Adam's bookshelf: all en-US Wed, 06 Mar 2024 21:05:00 -0800 60 Adam's bookshelf: all 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg <![CDATA[The Way of Kings (The Stormlight Archive, #1)]]> 7235533 From #1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson, The Way of Kings, book one of The Stormlight Archive begins an incredible new saga of epic proportion.

Roshar is a world of stone and storms. Uncanny tempests of incredible power sweep across the rocky terrain so frequently that they have shaped ecology and civilization alike. Animals hide in shells, trees pull in branches, and grass retracts into the soilless ground. Cities are built only where the topography offers shelter.

It has been centuries since the fall of the ten consecrated orders known as the Knights Radiant, but their Shardblades and Shardplate remain: mystical swords and suits of armor that transform ordinary men into near-invincible warriors. Men trade kingdoms for Shardblades. Wars were fought for them, and won by them.

One such war rages on a ruined landscape called the Shattered Plains. There, Kaladin, who traded his medical apprenticeship for a spear to protect his little brother, has been reduced to slavery. In a war that makes no sense, where ten armies fight separately against a single foe, he struggles to save his men and to fathom the leaders who consider them expendable.

Brightlord Dalinar Kholin commands one of those other armies. Like his brother, the late king, he is fascinated by an ancient text called The Way of Kings. Troubled by over-powering visions of ancient times and the Knights Radiant, he has begun to doubt his own sanity.

Across the ocean, an untried young woman named Shallan seeks to train under an eminent scholar and notorious heretic, Dalinar's niece, Jasnah. Though she genuinely loves learning, Shallan's motives are less than pure. As she plans a daring theft, her research for Jasnah hints at secrets of the Knights Radiant and the true cause of the war.

The result of over ten years of planning, writing, and world-building, The Way of Kings is but the opening movement of the Stormlight Archive, a bold masterpiece in the making.

Speak again the ancient oaths:

Life before death.
Strength before weakness.
Journey before Destination.

and return to men the Shards they once bore.

The Knights Radiant must stand again.]]> 1007 Brandon Sanderson 0765326353 Adam 5 he starts out slow, as he does, building a world full of weird fantasy elements and curious social customs. he even deceives us into thinking his view of culture is topical or aesthetic by being explicit at times. however, every detail we see in the beginning is somehow intertwined, as as the characters become more developed and more aware of the difficulties they find themselves in, they become more aware of their predicaments.
i've never read books where i truly felt the despair of the characters so deeply. sanderson is a master of fallible and personable characters whose personalities shine without punching you in the face. they each have their own lessons to learn, and learn they do- their lows are so low it's impossible to think they can ever get out, until through wit, courage, and newfound humility, each character emerges wiser and integrated, having accepted both their internal shadow as well as the reality of the ever-greater challenges they face after the story is over.
having read mistborn, i originally thought nothing could beat mistborn, but this one definitely makes the decision harder for me- if Mistborn was about learning to love despite struggles with trust, Way of Kings is about learning to live honorably despite struggles with purpose, which I found an excellent complement.
Another thing: the characters all parallel each other in their struggles, which I really enjoyed.
I'll think about examples of that more later, but this is definitely a book for the "share with my kids" bookshelf.
4.5/5 because the start is slow, however I am unable to move on in life until I finish the series.]]> 4.66 2010 The Way of Kings (The Stormlight Archive, #1)
author: Brandon Sanderson
name: Adam
average rating: 4.66
book published: 2010
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2024/03/06
shelves:
review:
brandon sanderson did a great job, i think he hit it out of the park.
he starts out slow, as he does, building a world full of weird fantasy elements and curious social customs. he even deceives us into thinking his view of culture is topical or aesthetic by being explicit at times. however, every detail we see in the beginning is somehow intertwined, as as the characters become more developed and more aware of the difficulties they find themselves in, they become more aware of their predicaments.
i've never read books where i truly felt the despair of the characters so deeply. sanderson is a master of fallible and personable characters whose personalities shine without punching you in the face. they each have their own lessons to learn, and learn they do- their lows are so low it's impossible to think they can ever get out, until through wit, courage, and newfound humility, each character emerges wiser and integrated, having accepted both their internal shadow as well as the reality of the ever-greater challenges they face after the story is over.
having read mistborn, i originally thought nothing could beat mistborn, but this one definitely makes the decision harder for me- if Mistborn was about learning to love despite struggles with trust, Way of Kings is about learning to live honorably despite struggles with purpose, which I found an excellent complement.
Another thing: the characters all parallel each other in their struggles, which I really enjoyed.
I'll think about examples of that more later, but this is definitely a book for the "share with my kids" bookshelf.
4.5/5 because the start is slow, however I am unable to move on in life until I finish the series.
]]> <![CDATA[The Wizard Knight (The Wizard Knight #1-2)]]> 101949 920 Gene Wolfe 0575077107 Adam 0 to-read 4.14 2005 The Wizard Knight (The Wizard Knight #1-2)
author: Gene Wolfe
name: Adam
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2005
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/01/20
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Red Rising (Red Rising Saga, #1)]]> 15839976 "I live for the dream that my children will be born free," she says. "That they will be what they like. That they will own the land their father gave them."

"I live for you," I say sadly.

Eo kisses my cheek. "Then you must live for more."

Darrow is a Red, a member of the lowest caste in the color-coded society of the future. Like his fellow Reds, he works all day, believing that he and his people are making the surface of Mars livable for future generations.

Yet he spends his life willingly, knowing that his blood and sweat will one day result in a better world for his children.

But Darrow and his kind have been betrayed. Soon he discovers that humanity already reached the surface generations ago. Vast cities and sprawling parks spread across the planet. Darrow—and Reds like him—are nothing more than slaves to a decadent ruling class.

Inspired by a longing for justice, and driven by the memory of lost love, Darrow sacrifices everything to infiltrate the legendary Institute, a proving ground for the dominant Gold caste, where the next generation of humanity's overlords struggle for power. He will be forced to compete for his life and the very future of civilization against the best and most brutal of Society's ruling class. There, he will stop at nothing to bring down his enemies... even if it means he has to become one of them to do so.]]> 382 Pierce Brown 0345539788 Adam 0 to-read 4.26 2014 Red Rising (Red Rising Saga, #1)
author: Pierce Brown
name: Adam
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2014
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/01/20
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Travels with Charley: In Search of America]]> 5306 A quest across America, from the northernmost tip of Maine to California’s Monterey Peninsula

To hear the speech of the real America, to smell the grass and the trees, to see the colors and the light—these were John Steinbeck's goals as he set out, at the age of fifty-eight, to rediscover the country he had been writing about for so many years.

With Charley, his French poodle, Steinbeck drives the interstates and the country roads, dines with truckers, encounters bears at Yellowstone and old friends in San Francisco. Along the way he reflects on the American character, racial hostility, the particular form of American loneliness he finds almost everywhere, and the unexpected kindness of strangers.]]> 214 John Steinbeck 0142000701 Adam 0 to-read 4.07 1961 Travels with Charley: In Search of America
author: John Steinbeck
name: Adam
average rating: 4.07
book published: 1961
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/01/20
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Poetics of Space 13269 Poetics of Space remains one of the most appealing and lyrical explorations of home. Bachelard takes us on a journey, from cellar to attic, to show how our perceptions of houses and other shelters shape our thoughts, memories, and dreams.

"A magical book. . . . The Poetics of Space is a prism through which all worlds from literary creation to housework to aesthetics to carpentry take on enhanced-and enchanted-significances. Every reader of it will never see ordinary spaces in ordinary ways. Instead the reader will see with the soul of the eye, the glint of Gaston Bachelard." -from the new foreword by John R. Stilgoe]]> 282 Gaston Bachelard 0807064734 Adam 0 to-read 4.20 1957 The Poetics of Space
author: Gaston Bachelard
name: Adam
average rating: 4.20
book published: 1957
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/01/20
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Laurus 24694092
Laurus is a remarkably rich novel about the eternal themes of love, loss, self-sacrifice and faith, from one of Russia’s most exciting and critically acclaimed novelists.]]> 365 Eugene Vodolazkin 1780747551 Adam 0 to-read 4.21 2012 Laurus
author: Eugene Vodolazkin
name: Adam
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2012
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/01/20
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Excellent Sheep: The Miseducation of the American Elite and the Way to a Meaningful Life]]> 18775383
Excellent Sheep takes a sharp look at the high-pressure conveyor belt that begins with parents and counselors who demand perfect grades and culminates in the skewed applications Deresiewicz saw firsthand as a member of Yale’s admissions committee. As schools shift focus from the humanities to "practical" subjects like economics and computer science, students are losing the ability to think in innovative ways. Deresiewicz explains how college should be a time for self-discovery, when students can establish their own values and measures of success, so they can forge their own path. He addresses parents, students, educators, and anyone who's interested in the direction of American society, featuring quotes from real students and graduates he has corresponded with over the years, candidly exposing where the system is broken and clearly presenting solutions.]]> 245 William Deresiewicz 1476702713 Adam 0 to-read 3.85 2014 Excellent Sheep: The Miseducation of the American Elite and the Way to a Meaningful Life
author: William Deresiewicz
name: Adam
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2014
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/08/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?]]> 36402034 258 Philip K. Dick Adam 5 the-list
Philosophically and aesthetically, the book packs a lot. PKD is very deft at weaving his own philosophical musings into the very fabric of the story itself, making abstract ideas present and concrete. Sometimes, this is explicit (such as when he contemplates the nature of the Rosen Corporation) or more implicit (the way JR Isidore is treated by humans) or in dialogue (you love that goat more than you love your wife or even me!)

I like the philosophical weaving a lot, and though there were several confusing parts in the story during which I really had a hard time understanding what was going on, this was something I was used to expecting after having read MIHC. If you have doubts about the confusing parts (there are about 3 major confusing sequences which resolve themselves eventually,) then just stick with it.

In terms of realism, I was extremely impressed at the uncanny coherence of android sentence structure throughout the story. However at the end, I had a hard time understanding how the entire plot of this book fits into one day, considering the multiple major identity crises that took place throughout the novel. Aside from that, all the other science fiction futurism is quite realistic ;)]]> 4.16 1968 Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
author: Philip K. Dick
name: Adam
average rating: 4.16
book published: 1968
rating: 5
read at: 2022/02/24
date added: 2022/02/24
shelves: the-list
review:
Overall, a very good book- it's been a while since I've read any fiction, but as far as what this book was trying to do, I think it did a perfect job. My only critique would be that PKD doesn't give as many character or setting visuals as Steinbeck, for example, but he's not Steinbeck, he's PKD.

Philosophically and aesthetically, the book packs a lot. PKD is very deft at weaving his own philosophical musings into the very fabric of the story itself, making abstract ideas present and concrete. Sometimes, this is explicit (such as when he contemplates the nature of the Rosen Corporation) or more implicit (the way JR Isidore is treated by humans) or in dialogue (you love that goat more than you love your wife or even me!)

I like the philosophical weaving a lot, and though there were several confusing parts in the story during which I really had a hard time understanding what was going on, this was something I was used to expecting after having read MIHC. If you have doubts about the confusing parts (there are about 3 major confusing sequences which resolve themselves eventually,) then just stick with it.

In terms of realism, I was extremely impressed at the uncanny coherence of android sentence structure throughout the story. However at the end, I had a hard time understanding how the entire plot of this book fits into one day, considering the multiple major identity crises that took place throughout the novel. Aside from that, all the other science fiction futurism is quite realistic ;)
]]> <![CDATA[The Right to Useful Unemployment: And Its Professional Enemies]]> 223416 96 Ivan Illich 0714526630 Adam 0 to-read 4.07 1978 The Right to Useful Unemployment: And Its Professional Enemies
author: Ivan Illich
name: Adam
average rating: 4.07
book published: 1978
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/01/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Dumbing Us Down: The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling]]> 225850 142 John Taylor Gatto 086571519X Adam 0 to-read 4.13 2002 Dumbing Us Down: The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling
author: John Taylor Gatto
name: Adam
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2002
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/01/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A Thomas Jefferson Education: Teaching a Generation of Leaders for the Twenty-First Century]]> 8509 195 Oliver DeMille 096712462X Adam 0 to-read 4.19 2000 A Thomas Jefferson Education: Teaching a Generation of Leaders for the Twenty-First Century
author: Oliver DeMille
name: Adam
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2000
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/01/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The One World Schoolhouse: Education Reimagined]]> 15898640
Like many innovators, Khan rethinks existing assumptions and imagines what education could be if freed from them. And his core idea - liberating teachers from lecturing and state-mandated calendars and opening up class time for truly human interaction - has become his life's passion. Schools seek his advice about connecting to students in a digital age, and people of all ages and backgrounds flock to the site to utilise this fresh approach to learning.

In THE ONE WORLD SCHOOLHOUSE, Khan presents his radical vision for the future of education, as well as his own remarkable story, for the first time.

More than just a solution, THE ONE WORLD SCHOOLHOUSE serves as a call for free, universal, global education, and an explanation of how Khan's simple yet revolutionary thinking can help achieve this inspiring goal.]]> 272 Salman Khan 1619697777 Adam 0 to-read 4.34 2012 The One World Schoolhouse: Education Reimagined
author: Salman Khan
name: Adam
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2012
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/01/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Unschooling Rules: 55 Ways to Unlearn What We Know About Schools and Rediscover Education]]> 10021241
� Learn to be; learn to do; learn to know.
� Tests don't work. Get over it. Move on.
� What a person learns in a classroom is how to be a person in a classroom.
� Animals are better than books about animals.
� Internships, apprenticeships, and interesting jobs beat term papers, textbooks, and tests.
� The only sustainable answer to the global education challenge is a diversity of approaches.

This accessible book provides you with a path forward, whether you're a parent or teacher, a school administrator, or a national policy decision maker.]]> 168 Clark Aldrich 1608321169 Adam 0 to-read 3.89 2010 Unschooling Rules: 55 Ways to Unlearn What We Know About Schools and Rediscover Education
author: Clark Aldrich
name: Adam
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2010
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/01/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Courage to Grow: How Acton Academy Turns Learning Upside Down]]> 35827185 0 Laura A. Sandefer 1626344914 Adam 0 to-read 4.41 Courage to Grow: How Acton Academy Turns Learning Upside Down
author: Laura A. Sandefer
name: Adam
average rating: 4.41
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/01/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Good Life Method: Reasoning Through the Big Questions of Happiness, Faith, and Meaning]]> 57701765
For seekers of all stripes, philosophy is timeless self-care. Notre Dame philosophy professors Meghan Sullivan and Paul Blaschko have reinvigorated this tradition in their wildly popular and influential undergraduate course “God and the Good Life,� in which they wrestle with the big questions about how to live and what makes life meaningful.

Now they invite us into the classroom to work through issues like what justifies our beliefs, whether we should practice a religion and what sacrifices we should make for others—as well as to investigate what figures such as Aristotle, Plato, Marcus Aurelius, Iris Murdoch, and W.E.B. Du Bois have to say about how to live well. Sullivan and Blaschko do the timeless work of philosophy using real-world case studies that explore love, finance, truth, and more. In so doing, they push us to escape our own caves, ask stronger questions, explain our deepest goals, and wrestle with suffering, the nature of death, and the existence of God.

Philosophers know that our “good life plan� is one that we as individuals need to be constantly and actively writing to achieve some meaningful control and sense of purpose even if the world keeps throwing surprises our way. For at least the past 2,500 years, philosophers have taught that goal-seeking is an essential part of what it is to be human—and crucially that we could find our own good life by asking better questions of ourselves and of one another. This virtue ethics approach resonates profoundly in our own moment.

The Good Life Method is a winning guide to tackling the big questions of being human with the wisdom of the ages.]]> 304 Meghan Sullivan 1984880306 Adam 0 to-read 3.91 The Good Life Method: Reasoning Through the Big Questions of Happiness, Faith, and Meaning
author: Meghan Sullivan
name: Adam
average rating: 3.91
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/01/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Index of Self-Destructive Acts]]> 50970293 The Interviewer, a street-corner preacher declares that the world is coming to an end. A sports statistician, data journalist, and newly minted media celebrity who correctly forecasted every outcome of the 2008 election, Sam’s familiar with predicting the future. But when projection meets reality, things turn complicated. Sam’s editor sends him to profile disgraced political columnist Frank Doyle. To most readers, Doyle is a liberal lion turned neocon Iraq war apologist, but to Sam he is above all the author of the great works of baseball lore that sparked Sam’s childhood love of the game—books he now views as childish myth-making to be crushed with his empirical hammer. But Doyle proves something else in person: charming, intelligent, and more convincing than Sam could have expected. Then there is his daughter, Margo, to whom Sam becomes desperately attracted—just as his wife, Lucy, arrives from Wisconsin. The lives of these characters are entwined with those of the rest of the Doyle family—Frank’s wife, Kit, whose investment bank collapsed during the financial crisis; his son, Eddie, an Army veteran just returned from his second combat tour; and Eddie’s best childhood friend, hedge funder Justin Price. While the end of the world might not be arriving, Beha’s characters are each headed for apocalypses of their own making.]]> 520 Christopher R. Beha 1947793829 Adam 0 to-read 4.03 2020 The Index of Self-Destructive Acts
author: Christopher R. Beha
name: Adam
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/01/08
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Young Man's Guide: Counsels, Reflections and Prayers for Catholic Young Men]]> 15904705 460 Francis Xavier Lasance 1936639165 Adam 0 to-read 4.74 1910 The Young Man's Guide: Counsels, Reflections and Prayers for Catholic Young Men
author: Francis Xavier Lasance
name: Adam
average rating: 4.74
book published: 1910
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2021/12/09
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Love of Learning and the Desire for God: A Study of Monastic Culture]]> 179617 296 Jean Leclercq 0823204073 Adam 0 to-read 4.31 1960 The Love of Learning and the Desire for God: A Study of Monastic Culture
author: Jean Leclercq
name: Adam
average rating: 4.31
book published: 1960
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2021/07/14
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Barn at the End of the World: The Apprenticeship of a Quaker, Buddhist Shepherd]]> 106757 The Barn at the End of the World follows O’Reilley in her sometimes funny, sometimes moving quest. Though small in stature, she learns to “flip� very large sheep and help them lamb. She also visits a Buddhist monastery in France, where she studies the practice of Mahayana Buddhism, dividing her spare time between meditation and dreaming of French pastries.]]> 344 Mary Rose O'Reilley 1571312544 Adam 0 to-read 4.06 2000 The Barn at the End of the World: The Apprenticeship of a Quaker, Buddhist Shepherd
author: Mary Rose O'Reilley
name: Adam
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2000
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2021/06/18
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Puritan Boston and Quaker Philadelphia]]> 770499 604 Edward Digby Baltzell 156000830X Adam 0 the-list 3.81 1980 Puritan Boston and Quaker Philadelphia
author: Edward Digby Baltzell
name: Adam
average rating: 3.81
book published: 1980
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2021/06/18
shelves: the-list
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Protestant Work Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism]]> 18951614 137 Max Weber Adam 0 the-list 3.75 1904 The Protestant Work Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism
author: Max Weber
name: Adam
average rating: 3.75
book published: 1904
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2021/06/18
shelves: the-list
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Witchcraft, Oracles, and Magic Among the Azande]]> 399247 298 E.E. Evans-Pritchard 0198740298 Adam 0 the-list 3.85 1937 Witchcraft, Oracles, and Magic Among the Azande
author: E.E. Evans-Pritchard
name: Adam
average rating: 3.85
book published: 1937
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2021/06/18
shelves: the-list
review:

]]> The Glass Bead Game 16634 The Glass Bead Game is a fascinating tale of the complexity of modern life as well as a classic of modern literature.

Set in the twenty-third century, The Glass Bead Game is the story of Joseph Knecht, who has been raised in Castalia, the remote place his society has provided for the intellectual elite to grow and flourish. Since childhood, Knecht has been consumed with mastering the Glass Bead Game, which requires a synthesis of aesthetics and philosophy, which he achieves in adulthood, becoming a Magister Ludi (Master of the Game).]]> 558 Hermann Hesse 0312278497 Adam 5 the-list
This book was a work of poetry and a work of art, and it's certainly the nine-course meal in one shot. Hesse, and the excellent translators, make this book into a continuous stream of poetry and plot that you can only access if you have a deep desire to understand the depths of desiring an existence beyond this one.

I would also recommend reading the introduction and preface, if you have them- reading them before and after reading the book will help you to digest the giant book you just consumed.

If you know if Hesse's more famous book, Siddhartha,, this book is the long form.

Basic Plot:
Written as a future biography of the man Joseph Knecht, The Glass Bead Game follows the life of this quasi-monastic academic in his upbringing within the province of Castalia. He loves the music, intellect, aesthetic, and culture that his province provides, but comes to feel that a pure study of the pure mind lacks the raw experience of a life in the real world.

If Siddhartha resonated with you, this book is worth it. The excellency of the subtle poetry, the humor in the subtle irony, and the depth and pull of Knecht's experience make this truly a masterpiece of a literary master.]]> 4.12 1943 The Glass Bead Game
author: Hermann Hesse
name: Adam
average rating: 4.12
book published: 1943
rating: 5
read at: 2019/09/15
date added: 2021/06/18
shelves: the-list
review:
A nine-course meal will take a while to eat, and a while to digest. Though an instant ramen is tasty, a long meal is worth it, which you know if you've ever had one or read a whole series for the long haul.

This book was a work of poetry and a work of art, and it's certainly the nine-course meal in one shot. Hesse, and the excellent translators, make this book into a continuous stream of poetry and plot that you can only access if you have a deep desire to understand the depths of desiring an existence beyond this one.

I would also recommend reading the introduction and preface, if you have them- reading them before and after reading the book will help you to digest the giant book you just consumed.

If you know if Hesse's more famous book, Siddhartha,, this book is the long form.

Basic Plot:
Written as a future biography of the man Joseph Knecht, The Glass Bead Game follows the life of this quasi-monastic academic in his upbringing within the province of Castalia. He loves the music, intellect, aesthetic, and culture that his province provides, but comes to feel that a pure study of the pure mind lacks the raw experience of a life in the real world.

If Siddhartha resonated with you, this book is worth it. The excellency of the subtle poetry, the humor in the subtle irony, and the depth and pull of Knecht's experience make this truly a masterpiece of a literary master.
]]> <![CDATA[The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing]]> 22318578 Japanese cleaning consultant Marie Kondo takes tidying to a whole new level, promising that if you properly simplify and organize your home once, you'll never have to do it again. Most methods advocate a room-by-room or little-by-little approach, which doom you to pick away at your piles of stuff forever. The KonMari Method, with its revolutionary category-by-category system, leads to lasting results. In fact, none of Kondo's clients have lapsed (and she still has a three-month waiting list).

With detailed guidance for determining which items in your house "spark joy" (and which don't), this international best seller featuring Tokyo's newest lifestyle phenomenon will help you clear your clutter and enjoy the unique magic of a tidy home - and the calm, motivated mindset it can inspire.

]]> 213 Marie Kondō 1607747308 Adam 5 the-list 3.88 2010 The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing
author: Marie Kondō
name: Adam
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2010
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2021/06/18
shelves: the-list
review:

]]> <![CDATA[How to Win Friends & Influence People]]> 4865
Since its release in 1936, How to Win Friends and Influence People has sold more than 30 million copies. Dale Carnegie's first book is a timeless bestseller, packed with rock-solid advice that has carried thousands of now famous people up the ladder of success in their business and personal lives.

As relevant as ever before, Dale Carnegie's principles endure, and will help you achieve your maximum potential in the complex and competitive modern age.

Learn the six ways to make people like you, the twelve ways to win people to your way of thinking, and the nine ways to change people without arousing resentment.]]> 288 Dale Carnegie Adam 5 the-list
Though you "already know" a lot of this book's principles, Dale Carnegie puts them in perspective through numerous inspiring examples of how cooperation and understanding really are better than fighting and criticizing.]]> 4.22 1936 How to Win Friends & Influence People
author: Dale Carnegie
name: Adam
average rating: 4.22
book published: 1936
rating: 5
read at: 2018/07/28
date added: 2021/06/18
shelves: the-list
review:
Fantastic book, 100% recommend to anyone.

Though you "already know" a lot of this book's principles, Dale Carnegie puts them in perspective through numerous inspiring examples of how cooperation and understanding really are better than fighting and criticizing.
]]> The Little Prince 157993
Few stories are as widely read and as universally cherished by children and adults alike as The Little Prince, presented here in a stunning new translation with carefully restored artwork. The definitive edition of a worldwide classic, it will capture the hearts of readers of all ages.]]> 96 Antoine de Saint-Exupéry 0152023984 Adam 5 the-list 4.32 1943 The Little Prince
author: Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
name: Adam
average rating: 4.32
book published: 1943
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2021/06/18
shelves: the-list
review:

]]> The Fountainhead 2122
This modern classic is the story of intransigent young architect Howard Roark, whose integrity was as unyielding as granite...of Dominique Francon, the exquisitely beautiful woman who loved Roark passionately, but married his worst enemy...and of the fanatic denunciation unleashed by an enraged society against a great creator. As fresh today as it was then, Rand’s provocative novel presents one of the most challenging ideas in all of fiction—that man’s ego is the fountainhead of human progress...

“A writer of great power. She has a subtle and ingenious mind and the capacity of writing brilliantly, beautifully, bitterly...This is the only novel of ideas written by an American woman that I can recall.”—The New York Times]]> 704 Ayn Rand Adam 5 the-list
Long version:

Lots of people have beef with this book:

"the characters are unrealistic
The moral of the story is corrupt
The failed characters have no redeeming qualities"
etc, I don't know them all but those are the criticisms I can see.

But that's only if you look at the story as a story about people.
I saw this book as a story about myself.
Any real person doesn't just have one personality that unites their character- real people have multiple personalities, vying for a share of the host's actions. That's why people are complex- they're real.

I saw each of the characters in The Fountainhead as those personalities within myself, vying for control of the world, ie my conscious actions. There is plenty of self-destructive loathing, dissappointment, jealousy, and sadism beneath the conscious mind, but there is also a hero within waiting for our conscious mind to give him a chance to break free of our restrictive reality and to make our self known.

This self-realization, and freedom from our own vices, is what really spoke to me in reading this book.
For me, I realized just how much I identified with Peter, and how much I wanted to be more like Howard- this book sent me on a journey in which I once again valued reading for fun, trying to improve myself, and standing up for what I value and respect.

Very important to read this book in this way.
]]> 3.87 1943 The Fountainhead
author: Ayn Rand
name: Adam
average rating: 3.87
book published: 1943
rating: 5
read at: 2018/01/01
date added: 2021/06/18
shelves: the-list
review:
TLDR: This book is life changing if you read each character as a part of your personality rather than a political philosophy based on unrealistic characters.

Long version:

Lots of people have beef with this book:

"the characters are unrealistic
The moral of the story is corrupt
The failed characters have no redeeming qualities"
etc, I don't know them all but those are the criticisms I can see.

But that's only if you look at the story as a story about people.
I saw this book as a story about myself.
Any real person doesn't just have one personality that unites their character- real people have multiple personalities, vying for a share of the host's actions. That's why people are complex- they're real.

I saw each of the characters in The Fountainhead as those personalities within myself, vying for control of the world, ie my conscious actions. There is plenty of self-destructive loathing, dissappointment, jealousy, and sadism beneath the conscious mind, but there is also a hero within waiting for our conscious mind to give him a chance to break free of our restrictive reality and to make our self known.

This self-realization, and freedom from our own vices, is what really spoke to me in reading this book.
For me, I realized just how much I identified with Peter, and how much I wanted to be more like Howard- this book sent me on a journey in which I once again valued reading for fun, trying to improve myself, and standing up for what I value and respect.

Very important to read this book in this way.

]]> <![CDATA[Jurassic Park (Jurassic Park, #1)]]> 6424171 An alternate cover edition can be found here.

An astonishing technique for recovering and cloning dinosaur DNA has been discovered. Now humankind’s most thrilling fantasies have come true. Creatures extinct for eons roam Jurassic Park with their awesome presence and profound mystery, and all the world can visit them—for a price. Until something goes wrong. . . .--back cover]]> 416 Michael Crichton 0345370775 Adam 5 the-list 4.25 1990 Jurassic Park (Jurassic Park, #1)
author: Michael Crichton
name: Adam
average rating: 4.25
book published: 1990
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2021/06/18
shelves: the-list
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion]]> 11324722 An alternate cover edition of ISBN 9780307377906 can be found here.

Why can’t our political leaders work together as threats loom and problems mount? Why do people so readily assume the worst about the motives of their fellow citizens? In The Righteous Mind, social psychologist Jonathan Haidt explores the origins of our divisions and points the way forward to mutual understanding.

His starting point is moral intuition—the nearly instantaneous perceptions we all have about other people and the things they do. These intuitions feel like self-evident truths, making us righteously certain that those who see things differently are wrong. Haidt shows us how these intuitions differ across cultures, including the cultures of the political left and right. He blends his own research findings with those of anthropologists, historians, and other psychologists to draw a map of the moral domain. He then examines the origins of morality, overturning the view that evolution made us fundamentally selfish creatures. But rather than arguing that we are innately altruistic, he makes a more subtle claim—that we are fundamentally groupish. It is our groupishness, he explains, that leads to our greatest joys, our religious divisions, and our political affiliations. In a stunning final chapter on ideology and civility, Haidt shows what each side is right about, and why we need the insights of liberals, conservatives, and libertarians to flourish as a nation.]]> 419 Jonathan Haidt Adam 5 the-list Very recommended for anyone interested in morality, philosophy, and politics.]]> 4.18 2012 The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion
author: Jonathan Haidt
name: Adam
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2012
rating: 5
read at: 2018/08/17
date added: 2021/06/18
shelves: the-list
review:
Enlightening. Haidt is a very tactful and thoughtful author, and his intelligence shows in his writing.
Very recommended for anyone interested in morality, philosophy, and politics.
]]> <![CDATA[How to Be a Man: a Book for Boys: Containing Useful Hints on the Formation of Character]]> 4861494 269 Harvey Newcomb 0554843862 Adam 5 the-list Felt like the Boy Scout manual with a Christian twist.
He doesn't say "do this because it's good for you" or "because we said so" or "because you should."
He teaches you why each little good habit you should form is critical to your development as a functioning, honorable, whole person, as a servant and leader of your community.
For those who would judge, it is also not sexist.]]> 4.22 1847 How to Be a Man: a Book for Boys: Containing Useful Hints on the Formation of Character
author: Harvey Newcomb
name: Adam
average rating: 4.22
book published: 1847
rating: 5
read at: 2018/11/10
date added: 2021/06/18
shelves: the-list
review:
Fantastic book, really insightful book on how to build character in young men.
Felt like the Boy Scout manual with a Christian twist.
He doesn't say "do this because it's good for you" or "because we said so" or "because you should."
He teaches you why each little good habit you should form is critical to your development as a functioning, honorable, whole person, as a servant and leader of your community.
For those who would judge, it is also not sexist.
]]> <![CDATA[Why We're Catholic: Our Reasons for Faith, Hope, and Love]]> 34415843
How can you believe all that stuff?
This is the number-one question Catholics get asked—and, sometimes, we ask ourselves. Why do we believe that God exists, that he became a man and came to save us, that what looks like a wafer of bread is actually his body? Why do we believe that he inspired a holy book and founded an infallible Church to teach us the one true way to live?

Ever since he became Catholic, Trent Horn has spent a lot of time answering these questions, trying to explain to friends, family, and total strangers the reasons for his faith

Some didn’t believe in God, or even in the existence of truth.
Others said they were spiritual but didn’t think you needed religion to be happy.
Some were Christians who thought Catholic doctrines over-complicated the pure gospel.
And some were fellow Catholics who had a hard time understanding everything they professed to believe on Sunday.

Why We’re Catholic assembles the clearest, friendliest, most helpful answers that Trent learned to give to all these people and more. Beginning with how we can know reality and ending with our hope of eternal life, it’s the perfect way to help skeptics and seekers (or Catholics who want to firm up their faith) understand the evidence that bolsters our belief—and brings us joy.]]> 240 Trent Horn 1683570243 Adam 3 4.33 Why We're Catholic: Our Reasons for Faith, Hope, and Love
author: Trent Horn
name: Adam
average rating: 4.33
book published:
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2021/06/18
shelves:
review:
As a relatively pop-level catholic apologetics book, this book does what it sets out to do and makes a good case. Not as rigorously deep as I was hoping for, but 4stars because it tries to be accessible, and achieves what it sets out to do.
]]> <![CDATA[The Conquest of Bread (Working Classics)]]> 1113155 The fourth in AK Press� Working Classics series, The Conquest of Bread is Peter Kropotkin’s most extensive study of human needs and his outline of the most rational and equitable means of satisfying them. A combination of detailed historical analysis and far-reaching Utopian vision, this is a step-by-step guide to social revolution: the concrete means of achieving it, and the world that humanity’s “constructive genius� is capable of creating. Includes a new introduction that historically situates and discusses the contemporary relevance of Kropotkin’s ideas.

]]> 224 Pyotr Kropotkin 1904859100 Adam 5 the-list
I had this exact same thought when I was about 14, and it's funny to read how his agricultural efficiency projections for household lots actually came true, if you look up single-family suburban farming nowadays. It's also funny how instead of "pursuing the higher pleasures of human existence," humanity has devolved into Netflix and YouTube (probably due to school crushing our interests). (In America, can't say for elsewhere-probably true though.)

Whereas Kropotkin calls for an explicit revolution, I think the revolution needs to be more subtle to succeed; people need to start running their own farms and taking their own responsibilities before some new revolutionary state can thrust it on them, because that new state will be tyrannincal.
Hence, anarcho-communism.

My thoughts: if people give up brain-rot entertainment (TV), invest themselves in small-style or community home school type education, get interested in self-sufficiency and gardening, don't selfishly indulge in consumerism, and want to learn, then they will deserve and be able to enact the revolution.
Without those conditions (which consumerist media and goods companies will inherently try to prevent in order to create dependency on their markets, such as FaceBook's addiction engineers and shopping advertisements) then any revolution will be a disaster, as seen in the 20th century.

Capitalism should lead to maximized self-sufficiency, which should naturally lead to anarcho-communism. It should be a free exchange for good, rather than a forced one, because free markets will always benefit both parties. We just have to facilitate people that can make good things and share them, first selfishly (free market capitalism) then, upon trust and independence, communally (anarcho-communism, which will be better to share but not necessary. Otherwise, an explicit revolution would be destructive.)

Fun to read, all in all.]]> 4.07 1892 The Conquest of Bread (Working Classics)
author: Pyotr Kropotkin
name: Adam
average rating: 4.07
book published: 1892
rating: 5
read at: 2019/06/06
date added: 2021/06/18
shelves: the-list
review:
Basically: If we didn't specialize so much, and all did a little bit of our own farming, we could split our day doing half labor (farming/industry) and half science/art. This would make life less of a drag for those who are "specialized" into lifelong debt, servitude, and misery.

I had this exact same thought when I was about 14, and it's funny to read how his agricultural efficiency projections for household lots actually came true, if you look up single-family suburban farming nowadays. It's also funny how instead of "pursuing the higher pleasures of human existence," humanity has devolved into Netflix and YouTube (probably due to school crushing our interests). (In America, can't say for elsewhere-probably true though.)

Whereas Kropotkin calls for an explicit revolution, I think the revolution needs to be more subtle to succeed; people need to start running their own farms and taking their own responsibilities before some new revolutionary state can thrust it on them, because that new state will be tyrannincal.
Hence, anarcho-communism.

My thoughts: if people give up brain-rot entertainment (TV), invest themselves in small-style or community home school type education, get interested in self-sufficiency and gardening, don't selfishly indulge in consumerism, and want to learn, then they will deserve and be able to enact the revolution.
Without those conditions (which consumerist media and goods companies will inherently try to prevent in order to create dependency on their markets, such as FaceBook's addiction engineers and shopping advertisements) then any revolution will be a disaster, as seen in the 20th century.

Capitalism should lead to maximized self-sufficiency, which should naturally lead to anarcho-communism. It should be a free exchange for good, rather than a forced one, because free markets will always benefit both parties. We just have to facilitate people that can make good things and share them, first selfishly (free market capitalism) then, upon trust and independence, communally (anarcho-communism, which will be better to share but not necessary. Otherwise, an explicit revolution would be destructive.)

Fun to read, all in all.
]]> What Makes Sammy Run? 101191
Everyone of us knows someone who runs. He is one of the symp-toms of our times—from the little man who shoves you out of the way on the street to the go-getter who shoves you out of a job in the office to the Fuehrer who shoves you out of the world. And all of us have stopped to wonder, at some time or another, what it is that makes these people tick. What makes them run?

This is the question Schulberg has asked himself, and the answer is the first novel written with the indignation that only a young writer with talent and ideals could concentrate into a manuscript. It is the story of Sammy Glick, the man with a positive genius for being a heel, who runs through New York’s East Side, through newspaper ranks and finally through Hollywood, leaving in his wake the wrecked careers of his associates; for this is his tragedy and his chief characteristic—his congenital incapacity for friendship.

An older and more experienced novelist might have tempered his story and, in so doing, destroyed one of its outstanding qualities. Compromise would mar the portrait of Sammy Glick. Schulberg has etched it in pure vitriol, and dissected his victim with a precision that is almost frightening.

When a fragment of this book appeared as a short story in a national magazine, Schulberg was surprised at the number of letters he received from people convinced they knew Sammy Glick’s real name. But speculation as to his real identity would be utterly fruitless, for Sammy is a composite picture of a loud and spectacular minority bitterly resented by the many decent and sincere artists who are trying honestly to realize the measureless potentialities of motion pictures. To this group belongs Schulberg himself, who has not only worked as a screen writer since his graduation from Dartmouth College in 1936, but has spent his life, literally, in the heart of the motion-picture colony. In the course of finding out what makes Sammy run (an operation in which the reader is spared none of the grue-some details) Schulberg has poured out everything he has felt about that place. The result is a book which the publishers not only believe to be the most honest ever written about Hollywood, but a penetrating study of one kind of twentieth-century success that is peculiar to no single race of people or walk of life.]]> 320 Budd Schulberg 0375508317 Adam 5 the-list Especially read this if you are ambitious, or need to understand the dark side of ambition behind the lives of top of the pyramid type people. I see this a lot at Cornell and other Ivy's. They get there for a reason, and you don't want to have that reason.

Story is riveting, Schulberg is magic with giving you an exact image of a person or place in exactly one witty sentence. It's such a real story with real people to the point where reality feels like a fairy tale.

One of my new favorites, craftsmanship.]]> 4.07 1941 What Makes Sammy Run?
author: Budd Schulberg
name: Adam
average rating: 4.07
book published: 1941
rating: 5
read at: 2019/05/12
date added: 2021/06/18
shelves: the-list
review:
The real deal.
Especially read this if you are ambitious, or need to understand the dark side of ambition behind the lives of top of the pyramid type people. I see this a lot at Cornell and other Ivy's. They get there for a reason, and you don't want to have that reason.

Story is riveting, Schulberg is magic with giving you an exact image of a person or place in exactly one witty sentence. It's such a real story with real people to the point where reality feels like a fairy tale.

One of my new favorites, craftsmanship.
]]> Beyond Freedom and Dignity 55987 240 B.F. Skinner 0872206270 Adam 0 currently-reading, the-list 3.77 1971 Beyond Freedom and Dignity
author: B.F. Skinner
name: Adam
average rating: 3.77
book published: 1971
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2021/06/18
shelves: currently-reading, the-list
review:

]]> Power and Personality 9632875 272 Harold D. Lasswell 1412810329 Adam 5 the-list 4.27 1962 Power and Personality
author: Harold D. Lasswell
name: Adam
average rating: 4.27
book published: 1962
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2021/06/18
shelves: the-list
review:
First part was boring when he just went over definitions, but parts of this book spoke to me about how the human mind operates in ways I haven't heard before. Maybe not mainstream, but it's definitely not fringe either. I think this falls into the category of "important accessible ideas which somehow ended up falling into the obscurity of the public but relevant to academia"
]]> Bullshit Jobs: A Theory 34466958 From bestselling writer David Graeber, a powerful argument against the rise of meaningless, unfulfilling jobs, and their consequences.

Does your job make a meaningful contribution to the world? In the spring of 2013, David Graeber asked this question in a playful, provocative essay titled “On the Phenomenon of Bullshit Jobs.� It went viral. After a million online views in seventeen different languages, people all over the world are still debating the answer.

There are millions of people—HR consultants, communication coordinators, telemarketing researchers, corporate lawyers—whose jobs are useless, and, tragically, they know it. These people are caught in bullshit jobs.

Graeber explores one of society’s most vexing and deeply felt concerns, indicting among other villains a particular strain of finance capitalism that betrays ideals shared by thinkers ranging from Keynes to Lincoln. Bullshit Jobs gives individuals, corporations, and societies permission to undergo a shift in values, placing creative and caring work at the center of our culture. This book is for everyone who wants to turn their vocation back into an avocation.]]> 335 David Graeber 150114331X Adam 0 the-list 4.03 2018 Bullshit Jobs: A Theory
author: David Graeber
name: Adam
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2021/06/18
shelves: the-list
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The End of Education: Redefining the Value of School]]> 96441 The End of Education restores meaning and common sense to the arena in which they are most urgently needed.

"Informal and clear...Postman's ideas about education are appealingly fresh."--New York Times Book Review]]> 209 Neil Postman 0679750312 Adam 5 the-list Insights- There is at least one profound idea per two pages, if not more.
Relevance- Everyone should read this book.

He may not be someone you agree with on everything, but you can't deny that the insight here is what what America (and the whole world) needs to think about deeply.

This book definitely changed the way I look at everything, and I will be reviewing my notes on it regularly.]]> 3.96 1995 The End of Education: Redefining the Value of School
author: Neil Postman
name: Adam
average rating: 3.96
book published: 1995
rating: 5
read at: 2020/12/26
date added: 2021/06/18
shelves: the-list
review:
Prose- Fantastic.
Insights- There is at least one profound idea per two pages, if not more.
Relevance- Everyone should read this book.

He may not be someone you agree with on everything, but you can't deny that the insight here is what what America (and the whole world) needs to think about deeply.

This book definitely changed the way I look at everything, and I will be reviewing my notes on it regularly.
]]> <![CDATA[Modern Man in Search of a Soul]]> 646175 A provocative and enlightening look at spiritual unease and its contribution to the void in modern civilization

Considered by many to be one of the most important books in the field of psychology, Modern Man in Search of a Soul is a comprehensive introduction to the thought of Carl Gustav Jung. In this book, Jung examines some of the most contested and crucial areas in the field of analytical psychology, including dream analysis, the primitive unconscious, and the relationship between psychology and religion. Additionally, Jung looks at the differences between his theories and those of Sigmund Freud, providing a valuable basis for anyone interested in the fundamentals of psychoanalysis.
]]> 244 C.G. Jung 0156612062 Adam 0 4.20 1931 Modern Man in Search of a Soul
author: C.G. Jung
name: Adam
average rating: 4.20
book published: 1931
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2021/01/16
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Myth of Freedom and the Way of Meditation]]> 413034
In this book, Chögyam Trungpa explores the meaning of freedom in the profound context of Tibetan Buddhism. He shows how our attitudes, preconceptions, and even our spiritual practices can become chains that bind us to repetitive patterns of frustration and despair. He also explains how meditation can bring into focus the causes of frustration, and how these negative forces can aid us in advancing toward true freedom.

Trungpa's unique ability to express the essence of Buddhist teachings in the language and imagery of contemporary American culture makes this book one of the best sources of the Buddhist doctrine ever written.

This edition also contains a foreword by Pema Chödrön, a close student of Chögyam Trungpa and the best-selling author of When Things Fall Apart.]]> 219 Chögyam Trungpa 1590302893 Adam 4 4.28 1976 The Myth of Freedom and the Way of Meditation
author: Chögyam Trungpa
name: Adam
average rating: 4.28
book published: 1976
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2021/01/16
shelves:
review:
A good pop intro to tibetan buddhism, more accessible than the book of living and dying.
]]> <![CDATA[Hikikomori: Adolescence without End]]> 16128831 Since Hikikomori was published in Japan in 1998, the problem of social withdrawal has increasingly been recognized as an international one, and this translation promises to bring much-needed attention to the issue in the English-speaking world. According to the New York Times , “As a hikikomori ages, the odds that he’ll re-enter the world decline. Indeed, some experts predict that most hikikomori who are withdrawn for a year or more may never fully recover. That means that even if they emerge from their rooms, they either won’t get a full-time job or won’t be involved in a long-term relationship. And some will never leave home. In many cases, their parents are now approaching retirement, and once they die, the fate of the shut-ins—whose social and work skills, if they ever existed, will have atrophied—is an open question.�
Drawing on his own clinical experience with hikikomori patients, Saitō creates a working definition of social withdrawal and explains its development. He argues that hikikomori sufferers manifest a specific, interconnected series of symptoms that do not fit neatly with any single, easily identifiable mental condition, such as depression.
Rejecting the tendency to moralize or pathologize, Saitō sensitively describes how families and caregivers can support individuals in withdrawal and help them take steps toward recovery. At the same time, his perspective sparked contention over the contributions of cultural characteristics—including family structure, the education system, and gender relations—to the problem of social withdrawal in Japan and abroad.]]> 192 Saito Tamaki 081665459X Adam 3 Felt particularly relevant to the Quarantine ethos.
In America, we usually analyze others' guilt and failure as they scapegoat others- but the processes which lead one to such a place don't necessarily mean that a guilty, isolated person feels when alone.
This book is psychologically useful in understanding downward spirals, motivation, projection, regression, and imposter syndrome. Particularly useful for understanding troubled, yet normal, and unmotivated people.
]]> 3.64 1998 Hikikomori: Adolescence without End
author: Saito Tamaki
name: Adam
average rating: 3.64
book published: 1998
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2020/12/21
shelves:
review:
An important investigation into how people react in cycles of isolation and guilt.
Felt particularly relevant to the Quarantine ethos.
In America, we usually analyze others' guilt and failure as they scapegoat others- but the processes which lead one to such a place don't necessarily mean that a guilty, isolated person feels when alone.
This book is psychologically useful in understanding downward spirals, motivation, projection, regression, and imposter syndrome. Particularly useful for understanding troubled, yet normal, and unmotivated people.

]]> <![CDATA[The Immortality Key: Uncovering the Secret History of the Religion with No Name]]> 51174256 A groundbreaking, controversial dive into the role psychedelics have played in the human experience of the Divine throughout Western history, and the answer to a 2,000 year old mystery that could shake the Church to its foundations.

The Immortality Key connects the lost, psychedelic sacrament of Greek religion to early Christianity—exposing the true origins of Western Civilization. In the tradition of unsolved historical mysteries like David Grann's Killers of the Flower Moon and Douglas Preston's The Lost City of the Monkey God, Brian Muraresku’s 10-year investigation takes the reader through Greece, Germany, Spain, France and Italy, offering unprecedented access to the hidden archives of the Louvre and the Vatican along the way.

In The Immortality Key, Muraresku explores a little-known connection between the best-kept secret in Ancient Greece and Christianity. This is the real story of the most famous human being who ever lived (Jesus) and the biggest religion the world has ever known. Today, 2.4 billion people are Christian. That's one third of the planet. But do any of them really know how it all started?

Before Jerusalem, before Rome, before Mecca—there was Eleusis: the spiritual capital of the ancient world. It promised immortality to Plato and the rest of Athens's greatest minds with a very simple formula: drink this potion, see God. Shrouded in secrecy for millennia, the Ancient Greek sacrament was buried when the newly Christianized Roman Empire obliterated Eleusis in the fourth century AD.

Renegade scholars in the 1970s claimed the Greek potion was psychedelic, just like the original Christian Eucharist that replaced it. In recent years, vindication for the disgraced theory has been quietly mounting in the laboratory. The rapidly growing field of archaeological chemistry has proven the ancient use of visionary drugs. And with a single dose of psilocybin, the psycho-pharmacologists at Johns Hopkins and NYU are now turning self-proclaimed atheists into instant believers. No one has ever found hard, scientific evidence of drugs connected to Eleusis, let alone early Christianity. Until now.

Armed with key documents never before translated into English, convincing analysis, and a captivating spirit of quest, Muraresku mines science, classical literature, biblical scholarship and art to deliver the hidden key to eternal life, bringing us to what clinical psychologist William Richards calls "the edge of an awesomely vast frontier."

Featuring a Foreword by Graham Hancock, the New York Times bestselling author of America Before: The Key to Earth's Lost Civilization.]]> 352 Brian C. Muraresku 1250207142 Adam 0 to-read 4.24 2020 The Immortality Key: Uncovering the Secret History of the Religion with No Name
author: Brian C. Muraresku
name: Adam
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2020/10/15
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Eastern Orthodox Theology: A Contemporary Reader]]> 1105294 In this new edition, two new articles have been added to update the section on Orthodoxy's relationship with the West. Articles from Timothy Weber (the only non-Orthodox contribution) and Bradley Nassif address the growing interface between the evangelical and Orthodox traditions.]]> 288 Daniel B. Clendenin 0801026512 Adam 4 theology 3.79 1994 Eastern Orthodox Theology: A Contemporary Reader
author: Daniel B. Clendenin
name: Adam
average rating: 3.79
book published: 1994
rating: 4
read at: 2020/09/07
date added: 2020/09/07
shelves: theology
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Golden Compass (His Dark Materials, #1)]]> 119322
Can one small girl make a difference in such great and terrible endeavors? This is Lyra: a savage, a schemer, a liar, and as fierce and true a champion as Roger or Asriel could want--but what Lyra doesn't know is that to help one of them will be to betray the other.]]> 399 Philip Pullman 0679879242 Adam 4 Took 3 days.
Definitely an interesting and fun world to read in-
Feels like Harry Potter crossed with A Series of Unfortunate Events, with a splash of Dune/Foundation in terms of the fantasy science.]]> 4.02 1995 The Golden Compass (His Dark Materials, #1)
author: Philip Pullman
name: Adam
average rating: 4.02
book published: 1995
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2020/08/11
shelves:
review:
Fun to read.
Took 3 days.
Definitely an interesting and fun world to read in-
Feels like Harry Potter crossed with A Series of Unfortunate Events, with a splash of Dune/Foundation in terms of the fantasy science.
]]> <![CDATA[Classical Mythology: A Very Short Introduction]]> 556042 Very Short Introduction goes beyond a simple retelling of the stories to explore the rich history and diverse interpretations of classical mythology. It is a wide-ranging account, examining how classical myths are used and understood in both high art and popular culture, taking the reader from the temples of Crete to skyscrapers in New York, and finding classical myths in a variety of unexpected places: from Arabic poetry and Hollywood films, to psychoanalysis, the Bible, and New Age spiritualism.


#167]]> 160 Helen Morales 0192804766 Adam 3 I wasn't disappointed, and there were definitely some very thought provoking arguments made.
A good little intro book to get thinking about the wider implications of mythology and how our minds work with it.]]> 3.55 2007 Classical Mythology: A Very Short Introduction
author: Helen Morales
name: Adam
average rating: 3.55
book published: 2007
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2020/08/01
shelves:
review:
Thought it was going to be a rundown of the most common myths with some commentary, but this wasn't a book of mythology, it's a book about how mythology works, particularly Greek and Roman.
I wasn't disappointed, and there were definitely some very thought provoking arguments made.
A good little intro book to get thinking about the wider implications of mythology and how our minds work with it.
]]> The Cost of Discipleship 174834
What can the call to discipleship, the adherence to the word of Jesus, mean today to the businessman, the soldier, the laborer, or the aristocrat? What did Jesus mean to say to us? What is his will for us today? Drawing on the Sermon on the Mount, Dietrich Bonhoeffer answers these timeless questions by providing a seminal reading of the dichotomy between "cheap grace" and "costly grace." "Cheap grace," Bonhoeffer wrote, "is the grace we bestow on ourselves...grace without discipleship....Costly grace is the gospel which must be sought again and again, the girl which must be asked for, the door at which a man must know....It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life."

The Cost of Discipleship is a compelling statement of the demands of sacrifice and ethical consistency from a man whose life and thought were exemplary articulations of a new type of leadership inspired by the Gospel, and imbued with the spirit of Christian humanism and a creative sense of civic duty.]]> 320 Dietrich Bonhoeffer 0684815001 Adam 0 to-read, theology 4.29 1937 The Cost of Discipleship
author: Dietrich Bonhoeffer
name: Adam
average rating: 4.29
book published: 1937
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2020/07/22
shelves: to-read, theology
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy]]> 7501962
In the first major biography of Bonhoeffer in forty years, "New York Times" best-selling author Eric Metaxas takes both strands of Bonhoeffer's life―the theologian and the spy―to tell a searing story of incredible moral courage in the face of monstrous evil. In a deeply moving narrative, Metaxas uses previously unavailable documents―including personal letters, detailed journal entries, and firsthand personal accounts―to reveal dimensions of Bonhoeffer's life and theology never before seen.

In "Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy"�"A Righteous Gentile vs the Third Reich," Metaxas presents the fullest accounting of Bonhoeffer's heart-wrenching 1939 decision to leave the safe haven of America for Hitler's Germany, and using extended excerpts from love letters and coded messages written to and from Bonhoeffer's Cell 92, Metaxas tells for the first time the full story of Bonhoeffer's passionate and tragic romance.

Readers will discover fresh insights and revelations about his life-changing months at the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem and about his radical position on why Christians are obliged to stand up for the Jews. Metaxas also sheds new light on Bonhoeffer's reaction to Kristallnacht, his involvement in the famous Valkyrie plot and in "Operation 7," the effort to smuggle Jews into neutral Switzerland.

"Bonhoeffer" gives witness to one man's extraordinary faith and to the tortured fate of the nation he sought to deliver from the curse of Nazism. It brings the reader face to face with a man determined to do the will of God radically, courageously, and joyfully―even to the point of death. "Bonhoeffer" is the story of a life framed by a passion for truth and a commitment to justice on behalf of those who face implacable evil.]]> 608 Eric Metaxas 1595551387 Adam 0 to-read, theology 4.20 2010 Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy
author: Eric Metaxas
name: Adam
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2010
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2020/07/22
shelves: to-read, theology
review:

]]> <![CDATA[For the Life of the World: Sacraments and Orthodoxy]]> 271634 151 Alexander Schmemann 0913836087 Adam 0 theology, to-read 4.38 1973 For the Life of the World: Sacraments and Orthodoxy
author: Alexander Schmemann
name: Adam
average rating: 4.38
book published: 1973
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2020/07/22
shelves: theology, to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Way of a Pilgrim and the Pilgrim Continues His Way]]> 29799
The Way of a Pilgrim is a humble story ripe for renewed appreciation today. The recent changes in Russia have revealed the great religious traditions of that land, and this work, freshly translated for modern times, is among the finest examples of those centuries-old traditions.]]> 196 Anonymous 0385468148 Adam 0 to-read, theology 4.13 1988 The Way of a Pilgrim and the Pilgrim Continues His Way
author: Anonymous
name: Adam
average rating: 4.13
book published: 1988
rating: 0
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date added: 2020/07/22
shelves: to-read, theology
review:

]]> The Orthodox Church 329157
In Part One he describes the history of the Eastern Church over the last two thousand years with particular reference to its problems in twentieth-century Russia: and in Part Two he explains the beliefs and worship of the Orthodox Church today. Finally, he considers the possibilities of reunion between the East and the West. In this latest edition, he takes full account of the totally new situation confronting Eastern Christians since the collapse of Communism.]]> 359 Timothy Ware 0140146563 Adam 0 to-read, theology 4.27 1963 The Orthodox Church
author: Timothy Ware
name: Adam
average rating: 4.27
book published: 1963
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2020/07/22
shelves: to-read, theology
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]]> The Orthodox Way 242655 A wealth of texts drawn from theologians and spiritual writers of all ages accompanies Father Ware's presentation. They too reveal Orthodoxy not just as a system of beliefs, practices and customs but indeed as the Way.]]> 164 Kallistos Ware 0913836583 Adam 0 to-read, theology 4.38 1979 The Orthodox Way
author: Kallistos Ware
name: Adam
average rating: 4.38
book published: 1979
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2020/07/22
shelves: to-read, theology
review:

]]> The Augsburg Confession 8453298 65 Philipp Melanchthon 000077345X Adam 0 to-read, theology 4.31 1530 The Augsburg Confession
author: Philipp Melanchthon
name: Adam
average rating: 4.31
book published: 1530
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2020/07/22
shelves: to-read, theology
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Book of Concord (New Translation): The Confessions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church]]> 1125362 774 Martin Luther 0800627407 Adam 0 to-read, theology 4.59 1580 The Book of Concord (New Translation): The Confessions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church
author: Martin Luther
name: Adam
average rating: 4.59
book published: 1580
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2020/07/22
shelves: to-read, theology
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]]> The Bondage of the Will 820966 322 Martin Luther 0800753429 Adam 0 to-read, theology 4.13 1525 The Bondage of the Will
author: Martin Luther
name: Adam
average rating: 4.13
book published: 1525
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2020/07/22
shelves: to-read, theology
review:

]]> The Seven Storey Mountain 175078
The Seven Storey Mountain tells of the growing restlessness of a brilliant and passionate young man, who at the age of twenty-six, takes vows in one of the most demanding Catholic orders—the Trappist monks. At the Abbey of Gethsemani, "the four walls of my new freedom," Thomas Merton struggles to withdraw from the world, but only after he has fully immersed himself in it. At the abbey, he wrote this extraordinary testament, a unique spiritual autobiography that has been recognized as one of the most influential religious works of our time. Translated into more than twenty languages, it has touched millions of lives.
]]> 467 Thomas Merton 0156010860 Adam 0 to-read, theology 4.05 1948 The Seven Storey Mountain
author: Thomas Merton
name: Adam
average rating: 4.05
book published: 1948
rating: 0
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date added: 2020/07/22
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]]> <![CDATA[God So Loved the World: A Study of Christian Doctrine]]> 7543896 729 Lyle W. Lange 081001744X Adam 0 to-read, theology 4.35 2005 God So Loved the World: A Study of Christian Doctrine
author: Lyle W. Lange
name: Adam
average rating: 4.35
book published: 2005
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2020/07/22
shelves: to-read, theology
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Grace Upon Grace: Spirituality for Today]]> 3409243 287 John W. Kleinig 0758613040 Adam 0 to-read, theology 4.48 2008 Grace Upon Grace: Spirituality for Today
author: John W. Kleinig
name: Adam
average rating: 4.48
book published: 2008
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2020/07/22
shelves: to-read, theology
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Saving Truth: Doctrine for Laypeople: Volume I]]> 30116188 214 Kurt E. Marquart Adam 0 to-read, theology 4.57 The Saving Truth: Doctrine for Laypeople: Volume I
author: Kurt E. Marquart
name: Adam
average rating: 4.57
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2020/07/22
shelves: to-read, theology
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Way of Salvation in the Lutheran Church]]> 19252523 114 G.H. Gerberding Adam 0 to-read, theology 4.16 1887 The Way of Salvation in the Lutheran Church
author: G.H. Gerberding
name: Adam
average rating: 4.16
book published: 1887
rating: 0
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date added: 2020/07/22
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review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Spirituality of the Cross: The Way of the First Evangelicals]]> 683725 Book by Gene Edward Veith 127 Gene Edward Veith Jr. 0570053218 Adam 0 to-read, theology 4.40 1999 The Spirituality of the Cross: The Way of the First Evangelicals
author: Gene Edward Veith Jr.
name: Adam
average rating: 4.40
book published: 1999
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2020/07/22
shelves: to-read, theology
review:

]]> The Jefferson Bible 600896
Featuring an introduction by Forrest Church, this reissue of The Jefferson Bible offers extraordinary insight into the logic of Thomas Jefferson and the Gospel of Jesus. Working in the White House in 1804, Jefferson set out to edit the Gospels in order to uncover the essence of true religion in the simple story of the life of Jesus. Jefferson was convinced that the authentic message of Jesus could be found only by extracting from the Gospels Jesus's message of absolute love and service, rather than the miracle of the Annunciation, Virgin Birth, or even the Resurrection. Completed in 1819, this little book is the remarkable result of Jefferson's efforts.]]> 171 Thomas Jefferson 0807077143 Adam 3
Though Jefferson doesn't regard the miracles of Jesus, it's interesting how his choice of passages presents an different image of who Jesus was. Rather than the impression of Jesus being divine according to the Gospels, a message which is well-iterated, Jefferson's Jesus comes of as much more political yet still profoundly wise- perhaps because this book deals only with his political involvements as well as his wisdom, rather than any miracles.

The lack of passages and miracles relating to an ultimate faith in God, and rather a selection which only deals with a the real ways in which people behave, reflect Jefferson's commitment to a universal humanity, as well as to reason above all else.

Interestingly, Jefferson leaves in the prophecies of Jesus regarding Judas' betrayal and Peter's denial. For a man so committed to the rational construction of a list of things which Jesus must have factually done or said, Jefferson apparently either accidentally left in the prophecies nearing the end of his bible, or believed Jesus knew what would happen with Peter.

I found value in viewing the way he viewed Jesus as an enlightenment thinker, and found reading the KJV to be a fun exercise.]]> 3.82 1819 The Jefferson Bible
author: Thomas Jefferson
name: Adam
average rating: 3.82
book published: 1819
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2020/07/22
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review:
An interesting read to be sure- my edition included a forward to the book's history by Forrest Church, and an afterword by Jaroslav Pelikan, which I found valuable in understanding the text.

Though Jefferson doesn't regard the miracles of Jesus, it's interesting how his choice of passages presents an different image of who Jesus was. Rather than the impression of Jesus being divine according to the Gospels, a message which is well-iterated, Jefferson's Jesus comes of as much more political yet still profoundly wise- perhaps because this book deals only with his political involvements as well as his wisdom, rather than any miracles.

The lack of passages and miracles relating to an ultimate faith in God, and rather a selection which only deals with a the real ways in which people behave, reflect Jefferson's commitment to a universal humanity, as well as to reason above all else.

Interestingly, Jefferson leaves in the prophecies of Jesus regarding Judas' betrayal and Peter's denial. For a man so committed to the rational construction of a list of things which Jesus must have factually done or said, Jefferson apparently either accidentally left in the prophecies nearing the end of his bible, or believed Jesus knew what would happen with Peter.

I found value in viewing the way he viewed Jesus as an enlightenment thinker, and found reading the KJV to be a fun exercise.
]]> <![CDATA[Goat Song: A Seasonal Life, A Short History of Herding, and the Art of Making Cheese]]> 5975656 256 Brad Kessler 1416560998 Adam 5 Frequently got me to see the world and the things I knew in new ways, and I'd dream about this book at night.
My professors told me, "fair warning- this book will make you want goats." Coincidentally, my family went camping at a goat farm, and after reading this book, I want goats.
A testament to what a nonfiction book can be. ]]> 4.12 2009 Goat Song: A Seasonal Life, A Short History of Herding, and the Art of Making Cheese
author: Brad Kessler
name: Adam
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2009
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2020/07/02
shelves:
review:
This book meanders through the pastures of poetry, history, and experience in just the same ways that the described pastoralist lifestyle does.
Frequently got me to see the world and the things I knew in new ways, and I'd dream about this book at night.
My professors told me, "fair warning- this book will make you want goats." Coincidentally, my family went camping at a goat farm, and after reading this book, I want goats.
A testament to what a nonfiction book can be.
]]> <![CDATA[First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers]]> 924564 222 Loung Ung 1840185198 Adam 4 I don't remember when or why I read this, but never trust people who say they're going to make the world better if only you gave them more power.]]> 4.35 2000 First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers
author: Loung Ung
name: Adam
average rating: 4.35
book published: 2000
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2020/05/14
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review:
A horrifying account of the Khmer Rouge takeover during the Cambodian Revolution.
I don't remember when or why I read this, but never trust people who say they're going to make the world better if only you gave them more power.
]]> Deschooling Society 223403 116 Ivan Illich 0714508799 Adam 0 to-read 4.07 1971 Deschooling Society
author: Ivan Illich
name: Adam
average rating: 4.07
book published: 1971
rating: 0
read at: 2020/04/16
date added: 2020/04/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Re-enchanting the World: Feminism and the Politics of the Commons]]> 39090938 240 Silvia Federici 1629635693 Adam 0 currently-reading 4.29 2018 Re-enchanting the World: Feminism and the Politics of the Commons
author: Silvia Federici
name: Adam
average rating: 4.29
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2020/04/07
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> <![CDATA[How to Cook Your Life: From the Zen Kitchen to Enlightenment]]> 672535
In the thirteenth century, Zen master Dogen—perhaps the most significant of all Japanese philosophers, and the founder of the Japanese Soto Zen sect—wrote a practical manual of Instructions for the Zen Cook . In drawing parallels between preparing meals for the Zen monastery and spiritual training, he reveals far more than simply the rules and manners of the Zen kitchen; he teaches us how to "cook," or refine our lives.

In this volume Kosho Uchiyama Roshi undertakes the task of elucidating Dogen's text for the benefit of modern-day readers of Zen. Taken together, his translation and commentary truly constitute a "cookbook for life," one that shows us how to live with an unbiased mind in the midst of our workaday world.]]> 136 ō 1590302915 Adam 4 4.41 1237 How to Cook Your Life: From the Zen Kitchen to Enlightenment
author: ō
name: Adam
average rating: 4.41
book published: 1237
rating: 4
read at: 2020/04/07
date added: 2020/04/07
shelves:
review:

]]> Great Russian Short Stories 44446 208 Paul Negri Adam 4 currently-reading Some of the stories were really mind-bending, and the flavor of literature is really something:
The writing feels as blunt and crisp as a Russian syllable, with a warm on the inside, cold on the outside, overall solitary feeling, it's really something you enjoy getting used to.

Bonus: the stories don't all have happy endings!]]> 3.98 2003 Great Russian Short Stories
author: Paul Negri
name: Adam
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2003
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2020/04/07
shelves: currently-reading
review:
A great intro to Russian Literature.
Some of the stories were really mind-bending, and the flavor of literature is really something:
The writing feels as blunt and crisp as a Russian syllable, with a warm on the inside, cold on the outside, overall solitary feeling, it's really something you enjoy getting used to.

Bonus: the stories don't all have happy endings!
]]> <![CDATA[Medusa's Hair: An Essay on Personal Symbols and Religious Experience]]> 549000
The increasing popularity of these ecstatics poses a challenge not only to orthodox Sinhala Buddhism (the official religion of Sri Lanka) but also, as Gananath Obeyesekere shows, to the traditional anthropological and psychoanalytic theories of symbolism. Focusing initially on one symbol, matted hair, Obeyesekere demonstrates that the conventional distinction between personal and cultural symbols is inadequate and naive. His detailed case studies of ecstatics show that there is always a reciprocity between the personal-psychological dimension of the symbol and its public, culturally sanctioned role. Medusa's Hair thus makes an important theoretical contribution both to the anthropology of individual experience and to the psychoanalytic understanding of culture. In its analyses of the symbolism of guilt, the adaptational and integrative significance of belief in spirits, and a host of related issues concerning possession states and religiosity, this book marks a provocative advance in psychological anthropology.]]> 232 Gananath Obeyesekere 0226616010 Adam 0 currently-reading 3.72 1981 Medusa's Hair: An Essay on Personal Symbols and Religious Experience
author: Gananath Obeyesekere
name: Adam
average rating: 3.72
book published: 1981
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2020/04/07
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Consider the Lobster and Other Essays]]> 6751
Contains: "Big Red Son," "Certainly the End of Something or Other, One Would Sort of Have to Think," "Some Remarks on Kafka's Funniness from Which Probably Not Enough Has Been Removed," "Authority and American Usage," "The View from Mrs. Thompson's," "How Tracy Austin Broke My Heart," "Up, Simba," "Consider the Lobster," "Joseph Frank's Dostoevsky" and "Host."]]> 343 David Foster Wallace 0316156116 Adam 0 currently-reading 4.19 2005 Consider the Lobster and Other Essays
author: David Foster Wallace
name: Adam
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2005
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2020/03/16
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> The Catcher in the Rye 5107 It's Christmas time and Holden Caulfield has just been expelled from yet another school...

Fleeing the crooks at Pencey Prep, he pinballs around New York City seeking solace in fleeting encounters—shooting the bull with strangers in dive hotels, wandering alone round Central Park, getting beaten up by pimps and cut down by erstwhile girlfriends. The city is beautiful and terrible, in all its neon loneliness and seedy glamour, its mingled sense of possibility and emptiness. Holden passes through it like a ghost, thinking always of his kid sister Phoebe, the only person who really understands him, and his determination to escape the phonies and find a life of true meaning.

The Catcher in the Rye is an all-time classic in coming-of-age literature- an elegy to teenage alienation, capturing the deeply human need for connection and the bewildering sense of loss as we leave childhood behind.

J.D. Salinger's (1919�2010) classic novel of teenage angst and rebellion was first published in 1951. The novel was included on Time's 2005 list of the 100 best English-language novels written since 1923. It was named by Modern Library and its readers as one of the 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century. It has been frequently challenged in the court for its liberal use of profanity and portrayal of sexuality and in the 1950's and 60's it was the novel that every teenage boy wants to read.]]> 277 J.D. Salinger 0316769177 Adam 4 3.81 1951 The Catcher in the Rye
author: J.D. Salinger
name: Adam
average rating: 3.81
book published: 1951
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2020/01/30
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]]> Bronze Age Mindset 40388177
The pricing, he insisted on against all advice. It refers to the lucky 969 Movement of Burma, led by the noble monk Wirathu.

Praise be to the Pervert. Praise be to his teaching of peace.

Be careful.]]> 198 Bronze Age Pervert Adam 0 to-read 3.82 2018 Bronze Age Mindset
author: Bronze Age Pervert
name: Adam
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2019/12/09
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Monkey Wrench Gang (Monkey Wrench Gang, #1)]]> 99208 The Monkey Wrench Gang, his 1975 novel, a "comic extravaganza." Some readers have remarked that the book is more a comic book than a real novel, and it's true that reading this incendiary call to protect the American wilderness requires more than a little of the old willing suspension of disbelief.

The story centers on Vietnam veteran George Washington Hayduke III, who returns to the desert to find his beloved canyons and rivers threatened by industrial development. On a rafting trip down the Colorado River, Hayduke joins forces with feminist saboteur Bonnie Abbzug, wilderness guide Seldom Seen Smith, and billboard torcher Doc Sarvis, M.D., and together they wander off to wage war on the big yellow machines, on dam builders and road builders and strip miners. As they do, his characters voice Abbey's concerns about wilderness preservation ("Hell of a place to lose a cow," Smith thinks to himself while roaming through the canyonlands of southern Utah. "Hell of a place to lose your heart. Hell of a place... to lose. Period").

Moving from one improbable situation to the next, packing more adventure into the space of a few weeks than most real people do in a lifetime, the motley gang puts fear into the hearts of their enemies, laughing all the while. It's comic, yes, and required reading for anyone who has come to love the desert.]]> 421 Edward Abbey 0061129763 Adam 0 to-read 4.09 1975 The Monkey Wrench Gang (Monkey Wrench Gang, #1)
author: Edward Abbey
name: Adam
average rating: 4.09
book published: 1975
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2019/10/25
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Samurai Trails 32823423 94 Lucian Swift Kirtland 1539799484 Adam 4
This is essentially a transcription of Kirtland's diary from 1917, which means you a) get the real deal when it comes to his experiences and insights, and b) also get the real deal when it comes to him talking for entire chapters about how wet and cold or how hot it is and how he doesn't remember much and it gets boring because he rambles on and on.

Some of my most beloved stories about pre-industrial social values are found in this book, but it's funny to see how at similar some Americans from before WWI are to us now, and how different pre-modernized people were.

All in all, a definitely worthy read.]]> 4.00 2009 Samurai Trails
author: Lucian Swift Kirtland
name: Adam
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2009
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2019/10/09
shelves:
review:
Really an enlightening book, this gave a very unique and fulfilling insight into post-feudal, pre-industrial Japan, and painted a stark image of the "pure" Japan of the past with the more shallow and economical modern one.

This is essentially a transcription of Kirtland's diary from 1917, which means you a) get the real deal when it comes to his experiences and insights, and b) also get the real deal when it comes to him talking for entire chapters about how wet and cold or how hot it is and how he doesn't remember much and it gets boring because he rambles on and on.

Some of my most beloved stories about pre-industrial social values are found in this book, but it's funny to see how at similar some Americans from before WWI are to us now, and how different pre-modernized people were.

All in all, a definitely worthy read.
]]> <![CDATA[Eight Verses for Training the Mind]]> 801854 112 Geshe Sonam Rinchen 1559392592 Adam 4 I found this valuable to read for putting my own problems into perspective-
if you focus too much on your own happiness, you will deny yourself to others and them to you, and you will cause further suffering.
Focus on doing good and being loving, and the happiness will come. You don't make your own happiness.]]> 4.67 1901 Eight Verses for Training the Mind
author: Geshe Sonam Rinchen
name: Adam
average rating: 4.67
book published: 1901
rating: 4
read at: 2019/06/06
date added: 2019/10/02
shelves:
review:
Good foundation for understanding Buddhist empathy and worldview.
I found this valuable to read for putting my own problems into perspective-
if you focus too much on your own happiness, you will deny yourself to others and them to you, and you will cause further suffering.
Focus on doing good and being loving, and the happiness will come. You don't make your own happiness.
]]> <![CDATA[Conversations: Christian And Buddhist, Encounters in Japan]]> 6180037 206 Aelred Graham 0156225883 Adam 3 Not entirely a polished product, because it is direct interview transcripts with lots of names youll get confused by, but there's definitely some fun parts in here.
Kinda primitive in terms of trying to understand Buddhism, but it was fun to see "have you heard of hippies?" In context.
The Gary Syder chapter was really fun though, and was between two English speakers- thus, I think a lot of the conversational energy was lost in translation when Graham spoke to the roshis.]]> 3.50 1968 Conversations: Christian And Buddhist, Encounters in Japan
author: Aelred Graham
name: Adam
average rating: 3.50
book published: 1968
rating: 3
read at: 2019/08/09
date added: 2019/08/09
shelves:
review:
Interesting to read.
Not entirely a polished product, because it is direct interview transcripts with lots of names youll get confused by, but there's definitely some fun parts in here.
Kinda primitive in terms of trying to understand Buddhism, but it was fun to see "have you heard of hippies?" In context.
The Gary Syder chapter was really fun though, and was between two English speakers- thus, I think a lot of the conversational energy was lost in translation when Graham spoke to the roshis.
]]> <![CDATA[The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas Are Setting up a Generation for Failure]]> 36556202
First Amendment expert Greg Lukianoff and social psychologist Jonathan Haidt show how the new problems on campus have their origins in three terrible ideas that have become increasingly woven into American childhood and what doesn’t kill you makes you weaker; always trust your feelings; and life is a battle between good people and evil people. These three Great Untruths are incompatible with basic psychological principles, as well as ancient wisdom from many cultures. They interfere with healthy development. Anyone who embraces these untruths—and the resulting culture of safetyism—is less likely to become an autonomous adult able to navigate the bumpy road of life.

Lukianoff and Haidt investigate the many social trends that have intersected to produce these untruths. They situate the conflicts on campus in the context of America’s rapidly rising political polarization, including a rise in hate crimes and off-campus provocation. They explore changes in childhood including the rise of fearful parenting, the decline of unsupervised play, and the new world of social media that has engulfed teenagers in the last decade.

This is a book for anyone who is confused by what is happening on college campuses today, or has children, or is concerned about the growing inability of Americans to live, work, and cooperate across party lines.]]> 352 Jonathan Haidt 0735224900 Adam 0 to-read 4.23 2018 The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas Are Setting up a Generation for Failure
author: Jonathan Haidt
name: Adam
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2019/07/28
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Forever War 940996 Series Info:
This is the first part of the "Forever War" series, however it can be read as a standalone.

Book Description:
Private William Mandella is a hero in spite of himself -- a reluctant conscript drafted into an elite military unit, and propelled through space and time to fight in a distant thousand-year conflict. He never wanted to go to war, but the leaders on Earth have drawn a line in the interstellar sand -- despite the fact that their fierce alien enemy is unknowable, unconquerable, and very far away. So Mandella will perform his duties without rancor and even rise up through the military's ranks... if he survives. But the true test of his mettle will come when he returns to Earth. Because of the time dilation caused by space travel the loyal soldier is aging months, while his home planet is aging centuries -- and the difference will prove the saying: you never can go home...]]> 218 Joe Haldeman 0345289145 Adam 4 You can feel the loneliness in the problem of accepting a world that changes too fast and doesn't care.
Couldn't put it down until I couldn't read any more of it.
At least that's what I remember.
-2017]]> 4.03 1974 The Forever War
author: Joe Haldeman
name: Adam
average rating: 4.03
book published: 1974
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2019/07/28
shelves:
review:
This was spooky.
You can feel the loneliness in the problem of accepting a world that changes too fast and doesn't care.
Couldn't put it down until I couldn't read any more of it.
At least that's what I remember.
-2017
]]> The Man in the High Castle 216363
This harrowing, Hugo Award-winning novel is the work that established Philip K. Dick as an innovator in science fiction while breaking the barrier between science fiction and the serious novel of ideas. In it Dick offers a haunting vision of history as a nightmare from which it may just be possible to wake.]]> 259 Philip K. Dick 0679740678 Adam 5 In this post WWII alternate history, PKD hits on still relevant cultural, philosophical, and social issues while still spinning a riveting plot.
Is history real?
Who owns culture?
How is perception connected to reality, does it change when we're aware of it?
Classic PKD mindbending fun in an unconventional story.]]> 3.64 1962 The Man in the High Castle
author: Philip K. Dick
name: Adam
average rating: 3.64
book published: 1962
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2019/07/28
shelves:
review:
Excellent book, couldn't put it down.
In this post WWII alternate history, PKD hits on still relevant cultural, philosophical, and social issues while still spinning a riveting plot.
Is history real?
Who owns culture?
How is perception connected to reality, does it change when we're aware of it?
Classic PKD mindbending fun in an unconventional story.
]]> <![CDATA[The English Gipsies and Their Language]]> 19500397 158 Charles Godfrey Leland Adam 0 currently-reading 4.17 1892 The English Gipsies and Their Language
author: Charles Godfrey Leland
name: Adam
average rating: 4.17
book published: 1892
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2019/07/28
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> Dr Montessori's Notebook 19125757 80 Maria Montessori 1490382321 Adam 4 The tldr is that children learn by

1- physical touch
2- figuring it out themselves, to develop intuition
3- trying to prove themselves to their parents and teachers

This was very valuable, as one interested in education, to learn how children learn from such a great teacher as Montessori.

Kinda long and paper-ish, but worth at least a speed read.]]> 3.33 2013 Dr Montessori's Notebook
author: Maria Montessori
name: Adam
average rating: 3.33
book published: 2013
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2019/07/28
shelves:
review:
Very interesting to see the foundations of early childhood education.
The tldr is that children learn by

1- physical touch
2- figuring it out themselves, to develop intuition
3- trying to prove themselves to their parents and teachers

This was very valuable, as one interested in education, to learn how children learn from such a great teacher as Montessori.

Kinda long and paper-ish, but worth at least a speed read.
]]> <![CDATA[The Life and Teaching of Naropa]]> 2997850 312 Herbert V. Guenther 1570621012 Adam 4 4.19 1986 The Life and Teaching of Naropa
author: Herbert V. Guenther
name: Adam
average rating: 4.19
book published: 1986
rating: 4
read at: 2019/07/28
date added: 2019/07/28
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Anxious for Nothing: Finding Calm in a Chaotic World]]> 32951877 When it comes to anxiety, depression, and stress-related illnesses, America is the frontrunner. Max Lucado, provides a roadmap for battling with and healing from anxiety.

Does the uncertainty and chaos of life keep you up at night? Is irrational worry your constant companion? Could you use some calm? If the answer is yes, you are not alone. According to one research program, anxiety-related issues are the number one mental health problem among women and are second only to alcohol and drug abuse among men. Stress-related ailments cost the nation $300 billion every year in medical bills and lost productivity. And use of sedative drugs like Xanax and Valium have skyrocketed in the last 15 years. Even students are feeling it. One psychologist reports that the average high school kid today has the same level of anxiety as the average psychiatric patient in the early 1950s. Chances are, you or someone you know seriously struggles with anxiety.

Max writes, "The news about our anxiety is enough to make us anxious.� He knows what it feels like to be overcome by the worries and fear of life, which is why he is dedicated to helping millions of readers take back control of their minds and, as a result, their lives.

Anxious for Nothing invites readers to delve into Philippians 4:6-7. After all, it is the most highlighted passage of any book on the planet, according to Amazon:

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

]]> 240 Max Lucado 0718096126 Adam 4 He makes it clear that "you should just chill and trust God" enough times that you start to calm down from reading it.
You'll find a gem in here that can help you think of things different, probably- I did.
Worth the read, even if you think it's slow going.
Not as rich as other four stars, but more than a three.]]> 4.14 2017 Anxious for Nothing: Finding Calm in a Chaotic World
author: Max Lucado
name: Adam
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2017
rating: 4
read at: 2019/07/28
date added: 2019/07/28
shelves:
review:
Relaxing and slow to read, didn't take that long.
He makes it clear that "you should just chill and trust God" enough times that you start to calm down from reading it.
You'll find a gem in here that can help you think of things different, probably- I did.
Worth the read, even if you think it's slow going.
Not as rich as other four stars, but more than a three.
]]> <![CDATA[The Fall Of Man: The Loves Of The Gorillas]]> 28849176
This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.

As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.]]> 48 George Washington Carleton 1347744460 Adam 1 If anyone reads this and knows the purpose or meaning behind what's going on, please let me know.
Otherwise, it's just a very topical satire without much depth.]]> 1.00 The Fall Of Man: The Loves Of The Gorillas
author: George Washington Carleton
name: Adam
average rating: 1.00
book published:
rating: 1
read at: 2019/07/28
date added: 2019/07/28
shelves:
review:
What the heck did I just read? It's short and I did finish it, but I still didn't get anything out of it.
If anyone reads this and knows the purpose or meaning behind what's going on, please let me know.
Otherwise, it's just a very topical satire without much depth.
]]> <![CDATA[How to Practice: The Way to a Meaningful Life]]> 213743 Divided into a series of distinct steps that will lead spiritual seekers toward enlightenment, How to Practice is a constant companion in the quest to practice morality, meditation, and wisdom. This accessible book will guide you toward opening your heart, refraining from doing harm, and maintiaining mentaltranquility as the Dalai Lama shows you how to overcome everyday obstacles, from feelings of anger and mistrust to jealousy, insecurity, and counterproductive thinking. Imbued with His Holiness' vivacious spirit and sense of playfulness, How to Practice offers sage and practical insight into the human psyche and into the deepest aspirations that bind us all together.]]> 226 Dalai Lama XIV 0743453360 Adam 5 Useful read for everyone.
Starts out with the big, general points about how we ought to treat each other, and later goes into more Tibetan theory.
Kind of reminds me of Mere Christianity, in a way.]]> 4.11 2002 How to Practice: The Way to a Meaningful Life
author: Dalai Lama XIV
name: Adam
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2002
rating: 5
read at: 2019/07/08
date added: 2019/07/08
shelves:
review:
Stimulating, invigorating, perspective changing.
Useful read for everyone.
Starts out with the big, general points about how we ought to treat each other, and later goes into more Tibetan theory.
Kind of reminds me of Mere Christianity, in a way.
]]> <![CDATA[Dr. Montessori's Own Handbook: A Short Guide to Her Ideas and Materials]]> 920415
Frames for lacing and buttoning, geometrical wooden inserts, sound cylinders, sandpapers letters, colored numerical rods: these are familiar features of any Montesorri classroom, whether in the pioneering days or today. Dr. Montesorri explains how to use these materials with preschool children to stimulate their powers of observation, recognition, judgment, and classification.

These self-correcting learning tools are the original “teaching machines� for young children. Inherently logical and aesthetically pleasing, they were designed to hone the child’s visual, auditory, and tactile perceptions. Dr. Montesorri stresses that each child approaches the apparatus differently. The role of the adult, whether teacher or parent, is to let the child experiment, perceive his own mistakes, and run his own risks in learning.

(With black-and white illustrations throughout.)]]> 192 Maria Montessori 0805209212 Adam 4 Helpful for parents and teachers of all ages everywhere, if you understand the concepts.]]> 4.06 1914 Dr. Montessori's Own Handbook: A Short Guide to Her Ideas and Materials
author: Maria Montessori
name: Adam
average rating: 4.06
book published: 1914
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2019/07/08
shelves:
review:
Turns out Dr. Montessori figured out pretty early that kids need tactile learning methods. Not only that, but she figured out how to make learning fun and self guided.
Helpful for parents and teachers of all ages everywhere, if you understand the concepts.
]]> <![CDATA[History As Propaganda: Tibetan Exiles versus the People's Republic of China]]> 779752 224 John Powers 0195174267 Adam 3 Was very thought provoking for me, as I am academically inclined and think about stuff like this a lot.
This book was more expository and evidence-based (good scholarly stuff) so all of the critical thinking I did on my own, which made this fun for me - maybe not for others, but it's good scholarly analysis.

As for what it provoked my thoughts about, it made me think about the role of information technology, big government, historical narratives, the nature of truth and metanarratives, postmodernism at home and abroad, and the extent to which these issues relate to us.

Interesting: Chinese govt can suppress rights in Tibet on basis of building a 'more beneficial' narrative to history than the truth, which Democracy doesn't like.
At the same time, the Left in the West approaches the postmodern denial of a unifying truth or morality, mostly anti-Christian, but still expects the world to be pro-human rights.
One government is powerful and succeeds because it denies a sound narrative of truth/morality, while the other flounders because it can't stick to a coherent moral and existential philosophy.
At stake is whether the world belongs to some form of a Big Red Brother, and whether we will allow history to be completely re-written for the next few thousand years.
Just some of the things I thought about.]]> 3.78 2004 History As Propaganda: Tibetan Exiles versus the People's Republic of China
author: John Powers
name: Adam
average rating: 3.78
book published: 2004
rating: 3
read at: 2019/05/18
date added: 2019/06/06
shelves:
review:
Interesting cover of the issues behind the Tibet-China situation going on.
Was very thought provoking for me, as I am academically inclined and think about stuff like this a lot.
This book was more expository and evidence-based (good scholarly stuff) so all of the critical thinking I did on my own, which made this fun for me - maybe not for others, but it's good scholarly analysis.

As for what it provoked my thoughts about, it made me think about the role of information technology, big government, historical narratives, the nature of truth and metanarratives, postmodernism at home and abroad, and the extent to which these issues relate to us.

Interesting: Chinese govt can suppress rights in Tibet on basis of building a 'more beneficial' narrative to history than the truth, which Democracy doesn't like.
At the same time, the Left in the West approaches the postmodern denial of a unifying truth or morality, mostly anti-Christian, but still expects the world to be pro-human rights.
One government is powerful and succeeds because it denies a sound narrative of truth/morality, while the other flounders because it can't stick to a coherent moral and existential philosophy.
At stake is whether the world belongs to some form of a Big Red Brother, and whether we will allow history to be completely re-written for the next few thousand years.
Just some of the things I thought about.
]]> The Art of Happiness 38210 322 Dalai Lama XIV 1573221112 Adam 4 You will get something out of this book.
However, I realized the "Western" perspective or materialism, selfishness, and consumerism Dr. Cutler uses in this book is pretty much the non-Christian perspective most people have. This isn't a problem, but for intentional Christians such as myself, all of this "profound, yet simple" wisdom is basic Bible knowledge.]]> 4.17 1998 The Art of Happiness
author: Dalai Lama XIV
name: Adam
average rating: 4.17
book published: 1998
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2019/04/18
shelves:
review:
Is good to read, full of good advice.
You will get something out of this book.
However, I realized the "Western" perspective or materialism, selfishness, and consumerism Dr. Cutler uses in this book is pretty much the non-Christian perspective most people have. This isn't a problem, but for intentional Christians such as myself, all of this "profound, yet simple" wisdom is basic Bible knowledge.
]]> <![CDATA[The Treasure Principle: Unlocking the Secret of Joyful Giving (LifeChange Books)]]> 34600
Bestselling author Randy Alcorn introduced readers to a revolution in material freedom and radical generosity with the release of the original The Treasure Principle in 2001. Now the revision to the compact, perennial bestseller includes a provocative new concluding chapter depicting God asking a believer questions about his stewardship over material resources. Readers are moved from the realms of thoughtful Bible exposition into the highly personal arena of everyday life. Because when Jesus told His followers to “lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven,� He intended that they discover an astounding secret: how joyful giving brings God maximum glory and His children maximum pleasure. Discover a joy more precious than gold!

Priceless treasure is within your reach. And with it, liberating joy .

In Randy Alcorn ’s The Treasure Principle, you’ll unearth a radical teaching of Jesus—a secret wrapped up in giving. Once you discover this secret, life will never look the same. And you won’t want it to!

“Supercharged with stunning, divine truth! Lightning struck over and over as I read it.�
-John Piper , Senior Pastor, Bethlehem Baptist Church , Minneapolis

“The Treasure Principle will change your life! This book is destined to become a classic.�
-Howard Dayton , Co-CEO, Crown Financial Ministries

“The Scripture passages and illustrations really ring true. Just what I needed!�
-Hugh Maclellan , President, The Maclellan Foundation

“I enthusiastically endorse The Treasure Principle . I hope millions will read it.�
-Ronald W. Blue , Founder and CEO, Ronald Blue & Company

Story Behind the Book
After years of writing and teaching on the theme “God owns everything,� in 1990 Randy Alcorn was sued by an abortion clinic (for peaceful, nonviolent intervention for the unborn). Suddenly he had to resign as a pastor and was restricted to making minimum wage. Legally unable to own anything, Randy gave all his book royalties to missions work and need-meeting ministries. He and his family have experienced the reality of The Treasure Principle—that God really does own everything, takes care of us, and graciously puts assets into our hands that we might have the joy and privilege of investing in what will last for eternity.]]> 120 Randy Alcorn 1590525086 Adam 3 Give away as much money as you can.
Maybe you don't have to go that far (though the author would say you should) but pretty much everyone needs to give more stuff away, and this book repeats this point so much that you'll really think about what you need.]]> 4.08 2001 The Treasure Principle: Unlocking the Secret of Joyful Giving (LifeChange Books)
author: Randy Alcorn
name: Adam
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2001
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2019/04/18
shelves:
review:
Hits one message pretty hard:
Give away as much money as you can.
Maybe you don't have to go that far (though the author would say you should) but pretty much everyone needs to give more stuff away, and this book repeats this point so much that you'll really think about what you need.
]]> The Life of Milarepa 781448 256 Tsangnyön Heruka 0140193502 Adam 4 Is a really fun read, completely different.]]> 4.29 1488 The Life of Milarepa
author: Tsangnyön Heruka
name: Adam
average rating: 4.29
book published: 1488
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2019/04/04
shelves:
review:
A weird and fun story about coming into oneself as a renunciate.
Is a really fun read, completely different.
]]> Ethics for the New Millennium 200137
In a difficult, uncertain time, it takes a person of great courage, such as the Dalai Lama, to give us hope. Regardless of the violence and cynicism we see on television and read about in the news, there is an argument to be made for basic human goodness. The number of people who spend their lives engaged in violence and dishonesty is tiny compared to the vast majority who would wish others only well. According to the Dalai Lama, our survival has depended and will continue to depend on our basic goodness. Ethics for the New Millennium presents a moral system based on universal rather than religious principles. Its ultimate goal is happiness for every individual, irrespective of religious beliefs. Though hehimself a practicing Buddhist, the Dalai Lama's teachings and the moral compass that guides him can lead each and every one of us—Muslim, Christian, Jew, Buddhist, or atheist—to a happier, more fulfilling life.]]> 237 Dalai Lama XIV 1573228834 Adam 0 currently-reading 4.08 1999 Ethics for the New Millennium
author: Dalai Lama XIV
name: Adam
average rating: 4.08
book published: 1999
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2019/04/04
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> The Bodhicaryāvatāra 505967 The Bodhicaryāvatāra addresses the profound desire to become a Buddha and rescue all beings from suffering. The person who acts upon such a desire is a Bodhisattva. Santideva not only makes plain what the Bodhisattva must do and become, he also invokes the powerful feelings of aspiration that underlie such a commitment, employing language which has inspired Buddhists ever since it first appeared. Indeed, his book has long been regarded as one of the most popular accounts of the Buddhist's spiritual path.

Important as a manual of training among Mahayana Buddhists, especially in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, this text continues to be used as the basis for teaching by modern Buddhist teachers. This new translation from the original language provides detailed annotations explaining allusions and technical references. The book's General Introduction and Translators' Introduction both serve to locate Santideva's work in its proper context, and for the first time explain its structure.]]> 240 ŚԳپ𱹲 0192837206 Adam 4 I personally resonated with a lot of it, regarding the nature of the soul-body relationship, how to view the world.

Good advice for anyone, and a good read. I'd recommend getting the Dalai Lama's version though, his comment might be more interesting than the academic explanations in this version.]]> 4.28 700 The Bodhicaryāvatāra
author: ŚԳپ𱹲
name: Adam
average rating: 4.28
book published: 700
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2019/04/04
shelves:
review:
Good wisdom literature-
I personally resonated with a lot of it, regarding the nature of the soul-body relationship, how to view the world.

Good advice for anyone, and a good read. I'd recommend getting the Dalai Lama's version though, his comment might be more interesting than the academic explanations in this version.
]]> <![CDATA[Christian Faith and Greek Philosophy]]> 4468059 162 A.H. Armstrong Adam 0 currently-reading 4.00 1960 Christian Faith and Greek Philosophy
author: A.H. Armstrong
name: Adam
average rating: 4.00
book published: 1960
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2019/04/04
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Tibetan Buddhism: A Very Short Introduction]]> 17656561 About the Series:
Oxford's Very Short Introductions series offers concise and original introductions to a wide range of subjects--from Islam to Sociology, Politics to Classics, Literary Theory to History, and Archaeology to the Bible. Not simply a textbook of definitions, each volume in this series provides trenchant and provocative--yet always balanced and complete--discussions of the central issues in a given discipline or field. Every Very Short Introduction gives a readable evolution of the subject in question, demonstrating how the subject has developed and how it has influenced society. Eventually, the series will encompass every major academic discipline, offering all students an accessible and abundant reference library. Whatever the area of study that one deems important or appealing, whatever the topic that fascinates the general reader, the Very Short Introductions series has a handy and affordable guide that will likely prove indispensable.]]> 152 Matthew T. Kapstein 0199735123 Adam 3 He uses lots of names and places though, so I'd recommend a pen and paper to map out what's going on- this will make it exponentially more worthwhile.]]> 3.44 2013 Tibetan Buddhism: A Very Short Introduction
author: Matthew T. Kapstein
name: Adam
average rating: 3.44
book published: 2013
rating: 3
read at: 2019/04/03
date added: 2019/04/03
shelves:
review:
Good overview, teaches you a lot you didn't know very quickly.
He uses lots of names and places though, so I'd recommend a pen and paper to map out what's going on- this will make it exponentially more worthwhile.
]]> The Denial of Death 2761 The Denial of Death is Ernest Becker's brilliant and impassioned answer to the "why" of human existence. In bold contrast to the predominant Freudian school of thought, Becker tackles the problem of the vital lie -- man's refusal to acknowledge his own mortality. In doing so, he sheds new light on the nature of humanity and issues a call to life and its living that still resonates more than twenty years after its writing.]]> 336 Ernest Becker Adam 0 to-read 4.07 1973 The Denial of Death
author: Ernest Becker
name: Adam
average rating: 4.07
book published: 1973
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2019/04/03
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Fahrenheit 451 13079982 Sixty years after its original publication, Ray Bradbury’s internationally acclaimed novel Fahrenheit 451 stands as a classic of world literature set in a bleak, dystopian future. Today its message has grown more relevant than ever before.

Guy Montag is a fireman. His job is to destroy the most illegal of commodities, the printed book, along with the houses in which they are hidden. Montag never questions the destruction and ruin his actions produce, returning each day to his bland life and wife, Mildred, who spends all day with her television “family.� But when he meets an eccentric young neighbor, Clarisse, who introduces him to a past where people didn’t live in fear and to a present where one sees the world through the ideas in books instead of the mindless chatter of television, Montag begins to question everything he has ever known.]]> 194 Ray Bradbury Adam 4 Bradbury likes to be poetic in his descriptions, which really gives you exactly the scene he's going for- I think it's neat how much he describes things, even if it is a lot.
Everyone knows its a book about a society that is burning books, but it's more exciting than that.
As for the "you don't need to burn books- just get people to stop reading them" thing and the implications of that today, I think it's better to read books than to not, buts it's eqaully important to have read the Great books of history- otherwise, those books would be just as lost as if they had been burned. ]]> 3.97 1953 Fahrenheit 451
author: Ray Bradbury
name: Adam
average rating: 3.97
book published: 1953
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2019/03/25
shelves:
review:
A really good book, very stimulating and exciting.
Bradbury likes to be poetic in his descriptions, which really gives you exactly the scene he's going for- I think it's neat how much he describes things, even if it is a lot.
Everyone knows its a book about a society that is burning books, but it's more exciting than that.
As for the "you don't need to burn books- just get people to stop reading them" thing and the implications of that today, I think it's better to read books than to not, buts it's eqaully important to have read the Great books of history- otherwise, those books would be just as lost as if they had been burned.
]]> <![CDATA[The Three-Body Problem (Remembrance of Earth’s Past, #1)]]> 20518872 472 Liu Cixin Adam 0 to-read 4.08 2006 The Three-Body Problem (Remembrance of Earth’s Past, #1)
author: Liu Cixin
name: Adam
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2006
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2019/03/24
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[It's a Magical World (Calvin and Hobbes, #11)]]> 24814 Calvin and Hobbes fans throughout the world went into mourning. Fans have learned to survive -- despite the absence of the boy and his tiger in the daily newspaper. It's a Magical World delivers all the satisfaction of visiting its characters once more. Calvin fans will be able to see their favorite mischief maker stir it up with his furry friend, long-suffering parents, classmate Susie Derkins, school teacher Miss Wormwood, and Rosalyn the baby-sitter. It's a Magical World includes full-color Sundays and has it all: Calvin-turned-firefly waking Hobbes with his flashlight glow; courageous Spaceman Spiff rocketing through alien galaxies as he battles Dad-turned-Bug-Being; and Calvin's always inspired snowman art. There's no better way for Watterson fans to savor again the special qualities of their favorite strip.]]> 176 Bill Watterson 0836221362 Adam 5 It's great. Read it. 4.73 1996 It's a Magical World (Calvin and Hobbes, #11)
author: Bill Watterson
name: Adam
average rating: 4.73
book published: 1996
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2019/02/12
shelves:
review:
It's great. Read it.
]]> Into the Wild 1845 Librarian's Note: An alternate cover edition can be found here

In April, 1992, a young man from a well-to-do family hitchhiked to Alaska and walked alone into the wilderness north of Mt. McKinley. His name was Christopher Johnson McCandless. He had given $25,000 in savings to charity, abandoned his car and most of his possessions, burned all the cash in his wallet, and invented a new life for himself. Four months later, a party of moose hunters found his decomposed body. How McCandless came to die is the unforgettable story of Into the Wild.

Immediately after graduating from college in 1991, McCandless had roamed through the West and Southwest on a vision quest like those made by his heroes Jack London and John Muir. In the Mojave Desert he abandoned his car, stripped it of its license plates, and burned all of his cash. He would give himself a new name, Alexander Supertramp, and, unencumbered by money and belongings, he would be free to wallow in the raw, unfiltered experiences that nature presented. Craving a blank spot on the map, McCandless simply threw away the maps. Leaving behind his desperate parents and sister, he vanished into the wild.]]> 207 Jon Krakauer 0385486804 Adam 4 I related to him a lot, and it's good material for reflecting on how to live life in the way that you choose to.
Of course, there are consequences and challenges for choosing to live a certain way, but this book keeps it as interesting as it keeps it real and relevant.]]> 4.01 1996 Into the Wild
author: Jon Krakauer
name: Adam
average rating: 4.01
book published: 1996
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2019/02/12
shelves:
review:
Enlightening view of one young man's life.
I related to him a lot, and it's good material for reflecting on how to live life in the way that you choose to.
Of course, there are consequences and challenges for choosing to live a certain way, but this book keeps it as interesting as it keeps it real and relevant.
]]> Fight Club 5759 218 Chuck Palahniuk 0393327345 Adam 0 to-read 4.19 1996 Fight Club
author: Chuck Palahniuk
name: Adam
average rating: 4.19
book published: 1996
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2019/02/12
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Star Wars: Tales of the Bounty Hunters]]> 131776 Millennium Falcon, he calls upon six of the most successful---and feared---hunters, including the merciless Boba Fett. They all have two things in common: lust for profit and contempt for life....

Featuring original stories by Kevin J. Anderson, M. Shayne Bell, Daniel Keys Moran, Kathy Tyers, Dave Wolverton.]]> 339 Kevin J. Anderson 0553568167 Adam 4 If you love lore, sci fi, and adventure, (to be generic), and Star Wars of course, this is definitely a good one.

The backstory for Boba Fett before the prequels came out was also quite interesting, I liked how it shows you the different endings and stories Star Wars can take, yet each universe can simultaneously exist in your imagination.
Fun to think about :)]]> 3.78 1996 Star Wars: Tales of the Bounty Hunters
author: Kevin J. Anderson
name: Adam
average rating: 3.78
book published: 1996
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2019/02/12
shelves:
review:
Really fun read, gives really unique backstories to otherwise forgettable characters.
If you love lore, sci fi, and adventure, (to be generic), and Star Wars of course, this is definitely a good one.

The backstory for Boba Fett before the prequels came out was also quite interesting, I liked how it shows you the different endings and stories Star Wars can take, yet each universe can simultaneously exist in your imagination.
Fun to think about :)
]]> The Magic of the State 887864 216 Michael Taussig 0415917913 Adam 0 to-read 4.02 1996 The Magic of the State
author: Michael Taussig
name: Adam
average rating: 4.02
book published: 1996
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2019/02/12
shelves: to-read
review:

]]>