Archive for the ‘Nonfiction’ Category
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1
Mar
2010
If the Church Were Christian by Philip Gulley
I knew I was going to be worth while when I read the Marcus J Borg blurb on the back, “Filled with memorable, insightful, and revealing stories. I recommend it.” Borg is a Christian scholar who has published many books about the life of Jesus.
26
Jan
2010
The Game On Diet by Krista Vernoff and Az Ferguson
This is a DNF–a did not finish–for me. Not a did not finish the book, but a did not finish the diet.
4
Dec
2009
Elementary Forms of the Religious Life by Emile Durkheim
O.K., the first thing that you have to know about this book is that it was first published in 1912 (in French, 1915 in English). Therefore it’s very ethnocentric and thinks that white people are the bee’s knees and everyone else is less evolved.
1
Dec
2009
The Portable Jung by CG Jung, ed. by Joseph Campbell
Of course, with the drive towards ereaders, the portability of a book might not be of consequence, but it’s fun to carry around a book of Jung’s writing like he’s your own personal guru. Somebody tells you about an encounter or a dream or a movie, and you can say, hang on, let me consult with my colleague Herr Dr. Jung.
24
Nov
2009
Spiritual but Not Religious by Robert C. Fuller
Have I told you guys about the second and last time I ever went to confession? The first of course, was when I made more first reconciliation in 4th grade. The second time, I was in 10th grade, on a field trip to Washington D.C. We were visiting the Church of the Immaculate Conception, and I felt like going to confession.
21
Nov
2009
Myths to Live By by Joseph Campbell
Oh Joseph Campbell, how I love you. If you weren’t dead, I would find you and stalk you until you married me. I want to live inside your head. No other one scholar has influenced me like you have. It was your work which inspired me to major in Comparative Religion, possibly the most useless of all liberal arts degrees (except maybe Art History), and I have never really regretted it.
13
Nov
2009
Why I Became an Atheist by John Loftus
Jenners, it’s all your fault I read this book. Actually, I think it’s your husband’s fault as I believe you once told me that he came up with the “phone an author” part of the Take a Chance Challenge (in which one randomly opens the phone book, points to a name, and must read a book by an author with the same last name).
9
Nov
2009
Alex & Me by Dr. Irene Pepperberg
I’m sure that a lot of people out there in the blogosphere will review this book with an eye towards the story” the relationship between Alex the grey parrot and Dr. Irene Pepperberg; Pepperberg’s struggle for funding and acceptance in the scientific community; the tragic untimely death of Alex. But I’m going to focus on the linguistic implications of the duo’s work, because that’s why I wanted to read this book in the first place.
7
Nov
2009
Possible Futures by Jude Treder-Wolff
The subtitle to to this book is “Creative Thinking for the Speed of Life”. So, I was O.K., when the first few chapters talked about how desensitized we are by media, that we are bombarded with ads all day long. That was just set up, right?
10
Oct
2009
Going Home: Jesus and the Buddha as Brothers by Thich Nhat Hanh
I love Thich Nhat Hanh. I really do. But there’s something about reading a book, and thinking, haven’t I pretty much already read this in his other books? that gets annoying.
