MysteriousFaith

November 2005 Bookshelf

The Human Stain by Philip Roth

Given the choice to select my favorite Roth book, I would still put American Pastoral at the top; however, The Human Stain is a superb book. This book deals with America’s racial identity, latent sexual stereotypes (more age-related than anything else), and the insensibility of America’s politically correct campuses. Roth manages to take the ordinary person’s life and add a dramatic theme without being overtly political, while still being sufficiently political as to not ignore that part of the American experience. This deliberate tension between being dramatically over the top and yet sufficiently dramatic as to get us to see the drama in our own lives is an artistic gift, and one we should be thankful Roth has.

Imperial Grunts: the American Military on the Ground by Robert Kaplan

I quite enjoy Kaplan’s books, but felt this book did not rise to the level of his past work in terms of its conceptual development. Having said this, the book was just as well written as his past in terms of its narrative quality; however, on balance it was just not as insightful as his other books such as Warrior Politics or Coming Anarchy. A complete review of the book is published here. If you are interested in foreign policy, check out ComingAnarchy.com - one of the best sites on the web in terms of content, balanced coverage, and design.

The History of God: the 4,000 Quest of Judaism, Christianity and Islam by Karen Armstrong (abridged book on CD)

I have returned to this particular book from Armstrong on probably no less than four occasions. I simply love its historical insights, and its nuanced way of making the point about how each monotheistic faith has wrestled with changes to its beliefs about God. Armstrong is this generation’s preeminent religious historian, and this book may be her best work on the topic of comparative religion. I highly recommend this work.

Common Sense by Thomas Paine

One of the essential books in order to understand where the American Founding Fathers came from in terms of ideology, this book is best seen as an explanation of the reasoning behind the early days of the American Revolution itself. The version of Common Sense I read was a new Penguin edition that did not have Paine’s The Rights of Man included in it.

Why Gods Persist: A Scientific Approach to Religion by Robert Hinde

This is a challenging, but ultimately quite rewarding, book on sociological explanations for why religions exist, and why they “persist”. The explanation is multi-faceted, and is couched in scientific studies and language, making it at times not compulsively interesting reading! However, the book is an important contribution to where religions come from, building on Pascal Boyer’s book Religion Explained. From within Hinde’s book, one quotation summarizes his analysis quite well:

“We like to feel that we have a continuing self, even though we do behave differently according to the situation. It is at least possible that the integration of religious systems is a consequence of people’s need for congruence between the various facets of their lives. One could go further than that, and ask whether in some cases it is not just because religious systems provide a way of integrating not only the different facets of individuals’ lives, but also the social, ideological, political and ethical systems of societies, that they are so resilient.” (Page 231).

China’s Century: the Awakening of the Next Economic Powerhouse edited by Laurence J. Brahm (unabridged book on CD).

This book is a collection of essays by businessmen, economists and venture capitalists who have years of experience working in China. The majority of the essays manage to strike a balance much needed are rarely found relative to China: while on one hand almost every contributor recognizes the vast resources and untapped potential the Chinese economy represents, each equally acknowledges the political difficulties and systematic changes needed at the business, political and legal levels of society in order for China to truly become the next global superpower. Of particular benefit within this collection is the number of authors who touch on the solution that will ultimately be found by China being uniquely Chinese in origin and content; this is something missed by many commentators who attempt and argue that what has worked for Europe and America will also work for China. In the words of one essayist: “what will work for China will be a uniquely Chinese solution.” An obvious but much missed point of importance.

Angry Wind: Through Muslim Black Africa by Truck, Bus, Boat and Camel by Jeffrey Tayler

This is a fascinating book by a travel author who sets out to travel across a part of the Sahara by the means of transportation Africans typically would use. The story is a wonderful combination of politics, African history, religion, and the impact of America on the world. More than perhaps anything else, Tayler’s book draws out the human condition that we all share – regardless of nationality or economic status. Even in the midst of Muslim parts of Africa, Tayler finds people who want to know about America, want to share their meager supplies with a traveler, and who have an aching desire to learn. I deeply resonated with Tayler’s balanced portrayal of religion, specifically his willingness to show how his “child of the Enlightenment” mentality engaged him with his much more religious and certainly less intellectually developed co-travelers.

Don’t Get Too Comfortable by David Rakoff

I loved this book. If you are looking for real wit and not just angry ranting (the latter passing for too much of contemporary American cultural wit), pick up Rakoff’s book. His book is about what living in 21st century America is like – the struggle with finding just the right suit, the perfect artesian olive oil, and how empty and yet necessary these choices have become in America.

previous post: Jarhead Movie Review
next post: RENT!

• Posted in Bookshelf
• no comments
• Trackback
• November 27, 2005

• Bookmark on del.icio.us
• Bookmark on Digg

Leave a Reply

Name (required)

Mail (will not be published) (required)

Website