Christmas books 2008
Reading that Gopnik essay made me realize that I hadn't read Boswell's "Life of Johnson," and how suddenly I really wanted to do so. (Did you know it's available for free download from Project Gutenberg? I've just downloaded it.) And...
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I know it's kinda tacky - but books have been my primary gift this year. Very economical and they can provide a great gift if you pair the right person with the right book.
For my brother: An Underground Education, by Richard Zachs. It's on Amazon. Interesting anecdotal items from history about famous and not so famous figures. did you know that Sir Isaac Newton's famous humble-pie quote "If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants" was actually written to a dwarf scientist named Robert Hooke and clearly meant as an insult?
That Thomas Edison secretly helped develop the electric chair in a scheme to have the lethal machine named after George Westinghouse?
Interesting stuff you can pick up and put down.
For the entrepreneur: Machiavelli's The Prince - If you haven't read this one, DO IT. But be sure to brush up on your 13-16th century European history first, or you will lose a bit in translation.
For the horse lover: Complete Equine Veterinary handbook. Pretty self-explanatory, and practical for someone involved with horses.
For the pompous in-law: The Modern Gentleman: A Guide to Essential Manners, Savvy & Vice. Entertaining "field-guide" on gentlemanly topics such as "Flasking," Flatulence, and Driving. Reads as if Poor Richard's Almanac was written by Richard Pryor.
There's others but they are eluding me at this moment.
Rod
Is there an essential Berry reading list that you can share? Western civilization is going to end in five minutes, which Berry books are going in your book bag?
Rod,
Heads up today is John Kennedy Toole birthday and also Bachs.
Mick Quinn
I believe "In Defense of Food" is now out in paper back and I am thinking about buying copies for everyone with whom I have ever had a conversation about food and health, everyone in my office microwaving "healthy choice" frozen lunches, everyone who shares with me the latest stats from "Nutrition Science" and everyone in our company's Weight Watchers group as well as my entire family. I think that covers it. Thinking about it, I would like to receive a copy as well. Mine is back at the library.
I can't think of what else to give. My time to read drops exponentially with each new child.
As for what to get. My Amazon.com wish list brims over.
Books Alasdair MacIntyre says "without which I might well not have lasted out the last twenty years": "The Rebel Angels" by Robertson Davies, Pictures of an Institution by Randall Jarell, and"Bogmail" by Patrick McGinley...
Gave newlyweds a vintage set of Julia Childs' "Mastering the Art of French Cooking"
Tales of Beedle the Bard for one kid plus a leatherbound copy of "the Hunchback of Notre Dame"
A collection of Louisa May Alcott for another
What I want:
Carla Emery's Book of Country Skills
More Berry. Hardback. I keep giving mine to people...sometimes evangelization hurts
Keeping Food Fresh: Old World Techniques and Recipes
Four Season Harvest - Eliot Coleman
Anything by Gene Logsdon, but his The Contrary Farmer's Invitation to Gardening is most practical for you city folks.
Well gee whiz Rod, if you're willing to download a great work of literature, why not go get a pdf of my newest masterpiece, A Window in the Sky, at my website...hardy har har
I have an unabridged copy of Boswell's Life of Johnson at home. It is so huge that I've never read the whole thing. HOWEVER, the great thing about it is that one can randomly pick almost any page and read something insightful and/or amusing. It's great bedtime reading - so go out and buy the book, don't just download it onto your computer.
Too freaky!
I have Nash on my reading table. Over Thanksgiving, I was also thinking about how much I enjoyed reading The Rebel Angels 15 years ago and put Davies on my short list.
I *love* Mountain of Silence; one of the best books I've read, ever.
At the risk of a few snickers, I will heartily recommend Fannie Flagg's "A Redbird Christmas". Nice easy reading, about grace, the joys of small communities and power of decent folk. My only caveat: my mom was disappointed in the tomato aspic recipe at the end of the novel. Some will call it sentimental fiction, but it sure is a place I'd like to visit and stay for a while.
Oh so many books. . . but one book I can wholeheartedly recommend to anyone who likes capers, satire, and reckless wordplay is Nick Harkaway's 'The Gone Away World.'
I can't really explain it, other than to mention foolproof (ha!) weaponry, solidarity, mass confusion, plot twists, good vs. evil, and did I mention plot twists?
In order to enjoy this book you will have to have a high tolerance for careening down a bumpy road at breakneck speeds in a vehicle which is flying apart at the seams. Exhilarating.
And now that I know what happens, I can't wait to read it again, to find out what happens.
A book that explains the science of Christian mysticism is "Evolution of Consciousness" by John Kuykendall. It is a journey to a personal experience with Christ that goes through the layers of the mind and the parts of the mind. It transforms God from being an object to an actual spiritual experience. The site is thinkunity.com
I read the Deptford Trilogy, and enjoyed it very much. My favorite Robertson Davies book is "Murther and Walking Spirits." No need to commit to a trilogy - it is entertaining and fascinating, as it traces a dead man's ancestors back to the pre-Revolutionary War.
I am planning to read "Gilead" over the holidays - for a book group, and possibly Richard Russo's "Bridge of Sighs."
If anyone is looking for a wonderful memoir to read, I can recommend "A Girl Named Zippy" and "She Got Up Off the Couch" by Haven Kimmel. I read them during a summer "stay-cation" and felt like I was miles away, in the tiny Indiana town where Kimmel grew up, and also back in the 1960's, during my own childhood.
We have been on a quest to simplify Christmas. (the subject of my next KERA commentary, which will run on Christmas Eve. In fact, my family's Christmas tradition includes buying a single book for each person. this year, I bought my wife: An Imperfect Offering, about Doctor's Without Borders. My college son, studying Film, I bought Leni: The Life and Work of Leni Riefenstahl (Vintage) by Steven Bach (Paperback - Feb 12, 2008)and for my high school senior son, Jesus' Son, a collection of short stories. For myself, I bought An Infinity of Little Hours, about monks in a Carthusian Monastary.
Great list. I concur about Robertson Davies. I also love Prayer for Owen Meany by Irving. Oh, and Peace Like a River. That's a very nice short piece of fiction
When I was in high school, I presented a report to my American History class, complete with charts and graphs, on JFK's failure to fulfill his campaign promises. My teacher had a conniption and gave me a B, which was as low as she could go in consideration of the quality of my work. So I don't think I can be accused of being a Kennedy idolizer.
I agree with Clare, above, and I'd also like to point out that, as Theodore Sturgeon observed, 90 percent of everything is crap. I'd like to believe the percentages are a bit better in the Senate and House, but it would be tough to make a case for that. Now, I'd love it if the ten percent non-crap elected representatives were 51 percent female. Until that happy day arrives, though, I'd settle for 51 percent of the 90 percent. So what if the female 51 percent were still in the crap zone--at least it would be crap from a different perspective. That couldn't be all bad! ; )
I can't help but notice that any time a woman comes into a position of prominence in politics, there's endless sage discussion of how unqualified she is--for one reason or another, but always for SOME reason. We don't have endless discussions of every male who steps into a senatorial seat. My guess is that Caroline Kennedy will perform at or above the mean level of the ninety percent. I agree it would be nice if we could get better representatives than that across the board, but it seems unlikely.
I'm sure everyone who knows me knew that I'd never be able to keep it down to only five . . . but heck, since there's no crowd pushing and shoving to be admitted to this post, I'll go ahead and take up space. I'm going to put some of the books in groups, which is cheating, I know.
1. The Bird Shaman, by Judith Moffett
The Margarets, by Shari S. Tepper
Both speculative fiction, both about humans on the verge of destroying themselves through their failure to respect the harmony of the natural world. Characters find ways to restore their relationships to the worlds they live in while unraveling their own tangled pasts. Thought-provoking answers are offered to the question of what makes people act as they do. I'd offer this to people who are beginning to think we may have a problem with the way we're treating our environment, and each other.
2. New and Selected Poems, by Mary Oliver
Outercourse: the Be-Dazzling Voyage, by Mary Daly
Two books where marvelous language is the focus, in very different ways, where freedom is an elegant necessity, and love for this beautiful world is a poignant melody.
3. From the Notebooks of Dr. Brain, by Minister Faust.
From a review: "But beneath all this exuberant postmodern linguistic play, From the Notebooks of Dr. Brain is a serious socio-political novel, focusing on the continuing impact of race and racism in America today." Indeed it is--but it's written like a graphic novel in verbal form, a mash-up of comics metaphors, mockery of the pseudo-therapeutic, and stereotypes stuffed with plastique and rigged to go off like fireworks in your face. I found it enlightening AND it made me laugh out loud, two things you can't say about most "serious socio-political novels."
4. Godbody, by Theodore Sturgeon
A lyrical re-envisioning of the message of Christ and the brotherhood of disciples that gives the lie to the notion that only orthodox right-wing Christians can have anything of value to say about the place of eros in human life and the relationship of eros to compassion.
5. The Montessori Method, by Maria Montessori
The Underground History of American Education, by John Taylor Gatto
Anyone who is interested in home schooling--shoot, anyone who is interested in children, or even in people--should read these two essential works. Actually, you can read both of them online, so you don't even need to wait for me to send you a copy. Personally, I think Montessori should be made a saint, the patron saint of children . . . but I'm not holding my breath.
6. (Yes, now I'm on overtime) The Secret of the Andes: Myth, Astronomy, and the War Against Time, by William Sullivan
This work is about history and paleoastronomy in the Andes, but on a larger scale, it has much to say about the use and misuse of religious myth. There's wisdom hidden here for us, as well. And it's a fascinating and engaging read on a scientific level, as well.
7. The Great Lakes, by Wayne Grady
Another pick for people who are concerned about the environment, or want to be. I want everyone to know and understand what a special place my beautiful homeland is, and I want you all to know, most especially, why YOU CAN NEVER NEVER HAVE OUR WATER! ; )
8. And here's a triple gift for my fellow blog-commenters--and I know you're out there--who are frustrated writers and artists.
The Artist's Way, by Julia Cameron
The Painting Path, by Linda Novick
Keeping a Nature Journal, by Claire Walker Leslie and Charles E. Roth
You know you're spending way too much time fighting with silly people online because, well . . . you know why as well as I do! Give yourself a break and do some of the wonderful exercises in these books instead. Trust me, you'll be happier.
Okay, I'll stop now . . . but only to continue on the next rock.
Oh, good grief. I'm already posting a comment that's too long--and Beliefnet sees fit to dredge up yet another one. I don't know how that happens, but I'm sorry it did. Rod, if you happen to notice this, please REMOVE the irrelevant repeat. Thank you.
Yes, me again--but this time it's really Mr. Sig by proxy. He listened to me reading out my list and gave me his, off the top of his head, which I've copied for your benefit. The comments are his.
1. For Your Own Good: Hidden Cruelty in Child-Rearing and the Roots of Violence, by Alice Miller
Because we’re all trapped inside this culture which is ruled by abused people, and it must stop.
2. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, by Robert Pirsig
Because it’s important to understand quality.
3. The Dispossessed, by Ursula K. LeGuin
Because it’s important to see our culture from outside, though the eyes of someone who can understand it but comes from somewhere else.
4. The Visual Display of Quantitative Information, by Edward Tufte
Because everyone needs to know how to understand how to understand how the world works. And because bad charts are from Satan!
5. Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time: The Historical Jesus and the Heart of Contemporary Faith by Marcus Borg
So they can get past the patriarchal hijacking of Jesus and get back to what he really meant.
This is the first year in memory where I have no books on my Christmas list, largely due to the fact that I bought about a dozen or so over the last couple months and don't really need any right now, seeing that the stack beside my reading chair is so high.
Having said that, if I did have any on my list, they'd be:
"Earthly Powers" and "Sacred Causes," both by historian Michael Burleigh.
Russell Kirk's "The Roots of American Order"
"The Gurus, The Young Man, and Elder Paisius" -- Dionysius Farasiotis
Anthony Esolen's "Politically Correct Guide to Western Civilization"
For gifts, I would distribute the following:
"Wendell Berry and the Cultivation of Life: A Reader's Guide" by Matthew Bonzo and Michael Stevens. -- great intro to Berry for those who haven't read him, I'd give this to anyone interested in American culture and politics who's unfamiliar with Berry, or who's heard of him but hasn't actually taken the plunge yet.
"Look Homeward, America: In Search of Reactionary Radicals and Front-Porch Anarchists" -- Bill Kauffman. Again, a gift to anyone with cultural/political interests of any stripe. Kauffman is unpigeonholable and will ruffle anyone's feathers, whether red state or blue. Kind of like "Crunchy Cons" on steroids.
"The Pacific and Other Stories" -- Mark Helprin. A gift for anyone who likes good fiction. Helprin is one of my favorite living authors and this collection is a perfect intro to his work. The stories are by turns grave, witty, morally serious, and hilarious, and often very moving. The long story "Perfection," a fabulist tale about a Jewish teenager called by God to save the New York Yankees, is one of the funniest things I've ever read, and is alone worth the price of the book. Despite its screwball hilarity, it ends on a profoundly moving note.
Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time: The Historical Jesus and the Heart of Contemporary Faith by Marcus Borg
"So they can get past the patriarchal hijacking of Jesus and get back to what he really meant."
Mr. Sig needs to read Luke Timothy Johnson's "The Real Jesus," and observe how Dr. Johnson blows Borg and the entire Jesus Seminar (and by extension such charlatans as Elaine Pagels) out of the water.
Sorry. Above post was mine. This new posting mechanism is annoying.
I would recommend any of Gary Wills's books on religion over the Jesus Seminar/Karen Armstrong crowd any day of the week. (I'm not saying don't ever read Borg, Armstrong, et. al. but the fact that they have been fashionable doesn't mean they are the best "progressive" religious voices.)
I especially recommend Wills's, "What Paul Meant," and "What Jesus Meant."
I'm very much looking forward to reading "What Gary Meant" in about 2000 years
Hi, Rob G. Mr. Sig is busy at the moment, but I have no objection to reading Luke Timothy Johnson as well as Marcus Borg. I assume you are aware that Johnson is an ex-monk and ex-priest, now married and a father. Wikipedia also tells me this, which I did not know: In other areas, he disagrees with Vatican teaching. For example, he has publicly declared his support for women's ordination and homosexual partnerships. Tell you what--I'll send you a copy of Borg's book, if you promise to read it, and you can send me a copy of Johnson's, and I'll read that! I'm joking, of course--though I'd be quite willing to make the exchange if you thought it was worth pursuing.
I agree with you that Mark Helprin is a terrific writer, though, so on that note, Merry Christmas to you! ; )
Sig, I've read some of Borg, although not the book you mention. And yes, I'm fully aware of Johnson's "issues." But those things don't make his critique of the Jesus Seminar any less trenchant.
Glad you like Helprin...he's amazing.
And a Merry Christmas to you and yours as well!
**I'm very much looking forward to reading "What Gary Meant" in about 2000 years**
Yeah, it's great that someone came along who can finally explain Jesus and Paul!
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