To understand and appreciate Russian author Leo Tolstoy, one has to understand and appreciate Russian history. Leo Tolstoy was born as a part of the aristocratic class in Russia, yet he spoke up for the serf. Russia has millions of uneducated serfs – and has had for generations. Most viewed them as worthless. Like Abraham Lincoln, Tolstoy saw value in their lives; he, as they say, saw their humanity. Even though many did not read…
Epistemology. It’s a big philosophical word that addresses the basic question, how do you know something? It’s a huge and complex question in the world of medicine. How do you know one way is better than another? It applies to individuals approaching diagnoses and treatment plans; it applies to doctors seeking advice about specific diseases; and it applies to researchers seeking to guide collective judgment about possible outcomes. This book tackles this problem head-on with…
by Thomas C Foster Copyright (c) 2014 I found this book while on a search for a good introduction to literary criticism. This seemed to hit the mark. In it, Foster pursues hard-core analysis of the literary project while spinning a down-to-earth persona (which was obviously well-honed while in a classroom). I was not let down. One can see why Foster’s work is popular among Advanced Placement English teachers in America. He presents himself as…
by Daniel DefoeWritten 1722 The years 1665-1666 were rough for London. 1665 brought plague, and 1666 brought a city-wide fire. This book contains a fictionalized account of that plague year of 1665. Defoe, writing 50+ years hence, constructed a narrative based upon research in journals from that era. In providing an account of these interesting times, this book provides several interesting interludes. Like the story of a naked Quaker who walked the streets. Or how…
by William Montgomery WattCopyright (c) 1967, 1994. It’s interesting to become a voyeur into other religions. I see how much of Islam is quite similar to Christian fundamentalism – subjugation to a text, promises or threats of an afterlife, and a general lack of humanism. Perhaps this belies my Christian theological orientation more. I don’t really like Christian fundamentalism, nor do I like the Koran much. I respect Muslims, and I mean them no harm.…
by Eric MetaxasCopyright (c) 2017.AudiobookMartin Luther’s life is controversial any way you cut it. Fundamentalists (with whom Metaxas is sympathetic) like to claim Luther as one of their own because of his insistence on Scriptural primacy. (They like to call it Scriptural authority, but such concepts were not present within Luther’s writings.) Liberals like to claim him because he broke free from institutional chains to usher in the freedom which founded to modern world. Unfortunately,…
by Eric MetaxasCopyright (c) 2011.Audiobook. This book has been on my to-read list for a while, and it feels good to finally cross it off. Bonhoeffer’s story is worth sharing. Educated as a theologian, raised as a scientist under a German psychiatrist, Dietrich Bonhoeffer lived his life in rejection of the German state-church which was coopted under Adolf Hitler. He is a reminder of what living a life in the Resistance is like. Along the…
by Paul FarmerCopyright (c) 2012.Audiobook version. In January 2010, Haiti experienced a seven-point earthquake that laid waste to an already-struggling infrastructure. The world, for a few moments, paused and sighed a collective, compassionate sigh towards one of the oldest republics in the Western Hemisphere. Paul Farmer, known for starting Partners in Health and for being deputy ambassador to Haiti from the UN under Bill Clinton, composed this book about his experiences soon after the earthquake.…
by Wolfgang KoehlerCopyright (c) 1947. I picked this book to read because I was interested in how the average computer user approaches a computer screen. I’ve been convinced for some time now (maybe 15-20 years) that people approach computers not through user manuals nor even through tips on how to use it. They approach the computer through their intuition. Intuition has a lot to do with the psychological concept of Gestalt, so I’ve learned. The…