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BooksandIdeas
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Name: Laura
Country: United States
State: Minnesota
Metro: Minneapolis
Interests: Reading, Writing, NANOWRIMO, Music-- flute, harp, trombone and others
Expertise: Music, Writing
Message: message me
Member Since:
6/26/2006
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| No review of this book, or any others like it, as I have not read them. However, there was a very interesting article in the Sunday newspaper this morning about books of this ilk. Among other comments, was one to the effect of (and this is paraphrased), "When your life flashes before your eyes, it should be an interesting one!"
Stories of people who led interesting lives are great reads. But I do wonder if setting out to "DO Interesting Things" is really the way to BE an Interesting Person. More importantly-- much more importantly-- is setting out to DO Interesting Things, especially things garnered off someone else's list, rather than persuing your own interests, the way to be a deep and wise person?
There are lots more interesting people than my grandmother. In fact, I'd venture to say she rarely did an Interesting Thing in her life. She didn't even have a great romance to start her marriage: this annoying guy kept calling her, his MOTHER (for Pete's sake!) started badgering HER mother who badgered her, and she finally gave in and went out with him to shut them all up. Apart from one trip overseas to visit her daughter on an air base, I'm not sure she ever got out of Minnesota at all. She lived in one house all her married life, only moving to a senior citizens' apartment building in her last few years. She raised nine children, which wasn't unusual in that day. She made my grandfather two eggs every morning before he went off to a very dull and uninteresting job each day for forty years. She did not climb mountains or persue politics or write books.
She most definitely was not an Interesting Person by today's standards, especially feminist standards.
But she was a wise person and she was a good person. To be wise and good is, in my opinion, a far more worthy goal than to Do Interesting Things.
The first time I saw the titles of these books, I was tempted to glance through. But on further reflection, I think I'd prefer to set my own path in life and persue the eternal goodness of God, even though the world does not consider Him Interesting. | | |
| I just finished this one. Lots of good advice, although I think it could be generalized in many cases to basic how to treat people nicely.
It is interesting to note that as you read more and more, even on supposedly vastly different subjects, you run into the same themes over and over. Attitude is one of them. It comes up in this book, in Dennis Prager's book, in The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, and many, many more. Of course, this isn't really surprising, because there are those basic things, like attitude, that affect virtually every area of our existence. | | |
| You have a great idea; no, more, you have the entire thing written out in your head; and then you wake up in the morning and can't even remember what it was about! I just know it was really good! (Easy to say when I don't have to prove it!  )
DENNIS PRAGER!
http://www.dennisprager.com
Any other Dennis Prager devotees out there?
I especially love his Happiness Hour every Friday. I usually miss it, because I usually forget to turn on the radio at the time. But it was important enough to mark in my calendar to try to remember.
Dennis Prager has a belief that happiness-- as in being a happy person-- is not merely superficial, nor is it shallow or self-centered to aspire to such. Rather, he sees it as being an obligation on each person's part. If you are a miserable, negative person, you make others miserable and drag others down. If you are a happy person, you uplift others, bring them joy, make their lives better, make the world better.
Dennis is Jewish, but-- going on the premise that truth is objective and there is one God whose truth is always the same for all of us-- his idea also fits right in with Catholic teaching, which teaches that one of the gifts (or is it fruits? Will a better-versed Catholic let me know?) of the Holy Spirit is JOY.
Dennis mentions this book frequently on his program. It is one I have long wanted to read. | | |
| Among my favorite blog ring names so far is "Christianity is Not Intellectual Suicide." We definitely live in a world where people at a certain intellectual 'level' are often afraid to admit to loudly or openly that they are Christians.
This is purely a result of P.R.
There are too many great minds throughout history who have been Christian, for this misperception to be true. Even the fact that Christianity has been a powerful, widespread, and lasting force for over 2,000 years is compelling evidence. Is it really possible that that many people, including those great minds, have been so gullible as to believe a myth with no basis?
Unlikely.
One of the best books on this I have read is Josh MacDowell's Evidence that Demands a Verdict. It documents the evidence and logic that supports not merely a faith-based, but a rational acceptance of God and of Christianity.
On the matter of logic, he proposes the Lord, Lunatic, or Liar supposition: a man who has lived a good life suddenly claims to be God Himself. Either he's a liar, which his life and behavior to date seem to preclude, or he's a lunatic, which his life and behavior also seem to preclude, or he is indeed what he claims to be. Of course, he devotes much more time to exploring this theory, but that is the bare bones.
He also discusses the legitmacy of the Bible. There are many claims that we can't necessarily believe what it says because it was written so long ago, because original sources are few and far between, and because what we have today may be based on an intermediary filling in the gaps of partially-destroyed sources. Instead, Josh MacDowell shows that the Bible's original sources are far greater and far more complete than the original sources for many other ancient texts, texts of which scholars do not question the authenticity.
On a related issue, some people actually feel that Christianity should not be defended as a rational, logical, provable supposition, because that removes the basis of faith that Jesus asks of us.
I disagree. Being a Christian--really living as a Christian and trusting God-- requires plenty of faith, no matter what rational proof we have for God's existence or Christianity's truth. And God calls people in His way in the way that is right for them. For someone like C.S. Lewis, this was by appealing to his mind. I do not believe for a minute that God requires us to check our intelligence at the door; after all, He Himself gave us minds and reason, and I believe He expects us to use them.
This book and its ideas have been influential in my life. A question for Xangans: what books have been influential or life-changing in yours?
Another book I have come across on the subject of a rational basis for believing Christianity is this one:
Science and the Bible
Henry Madison Morr...
Best Price $0.85
or Buy New $10.00
In researching, I see the Henry M. Morris appears to be a very prolific writer, with a number of books to his name. One that sounds particularly interesting is Men of Science, Men of God, about men who... well, it's pretty self-evident, isn't it!
I think this quote sums up a lot:
"It was formerly the all-but-universal custom of Bible critics to attack almost everything mentioned in the Bible as nonhistorical, written long after the events described and, in many cases, simply fabricated by biblical writers. Since the multitude of archaeological discoveries in the past century, however, that has begun to change. The Bible is now regarded by knowledgeable archaeologists and ethnologists, even by those who do not believe in its inspiration, as an exceedingly trustworthy book in matters of post-Abrahamic -- even post-Babel -- history. The earliest known civilizations of the world were those of Sumeria, Egypt, Babylonia, Syria, Assyrian, Persia, and other countries in the region near the eastern shoes of the Mediterranean. Many discoveries in these lands bear directly on the historicity of the Bible.
A number of the tablets excavated in the Middle East do, indeed, contain inscriptions dealing with the creation and the world before the Flood..."
-- Henry M. Morris, Science and the Bible | | |
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I have seen this book highly recommended among conservative women. I have yet to read it, but am beginning to follow some of the forums discussing her book. One can be found at the Catholic Answers forum. I hope to find the time to read the rest of the discussion.
There is no greater calling than motherhood. Although it is very hard to appreciate it in the day to day or dealing with diapers and cooking and cleaning, it is mothers who are shaping the minds and character of the next generation, and therefore, shaping the very future. It is as great a responsibility or greater than almost any job.
I was reminded yesterday of a book that several of my friends in the young mother's group at church were reading. It was called "The Apostolate of Holy Motherhood," authored by "Mariamante," if I remember the name correctly, a young mother to whom the Blessed Virgin Mary was appearing. It was a strong reminder about how important motherhood is, and setting one's priorities carefully, and with the end in sight. The book does not appear to be in print anymore. There is one with the same title
but attributed to a different author. Because Mariamante was not the author's true name, anyway, I don't know if it might still be the same book. | | |
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