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Reading: Recommended and not
Here you will eventually find a list and commentary on books and articles that I like, don't like, disdain, couldn't finish, recommend, don't recommend, or didn't understand. Much of this will rely on memory. Some of it will rely on notes I have taken, or the penciled marginalia that pollutes everything I've read. I can't help myself. If you value the pristine condition of your books, don't loan them to me.
• FICTION (These will be links to anchored categories below)
• BIOGRAPHY
• PHILOSOPHY
• RELIGION
• REFERENCE
FICTION
James Thurber. The Catbird Seat (short story, posted in its entirety, here). Published in the New Yorker, Nov. 14, 1942. This is a wonderfully crafted story, written by James Thurber, 20th-century American humorist. If you're a fan of NBC's "The Office," or even the cult-classic "Office Space," this should give you a kick.
Frank Herbert. Dune, the whole blasted series. If you make it through the first book, the terminology, jargon and nomenclature begins to stick with you. That makes it easier to read the rest of the series. I should point out that I've not read any of the posthumously published sequels or prequels co-written by Herbert's son, so I'm only recommending the six installments of the original Dune chronicles.
Glen Gold, Carter Beats the Devil. This is a terrific and exciting story about a boy who becomes a great magician. I know, magicians are as annoying a clowns who make balloon animals. I don't care. You'll love this book. If you don't, you have no soul.
- Ayn Rand, Fountainhead. One word: Glean. Don't read too much into her stuff. Her philosophy leaves much to be desired, although she's not afraid, it seems, to ask the tough questions. Her temerity notwithstanding, Rand's ideas fail because they are founded upon an irrational worldview. What I enjoyed most were some of the things she said about aesthetics and design, being true to one's pursuit of excellence, and tripe like that.
- _____, Atlas Shrugged. See comments on Fountainhead, above.
- Anne Rice, Interview With The Vampire. Written before she was declared a "master of description," this early Anne Rice novel is a fantastic and captivating fantasy. The mythos she creates is inspiring, reworking actual history into her tale in a credible and engaging manner.
- _____, The Vampire Lestat. Despite a curiously fickle and revisionist reworking of the antagonist of her first vampire novel, The Vampire Lestat is just as engaging and creative as its predecessor.
BIOGRAPHY:
- Edward Robb Ellis. A Diary of the Century: Tales From America's Greatest Diarist, 1995, Kodansha International, New York. Ellis was a journalist back when it was a respectable vocation. His story, written as journal entries, is utterly fascinating. You get a behind-the-scenes look at a beat reporter’s life, as well as terrific stories about famous people he met.
- Duty: A Father, His Son, and the Man Who Won the War. Bob Greene
- Biographies by or
about misguided religionists.
- Keith Green. Melody Green and David Hazard. No Compromise: The Life Story of Keith Green. Keith Green was a prolific songwriter and is still considered one of the most popular and influential Christian recording artists. It is a story of misguided religious passion and misplaced Christian zeal. I continue to be moved by some of Keith Green's music, that is, when I can get past the awful theology conveyed by the lyrics or replace them with my own. He was certainly a remarkable man, and it's too bad that his emotions too often ruled over his rationality. Tragically, he died when he crashed his private plane, killing his 2-year-old daughter and 3-year-old son, leaving his 1-year-old daughter and pregnant wife, the co-author of the book. He was only 28. Is this a recommendation? I don't know. The tragedy of Keith Green goes beyond his untimely death. The book is a good example of what bad theology can do to a person, however well-meaning one may be.
- Roy Hession. My Calvary Road. I read a book in the late 80s called The Calvary Road. It was a book written for Christians who want to take their faith seriously and to live according to biblical principles. BUT, sadly, the principles Hession sought to teach by his thesis were deeply flawed in their application.
- Rich Mullins.
- Dan Kennedy. Loser Goes First. My sister gave this book to me to read. After I started, I couldn't put it down. I can't explain why. It's funny, self-depecrating, honest, and, for lack of a better word: Real. I could identify with this poor schlub and had a great time doing it.
MIND, BRAIN, BEHAVIOR
- Matt Ridley. Nature Via Nurture: Gene, Experience, & What Makes Us Human.The world of politics is not the only domain of partisanship. The pioneers of science, notwithstanding their dubious claims of objectivity and of being governed by "brute facts," are no less likely to be partisan and biased in their reasoning and in their work. Ridley attempts to take a 'fair and balanced' approach to the ages-old ntaure-versus-nurture controversy. I found it to be quite enlightening to learn how much our nature (and the nature of our progeny) is affected by our environment. Certain genes switch on or off depending on
- John Colapinto. As Nature Made Him: The Boy Who Was Raised As A Girl. This fascinating story is as captivating as it is tragic. It demonstrates the lengths to which people in the medical profession will go to cover their mistakes (like a botched circumcision) and to perpetuate false philosophies (such as Freudian psychology) even in the face of obvious evidence to the contrary. The story also shows how pervasive gender distinctions are on a genetic level
PHILOSOPHY
- Cornelius Van Til. Defense of the Faith. Lauded as a must-have for aspiring presuppositional apologists, Van Til's writing is sometimes not well organized and a bit stilted. In order to really appreciate Van Til, I highly recommend first listening to the following debates: First, "The Great Debate: Does God Exist?" between Greg Bahnsen and Gordon Stein. Second, "The Great Debate: Does God Exist?" between Greg Bahnsen and Edward Tabash. Then get Greg Bahnsen’s Always Ready: Directions For Defending the Faith and after you've read it, go back and listen to the debates agan. Seriously. It will be like listening to different debates. Next, read Bahnsen’s Van Til's Apologetic: Readings & Analysis and then go back and listen to the debates again. Seriously. And after that, you'll be prepared for a lifetime of enjoying the delightful writings of Cornelius Van Til.
