Reading Notebook

Year in review.

When I compare this year's reading with past years, in some ways this year seems a bit less "full."   I did not read nearly as much as normal, but there are good reasons for that.  Our daughter, Riley, was born in August, and much of my reading was centered on pregnancy books and parenting books.  I imagine parenting books and kids books will be a large part of my reading for the next 20 years.  :-)  We also built our dream home this year, so much time was spent looking at catalogues, reading about appliances, shopping and comparing everything, etc.  I do admit that Kelly did almost all of the work, but I did do some and it did take away from my normal reading time.  However, I certainly wouldn't trade either of those two major events for more reading time!  We have a wonderful home and a beautiful daughter that will always come first.

As for what I did read, perhaps the Chronicles of Narnia stand out the most.  They were simply fantastic stories that kept me engrossed from start to finish.   How to Read and Why (Bloom) was also good, though I still liked Great Books (Denby) better.  And Linked (Barabasi) was quite fascinating.

 

The Complete Guide to Adventure Racing.  Don Mann and Kara Schaad.  Sometime in 2002.

I say "sometime in 2002," because I read this book off and on throughout the year, and I'm not sure when I finished it.  But I noticed while reading through this years reading notebook that I had not said anything about it, so I figure'd I'd add it here.  Most adventure races have at least trekking/running, mountain biking, and some kind of paddling.  Many often have rope skills too, and then the more extreme races through in many other things like snorkeling, swimming, horseback riding, ice climbing, etc.  This book does a good job of covering the basic events as well as other important topics like team chemistry, nutrition, etc.  It's worth a read whether you are new to AR's or an experienced veteran.  If you have been around for a while, you may not learn much, but it should still be worth it.

Skipping Christmas.  John Grisham.  December 2002.

I haven't read a Grisham book in a long time -- I guess it's just not my style normally.  But Kelly read this and liked it, and it seemed like a quick read for Christmas, so I read it too.  And while Grisham is still not my style, I did enjoy the book.

The Top 500 Poems.  Edited by William Harmon.

I just picked this up and have not yet finished it, but I don't plan to read it straight through.  This book contains the top 500 poems ever written in the English language, rated by the number of times the poems have appeared in over 400 other anthologies of English Poetry.  I've been wanting to get a good poetry book for some time.  I recall reading John Adams that he always had poetry to read, and even before then, I've thought I needed some good poetry around.  I kind of missed out on it all in high school and college as I wasn't that interested then.  I also want to be able to read poetry to Riley that is a bit beyond the normal Dr. Seuss.  She of course hears all of those often, but I thought it would be nice to get her started on some of the classics now too.  So far, I've ready my favorites like Kubla Khan, and classics like The Raven and Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner.  I've also read the introduction to the Canterbury tales, and several others.  This is a truly wonderful collection!!!!

 

The Healthy Kitchen:  Recipes for a Better Body, Life, and Spirit.  Andrew Weil, MD, and Rosie Daley.  December 2002.

I got this book some time ago, but it has been sitting in my stack of half-read books for a while, and now I've finally finished it.  This book is part cook book and part diet/nutrition book.  I really like Andrew Weil  -- his views on medicine and nutrition line up closely with my own.  Of course, he is an expert and I just read what he writes.  :-)    I've read Spontaneous Healing, Eight Weeks to Optimal Health, and Eating Well for Optimal Health.  I also find myself on his web site often looking up certain things...

This book has many recipes, both from Weil and Daley (though the majority are Daley's), with lots of small sections from Weil on diet, nutrition, etc.  I mostly read those sections and glanced at the recipes.  There are also tons of "tips from Rosie" which are quite good too.  Now I just need to try some of the recipes out.  :-)  YUMMY!

Linked:  The New Science of Networks.  Albert-Laszlo Barabasi.  December 2002.

I was in DC to meet with the RIAA, and after the meeting we went to Olson's bookstore on the way out.  Olson's was a very nice bookstore -- there was a fantastic cook book section as well as many other good sections.  The Akamai sales rep I was with pointed out this book to me and said she thought I'd like it.  

Barabasi takes something scientific (the study of networks), and wraps it into a story like a novel, so it is quite readable.  The material is good, and it really is fascinating how much has been learned in just a few short years.   (scale free networks, power laws, the study of failures in such networks, etc.)  What is perhaps most amazing is how these laws of networks cross so many boundaries -- computer networks, social networks, Hollywood (6 degrees of Kevin Bacon), cells, the spread of disease, etc.  And perhaps quite significant is the networks of terrorist groups such as Al Qaeda.  There is certainly not the hierarchy in these networks as there is in traditional companies, armies, governments, etc.

I do think that Barabasi may put to strong of opinions forwards in areas that he may not truly be an expert in -- but it's his book!  Time will tell if he's right or not, I suppose.  (The biggest example is in the chapter "the map of life" when he talks about personalized medicine.  You'd have to read it to see how far he thinks medicine will go due to understanding cell networks.  He even states "I don't believe this vision is far-fetched.  In fact, it is rather modest, perhaps even short sighted..")

 

Holy Lands:  One Place, Three Faiths.  Time Life Special.  December 2002.

I spotted this book in the magazine rack at CVS while waiting for a prescription to be filled.  It is filled with fantastic photographs of the Middle East, but more importantly it has a wealth of great information on the foundation of each of the three major religions that have stemmed from the area:  Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.   It also goes through some of the history of why there has always been such conflict, focusing mostly on the 20th century and the last two years.   It really is just introductory type information so if you wanted more in depth reading I would have to recommend something else.  However, I did learn that the Koran first starts to differ from the Jewish and Christian bibles when Abraham was about to sacrifice his son.   The Koran teaches that the son was Ishmael, the son Abraham had with Hagar, his wife's (Sarai) hand maid.  But the Jewish and Christian bible's teach that it was Isaac, the son Abraham had with Sarai after he had Ishmael with Hagar.  I also learned that  the Christian Bible teaches that Jesus descended from David and eventually Isaac, and the Koran teaches that Muhammad descended from Ishmael..

 

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.  Jules Verne.  Translated by Mendor T. Brunetti.  November 2002.

On a recent trip to Boston, I forgot my current book (The Republic), and I was able to pick this up in the Atlanta airport quite early.  I actually read the whole book within 4 days of getting it, because I had flight legs of ATL - BOS, BOS - WAS, WAS - BOS, BOS - ATL, and finally ATL - BOS !!   

Since Verne is often considered the grandfather of sci-fi, I've always wanted to read some of his stuff but never had before.  After just one reading, I still like Heinlen better, but it is amazing that Verne was prescient enough to write some of what he did.  Definitely well worth it, and I plan on reading several more books by him soon.

 

The Worst-Case Scenario  Survival Handbook:  Travel.   Liven and Brogenicht.  September 2002.

I have a stack of books that are 1/2 read or 3/4's read, and this was one of them that I finally finished.  It was not as funny as the original, but I still found good information in it.  I guess it did get a little out of hand with "how to survive UFO abductions," but the sections on leech removal, wilderness shelters, etc. were all good.

The Happiest Baby on the Block.  (The New way to Calm Crying and Help Your Baby Sleep Longer.)  Harvey Karp, MD.  August 2002.

I'm so glad I read this book!  It is really written for "colicky" babies, but the calming tricks discussed work wonders on Riley!  Karp talks about the 5 S's:  swaddling, side lying, shushing, swinging, and sucking...   As I learned the details of each one, I was able to calm Riley down very quickly in almost any situation.   I still like some of the aspects of BabyWise, such as full feedings, and waking up the baby as necessary.  But I feel much more comfortable "spoiling" Riley than BabyWise would allow.   I also like the way the book is written better too -- not so self aggrandizing as BabyWise.  But what I really take away from having read them both is that a combination of techniques and theories make the most sense, at least for us. 

 

How to Listen to and Understand Great Music.  (The Great Course -- The Teaching Company).  Robert Greenberg.  August 2002.

This is a series of 48 lectures on CD that I borrowed from Dad and Nadia.  It took me many months to listen to them all as I've driven up and down the east coast this year.   Wow!  The series is fantastic.  There is so much material covered, from ancient early church music all the way up to early 20th century composers such as Debussey and Schornberg.   And Greenberg is great too -- he is so enthusiastic and very knowledgeable.   Some may think he's too enthusiastic and perhaps a bit off his rocker, but I really liked his style.  As an example, at one point, he commented that a particular selection of music was "an aphrodisiac for my aesthetic loins."   If you get the chance, listen to anything he's done for the teaching co.!

 

From a NewsWeek article on the current situation on digital music:

SHOCK OF THE NEW. The industry's crisis is also one of identity -- as described in the 16th century by Niccolo Machiavelli in "The Prince." Machiavelli wrote: "Innovation makes enemies of all those who prospered under the old regime. And only lukewarm support is forthcoming from those who would prosper under the new. Their support is indifferent, partly from fear and partly because they are generally incredulous, never really trusting new things unless they have tested them by experience."

This was from an article discussing the current situation in the music industry.  Consumers want music they can download quickly and easily.  Whether all consumers want it for free is debatable.  Most folks I've talked to would be willing to pay reasonable fees if the music industry has a usable service without unnecessary restrictions.  It seems like right now, they are searching for a business model that works, gives consumers what they want, but still protects the industry.  I wonder how big of a problem all of the folks currently involved in the chain that would be eliminated with Net distribution are the problem.  So the quote above is ok, but does not really cover the situation as fully as it could.  The folks that prospered under the old are trying to protect their current position, and severely restricting those innovators that may have a viable solution.

On Becoming Babywise. Gary Ezzo and Robert Buckham.  July 2002.

As I read through this book, I was totally unaware of the controversy surrounding it.   I recall thinking in a few places the book had some flaws, such as statements (as fact) without adequate references, self-aggrandizing, contradictory, etc.  The contradictions were things like "stick to the schedule -- but be flexible."  Not in such a succinct manner as that, but that is a general idea.  Some of the overall principles, though, seem to make a lot of sense.  But since I finished the book, and have re-read many sections since Riley, our little girl, was born a couple of weeks ago, I started branching out and doing research outside of the book.  A quick google search on "babywise" turns up many articles that are totally against the book.  Here's a few samples:

• http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2001/112/54.0.html
• http://www.babycenter.com/refcap/9108.html
• http://www.ezzo.info/Aney/aneyaap.htm
• http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/texis.cgi/web/vortex/display?slug=kids&date=19990301
• http://home.earthlink.net/~tnk/littleones/babywisealert.html

And here are a few that promote demand based feeding:

• http://www.fix.net/~rprewett/evidence.html
• http://home.earthlink.net/~tnk/littleones/attachmentparenting.html
• http://www.naturalchild.com/jan_hunt/attachment_parenting.html

So, what do I think?  Well, we've only had Riley a few short weeks, but I certainly see that a combination approach is most likely what is best.  Babies go through spurts where they need to eat more often than a strict schedule.  But at the other extreme, they often show slight signs of hunger and than only snack a bit, which can lead to more and more snacking.  So getting full-feedings in is paramount.   Also, at least with Riley, she would sleep and sleep and sleep, so we did need to wake her at certain points to make sure she was getting enough food for adequate growth.  Sometimes, though, she is almost impossible to wake, so we just have to wait a while and try again.

I'm certainly no expert, just having had a little one for a couple of weeks, but I think some schedule with lots of flexibility, and lots of hard work and perception by the parents, is a must!  It is a lot of work, but it is so worth it!  :-)

 

The Remnant:  On the Brink of Armageddon.  Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins.  July 2002.

Wow, has it really been since May since I've finished a book???  I've been reading several -- just snippets here and there, but most of my time has been consumed with the new house, the baby that is on the way, and the adventure races I had scheduled.  At any rate, this is the 10th book in the series and I got it a couple of weeks after it was released.  It only took a few days to read, as this was like the others in terms of its quick readability.  The pace was picked up somewhat in this one, as they are in the last half of the tribulation, and I suppose there's only so much that can be said.  A few months or even a year was skipped over here or there, which seems a bit unlike the earlier books.  So there's only a year and half and 4 judgments left before the finale!

 

The Last Battle.  (Book 7 in the Chronicles of Narnia)  C.S. Lewis.  May 2002.

I'm sad to see the series come to an end!  :-(

Aslan on the dwarfs:  "They have chosen cunning instead of belief.  Their prison is only in their own minds, yet they are in that prison; and so afraid of being taken in that they cannot be taken out."

There was a really interesting section towards the end when a soldier from Caloreman, who had followed Tash all his life, questioned Aslan about why Aslan accepted him. I won't get into the whole  discussion here, but this quote should sum it up:  "Therefore if any man swear by Tash and keep his oath for the oath's sake, it is by me that he has truly sworn, though he know it not, and it is I who reward him.   And if any man do a cruelty in my name, then, though he says he says the name of Aslan, it is Tash whom he serves and by Tash his deed is accepted."

Great series!  I still don't know how I missed it growing up.

 

******  There aren't many reviews here so far this year, so I figure an explanation is in order.  I have certainly been reading less than normal.  With a baby on the way, a new house being built, and training for the FL Coast to Coast again, there has not been much time at all!   However, I have been reading a bunch of books related to the baby, so I am going to list them out here and rank them on a scale of * to ***** with ***** being the best.  I have not finished all of these, and probably never will, but I have read enough of them to have an opinion!

These 1st ones are "for fathers-to-be:"

She's having a Baby -- and I'm Having a Breakdown.   ****  Not bad at all.  Lots of good little tips and tidbits of information broken down by trimester

What to Expect When your Wife is Expecting -- a Parody.  *   Not that funny.  :-(

The Expectant Father.   ****  Very good over all, teaches you a lot and is well written.

The following books are more for the mothers or more general about pregnancy and not specific to fathers:

What to Expect When You're Expecting.  ***  The classic book, but I was not overly impressed with it.  

Conception, Pregnancy, and Birth.  *****  Probably the best book overall.  DK always does a great job!  

The Girlfriends Guide to Pregnancy.  Or everything your doctor won't tell you.  **  I did not like the book at all on the 1st couple of chapters I read, but it did grow on me some.  But still not a book most men will like!

Your Pregnancy week by week.  *****  Another great book.  Read it all when you first find out you're pregnant, and then re-read each chapter week by week.  I actually read a couple of weeks back and a couple of weeks forward each time I picked it up, so I could review and see ahead.  Especially useful since the week you are in is just an estimate!

Planning your Pregnancy and Birth.  ***  This one is from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and was given to us at our 1st doctor's visit.  It does have a lot of good info in it, but perhaps it is not "marketed" like the other books -- meaning I found some of the others more interesting to read, probably because of presentation...  Info quality is probably the same.

There were also name books, etc., but I won't review those here.  At least not at this time.

The Silver Chair.  (Book 6 in the Chronicles of Narnia)  C.S. Lewis.  May 2002.

Again a great book just like 1-5.  :-)   I like the following, reminds me of faith.

"Suppose we have only dreamed, or made up, all of those things -- trees and grass and sun and moon and stars and Aslan himself.  Suppose we have.  Then all I can say is that, in that case, the made-up things seem a good deal more important than the real ones.  Suppose this black pit of a kingdom of yours is the only world.  Well, it strikes me as a pretty poor one.  And that's a funny thing, when you come to think of it.  We're just babies making up a game, if you're right.  But four babies playing a game can make a play world which licks your real world hollow.  That is why I am going to stand by the play-world.  I'm on Aslan's side even if there isn't any Aslan to lead it...."

 

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.  (Book 5 in the Chronicles of Narnia)  C.S. Lewis.  March 2002.

What an imagination!  Great book, just like books 1-4.

 

The Lord of the Rings (Audio CD).  JRR Tolkein.  March 2002.

Nadia got this 13 CD set for me for Christmas.  It's the original BBC recording of the Lord of the Rings prepared for radio, and it was really good!  Some of the acting may have been over done, but it is radio and so that is probably necessary.  I did not care for Aragorn's character much, but other than that they were all great.  I would say that I think you probably need to know the story somewhat before listening, as it may be hard to follow otherwise.  There is only a little narration, and everything else is given via dialogue.  It's also interesting to compare this to the movie (just the Fellowship of the Ring), which was recently released.   The movie seemed quite violent at points, whereas there seems to be very little violence (comparatively) in the audio CDs.  Also, I like the book and audio CDs in the sense that more about the characters appearances, especially the bad guys like the orcs and barloc, are left to the imagination.  After having the pictures of them in my mind for 20 years since reading the books that long ago, seeing them on the screen was quite odd.

 

Prince Caspian.  (Book 4 in the Chronicles of Narnia)  C.S. Lewis.  February 2002.

These books are great -- I can't wait until our kids read them!  :-)  They are kids books, but that is all I've felt like tackling recently.  Too many other things going on right now for much more!  See comments for books 1 and 2, as 3 and 4 would be similar.

 

The Horse and His Boy.  (Book 3 in the Chronicles of Narnia) C.S. Lewis.  February 2002.

See other comments on this series.

 

The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe.  (Book 2 in The Chronicles of Narnia) C.S. Lewis.  February 2002.

This is the 2nd book in the series, and they are great little books.  I wonder why I never heard of them when I was the age when they should have been read the 1st time?  Oh well.  I won't get into story specifics; however, Lewis again uses the story line to talk about Christian principles.  In this one, he discusses that when a willing victim  who had committed no treachery was killed in the place of another, the "another" can be redeemed.  Well, not in so many words, but that was his point.  I think these are great books to introduce ethics and morals to kids within a great story line that is full of wonderful imagination!

 

How to Read and Why.  Harold Bloom.  January 2002.

I noticed this book while browsing Amazon, looking at "Great Books" by David Denby, which I read last year.  This one was cited as a similar title, so I thought I'd try out.  The author is in many ways an amazing reader -- for example, he read Mobey Dick when he was just nine!!  (And has read it many times since.)  If you've looked at my notes from Mobey Dick, it is one of the most difficult books I have ever read, and I can't imagine tackling it at age 9!   At any rate, I'd have to say I like Denby's book better.  In this book, Bloom is the only speaker, and he his reviewing the books and story lines, etc., but it is all from just his perspective.  Bloom is tremendously well-read, perhaps the most well-read person I've ever known (via his book), but I love the classroom conversation that you get in Denby's book.  There, college students are reading the works, and it makes it much more interesting than a single perspective.  Perhaps if you remove some of the Parochial arguments from Denby's book, and combine it with the insight of Bloom (maybe with him as the teacher), and then have the student conversation..... Now that would be something.

Bloom does have some good points on reading.  Here is one that I have discussed before:  "It matters, if individuals are to retain any capacity to form their own judgments and opinions, that they continue to read for themselves."  Also, he suggests that you do not read to improve your neighbor, only yourself!  Self-improvement is a large enough project for your mind and spirit.  He also quotes from Italo Calvino, and then summarizes:  "be vigilant, apprehend and recognize the possibility of the good, help it to endure, give it space in your life."    Later:  "We read to find ourselves, more fully and more strange than otherwise we could hope to find."   And "the cultivation of an individual consciousness is certainly a prime purpose, and a major benefit of deep reading."

I really liked his synopsis of Ahab from Mobey Dick:  "We are captured by Ahab, even as we recoil from his monomania.  He is American through and through, fierce in his desire to avenge himself, but always strangely free, probably because no American truly feels free unless he or she is inwardly alone."  Later, while discussing Nathaniel West's Miss Lonelyhearts, he has this to say about America:  "Reality in America is more grotesque and hilarious than any parodist could hope to trump."

I really liked "The Unquiet Grave" so I'll quote it here.  He covered some other poems,  such as Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner, Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came, Tom O'Bedlam, and a couple of Shakespeares sonnets that were also great, but I can't put them all here. 

The wind doth blow today my love A few small drops of rain, Never have I had but one true love In cold clay she is laid. 2. I'll do as much for my true love As any young man may I'll sit and mourn all on her grave A twelve-month and a day.  3. The twelve-month and the day being gone A voice spoke from the deep, Who is it sits all on my grave And will not let me sleep.  4. 'Tis I, 'tis I, thine own true love Who sits upon your grave For I crave on kiss from your sweet lips And that is all I seek

5. You crave one kiss from my clay cold lips But my breath is earthly strong, Had you one kiss from my clay cold lips Your time would not be long. 6. My time be long, my time be short Tomorrow or today May God in Heaven have all my soul But I'll kiss your lips of clay.  7. See down in yonder garden green Love where we used to walk The sweetest flower that ever grew Is withered to the stalk.  8. The stalk is withered dry my love So will our hearts decay So make yourself content my love Till death calls you away.

So, what do I think about "How to Read and Why?"  Well, I covered the book itself a bit above, but here I mean about the question itself.  The How part is not something I am really qualified to answer.  In my own case, I have a web of reading that has many internal inputs, and external ones as well.  An internal example would be when I read Denby's book, I noticed this one and decided to read it.  Also, both this book and Denby's, as well as many others, often refer to other books that make me want to read them.  External inputs are when I hear something on the radio, see something in the newspaper, have someone tell me about something, or see something while browsing in a book store.  

So, why to read?  My Dad once said "to join the non-temporal world of ideas," and that is somewhat why.  I like Bloom's point that you should not read to improve your neighbor -- only yourself, and I think that is true.  (Else, you will likely come off as a braggadocio.) I also think that reading to solely gain knowledge is not wise -- cultivating the self is what is more important.  However, there are of course times when you are after knowledge, such as the trail running book I talked about below.  It is not highly likely that you will cultivate the self from such a book, but you may learn a thing or two about trail running!  Perhaps the most important thing, to me at least, is to gain context.  There are so many events/places/ideas/etc. in the world, and it is hard to really place them, or understand them, unless you have the breadth of context that only comes from being well read.

 

The Magician's Nephew.  (Book 1 in The Chronicles of Narnia)  C.S. Lewis.  January 2002.

I first heard about this series in an article that Ben forwarded to Kelly, that Kelly then forwarded to me.  It was regarding how a Christian parent should handle something like "Harry Potter," and the author pointed out that books like that, or the Lord of the Rings, or the Chronicles of Narnia all had references to magic that were clearly outside of Christiandom, yet many people had read and enjoyed over the years.  I was particularly interested in Narnia because I had never heard of it and because it was by CS Lewis, one of the more prolific Christian apologetics that I know of.   

These books really are written for younger people, but I found the imagination of the story fantastic!  This was a quick little read, as I imagine they all will be, but it was certainly a joy.  There are only a few specific things I'll pull out.  First, a quote I like:  "... the trouble with trying to make yourself stupider than you really are is that you very often succeed."   The second topic is how the creation of Narnia and several of the things that occur very early are so similar to portions of the creation as given in the Old Testament.  I suppose that is only natural since the author is a Christian apologetic, though I would like to compare the dates of when Narnia was written vs. when Lewis authored "Mere Christianity."  At any rate, the similarities are both striking and thought provoking.  So even though the books are for children or adolescents, even an adult can get something profound out of them.

 

The Ultimate Guide to Trail Running.  Adam Chase and Nancy Hobbs.  January 2002.

I saw this book while searching Amazon for something else, and then picked it up a day or two later at the local Barnes & Noble after browsing through it.  I ended up getting it for my Dad, as well, since we are both preparing for the Black Mountain Marathon on February 23.   A book on just trail running would be quite short, but this one covers a lot more, including injuries, nutrition, strength training, etc.  It also covers topics more related to trail running such as technique, hill strategy, clothing, types of trail running, trail running associations, races, race directing, wildlife and plants you may see on the trail, etc.  It does quite a good job in all areas.  Some of the jokes are kind of silly, though.