Hot, Flat and Crowded
Thomas L. Friedman
(574.6 Fri) |
This book
is very important because the subject, global climate change, is
already with us, and the scientists are sure of only one thing,
It must be stopped. The text is very readable, even though much
scientific data is contained in it. Friedman discusses many
aspects of our global interdependence, and many factors hurling
us into the unknown consequences of climate change. He has
inspired me to search for more ways to leave as small a carbon
footprint as possible, right her in Janesville. |
Stones Into Schools
Greg Mortenson
(371.Mor) |
This book
is about the work that humanitarian, Greg Mortenson, and the
Central Asia Institute have been accomplishing during the past
several years in Pakistan and Afghanistan. It is truly an eye
opener for those of us who long for WORLD PEACE! Further, it is
an inspirational experience for the reader.
The fact
that several influential members of the American military have
been inspired to adopt this style of negotiating with the
indigenous population is especially heartening. |
Acedia & Me: A Marriage,
Monks and a Writer's Life
Kathleen Norris
(818.54 Nor) |
In this
book Norris uses memoir, spirituality of the monastery and
poetry to tell her story. If you have read Amazing Grace an
earlier work, you will no doubt find this book challenging your
intellectual calisthenics. She writes frankly about her bouts
with acedia, which could be defined as a state of lethargy and
lack of enthusiasm. The symptoms include perceiving the world as
a dreary place and one's place in that world as of no use.
Norris leads the reader through events in her marriage,
including her husband's episodes of depression, his loss of his
Roman Catholic faith and his final days of illness. Then she
writes about facing widowhood, and trying to get her own faith
working again. She uses great spiritual thinkers of the past to
inspire the reader. All in all, this is a very worthwhile
reading. |
The Phoenix Affirmations
Eric Elnes
(269 ELn) |
One of the books promoted by the United Church of
Christ in the United Church News. It is a new concept of
Christianity, actually not new at all, but reviving the spirit
of Jesus in a way that his spirit applies to our world today.
The 12 Affirmations were devised by an ecumenical group in
Phoenix, AZ. Each one is a challenge to the church to return to
the spirit of acceptance, tolerance and love, thus helping us
grow into a healthy relationship with God and our neighbor. It
is well worth the short time it takes to read. |
200 Years of Christian Art
Eric Newton and William Neil
(704.9 New) |
This book was published in 1966, and although the
jacket has long since disintegrated, between plain brown covers
you will find good scholarship, both in art history, and in the
history of the faith. The illustrations are a feast for your
eyes, but the text will help you to enjoy every one for what it
says about Christianity through the ages. |
The World is Flat
Thomas
Friedman
(303.4) |
A book
that will convince you that you have been putting your head in
the proverbial sand, unless you are involved in both business
and technology. To us non-geeks it is quite illuminating. The
title is the result of conclusions Friedman makes about how the
world is influenced and changed by ordinary people, engaged in
entrepreneurial activities, often at their personal computers.
Hence the flatness of the world. It is a very interesting book,
but is enjoyed more by the technologically active and astute. |
Mountains Beyond Mountains
Tracey Kidder
(610.92 Kid) |
The
fascinating story of Dr. Paul Farmer, whose medical knowledge is
enriched by a love for the poor and suffering in the Third
World. Palmer, a Harvard Medical School graduate and teacher,
spreads his goodwill and expertise between Boston and Haiti. In
Peru, he has established a clinic in the poorest part of the
nation where a colleague heads up another clinic. Working as a
team with the World Health Organization, Farmer works to treat
the most lethal form of TB. In this area, TB is resistant to
most common drugs used in the treatment.
Kidder, who
has accompanied Palmer as biographer and journalist, captures
the essence of this dynamic and caring medical man. The book
reads like a novel! |
Where God Was Born
Bruce Feiler
(2009.9 Fei) |
An
engaging combination of travel in the war-torn areas of the
Middle East and biblical interpretation in light of current
political problems and a search for tolerance between the three
“book religions” whose heritage stems from that part of
the world. Highly readable, this book is a follow up of the
author’s earlier book and PBS documentary, Walking the Bible.
This book is also in our collection (915.6 Fei). |
Out to Pasture: But Not Over the Hill
Effie Leland Wilder
(813.54 Wil) |
A
refreshingly honest look at life in a retirement community. It
is a novel, written in the form of a journal, with many day to
day observations, many humorous and some poignant. The plot is
simple and deals with residents of the community helping a young
family find a new home. The “good deeds” achieve a lift and a
raison d’ entre for the characters in the home. |
Prayer, Stress & Our Inner Wounds
Flora Slosson Wuellner
(242 Wue) |
A
treatment of prayer that I found very original and of great
help. The author speaks about healing of old hurts, which we
might feel ashamed to admit even to ourselves, and gives
guidance to prayer methods which free us from these “wounds”.
The techniques of prayer she suggests are easy and worth
trying. The book is just under 100 pages, and can be read in a
couple of sittings. |
Struggling with Scripture
Walter Brueggeman, Willam Placher and Brian Blount
(220.1 Bru) |
A slim
volume (69 pages) of speeches on a topic most of us can identify
with. It is quite engaging and certainly worth the time and
thought invested in it. |
The Heart of Christianity: Rediscovering a Life of Faith
Marcus J. Borg
(230 Bor) |
Borg
speaks to the condition of Christians today. He contrasts two
paradigms or patterns of relating to scripture, and to doctrine:
the traditional “literal-factual” approach and the emerging
paradigm of viewing the Bible as truth told by metaphor. He
discusses Jesus’ two main teachings, you need to be born again
(not in the current parlance) and the Kingdom of God as God’s
compassion and justice in society. He gets quite specific in
delineating ways we can help bring about God’s justice in the
world, and at the same time renew ourselves and our devotional
life as well. |
Out to Canaan
Jan Karon
(813.54 Kar) |
In this
fourth book in the Mitford series, the rector gains a house full
of special people. There are also challenges to the peaceful
community. Read it and discover the happy outcome. |
A Light in the Window
Jan Karon
(813.54 Kar) |
This is
the second book in the Mitford series of novels. The main
character, Father Tim Kavanaugh, is an Anglican rector in a
small town in North Carolina. The plot of both the first (At
Home in Mitford) and second (A Light in the Window)
books revolves around his life. As an unmarried middle aged
clergyman his life is filled with challenges. I suggest you
read At Home in Mitford first. |