Listed here are the books I read after graduation through to the end of 2009. Most of the comments are what I wrote at the time of reading the book. If you have any questions about the books or want further commentary about them ask me. A few of the books near the end have links to posts about them.
Meditations Marcus Aurelius
The Roman emperor makes his case for a life focused on good living that shuns the trappings of wealth, fame, and power. There are many great comments in this book.
The Language of God Francis Collins
I had reached a similar conclusion before I read the book about how God and His creation can be glorified and better understood by science instead of attacked by it. I skipped over some of the sections recounting scientific advances I had studied before.
The Sign and the Seal Graham Hancock
The story of Hancock’s search for the Ark of the Covenant. Very well researched and presented, this systematically traces the evidence and reads like the real life Indiana Jones adventure it is.
The Gnostic Gospels Elaine Pagels
History of my own Times William Otter
This was assigned reading for one of my classes, but I did not open the book until over a year after the class.
Alchemy E.J. Holmyard
This Dover book has good general comments on Alchemy followed by sections on prominent alchemists. I did not read all of the alchemist sketches.
Union 1812 A.J. Langguth
Each chapter traces a different person and his or her involvement in the making of the Unites States through the War of 1812 and the buildup to it.
The Time Machine H.G. Wells
Catch-22 Joseph Heller
The War of the Worlds H.G. Wells
The House of the Seven Gables Nathaniel Hawthorne
The Invisible Man H.G. Wells
2009
The Associates Richard Rayner
Traces C. P. Huntington and his associates in their quest to build a railroad empire that spanned the continent. It also talks about the founder of that school that is across the bay.
Crazy Horse and Custer Stephen E. Ambrose
Ambrose’s masterful parallel biography of two great warriors follows their careers that clashed at the Little Bighorn. It conveys the history of Indian warfare from the 1850s through 1876 and looks at how the title characters embodied their respective societies.
The Ten Things You Can’t Say in America Today Larry Elder
The Beleaguered City Shelby Foote
Treasure Island Robert Louis Stevenson
The Enemy at Home, The cultural left and its responsibility for 9/11 Dinesh D'Souza
D’Souza talks about the causes of 9/11 based upon his research and travels in different parts of the world. He explains many societies have a negative view of America because they are bombarded by American entertainment and the negative points of our culture. D’Souza brings up a lot of good points that are completely absent from current discussions.
The Scarlet Letter Nathaniel Hawthorne
The Celestial Railroad and Other Stories Nathaniel Hawthorne
This collection published by Signet Classic includes many of Hawthorne's short stories spanning his career.
The Interior Castle Saint Teresa of Avila
I stopped reading the book somewhere in the sixth of the seven mansions. The first few parts were great. However by the time I came to the sixth mansion I felt it was talking about things too far removed from me to keep my interest. I plan on picking it up and finishing it after I have read a few other things and made spiritual progress.
From X-Rays to Quarks: Modern Physicists and Their Discoveries Emilio Segre
I read a few parts of this, specifically the ones on E. O. Lawrence and particle accelerators. This has more mathematics than most layman books. I also applied to an internship named for Segre, but that is a story that ended in rejection.
Letter to a Christian Nation Sam Harris
This book berates Christians' behavior as compared to what they espouse. The book points out inconsistencies exist in the Bible and cites lines to show Christianity is intolerant and guilty of many things, at least as read literally in the Bible. The use of statistics in the book is unconvincing and selective to prove the author’s point. The reasoning is inconsistent. Examples of faults in Christianity from one section, if viewed in the discussion of a later one, become counterexamples to the author’s subsequent point.
The Lamb's Supper Scott Hahn
Atheism: A reader S. T. Joshi
I read a few sections to further develop some of the ideas from one of the above books.
The Lost World Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Moby Dick Herman Melville
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Robert Louis Stevenson
There were a few other short stories in the Barnes & Noble edition I read as well.
The Screwtape Letters C.S. Lewis
“Screwtape Purposes a Toast” contains ideas about the simplification of education that I fear have made much progress since the piece was written.
The First Men in the Moon H.G. Wells
Poker Wisdom of a Champion Doyle Brunson
Everyone should read about Doyle Brunson. He is one of the greatest poker players there is.
Dracula Bram Stoker
The great Dracula came long before so many other vampire stories.
When the Sleeper Wakes H.G. Wells
It was a veritable golden age of making posts about the novels I read including the sleeper.
The Egyptians Cyril Aldred
This kicked off my recent study of Ancient Egypt.
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Douglas Adams
I made a post about the hitchhiker and the galaxy, but I will summarize the singularly salient point here. If you ever happen to get your hands on this book Stop! Put the book down. Slowly step away from the book and move out of the area. Of all the books on this list, this is the worst.
You've read "The Ten Things You Can't Say In America"!? I'm very impressed. I read Elder's book when I was in high school because my mother used to listen to 790 KABC and she had a copy of it.
ReplyDeleteI love how intelligent Elder is, and how verbally he can put so many people in their place in a way that is both antagonistic and eloquent at the same time. The beginning of the book is great where he lists off all the horrible names he's been called by people who don't share his own political beliefs. It's a great example of how someone can take the insults of others and make the attackers look completely inarticulate and sycophantic.
What did you think of the book? I wonder if Elder still has a show on 790 KABC...
I am glad you know of Larry. I really enjoyed his book. He backs up everything with facts and is unafraid to say what he means.
ReplyDeleteElder's radio show ended in 2008. I think there was a disagreement of some kind between him and the station management. There has been talk of him doing a podcast or other online show but it has not started. He does a weekly column a few places.
Yes, he does back up everything with facts, and that's what always separated him in my eyes from most of the other hosts of 790 programs. He's exceptionally well-read, and I agree that he's not afraid to hold back his opinions.
ReplyDeleteThat's too bad he's not with KABC anymore, but he did have a very long and successful relationship with them.
He reminds me of the police chief character on TV shows and in movies. He basically just comes on and quietly rips into his opponents, only instead of verbally destroying plainsclothes detectives he tears apart rabid feminists, gun control lobbyists, affirmative action activists, and loads of other groups.
If you enjoy C.S. Lewis, I would highly recommend his narrative piece, "The Great Divorce". It's beautifully written, but more importantly it has a lot to offer on the human condition and the self-destructive pride men and women hold onto.
ReplyDeleteHave you read "The Problem of Pain" by Lewis? (Actually, the title might be "The Problem of Suffering") I read it a year and a half ago and had a difficult time following his theological ideas and arguments.
I will throw The Great Divorce on my reading pile. It is a small pile, but there are several piles sitting around me.
ReplyDeleteI have a copy of The Problem of Pain, but have not read it yet.