Plan B 3.0 by Lester R. Brown. Very good advice about how to change the world and why we should.
What's Everyone Reading?
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I'm reading a book about the 1605 Gunpowder Plot, a book about the 17th Century's "Witchfinder General" Matthew Hopkins, a book about violence and the mob in London throughout the centuries and a book about the strangest cases in law from around the 12th Century to the present day.
Churchill gets his share of bad review as well, Olson points out his less attractive characteristics in the pre-war years.....his refusal to consider limited autonomy and democracy for India, his refusal to even speak to any of the first female MPs simply because he did not think they belonged in the House, and his absolute deference to whomever happened to be King.......
As well as notes on who was doing what to whom in the British aristocracy...
A fascinating book.
I don't think there was anything wrong in any of those things.
His refusal to consider limited autonomy for India was a good thing. It was a tragedy that India became independent as early as it did.
Female MPs in the British Houses of Parliament have proven themselves to be even more useless than their male counterparts (look at the likes of Jackie Smith and Hazel Blears), so it was another tragedy that women were ever allowed to be MPs, and his deference to the Monarchy is the least controversial of the lot considering the overwhelming majority of the British population wish to keep the Monarchy (in the early years of this decade, MORI polls showed that 70% of the British people wished to keep the Monarchy; in 2005 a poll showed that 65% of the people wished to keep the Monarchy and only 22% wanted Britain to be a republic; and just this year, 2009, a BBC poll showed a whopping 76% of British people wanted the Monarchy to continue after the Queen and a mere 18% wanted a republic), so he was only mirroring the view of the British people.
If the British people want a Monarchy (and they do) then it's only right that our politicians support it, too.
Chaucer's Canterbury Tales
Its been on my "want to try" list for a couple years and I found a copy at Chapters before Christmas.
Its been on my "want to try" list for a couple years and I found a copy at Chapters before Christmas.
The Book Of Negroes by Lawrence Hill
The book is basically a history of the slave trade seen through the eyes of a black lady who was a slave from pre-puberty childhood to old age. The time of the slave trade was a shameful period in our history that is glossed over by many historians. Surprisingly, a lot of blacks were involved in the capture and transportation of their fellow blacks into slavery. Slavery was abolished in Canada in 1834 and in the U.S. in 1865.
The book is a very good read. Btw, In the U.S. the book is called "Someone knows my name"
The book is basically a history of the slave trade seen through the eyes of a black lady who was a slave from pre-puberty childhood to old age. The time of the slave trade was a shameful period in our history that is glossed over by many historians. Surprisingly, a lot of blacks were involved in the capture and transportation of their fellow blacks into slavery. Slavery was abolished in Canada in 1834 and in the U.S. in 1865.
The book is a very good read. Btw, In the U.S. the book is called "Someone knows my name"
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The Enchantress Of Florence by Salmon Rushdie - this was an amazing book, well written, researched and conceptually brilliant.
In This City by Austin Clarke - An incredible mix of style, character and setting in these short stories.
In This City by Austin Clarke - An incredible mix of style, character and setting in these short stories.
The Gnostic Gospels by Elaine Pagels, very interesting exploration based on very ancient documents of the splintering of Christianity in its first couple of centuries and how certain documents became canonical and have come down to us in the New Testament and the rest were dismissed as heresy. The book's about 30 years old, but still a solid piece of research and analysis that stands up well.
My Stroke of Insight by Jill Bolte Taylor, powerfully written memoir by a distinguished neuroscientist of what it's like to suffer a massive stroke in the left brain hemisphere and watch as your speech and cognitive functions shut down and the right hemisphere takes over. There are strong clues here about the real origin and meaning of ecstatic religious experience that very much echo things my sister-in-law's said about her road back from a similar stroke last August. And if that hadn't happened to her I probably wouldn't be reading this book.
My Stroke of Insight by Jill Bolte Taylor, powerfully written memoir by a distinguished neuroscientist of what it's like to suffer a massive stroke in the left brain hemisphere and watch as your speech and cognitive functions shut down and the right hemisphere takes over. There are strong clues here about the real origin and meaning of ecstatic religious experience that very much echo things my sister-in-law's said about her road back from a similar stroke last August. And if that hadn't happened to her I probably wouldn't be reading this book.
"Unspeakable" by Sandra Brown- Best book I 've read lately combination of Western, crime and character.
I'm working on Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand.
So far it's very interesting and an accurate social commentary. It's attempting to explain social ills and from that perspective it seems like it was written yesterday. It has old school values which are entertaining to read and see how attitudes have changed over the years. It is her analysis of the social disease that is really captivating. She demonstrates the two layers of society very well. I think if she were alive today she would be horrified at how unreasoning most people still are and the terrible destruction that is wrecking on different world cultures and financial systems. She seems too optimistic in her assessment of people.
So far it's very interesting and an accurate social commentary. It's attempting to explain social ills and from that perspective it seems like it was written yesterday. It has old school values which are entertaining to read and see how attitudes have changed over the years. It is her analysis of the social disease that is really captivating. She demonstrates the two layers of society very well. I think if she were alive today she would be horrified at how unreasoning most people still are and the terrible destruction that is wrecking on different world cultures and financial systems. She seems too optimistic in her assessment of people.
I'm reading a JW book called "Life: How Did It Get Here, By Evolution Or By Creation". Supposed to be the matching of sorts between science and religion about life on Earth.
Bernard Cornwell's Vagabond
He is a great Historical novelist. I can't get enough of his books. Each one has been great.
He is a great Historical novelist. I can't get enough of his books. Each one has been great.
I love Cornwell's work. Sharpe, his take on the Arthurian legends, the Vagabond series, the Lords of the North series... enjoyed them all.
Norman Bethune
Just tonight I finished reading "Norman Bethune" by Adrienne Clarkson. It is an excellent book. Bethune spent his last years in China and he obviously left his mark on the Chinese people. Our former Governor General does a great job and I would recommend the book to anyone.
Just tonight I finished reading "Norman Bethune" by Adrienne Clarkson. It is an excellent book. Bethune spent his last years in China and he obviously left his mark on the Chinese people. Our former Governor General does a great job and I would recommend the book to anyone.
I've finished the Shape Books and Starbuck Chronicles thus far. One more to go for the Saxon Novels and almost done with the second Grail Quest.
I try to space them out with other books because I don't want to finish them all and wait for his next one.
My favorite author by far.