54
book published: 2014
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/17
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> David Copperfield 58696 882 Charles Dickens Rowan 0 to-read 4.02 1850 David Copperfield
author: Charles Dickens
name: Rowan
average rating: 4.02
book published: 1850
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/09
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Sexual Personae: Art and Decadence from Nefertiti to Emily Dickinson (Yale Nota Bene)]]> 101157 736 Camille Paglia 0300091273 Rowan 0 to-read 4.00 1990 Sexual Personae: Art and Decadence from Nefertiti to Emily Dickinson (Yale Nota Bene)
author: Camille Paglia
name: Rowan
average rating: 4.00
book published: 1990
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/02
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Woodcraft and Camping 1611489 128 George Washington Sears 0486211452 Rowan 3 2025-reading-list
This book seems decently practical, namely in that it seems to cover the most significant aspects of camping. One element I enjoyed was how, when speaking on a topic (such as building a fire, for example), Sears would give how it's usually done, and then how it SHOULD be done. He's rather descriptive, though I don't understand all of the nomenclature, and so it becomes very hard for me to follow and to visualize the process he outlines when building a fire or a lean-to, or doing any other such crafting. In hindsight, especially right now while it's frigid and freezing outside, I don't really know what I was expecting to gain from these books, because so far they haven't given me much. I feel like I haven't gotten much to readily apply. I think I struggled with the concept of where to start as far as getting into gardening/horticulture/camping/general outdoors stuff, and I've seemingly chosen poorly.

I will also say that the book has a little bit of personality to it, as Sears uses a very candid and casual vernacular that can make the pages, at times, pleasing to flip through.

I wish the explanations came with more diagrams, or were just generally easier to understand, but I think that this is probably the most actually useful book I've read thus far this year. Ironically, my goal of "connecting" to nature more this year, seems to have been thwarted, because these books have had me feel far more like a true city-dweller.

If I do start picking up some of these activities as we get into the spring, I could see myself potentially revisiting this book, but considering it's intent as a sort of manual, I think it can be formatted or just otherwise accomplished in a far better fashion, which I may soon find out with what all else I have awaiting me on my reading list.

Overall, this still lands in a true C- Tier for me. It wasn't bad, and I can see the use, just maybe not all presented in the best possible way, and at times it seems to trail off into useless tangents or anecdotes.]]> 4.14 1884 Woodcraft and Camping
author: George Washington Sears
name: Rowan
average rating: 4.14
book published: 1884
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/28
date added: 2025/02/26
shelves: 2025-reading-list
review:
I may have learned a terrible lesson already this year: I do not have any idea what relevance is when it pertains to books that I read. All three books I've read so far this year have been the same story: "Oh, this is okay I guess, but not really pertinent to me". It's almost like I don't camp and/or live in the woods, but who could've told me that?

This book seems decently practical, namely in that it seems to cover the most significant aspects of camping. One element I enjoyed was how, when speaking on a topic (such as building a fire, for example), Sears would give how it's usually done, and then how it SHOULD be done. He's rather descriptive, though I don't understand all of the nomenclature, and so it becomes very hard for me to follow and to visualize the process he outlines when building a fire or a lean-to, or doing any other such crafting. In hindsight, especially right now while it's frigid and freezing outside, I don't really know what I was expecting to gain from these books, because so far they haven't given me much. I feel like I haven't gotten much to readily apply. I think I struggled with the concept of where to start as far as getting into gardening/horticulture/camping/general outdoors stuff, and I've seemingly chosen poorly.

I will also say that the book has a little bit of personality to it, as Sears uses a very candid and casual vernacular that can make the pages, at times, pleasing to flip through.

I wish the explanations came with more diagrams, or were just generally easier to understand, but I think that this is probably the most actually useful book I've read thus far this year. Ironically, my goal of "connecting" to nature more this year, seems to have been thwarted, because these books have had me feel far more like a true city-dweller.

If I do start picking up some of these activities as we get into the spring, I could see myself potentially revisiting this book, but considering it's intent as a sort of manual, I think it can be formatted or just otherwise accomplished in a far better fashion, which I may soon find out with what all else I have awaiting me on my reading list.

Overall, this still lands in a true C- Tier for me. It wasn't bad, and I can see the use, just maybe not all presented in the best possible way, and at times it seems to trail off into useless tangents or anecdotes.
]]> 33 Days to Morning Glory 13559128 198 Michael E. Gaitley 1596142448 Rowan 0 to-read 4.59 2011 33 Days to Morning Glory
author: Michael E. Gaitley
name: Rowan
average rating: 4.59
book published: 2011
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/19
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Complete Language of Flowers: A Definitive and Illustrated History (Volume 3) (Complete Illustrated Encyclopedia, 3)]]> 46208148 The Complete Language of Flowers is a comprehensive dictionary for over 1,001 flower species. Along with a visual depiction, each entry provides the flower's name, characteristics, and historic meanings from mythology, medieval legends, folklore, and flower poetry.

For centuries, symbolic flower meanings have fascinated readers, writers, poets, and suddenly smitten couples alike. Extremely popular during the Victorian era, these floriographies flourished and versed the public on the hidden meaning of popular flowers like peonies (bashfulness) and tulips (passion).Coupled with stunning full-color illustrations, this beautiful reference is a must-have for gardeners, florists, and flower enthusiasts. Whether you're looking to arrange the perfectly bespoken wedding bouquet or to understand what the yellow rose you just received from an admirer means (friendship), this updated floriography is a visual delight.]]> 256 S. Theresa Dietz 1577151909 Rowan 4 2025-reading-list
The acacia is said to be what Moses encountered with the burning bush in Exodus 2:3.

I will say, I would've liked to have seen it included where the plants are most native, and perhaps their commonality. Furthermore, while I most sought out the symbolism behind each flower, it would be nice also to see practical uses included as well, as in: ways in which certain flowers may be used to create certain foods or products.

This book gave me, aside from the obvious information I wished to incur, two things: Help in arranging a meaningful bouquet for a certain someone, and for deciding which flowers I might want to plant for myself, to adorn my domicile with symbolisms that none but myself will be privy to...

It's not amazing, and certainly I wouldn't recommend this to someone with intentions of studying flowers in a scientific sense, as it definitely focuses just on the symbols and folklore around the flowers, especially considering that there are entries that aren't even actual plants, such as a withered bouquet. The reason these things are included is again, not because this book is interested in the science, but more so the "human" side of flowers.

There are times where the tidbits and facts are very dull or obvious, or essentially just restatements of things listed in symbols. For example, the "fact" for thorns says to proceed with caution when in close proximity to a thorn. Well, duh. So there are definitely pieces of filler, and pieces of fluff or just uninsightful blurbs.

That being said, it's still a decent book when keeping in mind its intention as a compendium/reference book for what I earlier called the "human" side of flowers. I wouldn't read through it cover to cover again, but it would make for a decent reference book. B- Tier.]]> 4.37 2020 The Complete Language of Flowers: A Definitive and Illustrated History (Volume 3) (Complete Illustrated Encyclopedia, 3)
author: S. Theresa Dietz
name: Rowan
average rating: 4.37
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/16
date added: 2025/02/16
shelves: 2025-reading-list
review:
One can find fond feelings for literature for many reasons. This book, for example, I find to be light and delightful. I've always loved flowers, namely for the symbolism associated with them. Finally, I was able to find (this year) a book which I believe actually gave me practical application. The tidbits of folklore associated with the plants I found to be particularly interesting, and I've included some here:

The acacia is said to be what Moses encountered with the burning bush in Exodus 2:3.

I will say, I would've liked to have seen it included where the plants are most native, and perhaps their commonality. Furthermore, while I most sought out the symbolism behind each flower, it would be nice also to see practical uses included as well, as in: ways in which certain flowers may be used to create certain foods or products.

This book gave me, aside from the obvious information I wished to incur, two things: Help in arranging a meaningful bouquet for a certain someone, and for deciding which flowers I might want to plant for myself, to adorn my domicile with symbolisms that none but myself will be privy to...

It's not amazing, and certainly I wouldn't recommend this to someone with intentions of studying flowers in a scientific sense, as it definitely focuses just on the symbols and folklore around the flowers, especially considering that there are entries that aren't even actual plants, such as a withered bouquet. The reason these things are included is again, not because this book is interested in the science, but more so the "human" side of flowers.

There are times where the tidbits and facts are very dull or obvious, or essentially just restatements of things listed in symbols. For example, the "fact" for thorns says to proceed with caution when in close proximity to a thorn. Well, duh. So there are definitely pieces of filler, and pieces of fluff or just uninsightful blurbs.

That being said, it's still a decent book when keeping in mind its intention as a compendium/reference book for what I earlier called the "human" side of flowers. I wouldn't read through it cover to cover again, but it would make for a decent reference book. B- Tier.
]]> <![CDATA[Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska: Divine Mercy in My Soul]]> 243427 Diary of St. Maria Faustina Kowalska: Divine Mercy in My Soul, chronicles the message that Jesus, the Divine Mercy, gave to the world through this humble nun. It reminds us to trust in His forgiveness - and as Christ is merciful, so, too, are we instructed to be merciful to others. This message exemplifies God's love toward mankind and, to this day, remains a source of hope and renewal. Keep the Diary next to your Bible for constant insight and inspiration for your spiritual growth!]]> 730 Maria Faustyna Kowalska 1596141107 Rowan 0 to-read, christ 4.57 1981 Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska: Divine Mercy in My Soul
author: Maria Faustyna Kowalska
name: Rowan
average rating: 4.57
book published: 1981
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/10
shelves: to-read, christ
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Lamb's Supper: The Mass as Heaven on Earth]]> 28883 As seen on EWTN, bestselling author Scott Hahn unveils the mysteries of the Mass, offering readers a deeper appreciation of the most familiar of Catholic rituals.

Of all things Catholic, there is nothing that is so familiar as the Mass. With its unchanging prayers, the Mass fits Catholics like their favorite clothes. Yet most Catholics sitting in the pews on Sundays fail to see the powerful supernatural drama that enfolds them. Pope John Paul II described the Mass as Heaven on Earth, explaining that what we celebrate on Earth is a mysterious participation in the heavenly liturgy.

The Lamb's Supper reveals a long-lost secret of the Church: The early Christians' key to understanding the mysteries of the Mass was the New Testament Book of Revelation. With its bizarre imagery, its mystic visions of heaven, and its end-of-time prophecies, Revelation mirrors the sacrifice and celebration of the Eucharist.

Beautifully written, in clear direct language, bestselling Catholic author Scott Hahn's new book will help readers see the Mass with new eyes, pray the liturgy with a renewed heart, and enter into the Mass more fully, enthusiastically, intelligently, and powerfully than ever before.]]> 174 Scott Hahn 0385496591 Rowan 0 to-read 4.42 1999 The Lamb's Supper: The Mass as Heaven on Earth
author: Scott Hahn
name: Rowan
average rating: 4.42
book published: 1999
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/07
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[From Object to Icon: The Struggle for Spiritual Vision in a Pornographic World]]> 188397792 266 Andrew Williams 1955890358 Rowan 0 to-read 4.55 From Object to Icon: The Struggle for Spiritual Vision in a Pornographic World
author: Andrew Williams
name: Rowan
average rating: 4.55
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/05
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Adventures of the Black Girl in Her Search for God]]> 709007 Adventures of the Black Girl in her search for God when it first appeared in 1932 that it provoked public outcry with Shaw decried as a blasphemer. Today, it remains a surprisingly irreverent depiction of the universal search for God. Dissatisfied with the teachings of respectable white missionaries, an African girl embarks upon her own quest for God and Truth. Journeying through the forest, she encounters various religious figures, each one seeking to convert her to their own brand of faith. This brilliantly sardonic allegory showcases some of Shaw's most unorthodox thoughts on religion and race. George Bernard Shaw (1856�1950) is best known for his dramatic works, of which Pygmalion is the most famous.]]> 112 George Bernard Shaw 1843914220 Rowan 0 to-read 3.76 1932 The Adventures of the Black Girl in Her Search for God
author: George Bernard Shaw
name: Rowan
average rating: 3.76
book published: 1932
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/02
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> A Place in the Woods 1570434 A Place in the Woods, first published in 1969, describes how the Hoovers gradually adapted to the rigors of wilderness survival, relating events that occurred prior to those Helen Hoover described in her bestselling The Girl of the Deer. This is a tale of starting out, of the pitfalls of beginning a new life -- one punctuated by near disasters but also by moments of rare beauty.

A Place in the Woods is enlivened by warm, humorous anecdotes showing both the struggle and reward involved in joining this small community of rabbits, deer, and distant neighbors. This volume, now available in paperback for the first time, conveys the special joy of each small victory in the wilderness.]]> 320 Helen Hoover 0816631298 Rowan 3 2025-reading-list
I really have very little to say about this one. Definitely a cozy little family-oriented memoir, but the substance is non substantial, ahahaha. We learn of Helen and her husbands' journey into the great north of Minnesota to establish their secluded cabin, and all the trials and tribulations that come along with it.

Honestly, though, the people themselves feel somewhat dry. I don't get a great feel for anybody as a person, and while they certainly endure a lot of hardship, it doesn't seem to speak well to the nature of this kind of survivalist reality, in my opinion. What I mean by that is there's no real reflection on how one might avoid these trepidatious situations. "urm, don't get in a car crash :)".

One thing positive to glean from this is simply that generic persevering spirit, which is of course a nice message, even if dull. "As I watched him out of sight I reminded myself that we were going to have to push ahead as he had, step by weary step-and there would come a day when we, too, would find the struggle behind us". That quote was rather kino, I must admit.

I understand that Helen Hoover authored several fictional nature stories, both for children and adults, and so perhaps this is more so meant for those readers, wondering about her origins, but overall this book doesn't give much. Considering the amount of people who've dreamt of leaving everything behind and going out in to the middle of nowhere to build a cabin, this story becomes surprisingly boring and underwhelming.

Sure, there are a couple of tales, namely those involving the animals they encountered who would try with great determination to take their food, which are somewhat cute, but the moments are passing, and don't mean much in the grand scheme, though I imagine they were being used in part to paint the picture of what this chosen life could be like.

Overall, it was, again, not a BAD book, by any means. Rather, I'd just say that serves more as a light impression of ways that their chosen life can be enjoyable or unenjoyable, but rarely does it trace the roots of establishing said life, which almost gives it a braggadocious character, now that I think of it. There are some decent moments, and overall it will land in the C Tier, but overall it's nothing really to write home about.]]> 4.21 1969 A Place in the Woods
author: Helen Hoover
name: Rowan
average rating: 4.21
book published: 1969
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/22
date added: 2025/01/28
shelves: 2025-reading-list
review:
I find a common frustrating theme with my reading choices, which is that, in an underwhelming sense, I often find books to not be what I expected.

I really have very little to say about this one. Definitely a cozy little family-oriented memoir, but the substance is non substantial, ahahaha. We learn of Helen and her husbands' journey into the great north of Minnesota to establish their secluded cabin, and all the trials and tribulations that come along with it.

Honestly, though, the people themselves feel somewhat dry. I don't get a great feel for anybody as a person, and while they certainly endure a lot of hardship, it doesn't seem to speak well to the nature of this kind of survivalist reality, in my opinion. What I mean by that is there's no real reflection on how one might avoid these trepidatious situations. "urm, don't get in a car crash :)".

One thing positive to glean from this is simply that generic persevering spirit, which is of course a nice message, even if dull. "As I watched him out of sight I reminded myself that we were going to have to push ahead as he had, step by weary step-and there would come a day when we, too, would find the struggle behind us". That quote was rather kino, I must admit.

I understand that Helen Hoover authored several fictional nature stories, both for children and adults, and so perhaps this is more so meant for those readers, wondering about her origins, but overall this book doesn't give much. Considering the amount of people who've dreamt of leaving everything behind and going out in to the middle of nowhere to build a cabin, this story becomes surprisingly boring and underwhelming.

Sure, there are a couple of tales, namely those involving the animals they encountered who would try with great determination to take their food, which are somewhat cute, but the moments are passing, and don't mean much in the grand scheme, though I imagine they were being used in part to paint the picture of what this chosen life could be like.

Overall, it was, again, not a BAD book, by any means. Rather, I'd just say that serves more as a light impression of ways that their chosen life can be enjoyable or unenjoyable, but rarely does it trace the roots of establishing said life, which almost gives it a braggadocious character, now that I think of it. There are some decent moments, and overall it will land in the C Tier, but overall it's nothing really to write home about.
]]> <![CDATA[How to Be a Farmer: An Ancient Guide to Life on the Land (Ancient Wisdom for Modern Readers)]]> 57423845 A delightful anthology of classical Greek and Roman writings celebrating country living--ranging from a philosophy of compost to hymns to the gods of agriculture

Whether you farm or garden, live in the country or long to move there, or simply enjoy an occasional rural retreat, you will be delighted by this cornucopia of writings about living and working on the land, harvested from the fertile fields of ancient Greek and Roman literature. An inspiring antidote to the digital age, How to Be a Farmer evokes the beauty and bounty of nature with a rich mixture of philosophy, practical advice, history, and humor. Together, these timeless reflections on what the Greeks called boukolika and the Romans res rusticae provide an entertaining and enlightening guide to a more meaningful and sustainable way of life.

In fresh translations by classicist and farmer M. D. Usher, with the original texts on facing pages, Hesiod praises the dignity of labor; Plato describes the rustic simplicity of his ideal republic; Varro dedicates a farming manual to his wife, Fundania ("Mrs. Farmer"); and Vergil idealizes farmers as residents of the Golden Age. In other selections, Horace extols the joys of simple living at his cherished country farm; Pliny the Elder explains why all culture stems from agriculture; Columella praises donkeys and tells how to choose a ram or a dog; Musonius Rufus argues that farming is the best livelihood for a philosopher; and there is much more.

Proof that farming is ultimately a state of mind we should all cultivate, How to Be a Farmer will charm anyone who loves nature or its fruits.]]> 272 M.D. Usher 0691211744 Rowan 3 2025-reading-list
What I seek the most from these books, given they utilize philosophical excerpts rather than complete works, is context and analysis offered to us by the author. This means not merely presenting the texts, but justifying their selection. Why is this here? What does it tell us? What message is supposed to be conveyed here? As the author, you assume this responsibility. Otherwise, I might as well read the original and complete texts, if only to get a more encapsulating idea of one's thoughts.

This issue is further propounded by the subject matter. Now I, being a young, city-dwelling, East Coast enclosed individual, am not a farmer. Nor do I think there to be a great chance I will become one. For this reason, I don't seek out advice for my ox plowing my acres of wheat, but rather practical advice, as this series is want to give. Unfortunately, however, the whole absent analysis issue is made worse by the fact that some of these excerpts are meant for those who, in a more literal sense, wish to be an ancient farmer.

That being said, one thing I must give Usher here that is not typically the case in this series is that the selection is rather diverse. Whereas the three books I've read prior have zoned in on a particular philosopher, this book introduces some ideas from various great minds. A few I'd already read. Plato's The Republic, for example, is used. Others, on the other hand, were new and intriguing to me. Not to be back handed, but I will say that this did unfortunately have me again pondering why I wouldn't just read all of the original source material.

[Will Review Later]]]> 3.56 2021 How to Be a Farmer: An Ancient Guide to Life on the Land (Ancient Wisdom for Modern Readers)
author: M.D. Usher
name: Rowan
average rating: 3.56
book published: 2021
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/08
date added: 2025/01/12
shelves: 2025-reading-list
review:
The Ancient Wisdom for Modern Readers series will always hold a soft spot in my heart, because "How to be Content" was not only the first "philosophical" book I read, but was lent to me by a dear friend. Unfortunately, however, the series is very inconsistent, with fascinating highs and trepidatious lows. Unfortunately, this may lean more toward the latter.

What I seek the most from these books, given they utilize philosophical excerpts rather than complete works, is context and analysis offered to us by the author. This means not merely presenting the texts, but justifying their selection. Why is this here? What does it tell us? What message is supposed to be conveyed here? As the author, you assume this responsibility. Otherwise, I might as well read the original and complete texts, if only to get a more encapsulating idea of one's thoughts.

This issue is further propounded by the subject matter. Now I, being a young, city-dwelling, East Coast enclosed individual, am not a farmer. Nor do I think there to be a great chance I will become one. For this reason, I don't seek out advice for my ox plowing my acres of wheat, but rather practical advice, as this series is want to give. Unfortunately, however, the whole absent analysis issue is made worse by the fact that some of these excerpts are meant for those who, in a more literal sense, wish to be an ancient farmer.

That being said, one thing I must give Usher here that is not typically the case in this series is that the selection is rather diverse. Whereas the three books I've read prior have zoned in on a particular philosopher, this book introduces some ideas from various great minds. A few I'd already read. Plato's The Republic, for example, is used. Others, on the other hand, were new and intriguing to me. Not to be back handed, but I will say that this did unfortunately have me again pondering why I wouldn't just read all of the original source material.

[Will Review Later]
]]> <![CDATA[What Do Men Want? Masculinity and Its Discontents]]> 56155221
Something is definitely up with men. From millions online who engage with the manosphere to the #metoo backlash, from Men's Rights activists and incels to spiralling suicide rates, it's easy to see that, while men still rule the world, masculinity is in crisis.

How can men and women live together in a world where capitalism and consumerism has replaced the values - family, religion, service and honour - that used to give our lives meaning? Feminism has gone some way towards dismantling the patriarchy, but how can we hold on to the best aspects of our metaphorical Father?

With illuminating writing from an original, big-picture perspective, Nina Power unlocks the secrets hidden in our culture to enable men and women to practice playfulness and forgiveness, and reach a true mutual understanding and a lifetime of love.]]> 192 Nina Power 0241356504 Rowan 4 2024-reading-list
To my surprise, "What Do Men Want" by Nina Power, which I can only assume to be a pseudonym, is a rather insightful, hopeful piece of literature looking to bridge the gap of misunderstanding between the sexes.

In fact, one of the first things she acknowledges is the vital nature of the differences between men and women, why we must recognize them, and how it isn't in any way "harmful", as some might have you believe. In an interview discussing her book, she made the point that a female led world wouldn't be better, it would simply be worse in different ways than a male led world, reflecting again that neither is definitively better than the other, just merely different. She claims a disturbance that mass media propaganda had pushed, seemingly sowing the seeds of division between the sexes by the day. "I feel that men and women have had their lives reduced to generalizations" she tells us, and that in the case of men, it's become detrimental due to the fact that the modern landscape doesn't allow for them to "be" victims. Essentially, because they don't belong to some minority group, because there is a quantitative limit to the amount of suffering that can go around apparently, there must also be a limit on the sympathy that can be garnered, and so men's suffering is discounted. They have no recourse for disgruntled feelings. She goes on to express frustration that the internet and the culture its created has done away with risk and chance in people's lives. She outlines the problem with a quote from Brave New World: "But I don't want comfort, I want God, I want poetry, I want real danger, I want freedom, I want goodness. I want sin... I'm claiming the right to be unhappy". And so we outline one of the greatest errs in the modern world: the total lack of distinction between perfect happiness and pleasure. By eliminating the necessary antithesis to the former, the modern society has seemingly totally replaced the former with the latter, and now consequences ensue. We need to be able to be unhappy, because remember: it is sporadic sorrow which makes the smile sweet.

"We are not the same. It is pointless and ultimately more damaging to act as if we are: this does not mean, though, that we cannot do and love many of the same things, and each other." Power does a good job of reaching across the aisle here, I must say. Because she doesn't just call out those who hate on masculinity, but also those who prey upon the need for it. She speaks of masculinity as a big industry, with ads and influencers targeting men telling you "how to be a real man". It's very refreshing to see this called out, because for every man hating feminist I see, I see just as many boys being steered in the exact opposite direction. "No emotions, bro. Women are objects, use them. Take steroids, disappear, stop sleeping. Be freaking unrecognizable, bro". It's become parody at this point.

She speaks on Jordan Peterson as a cultural phenomena momentarily, and how there seems to be no female version, despite women needing as much guidance. Its argued that a female Jordan Peterson is too busy mothering, and so the proposed solution would be to platform more grannies.

She moves on to the problem of (typically) male violence against women. There seems to be a divide here. Most men in the #metoo era have become too scared to meaningfully interact with women for fear of being called a predator, meanwhile actual violence stays an issue. Power brings up something which I've been saying over in over in the political sphere, which in this case is that we all agree that we must prevent male violence, and that we all agree, but we just need a collective decision on how to achieve it.

She moves on to the transgender issue, taking a middling opinion, I would say. She doesn't out right support or negate transitioners, but says that "sex has a historical as well as a biological reality. It is destructive to everyone to pretend that this isn't true". She suggests, however, that she doesn't care which sex people choose to present themselves as. Her main point here seems to be that in her time growing up, a more sane time I'm sure she feels it to be, you didn't need to be a boy to like boy things, or vice versa. It becomes very sexist and, as she describes it, a "forgetting of sex" to then imply and assign these roles on to people. It seems insane that the same people crusading for women's independence in decades past can now look at a male child who likes to cook and clean and say "you're a girl now". It's a denial of true feminism in my personal opinion, and a deluded mind frame that has slowly poisoned the world.

One thing I notice throughout this book about Nina Power is that she comes off to me as one of those "return to sanity" liberals. She seems to me to be the type of liberal who wants to do away with the insanity that has manifested itself within her base and infected her ideology, instead returning to the common sense ideas she believed it to once hold. I could be wrong, but she seems to be one of those now moderate liberals calling out her own side for how it's lost itself, which is something I can always commend. The book is like what "Of Boys and Men" could have been, were the author not kneeling to his side of the aisle in fear.

There is one short paragraph, about a third of the way through, which I think perfectly encapsulates what Power wants to convey with this book: "It is not necessarily sexist or essentialist to say that men and women are different in interestingly compatible ways. Together we civilize each other. We curb each other's worst excesses. The graceful dance of men and women, regardless of their sexuality, is the stuff of culture. It makes us who we are, collectively.

She at times flirts with the idea of religiosity, without quite making the leap. This would probably be my biggest gripe, that she seems to dance around the idea that things like Christianity offer solutions, but won't go as far as to say that the religion itself is of the utmost importance. She speaks on forgiveness, for example, when talking about mistakes of the sexes. "Have you yourself done something wrong, even something wrong in a similar way? Wouldn't you want also to be forgiven? To live in an unforgiving society is to live in fear." Too true, if only she could close the gap here, though.

She at times also speaks on pornography and hookup culture. I don't find this to be integral to her arguments, but there are some interesting excerpts nonetheless:

"There are a lack of good stories today for either men and women - particularly concerning intimacy. Masturbation with pornography creates a particular kind of loop, one that by definition excludes the other: are we, then, in a relationship only with ourselves? Even if we 'match' with another via an app, we might simply end up mediating our masturbation through the body of the other. What is specific and unique about our encounters disappears if everything is formulated in advance."

"all pornography reveals what philosopher John Locke realized but hoped he could hold off with the promise of God. He argued that our bodies are our 'own'... but we should avoid treating them badly because they are also the property of God".

She does away with the idea that we must abandon traditional virtues, that we don't "need" men, attributing this in part to the perverse nature of consumerist capitalism. "There is no limit to the absurd and self-destructive behavior that capitalism permits, all the while telling you that this is the best you've ever had it, and that this is what you want. But some of the older virtues, particularly those most associated with men, might be precisely what we all need today". Now, I do agree with her point, but I take partial issue with the attributing this to capitalism. I think that a lot of this has to do with statist, market controlled "capitalism", or corporatism as the laymen may call it, that essentially wants the populace docile, but (and I know this sounds reddit-esque), that isn't "true" capitalism so far as I'm concerned.

Towards the end, I think Power struggles a bit to tie together an overarching solution apart from the generic "be kind, we all have differences and its a good thing". And sure, this is good to note, but there seems to be something lacking in terms of actionable steps to achieve peace and prosperity between the sexes. That being said, her approach to the issue is very diverse, and I have a deep appreciation for the way she weaves her opinions here. I think that it does a good job of uncovering the roots of our differences, and perhaps that leaves it to us to find our own solutions given this new information. Overall, I'd like to give it somewhere in the ballpark of a high B- or a low B, and I'd be curious of any works of hers down the line.]]> 3.08 2022 What Do Men Want? Masculinity and Its Discontents
author: Nina Power
name: Rowan
average rating: 3.08
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/25
date added: 2025/01/06
shelves: 2024-reading-list
review:
My thoughts going into this book was that it was going to be some sort of misandrist drivel that aims to downplay the lived experiences of billions of individuals in some sort of lame attempt to assert some insecurity-driven superiority for the fairer sex. Boy, was I wrong.

To my surprise, "What Do Men Want" by Nina Power, which I can only assume to be a pseudonym, is a rather insightful, hopeful piece of literature looking to bridge the gap of misunderstanding between the sexes.

In fact, one of the first things she acknowledges is the vital nature of the differences between men and women, why we must recognize them, and how it isn't in any way "harmful", as some might have you believe. In an interview discussing her book, she made the point that a female led world wouldn't be better, it would simply be worse in different ways than a male led world, reflecting again that neither is definitively better than the other, just merely different. She claims a disturbance that mass media propaganda had pushed, seemingly sowing the seeds of division between the sexes by the day. "I feel that men and women have had their lives reduced to generalizations" she tells us, and that in the case of men, it's become detrimental due to the fact that the modern landscape doesn't allow for them to "be" victims. Essentially, because they don't belong to some minority group, because there is a quantitative limit to the amount of suffering that can go around apparently, there must also be a limit on the sympathy that can be garnered, and so men's suffering is discounted. They have no recourse for disgruntled feelings. She goes on to express frustration that the internet and the culture its created has done away with risk and chance in people's lives. She outlines the problem with a quote from Brave New World: "But I don't want comfort, I want God, I want poetry, I want real danger, I want freedom, I want goodness. I want sin... I'm claiming the right to be unhappy". And so we outline one of the greatest errs in the modern world: the total lack of distinction between perfect happiness and pleasure. By eliminating the necessary antithesis to the former, the modern society has seemingly totally replaced the former with the latter, and now consequences ensue. We need to be able to be unhappy, because remember: it is sporadic sorrow which makes the smile sweet.

"We are not the same. It is pointless and ultimately more damaging to act as if we are: this does not mean, though, that we cannot do and love many of the same things, and each other." Power does a good job of reaching across the aisle here, I must say. Because she doesn't just call out those who hate on masculinity, but also those who prey upon the need for it. She speaks of masculinity as a big industry, with ads and influencers targeting men telling you "how to be a real man". It's very refreshing to see this called out, because for every man hating feminist I see, I see just as many boys being steered in the exact opposite direction. "No emotions, bro. Women are objects, use them. Take steroids, disappear, stop sleeping. Be freaking unrecognizable, bro". It's become parody at this point.

She speaks on Jordan Peterson as a cultural phenomena momentarily, and how there seems to be no female version, despite women needing as much guidance. Its argued that a female Jordan Peterson is too busy mothering, and so the proposed solution would be to platform more grannies.

She moves on to the problem of (typically) male violence against women. There seems to be a divide here. Most men in the #metoo era have become too scared to meaningfully interact with women for fear of being called a predator, meanwhile actual violence stays an issue. Power brings up something which I've been saying over in over in the political sphere, which in this case is that we all agree that we must prevent male violence, and that we all agree, but we just need a collective decision on how to achieve it.

She moves on to the transgender issue, taking a middling opinion, I would say. She doesn't out right support or negate transitioners, but says that "sex has a historical as well as a biological reality. It is destructive to everyone to pretend that this isn't true". She suggests, however, that she doesn't care which sex people choose to present themselves as. Her main point here seems to be that in her time growing up, a more sane time I'm sure she feels it to be, you didn't need to be a boy to like boy things, or vice versa. It becomes very sexist and, as she describes it, a "forgetting of sex" to then imply and assign these roles on to people. It seems insane that the same people crusading for women's independence in decades past can now look at a male child who likes to cook and clean and say "you're a girl now". It's a denial of true feminism in my personal opinion, and a deluded mind frame that has slowly poisoned the world.

One thing I notice throughout this book about Nina Power is that she comes off to me as one of those "return to sanity" liberals. She seems to me to be the type of liberal who wants to do away with the insanity that has manifested itself within her base and infected her ideology, instead returning to the common sense ideas she believed it to once hold. I could be wrong, but she seems to be one of those now moderate liberals calling out her own side for how it's lost itself, which is something I can always commend. The book is like what "Of Boys and Men" could have been, were the author not kneeling to his side of the aisle in fear.

There is one short paragraph, about a third of the way through, which I think perfectly encapsulates what Power wants to convey with this book: "It is not necessarily sexist or essentialist to say that men and women are different in interestingly compatible ways. Together we civilize each other. We curb each other's worst excesses. The graceful dance of men and women, regardless of their sexuality, is the stuff of culture. It makes us who we are, collectively.

She at times flirts with the idea of religiosity, without quite making the leap. This would probably be my biggest gripe, that she seems to dance around the idea that things like Christianity offer solutions, but won't go as far as to say that the religion itself is of the utmost importance. She speaks on forgiveness, for example, when talking about mistakes of the sexes. "Have you yourself done something wrong, even something wrong in a similar way? Wouldn't you want also to be forgiven? To live in an unforgiving society is to live in fear." Too true, if only she could close the gap here, though.

She at times also speaks on pornography and hookup culture. I don't find this to be integral to her arguments, but there are some interesting excerpts nonetheless:

"There are a lack of good stories today for either men and women - particularly concerning intimacy. Masturbation with pornography creates a particular kind of loop, one that by definition excludes the other: are we, then, in a relationship only with ourselves? Even if we 'match' with another via an app, we might simply end up mediating our masturbation through the body of the other. What is specific and unique about our encounters disappears if everything is formulated in advance."

"all pornography reveals what philosopher John Locke realized but hoped he could hold off with the promise of God. He argued that our bodies are our 'own'... but we should avoid treating them badly because they are also the property of God".

She does away with the idea that we must abandon traditional virtues, that we don't "need" men, attributing this in part to the perverse nature of consumerist capitalism. "There is no limit to the absurd and self-destructive behavior that capitalism permits, all the while telling you that this is the best you've ever had it, and that this is what you want. But some of the older virtues, particularly those most associated with men, might be precisely what we all need today". Now, I do agree with her point, but I take partial issue with the attributing this to capitalism. I think that a lot of this has to do with statist, market controlled "capitalism", or corporatism as the laymen may call it, that essentially wants the populace docile, but (and I know this sounds reddit-esque), that isn't "true" capitalism so far as I'm concerned.

Towards the end, I think Power struggles a bit to tie together an overarching solution apart from the generic "be kind, we all have differences and its a good thing". And sure, this is good to note, but there seems to be something lacking in terms of actionable steps to achieve peace and prosperity between the sexes. That being said, her approach to the issue is very diverse, and I have a deep appreciation for the way she weaves her opinions here. I think that it does a good job of uncovering the roots of our differences, and perhaps that leaves it to us to find our own solutions given this new information. Overall, I'd like to give it somewhere in the ballpark of a high B- or a low B, and I'd be curious of any works of hers down the line.
]]> <![CDATA[Holy Bible with the Apocryphal / Deuterocanonical Books [New Revised Standard Version (NSRV)]]]> 6742909 1404 American Bible Society 1585160393 Rowan 5 4.18 Holy Bible with the Apocryphal / Deuterocanonical Books [New Revised Standard Version (NSRV)]
author: American Bible Society
name: Rowan
average rating: 4.18
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/05
date added: 2025/01/05
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Surprised by Joy: The Shape of My Early Life]]> 651119 238 C.S. Lewis 0156870118 Rowan 3 2024-reading-list Seeking religious insight, I again turn to C.S. Lewis, this time inspecting the auto-biographical "Surprised By Joy". I was surprised, however, to find that the book could be rather dull and detatched at times. I understand the importance of establishing his journey into the faith, but much of his early life that is detailed is not of particular interest to me. It gets absurd at some point, I almost found myself laughing at the prospect of the insanity I was reading as Lewis tried to explain to his foreign readers the English boarding school concepts of House v. Coll, and Tart v. Blood v. Punt. What wacky English stuff is this, my word!

Mayhap this is historical revisionism on my part, but I could've sworn that in the initial chapter that Lewis declares that the book gets progressively less autobiographical and more spiritual as it goes on. I don't think this is necessarily true, unfortunately. There are probably insights I should've gleaned from the perpetual biographical parts, but really I feel as though I could've forgotten the first 160/240 pages entirely. It isn't until this point that I feel anything meaningful can be discerned as far as conversion, or any religious topic really, is concerned.

It's unfortunate, really. I don't mean to discredit his own experiences, but I feel as though everything he tries to illuminate here through his personal story does not give the profound insights he might wish it to, and on the other hand, I feel as though the information we do glean from it could be acquired through much less effort on his part.

Overall, however, his story of course bares some resemblances to my own, especially in his personal reasoning for why he rejected Christianity for so long. He fins that, the idea of an omnipresent God bothered that part of him that wished to be independent and alone. I can certainly relate, for of course that's at the root of atheism for any reasoning: that you can't stand to not be your own god. Furthermore, he seems to want to have it both ways, because he didn't like the idea of joy being some sort of "meaningless dance of atoms", and so he started practicing occultism briefly. This too, I can relate to, not the occult, but this sense of contradiction where you both hate God for what He is, but then refuse to believe in Him. It's this feeling, that now seems so obviously immature to me: that one could somehow hate that which he simultaneously claims not to believe in.

All this said, Surprised by Joy has one of my favorite C.S. Lewis quotes:
"It matters more that Heaven should exist than that we should ever get there."

How profound, and how true it is. Again, Christianity is not about us, not about Christians, but about Christ. The statement becomes very true, then, that we must profess the truth of Christ rather than our own glorification. For we will be glorified only in Him.

Lewis was, in my opinion, a good man and an interesting writer. I don't find this to be one of his "better" works, but I can understand and appreciate its purpose as a testimonial of conversion, and how it may latch on to some readers for said reason. I, however, despite being probably the perfect demographic, found it to be rather bloated and frankly none too interesting for the first 150 pages or so. All in all, it's not bad per se, but I think it falls firmly, with a bit of a saving grace for it toward the end of the book, in the C-/C Tier.]]> 3.98 1955 Surprised by Joy: The Shape of My Early Life
author: C.S. Lewis
name: Rowan
average rating: 3.98
book published: 1955
rating: 3
read at: 2024/11/15
date added: 2024/12/27
shelves: 2024-reading-list
review:

Seeking religious insight, I again turn to C.S. Lewis, this time inspecting the auto-biographical "Surprised By Joy". I was surprised, however, to find that the book could be rather dull and detatched at times. I understand the importance of establishing his journey into the faith, but much of his early life that is detailed is not of particular interest to me. It gets absurd at some point, I almost found myself laughing at the prospect of the insanity I was reading as Lewis tried to explain to his foreign readers the English boarding school concepts of House v. Coll, and Tart v. Blood v. Punt. What wacky English stuff is this, my word!

Mayhap this is historical revisionism on my part, but I could've sworn that in the initial chapter that Lewis declares that the book gets progressively less autobiographical and more spiritual as it goes on. I don't think this is necessarily true, unfortunately. There are probably insights I should've gleaned from the perpetual biographical parts, but really I feel as though I could've forgotten the first 160/240 pages entirely. It isn't until this point that I feel anything meaningful can be discerned as far as conversion, or any religious topic really, is concerned.

It's unfortunate, really. I don't mean to discredit his own experiences, but I feel as though everything he tries to illuminate here through his personal story does not give the profound insights he might wish it to, and on the other hand, I feel as though the information we do glean from it could be acquired through much less effort on his part.

Overall, however, his story of course bares some resemblances to my own, especially in his personal reasoning for why he rejected Christianity for so long. He fins that, the idea of an omnipresent God bothered that part of him that wished to be independent and alone. I can certainly relate, for of course that's at the root of atheism for any reasoning: that you can't stand to not be your own god. Furthermore, he seems to want to have it both ways, because he didn't like the idea of joy being some sort of "meaningless dance of atoms", and so he started practicing occultism briefly. This too, I can relate to, not the occult, but this sense of contradiction where you both hate God for what He is, but then refuse to believe in Him. It's this feeling, that now seems so obviously immature to me: that one could somehow hate that which he simultaneously claims not to believe in.

All this said, Surprised by Joy has one of my favorite C.S. Lewis quotes:
"It matters more that Heaven should exist than that we should ever get there."

How profound, and how true it is. Again, Christianity is not about us, not about Christians, but about Christ. The statement becomes very true, then, that we must profess the truth of Christ rather than our own glorification. For we will be glorified only in Him.

Lewis was, in my opinion, a good man and an interesting writer. I don't find this to be one of his "better" works, but I can understand and appreciate its purpose as a testimonial of conversion, and how it may latch on to some readers for said reason. I, however, despite being probably the perfect demographic, found it to be rather bloated and frankly none too interesting for the first 150 pages or so. All in all, it's not bad per se, but I think it falls firmly, with a bit of a saving grace for it toward the end of the book, in the C-/C Tier.
]]> <![CDATA[The Simplest Baby Book in the World: The Illustrated, Grab-and-Do Guide for a Healthy, Happy Baby]]> 58746568 The Simplest Baby Book is a game changer for first time parents.

The Simplest Baby Book in the World is the illustrated grab-and-do guide that helps today's moms and dads gain confidence in their ability to be great parents. 700+ playful, yet instructive, illustrations make learning faster and easier.

It makes the first year of raising a baby easier by curating and distilling down to their essentials the best-of-the-best advice on topics like:

· Sleep training and sleeping through the night

· When and how much to feed

· Everything you need to know about bath time

· How to be safe and stay sane when going mobile with your baby

· Preparing the nursery

· Solutions to the most common ailments

· Helpful experience and best practices of the community of those who know best—moms, dads, pediatricians, nurses, lactation specialists, nannies, and educators

You will quickly and easily find simple solutions and have proven techniques at your fingertips when you need them most whether it's 2 a.m. or 2 p.m. Every chapter starts with the essential list of products, providing a handy checklist for everything you will need. Don't miss recommendations for the must-have products that make parents' lives easier while saving them time and money.

The Simplest Baby Book is the baby-care solution for all of today’s parents�both moms and dads. At a time when the role of men in providing childcare is increasing, and families come in all shapes and sizes, it is important that parenting reflects this new reality. The Simplest Baby Book does just that.]]> 292 Stephen Gross 1736894706 Rowan 0 to-read 4.35 The Simplest Baby Book in the World: The Illustrated, Grab-and-Do Guide for a Healthy, Happy Baby
author: Stephen Gross
name: Rowan
average rating: 4.35
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/24
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Critique of Pure Reason 18291 'The purpose of this critique of pure speculative reason consists in the attempt to change the old procedure of metaphysics and to bring about a complete revolution'

Kant's Critique of Pure Reason (1781) is the central text of modern philosophy. It presents a profound and challenging investigation into the nature of human reason, its knowledge and its illusions. Reason, Kant argues, is the seat of certain concepts that precede experience and make it possible, but we are not therefore entitled to draw conclusions about the natural world from these concepts. The Critique brings together the two opposing schools of philosophy: rationalism, which grounds all our knowledge in reason, and empiricism, which traces all our knowledge to experience. Kant's transcendental idealism indicates a third way that goes far beyond these alternatives.

Marcus Weigelt's lucid re-working of Max Müller's classic translation makes the Critique accessible to a new generation of readers. His informative introduction places the work in context and elucidates Kant's main arguments. This edition also contains a bibliography and explanatory notes.]]> 708 Immanuel Kant 0140447474 Rowan 0 2024-reading-list 4.12 1781 Critique of Pure Reason
author: Immanuel Kant
name: Rowan
average rating: 4.12
book published: 1781
rating: 0
read at: 2024/12/18
date added: 2024/12/19
shelves: 2024-reading-list
review:

]]> Humanae Vitae: Of Human Life 1676414 16 Pope Paul VI 0819833479 Rowan 0 to-read 4.55 1968 Humanae Vitae: Of Human Life
author: Pope Paul VI
name: Rowan
average rating: 4.55
book published: 1968
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/13
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Man and Woman He Created Them: A Theology of the Body]]> 414911 768 Pope John Paul II 0819874213 Rowan 0 to-read 4.59 1985 Man and Woman He Created Them: A Theology of the Body
author: Pope John Paul II
name: Rowan
average rating: 4.59
book published: 1985
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/13
shelves: to-read
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]]> <![CDATA[Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Trans (But Were Afraid to Ask)]]> 39981876
The book walks the reader through transgender issues, starting with "What does transgender mean?" before moving on to more complex topics including growing up trans, dating and sex, medical and mental health, and debates around gender and feminism. Brynn also challenges deliberately deceptive information about transgender people being put out into the public sphere. Transphobic myths are debunked and biased research, bad statistics and bad science are carefully and clearly refuted.

This important and engaging book enables any reader to become informed the most critical public conversations around transgender people, and become a better ally as a result.]]> 432 Brynn Tannehill 1785928260 Rowan 0 to-read 4.18 2018 Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Trans (But Were Afraid to Ask)
author: Brynn Tannehill
name: Rowan
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2018
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/12/01
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]]> Woman Hating 209333 224 Andrea Dworkin 0452268273 Rowan 0 to-read 3.89 1974 Woman Hating
author: Andrea Dworkin
name: Rowan
average rating: 3.89
book published: 1974
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/11/27
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]]> The Knowledge of the Holy 666758 The Knowledge of the Holy by popular evangelical author and Christian mystic A.W. Tozer illuminates God’s attributes—from wisdom, to grace, to mercy—and in doing so, attempts to restore the majesty and wonder of God in the hearts and minds of all Christians. A modern classic of Christian testimony and devotion, The Knowledge of the Holy shows us how we can rejuvenate our prayer life, meditate more reverently, understand God more deeply, and experience God’s presence in our daily lives.]]> 117 A.W. Tozer 0060684127 Rowan 0 to-read 4.38 1961 The Knowledge of the Holy
author: A.W. Tozer
name: Rowan
average rating: 4.38
book published: 1961
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/11/24
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]]> The Constitution of Liberty 1044658 580 Friedrich A. Hayek 0226320847 Rowan 0 to-read 4.14 1960 The Constitution of Liberty
author: Friedrich A. Hayek
name: Rowan
average rating: 4.14
book published: 1960
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/11/24
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]]> <![CDATA[Human Action: A Treatise on Economics]]> 81912 Human Action: A Treatise on Economics, Mises explains complex market phenomena as "the outcomes of countless conscious, purposive actions, choices, and preferences of individuals, each of whom was trying as best as he or she could under the circumstances to attain various wants and ends and to avoid undesired consequences." It is individual choices in response to personal subjective value judgments that ultimately determine market phenomena—supply and demand, prices, the pattern of production, and even profits and losses. Although governments may presume to set "prices," it is individuals who, by their actions and choices through competitive bidding for money, products, and services, actually determine "prices". Thus, Mises presents economics—not as a study of material goods, services, and products—but as a study of human actions. He sees the science of human action, praxeology, as a science of reason and logic, which recognizes a regularity in the sequence and interrelationships among market phenomena. Mises defends the methodology of praxeology against the criticisms of Marxists, socialists, positivists, and mathematical statisticians.

Mises attributes the tremendous technological progress and the consequent increase in wealth and general welfare in the last two centuries to the introduction of liberal government policies based on free-market economic teachings, creating an economic and political environment which permits individuals to pursue their respective goals in freedom and peace. Mises also explains the futility and counter-productiveness of government attempts to regulate, control, and equalize all people's circumstances: "Men are born unequal and ... it is precisely their inequality that generates social cooperation and civilization."

Ludwig von Mises (1881�1973)was the leading spokesman of the Austrian School of Economics throughout most of the twentieth century. He earned his doctorate in law and economics from the University of Vienna in 1906. In 1926, Mises founded the Austrian Institute for Business Cycle Research. From 1909 to 1934, he was an economist for the Vienna Chamber of Commerce. Before the Anschluss, in 1934 Mises left for Geneva, where he was a professor at the Graduate Institute of International Studies until 1940, when he emigrated to New York City. From 1948 to 1969, he was a visiting professor at New York University.

Bettina Bien Greavesis a former resident scholar, trustee, and longtime staff member of the Foundation for Economic Education. Shehas written and lectured extensively on topics of free market economics. Her articles have appeared in such journals as Human Events, Reason, and The Freeman: Ideas on Liberty. A student of Mises, Greaves has become an expert on his work in particular and that of the Austrian School of economics in general. She has translated several Mises monographs, compiled an annotated bibliography of his work, and edited collections of papers by Mises and other members of the Austrian School.]]> 924 Ludwig von Mises 0809297434 Rowan 0 to-read 4.32 1940 Human Action: A Treatise on Economics
author: Ludwig von Mises
name: Rowan
average rating: 4.32
book published: 1940
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/11/24
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]]> The Memory Police 37004370
When a young woman who is struggling to maintain her career as a novelist discovers that her editor is in danger from the Memory Police, she concocts a plan to hide him beneath her floorboards. As fear and loss close in around them, they cling to her writing as the last way of preserving the past.

A surreal, provocative fable about the power of memory and the trauma of loss, The Memory Police is a stunning new work from one of the most exciting contemporary authors writing in any language.]]> 274 Yōko Ogawa 1101870605 Rowan 0 to-read 3.72 1994 The Memory Police
author: Yōko Ogawa
name: Rowan
average rating: 3.72
book published: 1994
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/11/24
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]]> <![CDATA[Parable of the Sower (Earthseed, #1)]]> 52397
Lauren Olamina and her family live in one of the only safe neighborhoods remaining on the outskirts of Los Angeles. Behind the walls of their defended enclave, Lauren’s father, a preacher, and a handful of other citizens try to salvage what remains of a culture that has been destroyed by drugs, disease, war, and chronic water shortages. While her father tries to lead people on the righteous path, Lauren struggles with hyperempathy, a condition that makes her extraordinarily sensitive to the pain of others.

When fire destroys their compound, Lauren’s family is killed and she is forced out into a world that is fraught with danger. With a handful of other refugees, Lauren must make her way north to safety, along the way conceiving a revolutionary idea that may mean salvation for all mankind.]]> 345 Octavia E. Butler 0446675504 Rowan 0 to-read 4.21 1993 Parable of the Sower (Earthseed, #1)
author: Octavia E. Butler
name: Rowan
average rating: 4.21
book published: 1993
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/11/24
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]]> <![CDATA[Why Women Have Sex: Understanding Sexual Motivations - From Adventure to Revenge]]> 5751876 336 Cindy M. Meston 0805088342 Rowan 0 to-read 3.89 2009 Why Women Have Sex: Understanding Sexual Motivations - From Adventure to Revenge
author: Cindy M. Meston
name: Rowan
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2009
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/17
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]]> The Rule of Saint Benedict 82406
"God is our home but many of us have strayed from our native land. The venerable authors of these Spiritual Classics are expert guides--may we follow their directions home."
--Archbishop Desmond Tutu]]> 112 Benedict of Nursia 037570017X Rowan 0 to-read 3.99 530 The Rule of Saint Benedict
author: Benedict of Nursia
name: Rowan
average rating: 3.99
book published: 530
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/12
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]]> <![CDATA[Prescription for Nutritional Healing: A Practical A-to-Z Reference to Drug-Free Remedies Using Vitamins, Minerals, Herbs & Food Supplements]]> 170844 896 Phyllis A. Balch 1583332367 Rowan 0 to-read 4.38 1990 Prescription for Nutritional Healing: A Practical A-to-Z Reference to Drug-Free Remedies Using Vitamins, Minerals, Herbs & Food Supplements
author: Phyllis A. Balch
name: Rowan
average rating: 4.38
book published: 1990
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/11
shelves: to-read
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]]> God in the Dock 22051585 356 C.S. Lewis Rowan 0 to-read 4.47 1971 God in the Dock
author: C.S. Lewis
name: Rowan
average rating: 4.47
book published: 1971
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/11/10
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]]> On Stories 50969956 "It is astonishing", Professor Lewis writes, "how little attention critics have paid to Story considered in itself." His essay pays a great deal of attention to this question. Itself a fine piece of writing, along the way it provides some very good reading suggestions!]]> 22 C.S. Lewis Rowan 0 to-read 4.40 1947 On Stories
author: C.S. Lewis
name: Rowan
average rating: 4.40
book published: 1947
rating: 0
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]]> <![CDATA[The World's Last Night: And Other Essays]]> 30037798
In these spirited essays, C. S. Lewis—the great British writer, scholar, lay theologian, broadcaster, Christian apologist, and bestselling author of Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters, The Great Divorce, The Chronicles of Narnia, and many other beloved classics—discusses evil in the world. Blending irony, humor, and paradox, he tackles religion’s most difficult and intriguing questions regarding immorality, belief, and the meaning of prayer. Best of all, the infamous Screwtape makes a special cameo appearance in this funny and poignant collection.]]> 128 C.S. Lewis 0062643517 Rowan 0 to-read 4.25 1960 The World's Last Night: And Other Essays
author: C.S. Lewis
name: Rowan
average rating: 4.25
book published: 1960
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/11/10
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review:

]]> <![CDATA[Letters to Malcolm, Chiefly on Prayer]]> 29938412
C. S. Lewis—the great British writer, scholar, lay theologian, broadcaster, Christian apologist, and bestselling author of Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters, The Great Divorce, The Chronicles of Narnia, and many other beloved classics—shares his understanding of the role of prayer in our lives and the ways we might better imagine our relationship with God. Composed as a collection of fictitious dispatches to his friend, Malcolm, Letters to Malcolm, Chiefly on Prayer considers this basic display of devotion in its form, content, and regularity, and the ways it both reflects our faith and shapes how we believe.]]> 167 C.S. Lewis 0062565478 Rowan 0 to-read 4.12 1964 Letters to Malcolm, Chiefly on Prayer
author: C.S. Lewis
name: Rowan
average rating: 4.12
book published: 1964
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/11/10
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review:

]]> <![CDATA[Takedown: Inside the Fight to Shut Down Pornhub for Child Abuse, Rape, and Sex Trafficking]]> 201874194 NATIONAL BESTSELLER
The gripping, true story of one woman’s battle to expose and shut down a criminal online porn empire.

Pornhub was the 10th most visited site on the Internet, often praised as a progressive champion of women. Then one day, an activist discovered a secret they had been keeping from the world for over a decade: it was infested with child sexual abuse and rape videos.

Now for the first time, anti-trafficking expert and mother of two Laila Mickelwait tells the story of her battle against Pornhub’s billionaire executives and the credit card companies who helped them monetize the abuse of countless victims—some as young as three years old. Readers will follow her from her first horrifying discovery of criminal content on Pornhub to closed-door meetings with credit card executives, White House and Justice Department senior officials, a powerful hedge-fund manager and more. Through insider accounts from Pornhub moderators and executives, you’ll meet the world’s first online porn tycoon, AKA “the Zuckerberg of porn,� along with Pornhub’s top brass (known internally as “The Bro Club�) who operate in secrecy.

The culmination of years of activism, Takedown is the true, never before told story of how Mickelwait mobilized a movement of two million people that resulted in "the biggest takedown of content in Internet history." (Financial Times)]]> 320 Laila Mickelwait 0593542010 Rowan 0 to-read 4.51 2024 Takedown: Inside the Fight to Shut Down Pornhub for Child Abuse, Rape, and Sex Trafficking
author: Laila Mickelwait
name: Rowan
average rating: 4.51
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/10
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Present Concerns: Journalistic Essays]]> 30037806
C. S. Lewis—the great British writer, scholar, lay theologian, broadcaster, Christian apologist, and bestselling author of Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters, The Great Divorce, The Chronicles of Narnia, and many other beloved classics—was one of the foremost religious philosophers of the twentieth century; a thinker whose far-reaching influence on Christianity continues to be felt today.

Demonstrating Lewis’s wide range of interests, Present Concerns includes nineteen essays that reveal his thoughts about democratic values, threats to educational and spiritual fulfillment, literary censorship, and other timely topics, offering invaluable wisdom for our own times.]]> 160 C.S. Lewis 0062643592 Rowan 0 to-read 4.05 1987 Present Concerns: Journalistic Essays
author: C.S. Lewis
name: Rowan
average rating: 4.05
book published: 1987
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/11/10
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Personal Heresy: A Controversy]]> 30008119
C. S. Lewis—the great British writer, scholar, lay theologian, broadcaster, Christian apologist, and bestselling author of Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters, The Great Divorce, The Chronicles of Narnia, and many other beloved classics—challenges fellow scholar E. M. W. Tillyard on one of the most intriguing questions involving writers and writing. Is a work of imaginative literature primarily influenced by the author or by the subject matter?

Lewis argues that the author’s own personality and biography has little to no impact on the writing, while Tillyard contends the opposite: that the author’s own imagination and story have an indelible influence on a piece of work. Clever, erudite, and enlightening, their debate may not definitively settle the issue, but it does offer invaluable insight and intellectual delight for all dedicated readers.]]> 192 C.S. Lewis 0062565621 Rowan 0 to-read 3.75 1939 The Personal Heresy: A Controversy
author: C.S. Lewis
name: Rowan
average rating: 3.75
book published: 1939
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/11/10
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review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Dark Tower: And Other Stories]]> 30037800
From C.S. Lewis—the great British writer, scholar, lay theologian, broadcaster, Christian apologist, and author of Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters, The Great Divorce, The Chronicles of Narnia, and many other beloved classics—comes a collection of his dazzling short fiction.

This collection of futuristic fiction includes a breathtaking science fiction story written early in his career in which Cambridge intellectuals witness the breach of space-time through a chronoscope—a telescope that looks not just into another world, but into another time.

As powerful, inventive, and profound as his theological and philosophical works, The Dark Tower reveals another side of Lewis’s creative mind and his longtime fascination with reality and spirituality. It is ideal reading for fans of J. R. R. Tolkien, Lewis’s longtime friend and colleague.]]> 240 C.S. Lewis 0062643533 Rowan 0 to-read 3.77 1977 The Dark Tower: And Other Stories
author: C.S. Lewis
name: Rowan
average rating: 3.77
book published: 1977
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/11/10
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]]> Christian Reflections 209575209 234 C.S. Lewis Rowan 0 to-read 3.89 1967 Christian Reflections
author: C.S. Lewis
name: Rowan
average rating: 3.89
book published: 1967
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/11/10
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review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Discarded Image: An Introduction to Medieval and Renaissance Literature]]> 18957822 In The Discarded Image, C.S. Lewis paints a lucid picture of the medieval world view, providing the historical and cultural background to the literature of the Middle Ages and Renaissance. It describes the "image" discarded by later years as "the medieval synthesis itself, the whole organization of their theology, science and history into a single, complex, harmonious mental model of the universe." This, Lewis’s last book, has been hailed as "the final memorial to the work of a great scholar and teacher and a wise and noble mind."

]]> 208 C.S. Lewis Rowan 0 to-read 4.47 1964 The Discarded Image: An Introduction to Medieval and Renaissance Literature
author: C.S. Lewis
name: Rowan
average rating: 4.47
book published: 1964
rating: 0
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review:

]]> The Pilgrim's Regress 57460573 The first book written by C. S. Lewis after his conversion, The Pilgrim's Regress is, in a sense, the record of Lewis's own search for meaning and spiritual satisfaction—a search that eventually led him to Christianity.

Here is the story of the pilgrim John and his odyssey to an enchanting island which has created in him an intense longing; a mysterious, sweet desire. John's pursuit of this desire takes him through adventures with such people as Mr. Enlightenment, Media Halfways, Mr. Mammon, Mother Kirk, Mr. Sensible, and Mr. Humanist and through such cities as Thrill and Eschropolis as well as the Valley of Humiliation.

Though the dragons and giants here are different from those in Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress, Lewis's allegory performs the same function of enabling the author to say simply and through fantasy what would otherwise have demanded a full-length philosophy of religion.

]]> 228 C.S. Lewis Rowan 0 to-read 4.16 1933 The Pilgrim's Regress
author: C.S. Lewis
name: Rowan
average rating: 4.16
book published: 1933
rating: 0
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review:

]]> The Four Loves 29938407
C.S. Lewis—the great British writer, scholar, lay theologian, broadcaster, Christian apologist, and bestselling author of Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters, The Great Divorce, The Chronicles of Narnia, and many other beloved classics—contemplates the essence of love and how it works in our daily lives in one of his most famous works of nonfiction. Lewis examines four varieties of human love: affection, the most basic form; friendship, the rarest and perhaps most insightful; Eros, passionate love; charity, the greatest and least selfish. Throughout this compassionate and reasoned study, he encourages readers to open themselves to all forms of love—the key to understanding that brings us closer to God.]]> 192 C.S. Lewis 0062565397 Rowan 0 to-read 4.24 1960 The Four Loves
author: C.S. Lewis
name: Rowan
average rating: 4.24
book published: 1960
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/10
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review:

]]> A Grief Observed 26077627
Written in longhand in notebooks that Lewis found in his home, A Grief Observed probes the "mad midnight moments" of Lewis's mourning and loss, moments in which he questioned what he had previously believed about life and death, marriage, and even God. Indecision and self-pity assailed Lewis. "We are under the harrow and can't escape," he writes. "I know that the thing I want is exactly the thing I can never get. The old life, the jokes, the drinks, the arguments, the lovemaking, the tiny, heartbreaking commonplace." Writing A Grief Observed as "a defense against total collapse, a safety valve," he came to recognize that "bereavement is a universal and integral part of our experience of love."

Lewis writes his statement of faith with precision, humor, and grace. Yet neither is Lewis reluctant to confess his continuing doubts and his awareness of his own human frailty. This is precisely the quality which suggests that A Grief Observed may become "among the great devotional books of our age."]]> 76 C.S. Lewis Rowan 0 to-read 4.31 1961 A Grief Observed
author: C.S. Lewis
name: Rowan
average rating: 4.31
book published: 1961
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/11/10
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> King, Queen, Knave 8154 King, Queen, Knave. Comic, sensual and cerebral, it dramatizes an Oedipal love triangle, a tragi-comedy of husband, wife and lover, through Dreyer the rich businessman, his ripe-lipped ad mercenary wife Martha, and their bespectacled nephew Franz. 'If a resolute Freudian manages to slip in' - Nabokov darts a glance to the reader - 'he or she should be warned that a number of cruel traps have been set up here and there'.]]> 275 Vladimir Nabokov Rowan 0 to-read 3.84 1928 King, Queen, Knave
author: Vladimir Nabokov
name: Rowan
average rating: 3.84
book published: 1928
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/10
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Till We Have Faces: A Myth Retold]]> 29938408
C. S. Lewis—the great British writer, scholar, lay theologian, broadcaster, Christian apologist, and bestselling author of Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters, The Great Divorce, The Chronicles of Narnia, and many other beloved classics—brilliantly reimagines the story of Cupid and Psyche. Told from the viewpoint of Psyche’s sister, Orual, Till We Have Faces is a brilliant examination of envy, betrayal, loss, blame, grief, guilt, and conversion. In this, his final—and most mature and masterful—novel, Lewis reminds us of our own fallibility and the role of a higher power in our lives.]]> 368 C.S. Lewis 0062565419 Rowan 4 2024-reading-list
I think the first couple of chapters were a little hard for me to get into, just because the setting felt obscure, but upon the introduction of the third sister, Istra (or Psyche), born to the King's second wife, and therefore the half-sister of our Orual and Redival, that things start to click.

We have a sisterly spat! Orual and Redival are a contrast to each other, and often bicker. More accurately, it seems as if Orual and the merriment of those around her, diminshes once Redival comes around, who seems much more prudish and mean-spirited, perhaps.

It becomes really apparent, then, that family is an integral theme here. I think what I took from it the most is that family goes beyond just blood, and sometimes blood is not as substantive as it may seem. Oural, for example, calls her tutor, the fox, grandfather, and they seem to have a very nourishing and fruitful relationship. Meanwhile, I at times feel unsure that the King is even their biological father, as he is portrayed so disconnected from our protagonists. Truly, he is almost a non-entity in their lives, save for the progeny that he brings into it.

This familial theme is further reinforced when Orual, seeing the beautiful little Istra, wishes she were her mother or a boy so that she might have a closer love for her. She wishes to be a nurturer and a protector for Istra, and again we see that these half-siblings have a more integral bond than those direct relationships held with the king. I think it speaks in a Christian light that we are, too, a family, as children of God.

Chapter 5 gets intense, as there is a sacrifice called from the Kingdom of Glome for the goddess Ungit. You can kindof see where this is going, especially as the priest says that the sacrifice must be of the most pure of the kingdom, but still it presents as such an epic scene when they verbalize that Istra must be sacrificed for Ungit. I think the scene just intensely opens up the setting of the book and the fantastical elements of it. All of the sudden, it felt as if we were transported into some fantasy world like that of Tolkien. Yes, this is high praise, and there was no real magic or anything, or queer races, or anything of the sort, but so be it. It gave off a feeling of renaissance dramaticism that propelled the glory of the book in my eyes.

I think this is a fine book of Lewis', profoundly underrated and unrecognized. Through the myths of the Greeks, still Christ is revealed in this retelling. This is ultimately a Christian story, I would argue. Orual's story is one of self-understanding, self-value, and the reconciliation of one's own sin against the sins they perceive in the world. I think that upon first read, some of the points can get muddled, or simply fly over my head. Not that this is necessarily incredibly difficult to understand, but certainly there is, in my opinion, something occasionally lacking in presentation.

The veil that the ugly Orual must wear is two-fold. Not only does it mask her physical features, but more importantly, it masks the impurity of her motives. She has what she thinks to be a pure love for those around her, namely Psyche (though also the Fox and Bardia). It is later revealed to her in a dream, however, that her love is possessive and selfish. I think it rather relatable to act in good faith, all the while being blind to one's corrupt motive. It was as if the veil was not a mask that others couldn't see through, but one that she couldn't see through. This is, after all, part of my (and I'd think most converts) faith story. I too was, and still am, a selfish sinner, working against myself to argue that I'm acting with good intentions. We find things out about ourselves, however. We want people around, not to talk to, but just so that they might not talk to others. I treated my mother that way for a long time, I think, and that cruelty was similar to the one that Orual exhibits here.

Furthermore, once she realizes this, she feels despair. She considers suicide. The gods tell her no, however, that she must die before she can die. Huzzah, it's a story of resurrection, of redemption. "If any of you want to come with me, you must forget yourself, carry your cross, and follow me. For if you want to save your own life, you will lose it; but if you lose your life for my sake, you will find it". This too I can relate to. I put off my true proclamation of faith and communion with the Church because I believed myself "unworthy" of being a Christian. "Unworthy" to participate in God's love. "I must first become perfect before I can become Christian", I told myself. How pitiable! How foolish! How despairing! Remember, exodus comes before Leviticus. That is, salvation comes before sanctification. It is always this way. One does not become perfect before turning to God. One recognizes their imperfection, turns to God, and seeks forgiveness and salvation, and that is what you will find. How sad it is to think that there is a God who does not love us when we are at our most deplorable, our most meager. It's simply not the case.

The title of the book, which isn't revealed until the end of the book, is a further beauty. The gods, it is said, will not face us until we come to full understanding of who we are: our internal motives and the impact of our actions on others and ourselves. Until that point, the gods will be silent, for it is futile to speak to us when we have no true self because we are oblivious to our nature. It is only when we have faces that we can be spoken to and can receive truth with clarity and understanding.

Not to compare this to the glory of the bible, but there is certainly (in my opinion) something biblical in that it invites you to reflect on yourself, and how these things you're reading are reflective of your own life.

Of course at first the pacing feels weird and it can feel at times as if the story is being told without any real purpose or direction, but in the end all is revealed and clarity is fomented in the reader's mind. I think this can lead to some sense of apathy or boredom, and may make it harder to latch on to the ending, but nevertheless the ending is masterful and reveals a very Christian truth. I think that it reveals a different truth, a different face, if you will, to each reader. That is the beauty in this work, and that is the profound meaning behind the title.

This certainly goes up there as one of the better C.S. Lewis books to this point in my journey. I think it will be worthwhile to reread this and find the truths from a better understood context. I did find myself struggling at times in the first half, and it really wasn't until it started to close that I could really see past the surface "veil" (thematic haha), and instead look deeper at the content and message of the book, as it pertains to my own journey. As of now, I'd land it somewhere in the B/B+ Tier, with certain possibility of moving up upon a future read.

And with that, I will end with the closing lines, Orual's dying words:

"I ended my first book with the words 'no answer.' I know now, Lord, why you utter no answer. You are yourself the answer. Before your face questions die away. What other answer would suffice? Only words, words; to be led out to battle against other words. Long did I hate you, long did I fear you. I might-"]]> 4.28 1956 Till We Have Faces: A Myth Retold
author: C.S. Lewis
name: Rowan
average rating: 4.28
book published: 1956
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/07
date added: 2024/11/07
shelves: 2024-reading-list
review:
The focus on gods and the various names and kingdoms gave me an initial bout of confusion, as I initially thought that the setting was like in some heavenly/celestial environment. Some sort of "above world" where youd find your Hermes, and your Aphrodite, and such. This was made further confusing, as one of the characters has a name that means Aphrodite, so obviously the attention is turned to the Greek Gods. That being said, in spite of the enchanting mood, I must remember that this does not (i think) take place on Olympus, haha.

I think the first couple of chapters were a little hard for me to get into, just because the setting felt obscure, but upon the introduction of the third sister, Istra (or Psyche), born to the King's second wife, and therefore the half-sister of our Orual and Redival, that things start to click.

We have a sisterly spat! Orual and Redival are a contrast to each other, and often bicker. More accurately, it seems as if Orual and the merriment of those around her, diminshes once Redival comes around, who seems much more prudish and mean-spirited, perhaps.

It becomes really apparent, then, that family is an integral theme here. I think what I took from it the most is that family goes beyond just blood, and sometimes blood is not as substantive as it may seem. Oural, for example, calls her tutor, the fox, grandfather, and they seem to have a very nourishing and fruitful relationship. Meanwhile, I at times feel unsure that the King is even their biological father, as he is portrayed so disconnected from our protagonists. Truly, he is almost a non-entity in their lives, save for the progeny that he brings into it.

This familial theme is further reinforced when Orual, seeing the beautiful little Istra, wishes she were her mother or a boy so that she might have a closer love for her. She wishes to be a nurturer and a protector for Istra, and again we see that these half-siblings have a more integral bond than those direct relationships held with the king. I think it speaks in a Christian light that we are, too, a family, as children of God.

Chapter 5 gets intense, as there is a sacrifice called from the Kingdom of Glome for the goddess Ungit. You can kindof see where this is going, especially as the priest says that the sacrifice must be of the most pure of the kingdom, but still it presents as such an epic scene when they verbalize that Istra must be sacrificed for Ungit. I think the scene just intensely opens up the setting of the book and the fantastical elements of it. All of the sudden, it felt as if we were transported into some fantasy world like that of Tolkien. Yes, this is high praise, and there was no real magic or anything, or queer races, or anything of the sort, but so be it. It gave off a feeling of renaissance dramaticism that propelled the glory of the book in my eyes.

I think this is a fine book of Lewis', profoundly underrated and unrecognized. Through the myths of the Greeks, still Christ is revealed in this retelling. This is ultimately a Christian story, I would argue. Orual's story is one of self-understanding, self-value, and the reconciliation of one's own sin against the sins they perceive in the world. I think that upon first read, some of the points can get muddled, or simply fly over my head. Not that this is necessarily incredibly difficult to understand, but certainly there is, in my opinion, something occasionally lacking in presentation.

The veil that the ugly Orual must wear is two-fold. Not only does it mask her physical features, but more importantly, it masks the impurity of her motives. She has what she thinks to be a pure love for those around her, namely Psyche (though also the Fox and Bardia). It is later revealed to her in a dream, however, that her love is possessive and selfish. I think it rather relatable to act in good faith, all the while being blind to one's corrupt motive. It was as if the veil was not a mask that others couldn't see through, but one that she couldn't see through. This is, after all, part of my (and I'd think most converts) faith story. I too was, and still am, a selfish sinner, working against myself to argue that I'm acting with good intentions. We find things out about ourselves, however. We want people around, not to talk to, but just so that they might not talk to others. I treated my mother that way for a long time, I think, and that cruelty was similar to the one that Orual exhibits here.

Furthermore, once she realizes this, she feels despair. She considers suicide. The gods tell her no, however, that she must die before she can die. Huzzah, it's a story of resurrection, of redemption. "If any of you want to come with me, you must forget yourself, carry your cross, and follow me. For if you want to save your own life, you will lose it; but if you lose your life for my sake, you will find it". This too I can relate to. I put off my true proclamation of faith and communion with the Church because I believed myself "unworthy" of being a Christian. "Unworthy" to participate in God's love. "I must first become perfect before I can become Christian", I told myself. How pitiable! How foolish! How despairing! Remember, exodus comes before Leviticus. That is, salvation comes before sanctification. It is always this way. One does not become perfect before turning to God. One recognizes their imperfection, turns to God, and seeks forgiveness and salvation, and that is what you will find. How sad it is to think that there is a God who does not love us when we are at our most deplorable, our most meager. It's simply not the case.

The title of the book, which isn't revealed until the end of the book, is a further beauty. The gods, it is said, will not face us until we come to full understanding of who we are: our internal motives and the impact of our actions on others and ourselves. Until that point, the gods will be silent, for it is futile to speak to us when we have no true self because we are oblivious to our nature. It is only when we have faces that we can be spoken to and can receive truth with clarity and understanding.

Not to compare this to the glory of the bible, but there is certainly (in my opinion) something biblical in that it invites you to reflect on yourself, and how these things you're reading are reflective of your own life.

Of course at first the pacing feels weird and it can feel at times as if the story is being told without any real purpose or direction, but in the end all is revealed and clarity is fomented in the reader's mind. I think this can lead to some sense of apathy or boredom, and may make it harder to latch on to the ending, but nevertheless the ending is masterful and reveals a very Christian truth. I think that it reveals a different truth, a different face, if you will, to each reader. That is the beauty in this work, and that is the profound meaning behind the title.

This certainly goes up there as one of the better C.S. Lewis books to this point in my journey. I think it will be worthwhile to reread this and find the truths from a better understood context. I did find myself struggling at times in the first half, and it really wasn't until it started to close that I could really see past the surface "veil" (thematic haha), and instead look deeper at the content and message of the book, as it pertains to my own journey. As of now, I'd land it somewhere in the B/B+ Tier, with certain possibility of moving up upon a future read.

And with that, I will end with the closing lines, Orual's dying words:

"I ended my first book with the words 'no answer.' I know now, Lord, why you utter no answer. You are yourself the answer. Before your face questions die away. What other answer would suffice? Only words, words; to be led out to battle against other words. Long did I hate you, long did I fear you. I might-"
]]> <![CDATA[The Drifting Classroom, Vol. 1]]> 25849 190 Kazuo Umezu 1421507226 Rowan 0 to-read 3.80 2006 The Drifting Classroom, Vol. 1
author: Kazuo Umezu
name: Rowan
average rating: 3.80
book published: 2006
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date added: 2024/11/07
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]]> <![CDATA[The Air We Breathe: How We All Came to Believe in Freedom, Kindness, Progress, and Equality]]> 59389258
Today in the west, many consider the church to be dead or dying. Christianity is seen as outdated, bigoted and responsible for many of society's problems. This leaves many believers embarrassed about their faith and many outsiders wary of religion. But what if the Christian message is not the enemy of our modern Western values, but the very thing that makes sense of them?

In this fascinating book, Glen Scrivener takes readers on a journey to discover how the teachings of Jesus not only turned the ancient world upside down, but continue to underpin the way we think of life, worth, and meaning. Far from being a relic from the past, the distinctive ideas of Christianity, such as freedom, kindness, progress and equality, are a crucial part of the air that we breathe. As author Glen Scrivener says in his introduction: "The extraordinary impact of Christianity is seen in the fact that we don't notice it.

This is a book for both believers and sceptics--giving Christians confidence to be open about their faith and showing non-Christians the ways in which the message of Jesus makes sense of their most cherished beliefs. Whoever you are, you'll gain a deeper appreciation for the values you hold dear as you discover the power and profundity of Jesus and his revolution.

]]> 232 Glen Scrivener 1784987492 Rowan 0 to-read 4.46 The Air We Breathe: How We All Came to Believe in Freedom, Kindness, Progress, and Equality
author: Glen Scrivener
name: Rowan
average rating: 4.46
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]]> <![CDATA[The Book of the City of Ladies]]> 89049
Inspirada na Cidade de Deus, de Santo Agostinho, Christine de Pizan concebeu uma cidade utópica composta exclusivamente por mulheres, ao abrigo das calúnias e injustiças dos homens. Em seu livro, a autora, hoje reconhecida como a primeira mulher a viver profissionalmente de sua escrita, recupera figuras femininas de diferentes épocas � guerreiras, artistas, sábias, amantes e santas �, reinterpretando-as como símbolos de resistência e sabedoria. Recorrendo à história e às mitologias grega e romana, aos poemas de Ovídio e Virgílio, a episódios da Bíblia, contos de Boccaccio e mais um sem-número de fontes, Christine debate com grandes nomes do pensamento e da retórica, como Aristóteles, Cícero e muitos outros.

Com coragem e erudição, A Cidade das Mulheres aborda temas surpreendentemente modernos, como o estupro, a igualdade entre os sexos, o acesso das mulheres ao saber e o reconhecimento da autonomia do próprio desejo, revelando-se uma obra fundamental para a história das mulheres e sua longa trajetória de lutas por uma existência plena em todos os domínios da ciência, da cultura e da vida social.]]> 281 Christine de Pizan 0892552301 Rowan 0 to-read 3.80 1405 The Book of the City of Ladies
author: Christine de Pizan
name: Rowan
average rating: 3.80
book published: 1405
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]]> <![CDATA[The Real Anthony Fauci: Bill Gates, Big Pharma, and the Global War on Democracy and Public Health]]> 58063409
Pharma-funded mainstream media has convinced millions of Americans that Dr. Anthony Fauci is a hero. He is anything but.

As director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), Dr. Anthony Fauci dispenses $6.1 billion in annual taxpayer-provided funding for scientific research, allowing him to dictate the subject, content, and outcome of scientific health research across the globe. Fauci uses the financial clout at his disposal to wield extraordinary influence over hospitals, universities, journals, and thousands of influential doctors and scientists—whose careers and institutions he has the power to ruin, advance, or reward.

During more than a year of painstaking and meticulous research, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. unearthed a shocking story that obliterates media spin on Dr. Fauci . . . and that will alarm every American—Democrat or Republican—who cares about democracy, our Constitution, and the future of our children’s health.

The Real Anthony Fauci reveals how “America’s Doctor� launched his career during the early AIDS crisis by partnering with pharmaceutical companies to sabotage safe and effective off-patent therapeutic treatments for AIDS. Fauci orchestrated fraudulent studies, and then pressured US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulators into approving a deadly chemotherapy treatment he had good reason to know was worthless against AIDS. Fauci repeatedly violated federal laws to allow his Pharma partners to use impoverished and dark-skinned children as lab rats in deadly experiments with toxic AIDS and cancer chemotherapies.

In early 2000, Fauci shook hands with Bill Gates in the library of Gates� $147 million Seattle mansion, cementing a partnership that would aim to control an increasingly profitable $60 billion global vaccine enterprise with unlimited growth potential. Through funding leverage and carefully cultivated personal relationships with heads of state and leading media and social media institutions, the Pharma-Fauci-Gates alliance exercises dominion over global health policy.

The Real Anthony Fauci details how Fauci, Gates, and their cohorts use their control of media outlets, scientific journals, key government and quasi-governmental agencies, global intelligence agencies, and influential scientists and physicians to flood the public with fearful propaganda about COVID-19 virulence and pathogenesis, and to muzzle debate and ruthlessly censor dissent.]]> 934 Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Rowan 0 to-read 4.49 2021 The Real Anthony Fauci: Bill Gates, Big Pharma, and the Global War on Democracy and Public Health
author: Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
name: Rowan
average rating: 4.49
book published: 2021
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date added: 2024/11/02
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]]> <![CDATA[The End of Woman: How Smashing the Patriarchy Has Destroyed Us]]> 62919490 Feminism Doesn’t Empower Women. It Erases Them.

The bestselling author of Theology of Home, Carrie Gress shows that fifty years of radical feminism have solidified the primacy of the traditionally male sphere of life and devalued the attributes, virtues, and strengths of women.

Feminism, the ideology dedicated to "smashing the patriarchy," has instead made male lives the norm for everyone. After fifty years of radical feminism, we can’t even define "woman." In this powerful new book, Carrie Gress says what cannot be feminism has abolished women.

Hulking "trans women" thrash female athletes. Mothers abort their baby girls. Drag queens perform obscene parodies of women. Females are enslaved for men's pleasure—or they enslave themselves. Feminism doesn’t avert these tragedies; it encourages them. The carefree binge of self-absorption has left women exploited, unhappy, dependent on the state, and at war with men. And still, feminists cling to their illusions of liberation.

But there are real answers. Real answers for real women. Carrie Gress—a wife, mother, and philosopher—punctures the myth of feminism, exposing its legacy of abuse, abandonment, and anarchy. From the serpent’s seduction of Eve to Mary Shelley's Frankenstein to Kate Millett’s lust, violence, and insanity to Meghan Markle’s havoc-ridden rise to royalty, Gress presents a history as intriguing as the characters who lived it. The answers women most desperately need, she concludes, are to be found precisely where they are most afraid to look.

Only a rediscovery of true womanhood—and motherhood—can pull our society back from the brink. And happiness is possible only if women are open to making peace with men, with children, with God, and—no less difficult—with themselves. For feminism’s victims, Gress is a welcoming voice in the The door is open. The lights are on. Come home.]]> 251 Carrie Gress 1684514185 Rowan 0 to-read 4.22 The End of Woman: How Smashing the Patriarchy Has Destroyed Us
author: Carrie Gress
name: Rowan
average rating: 4.22
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]]> The Imitation of Christ 851393 242 Thomas a Kempis 0375700188 Rowan 0 to-read 4.18 1427 The Imitation of Christ
author: Thomas a Kempis
name: Rowan
average rating: 4.18
book published: 1427
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]]> <![CDATA[Introduction to the Devout Life]]> 398834 288 Francis de Sales 0375725628 Rowan 0 to-read 4.32 1609 Introduction to the Devout Life
author: Francis de Sales
name: Rowan
average rating: 4.32
book published: 1609
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]]> <![CDATA[A Severe Mercy: A Story of Faith, Tragedy, and Triumph]]> 56594
Vanauken chronicles the birth of a powerful pagan love borne out of the relationship he shares with his wife, Davy, and describes the growth of their relationship and the dreams that they share.

A beloved, profoundly moving account of the author's marriage, the couple's search for faith and friendship with C. S. Lewis, and a spiritual strength that sustained Vanauken after his wife's untimely death. Replete with 18 letters from C.S. Lewis, A Severe Mercy addresses some of the universal questions that surround faith—the existence of God and the reasons behind tragedy.]]> 240 Sheldon Vanauken 0060688246 Rowan 0 to-read 4.27 1977 A Severe Mercy: A Story of Faith, Tragedy, and Triumph
author: Sheldon Vanauken
name: Rowan
average rating: 4.27
book published: 1977
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/10/30
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]]> <![CDATA[Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass]]> 36529
An astonishing orator and a skillful writer, Douglass became a newspaper editor, a political activist, and an eloquent spokesperson for the civil rights of African Americans. He lived through the Civil War, the end of slavery, and the beginning of segregation. He was celebrated internationally as the leading black intellectual of his day, and his story still resonates in ours.]]> 158 Frederick Douglass 1580495761 Rowan 0 to-read 4.08 1845 Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
author: Frederick Douglass
name: Rowan
average rating: 4.08
book published: 1845
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]]> <![CDATA[The Road To Wigan Pier: (Authorized Orwell Edition): A Mariner Books Classic]]> 824545 In the 1930s, commissioned by a left-wing book club, Orwell went to the industrial areas of northern England to investigate and record the real situation of the working class. Orwell did more than just investigate; he went down to the deepest part of the mine, lived in dilapidated and filthy workers' houses, and used the tip of his pen to vividly reveal every aspect of the coal miners' lives. Reading today, 80 years later, Still shockingly true. The despair and poverty conveyed by this picture have a terrifying power that transcends time and national boundaries. At the same time, the Road to Wigan Pier is also Orwell's road to socialism as he examines his own inner self. Born in the British middle class, he recalled how he gradually began to doubt and then hate the strict class barriers that divided British society at that time. Because in his mind, socialism ultimately means only one concept: "justice and freedom."]]> 253 George Orwell 0156767503 Rowan 4 2024-reading-list
From the start, there seems to me to be a characteristic sense of optimism hidden behind layers of cynical behavior. One example would be this beautiful excerpt from chapter one: "The Earth is so vast and still so empty that even tin the filthy heart of civilization you find fields where the grass is green instead of grey". He carries this triumphant sense of grandeur as he turns his attention to the miners. He thinks of them, and perhaps rightfully so, as those which we forget about, and yet they are the foundation on which we stand. He says how easy it would be to drive one's car in England "and never once remember that hundreds of feet below the road you are on the miners are hacking at the coal. Yet in a sense it is the miners who are driving your car forward. It's a little later on, but considering what I've already noted, I think it's important to reference later in the book, where upon receiving criticism from some political opponents (if you like to call them that) for being "set down" in Wigan to villify humanity, Orwell strikes back. He tells us, on the contrary, the truth that the reader may very well already know: "He liked Wigan very much - the people, not the scenery".

I like in chapter 3, how Orwell basically goes deep in debunking the basic claims made about miners' pay, and showing why these reported figures are false/misleading. He's very thorough, haven't gathered empirical evidence, while also adding information gathered on his own account as a journalist. I like the, perhaps unintentional, comedy built into it as well. For example, the (presumably sarcastic) quip made about how miners are overworked, saying they don't actually work six days a week, as the reader may believe, because in reality they have so many days where they are laid off, Orwell tells us.

In chapter 4, Orwell expands outward to the housing market in particular, looking at how it affects the impoverished of England, and in particular, his particular project of the miners he's followed. He does a good job of giving his writing weight here. He talks of the various elements of squalor, and almost holds the reader accountable as well. He lightly gives some commentary on the horrors he's seen, but says its not much use to continue to detail, because they are facts that the reader, safe in their home, don't truly register. They read the words, scanning over them, but don't really feel them. It's an excellent point that makes the reader turn inward, and something you wouldn't really expect, considering that Orwell's job here centered around reporting on the miners, not us.

1984 was not the only instance in which Orwell was seemingly prophetic. At some point here, Orwell mentions how the physique, if you will, of the average Englishman, has essentially gone downhill. The Englishman is flabby and misshapen. and Orwell points the finger at industrialism. Not only does he proceed to give an excerpt proclaiming essentially the dangers of consumerism and the search for easy substitutes, instant gratification, and the total subservience to the machine if it means we have one less finger to lift. Perhaps I'm wrong, but this to me seemed way ahead of its time. Furthermore, he finishes with a good tagline: "We may find in the long run that tinned food is a deadlier weapon than the machine gun".

Another thing I like about Orwell, particularly considering this book and Homage to Catalonia, is that he isn't characteristically impersonal as a journalist. He does not distance himself. On the contrary, he lives the life, and he reports on it more so like a journal of his experience. He does not judge these miners as dirty, low class people. Rather, he really shows you the life. In fact, he gets particularly personal in the end of chapter four, making note of how friendly these people are, and how nice they were and understanding of the questions he asked, and why he asked them.

I think one thing I enjoy about this book is that more so than any of his other works, this book gives you the most intimate look at Orwell himself. I feel like I'm reading a personal journal, rather than an official publication. I'm glad that I incidentally happened to read this one last among his 9 major works, because it definitely wraps things neatly together. Having made way through his stories, now there is this feeling of a deeper look, and I think this is definitely the best example among his works of "books that say more about the author than anything else".

Half way through the book, there is a shift that further supports the just mentioned personal nature of this work. In part two, following his report on the unemployed and the impoverished miners of England, Orwell begins to get more personal, political, and philosophical. In particular, he goes into why he believes socialism to be the "right answer", so to speak, to the question of the economic and societal hardships in England, in particular.

Obviously, I disagree with these calls for socialism, but it isn't so much the essence of the content that concerns me, rather it's the way in which its presented that will always allot Orwell my respect. Orwell begins by telling us how the first half of the book tied into his purpose here, as he felt the need to experience firsthand the struggles of the working class before he could give his argument in the first place. In his words: "before you can be sure whether you are genuinely in favor of socialism, you have got to decide whether things at present are tolerable or not tolerable. I also like how uncomfortable he seems about getting "auto-biographical", but he finds it important to how his attitude toward the question of class developed.

It is here, however, where I mostly feel, for obvious reasons to those who know me, that the book starts to slip downhill. It still retains that earnest tone, and is at times rather insightful and touches on a broad scope of perspectives and aspects of society, but I simply can't agree with some of the socialist principles on which Orwell builds his arguments. Furthermore, and perhaps this is juvenile of me, but despite loving Orwell and taking a great interest in him, the first couple of chapters of part II, which detail his burgeoning socialist sympathies as he grows up, is of very little interest to me. A lot of these things I already knew from his previous nonfiction works, though I suppose that isn't in and of itself an issue with the book. I suppose in the grand scheme of it, I just have little interest in his SOCIALIST history, though his personal background can serve as some intrigue to me. I must say, also, that despite the explicit importance he placed on it, I don't think that Orwell really did have to explain his personal history and his turning sentiments toward socialism over recent history. I honestly don't see how it would end up making much of a difference in the reader's consumption of his ideas to come.

He makes some anecdotal claims about hospitality amongst the poor being better than that of the middle class during his journalism. He uses this in part to drive his theory of class divide. Now, I somewhat disagree with what he has to say here, mainly that this is inherently representative of all from both of these classes. I will say, however, that he is spot on in another light, and I must ironically agree due to some anecdotal evidence on my part. He criticizes middle-class socialists that he says claim to want change, but at some level don't really believe in it. He goes further in saying that a lot of these people benefit from the systems that they claim to reject. I love how Orwell so unrelentingly goes after his own kind. This is how all political writers should be, and yet Orwell is one of the only ones that comes to mind to have this level of criticism for those of his own ideology. Certainly, the main conservative and liberal groups, at least those not on the ground, seem to struggle to do this. It's also reminiscent of one of the characters and plot points in Orwell's "Keep the Aspidistra Flying", which is my second favorite of his books. Orwell's main argument here in chapter 10 seems to be that if people truly want socialism to come about, they must abandon parts of themselves. It's funny, because his point here makes me think heavily on how these people make Government God, because they are themselves Godless. Certainly, Orwell proves my point too because he's very critical of the mystics as he progresses toward the end of this book. Orwell tells us that people have to eradicate the internalized class system, particularly their prejudice and snobbery, if they truly want to abolish the class system. He warns, then, that people who accomplish this may find themselves unrecognizable to who they were before. Again, this makes me think back to that issue which C.S. Lewis outlined about praying and truly wishing to be changed.

Chapter 11 continues with some more classic socialist bashing from Orwell. Evidently, he loves the idea, but hates the people. On the other side of the aisle, it is reminiscient of a certain Herbert Hoover quote: "The trouble with capitalism is capitalists; they're too damn greedy". In this chapter, Orwell tries to empathize with socialism's critics, by trying to examine why the ideology has, in his opinion, faltered in popularity. Orwell outlines two different types of "socialists", that he admittedly says he doesn't really understand (as in, "I don't get them"). He ultimately rejects these types. He also compares them to Christians, who make Christianity seem bad. His language with this isn't all agreeable, but at its core, I have to agree wholeheartedly that man has indeed tarnished Christianity, and there are parallels in how people attribute the acts of man to that of God, and how ironically it proves the need for God even more. Orwell pretty accurately outlines the two types of socialists that I can think of that most take issue with. The first being those stereotypically timid, middle class folk who, as Orwell says, don't drink or eat meat. These people are seen as insincere (posers, I suppose?). On the other hand, there are those "strange socialists" whose radical beliefs turn into non-conforming behavior throughout their lives. Orwell calls them "cranks", saying they are "nudists, sandal wearers, and obsessed with sex". Hilarious to me, but accurate I'd say. I can put multiple faces to this description. He also speaks on how socialists (particularly these middle class, elite poser types) uses "jargon" that lacks practicality. This makes me think of the college aged loser who only reads theory and has never touched grass (me...) In contrast, Orwell tells us that the most practical socialism he knows of, comes from experiences with those real working-class people. Those who understand the core of socialism, but without the education or the language to explicitly define it. Nevertheless, he tells us, their beliefs were based in reality, unlike the middle-class socialists who have learned about working-class life from a book. I think this is a profoundly human approach, and one that I can respect, though I of course apply this ideologically in my direction, rather than his. He understands the realism which defines these ideas, whatever they may be. I've always found Orwell to be respectably intelligent, as he tells us here of the importance of understanding the issue here, even if it isn't of the ideology itself.

Chapter 12 is probably my least favorite, and the weakest of Orwell's arguments. He addresses opponents who argue that socialism would lead to sweeping growth of industrialization and thus the loss of some trades/skills. Basically, he makes this weak statement about how "there's no going back" and that industrialization is coming and progressing, regardless. I disagree, as would Ted K, but what bothers me more is how he then makes a weak argument that hyper industrialization is good, simply because he's already conceded the fact that it's rapid growth is inevitable, as his opponents fear. He makes some false equivalency about how we don't choose to go on mules anymore when there are trains available, and overall continues down this path of arguing that "no, everything being easy and there never being challenges is good!". He tells us that with progress, something is always lost, and that tradition isn't always better, and that some trades are bound to be lost. I don't know how this could possibly be construed as a positive, but I digress. It's strange, because this sounds like what I've heard every 19th century capitalist criticized for, yet here it is, clear and adamant, in 20th century socialist speech.

Orwell finishes in Chapter 13 with a bit of an overview of the problems he's thus discussed. He believes that, at the present, the decision lies mainly between fascism, which was on the rise, and socialism. I don't really see how this makes sense, as there are certainly many spaces in-between these two, but I won't comment for lack of knowledge on the political landscape (particularly in England) at the time. He says between the two, only socialism has room for disagreement amongst the people under it. This is definitely a good standard to have, but I think he quickly contradicts himself. He tells us that all who oppose fascism must put aside their differences and unite. He goes on to say that petty infighting is irrelevant when threatened with fascism, and that Socialists can't demand ideological purity from others at this time. Now that sounds quite the opposite of what he just said prior, in my opinion. He tells us socialism allows for disagreement within the party, then says that all socialists must become unitary immediately after. That is nonsensical to me. The whole beauty is supposed to be that you can disagree with others of your party, not that you must herd into one cause, and effectively forget your personal principles for the time being. This, to me, sounds like the same sort of socialist cognitive dissonance that I've become well too aware of.

Overall, this is a decent book, and being from Orwell, I have a soft spot for it. Up until the last two chapters, even I felt as if his political ideologizing was worthy of consideration and respect, despite my vehement disagreements at times. Still, this is a very pure look at Orwell himself, and were it not for some crumbling of his ideas right at the tail end that frankly make me cringe a tad due to the contradictions in term, I would probably rate this even higher. That being said, I think this arrives toward the low B- Tier area, and I'd probably place it 6/9 among Orwell's books, having now read them all!]]> 3.88 1937 The Road To Wigan Pier: (Authorized Orwell Edition): A Mariner Books Classic
author: George Orwell
name: Rowan
average rating: 3.88
book published: 1937
rating: 4
read at: 2024/10/17
date added: 2024/10/27
shelves: 2024-reading-list
review:
Ah, The Road To Wigan Pier. The time has finally come for me to finish off the Orwell bibliography with this nonfiction work from 1937, in which Orwell describes his accounts with the lower middle class of Britain, particularly the coal miners, before going on to give a rather iconic advocacy for socialism.

From the start, there seems to me to be a characteristic sense of optimism hidden behind layers of cynical behavior. One example would be this beautiful excerpt from chapter one: "The Earth is so vast and still so empty that even tin the filthy heart of civilization you find fields where the grass is green instead of grey". He carries this triumphant sense of grandeur as he turns his attention to the miners. He thinks of them, and perhaps rightfully so, as those which we forget about, and yet they are the foundation on which we stand. He says how easy it would be to drive one's car in England "and never once remember that hundreds of feet below the road you are on the miners are hacking at the coal. Yet in a sense it is the miners who are driving your car forward. It's a little later on, but considering what I've already noted, I think it's important to reference later in the book, where upon receiving criticism from some political opponents (if you like to call them that) for being "set down" in Wigan to villify humanity, Orwell strikes back. He tells us, on the contrary, the truth that the reader may very well already know: "He liked Wigan very much - the people, not the scenery".

I like in chapter 3, how Orwell basically goes deep in debunking the basic claims made about miners' pay, and showing why these reported figures are false/misleading. He's very thorough, haven't gathered empirical evidence, while also adding information gathered on his own account as a journalist. I like the, perhaps unintentional, comedy built into it as well. For example, the (presumably sarcastic) quip made about how miners are overworked, saying they don't actually work six days a week, as the reader may believe, because in reality they have so many days where they are laid off, Orwell tells us.

In chapter 4, Orwell expands outward to the housing market in particular, looking at how it affects the impoverished of England, and in particular, his particular project of the miners he's followed. He does a good job of giving his writing weight here. He talks of the various elements of squalor, and almost holds the reader accountable as well. He lightly gives some commentary on the horrors he's seen, but says its not much use to continue to detail, because they are facts that the reader, safe in their home, don't truly register. They read the words, scanning over them, but don't really feel them. It's an excellent point that makes the reader turn inward, and something you wouldn't really expect, considering that Orwell's job here centered around reporting on the miners, not us.

1984 was not the only instance in which Orwell was seemingly prophetic. At some point here, Orwell mentions how the physique, if you will, of the average Englishman, has essentially gone downhill. The Englishman is flabby and misshapen. and Orwell points the finger at industrialism. Not only does he proceed to give an excerpt proclaiming essentially the dangers of consumerism and the search for easy substitutes, instant gratification, and the total subservience to the machine if it means we have one less finger to lift. Perhaps I'm wrong, but this to me seemed way ahead of its time. Furthermore, he finishes with a good tagline: "We may find in the long run that tinned food is a deadlier weapon than the machine gun".

Another thing I like about Orwell, particularly considering this book and Homage to Catalonia, is that he isn't characteristically impersonal as a journalist. He does not distance himself. On the contrary, he lives the life, and he reports on it more so like a journal of his experience. He does not judge these miners as dirty, low class people. Rather, he really shows you the life. In fact, he gets particularly personal in the end of chapter four, making note of how friendly these people are, and how nice they were and understanding of the questions he asked, and why he asked them.

I think one thing I enjoy about this book is that more so than any of his other works, this book gives you the most intimate look at Orwell himself. I feel like I'm reading a personal journal, rather than an official publication. I'm glad that I incidentally happened to read this one last among his 9 major works, because it definitely wraps things neatly together. Having made way through his stories, now there is this feeling of a deeper look, and I think this is definitely the best example among his works of "books that say more about the author than anything else".

Half way through the book, there is a shift that further supports the just mentioned personal nature of this work. In part two, following his report on the unemployed and the impoverished miners of England, Orwell begins to get more personal, political, and philosophical. In particular, he goes into why he believes socialism to be the "right answer", so to speak, to the question of the economic and societal hardships in England, in particular.

Obviously, I disagree with these calls for socialism, but it isn't so much the essence of the content that concerns me, rather it's the way in which its presented that will always allot Orwell my respect. Orwell begins by telling us how the first half of the book tied into his purpose here, as he felt the need to experience firsthand the struggles of the working class before he could give his argument in the first place. In his words: "before you can be sure whether you are genuinely in favor of socialism, you have got to decide whether things at present are tolerable or not tolerable. I also like how uncomfortable he seems about getting "auto-biographical", but he finds it important to how his attitude toward the question of class developed.

It is here, however, where I mostly feel, for obvious reasons to those who know me, that the book starts to slip downhill. It still retains that earnest tone, and is at times rather insightful and touches on a broad scope of perspectives and aspects of society, but I simply can't agree with some of the socialist principles on which Orwell builds his arguments. Furthermore, and perhaps this is juvenile of me, but despite loving Orwell and taking a great interest in him, the first couple of chapters of part II, which detail his burgeoning socialist sympathies as he grows up, is of very little interest to me. A lot of these things I already knew from his previous nonfiction works, though I suppose that isn't in and of itself an issue with the book. I suppose in the grand scheme of it, I just have little interest in his SOCIALIST history, though his personal background can serve as some intrigue to me. I must say, also, that despite the explicit importance he placed on it, I don't think that Orwell really did have to explain his personal history and his turning sentiments toward socialism over recent history. I honestly don't see how it would end up making much of a difference in the reader's consumption of his ideas to come.

He makes some anecdotal claims about hospitality amongst the poor being better than that of the middle class during his journalism. He uses this in part to drive his theory of class divide. Now, I somewhat disagree with what he has to say here, mainly that this is inherently representative of all from both of these classes. I will say, however, that he is spot on in another light, and I must ironically agree due to some anecdotal evidence on my part. He criticizes middle-class socialists that he says claim to want change, but at some level don't really believe in it. He goes further in saying that a lot of these people benefit from the systems that they claim to reject. I love how Orwell so unrelentingly goes after his own kind. This is how all political writers should be, and yet Orwell is one of the only ones that comes to mind to have this level of criticism for those of his own ideology. Certainly, the main conservative and liberal groups, at least those not on the ground, seem to struggle to do this. It's also reminiscent of one of the characters and plot points in Orwell's "Keep the Aspidistra Flying", which is my second favorite of his books. Orwell's main argument here in chapter 10 seems to be that if people truly want socialism to come about, they must abandon parts of themselves. It's funny, because his point here makes me think heavily on how these people make Government God, because they are themselves Godless. Certainly, Orwell proves my point too because he's very critical of the mystics as he progresses toward the end of this book. Orwell tells us that people have to eradicate the internalized class system, particularly their prejudice and snobbery, if they truly want to abolish the class system. He warns, then, that people who accomplish this may find themselves unrecognizable to who they were before. Again, this makes me think back to that issue which C.S. Lewis outlined about praying and truly wishing to be changed.

Chapter 11 continues with some more classic socialist bashing from Orwell. Evidently, he loves the idea, but hates the people. On the other side of the aisle, it is reminiscient of a certain Herbert Hoover quote: "The trouble with capitalism is capitalists; they're too damn greedy". In this chapter, Orwell tries to empathize with socialism's critics, by trying to examine why the ideology has, in his opinion, faltered in popularity. Orwell outlines two different types of "socialists", that he admittedly says he doesn't really understand (as in, "I don't get them"). He ultimately rejects these types. He also compares them to Christians, who make Christianity seem bad. His language with this isn't all agreeable, but at its core, I have to agree wholeheartedly that man has indeed tarnished Christianity, and there are parallels in how people attribute the acts of man to that of God, and how ironically it proves the need for God even more. Orwell pretty accurately outlines the two types of socialists that I can think of that most take issue with. The first being those stereotypically timid, middle class folk who, as Orwell says, don't drink or eat meat. These people are seen as insincere (posers, I suppose?). On the other hand, there are those "strange socialists" whose radical beliefs turn into non-conforming behavior throughout their lives. Orwell calls them "cranks", saying they are "nudists, sandal wearers, and obsessed with sex". Hilarious to me, but accurate I'd say. I can put multiple faces to this description. He also speaks on how socialists (particularly these middle class, elite poser types) uses "jargon" that lacks practicality. This makes me think of the college aged loser who only reads theory and has never touched grass (me...) In contrast, Orwell tells us that the most practical socialism he knows of, comes from experiences with those real working-class people. Those who understand the core of socialism, but without the education or the language to explicitly define it. Nevertheless, he tells us, their beliefs were based in reality, unlike the middle-class socialists who have learned about working-class life from a book. I think this is a profoundly human approach, and one that I can respect, though I of course apply this ideologically in my direction, rather than his. He understands the realism which defines these ideas, whatever they may be. I've always found Orwell to be respectably intelligent, as he tells us here of the importance of understanding the issue here, even if it isn't of the ideology itself.

Chapter 12 is probably my least favorite, and the weakest of Orwell's arguments. He addresses opponents who argue that socialism would lead to sweeping growth of industrialization and thus the loss of some trades/skills. Basically, he makes this weak statement about how "there's no going back" and that industrialization is coming and progressing, regardless. I disagree, as would Ted K, but what bothers me more is how he then makes a weak argument that hyper industrialization is good, simply because he's already conceded the fact that it's rapid growth is inevitable, as his opponents fear. He makes some false equivalency about how we don't choose to go on mules anymore when there are trains available, and overall continues down this path of arguing that "no, everything being easy and there never being challenges is good!". He tells us that with progress, something is always lost, and that tradition isn't always better, and that some trades are bound to be lost. I don't know how this could possibly be construed as a positive, but I digress. It's strange, because this sounds like what I've heard every 19th century capitalist criticized for, yet here it is, clear and adamant, in 20th century socialist speech.

Orwell finishes in Chapter 13 with a bit of an overview of the problems he's thus discussed. He believes that, at the present, the decision lies mainly between fascism, which was on the rise, and socialism. I don't really see how this makes sense, as there are certainly many spaces in-between these two, but I won't comment for lack of knowledge on the political landscape (particularly in England) at the time. He says between the two, only socialism has room for disagreement amongst the people under it. This is definitely a good standard to have, but I think he quickly contradicts himself. He tells us that all who oppose fascism must put aside their differences and unite. He goes on to say that petty infighting is irrelevant when threatened with fascism, and that Socialists can't demand ideological purity from others at this time. Now that sounds quite the opposite of what he just said prior, in my opinion. He tells us socialism allows for disagreement within the party, then says that all socialists must become unitary immediately after. That is nonsensical to me. The whole beauty is supposed to be that you can disagree with others of your party, not that you must herd into one cause, and effectively forget your personal principles for the time being. This, to me, sounds like the same sort of socialist cognitive dissonance that I've become well too aware of.

Overall, this is a decent book, and being from Orwell, I have a soft spot for it. Up until the last two chapters, even I felt as if his political ideologizing was worthy of consideration and respect, despite my vehement disagreements at times. Still, this is a very pure look at Orwell himself, and were it not for some crumbling of his ideas right at the tail end that frankly make me cringe a tad due to the contradictions in term, I would probably rate this even higher. That being said, I think this arrives toward the low B- Tier area, and I'd probably place it 6/9 among Orwell's books, having now read them all!
]]> Frankenstein: The 1818 Text 35031085 This is a previously-published edition of ISBN 9780143131847.

Mary Shelley's seminal novel of the scientist whose creation becomes a monster.

This edition is the original 1818 text, which preserves the hard-hitting and politically charged aspects of Shelley's original writing, as well as her unflinching wit and strong female voice. This edition also includes a new introduction and suggestions for further reading by author and Shelley expert Charlotte Gordon, literary excerpts and reviews selected by Gordon and a chronology and essay by preeminent Shelley scholar Charles E. Robinson.]]> 260 Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley 0143131842 Rowan 2 2024-reading-list
The Art of suspense seems not to have been quite refined yet. I found the scene of the monster's animation incredibly underwhelming. There appears to be little to no buildup, just a sudden surge of life, with no emotion behind the words. Furthermore, while I can understand the character's distress, the idea that Frankenstein just left his house thinking "oh gee this sucks, I hope he's gone" then returning home in jubilation to find that the monster has left is really sloppy storytelling in my opinion, regardless of when it was written. It's just plainly stupid, to be quite frank.

Frankenstein is not at all what I thought it to be. I'm quite honestly befuddled with what I am reading. Perhaps it's due to my ignorance of Gothic horror, but I struggle to find exactly where the "horror" elements lie here. The monster, too, meant to be the misunderstood beast, is so far removed from the better known movie counterpart, that I almost have a hard time believing the book and the film are related. I honestly find it tiresome and trite that the monster is actually this rather intelligent being, because I think part of the layer to him being misunderstood is that he is literally misunderstood, as in he seems to be to us of lower intelligence in th film. This is far from the case here. Reading the eloquence with which he speaks as he reunites with and accosts his creator was amusing and comedic in a bad way. I almost lost my mind when he mentioned reading the sorrows of young werther. More than half way through at this point, and it seems to me that Shelley has failed to prove her point past that of pretension.

I will admit that in spite of what was initially incessant boredom, towards the end of the monster's long speech toward his creator, I did find myself drawn in to his solemn and lonely request. I still think it kind of goofy for this strung together "man" to have such eloquent intelligence, but I suppose it was a more intelligent time. His simple request, that the creator whom he despises for creating him, the creator who despises him just the same, might make a companion of the same repugnance and of the opposite sex. I think it speaks to human nature, and that perhaps this is supposed to be indicitive that the monster really is, on some level, human. Or maybe we're supposed to take away that though he isn't literally human, depending on your definition, he has a humanist quality to him that we "real" humans have grown to lack. I feel as if the latter is more likely, as often the assertion with this story is that "humans were the real monsters after all" schtick.

Either way, it just goes to show the emotionalism and need for socialization which all people crave. It seems almost religious even, which shouldnt be a surprise considering the previous references to paradise lost, and to the monster being Frankenstein's Adam. It seems literally that Frankenstein's "Adam" is asking of Frankenstein to give to him what God gave to his Adam, a completion, a union, a woman. That section is beautiful, really. I think more and more to this point it becomes more obvious that my expectations of gothic horror, something more resembling the Universal horror film, were not to be realized. Rather, this is more of a brooding, philosophical piece of speculative science fiction. I think reading with that expectation in mind is definitely bound to make the experience more enjoyable.

Frankenstein considers the monster's request, but fears creating a companion for him will unleash more destruction. I understand his reluctance, but what doesn't make sense to me is that the monster says he'll be watching/following Frankenstein, and this causes Frankenstein to second think going to England, because the monster will follow him. However, we also see prior that Frankenstein practically did nothing so far as making progress on his task for several weeks leading up to this, so did he just forget that the monster would be watching for weeks on end? He then spends actual months in England and Scotland, collecting information for his task, whatever he'd be able to get from these scholars I have no idea, and only then does he finally go "hmm, I hope the monster doesn't get impatient". Finally, after working on this project for Lord knows how many months, Frankenstein begins to worry that a) The companion won't love the monster back, causing the monster to be enraged, b) that the companion won't keep the same promise that the monster made to leave society, and c) that they may have kids and create a race of these monsters. I'm sorry, but the inability to perform any critical thinking until it becomes narratively salient is very annoying and choppy to me.

There is, however, some dim, and "horror-like" intrigue in the last few chapters. Frankenstein's friend, Clerval, is murdered, and Frankenstein is suspected and imprisoned. He is rather defeated and somber, however, and wishes to confess to the murder he didn't commit so he might die and be done with it all. Later, evidence surfaces freeing Frankenstein, but he takes no joy in freedom because "the cup of life is poisoned forever".

Maybe it held up more in the time it was written, but as we go further, and Frankenstein is to marry Elizabeth, she expresses concern, and he literally says "I have a dark secret, but I'll tell you after we get married". Dude, what. The wedding comes, which Frankenstein describes as his last moments of happiness. Frankenstein, who'd been anticipating the monster to come and kill him, is struck by surprise when instead Elizabeth is murdered, leaving him heart broken. Frankenstein now finally tries to tell a judge about the creature whom he says has killed his family, but without evidence he it thought to be delirious. Finally, he bounds to kill the creature himself. Finally, as Frankenstein speaks with Walton, asking him to do away with the creature should he die, we get a little revisiting of the whole religiosity element. Frankenstein laments that in spite of his "lofty ambition". he is like the "archangel who aspired to omnipotence� but is “chained in an eternal hell�.

Frankenstein dies, slain by the creature (who got on the boat, somehow?) and as Walton walks over, the creature stands over Frankenstein with remorse. He says he suffered more in killing him than Frankenstein did in dying. He expresses pity and anger. Then we get a bunch of languishing edgy stuff by the creature, who says he's beyond human compassion. He then threatens suicide, and then jumps into the water and drowns himself. Inspiring...

Seriously though, I found most of this book very boring. I didn't like the pace, nor the language. There were elements that made little sense to me, and which tarnished it's few bright spots, particularly the timeline of Frankenstein making the companion. I did like the religious themes of Frankenstein essentially being an arrogant, and inadequate god, who is seemingly largely at fault for the corruption of his own "Adam". Overall, however, I thought the book was rather weak and not all too introspective. Unfortunately, this is going to slot firmly in the D Tier.]]> 4.02 1818 Frankenstein: The 1818 Text
author: Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley
name: Rowan
average rating: 4.02
book published: 1818
rating: 2
read at: 2024/10/26
date added: 2024/10/27
shelves: 2024-reading-list
review:
While some parts of the language I do admit lull me in the midst of the swaths of boredom, I must also say that there are some phrases and otherwise portions of colorful pros that amuse me, and which could only exist in the time period it was written in. One that comes to mind is Frankenstein's regal way of speaking of his grave robbing in order to get "materials" for his monster: "I collected bones from charnel-houses and disturbed, with profane fingers, the tremendous secrets of the human frame". I don't know why, but this just cracks me up.

The Art of suspense seems not to have been quite refined yet. I found the scene of the monster's animation incredibly underwhelming. There appears to be little to no buildup, just a sudden surge of life, with no emotion behind the words. Furthermore, while I can understand the character's distress, the idea that Frankenstein just left his house thinking "oh gee this sucks, I hope he's gone" then returning home in jubilation to find that the monster has left is really sloppy storytelling in my opinion, regardless of when it was written. It's just plainly stupid, to be quite frank.

Frankenstein is not at all what I thought it to be. I'm quite honestly befuddled with what I am reading. Perhaps it's due to my ignorance of Gothic horror, but I struggle to find exactly where the "horror" elements lie here. The monster, too, meant to be the misunderstood beast, is so far removed from the better known movie counterpart, that I almost have a hard time believing the book and the film are related. I honestly find it tiresome and trite that the monster is actually this rather intelligent being, because I think part of the layer to him being misunderstood is that he is literally misunderstood, as in he seems to be to us of lower intelligence in th film. This is far from the case here. Reading the eloquence with which he speaks as he reunites with and accosts his creator was amusing and comedic in a bad way. I almost lost my mind when he mentioned reading the sorrows of young werther. More than half way through at this point, and it seems to me that Shelley has failed to prove her point past that of pretension.

I will admit that in spite of what was initially incessant boredom, towards the end of the monster's long speech toward his creator, I did find myself drawn in to his solemn and lonely request. I still think it kind of goofy for this strung together "man" to have such eloquent intelligence, but I suppose it was a more intelligent time. His simple request, that the creator whom he despises for creating him, the creator who despises him just the same, might make a companion of the same repugnance and of the opposite sex. I think it speaks to human nature, and that perhaps this is supposed to be indicitive that the monster really is, on some level, human. Or maybe we're supposed to take away that though he isn't literally human, depending on your definition, he has a humanist quality to him that we "real" humans have grown to lack. I feel as if the latter is more likely, as often the assertion with this story is that "humans were the real monsters after all" schtick.

Either way, it just goes to show the emotionalism and need for socialization which all people crave. It seems almost religious even, which shouldnt be a surprise considering the previous references to paradise lost, and to the monster being Frankenstein's Adam. It seems literally that Frankenstein's "Adam" is asking of Frankenstein to give to him what God gave to his Adam, a completion, a union, a woman. That section is beautiful, really. I think more and more to this point it becomes more obvious that my expectations of gothic horror, something more resembling the Universal horror film, were not to be realized. Rather, this is more of a brooding, philosophical piece of speculative science fiction. I think reading with that expectation in mind is definitely bound to make the experience more enjoyable.

Frankenstein considers the monster's request, but fears creating a companion for him will unleash more destruction. I understand his reluctance, but what doesn't make sense to me is that the monster says he'll be watching/following Frankenstein, and this causes Frankenstein to second think going to England, because the monster will follow him. However, we also see prior that Frankenstein practically did nothing so far as making progress on his task for several weeks leading up to this, so did he just forget that the monster would be watching for weeks on end? He then spends actual months in England and Scotland, collecting information for his task, whatever he'd be able to get from these scholars I have no idea, and only then does he finally go "hmm, I hope the monster doesn't get impatient". Finally, after working on this project for Lord knows how many months, Frankenstein begins to worry that a) The companion won't love the monster back, causing the monster to be enraged, b) that the companion won't keep the same promise that the monster made to leave society, and c) that they may have kids and create a race of these monsters. I'm sorry, but the inability to perform any critical thinking until it becomes narratively salient is very annoying and choppy to me.

There is, however, some dim, and "horror-like" intrigue in the last few chapters. Frankenstein's friend, Clerval, is murdered, and Frankenstein is suspected and imprisoned. He is rather defeated and somber, however, and wishes to confess to the murder he didn't commit so he might die and be done with it all. Later, evidence surfaces freeing Frankenstein, but he takes no joy in freedom because "the cup of life is poisoned forever".

Maybe it held up more in the time it was written, but as we go further, and Frankenstein is to marry Elizabeth, she expresses concern, and he literally says "I have a dark secret, but I'll tell you after we get married". Dude, what. The wedding comes, which Frankenstein describes as his last moments of happiness. Frankenstein, who'd been anticipating the monster to come and kill him, is struck by surprise when instead Elizabeth is murdered, leaving him heart broken. Frankenstein now finally tries to tell a judge about the creature whom he says has killed his family, but without evidence he it thought to be delirious. Finally, he bounds to kill the creature himself. Finally, as Frankenstein speaks with Walton, asking him to do away with the creature should he die, we get a little revisiting of the whole religiosity element. Frankenstein laments that in spite of his "lofty ambition". he is like the "archangel who aspired to omnipotence� but is “chained in an eternal hell�.

Frankenstein dies, slain by the creature (who got on the boat, somehow?) and as Walton walks over, the creature stands over Frankenstein with remorse. He says he suffered more in killing him than Frankenstein did in dying. He expresses pity and anger. Then we get a bunch of languishing edgy stuff by the creature, who says he's beyond human compassion. He then threatens suicide, and then jumps into the water and drowns himself. Inspiring...

Seriously though, I found most of this book very boring. I didn't like the pace, nor the language. There were elements that made little sense to me, and which tarnished it's few bright spots, particularly the timeline of Frankenstein making the companion. I did like the religious themes of Frankenstein essentially being an arrogant, and inadequate god, who is seemingly largely at fault for the corruption of his own "Adam". Overall, however, I thought the book was rather weak and not all too introspective. Unfortunately, this is going to slot firmly in the D Tier.
]]> <![CDATA[The Abolition of Sex: How the "Transgender" Agenda Harms Women and Girls]]> 59589019
We have been told that "transgender" is a word to describe a marginalized group of people who are in need of civil rights protection; it is not. Instead, it is an incoherent word that is being used to advance a much broader agenda. There are many people � including people on the political left � who understand the threat that enshrining “gender identity� in law and society poses, but they are silenced when they try to speak out.

This book shines a light on the truth about "gender identity," the "transgender" agenda, the very real threats that they pose to all of society � specifically to the rights, privacy, and safety of women and girls � and what the global Women’s Human Rights Campaign is doing to fight back.]]> 142 Kara Dansky 1637582293 Rowan 4 2024-reading-list
Dansky is one of several rather passionate writers that I've read regarding this topic in just this year alone. She tells us early on, and we can garner from the subtitle as well, that much of this book centers around her refusal to accept the validity of gender identity. She puts a lot of work into speaking about how female-only spaces have dissipated or been otherwise deprecated, concurrent and caused largely by the rising trans agenda. As she says in the introductory, "This book is primarily about the…agenda that involves men claiming to be women". Dansky is one of several writers this year that have continued to expand my conceptions of feminism as not merely being a blanket ideology, but a variant web of several intricate and often times warring philosophies. I've grown to consider myself a particular type of feminist, specifically one who believes in gender essentialism, and I've grown in respect for many of these thinkers, such as Favale or here with Dansky, for that matter.

One area in which I think things can get rather sticky is how, especially early on, Dansky will compare the trans issue with her young adult life and her struggles with anorexia. Now, I can certainly see the parallels in bodily delusions between the two, but I think she makes a mistake and leaves herself more open to criticism by the way in which she a) characterizes herself from a young age, and b) the way in which she personalizes the issue, rather than immdiately steering toward a more objective lens. I think that, ironically, considering the emotional volatility of those she's critiquing, those same people she casts criticism on will use her personalizing and emotionalizing against her to invalidate her claims. Her remarks on her parents not feeding her delusions, because it would be cruel to do so, while I agree, I think again immediately opens up to the one main issue that a lot of these trans advocates seem to take, which is that people say "it's for your own good". Even if true, which I believe it to be, those who are caught in the delusion can't possibly see that, and so instead internalize those claims as being alienating.

Dansky tells us that helping people with bodily delusions "is what our society needs to do for the people who are sincerely confused about their biological sex and/or 'gender identity'". I like this statement, not only because it turns the gender issue into a mental health topic, as it should be (rather than some social pundit point), but also because it implies the hard truth that is soon to be brought up, which is that the hyper-inclusivity mindset has led to abuse in the form of many people not being, as she said, "sincerely confused".

She leaves us in the dark for a bit as to why she thinks these delusions may occur in the first place, but in the end, it seems that it doesn't just simply boil down to mental illness. That may be the root of the issue, what with autogynephilia and the nature of dysphoria itself, but Dansky also argues (rightly so, in my opinion) for societal shifts and causes that have led to these prompt delusions, namely: sexual objectification and pornography.

Dansky brings up an interview on Sky News in 2018 with Dr. Adrian Harrop, in which he defines a woman as "a person who identifies as a woman". Dansky retorts, however, claiming it to be a logical fallacy for a man to be a woman when he "identifies" as being one. I would have to agree, though I've found that opponents of this book take issue with that point. The interview was discussing a "controversial" billboard in the UK, which had the dictionary definition of 'woman' on it, and people were complaining that it was trans-exclusionary. Asinine.

One thing Dansky dives into a lot is several legal proceedings and cases in the US, giving particularly strong insights given that she has a background as a lawyer. She first goes into the "Equality Act", which at the time of her writing had passed through Congress and was awaiting consideration by the Senate Judiciary Committee. The content would redefine 'sex', as defined in the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to include 'gender identity'. Dansky proceeds to give a brilliant argument as to how this act would, though not explicitly stating its intentions to do so, abolish our idea of sex. It truly is another hilarious parade of Orwellian double-think, because these same people who masquerade as warriors of social justice and the race conscious, progressive agenda, would then themselves abolish precedents set from their own holy grail, such as the Civil Rights Act. She doesn't touch on it much, and perhaps that's an err on her part, but the law does also have some serious implications for women's sports, which most congressional Republicans took issue with.

Expanding on this case, Dansky shows state laws that have essentially already gone down this road of abolishing sex, as she puts it. She references a case in July 2021 in a California spa, in which a woman complained of "a fully naked man with an erect penis in a section of the spa that was supposed to be exclusively for women and girls". The LA police arrested the man with indecent exposure, but under current California law, the man may have a viable defense for his actions, as the law essentially says men are allowed in women-only spaces if their gender identity corresponds with the labeled sex of a given area, such as a woman's bathroom. I found this to be particularly pertinent, because I actually had the same thing happen where I work, in which a man, or at least, a woman with fully intact male genitalia, was on multiple occasions complained about for being fully naked in the women's lockeroom. Our company policy, however, due to the law where I live, which is quite similar to that of California, is that we essentially couldn't do anything so long as this man claims to "identify" as a woman. How proud I feel that the small young girls of my area might freely stumble upon this scene! Seriously though, this was an unfortunately topical thing for Dansky to speak on, and something that I now could direct some personal passion towards.

Dansky then speaks on what she believes to be a bad precedent set in the Supreme Court's 2020 Bostock ruling(s). She argues that the precedent set can essentially erase sex in employment. I will say, that though this is concerning, she doesn't fully explore the consequences of such a precedent. Her focus is less magnified on employment, rather taking in the bigger picture of federal administration, which seems in line with the overall direction and feel of this book. With that in mind, she instead turns to how, in her opinion (and this is really more a conclusion drawn by the legal cases she's already spoken about), the Biden administration is "grossly misrepresenting the ruling…to justify the abolition of sex throughout federal administrative law".

Dansky then goes on to defend her decision to work with various conservative groups, like the Heritage Foundation, and appearing on Fox News. She argues that liberal groups won't give a voice to her opinions on this matter, which is very true, and that as a whole the mainstream media has been enraptured and swallowed up in gender ideology. It's crazy to me how against freedom of association these people are. I can't even fathom how one's choice to simply engage in discussion with the "opposition" could be problematic. It's pitiful from the left in this case, to be honest. Furthermore, it outlines the hypocrisy of those who rally for "freedom", who evidently are against speech that doesn't align with their views. This is the same principles of lunacy that leads to this sort of gender ideology in the first place.

I think that overall, despite lacking some actionable steps, and perhaps lacking in some substance (perhaps an updated 2nd edition will provide some additional insights, who knows what could happen in this day and age!), Dansky's work is, to an extent, rather eye opening. It dissects the issue with surgical precision, and doesn't mince words. It gives one a better understanding of the actual, tangible framework in place in the law that allows for these continuing erosions of culture and sanity. It serves best as an educative source, to enrich the reader with what is going on from a governmental perspective, but it leaves to the wayside the more on-the-ground, communal and human aspect of this new ideology. This is a quite fine book, though, and one worth refreshing oneself with any time one of these new cases or "advancements" in ideology rears its head.

B+ TIER, though I think it could be bumped to an A- after a re-read, or if something more were to be added with a second edition.]]> 4.16 2021 The Abolition of Sex: How the "Transgender" Agenda Harms Women and Girls
author: Kara Dansky
name: Rowan
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2024/07/31
date added: 2024/10/18
shelves: 2024-reading-list
review:
The first thing that struck me about this book was the constant procession of clear lunacy from the justice system, and the government in general. There are countless references in the first 50 pages along of the courts essentially conflating "gender identity" and sex, or just out right not even knowing what either supposedly means, while still eschewing asinine claims and rulings as if those terms are universally understood. It's Federal gas-lighting at its finest. Dansky does a fine job of immediately pointing out how the government itself has no clue what its talking about, and its almost scary in a sense, it really does come off as some sort of "ministry of truth" type activity. She goes into specific cases in which the ambiguity of the term led to some, in my opinion, outrageous, and frankly woman hating court rulings. There are also instances of the courts essentially ignoring or seemingly intentionally misconstruing the nature of previous rulings to support this insane propaganda/agenda. I know its cliche, but the first thing that comes to mind is Orwell: "The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command."

Dansky is one of several rather passionate writers that I've read regarding this topic in just this year alone. She tells us early on, and we can garner from the subtitle as well, that much of this book centers around her refusal to accept the validity of gender identity. She puts a lot of work into speaking about how female-only spaces have dissipated or been otherwise deprecated, concurrent and caused largely by the rising trans agenda. As she says in the introductory, "This book is primarily about the…agenda that involves men claiming to be women". Dansky is one of several writers this year that have continued to expand my conceptions of feminism as not merely being a blanket ideology, but a variant web of several intricate and often times warring philosophies. I've grown to consider myself a particular type of feminist, specifically one who believes in gender essentialism, and I've grown in respect for many of these thinkers, such as Favale or here with Dansky, for that matter.

One area in which I think things can get rather sticky is how, especially early on, Dansky will compare the trans issue with her young adult life and her struggles with anorexia. Now, I can certainly see the parallels in bodily delusions between the two, but I think she makes a mistake and leaves herself more open to criticism by the way in which she a) characterizes herself from a young age, and b) the way in which she personalizes the issue, rather than immdiately steering toward a more objective lens. I think that, ironically, considering the emotional volatility of those she's critiquing, those same people she casts criticism on will use her personalizing and emotionalizing against her to invalidate her claims. Her remarks on her parents not feeding her delusions, because it would be cruel to do so, while I agree, I think again immediately opens up to the one main issue that a lot of these trans advocates seem to take, which is that people say "it's for your own good". Even if true, which I believe it to be, those who are caught in the delusion can't possibly see that, and so instead internalize those claims as being alienating.

Dansky tells us that helping people with bodily delusions "is what our society needs to do for the people who are sincerely confused about their biological sex and/or 'gender identity'". I like this statement, not only because it turns the gender issue into a mental health topic, as it should be (rather than some social pundit point), but also because it implies the hard truth that is soon to be brought up, which is that the hyper-inclusivity mindset has led to abuse in the form of many people not being, as she said, "sincerely confused".

She leaves us in the dark for a bit as to why she thinks these delusions may occur in the first place, but in the end, it seems that it doesn't just simply boil down to mental illness. That may be the root of the issue, what with autogynephilia and the nature of dysphoria itself, but Dansky also argues (rightly so, in my opinion) for societal shifts and causes that have led to these prompt delusions, namely: sexual objectification and pornography.

Dansky brings up an interview on Sky News in 2018 with Dr. Adrian Harrop, in which he defines a woman as "a person who identifies as a woman". Dansky retorts, however, claiming it to be a logical fallacy for a man to be a woman when he "identifies" as being one. I would have to agree, though I've found that opponents of this book take issue with that point. The interview was discussing a "controversial" billboard in the UK, which had the dictionary definition of 'woman' on it, and people were complaining that it was trans-exclusionary. Asinine.

One thing Dansky dives into a lot is several legal proceedings and cases in the US, giving particularly strong insights given that she has a background as a lawyer. She first goes into the "Equality Act", which at the time of her writing had passed through Congress and was awaiting consideration by the Senate Judiciary Committee. The content would redefine 'sex', as defined in the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to include 'gender identity'. Dansky proceeds to give a brilliant argument as to how this act would, though not explicitly stating its intentions to do so, abolish our idea of sex. It truly is another hilarious parade of Orwellian double-think, because these same people who masquerade as warriors of social justice and the race conscious, progressive agenda, would then themselves abolish precedents set from their own holy grail, such as the Civil Rights Act. She doesn't touch on it much, and perhaps that's an err on her part, but the law does also have some serious implications for women's sports, which most congressional Republicans took issue with.

Expanding on this case, Dansky shows state laws that have essentially already gone down this road of abolishing sex, as she puts it. She references a case in July 2021 in a California spa, in which a woman complained of "a fully naked man with an erect penis in a section of the spa that was supposed to be exclusively for women and girls". The LA police arrested the man with indecent exposure, but under current California law, the man may have a viable defense for his actions, as the law essentially says men are allowed in women-only spaces if their gender identity corresponds with the labeled sex of a given area, such as a woman's bathroom. I found this to be particularly pertinent, because I actually had the same thing happen where I work, in which a man, or at least, a woman with fully intact male genitalia, was on multiple occasions complained about for being fully naked in the women's lockeroom. Our company policy, however, due to the law where I live, which is quite similar to that of California, is that we essentially couldn't do anything so long as this man claims to "identify" as a woman. How proud I feel that the small young girls of my area might freely stumble upon this scene! Seriously though, this was an unfortunately topical thing for Dansky to speak on, and something that I now could direct some personal passion towards.

Dansky then speaks on what she believes to be a bad precedent set in the Supreme Court's 2020 Bostock ruling(s). She argues that the precedent set can essentially erase sex in employment. I will say, that though this is concerning, she doesn't fully explore the consequences of such a precedent. Her focus is less magnified on employment, rather taking in the bigger picture of federal administration, which seems in line with the overall direction and feel of this book. With that in mind, she instead turns to how, in her opinion (and this is really more a conclusion drawn by the legal cases she's already spoken about), the Biden administration is "grossly misrepresenting the ruling…to justify the abolition of sex throughout federal administrative law".

Dansky then goes on to defend her decision to work with various conservative groups, like the Heritage Foundation, and appearing on Fox News. She argues that liberal groups won't give a voice to her opinions on this matter, which is very true, and that as a whole the mainstream media has been enraptured and swallowed up in gender ideology. It's crazy to me how against freedom of association these people are. I can't even fathom how one's choice to simply engage in discussion with the "opposition" could be problematic. It's pitiful from the left in this case, to be honest. Furthermore, it outlines the hypocrisy of those who rally for "freedom", who evidently are against speech that doesn't align with their views. This is the same principles of lunacy that leads to this sort of gender ideology in the first place.

I think that overall, despite lacking some actionable steps, and perhaps lacking in some substance (perhaps an updated 2nd edition will provide some additional insights, who knows what could happen in this day and age!), Dansky's work is, to an extent, rather eye opening. It dissects the issue with surgical precision, and doesn't mince words. It gives one a better understanding of the actual, tangible framework in place in the law that allows for these continuing erosions of culture and sanity. It serves best as an educative source, to enrich the reader with what is going on from a governmental perspective, but it leaves to the wayside the more on-the-ground, communal and human aspect of this new ideology. This is a quite fine book, though, and one worth refreshing oneself with any time one of these new cases or "advancements" in ideology rears its head.

B+ TIER, though I think it could be bumped to an A- after a re-read, or if something more were to be added with a second edition.
]]> The Night in Fog 34110804
Winner of a World Fantasy Award for The Horror Show.

David B. Silva "is a talented writer of novels and short fiction, who knows where the heart of a story lies, and who deserves a larger audience than he has yet received." - Dean Koontz

"David B. Silva is one of the great unsung heroes of horror." - Bentley Little

DESCRIPTION: "I'm going to tell you this story and you might believe it, and you might not. It doesn't matter to me one way or the other. I've been carrying this around for nearly twenty years now and even though it's Rick's story and not mine, if I don't let it out it's going to eat a hole in me. So I'll tell you as much as I can ... you believe as much as you want ... and maybe that will be the end of it."

Brian's brother, Rick, is obsessed with Jude Fairclough. It's not a good obsession. He beleives the girl is dangerous, even evil, and he wants to show Brian just how evil.

But Rick has been troubled all his life.

Is he on to something?

Or is it just a delusional mind at work?

]]> 32 David B. Silva Rowan 0 to-read 4.00 1998 The Night in Fog
author: David B. Silva
name: Rowan
average rating: 4.00
book published: 1998
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/17
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Of Boys and Men: Why the Modern Male Is Struggling, Why It Matters, and What to Do About It]]> 60613920 298 Richard V. Reeves 1800750544 Rowan 3 2024-reading-list
In investigating the struggles of the modern male, particularly young men and blooming adolescent boys, he turns his attention to several things, but most of all education. He sets his book over the course of 5 sections:

The Male Malaise
A view of modern men and their struggles through the lenses of education, work, and family. There is a shocking trend unfolding, particularly in the field of education. Only 40% of College graduates now are men, and this is only one in a wide variety of areas in which boys are falling behind girls in education. Furthermore, men are starting to slip in the labor force too, as many manual markets in which men dominate the field are being outsourced or automated. 1 in 3 men with only a highschool education now are unemployed. I think he does a poor job in this section of looking at the fact that emphasis on social justice and forwarding interests for women has essentially resulted in the abandonment of young men. It's not really a hard cause and effect here, we can see that while we still forward these ideas of needing to prioritize or in some fashion help out women, we've actually gone past the point of equality and entered a realm where now the male is hopelessly lagging behind. I will give credit though, in that Reeves does address the "pay gap", and how it's all but closed. In particular, pre-child men and women are virtually identical, with the only gaps occurring upon having children, where men are much more likely to work overtime, and to take less time off. There is, as he finishes this section, a brief acknowledgment of traditional values, but he doesn't really take it anywhere past that, in my opinion. What he does do, however, is outline what he calls "dislocated dads". Essentially, the rise of the working mom as opposed to the stay-at-home mom has "diminished a driving force many men in previous generations defined their lives by: providing for my family." He does also acknowledge the adverse effects on boys with recent trends of fewer people marrying, more children born outside of marriage, and the high rates of divorce. All of these scenarios, he points out, often lead to children living with the mother, and nautrally, less participation on the part of the father. Again, the link to traditional values seems obvious to me, but for the most part I feel like Reeves doesn't follow this thread throughout the book. I am disappointed that, unlike many of the books I've read this year, Reeves fails to see that a lot of these issues are a direct result of modern contraception.

Double Disadvantage
In this section, Reeves explains how men in lower socioeconomic classes, and particularly black men, are more disenfranchised than their wealthier counterparts. This would definitely seem to be the point where Reeves' good insights turn rotten and rife with social justice and progressive ideology. He first looks at race, particularly black males, and how they are seemingly at a "double disadvantage" due to what he calls persistent income inequality and the destruction of the black family structure. I for one find those to be separate issues, but I digress. Reeves then tells us of a direct correlation between distress and a man's socioeconomic level. Notably, those lowest on the pole are far more likely to be depressed and suicidal. One part of the issue that I particularly disagree on is the point of marriage at a lower socio-economic standing. Reeves tells us, rightfully so, that women in these lower economic ranges typically put motherhood ahead of marriage, and are less likely to marry, in turn leading to them having less ability to move up economically, and resulting, in Reeves' opinion, with a loss of community and heightened loneliness among men in these ranges, as well as stunting their ability to be good fathers. This, he says, creates a parasitic cycle damaging both men and boys alike. This seems wrong to me. One cannot simply shirk the responsibility of fatherhood because his "boo-thang" doesn't want to get married. In fact, addressing the root of the problem, which is poor reasoning and a loss of traditional values, a man knows the risks of any sexual engagement, and should consider if their willing to have a child with someone who won't marry in the first place. The idea of "accidental pregnancy" is laughable, and yet taken at such face-value that we just accept it as a modern truth. Education, in my opinion, is separated from the innate sense of what is right, which is to be present and active in your child's life. I will give credit to Reeves toward the end of this section, as he does point out the major flaw in most every major institutionalized effort to push education and work initiatives: they are ineffective at engaging men, and most of the success seen from these initiatives have been clouded by the fact that they do well at engaging women only. This is a psychology issue, it would seem, and an ignorance of the different motivating factors between the sexes which Reeves is right to point out.

Biology and Culture
In this chapter, Reeves makes the switch from discussing the current situation of men, and rather looks at the essence and nature of men themselves. He asks about the combating influence of biology and culture, and he ultimately decides that there is a mixture of both playing part in a man's development. He starts by pointing out that men tend to be more aggressive, as well as more sexually driven. He argues, however, that these are not social constructs, but rather how we men are hardwired. This seems promising enough, until he begins to argue that masculinity is more fragile than femininity, because while femininity is defined firstly by a biological imperative, masculinity is more often defined by the culture around us. I wholeheartedly disagree with this one. In fact, writing this review well after the fact, I believe I've now read several other books that quite convincingly counteract this point, such as David Buss' "The Evolution of Desire". He does, however, point out an interesting phenomenon concerning the psychology industry, which is dominated by women, which he explains the pathway of how they often come to negative conclusions about masculinity and men in general. One part of Reeves' argument, which I can't all too much disagree on, comes from the final paragraph of the section: "One of the primary functions of human culture is to help young people to become responsible, self-aware adults. Maturity means, among many other things, an ability to calibrate your behavior in a way that renders it appropriate to the circumstances. To be grown-up means learning how to temper our own natures. We learn to go to the bathroom. We learn not to hit each other when we are upset. We learn not to act on impulse. We learn empathy, restraint, reflection. It takes time, at least a couple of decades. It takes boys a little longer than girls. But most of us manage it in the end. Boys become men, even gentlemen. The boy is still with us, he is just not in charge anymore". It seems that he wants to put more cultural emphasis on guiding boys, while still acknowledging that, at the end of the day, you're the one behind the driver's seat, you're the boy that has to become the man. I find issues with a lot of his politics, and how he seems to use it as a motive to skirt some easily arrived at conclusions, but this is not one of them.

Political Stalemate
He argues that their is bipartisan blame by failing their parties' own standards and giving poor solutions, if any at all. In spite of his obvious political bias, he does a decent job of clearly reaching into both sides of the aisle to assign blame. He actually does a pretty good job at hitting all the main points of the left, enumerating three main points. Firstly, he calls out the egregious use of the term "toxic masculinity", and the adoption of the idea that there is something wrong with men for being traditionally masculine. Second, he calls out the hypocrisy in the way that the left hyper-individualizes men as opposed to all other groups. For example, if an obese person commits a crime, the left calls for the social reason behind it, but when it's a man, they assert him to be plainly toxic and needs better self-control. I find this one most ironic considering the left seems to me to be so anti-self-responsibility. Third and final, Reeves speaks of what I think is probably the biggest point of doublethink among the left: the preaching of "science", such as for the environment, all the while attributing all sexual differences to socialization, and paying no regards to the truths of biology. He does also close with a note about how all measurements are made in regard to helping women "catch up" to men, but there is never any focus on areas in which men are behind. Obviously, I'm biased, so take my opinion with a grain of salt, but as he turns to the right (though obviously having the more traditional conservatives in mind rather than us high and mighty classical liberals), I find myself in moderate disagreement with some of his complaints. He firstly points out that the right exploits men's issues, trying to win votes by validating grievances and promising to relieve it. The "culture war" for the right is centered on the "war on men". So, I disagree, because I do think these traditional conservatives have actually tried to do things to alleviate some of these men's struggles, though of course much of it has been ineffectual. I think it's more of a general gripe for politicians in general to be playing the pathos game, not a specific issue here. Furthermore, in the "culture war", I think it makes perfect sense to stand on the "war on men". My problem with this is actually that it's too specific, too prideful. The real war is on family and culture, not men in particular, and we, as men (ironically enough) must be better than to purely victimize ourselves, because again our first responsibility should go to alleviating the suffering of the family, of the village, not ourselves. Secondly, Reeves argues that in contrast to the left, the right oversimplifies the differences between men and women to be only biology. I somewhat agree. Yes, there are socialized differences between the sexes, but I think Reeves mis-contextualizes the frame in which the right typically uses this. The right most often thinks this way in regard to the Trans issue, in which case I find it totally appropriate to discuss the biology, because it dismantles the idea of women with male genitalia (among other things) altogether. A man can never imagine what it is to be a woman. As Helen Joyce said in her book on the topic, A man who transitions to female is only enacting his fantasy of what being a woman is like, with no clue as to what that actually means. Of course, though, I guess this does support the idea that there are societal differences that men can't imagine about women, so I can partially concede to Reeves, though I think the biology is much more significant here and influences greatly the societal aspects. Lastly, reeves critiques the right's aim to regress female progress, due to the belief that feminism "upended the natural order of things". He tells us that men do need help, which can be achieved without setting women back. Well, duh. This seems like a mischaracterization to me. I think very few people support mandating housewives, or repealing suffrage, or eliminating equal pay, so I don't even know what he's really referring to. If he means the abortion issue, which I don't think he does because it's irrelevant here, then he should understand that it has nothing to do with feminism at all, it's all a matter of perception from both sides, and one essential question: "when does life start?" No pro-lifers are anti-woman, no pro-choicers are anti-life/baby, they simply disagree on when life begins, which frames the whole context of the issue. Anyways...

What to Do
Lastly, we are given three main solutions to address the aforementioned problems, each given their own chapter. The specific focuses of his solutions are education, labor, and fatherhood.
Education
His first main solution is "redshirting" boys, or holding them back from school for a year to give them time to catch up to girls developmentally. I think this is a little too simplistic and ineffectual. Furthermore, I think this more so than anything else pointed out by the author prior is bound to create feelings of inadequacy or inferiority in young boys, which already seems a prevailing thought amongst today's youth. I will give credit in that he fairly goes over the potential drawbacks of his own idea, particularly how it will take a year away from men in the workforce and include an additional year of early childhood costs for young boys, but in spite of his acknowledging these faults, I don't think that exonerates them, and so I must say that I don't really like this idea. He then goes down the line of what seems to me like unnecessary diversity hiring, saying we need more male English teachers, and black male English teachers, in particular. I don't think there's anything wrong with men typically not going into these fields, I think that our differing natures would necessitate that there are some fields dominated by men and women, respectively, and I don't think it needs to change. Especially if his idea is in some way advocating for a sexed/racial hire quota. One point he makes that I DO agree with vehemently is that there is not enough emphasis on trades. Men are being funneled into fields that do not reflect masculine desires. Education, as Reeves concurs, goads way too heavily with pointing people to four-year college, with no attention paid to trades. I completely agree, trades are extremely important, and yet seemingly shunned (especially in liberal elite areas such as where I'm from...). Finally, people have started to open their eyes to the beauty of the trades, and let's hope that continues.
Labor
Next, Reeves wants to close the gap in the labor fields he labels as HEAL (health, education, administration, and literacy). This is reminiscent of the push to get women into the better known STEM. As female participation in STEM has increased over the last forty years, there has been a similar decrease of men in HEAL during the same time frame. Reeves essentially says that we should put the same effort into men and HEAL as we do with women and STEM. One example of this would be the hundreds of scholarships available to women going into STEM fields, which he says should be mirrored for men in HEAL. I am somewhat indifferent here. He talks of the social stigma against these being "non-masculine" occupations, which is true, but overall I don't really think there's a necessity for, especially at the governmental level, providing incentives for men in HEAL OR women in STEM. All in all, it's almost a non-issue to me, and the issue actually comes from there being to much disruption and meddling in the "natural order", so to speak (and so the solution shouldn't be continued meddling).
Fatherhood
Finally, Reeves wants to reshape fatherhood into an "independent social institution". He says that fathers play a unique and important role to children, particularly sons, saying that fathering should be more involved with hands-on care, rather than just providing financially. Essentially, he tells us we need involved fathers to create healthier adults in their children. Agreed. He points out things like graduation rates, teen depression, teen pregnancy, and how its not whether the child lives with the father, but the strength of the relationship. He further points out the injustice in law. How women having children out of wedlock get all custody rights by default, how a man is turned into a paycheck, and the institution of visitation rights and child support as a whole. He supports paternal leave and a more balanced child support system. I've never been a fan of child support, and it is certainly corrupted against logic, favoring the mother rather than creating a system that makes sense for the individual set of parents. He finishes stating that “These policies are intended to support the development of a new model of fatherhood, suited to a world where mothers don’t need men, but children still need their dads.�

All in all, it's an okay book. Reeves points out plenty of truths and points of injustice toward men, but ultimately, he's clouded by some weak-minded politics. His point about women not needing men is particularly disturbing to me, and it seems that in spite of the inescapable truths he finds, he just can't seem to totally let go of his obviously conflicting political views, which leads to some dissonance. There is some use to be garnered out of this book, but really it shows the degree to which some will go to enforce their pre-conceived notions, or to save themselves some liberal brownie points. Overall, I'd say this lands somewhere in the C/C+ Tier.]]> 4.02 2022 Of Boys and Men: Why the Modern Male Is Struggling, Why It Matters, and What to Do About It
author: Richard V. Reeves
name: Rowan
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at: 2024/07/18
date added: 2024/10/15
shelves: 2024-reading-list
review:
A very ok book. My main gripe is that Reeves' politics were clear. He wanted to address important male issues, and yet is underlying liberal ties cloud it because he almost seems afraid to mark men as important, for fear of modern backlash. He definitely gives off "Yeah, a bunch of guys have issues, but a bunch of guys are the problem! Don't forget, women always have it worse!" He'll point out obvious social issues and instead of leaning into the obvious discovery he's made, he'll just default to the hardline liberal viewpoint of it.

In investigating the struggles of the modern male, particularly young men and blooming adolescent boys, he turns his attention to several things, but most of all education. He sets his book over the course of 5 sections:

The Male Malaise
A view of modern men and their struggles through the lenses of education, work, and family. There is a shocking trend unfolding, particularly in the field of education. Only 40% of College graduates now are men, and this is only one in a wide variety of areas in which boys are falling behind girls in education. Furthermore, men are starting to slip in the labor force too, as many manual markets in which men dominate the field are being outsourced or automated. 1 in 3 men with only a highschool education now are unemployed. I think he does a poor job in this section of looking at the fact that emphasis on social justice and forwarding interests for women has essentially resulted in the abandonment of young men. It's not really a hard cause and effect here, we can see that while we still forward these ideas of needing to prioritize or in some fashion help out women, we've actually gone past the point of equality and entered a realm where now the male is hopelessly lagging behind. I will give credit though, in that Reeves does address the "pay gap", and how it's all but closed. In particular, pre-child men and women are virtually identical, with the only gaps occurring upon having children, where men are much more likely to work overtime, and to take less time off. There is, as he finishes this section, a brief acknowledgment of traditional values, but he doesn't really take it anywhere past that, in my opinion. What he does do, however, is outline what he calls "dislocated dads". Essentially, the rise of the working mom as opposed to the stay-at-home mom has "diminished a driving force many men in previous generations defined their lives by: providing for my family." He does also acknowledge the adverse effects on boys with recent trends of fewer people marrying, more children born outside of marriage, and the high rates of divorce. All of these scenarios, he points out, often lead to children living with the mother, and nautrally, less participation on the part of the father. Again, the link to traditional values seems obvious to me, but for the most part I feel like Reeves doesn't follow this thread throughout the book. I am disappointed that, unlike many of the books I've read this year, Reeves fails to see that a lot of these issues are a direct result of modern contraception.

Double Disadvantage
In this section, Reeves explains how men in lower socioeconomic classes, and particularly black men, are more disenfranchised than their wealthier counterparts. This would definitely seem to be the point where Reeves' good insights turn rotten and rife with social justice and progressive ideology. He first looks at race, particularly black males, and how they are seemingly at a "double disadvantage" due to what he calls persistent income inequality and the destruction of the black family structure. I for one find those to be separate issues, but I digress. Reeves then tells us of a direct correlation between distress and a man's socioeconomic level. Notably, those lowest on the pole are far more likely to be depressed and suicidal. One part of the issue that I particularly disagree on is the point of marriage at a lower socio-economic standing. Reeves tells us, rightfully so, that women in these lower economic ranges typically put motherhood ahead of marriage, and are less likely to marry, in turn leading to them having less ability to move up economically, and resulting, in Reeves' opinion, with a loss of community and heightened loneliness among men in these ranges, as well as stunting their ability to be good fathers. This, he says, creates a parasitic cycle damaging both men and boys alike. This seems wrong to me. One cannot simply shirk the responsibility of fatherhood because his "boo-thang" doesn't want to get married. In fact, addressing the root of the problem, which is poor reasoning and a loss of traditional values, a man knows the risks of any sexual engagement, and should consider if their willing to have a child with someone who won't marry in the first place. The idea of "accidental pregnancy" is laughable, and yet taken at such face-value that we just accept it as a modern truth. Education, in my opinion, is separated from the innate sense of what is right, which is to be present and active in your child's life. I will give credit to Reeves toward the end of this section, as he does point out the major flaw in most every major institutionalized effort to push education and work initiatives: they are ineffective at engaging men, and most of the success seen from these initiatives have been clouded by the fact that they do well at engaging women only. This is a psychology issue, it would seem, and an ignorance of the different motivating factors between the sexes which Reeves is right to point out.

Biology and Culture
In this chapter, Reeves makes the switch from discussing the current situation of men, and rather looks at the essence and nature of men themselves. He asks about the combating influence of biology and culture, and he ultimately decides that there is a mixture of both playing part in a man's development. He starts by pointing out that men tend to be more aggressive, as well as more sexually driven. He argues, however, that these are not social constructs, but rather how we men are hardwired. This seems promising enough, until he begins to argue that masculinity is more fragile than femininity, because while femininity is defined firstly by a biological imperative, masculinity is more often defined by the culture around us. I wholeheartedly disagree with this one. In fact, writing this review well after the fact, I believe I've now read several other books that quite convincingly counteract this point, such as David Buss' "The Evolution of Desire". He does, however, point out an interesting phenomenon concerning the psychology industry, which is dominated by women, which he explains the pathway of how they often come to negative conclusions about masculinity and men in general. One part of Reeves' argument, which I can't all too much disagree on, comes from the final paragraph of the section: "One of the primary functions of human culture is to help young people to become responsible, self-aware adults. Maturity means, among many other things, an ability to calibrate your behavior in a way that renders it appropriate to the circumstances. To be grown-up means learning how to temper our own natures. We learn to go to the bathroom. We learn not to hit each other when we are upset. We learn not to act on impulse. We learn empathy, restraint, reflection. It takes time, at least a couple of decades. It takes boys a little longer than girls. But most of us manage it in the end. Boys become men, even gentlemen. The boy is still with us, he is just not in charge anymore". It seems that he wants to put more cultural emphasis on guiding boys, while still acknowledging that, at the end of the day, you're the one behind the driver's seat, you're the boy that has to become the man. I find issues with a lot of his politics, and how he seems to use it as a motive to skirt some easily arrived at conclusions, but this is not one of them.

Political Stalemate
He argues that their is bipartisan blame by failing their parties' own standards and giving poor solutions, if any at all. In spite of his obvious political bias, he does a decent job of clearly reaching into both sides of the aisle to assign blame. He actually does a pretty good job at hitting all the main points of the left, enumerating three main points. Firstly, he calls out the egregious use of the term "toxic masculinity", and the adoption of the idea that there is something wrong with men for being traditionally masculine. Second, he calls out the hypocrisy in the way that the left hyper-individualizes men as opposed to all other groups. For example, if an obese person commits a crime, the left calls for the social reason behind it, but when it's a man, they assert him to be plainly toxic and needs better self-control. I find this one most ironic considering the left seems to me to be so anti-self-responsibility. Third and final, Reeves speaks of what I think is probably the biggest point of doublethink among the left: the preaching of "science", such as for the environment, all the while attributing all sexual differences to socialization, and paying no regards to the truths of biology. He does also close with a note about how all measurements are made in regard to helping women "catch up" to men, but there is never any focus on areas in which men are behind. Obviously, I'm biased, so take my opinion with a grain of salt, but as he turns to the right (though obviously having the more traditional conservatives in mind rather than us high and mighty classical liberals), I find myself in moderate disagreement with some of his complaints. He firstly points out that the right exploits men's issues, trying to win votes by validating grievances and promising to relieve it. The "culture war" for the right is centered on the "war on men". So, I disagree, because I do think these traditional conservatives have actually tried to do things to alleviate some of these men's struggles, though of course much of it has been ineffectual. I think it's more of a general gripe for politicians in general to be playing the pathos game, not a specific issue here. Furthermore, in the "culture war", I think it makes perfect sense to stand on the "war on men". My problem with this is actually that it's too specific, too prideful. The real war is on family and culture, not men in particular, and we, as men (ironically enough) must be better than to purely victimize ourselves, because again our first responsibility should go to alleviating the suffering of the family, of the village, not ourselves. Secondly, Reeves argues that in contrast to the left, the right oversimplifies the differences between men and women to be only biology. I somewhat agree. Yes, there are socialized differences between the sexes, but I think Reeves mis-contextualizes the frame in which the right typically uses this. The right most often thinks this way in regard to the Trans issue, in which case I find it totally appropriate to discuss the biology, because it dismantles the idea of women with male genitalia (among other things) altogether. A man can never imagine what it is to be a woman. As Helen Joyce said in her book on the topic, A man who transitions to female is only enacting his fantasy of what being a woman is like, with no clue as to what that actually means. Of course, though, I guess this does support the idea that there are societal differences that men can't imagine about women, so I can partially concede to Reeves, though I think the biology is much more significant here and influences greatly the societal aspects. Lastly, reeves critiques the right's aim to regress female progress, due to the belief that feminism "upended the natural order of things". He tells us that men do need help, which can be achieved without setting women back. Well, duh. This seems like a mischaracterization to me. I think very few people support mandating housewives, or repealing suffrage, or eliminating equal pay, so I don't even know what he's really referring to. If he means the abortion issue, which I don't think he does because it's irrelevant here, then he should understand that it has nothing to do with feminism at all, it's all a matter of perception from both sides, and one essential question: "when does life start?" No pro-lifers are anti-woman, no pro-choicers are anti-life/baby, they simply disagree on when life begins, which frames the whole context of the issue. Anyways...

What to Do
Lastly, we are given three main solutions to address the aforementioned problems, each given their own chapter. The specific focuses of his solutions are education, labor, and fatherhood.
Education
His first main solution is "redshirting" boys, or holding them back from school for a year to give them time to catch up to girls developmentally. I think this is a little too simplistic and ineffectual. Furthermore, I think this more so than anything else pointed out by the author prior is bound to create feelings of inadequacy or inferiority in young boys, which already seems a prevailing thought amongst today's youth. I will give credit in that he fairly goes over the potential drawbacks of his own idea, particularly how it will take a year away from men in the workforce and include an additional year of early childhood costs for young boys, but in spite of his acknowledging these faults, I don't think that exonerates them, and so I must say that I don't really like this idea. He then goes down the line of what seems to me like unnecessary diversity hiring, saying we need more male English teachers, and black male English teachers, in particular. I don't think there's anything wrong with men typically not going into these fields, I think that our differing natures would necessitate that there are some fields dominated by men and women, respectively, and I don't think it needs to change. Especially if his idea is in some way advocating for a sexed/racial hire quota. One point he makes that I DO agree with vehemently is that there is not enough emphasis on trades. Men are being funneled into fields that do not reflect masculine desires. Education, as Reeves concurs, goads way too heavily with pointing people to four-year college, with no attention paid to trades. I completely agree, trades are extremely important, and yet seemingly shunned (especially in liberal elite areas such as where I'm from...). Finally, people have started to open their eyes to the beauty of the trades, and let's hope that continues.
Labor
Next, Reeves wants to close the gap in the labor fields he labels as HEAL (health, education, administration, and literacy). This is reminiscent of the push to get women into the better known STEM. As female participation in STEM has increased over the last forty years, there has been a similar decrease of men in HEAL during the same time frame. Reeves essentially says that we should put the same effort into men and HEAL as we do with women and STEM. One example of this would be the hundreds of scholarships available to women going into STEM fields, which he says should be mirrored for men in HEAL. I am somewhat indifferent here. He talks of the social stigma against these being "non-masculine" occupations, which is true, but overall I don't really think there's a necessity for, especially at the governmental level, providing incentives for men in HEAL OR women in STEM. All in all, it's almost a non-issue to me, and the issue actually comes from there being to much disruption and meddling in the "natural order", so to speak (and so the solution shouldn't be continued meddling).
Fatherhood
Finally, Reeves wants to reshape fatherhood into an "independent social institution". He says that fathers play a unique and important role to children, particularly sons, saying that fathering should be more involved with hands-on care, rather than just providing financially. Essentially, he tells us we need involved fathers to create healthier adults in their children. Agreed. He points out things like graduation rates, teen depression, teen pregnancy, and how its not whether the child lives with the father, but the strength of the relationship. He further points out the injustice in law. How women having children out of wedlock get all custody rights by default, how a man is turned into a paycheck, and the institution of visitation rights and child support as a whole. He supports paternal leave and a more balanced child support system. I've never been a fan of child support, and it is certainly corrupted against logic, favoring the mother rather than creating a system that makes sense for the individual set of parents. He finishes stating that “These policies are intended to support the development of a new model of fatherhood, suited to a world where mothers don’t need men, but children still need their dads.�

All in all, it's an okay book. Reeves points out plenty of truths and points of injustice toward men, but ultimately, he's clouded by some weak-minded politics. His point about women not needing men is particularly disturbing to me, and it seems that in spite of the inescapable truths he finds, he just can't seem to totally let go of his obviously conflicting political views, which leads to some dissonance. There is some use to be garnered out of this book, but really it shows the degree to which some will go to enforce their pre-conceived notions, or to save themselves some liberal brownie points. Overall, I'd say this lands somewhere in the C/C+ Tier.
]]> <![CDATA[Compendium : Catechism of the Catholic Church]]> 110794 204 Catholic Church 1574557203 Rowan 0 to-read 4.50 2005 Compendium : Catechism of the Catholic Church
author: Catholic Church
name: Rowan
average rating: 4.50
book published: 2005
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/15
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Evolution of Desire: Strategies of Human Mating]]> 4132486 272 David M. Buss 0465077501 Rowan 4 2024-reading-list
One of the first things that I found to be interesting came from chapter 2, "What Women Want". Buss observes, through several studies spanning numerous decades, that regardless of the culture, regardless of the era, even post 2nd wave feminism, when the issue of the wage gap became so mainstream, women have always (generally) cared about male's economic prowess more than men cared about women's. It goes to show, even in the face of large social/societal movements, that certain things in our ancestory can't be rooted out. He points out, essentially, that women have always looked for men who can provide more resources, and even as the game has changed, and the pieces have been altered, it seems that we can't escape this commonality. This isn't just in the U.S either, mind you, but was found to be a consistent occurence in recurring studies all over the world. For similar reasons, they also found that women consistently place for importance on male partners with social status across all cultures. Again, with age we see a similar pattern in which women across many cultures tend to prefer men who are older, but only slightly so (the global average being about 3 years).

Buss points out that these all relate back to one evolutionary concept and desire which has sustained itself within our consciousness for essentially as long as we've been around: "the ability of a man to acquire and control resources that women can use for themselves and for their children... the possession of resources is not enough. Women also need need men who possess traits that are likely to lead to the sustained aquisition of resources over time".

Buss then turns his attention to men and their contemporary desires, based on the needs and wants of ancestral men. First, he looks into a bit of a conundrum. Why would an ancestral man want to have a long-term mate in the first place, when he does not require the same commitment as his female counterpart? After all, he needs just get a woman pregnant, and then he can move on, whereas the woman necessarily has more want of attachment by virtue of being strapped with child. He uses women to answer this question. As we learned previously, women, who essentially hold all of the reproductive capital, essentially set the market for mating, and so a man who did not show commitment would suffer on the market. He goes into a couple of related points, but that seems to be the gist. We then turn, with that issue resolved, to what men desire in a mate. Unlike women, who needed someone who can procure resources, men need(ed) someone who could be highly reproductive, in other words, fertile. This is especially crucial because men are essentially able to continuously produce offspring, whereas women have much more limited capacity to do so, and only during a fraction of their life. Reproductive capacity, then, becomes the main common factor amongst those characteristics which men desire. Youth, for one thing, was a given. The average man wordlwide desires a woman on average 3 years younger than they are. This is further reflective of a desire for a mate with more reproductive potential. Buss also talks about beauty, which I didn't care too much about for the most part, but I did find the section on body type rather intriguing. He talks about different cultures desiring skinny vs plump builds, and how it seems that the desires of the men in that culture are reflective of whatever body type signifies status. In food scarce cultures, plumpness is seen as attractive, whereas in food abundant societies, skinny types are seen as the more attractive. There is, still, an underlying desire for attractiveness in a female mate by males, because "trophy" wives serve as a social status elevator, and as we learned before, this is a signifier to other potential female mates, who see it as a value for men's potential resource production.

I find it fascinating how these two desires essentially naturally complete each other, one desiring reproduction, and the other desiring resources with which to sustain said reproduction. I think it goes to show the perfect harmony of man and woman, and the natural pairing thereof. I, on a more personally biased note, think it also speaks towards the value of a monogamous team which is closely united to each other.

Following this, Buss then goes into casual sex. For the most part, I found this section uninteresting, or I suppose uneasy would be more accurate. Obviously it's a little more taboo, but as Buss outlines from the beginning, we have to look at the "darker" parts of human mating in order to address our relationships properly. One thing I found interesting was the innate tendency of men to respond positively to female novelty. In other words, its been found that men are essentially helpless to constant sexual response when introduced to new female stimuli. It makes you think back to pornography, and the abundance thereof, and it then becomes obvious how it can so easily prey on young males. I think most of what Buss says holds up pretty well 30 years later, considering most of it is about unchanged behaviors over thousands of years, but one thing I was skeptical of was how he argues that women are far less likely to engage in casual sex with little to no commitment. Perhaps its just that the modern porn industry and the laxing of sexual stigmas and the rise of social media has given more of a vocal role to those women who ARE, rather than being totally representative of the population, but I feel as though I've seen a rise in female promiscuity, even over my short life span. In fact, and maybe this is just more indicative of myself and those I associate with, I seem to know far more promiscuous women than men, and most men I know, myself included are quite chaste.

Chapter 5 on "Attracting a Partner" isn't worth going into much detail over, not because it's bad, but simply because it takes to its logical conclusion the findings of chapters 2 and 3. Essentially we just see the fulfilment of behaviors by men showing that they can provide resources, and women showing they can provide fertility. This is really just the "common sense" chapter that one could easily speculate from reading chapters 2 and 3. I will mention, however, two little bits that I found interesting. Firstly, not totally related to the topic at hand, but Buss gives a pretty accurate and wholesome proclamation that since all of our ancestors were either "attractive enough to obtain enough male investment to raise at least one child" or "attractive enough to obtain a woman to have his child", Buss concludes that "Every living human is an evolutionary success story". It's not intended, but it's kind of hidden in there like a little morale boost, like "no one is worthless!" sort of deal. The other thing pointed out was in regard to women "playing hard to get". I have personally never liked this, but may have found a new appreciation for it. This is all just food for thought, but in Buss' words: "Playing hard to get signals great desirability, tests a man's willingness to invest resources, and communicates fidelity to the man. If a woman is hard to get, then a man can be more certain that other men will fail to attract her once she becomes his wife".

Chapter 6, "Staying Together", continues on the path of mostly common sense logical conclusions to the findings of the previous chapters. I really don't have much to say here, as there is nothing clearly adding additional insights aside from what most people can naturally glean themselves. Buss does turn, however, in the second half of this chapter, to describing the mating strategies of the sexes that they implore when the traditional (healthier) methods seemingly don't work. This is where we get to the heart of the issue, it would seem. Buss speaks of the use of manipulation, in all of its forms, as well as jealousy, abuse in all forms, and ritual/surgical genital mutilation (did not think it would come up, but yuck). He does interestingly point out that it has been found that there are absolutely no societies that have been found in which sexual jealousy is not present, past or present. These problems take us into the next chapter, "Sexual Conflict".

Chapter 7, as the title implies, goes into some of the main points of contention between the sexes. One of the first ones he goes into is sexually aggressive behavior. Men find sexually aggressive behavior far less offensive than do women, and for good reason. Furthermore, Buss discovers that not only do they perceive said actions differently, but men undervalue and women overvalue how much said actions bother the opposite sex. In other words, both think that the other is more like themselves than they really are. Buss thinks that clear communication over these topics would be a good start, just disseminating, essentially, where the sexes stand. He also briefly touches on sexual harassment, particularly looking at the workplace. He finds that women are more likely to tolerate, or at least have less strong negative reactions, to the same behavior by men in occupations of status (doctor, rockstar, etc.) vs those with less status (garbage collector, janitor, etc.). This was very interesting to me, because I could find in the aforementioned ancestral desires of status and ability to produce resources, that this gives a very reasonable explanation to the whole "chad vs beta" phenomenon as known on the internet. Not to say that this is moral or right, and neither does Buss, but just to say that I now have a better psychological understanding of it. There are physical things beyond these types of conflict, however. Namely, as Buss discusses, abuse. We have a better understanding of these behaviors based off of our evolutionary desires, so why do we care? Well, in Buss' words: "the fact that the use of abuse has an adaptive logic behind it does not mean that we should accept it... On the contrary, greater understanding of the logic behind such tactics as abuse and about the contexts in which they occur may eventually lead to more effective means to reduce or eliminate the, The means for reducing abuse may come from the recognition that abuse is not a uniform and unmodifiable feature of male biology but is rather a response that depends on particular contexts".

Chapter 8 discusses "Breaking Up", what happens when these sexual conflicts come to a boil and aren't resolved. Again, building off of the foundational assertions of the beginning of the book, Buss finds (with substantial statistical information gathered) that the highest causes of divorce are infidelity and infertility. "Both represent the strongest and most direct failures to deliver the reproductive resources that provide the evolutionary raison d'etre for long term mating". Another interesting thing he pointed out, that I didn't really take much significance to, but just found to be neat was that economic inequality was also a popular reason among women for divorce, particularly when the woman makes more money than the man. It's been observed that women who make more than their husbands often harbor resentment, as well as resenting lack in ambition. Again, it goes back to that traditional model, and why it worked so well. Of course, I don't necessarily believe all women should be stay at home moms or whatever, just saying that the hard defined roles of nurturer and provider have worked for a long time. He finishes by outlining some obvious conclusions as to behaviors which will likely greatly increase chances of long term success in a relationship: "couples should remain faithful, produce children together, have ample economic resources, be kind, generous, and understanding; and never refuse or neglect a mate sexually". Simple, right? Well, that's not necessarily the point, but it is an outline based on the findings of what would likely result in the proper catering of a lifelong romantic engagement.

Unfortunately, Chapter 9, "Changes Over Time" was one which I found to be rather drab, save for a couple of interesting tidbits that were mainly just expansions on topics already mentioned. For the most part, this chapter really just seems to reiterate ideas already discussed extensively in prior chapters, without giving all too much new information, and so I will simply skip to the tenth and final chapter, "Harmony between the Sexes". Buss starts by telling us that the key to bridging past the conflicts of the sexes essentially starts in exactly what his book has delivered thus far: explicit understanding of their differences. "We are not conscripted slaves to sex roles dictated by evolution. Knowledge of the conditions that favor each mating strategy gives us the possibility of choosing which to activate and which to leave dormant." I think that, to a certain degree I do agree, though I think that, as Buss has shown, evolutionary precedent is very strong, and it's not so simple as merely turning off an impulse, but rather remaining strong in the face of those tugging urges. He argues that some people rail against the differences between the sexes, and he contends that it is only in first recognizing them that we can begin to move forward toward harmony. He looks at the feminist perspective, in particular, which he says views men as being united with all other men in a common purpose of oppressing women. He shows, however, that the evolutionary data shows that we most often combat with those of the same sex, vying for the favor of the opposite sex. Overall, Buss rejects the notion that our differences, and the anger/resentment/negative emotions we feel regarding them are a product of "capitalism, culture, or socialization", but are rather from our evolved mating strategies playing out. He amends the idea of one sex working in collaboration with itself, instead explaining that "members of one sex generally favor a common set of strategies which differs from the typical strategies pursued by members of the other sex." Buss seems to really care about and admire the magical bond that is lifelong human matrimony, a hard worked and thoroughly maintained practice unseen in other species. "Marital unions... [appear] to be unparalleled in other species. In this sense, cooperation between the sexes reaches a pinnacle among humans". I can understand why some progressive groups have disagreed with Buss' work, particularly with his late call that "Fulfilling each other's evolved desires is the key to harmony between the sexes". Basically, he says that relationships work best when the man brings greater economic resources to the woman, and when the woman is affectionate and attractive than the man. I think his delivery is abrasive, but at its core, his message doesn't seem to me to be inaccurate. In the end, he again professes the great appreciation we should have for one another: "A profound respect for the other sex should come from the knowledge that we have always depended on each other for the resources required for survival and reproduction. Similarly, we have always depended on each other for the fulfillment of our desires. These facts may be responsible for the unique feeling of completeness people experience when they become entwined in the intoxicating grip of love. A lifelong alliance of love is a triumphant achievement of human mating strategies". My one gripe is that there aren't a lot of "real" actionable steps, more of an emotional profession of belief. I think there is great potential in his passion/belief, but I think that right at the end he fumbles slightly by not giving more clear strategy to achieve his vision of harmony between the sexes. That doesn't take away from the whole book, of course. I still think this is a good, solid book. I would say this is the hard line definition of a true B Tier.]]> 4.24 1994 The Evolution of Desire: Strategies of Human Mating
author: David M. Buss
name: Rowan
average rating: 4.24
book published: 1994
rating: 4
read at: 2024/10/10
date added: 2024/10/10
shelves: 2024-reading-list
review:
In setting out to find the evolution and characteristics of human mating patterns and strategies, David Buss creates some rather intriguing discoveries.

One of the first things that I found to be interesting came from chapter 2, "What Women Want". Buss observes, through several studies spanning numerous decades, that regardless of the culture, regardless of the era, even post 2nd wave feminism, when the issue of the wage gap became so mainstream, women have always (generally) cared about male's economic prowess more than men cared about women's. It goes to show, even in the face of large social/societal movements, that certain things in our ancestory can't be rooted out. He points out, essentially, that women have always looked for men who can provide more resources, and even as the game has changed, and the pieces have been altered, it seems that we can't escape this commonality. This isn't just in the U.S either, mind you, but was found to be a consistent occurence in recurring studies all over the world. For similar reasons, they also found that women consistently place for importance on male partners with social status across all cultures. Again, with age we see a similar pattern in which women across many cultures tend to prefer men who are older, but only slightly so (the global average being about 3 years).

Buss points out that these all relate back to one evolutionary concept and desire which has sustained itself within our consciousness for essentially as long as we've been around: "the ability of a man to acquire and control resources that women can use for themselves and for their children... the possession of resources is not enough. Women also need need men who possess traits that are likely to lead to the sustained aquisition of resources over time".

Buss then turns his attention to men and their contemporary desires, based on the needs and wants of ancestral men. First, he looks into a bit of a conundrum. Why would an ancestral man want to have a long-term mate in the first place, when he does not require the same commitment as his female counterpart? After all, he needs just get a woman pregnant, and then he can move on, whereas the woman necessarily has more want of attachment by virtue of being strapped with child. He uses women to answer this question. As we learned previously, women, who essentially hold all of the reproductive capital, essentially set the market for mating, and so a man who did not show commitment would suffer on the market. He goes into a couple of related points, but that seems to be the gist. We then turn, with that issue resolved, to what men desire in a mate. Unlike women, who needed someone who can procure resources, men need(ed) someone who could be highly reproductive, in other words, fertile. This is especially crucial because men are essentially able to continuously produce offspring, whereas women have much more limited capacity to do so, and only during a fraction of their life. Reproductive capacity, then, becomes the main common factor amongst those characteristics which men desire. Youth, for one thing, was a given. The average man wordlwide desires a woman on average 3 years younger than they are. This is further reflective of a desire for a mate with more reproductive potential. Buss also talks about beauty, which I didn't care too much about for the most part, but I did find the section on body type rather intriguing. He talks about different cultures desiring skinny vs plump builds, and how it seems that the desires of the men in that culture are reflective of whatever body type signifies status. In food scarce cultures, plumpness is seen as attractive, whereas in food abundant societies, skinny types are seen as the more attractive. There is, still, an underlying desire for attractiveness in a female mate by males, because "trophy" wives serve as a social status elevator, and as we learned before, this is a signifier to other potential female mates, who see it as a value for men's potential resource production.

I find it fascinating how these two desires essentially naturally complete each other, one desiring reproduction, and the other desiring resources with which to sustain said reproduction. I think it goes to show the perfect harmony of man and woman, and the natural pairing thereof. I, on a more personally biased note, think it also speaks towards the value of a monogamous team which is closely united to each other.

Following this, Buss then goes into casual sex. For the most part, I found this section uninteresting, or I suppose uneasy would be more accurate. Obviously it's a little more taboo, but as Buss outlines from the beginning, we have to look at the "darker" parts of human mating in order to address our relationships properly. One thing I found interesting was the innate tendency of men to respond positively to female novelty. In other words, its been found that men are essentially helpless to constant sexual response when introduced to new female stimuli. It makes you think back to pornography, and the abundance thereof, and it then becomes obvious how it can so easily prey on young males. I think most of what Buss says holds up pretty well 30 years later, considering most of it is about unchanged behaviors over thousands of years, but one thing I was skeptical of was how he argues that women are far less likely to engage in casual sex with little to no commitment. Perhaps its just that the modern porn industry and the laxing of sexual stigmas and the rise of social media has given more of a vocal role to those women who ARE, rather than being totally representative of the population, but I feel as though I've seen a rise in female promiscuity, even over my short life span. In fact, and maybe this is just more indicative of myself and those I associate with, I seem to know far more promiscuous women than men, and most men I know, myself included are quite chaste.

Chapter 5 on "Attracting a Partner" isn't worth going into much detail over, not because it's bad, but simply because it takes to its logical conclusion the findings of chapters 2 and 3. Essentially we just see the fulfilment of behaviors by men showing that they can provide resources, and women showing they can provide fertility. This is really just the "common sense" chapter that one could easily speculate from reading chapters 2 and 3. I will mention, however, two little bits that I found interesting. Firstly, not totally related to the topic at hand, but Buss gives a pretty accurate and wholesome proclamation that since all of our ancestors were either "attractive enough to obtain enough male investment to raise at least one child" or "attractive enough to obtain a woman to have his child", Buss concludes that "Every living human is an evolutionary success story". It's not intended, but it's kind of hidden in there like a little morale boost, like "no one is worthless!" sort of deal. The other thing pointed out was in regard to women "playing hard to get". I have personally never liked this, but may have found a new appreciation for it. This is all just food for thought, but in Buss' words: "Playing hard to get signals great desirability, tests a man's willingness to invest resources, and communicates fidelity to the man. If a woman is hard to get, then a man can be more certain that other men will fail to attract her once she becomes his wife".

Chapter 6, "Staying Together", continues on the path of mostly common sense logical conclusions to the findings of the previous chapters. I really don't have much to say here, as there is nothing clearly adding additional insights aside from what most people can naturally glean themselves. Buss does turn, however, in the second half of this chapter, to describing the mating strategies of the sexes that they implore when the traditional (healthier) methods seemingly don't work. This is where we get to the heart of the issue, it would seem. Buss speaks of the use of manipulation, in all of its forms, as well as jealousy, abuse in all forms, and ritual/surgical genital mutilation (did not think it would come up, but yuck). He does interestingly point out that it has been found that there are absolutely no societies that have been found in which sexual jealousy is not present, past or present. These problems take us into the next chapter, "Sexual Conflict".

Chapter 7, as the title implies, goes into some of the main points of contention between the sexes. One of the first ones he goes into is sexually aggressive behavior. Men find sexually aggressive behavior far less offensive than do women, and for good reason. Furthermore, Buss discovers that not only do they perceive said actions differently, but men undervalue and women overvalue how much said actions bother the opposite sex. In other words, both think that the other is more like themselves than they really are. Buss thinks that clear communication over these topics would be a good start, just disseminating, essentially, where the sexes stand. He also briefly touches on sexual harassment, particularly looking at the workplace. He finds that women are more likely to tolerate, or at least have less strong negative reactions, to the same behavior by men in occupations of status (doctor, rockstar, etc.) vs those with less status (garbage collector, janitor, etc.). This was very interesting to me, because I could find in the aforementioned ancestral desires of status and ability to produce resources, that this gives a very reasonable explanation to the whole "chad vs beta" phenomenon as known on the internet. Not to say that this is moral or right, and neither does Buss, but just to say that I now have a better psychological understanding of it. There are physical things beyond these types of conflict, however. Namely, as Buss discusses, abuse. We have a better understanding of these behaviors based off of our evolutionary desires, so why do we care? Well, in Buss' words: "the fact that the use of abuse has an adaptive logic behind it does not mean that we should accept it... On the contrary, greater understanding of the logic behind such tactics as abuse and about the contexts in which they occur may eventually lead to more effective means to reduce or eliminate the, The means for reducing abuse may come from the recognition that abuse is not a uniform and unmodifiable feature of male biology but is rather a response that depends on particular contexts".

Chapter 8 discusses "Breaking Up", what happens when these sexual conflicts come to a boil and aren't resolved. Again, building off of the foundational assertions of the beginning of the book, Buss finds (with substantial statistical information gathered) that the highest causes of divorce are infidelity and infertility. "Both represent the strongest and most direct failures to deliver the reproductive resources that provide the evolutionary raison d'etre for long term mating". Another interesting thing he pointed out, that I didn't really take much significance to, but just found to be neat was that economic inequality was also a popular reason among women for divorce, particularly when the woman makes more money than the man. It's been observed that women who make more than their husbands often harbor resentment, as well as resenting lack in ambition. Again, it goes back to that traditional model, and why it worked so well. Of course, I don't necessarily believe all women should be stay at home moms or whatever, just saying that the hard defined roles of nurturer and provider have worked for a long time. He finishes by outlining some obvious conclusions as to behaviors which will likely greatly increase chances of long term success in a relationship: "couples should remain faithful, produce children together, have ample economic resources, be kind, generous, and understanding; and never refuse or neglect a mate sexually". Simple, right? Well, that's not necessarily the point, but it is an outline based on the findings of what would likely result in the proper catering of a lifelong romantic engagement.

Unfortunately, Chapter 9, "Changes Over Time" was one which I found to be rather drab, save for a couple of interesting tidbits that were mainly just expansions on topics already mentioned. For the most part, this chapter really just seems to reiterate ideas already discussed extensively in prior chapters, without giving all too much new information, and so I will simply skip to the tenth and final chapter, "Harmony between the Sexes". Buss starts by telling us that the key to bridging past the conflicts of the sexes essentially starts in exactly what his book has delivered thus far: explicit understanding of their differences. "We are not conscripted slaves to sex roles dictated by evolution. Knowledge of the conditions that favor each mating strategy gives us the possibility of choosing which to activate and which to leave dormant." I think that, to a certain degree I do agree, though I think that, as Buss has shown, evolutionary precedent is very strong, and it's not so simple as merely turning off an impulse, but rather remaining strong in the face of those tugging urges. He argues that some people rail against the differences between the sexes, and he contends that it is only in first recognizing them that we can begin to move forward toward harmony. He looks at the feminist perspective, in particular, which he says views men as being united with all other men in a common purpose of oppressing women. He shows, however, that the evolutionary data shows that we most often combat with those of the same sex, vying for the favor of the opposite sex. Overall, Buss rejects the notion that our differences, and the anger/resentment/negative emotions we feel regarding them are a product of "capitalism, culture, or socialization", but are rather from our evolved mating strategies playing out. He amends the idea of one sex working in collaboration with itself, instead explaining that "members of one sex generally favor a common set of strategies which differs from the typical strategies pursued by members of the other sex." Buss seems to really care about and admire the magical bond that is lifelong human matrimony, a hard worked and thoroughly maintained practice unseen in other species. "Marital unions... [appear] to be unparalleled in other species. In this sense, cooperation between the sexes reaches a pinnacle among humans". I can understand why some progressive groups have disagreed with Buss' work, particularly with his late call that "Fulfilling each other's evolved desires is the key to harmony between the sexes". Basically, he says that relationships work best when the man brings greater economic resources to the woman, and when the woman is affectionate and attractive than the man. I think his delivery is abrasive, but at its core, his message doesn't seem to me to be inaccurate. In the end, he again professes the great appreciation we should have for one another: "A profound respect for the other sex should come from the knowledge that we have always depended on each other for the resources required for survival and reproduction. Similarly, we have always depended on each other for the fulfillment of our desires. These facts may be responsible for the unique feeling of completeness people experience when they become entwined in the intoxicating grip of love. A lifelong alliance of love is a triumphant achievement of human mating strategies". My one gripe is that there aren't a lot of "real" actionable steps, more of an emotional profession of belief. I think there is great potential in his passion/belief, but I think that right at the end he fumbles slightly by not giving more clear strategy to achieve his vision of harmony between the sexes. That doesn't take away from the whole book, of course. I still think this is a good, solid book. I would say this is the hard line definition of a true B Tier.
]]> The Phantom of the Opera 480204 The Phantom of the Opera is a riveting story that revolves around the young, Swedish Christine Daaé. Her father, a famous musician, dies, and she is raised in the Paris Opera House with his dying promise of a protective angel of music to guide her. After a time at the opera house, she begins hearing a voice, who eventually teaches her how to sing beautifully. All goes well until Christine's childhood friend Raoul comes to visit his parents, who are patrons of the opera, and he sees Christine when she begins successfully singing on the stage. The voice, who is the deformed, murderous 'ghost' of the opera house named Erik, however, grows violent in his terrible jealousy, until Christine suddenly disappears. The phantom is in love, but it can only spell disaster.

Leroux's work, with characters ranging from the spoiled prima donna Carlotta to the mysterious Persian from Erik's past, has been immortalized by memorable adaptations. Despite this, it remains a remarkable piece of Gothic horror literature in and of itself, deeper and darker than any version that follows.]]> 360 Gaston Leroux 0060809248 Rowan 0 to-read 3.98 1910 The Phantom of the Opera
author: Gaston Leroux
name: Rowan
average rating: 3.98
book published: 1910
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/04
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Reflections on the Psalms 25751757 151 C.S. Lewis Rowan 3 2024-reading-list
In his introduction, he makes clear his plan going forth with this work: to first begin with the ugly parts of the Psalms, with the intention of solving, or at least addressing, the problematic and bothersome parts of the psalms, before then proceeding to the delights of the Psalms that lie afterward.

"Judgement" in the Psalms
The puzzle we find here is that the psalmist sees himself as an innocent, asking God to judge the wicked, while ignoring his own sin. As Christians we accept God's judgement, and we accept that we are sinners. If we were to go to court, we'd be defendants, not plaintiffs. Jesus, then, is Who we look to in order to have our case dismissed. We place value in salvation. The ancient Jews, Lewis tell us, saw judgement differently. They saw themselves as the plaintiffs, wanting God to judge their enemies. They didn't see themselves as playing part in the issue, all the while seeking justice, or even vengeance. Obviously, as Christians, we may see this as problematic, hence Lewis leading with this "ugly" part of the Psalms. It may be hard for us to accept at first, but when given historical context it makes more sense. The ancient Jews looked to God as a Judge, because (and there is biblical context/evidence for this in the Old Testament) they did not have honest judges. We can see this in the Book of Judges, and Jesus talks about this briefly in the first chapter of the Gospel according to Luke. First problem solved!

"Cursing"
I can mostly nod my head in minor agreement at the first of these issues, but the second of which, the curses present in the Psalms, seems more troublesome to me. Lewis starts by asking why, if God is present in ALL of the Bible (for it is His inspired word), are these curses to be of any use to us when we, as Christians, are called on to forgive? This is a fair question to ASK, but I don't think Lewis very well gives a satisfactory ANSWER. Again, he would have us look at the historical context of the writings. The culture at the time declared that it was acceptable to express anger in the way of cursing others as we see in the Psalms. He then reminds us that the times were more violent. I think this point is somewhat irrelevant, because we are called to ascend above the expectations of our times, that is the whole point. Even though Noah was considered a good man, not perfect, amongst those of his time, it still doesn't stand to reason that we shouldn't expect the inspired word of God to call forth in the Psalmists a behavior trouncing above that of their times. The second point made, however, seems more reasonable to me. Lewis tells us that these curses are a reminder that the first human reaction is to hurt those who hurt you. One may never recover from the hurt done to them, and that hurt might never be obliterated in spite of how much they forgive. These hurtful acts of vengeance, however, come with their own difficulties, which can lead to sin. It is therefore there to assume that we as Christians must resist this instinct, this base and feral reaction, lest we wish to inflict suffering both in ourselves and others down the line. I do agree with this last point, yet still I feel as though Lewis doesn't necessarily answer the question of God's presence in these curses, though we may abstract it out for ourselves perhaps from the information given. His last point on the topic is an interesting one, essentially that the Jews were closer to God than the Pagans, because they showed righteous anger, and called out to God, assuming Him a righteous God, and expecting justice. “If the Jews cursed more bitterly than the Pagans this was, I think, at least in part because they took right and wrong more seriously�.

Death
I won't spend too much time on this one, as the issue of addressing death in psalms has never been much of a controversy to me, and the proposed solution or explanation here seems to me to just be common sense. All in all then, I personally feel as if this chapter might be unnecessary. We are essentially reminded that God's plan for the after life was slowly revealed over time, and that the view of death 1000 years prior to Christ was, obviously, far different. People were concerned with being burnished and condemned to dust, wanting merely to live long lives with good names. Lewis, then, asks us to be careful with using Christian theology for these ancient texts. In his view, God wanted the Jews to spend far less time thinking about the afterlife, arguing that one can, like the pagans, for example, become too concerned with the afterlife. He can't deny, though, that there are some verses of the Psalms that do speak of God's plan of redemption. This makes things a little questionable to me so far as his coherency goes, but he does also tell us that God wanted the Jews to learn to love Him for what and who He is, not just for what He could do for them. Lewis argues, unsurprisingly if you know his other works, that in trying to imagine hell or heaven, you don't get far, and that in the end it comes down to whether one wants to be with God or not.

“The Fair Beauty of the Lord�
This chapter was a little hard for me, but to my understanding, Lewis tells us that the Psalms help in our ability to truly "rejoice" in the Lord. He says that it's amazing with what enthusiasm the ancient Jews of these times would inculcate to their worship, before the Savior had ever arrived, whereas we Christians believe that He has already come. He tells us that the Psalms, better than any book of the Bible, gives us mirth. "“If we think ‘mirth� an unsuitable word for them, that may show how badly we need something which the Psalms can give us perhaps better than any other book in the world�. We have tempered our mirth, because in spite of our belief in the Savior, we are called to recognize His gruesome death in communion. Lewis wants us to keep in mind that when these ancient Jews came to temple, it wasn't just for holy tradition, but for fun and socialization, characteristics he believes a common man may come to associate with God. He builds on this, saying when the Psalmist speaks of "seeing God", he means moreso that he sees his PRESENCE in the temple. He uses Psalm 68 as an example: “Your procession has come into view, O God, the procession of my God and King into the sanctuary. In front are the singers, after them the musicians; with them are the maidens playing tambourines�. While we counterpart this approach with somber revearance for Jesus' death, Lewis essentially wants that we should be able to seek the beauty of the Lord and the “pleasures� of his house today in the same way as they did then. I mostly agree, though I think that (and of course this could've been a different case in Lewis' time) Churches do often spread that pleasure through community outreach and events. My church does give me great pleasure, and balances it well with the necessary recognition and somberness in regards to the death of Jesus. I often find myself inexplicably giddy and jubilant at the prospect of having such a wonderful God, and though the Psalms may be a supplement for some in that, I think them far from "necessary" in producing that fact. So long as your faith is pure, I think there is exceptional room to rejoice in the beauty of the Lord.

“Sweeter than honey�
I really have very little to say here, as I either missed the point, or don't really find much of this chapter worth saying. To my understanding, Lewis didn't get my the psalmists describe following "the law" (exclaimed to be not just the commandments, but Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy as well), but eventually understands it as "delight in the law" being akin to loving a certain subject. This is dangerous, though, because it can lead to spiritual conceit or self-righteousness, and in the case of Israel's ancient leaders, can lead to so many conditions of the law that no one can follow them all. He expands, though, that the jews rejoiced that the law was true, or righteous. “Their delight in the Law is a delight in having touched firmness". This is nice and all, but honestly comes off to me as another "so what".

Connivance
I think that, though maybe only partially the intention, Lewis touches on the everlasting applicability and relatability of the Psalms, even today. Connivance, Lewis tells us, is the act of being involved secretly in wrongdoing. He briefly touches on politics and public life, but wants to point out that the Psalms are mainly concerned with our private life. This is definitely something good to be derived from the Psalms, not just reflecting on outward sin, but the sins most close to our hearts, most personal to us, that we commit every day. Lewis mentions how, in spite of the war and strife of the time period of the Psalms, the crime they speak of the most are sins of the tongue, which still widely plagues man today. He shows the universal upstanding principles here in the Psalms, in asking us to humbly reflect on these sins which we often overlook, but which dampen our spirit every day. I think this is definitely a good takeaway, and something that I personally need.

Nature
Lewis speaks of not nature in the sense of just the flowers and the grass, but rather the nature of being and the concept of nature itself. This one, like a lot of this book for me, honestly, was also a bit hard to grasp. I believe the idea here is that the Psalms, more so than any other book of the Bible, reflect and rejoice in CREATION, rather than just stating things of nature as they are. Essentially, they express the doctrine of creation out of nothing, and appreciate the whole of nature as being a divine creation sprouted from a great nothing, rather than the individual beauty of a flower or tree, per say. I may have been misinterpreting this, but then again that was kind of an issue I took with parts of this book, where the ideas either felt kind of loose or perhaps hard to grasp in some way.

A word about praising
Lewis here basically brings up the question of why Psalmists are always asking others to praise the Lord, as if the reader must but not the Psalmist themselves. God, Lewis tells us, is like that work of art which we call admirable. That is to say that, to not admire it, would be a loss on our part. A missing out on something great, or a failure to see something magnificent. God does not fish for compliments, either, and so it is up to us to call forth for His praise. Lewis tells us its very human, actually, in the same way a man might react when seeing a beautiful woman: "isn't she swell?", or something to that effect. It is universal, really, that we might invite others to praise and enjoy what delights us. So really, the Psalmist, taking supreme delight in God, shows us how we must, naturally, invite each other to do the same. I take no problem with this chapter, it's perfectly sound. It's another one of those Lewis chapters that kind of goes without saying. In fact, he himself says at the beginning of the chapter that some might laugh at the premise of it, and that he invites them to do so. With that in mind, I would say that though this chapter is not necessary for many a believer, it is one of those nice explicit statements of an implicitly understood truth, which in turn helps us more actively acknowledge our faith and behavior.

Second Meanings | Scripture | Second Meanings in the Psalms
These last three chapters might easily be grouped into one. Lewis looks at second meaning, first in literature, then in scripture, then specifically in the Psalms. The purpose is that we have thus far been interpreting from a literal sense, but most interpreters see within the Psalms meanings that are deeper than originally intended by the writers. Lewis then questions if it is, in fact, warranted to do so. In short, yes, Lewis does believe it to be warranted to do so. This is, in fact, reflective of how Christians (and the Catechism of the Catholic Church in particular) views bible interpretation. Lewis tells us that there are three types of coincidence in second meanings: accidental/unintended (an offhand comment saying a venue will heat up soon, and it soon after burns down), intended, but based on luck and guesswork (a writer describes a new species, that ends up accurately describing a newly found species soon after), the third is intended and principled. The first two types are grounded in the same principle. The third type, however, best describes pagan predictions, such as of a dying and rising Savior (Adonis). This type, also describes some of the psalmist’s meanings that, upon reflection, prophesy particular events in the life of Christ. Lewis starts by looking at second meanings in literature. The Old Testament appropriates even earlier mythology/songs/etc. Lewis asks, thus, how second meanings in scripture compare to secular literature considering that it basically takes inspiration from how secular creations were authored. He concludes that there is an additional source of second meanings: the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. “Thus something originally merely natural…will have been raised by God above itself� compelled by Him to serve purposes which of itself it would not have served�. In regards to the varying quality of scripture, Lewis tells us that God would have made Scripture more systematic if it were better that way. Since God does what is best, there are apparently reasons for the unsystematic presentation. I know this is an extremely mystic interpretation, and one that non-believers especially will find very lazy, but I personally like it. It's humbling really, for us to acknowledge "the mystery of faith", to understand that there are things happening behind the scenes, so to speak, that we couldn't comprehend. Those who can't see that have no faith anyway, so it seems futile to argue that point. Lewis also points out that Christ himself interprets the Old Testament as allegorically referring to Himself. This is also true. He is the alpha and the omega. The old is revealed in the new. Lewis comes, finally then, to the Psalms themselves. With these last thoughts in mind, we must now ask how the Psalms reflect Christ? Furthermore, are there limits to allegorical interpretation? Lewis answers that there are. Their are some interpretations which more so reflect the face of the reader rather than that of God. There are patterns throughout the Psalms, however, that are reflective of Christ. The suffering servant, the conquering king, the romantic lover, all from a symbolic sense reflect Christ, even if speaking of others (David, Solomon) in the literal sense. Jews believed the Messiah was to be a conquering king and had to learn the painful lesson that he was also the suffering sacrifice. Gentile converts to Christianity are likely to first know Jesus as the suffering sacrifice, and thus can learn the (perhaps painful) lesson that he is at the same time commanding and all-powerful monarch. In essence, Lewis tells us that the picture that emerges from the Psalms helps us understand Christ as king, husband, and servant of humanity. The authors of the New Testament take up this torch, reflecting both on how God humbled himself in Christ and how humanity is elevated by Christ.

Overall, this book is very hit or miss. There are some good insights to be garnered from the psalms, as far as elevating our understanding as Christians goes. Particularly in the last couple of chapters, it can become apparent the new light in which we can appreciate the Psalms. Lewis, though, is at times hard to understand here, either by being very loose or convoluted. Ironically, too, from a lens of a Christian apologetic work, this book is rather weak. The first few chapters dealt with "problems" in a not so convincing way at times, problems that, to me personally at least, were non-entities until Lewis proclaimed them as such. In a way, the beginning of the book further served to discredit parts of the Psalms for me, though overall I still think he was able to, in the end, proclaim its Godly Glory in a mostly agreeable way. It's not a terrible book by any means, but I do also think that some of the more positively reflecting insights almost go without saying, to be honest. I'd have to let this land somewhere in the realm of C tier, maybe C+ were I to give it more consideration. ]]> 3.96 1958 Reflections on the Psalms
author: C.S. Lewis
name: Rowan
average rating: 3.96
book published: 1958
rating: 3
read at: 2024/07/02
date added: 2024/10/04
shelves: 2024-reading-list
review:
One of Lewis' lesser read works, he dives into the Psalms of the Old Testament, looking in to how we can derive spiritual nourishment through this poetry, which is not the same sort of historical treatise or storytelling that we see throughout the rest of the Old and New Testament.

In his introduction, he makes clear his plan going forth with this work: to first begin with the ugly parts of the Psalms, with the intention of solving, or at least addressing, the problematic and bothersome parts of the psalms, before then proceeding to the delights of the Psalms that lie afterward.

"Judgement" in the Psalms
The puzzle we find here is that the psalmist sees himself as an innocent, asking God to judge the wicked, while ignoring his own sin. As Christians we accept God's judgement, and we accept that we are sinners. If we were to go to court, we'd be defendants, not plaintiffs. Jesus, then, is Who we look to in order to have our case dismissed. We place value in salvation. The ancient Jews, Lewis tell us, saw judgement differently. They saw themselves as the plaintiffs, wanting God to judge their enemies. They didn't see themselves as playing part in the issue, all the while seeking justice, or even vengeance. Obviously, as Christians, we may see this as problematic, hence Lewis leading with this "ugly" part of the Psalms. It may be hard for us to accept at first, but when given historical context it makes more sense. The ancient Jews looked to God as a Judge, because (and there is biblical context/evidence for this in the Old Testament) they did not have honest judges. We can see this in the Book of Judges, and Jesus talks about this briefly in the first chapter of the Gospel according to Luke. First problem solved!

"Cursing"
I can mostly nod my head in minor agreement at the first of these issues, but the second of which, the curses present in the Psalms, seems more troublesome to me. Lewis starts by asking why, if God is present in ALL of the Bible (for it is His inspired word), are these curses to be of any use to us when we, as Christians, are called on to forgive? This is a fair question to ASK, but I don't think Lewis very well gives a satisfactory ANSWER. Again, he would have us look at the historical context of the writings. The culture at the time declared that it was acceptable to express anger in the way of cursing others as we see in the Psalms. He then reminds us that the times were more violent. I think this point is somewhat irrelevant, because we are called to ascend above the expectations of our times, that is the whole point. Even though Noah was considered a good man, not perfect, amongst those of his time, it still doesn't stand to reason that we shouldn't expect the inspired word of God to call forth in the Psalmists a behavior trouncing above that of their times. The second point made, however, seems more reasonable to me. Lewis tells us that these curses are a reminder that the first human reaction is to hurt those who hurt you. One may never recover from the hurt done to them, and that hurt might never be obliterated in spite of how much they forgive. These hurtful acts of vengeance, however, come with their own difficulties, which can lead to sin. It is therefore there to assume that we as Christians must resist this instinct, this base and feral reaction, lest we wish to inflict suffering both in ourselves and others down the line. I do agree with this last point, yet still I feel as though Lewis doesn't necessarily answer the question of God's presence in these curses, though we may abstract it out for ourselves perhaps from the information given. His last point on the topic is an interesting one, essentially that the Jews were closer to God than the Pagans, because they showed righteous anger, and called out to God, assuming Him a righteous God, and expecting justice. “If the Jews cursed more bitterly than the Pagans this was, I think, at least in part because they took right and wrong more seriously�.

Death
I won't spend too much time on this one, as the issue of addressing death in psalms has never been much of a controversy to me, and the proposed solution or explanation here seems to me to just be common sense. All in all then, I personally feel as if this chapter might be unnecessary. We are essentially reminded that God's plan for the after life was slowly revealed over time, and that the view of death 1000 years prior to Christ was, obviously, far different. People were concerned with being burnished and condemned to dust, wanting merely to live long lives with good names. Lewis, then, asks us to be careful with using Christian theology for these ancient texts. In his view, God wanted the Jews to spend far less time thinking about the afterlife, arguing that one can, like the pagans, for example, become too concerned with the afterlife. He can't deny, though, that there are some verses of the Psalms that do speak of God's plan of redemption. This makes things a little questionable to me so far as his coherency goes, but he does also tell us that God wanted the Jews to learn to love Him for what and who He is, not just for what He could do for them. Lewis argues, unsurprisingly if you know his other works, that in trying to imagine hell or heaven, you don't get far, and that in the end it comes down to whether one wants to be with God or not.

“The Fair Beauty of the Lord�
This chapter was a little hard for me, but to my understanding, Lewis tells us that the Psalms help in our ability to truly "rejoice" in the Lord. He says that it's amazing with what enthusiasm the ancient Jews of these times would inculcate to their worship, before the Savior had ever arrived, whereas we Christians believe that He has already come. He tells us that the Psalms, better than any book of the Bible, gives us mirth. "“If we think ‘mirth� an unsuitable word for them, that may show how badly we need something which the Psalms can give us perhaps better than any other book in the world�. We have tempered our mirth, because in spite of our belief in the Savior, we are called to recognize His gruesome death in communion. Lewis wants us to keep in mind that when these ancient Jews came to temple, it wasn't just for holy tradition, but for fun and socialization, characteristics he believes a common man may come to associate with God. He builds on this, saying when the Psalmist speaks of "seeing God", he means moreso that he sees his PRESENCE in the temple. He uses Psalm 68 as an example: “Your procession has come into view, O God, the procession of my God and King into the sanctuary. In front are the singers, after them the musicians; with them are the maidens playing tambourines�. While we counterpart this approach with somber revearance for Jesus' death, Lewis essentially wants that we should be able to seek the beauty of the Lord and the “pleasures� of his house today in the same way as they did then. I mostly agree, though I think that (and of course this could've been a different case in Lewis' time) Churches do often spread that pleasure through community outreach and events. My church does give me great pleasure, and balances it well with the necessary recognition and somberness in regards to the death of Jesus. I often find myself inexplicably giddy and jubilant at the prospect of having such a wonderful God, and though the Psalms may be a supplement for some in that, I think them far from "necessary" in producing that fact. So long as your faith is pure, I think there is exceptional room to rejoice in the beauty of the Lord.

“Sweeter than honey�
I really have very little to say here, as I either missed the point, or don't really find much of this chapter worth saying. To my understanding, Lewis didn't get my the psalmists describe following "the law" (exclaimed to be not just the commandments, but Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy as well), but eventually understands it as "delight in the law" being akin to loving a certain subject. This is dangerous, though, because it can lead to spiritual conceit or self-righteousness, and in the case of Israel's ancient leaders, can lead to so many conditions of the law that no one can follow them all. He expands, though, that the jews rejoiced that the law was true, or righteous. “Their delight in the Law is a delight in having touched firmness". This is nice and all, but honestly comes off to me as another "so what".

Connivance
I think that, though maybe only partially the intention, Lewis touches on the everlasting applicability and relatability of the Psalms, even today. Connivance, Lewis tells us, is the act of being involved secretly in wrongdoing. He briefly touches on politics and public life, but wants to point out that the Psalms are mainly concerned with our private life. This is definitely something good to be derived from the Psalms, not just reflecting on outward sin, but the sins most close to our hearts, most personal to us, that we commit every day. Lewis mentions how, in spite of the war and strife of the time period of the Psalms, the crime they speak of the most are sins of the tongue, which still widely plagues man today. He shows the universal upstanding principles here in the Psalms, in asking us to humbly reflect on these sins which we often overlook, but which dampen our spirit every day. I think this is definitely a good takeaway, and something that I personally need.

Nature
Lewis speaks of not nature in the sense of just the flowers and the grass, but rather the nature of being and the concept of nature itself. This one, like a lot of this book for me, honestly, was also a bit hard to grasp. I believe the idea here is that the Psalms, more so than any other book of the Bible, reflect and rejoice in CREATION, rather than just stating things of nature as they are. Essentially, they express the doctrine of creation out of nothing, and appreciate the whole of nature as being a divine creation sprouted from a great nothing, rather than the individual beauty of a flower or tree, per say. I may have been misinterpreting this, but then again that was kind of an issue I took with parts of this book, where the ideas either felt kind of loose or perhaps hard to grasp in some way.

A word about praising
Lewis here basically brings up the question of why Psalmists are always asking others to praise the Lord, as if the reader must but not the Psalmist themselves. God, Lewis tells us, is like that work of art which we call admirable. That is to say that, to not admire it, would be a loss on our part. A missing out on something great, or a failure to see something magnificent. God does not fish for compliments, either, and so it is up to us to call forth for His praise. Lewis tells us its very human, actually, in the same way a man might react when seeing a beautiful woman: "isn't she swell?", or something to that effect. It is universal, really, that we might invite others to praise and enjoy what delights us. So really, the Psalmist, taking supreme delight in God, shows us how we must, naturally, invite each other to do the same. I take no problem with this chapter, it's perfectly sound. It's another one of those Lewis chapters that kind of goes without saying. In fact, he himself says at the beginning of the chapter that some might laugh at the premise of it, and that he invites them to do so. With that in mind, I would say that though this chapter is not necessary for many a believer, it is one of those nice explicit statements of an implicitly understood truth, which in turn helps us more actively acknowledge our faith and behavior.

Second Meanings | Scripture | Second Meanings in the Psalms
These last three chapters might easily be grouped into one. Lewis looks at second meaning, first in literature, then in scripture, then specifically in the Psalms. The purpose is that we have thus far been interpreting from a literal sense, but most interpreters see within the Psalms meanings that are deeper than originally intended by the writers. Lewis then questions if it is, in fact, warranted to do so. In short, yes, Lewis does believe it to be warranted to do so. This is, in fact, reflective of how Christians (and the Catechism of the Catholic Church in particular) views bible interpretation. Lewis tells us that there are three types of coincidence in second meanings: accidental/unintended (an offhand comment saying a venue will heat up soon, and it soon after burns down), intended, but based on luck and guesswork (a writer describes a new species, that ends up accurately describing a newly found species soon after), the third is intended and principled. The first two types are grounded in the same principle. The third type, however, best describes pagan predictions, such as of a dying and rising Savior (Adonis). This type, also describes some of the psalmist’s meanings that, upon reflection, prophesy particular events in the life of Christ. Lewis starts by looking at second meanings in literature. The Old Testament appropriates even earlier mythology/songs/etc. Lewis asks, thus, how second meanings in scripture compare to secular literature considering that it basically takes inspiration from how secular creations were authored. He concludes that there is an additional source of second meanings: the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. “Thus something originally merely natural…will have been raised by God above itself� compelled by Him to serve purposes which of itself it would not have served�. In regards to the varying quality of scripture, Lewis tells us that God would have made Scripture more systematic if it were better that way. Since God does what is best, there are apparently reasons for the unsystematic presentation. I know this is an extremely mystic interpretation, and one that non-believers especially will find very lazy, but I personally like it. It's humbling really, for us to acknowledge "the mystery of faith", to understand that there are things happening behind the scenes, so to speak, that we couldn't comprehend. Those who can't see that have no faith anyway, so it seems futile to argue that point. Lewis also points out that Christ himself interprets the Old Testament as allegorically referring to Himself. This is also true. He is the alpha and the omega. The old is revealed in the new. Lewis comes, finally then, to the Psalms themselves. With these last thoughts in mind, we must now ask how the Psalms reflect Christ? Furthermore, are there limits to allegorical interpretation? Lewis answers that there are. Their are some interpretations which more so reflect the face of the reader rather than that of God. There are patterns throughout the Psalms, however, that are reflective of Christ. The suffering servant, the conquering king, the romantic lover, all from a symbolic sense reflect Christ, even if speaking of others (David, Solomon) in the literal sense. Jews believed the Messiah was to be a conquering king and had to learn the painful lesson that he was also the suffering sacrifice. Gentile converts to Christianity are likely to first know Jesus as the suffering sacrifice, and thus can learn the (perhaps painful) lesson that he is at the same time commanding and all-powerful monarch. In essence, Lewis tells us that the picture that emerges from the Psalms helps us understand Christ as king, husband, and servant of humanity. The authors of the New Testament take up this torch, reflecting both on how God humbled himself in Christ and how humanity is elevated by Christ.

Overall, this book is very hit or miss. There are some good insights to be garnered from the psalms, as far as elevating our understanding as Christians goes. Particularly in the last couple of chapters, it can become apparent the new light in which we can appreciate the Psalms. Lewis, though, is at times hard to understand here, either by being very loose or convoluted. Ironically, too, from a lens of a Christian apologetic work, this book is rather weak. The first few chapters dealt with "problems" in a not so convincing way at times, problems that, to me personally at least, were non-entities until Lewis proclaimed them as such. In a way, the beginning of the book further served to discredit parts of the Psalms for me, though overall I still think he was able to, in the end, proclaim its Godly Glory in a mostly agreeable way. It's not a terrible book by any means, but I do also think that some of the more positively reflecting insights almost go without saying, to be honest. I'd have to let this land somewhere in the realm of C tier, maybe C+ were I to give it more consideration.
]]> Cannery Row (Cannery Row, #1) 4799 Cannery Row is a book without much of a plot. Rather, it is an attempt to capture the feeling and people of a place, the cannery district of Monterey, California, which is populated by a mix of those down on their luck and those who choose for other reasons not to live "up the hill" in the more respectable area of town. The flow of the main plot is frequently interrupted by short vignettes that introduce us to various denizens of the Row, most of whom are not directly connected with the central story. These vignettes are often characterized by direct or indirect reference to extreme violence: suicides, corpses, and the cruelty of the natural world.

The "story" of Cannery Row follows the adventures of Mack and the boys, a group of unemployed yet resourceful men who inhabit a converted fish-meal shack on the edge of a vacant lot down on the Row.

Sweet Thursday is the sequel to Cannery Row.]]> 181 John Steinbeck 014200068X Rowan 0 4.06 1943 Cannery Row (Cannery Row, #1)
author: John Steinbeck
name: Rowan
average rating: 4.06
book published: 1943
rating: 0
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]]> Tortilla Flat 163977 256 John Steinbeck 0582461502 Rowan 0 3.84 1935 Tortilla Flat
author: John Steinbeck
name: Rowan
average rating: 3.84
book published: 1935
rating: 0
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]]> The Red Pony 8732 95 John Steinbeck Rowan 0 3.49 1933 The Red Pony
author: John Steinbeck
name: Rowan
average rating: 3.49
book published: 1933
rating: 0
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]]> <![CDATA[Basic Economics: A Common Sense Guide to the Economy]]> 21413860 Basic Economicsis a citizen's guide to economics, written for those who want to understand how the economy works but have no interest in jargon or equations. Bestselling economist Thomas Sowell explains the general principles underlying different economic systems: capitalist, socialist, feudal, and so on. In readable language, he shows how to critique economic policies in terms of the incentives they create, rather than the goals they proclaim. With clear explanations of the entire field, from rent control and the rise and fall of businesses to the international balance of payments, this is the first book for anyone who wishes to understand how the economy functions.

This fifth edition includes a new chapter explaining the reasons for large differences of wealth and income between nations.

Drawing on lively examples from around the world and from centuries of history, Sowell explains basic economic principles for the general public in plain English.]]> 634 Thomas Sowell 0465060730 Rowan 0 4.59 2000 Basic Economics: A Common Sense Guide to the Economy
author: Thomas Sowell
name: Rowan
average rating: 4.59
book published: 2000
rating: 0
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]]> Julius Caesar 13006 Oxford School Shakespeare has become the preferred introduction to the literary legacy of the greatest playwright in the English language. This exclusive collection of the Bard's best works has been designed specifically for readers new to Shakespeare's rich literary legacy. Each play is
presented complete and unabridged, in large print. Every book is well illustrated, and starts with a commentary and character summary. Scene synopses and character summaries clarify confusing plots, while incisive essays explore the historical context and Shakespeare's sources. Each book ends with a complete list of Shakespeare's plays and a brief chronology of the Bard's life. The detailed explanatory notes are written clearly and positioned right next to the text--no more squinting at microscopic footnotes or flipping pages back and forth in search of endnotes!

The new edition of the series features new covers and new illustrations, including both new drawings and photos from recent productions of Shakespeare's plays around the globe. In addition, the notes and the introductory material have been completely revised in line with new research and in order to
make them clearer and more accessible. Finally, the entire text has been redesigned and reset to enhance readability. The new edition achieves the feat of unprecedented clarity of presentation without any cuts to the original text or the detailed explanations.]]> 175 William Shakespeare 0198320272 Rowan 0 3.69 1599 Julius Caesar
author: William Shakespeare
name: Rowan
average rating: 3.69
book published: 1599
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]]> King Lear 12938
The play tells us about families struggling between greed and cruelty, on the one hand, and support and consolation, on the other. Emotions are extreme, magnified to gigantic proportions. We also see old age portrayed in all its vulnerability, pride, and, perhaps, wisdom—one reason this most devastating of Shakespeare’s tragedies is also perhaps his most moving.

The authoritative edition of King Lear from The Folger Shakespeare Library, the trusted and widely used Shakespeare series for students and general readers, includes:

-Freshly edited text based on the best early printed version of the play

-Full explanatory notes conveniently placed on pages facing the text of the play

-Scene-by-scene plot summaries

-A key to the play’s famous lines and phrases

-An introduction to reading Shakespeare’s language

-An essay by a leading Shakespeare scholar providing a modern perspective on the play

-Fresh images from the Folger Shakespeare Library’s vast holdings of rare books

-An annotated guide to further reading

Essay by Susan Snyder

The Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, DC, is home to the world’s largest collection of Shakespeare’s printed works, and a magnet for Shakespeare scholars from around the globe. In addition to exhibitions open to the public throughout the year, the Folger offers a full calendar of performances and programs. For more information, visit Folger.edu.]]> 339 William Shakespeare Rowan 0 3.91 1605 King Lear
author: William Shakespeare
name: Rowan
average rating: 3.91
book published: 1605
rating: 0
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]]>