I said in May that I would read one more Cormac McCarthy book. I didn’t thoroughly enjoy the first two but I thought I’d give him another chance because of his reputation. I planned to read the Pulitzer Prize winning The Road. It looked like my type of book anyway.
The Road is the story of a father and son trying to find their way to a better place in a post-apocalyptic world. The humanity of the story touched me immediately. The tenderness of the man for his boy reached my heart. The book is deceptively simple and complex at the same time. I’ve been critical of McCarthy’s minimalism in the past. In this case it works.
I doubt I’ll ever make it a priority to read Cormac McCarthy again. The Road seems like an anomaly for him. It was my type of book even if he isn’t my type of author. But what a book! In time, I think it could become one of my favorites.
Friday, August 29, 2008
Thursday, August 28, 2008
This Semester
I started class the other day. I'm just taking one: the history of the Civil Rights Movement. While not my specific field of study, I am excited about the era. It speaks of hope. A lot of history is bleak. A lot of history is the story of the strong oppressing the weak. When the oppressed strike back, they often lack the elements to succeed, mainly a strong organization. The civil rights struggle was one of the best examples of what can be done by the masses to fight against their oppressors. It teaches us that evil, no matter how powerful or entrenched, can be overcome. It teaches us hope.
Friday, August 22, 2008
Latest Reading
A friend of mine recommended Lawrence Joseph’s Apocalypse 2012: An Investigation into Civilization’s End, saying it was my type of book. Only a few days earlier, the book jumped out at me while I walked past a display. A few months later, I finally got around to reading it.
Apocalypse 2012 deals with the Mayan prophecy that time will end, or move to a new phase, on 12-21-12. Joseph investigates the possibility of this happening. Some of the scientific phenomena set to occur at that time: energy could potentially stop streaming to the earth from the center of the Milky Way due to an eclipse, the magnetic field that protects the earth could be damaged beyond repair, the magnetic poles of our planet might reverse, a supervolcano might erupt, the sun could be at its most intense in tens of thousands of years, and the solar system will enter through a patch of interstellar turbulence. Any or all of these could combine to change our planet forever.
After devoting roughly the first half of the book to fascinating scientific possibilities, Joseph then moves to cover religious and spiritual theories on the end of time. These sections are weaker. They seem disjointed and intellectually thin. Indeed, any time Joseph strays from pure science, the results seem random.
Apocalypse 2012 is part science, part philosophy, and part travelogue. Because Joseph places himself in the story, the book at times seems flippant until you become familiar with his sense of humor. Still, despite its weaknesses, the premise of the book and the coinciding science make it a page turner. And just like any good speculative or conspiracy theory book, it leaves you wondering and opens fascinating and frustrating possibilities. In the end, Apocalypse 2012 is worth reading but begs for someone to write a better version of the same theme.
Apocalypse 2012 deals with the Mayan prophecy that time will end, or move to a new phase, on 12-21-12. Joseph investigates the possibility of this happening. Some of the scientific phenomena set to occur at that time: energy could potentially stop streaming to the earth from the center of the Milky Way due to an eclipse, the magnetic field that protects the earth could be damaged beyond repair, the magnetic poles of our planet might reverse, a supervolcano might erupt, the sun could be at its most intense in tens of thousands of years, and the solar system will enter through a patch of interstellar turbulence. Any or all of these could combine to change our planet forever.
After devoting roughly the first half of the book to fascinating scientific possibilities, Joseph then moves to cover religious and spiritual theories on the end of time. These sections are weaker. They seem disjointed and intellectually thin. Indeed, any time Joseph strays from pure science, the results seem random.
Apocalypse 2012 is part science, part philosophy, and part travelogue. Because Joseph places himself in the story, the book at times seems flippant until you become familiar with his sense of humor. Still, despite its weaknesses, the premise of the book and the coinciding science make it a page turner. And just like any good speculative or conspiracy theory book, it leaves you wondering and opens fascinating and frustrating possibilities. In the end, Apocalypse 2012 is worth reading but begs for someone to write a better version of the same theme.
Friday, August 15, 2008
Latest Reading
A while back, I blogged about intending to read Hal Lindsey’s The Late Great Planet Earth. I just finished it and crossed it off my list where it had been for many years. I wish I had read it sooner. I can see why it was one of the bestselling books of the seventies.
Like I said in the earlier blog, it was the precursor to books like the Left Behind series and it’s easy to see how Lindsey inspired them. Essentially, The Late Great Planet Earth is a powerful study of how Biblical prophecy regarding the end of time is being fulfilled in the present age.
I’m not saying the book is flawless. Lindsey sees prophecy through a modern American lens. Much of the book is dated, for example, the communist threat or the influence of former Egyptian President Nasser. Some things which Lindsey glossed over now seem more believable, the Chinese threat and the oil crisis, for example. The problem with interpreting prophecy is that the interpreter always wants to read into the present concerns and perhaps is not as open minded as they should be, to varying degrees. In the end, prophecy only seems to make sense after the fact, although some would argue that this is only because we impose meaning to it.
Still, The Late Great Planet Earth is more powerful than its flaws. Perhaps the language can be a bit casual or dated, but this conversational feel only adds to the strengths. In the end, The Late Great Planet Earth is the best book of its kind for its accessibility and will certainly stimulate your mind no matter what you personally conclude.
Like I said in the earlier blog, it was the precursor to books like the Left Behind series and it’s easy to see how Lindsey inspired them. Essentially, The Late Great Planet Earth is a powerful study of how Biblical prophecy regarding the end of time is being fulfilled in the present age.
I’m not saying the book is flawless. Lindsey sees prophecy through a modern American lens. Much of the book is dated, for example, the communist threat or the influence of former Egyptian President Nasser. Some things which Lindsey glossed over now seem more believable, the Chinese threat and the oil crisis, for example. The problem with interpreting prophecy is that the interpreter always wants to read into the present concerns and perhaps is not as open minded as they should be, to varying degrees. In the end, prophecy only seems to make sense after the fact, although some would argue that this is only because we impose meaning to it.
Still, The Late Great Planet Earth is more powerful than its flaws. Perhaps the language can be a bit casual or dated, but this conversational feel only adds to the strengths. In the end, The Late Great Planet Earth is the best book of its kind for its accessibility and will certainly stimulate your mind no matter what you personally conclude.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Latest Reading
Peter Carroll’s It Seemed Like Nothing Happened offers a glimpse of America during a widely overlooked decade. Contrary to many historians that gloss over the era, Carroll maintains that there was much more to the seventies than meets the eye. Beneath the surface, a seemingly complacent and self-serving population sought alternative sources for change, having become fed up with the government.
Carroll begins with the secrecy and deception of the Nixon administration, which eventually came tumbling to the ground. From the ashes rose the Ford administration, which Carroll categorizes as years of bumbling. With Carter, the country seemed to continue to fall apart at the seams, which Carroll doesn’t entirely blame on the administration.
Political history is only a small part of the work. Carroll also covers a decade of growing cultural unrest in every corner of American society. Seemingly every segment of society was unhappy and increasingly saw government as unable to aid them as America’s status as a superpower apparently slipped. A growing number of Americans believed government itself to be the problem. Written in 1982, the book paints a bleak picture of the decade with a glimmer of hope in the rise of conservative energy at the end of the seventies, the result of mounting frustrations over government failure.
It Seemed Like Nothing Happened is functionally written and paints an excellent picture of a forgotten era. Carroll sometimes overuses quotes, which can seem distracting at times. He largely remains free of bias. In the end, the book is one of the best brief histories of a decade that is largely overlooked and misunderstood. Decades later, it remains an important work.
Carroll begins with the secrecy and deception of the Nixon administration, which eventually came tumbling to the ground. From the ashes rose the Ford administration, which Carroll categorizes as years of bumbling. With Carter, the country seemed to continue to fall apart at the seams, which Carroll doesn’t entirely blame on the administration.
Political history is only a small part of the work. Carroll also covers a decade of growing cultural unrest in every corner of American society. Seemingly every segment of society was unhappy and increasingly saw government as unable to aid them as America’s status as a superpower apparently slipped. A growing number of Americans believed government itself to be the problem. Written in 1982, the book paints a bleak picture of the decade with a glimmer of hope in the rise of conservative energy at the end of the seventies, the result of mounting frustrations over government failure.
It Seemed Like Nothing Happened is functionally written and paints an excellent picture of a forgotten era. Carroll sometimes overuses quotes, which can seem distracting at times. He largely remains free of bias. In the end, the book is one of the best brief histories of a decade that is largely overlooked and misunderstood. Decades later, it remains an important work.
Saturday, August 9, 2008
National Geographic
National Geographic is arguably my favorite magazine. I’ve been reading them since the early eighties and have just about every issue since then with a few other odd years. I saw something in the latest issue that made me stop and think. One of my favorite parts of the magazine is actually an advertising campaign, “Wildlife as Canon Sees It.” Each month, the camera company spotlights a different endangered species of animal. I make a point of reading it every issue and always have.
The latest issue congratulated National Geographic on their 120th anniversary and maintained that Canon has placed these specific ads since April 1981, roughly the time I’ve been reading the magazine. Where does time go?
The latest issue congratulated National Geographic on their 120th anniversary and maintained that Canon has placed these specific ads since April 1981, roughly the time I’ve been reading the magazine. Where does time go?
Friday, August 8, 2008
Latest Reading
I recently finished Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, a book which I’ve somehow managed to never read. I do remember seeing the movie quite some time ago but the only part I recalled was the line about a man’s collar wilting in the summer heat.
The book is a beautiful look at race and class in Alabama through the innocent eyes of a child. I loved the book because of the characters. They seemed real, a magical act only a rare author can manage. Of course, it is maintained that the book is largely autobiographical so perhaps they were somewhat real. Anyway, you’re swiftly pulled into their world and enjoy the story while reading about the best and worst of humanity. Most classics aren’t very classic in my opinion. This one was.
On a list of screen heroes, Atticus Finch was named the greatest by the American Film Institute, beating out Indiana Jones, Superman, and Gandhi, among others. I’m not sure he’d be number one on my list, though I haven’t given the matter much thought. But he’d be up there. What a man! I’ll have to reread the book when I’m a father to learn a lesson or two.
Quotes:
“If you can learn a simple trick… you’ll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks. You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view… until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.”
On courage: “It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do.”
“There’s just some kind of men you have to shoot before you can say hidy to ‘em. Even then, they ain’t worth the bullet it takes to shoot ‘em.”
The book is a beautiful look at race and class in Alabama through the innocent eyes of a child. I loved the book because of the characters. They seemed real, a magical act only a rare author can manage. Of course, it is maintained that the book is largely autobiographical so perhaps they were somewhat real. Anyway, you’re swiftly pulled into their world and enjoy the story while reading about the best and worst of humanity. Most classics aren’t very classic in my opinion. This one was.
On a list of screen heroes, Atticus Finch was named the greatest by the American Film Institute, beating out Indiana Jones, Superman, and Gandhi, among others. I’m not sure he’d be number one on my list, though I haven’t given the matter much thought. But he’d be up there. What a man! I’ll have to reread the book when I’m a father to learn a lesson or two.
Quotes:
“If you can learn a simple trick… you’ll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks. You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view… until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.”
On courage: “It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do.”
“There’s just some kind of men you have to shoot before you can say hidy to ‘em. Even then, they ain’t worth the bullet it takes to shoot ‘em.”
Friday, August 1, 2008
Latest Reading
Like I said, a lot of my summer reading involves tackling some of the books I’ve always meant to read. The latest one was All the President’s Men, the classic by Bernstein and Woodward.
All the President’s Men is the story of the Watergate investigation. Rather than presenting a history of Watergate, the book is the story of how the reporters uncovered the scandal. It happens to be a good history of Watergate, though the details are patched together without any substantive narrative.
The book is interesting but can bog down in facts. Indeed, it seems as if every minute detail is recorded. While it is far from the thriller its critics made it out to be, the book certainly maintains a level of excitement in parts, most notably those involving the famous Deep Throat.
The book is written with journalist language, which is to say, functional and efficient. While it might not have retained its entertainment and enlightening value over the years, All the President’s Men is still a remarkable historical document for those interested in the American 20th century.
All the President’s Men is the story of the Watergate investigation. Rather than presenting a history of Watergate, the book is the story of how the reporters uncovered the scandal. It happens to be a good history of Watergate, though the details are patched together without any substantive narrative.
The book is interesting but can bog down in facts. Indeed, it seems as if every minute detail is recorded. While it is far from the thriller its critics made it out to be, the book certainly maintains a level of excitement in parts, most notably those involving the famous Deep Throat.
The book is written with journalist language, which is to say, functional and efficient. While it might not have retained its entertainment and enlightening value over the years, All the President’s Men is still a remarkable historical document for those interested in the American 20th century.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
