Living the Secular Life
Phil Zuckerman
ISBN: 9781594205088
Presents studies and historical counterpoints to the pervasive belief that secularism is dooming civilization.
Really appreciated the emphasis on studies and research, and on historical figures. The "case studies" with interviews from various secular people were also very interesting. Thought that it was a little bit of a gloss over a complex and interesting societal shift, but in a pop-science book clocking in under 300 pages WITH notes, bibliography, and an index (made my researcher heart so happy to see all of those) I can't really blame the author for a bit of glossing over sticky points.
A good read for anyone interested in the growing percentage of religious "nones" living in America (and to a lesser extent, in other countries, but the supermajority of the focus is American life and mores).
Showing posts with label humanist. Show all posts
Showing posts with label humanist. Show all posts
Saturday, September 19, 2015
Friday, September 26, 2014
Juvenile Fantasy: The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of her Own Making, Catherynne Valente
The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of her Own Making
Catherynne Valente
ISBN: 9780312649616
Re-Read, finished September 24, 2014
This book, y'all.
I first read this book back in 2012, when I wasn't keeping as scrupulous a review record of what I was reading. I didn't review it then, because I couldn't ever think of anything to say other than how much I liked it. Strangely enough, the more a book has touched me, or the more I feel like it fits, the less I find I can coherently say about it directly. It's a challenge.
This book is a beautiful and illusion-shattering psychology manual on the topics of humanity and growing up, dolled up in a fancy-dress-party disguise as a romp through Fairyland by a little human girl named September, and the friends and enemies she makes as she quests.
It is amazing. It made me cry, and made my heart ache, and made me wish that I had even a clock with my name on it. I want a library to be my ancestor, and for a trio of married witches to tell my future in moldy soup, but I also want to scoop just about all the characters up into a great big neverending hug and lie through my teeth that everything will be all right, and not to worry about such big terrible things as life and betrayal and fairness.
I discovered recently that there were a couple of sequels: The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There, and The Girl Who Soared Over Fairyland and Cut the Moon in Two. I hate reading sequels after there's been a long break between reading the first, so naturally I had to go back to this one, and oh god, it hurts just as badly as it did on the first read. It's painfully beautiful and true and wild and good.
I will leave you with a much more excellent (although not much more on-topic) review of this book from one of my favorite authors and people; Patrick Rothfuss, from over on Goodreads.
Catherynne Valente
ISBN: 9780312649616
Re-Read, finished September 24, 2014
This book, y'all.
I first read this book back in 2012, when I wasn't keeping as scrupulous a review record of what I was reading. I didn't review it then, because I couldn't ever think of anything to say other than how much I liked it. Strangely enough, the more a book has touched me, or the more I feel like it fits, the less I find I can coherently say about it directly. It's a challenge.
This book is a beautiful and illusion-shattering psychology manual on the topics of humanity and growing up, dolled up in a fancy-dress-party disguise as a romp through Fairyland by a little human girl named September, and the friends and enemies she makes as she quests.
It is amazing. It made me cry, and made my heart ache, and made me wish that I had even a clock with my name on it. I want a library to be my ancestor, and for a trio of married witches to tell my future in moldy soup, but I also want to scoop just about all the characters up into a great big neverending hug and lie through my teeth that everything will be all right, and not to worry about such big terrible things as life and betrayal and fairness.
I discovered recently that there were a couple of sequels: The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There, and The Girl Who Soared Over Fairyland and Cut the Moon in Two. I hate reading sequels after there's been a long break between reading the first, so naturally I had to go back to this one, and oh god, it hurts just as badly as it did on the first read. It's painfully beautiful and true and wild and good.
I will leave you with a much more excellent (although not much more on-topic) review of this book from one of my favorite authors and people; Patrick Rothfuss, from over on Goodreads.
Thursday, August 7, 2014
Nonfiction: You Are Not So Smart / You Are Now Less Dumb, both by David McRaney
Books that originate from blogs are always very interesting to me, especially when they're on a pet topic like neurochemistry, behavior, and psychology.
I read these back to back, on August 5th and August 6th, and I probably should not have - they're a little repetitive even inside themselves, and even more so when compared to each other. I know that it's the type of book where people can be presumed to read chapters at random, or to read the second book before the first, but it was a little jarring.
You are Not So Smart
David McRaney
ISBN: 9781592406593
You are Now Less Dumb
David McRaney
ISBN: 9781592408054
Both Nonfiction; behavioral science and neuro-psychology.
First off, I saw these float through the library, and was really taken by the cover, so congratulations on mastering that specific portion of influence and marketing.
Once inside, the short chapters didn't quite ever get deep enough into the crunchy bits for my taste, but I fully realize I'm an outlier who reads actual journal articles because they're interesting. (They'd be more interesting if statistics weren't as impenetrable to me as Mandarin Chinese, but one must persevere.) The topics were a bit scatter-shot, and I think this more than anything reflects the blogged origins of the book. There just wasn't much connection or build between the chapters, and that is much more reminiscent of a blog, where each post is pretty much taken on it's own unless it specifically references another. In a book, even nonfiction, the ebb and flow of an overall narrative structure (which, ironically enough, is addressed in decent length in both books) makes the journey through the pages (see, I'm even doing it here) seem more enlightening and fulfilling.
It's the difference between those amazing Japanese conveyer-belt eateries, and a good 4 star restaurant.
In the first, you get to pick and choose, and each dish is designed to stand alone. You eat too much because you want a little bit of everything (and if you're American, you waste more than you should by tasting and then not finishing when you didn't like it), you don't really have a set beginning or ending (oooh, I just sat down, but mochi is coming through right now!) and there isn't any exterior cue for you to stop eating (other than the incriminating pile of plates you accumulate) until you finally waddle your satiated way up to pay the amazing low price for your gastronomical sins.
In the second, you have a narrative established. Everything from the table (dressed in crystal, heavy utensils, and vivid white cloths) to the high-class music (played softly) and the lighting (also soft) makes the meal into an experience rather than a simple dinner. As for the food, there's an order there also. Appetizer, soup, salad, entree, dessert, a drink (or two, or three - no more than three in this environment) and a helpful menu and staff optimize your choices into a pleasing progression that ends with you happily forking over a ridiculous amount of money for your experience.
I read these back to back, on August 5th and August 6th, and I probably should not have - they're a little repetitive even inside themselves, and even more so when compared to each other. I know that it's the type of book where people can be presumed to read chapters at random, or to read the second book before the first, but it was a little jarring.
You are Not So Smart
David McRaney
ISBN: 9781592406593
You are Now Less Dumb
David McRaney
ISBN: 9781592408054
Both Nonfiction; behavioral science and neuro-psychology.
First off, I saw these float through the library, and was really taken by the cover, so congratulations on mastering that specific portion of influence and marketing.
Once inside, the short chapters didn't quite ever get deep enough into the crunchy bits for my taste, but I fully realize I'm an outlier who reads actual journal articles because they're interesting. (They'd be more interesting if statistics weren't as impenetrable to me as Mandarin Chinese, but one must persevere.) The topics were a bit scatter-shot, and I think this more than anything reflects the blogged origins of the book. There just wasn't much connection or build between the chapters, and that is much more reminiscent of a blog, where each post is pretty much taken on it's own unless it specifically references another. In a book, even nonfiction, the ebb and flow of an overall narrative structure (which, ironically enough, is addressed in decent length in both books) makes the journey through the pages (see, I'm even doing it here) seem more enlightening and fulfilling.
It's the difference between those amazing Japanese conveyer-belt eateries, and a good 4 star restaurant.
In the first, you get to pick and choose, and each dish is designed to stand alone. You eat too much because you want a little bit of everything (and if you're American, you waste more than you should by tasting and then not finishing when you didn't like it), you don't really have a set beginning or ending (oooh, I just sat down, but mochi is coming through right now!) and there isn't any exterior cue for you to stop eating (other than the incriminating pile of plates you accumulate) until you finally waddle your satiated way up to pay the amazing low price for your gastronomical sins.
In the second, you have a narrative established. Everything from the table (dressed in crystal, heavy utensils, and vivid white cloths) to the high-class music (played softly) and the lighting (also soft) makes the meal into an experience rather than a simple dinner. As for the food, there's an order there also. Appetizer, soup, salad, entree, dessert, a drink (or two, or three - no more than three in this environment) and a helpful menu and staff optimize your choices into a pleasing progression that ends with you happily forking over a ridiculous amount of money for your experience.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)