tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-293227912024-03-13T17:30:25.006-04:00This mortal lifeLet goods and kindred go, this mortal life also.
The body they may kill, God's truth abideth still.
His kingdom is forever. Martin LutherDavid Wilhitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08187161025528660914noreply@blogger.comBlogger732125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29322791.post-29184708386718891252023-12-29T21:57:00.003-05:002023-12-29T21:58:50.676-05:00My Favorites in 2023<p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">As another year comes to a close, </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I'm here again doing one of my favorite things: compiling a list of my favorite books and other media I enjoyed during the year and sharing it with others. See below for my favorites in 2023.</span></p><p><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Favorite Album of the Year</b></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I didn't listen to a lot of new music this year. The only stand-out album for me was Jon Guerra's </span><i style="color: #172b4d; font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://music.apple.com/us/album/ordinary-ways/1682392051" target="_blank">Ordinary Ways</a>. </i><span style="font-family: helvetica;">While</span><span style="color: #172b4d; font-family: helvetica;"> <a href="https://thismortallife.blogspot.com/2020/11/a-reflection-on-keeper-of-days-my.html" target="_blank">I didn't love at as much</a> </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">as his album <a href="https://music.apple.com/us/album/keeper-of-days/1507343679" style="color: #172b4d;" target="_blank">Keeper of Days</a> </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">from 2020, it was still excellent. </span></p><p><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Favorite TV of the Year</b></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I also didn't watch a lot of TV this year, but I thoroughly enjoyed the latest seasons of The Bear and The Crown.</span></p><p><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Favorite Movies I Watched This Year (from the last two years)</b></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I was able to watch a few more movies this year than I typically do, including playing catch up on some great movies from last year. Here are my favorites:</span></p><ol data-en-clipboard="true" data-pm-slice="3 3 []"><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Living (2023)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Past Lives (2023)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Oppenheimer (2023)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Tar (2022)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The Banshees of Inisherin (2022)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The Holdovers (2023)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Glass Onion (2022)</span></li></ol><p><b><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Favorite Books I Read This Year</span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I was not as diligent at keeping up with book reviews this year, so I'll be abstaining from having a dedicated post for my favorite books. However, I was still able to get to 46 books and enjoyed quite a few. Here are my favorite books that I read this year: </span></p><ol data-en-clipboard="true" data-pm-slice="3 3 []"><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Body-Keeps-Score-Healing-Trauma/dp/0143127748/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3AUKJSMKXU0H2&keywords=body+keeps+the+score&qid=1703900700&s=books&sprefix=body+keeps+%2Cstripbooks%2C82&sr=1-1" target="_blank">The Body Keeps the Score</a> by Bessel Van Der Kolk (2014) - brief <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5842667314" target="_blank">review</a></span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Genesis-Gender-Christian-Theory-ebook/dp/B0B788FF4P/ref=sr_1_1?crid=B8CQHFVCNX37&keywords=the+genesis+of+gender+by+abigail+favale&qid=1703900633&s=books&sprefix=genesis+of+gender%2Cstripbooks%2C77&sr=1-1" target="_blank">The Genesis of Gender</a> by Abigail Favale (2022) - brief <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5580598137" target="_blank">review</a></span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Living-into-Focus-Choosing-Distractions/dp/1587433141" target="_blank">Living Into Focus</a> by Arthur Boers (2012) - brief <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6069187203" target="_blank">review</a></span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Remembering-Novel-William-Wendell-Berry/dp/1582434158/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3IFLP08L6E9H9&keywords=remembering+berry&qid=1703900741&s=books&sprefix=remembering+berry%2Cstripbooks%2C81&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Remembering</a> by Wendell Berry (1988)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Shadow-Divers-Adventure-Americans-Everything/dp/0375760989/ref=sr_1_1?crid=12QDOU98ONEFX&keywords=shadow+divers&qid=1703900820&s=books&sprefix=shadow+diver%2Cstripbooks%2C81&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Shadow Divers</a> by Robert Kurson (2004)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Travels-Charley-Search-America-Steinbeck/dp/0140053204/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2Z5W9H5ID6LTH&keywords=travels+with+charley+by+john+steinbeck&qid=1703900843&s=books&sprefix=travels+with+ch%2Cstripbooks%2C78&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Travels with Charley</a> by John Steinbeck (1962)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Surrender-40-Songs-One-Story/dp/0525521046/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3PTXS9LVCSJFL&keywords=surrender+bono+book&qid=1703900879&s=books&sprefix=surren%2Cstripbooks%2C89&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Surrender</a> by Bono (2022)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Other-Half-Church-Overcoming-Stagnation/dp/0802419631/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2APYRPGWFWKYB&keywords=The+Other+Half+of+Church&qid=1703900899&s=books&sprefix=the+other+half+of+church%2Cstripbooks%2C99&sr=1-1" target="_blank">The Other Half of Church</a> by Jim Wilder & Michel Hendricks (2020) - brief <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5675961231" target="_blank">review</a></span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Testament-Devotion-Thomas-R-Kelly/dp/0060643617/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2H36FQB7ZH4JZ&keywords=testament+of+devotion&qid=1703900953&s=books&sprefix=testament+of+devotion%2Cstripbooks%2C78&sr=1-1" target="_blank">A Testament of Devotion</a> by Thomas Kelly (1941) - brief <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5373457384" target="_blank">review</a></span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/How-Stay-Married-Insane-Story/dp/1668015501/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3G0XPVOJVZVZ0&keywords=how+to+stay+married&qid=1703901003&s=books&sprefix=how+to+stay+married%2Cstripbooks%2C92&sr=1-1" target="_blank">How to Stay Married</a> by Harrison Scott Key (2023)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Man-Called-Ove-Novel/dp/1476738025/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2TND9CPYFUPRG&keywords=a+man+called+ove&qid=1703901021&s=books&sprefix=a+man+called+ove%2Cstripbooks%2C76&sr=1-1" target="_blank">A Man Called Ove</a> by Fredrik Backman (2014)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Timothy-Keller-Spiritual-Intellectual-Formation/dp/0310128684/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2PEKFI902KEU&keywords=Timothy+Keller%3A+His+Spiritual+and+Intellectual+Formation&qid=1703901063&s=books&sprefix=timothy+keller+his+spiritual+and+intellectual+formation%2Cstripbooks%2C108&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Timothy Keller</a> by Colin Hansen (2023)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Where-Light-Fell-Philip-Yancey/dp/0593238524/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1W8QYDTNP3F09&keywords=where+the+light+fell&qid=1703901097&s=books&sprefix=where+the+light+fell%2Cstripbooks%2C92&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Where the Light Fell</a> by Philip Yancey (2021)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Cutting-Stone-Abraham-Verghese/dp/0375714367/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3VH9D8DIY5SQ3&keywords=cutting+for+stone&qid=1703901115&s=books&sprefix=cutting+for+stone%2Cstripbooks%2C84&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Cutting for Stone</a> by Abraham Verghese (2009)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Under-Unpredictable-Plant-Exploration-Vocational/dp/0802808484/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3NCCXJ3SLKPJU&keywords=Under+the+Unpredictable+Plant&qid=1703901143&s=books&sprefix=under+the+unpredictable+plant%2Cstripbooks%2C123&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Under the Unpredictable Plant</a> by Eugene Peterson (1992)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Fever-Heartland-Klans-America-Stopped/dp/0735225265/ref=sr_1_1?crid=M6GD10RUQVB6&keywords=A+Fever+in+the+Heartland&qid=1703901165&s=books&sprefix=a+fever+in+the+heartland%2Cstripbooks%2C113&sr=1-1" target="_blank">A Fever in the Heartland</a> by Timothy Egan (2023)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Second-Mountain-David-Brooks-ebook/dp/B07DT1BD63/ref=sr_1_1?crid=23BA0L0WK5ZD9&keywords=The+Second+Mountain&qid=1703901194&s=books&sprefix=the+second+mountain%2Cstripbooks%2C104&sr=1-1" target="_blank">The Second Mountain</a> by David Brooks (2019)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Anam-Cara-Twenty-fifth-Anniversary-Celtic/dp/0063270587/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3BX2NQTEVG3UR&keywords=Anam+Cara&qid=1703901227&s=books&sprefix=anam+cara+%2Cstripbooks%2C110&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Anam Cara </a>by John O’Donohue (1997)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Mansions-Heart-Exploring-Stages-Spiritual/dp/1506454852/ref=sr_1_1?crid=PYRKFL68SE6A&keywords=Mansions+of+the+Heart&qid=1703901253&s=books&sprefix=mansions+of+the+heart%2Cstripbooks%2C125&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Mansions of the Heart</a> by Thomas Ashbrook (2009) - brief <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5287070515" target="_blank">review</a></span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Stories-FSG-Classics/dp/0374515360/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1VF414ZNX9BYN&keywords=the+complete+stories+flannery&qid=1703901331&s=books&sprefix=the+complete+stories+flannery%2Cstripbooks%2C93&sr=1-1" target="_blank">The Complete Stories</a> by Flannery O’Connor (1971)</span></li></ol><div><i>Favorite Books from <a href="https://thismortallife.blogspot.com/2022/12/favorite-books-i-read-in-2022.html" target="_blank">2022</a></i></div><div><i>Favorite Content from <a href="https://thismortallife.blogspot.com/2021/12/favorite-content-of-2021.html" target="_blank">2021</a></i></div><div><i>Favorite Content from <a href="https://thismortallife.blogspot.com/2020/12/favorite-things-in-2020.html" target="_blank">2020</a></i></div>David Wilhitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08187161025528660914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29322791.post-72160881183590908372023-05-21T21:44:00.002-04:002023-05-21T22:24:31.772-04:00I will miss Tim Keller<p>I had the opportunity to meet Tim Keller on Easter Sunday 2009. I was visiting New York City with some good friends, and after his sermon, I walked up on stage to introduce myself, thank him for his ministry, and thank him in particular for how his 2002 sermon "<a href="https://gospelinlife.com/downloads/blessed-self-forgetfulness-5261/">Blessed Self-Forgetfulness</a>" had been life-changing for me. What I most remember about that interaction is that after I said who I was, he stopped to spell my last name, to see if he could get it right (he did). </p><p>Over the last 19 years, Tim had become one of my heroes. His teaching, through his books and <a href="https://thismortallife.blogspot.com/2010/03/tim-kellers-impact-through-preaching.html">sermons</a>, had a profound impact on me. His Galatians study opened my eyes to the pervasiveness of idolatry in my own life and the bounty of God's grace. His Prodigal God sermon and book helped me understand God's love in a deeper way. His book on marriage was a helpful primer as Lauren and I began our life together. And more recently, I've appreciated his articles on race & <a href="https://quarterly.gospelinlife.com/a-biblical-critique-of-secular-justice-and-critical-theory/">justice</a>, the state of the <a href="https://quarterly.gospelinlife.com/american-church-the-strategy-for-renewal/">church</a> in this post-Christian world, and his insights into not aligning the Christian faith with a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/29/opinion/sunday/christians-politics-belief.html">political party</a>. </p><p>But I think it's something beyond his teaching and wisdom that I most appreciated about him. When I learned about his <a href="https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/tgc-co-founder-tim-keller-dies/">death</a> on Friday, through tears, I began reading different people's stories of their own interactions with Tim. Over and over, I read about the same self-forgetfulness that he preached about and even modeled with me in our brief interaction in 2009. </p><p>I think this is what I'll miss most about him, his way of being in the world. The way he seemed to go out of his way to care about others and encourage them. The way he handled criticism with grace. The way fame and success did not seem to de-form him. The way he winsomely spoke about Jesus to skeptics. Traits that are rarer than they should be. </p><p>I will miss his voice and presence in the world. And I'll be forever grateful for his well-lived life. <br /></p>David Wilhitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08187161025528660914noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29322791.post-2864880058304172132022-12-25T20:44:00.000-05:002022-12-25T20:44:27.375-05:00Favorite Books I Read in 2022<p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Curating this end of the year 'favorite books' list is a labor of love. I don't always enjoy taking the time to review books as I read them, because I often have trouble trying to summarize why I liked a book. However, I am always thankful for my past self for doing so, not just so I can more easily put together this list, but also because I would have a hard time remembering why I was impacted by some of my favorite books otherwise (my memory, sadly, is not quite what I wish it was).</span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">And I also enjoy sharing book recommendations with others, </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">in part because of how much I have benefited from others' lists of recommended books. With that said, s</span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">ee below </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">my favorite books I read in 2022:</span></p><p><b style="font-family: helvetica;">1. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/083084662X/ref=x_gr_w_bb_glide_sin?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_bb_glide_sin-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=083084662X&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2" target="_blank">Run With the Horses</a> by Eugene Peterson (1983)</b></p><div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcV8l3yTcBt_yGLQlyEbz80qEf1iXsbfMeJuDiHH-3xpWz3-gu-226w67FVvnhWkWUxR96roHRyrEiJrO9r6JsULU11n9jxFqqU3O7PmKdbkRhVQItWmgqbUt9Ywm-_UAKpVTtlAjX1cftaqcjdLW4ZNkUIDM6H1Np-h_-vL9OKEDLikdDU_I/s2400/run.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2400" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcV8l3yTcBt_yGLQlyEbz80qEf1iXsbfMeJuDiHH-3xpWz3-gu-226w67FVvnhWkWUxR96roHRyrEiJrO9r6JsULU11n9jxFqqU3O7PmKdbkRhVQItWmgqbUt9Ywm-_UAKpVTtlAjX1cftaqcjdLW4ZNkUIDM6H1Np-h_-vL9OKEDLikdDU_I/w133-h200/run.jpeg" width="133" /></a></div>I didn't want this book to end. Such profound wisdom and a compelling vision of a life of faith. By looking at the life and work of Jeremiah, Peterson reminds us that crowds, celebrity, and success are poor indicators of a life well lived. As he says, "There is little to admire and less to imitate in the people who are prominent in our culture. We have celebrities but not saints. Famous entertainers amuse a nation of bored insomniacs". We're reminded that to be truly human, to be truly alive, is to start with and center ourselves in God, who "knows us and reveals to us the truth of our lives."</span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Quote: “The larger the crowd, the smaller our lives…If we can’t do it well, we make it larger. We add dollars to our income, rooms to our houses, activities to our schedules, appointments to our calendars. And the quality of life diminishes with each addition. On the other hand, every time that we retrieve a part of our life from the crowd and respond to God’s call to us, we are that much more ourselves, more human. Every time we reject the habits of the crowd and practice the disciplines of faith, we become a little more alive.”</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>2. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/080413944X/ref=x_gr_w_bb_glide_sin?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_bb_glide_sin-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=080413944X&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2">Sacred Fire</a> by Ronald Rolheiser (2017)</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPyYtMoFIo8EDn4VyawNqKM0JPWgsEGdecSVxyY2PBcW5tsi1BTNDAMW_3fjDcHFCBwooYlZUsVAmrx-WDIaroCjupynMv44PKLCFnpwsaI9bHztzCwEqCwOediBesyDjeWBHa4EXqo1oT8y8j_vGFWL4pVMLIBUdKN4hmoCgdlxT_utNcaKk/s500/sacred.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="324" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPyYtMoFIo8EDn4VyawNqKM0JPWgsEGdecSVxyY2PBcW5tsi1BTNDAMW_3fjDcHFCBwooYlZUsVAmrx-WDIaroCjupynMv44PKLCFnpwsaI9bHztzCwEqCwOediBesyDjeWBHa4EXqo1oT8y8j_vGFWL4pVMLIBUdKN4hmoCgdlxT_utNcaKk/w129-h200/sacred.jpg" width="129" /></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Such a magnificent book and one that I needed to read, especially since I've recently approached midlife. Rolheiser writes about what it looks like to move beyond what he calls Essential Discipleship (the struggle to get our lives together) and move towards Mature Discipleship (the struggle to gives our lives away) and eventually to Radical Discipleship (the struggle to give our deaths away). He's helping to call us further up and further in, to move from activity to contemplation, from doing to being, and ultimately to a deeper, richer intimacy with God.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Rolheiser presented several helpful ideas that will continue to stick with me. He calls us to ponder (transforming and purifying tension/sin) instead of being amazed (mindlessly letting the energy of the crowd flow through). He points out that the lack of silence and solitude in our lives is turning us into people who are "not very deep: not bad, just busy; not immoral, just distracted", and how prayer is the antidote to our restlessness. And finally, he talks about how the mark of maturity is blessing others, delighting in them, giving away some of our lives that others might have more life.</span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>3. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003062GEE/ref=x_gr_w_bb_glide_sin?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_bb_glide_sin-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B003062GEE&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2" target="_blank">Open</a> by Andre Agassi (2009)</b></span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi-WSnLbVzppEJumlZMrjabLnK4FZpUNMqZ4sSNXsb4GMsDFhomXvdk50-pKw2NoEWtiU7sYM7IwyARbFD07GfNauB2XjYorZWauD8OZcgaecq_wc9IAIJ6OzB5vE3gZcOMrtwbJSMjWpeBjXK9d85iKYKXLsr4ot9eOGCUEXTH2cx3WwaWPo/s500/open.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="338" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi-WSnLbVzppEJumlZMrjabLnK4FZpUNMqZ4sSNXsb4GMsDFhomXvdk50-pKw2NoEWtiU7sYM7IwyARbFD07GfNauB2XjYorZWauD8OZcgaecq_wc9IAIJ6OzB5vE3gZcOMrtwbJSMjWpeBjXK9d85iKYKXLsr4ot9eOGCUEXTH2cx3WwaWPo/w135-h200/open.jpeg" width="135" /></a></div>I love tennis and I grew up watching Agassi and Sampras, but I was not prepared to love this book as much as I did. I was fascinated by how Agassi's outward persona was often completely misunderstood by others and was much different from the reality of his interior world. It surprised me to learn how much he hated tennis, though it made more sense after learning about the immense pressure his father put on him to succeed. I appreciated his vulnerability about his flaws and the way his pain eventually helped him identify with and seek to alleviate the suffering of others.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Quote: "But fame is a force. It’s unstoppable. You shut your windows to fame and it slides under the door...I marvel at how unexciting it is to be famous, how mundane famous people are. They’re confused, uncertain, insecure, and often hate what they do. It’s something we always hear—like that old adage that money can’t buy happiness—but we never believe it until we see it for ourselves."</span></div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /><b>4. </b></span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0830813861/ref=x_gr_w_bb_glide_sin?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_bb_glide_sin-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0830813861&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2" target="_blank">Invitation to a Journey</a> by Robert Mulholland (1992)</b></span><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhOZK7Ad8y3RCl2LAvHVET_L_b6fvRCOEHCW4Fl-5DkRHvVszdeA8sPgnrkKKM48_YnjvQkmOF9NoY9tR5BDuCyvyHzu1xLMcFaKP4AvhdDY5LRU6jtaqasTs7oYDm1ggGK7rlimejpRjN4ffG_pHg9eka1rB_alAlHTWc8aOfBOpfD-gxPyuU=s475" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8SYGlhhpENy-mdn9pVeW56SAdLRZ8A2bJHcB6KlJklDNSAf0fII33RVE-KvVq4LzI-009XQvLnLbZarLknZyFTSF3FvFJxNUazhEXIHl82TkIImaz_pjpbXRZaeMCwKpnvmoMlccXYsu3leduLeDYgHj-zgChcsokm4LEHybSkD3c2RTAZb8/s2505/journey.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2505" data-original-width="1580" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8SYGlhhpENy-mdn9pVeW56SAdLRZ8A2bJHcB6KlJklDNSAf0fII33RVE-KvVq4LzI-009XQvLnLbZarLknZyFTSF3FvFJxNUazhEXIHl82TkIImaz_pjpbXRZaeMCwKpnvmoMlccXYsu3leduLeDYgHj-zgChcsokm4LEHybSkD3c2RTAZb8/w126-h200/journey.jpeg" width="126" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhOZK7Ad8y3RCl2LAvHVET_L_b6fvRCOEHCW4Fl-5DkRHvVszdeA8sPgnrkKKM48_YnjvQkmOF9NoY9tR5BDuCyvyHzu1xLMcFaKP4AvhdDY5LRU6jtaqasTs7oYDm1ggGK7rlimejpRjN4ffG_pHg9eka1rB_alAlHTWc8aOfBOpfD-gxPyuU=s475" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a></div><span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><div>I decided to read this book after hearing that it was John Mark Comer's favorite book on spiritual formation. It did not disappoint. Having read a decent amount in the area of spiritual formation and spiritual disciplines, I was surprised by how much I learned and was helped by Mulholland's somewhat unique take on spiritual formation, namely, that it is a process of being conformed to the image of Christ for the sake of others.</div><div><br /></div><div>I really appreciated this emphasis ("for the sake of others") as the church, me included, has unfortunately been discipled in the mindset of individualism, thinking our spiritual growth happens mostly between me and Jesus, instead of being worked out in community and for community. As Mulholland says, “There can be no wholeness in the image of Christ which is not incarnate in our relationships with others.”</div><div><div style="font-family: Times;"><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>5. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0735291624/ref=x_gr_w_bb_glide_sin?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_bb_glide_sin-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0735291624&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2" target="_blank">A Burning in My Bones</a> by Winn Collier (2021)</b></span></div><div style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Times; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgku7g5Z6u8CsfpcYToc4qVr_H3qtJtSz2LyFKlY9_TvDcY7Lo4aqUEuXqx48n3vjVCVRk9k9m6XOqx-t58hESihYPKjjDtDApaWu2-rXNQvE5bpGNO_SkK00d5r0HxxqJ9qrMpOs3G2Xy92fjN8TTP3hrm84drGws6Jd9tz6625uKnPMUZXvo/s2560/burning.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1691" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgku7g5Z6u8CsfpcYToc4qVr_H3qtJtSz2LyFKlY9_TvDcY7Lo4aqUEuXqx48n3vjVCVRk9k9m6XOqx-t58hESihYPKjjDtDApaWu2-rXNQvE5bpGNO_SkK00d5r0HxxqJ9qrMpOs3G2Xy92fjN8TTP3hrm84drGws6Jd9tz6625uKnPMUZXvo/w132-h200/burning.jpeg" width="132" /></a></div>Ever since reading my first Eugene Peterson book two years ago, and then making the decision to start reading all of his books, he has become a hero of mine. In this biography, Winn Collier added to my fascination and appreciation for how Peterson lived his life. It's a life not without faults, but one that was uniquely gripped by God. He was someone who "longed to be more and fully human, following in the way of Jesus" and who didn't want to settle for minimalist spirituality, but instead asked questions like: "Why not be a saint? Why stop with getting rescued from hell? Why not start exploring heaven?”</div><div><br /></div><div>Quote: “Eugene had an insatiable desire for the real, the concrete. Past any pretenses. Deeper than the surface. Beyond everything trite or theoretical. Eugene was always searching, always open to more, always on a quest for things that were true and solid. Eugene always had more questions…than answers. This is one reason Eugene was so (frustratingly) reluctant to dispense advice, why he so detested celebrity: he knew these postures of the ego-driven expert were lies and illusions. And this is why Eugene would rather pray with someone than argue theology.”</div></span></div></div></div></div></span></div></span></div></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>6. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0345348109/ref=x_gr_w_bb_glide_sin?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_bb_glide_sin-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0345348109&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2" target="_blank">The Killer Angels</a> by Michael Shaara (1987)</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2wo5Ed9xgCi0vZTqNZlyTdQKrwbZcGeXmBtnbdmzpVuyl-dYC-LvCjeT9AlC9q-4s_OerXwF1L6Uge_jaPc8lDlKxMsaqaf-6oaLpAnZ0XBOWkTKjEX2e2vb7bomgWEHf1bAThXJWxUW1v-g2cMYEpjkZqbfcZgIQzxhF6Y6v6hUO3wS8nqk/s2067/killer.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2067" data-original-width="1258" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2wo5Ed9xgCi0vZTqNZlyTdQKrwbZcGeXmBtnbdmzpVuyl-dYC-LvCjeT9AlC9q-4s_OerXwF1L6Uge_jaPc8lDlKxMsaqaf-6oaLpAnZ0XBOWkTKjEX2e2vb7bomgWEHf1bAThXJWxUW1v-g2cMYEpjkZqbfcZgIQzxhF6Y6v6hUO3wS8nqk/w122-h200/killer.jpeg" width="122" /></a></div><span style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;">I knew (or remembered) next to nothing about the battle of Gettysburg before reading this book. I was hooked from the beginning. The narrative nonfiction style made it an engaging read and I appreciated Shaara having each chapter from the perspective of one man and how he rotated between North and South. Shaara seemed to stay away from caricatures and instead provided a nuanced depth to several men on both sides of the fight, evoking empathy for most men involved. I loved the strategy, the acts of bravery, and the camaraderie on display.</div></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="background-color: white;">Quote:</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span>“This is a different kind of army. If you look at history you’ll see men fight for pay, or women, or some other kind of loot. They fight for land, or because a king makes them, or just because they like killing. But we’re here for something new…this hasn't happened much in the history of the world, We’re an army going out to set other men free.” - Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain </div></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>7. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08NW9FWYD/ref=x_gr_w_bb_glide_sin?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_bb_glide_sin-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B08NW9FWYD&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2" target="_blank">Middlemarch</a> by George Eliot (1872)</b></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEQ-nSWAY19-eBr-npkXACSRQHtBZ060qGbxCTdR6z5v-2Zy751uPGHHZJVWQ5YmOyFbtotpozVmr50VquCL37NRLQL7zGGSxhNIQJZMKB19r3mjo9fcAvZVyIgME410DWG7UCcInQ_BmDi0WlbpB9YokFavEMnLXeCa7tepfUIGBJEYSXkuU/s500/middle.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="321" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEQ-nSWAY19-eBr-npkXACSRQHtBZ060qGbxCTdR6z5v-2Zy751uPGHHZJVWQ5YmOyFbtotpozVmr50VquCL37NRLQL7zGGSxhNIQJZMKB19r3mjo9fcAvZVyIgME410DWG7UCcInQ_BmDi0WlbpB9YokFavEMnLXeCa7tepfUIGBJEYSXkuU/w128-h200/middle.jpeg" width="128" /></a></div>Great writing. Great story. It's now one of my favorite Victorian era novels (after Jane Eyre). Eugene Peterson's recommendation of the book (in his fantastic book of book recommendations "Take and Read") is what initially piqued my interest in this work. He says, "The tangle of spiritual intimacy and vocational pride that is the worm in the apple of the Christian life is diagnostically narrated here in an unforgettable story."</span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Eliott created such interesting characters, by creating great tension in them all, including in my favorite character, Dorothea. </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">At the beginning of </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Terrence Malick's beautiful film, A Hidden Life, </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">he starts the movie with one of my (now) favorite quotes, coming from this book. I kept wondering when I'd see it and it ended up being</span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> in the perfect spot, at the end. It's summarizing both the character and impact of Dorothea on the residents of Middlemarch:</span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: helvetica;">Quote:</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: helvetica;"> </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">"Her finely touched spirit had still its fine issues, though they were not widely visible. Her full nature, like that river of which Cyrus broke the strength, spent itself in channels which had no great name on the earth. But the effect of her being on those around her was incalculably diffusive: for the growing good of the world is partly dependent on unhistoric acts; and that things are not so ill with you and me as they might have been, is half owing to the number who lived faithfully a hidden life, and rest in unvisited tombs."</span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /><b>8. </b></span><b style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0060665122/ref=x_gr_w_bb_glide_sin?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_bb_glide_sin-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0060665122&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2" target="_blank">Answering God</a> by Eugene Peterson (1989)</b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="background-color: white;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9T5S4-iIfCxekyqDcpVCx3M_PNchAyr0sdIVez4WYnmjWaLdevtIheVsujNBEhCr_V4I9XptdGt8EfchSgwHw0Jozfz910gnq3VjVUvEGgXXJAQy8LTQFSKEu0gAjBfRXblPFZeU2kwrGv97c_VLhRq95Jgr9fDDirwqteTSdT5fmlZ8vZbA/s2481/answering.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2481" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9T5S4-iIfCxekyqDcpVCx3M_PNchAyr0sdIVez4WYnmjWaLdevtIheVsujNBEhCr_V4I9XptdGt8EfchSgwHw0Jozfz910gnq3VjVUvEGgXXJAQy8LTQFSKEu0gAjBfRXblPFZeU2kwrGv97c_VLhRq95Jgr9fDDirwqteTSdT5fmlZ8vZbA/w129-h200/answering.jpeg" width="129" /></a></div><div>All of Peterson's books I've read so far are either directly or indirectly about prayer. And in Working the Angles, he helpfully articulated the idea that prayer is answering speech, a response to God's initiating first word. It's this idea that he takes up more fully in Answering God, helping us see how the Psalms train us in how to answer.</div><div><br /></div><div>In this book, Peterson continues to stretch my imagination for what prayer is. He says that we won't find in the Psalms ideas about God or direction for moral conduct, but instead will "find the experience of being human before God exposed and sharpened.” Like most poetry, the Psalms "drag us into the depth of reality itself" and give us language for seeking after the best, what we most long for. And he gives clear, practical advice for how we are to mature in prayer, as most Christians in most times have done: "open our Bibles to the book of Psalms and pray them – sequentially, regularly, faithfully, across a lifetime."</div><div><br /></div><div>Quote: “Prayer is the developing of speech into maturity…This conversation is both bold and devout – the utterly inferior responding to the utterly superior. In this exchange we become persons. The entire life of faith is dialogue. By means of the Psalms we find our voice in the dialogue. In prayer we do not merely speak our feelings, we speak our answers.”</div><div><br /></div><div><div style="font-family: Times;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>9. </b></span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0385502753/ref=x_gr_w_bb_glide_sin?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_bb_glide_sin-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0385502753&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2" target="_blank">Soul Survivor</a> by Philip Yancey (2003)</b></span></div><div style="font-family: Times;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVVI1tLhlAVXWSlVCaQLqT5doXTJA2F9HCFWQk-pQO3sv6eOhSyIN-5e6gudKJHpwgf1GZ9xCSglwWaPuWp8_vKvBbED-1dAHXjcOD_-WlBMOZIk8rN4nQ-fTAoPui3Ky9YkmSmNNSveLsYVLBGoDotNd7k7xmGjGegjS-nZiLFn739x05veQ/s475/soul.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="327" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVVI1tLhlAVXWSlVCaQLqT5doXTJA2F9HCFWQk-pQO3sv6eOhSyIN-5e6gudKJHpwgf1GZ9xCSglwWaPuWp8_vKvBbED-1dAHXjcOD_-WlBMOZIk8rN4nQ-fTAoPui3Ky9YkmSmNNSveLsYVLBGoDotNd7k7xmGjGegjS-nZiLFn739x05veQ/w138-h200/soul.jpeg" width="138" /></a></div>I love biographies and I love hearing how people I admire are shaped by others, so this book was in my wheelhouse. With each chapter, Yancey outlines the uniqueness of each mentor and how they left an indelible impression on his life. I had not heard of some (Brand, Coles, Koop), knew just a little about others (Gandhi, Donne, Dillard, Buechner, Endo) and had already been positively impacted by the rest (MLK Jr., Chesterton, Tolstoy/Dostoevsky, Nouwen). All chapters were insightful and I appreciated the lessons along the way: love in the face of unjust suffering, the origin and purpose of pleasure, the grace and mystery of life, joy in being with the outcast, and the beauty and terror of nature.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Yancey closes with this recommendation: “Make a list of the people who have shaped your life for the better, and try to figure out why.” I think that's great advice.</span></div></div><div style="font-family: Times;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Times;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>10. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B076NVFT5P/ref=x_gr_w_bb_glide_sin?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_bb_glide_sin-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B076NVFT5P&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2" target="_blank">The Coddling of the American Mind</a> by Jonathan Haidt (2018)</b></span></div><div style="font-family: Times;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFwgYpasPsIbXm2HTcjdasu5ZcpHKxvxMn7ej327kB4T2qx1oah-aQrtnqvWp3C2lyBDWNCiAlBLyYDQvaQSEDpFz_OdHLoy7H0KGqSxblbtVuqDwiSqgUKhPPm2Qq40ByPk4wFH2ocBwK9Ux3dN1uqikEqC-lOB_BUcID2QaitxJ1_YIrsWE/s500/coddling.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="326" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFwgYpasPsIbXm2HTcjdasu5ZcpHKxvxMn7ej327kB4T2qx1oah-aQrtnqvWp3C2lyBDWNCiAlBLyYDQvaQSEDpFz_OdHLoy7H0KGqSxblbtVuqDwiSqgUKhPPm2Qq40ByPk4wFH2ocBwK9Ux3dN1uqikEqC-lOB_BUcID2QaitxJ1_YIrsWE/w131-h200/coddling.jpeg" width="131" /></a></div>A fascinating book about three core lies" dominating our culture right now - 1) We are fragile, 2) Your feelings should always be trusted, 3) Life is a battle between good and evil people - and how those lies are wreaking havoc on our education system, our polities, and the younger generations. The authors do a great job summarizing how these "untruths" are the opposite of wisdom and how they have created a culture of safetyism, where words you disagree with are seen as violence.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Years ago, I was blown away by Haidt's The Righteous Mind, because it did such a good job explaining why people think the way that they do - essentially, our tribal tendencies lead us to use our minds to justify our feelings, desires, decisions - and how that plays out in religion and politics. This book draws on some of this work, but I appreciated how it also draws on the work of Nassim Taleb, with the concept of anti-fragility, and on the psychological framework of CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy). And as a parent, it was good to be reminded of the importance of free unsupervised play for our kids and not sheltering them from all possible risk and pain.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Quote:</span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">“Many university students are learning to think in distorted ways, and this increases their likelihood of becoming fragile, anxious, and easily hurt ... what people choose to do in their heads will determine how those real problems affect them.”</span></div></div></div></span></span></div><div><br /></div><div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Honorable Mentions:</b><br /></span><div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The God of the Garden by Andrew Peterson (2021)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The Brothers K by David James Duncan (2010)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi (2016)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The Contemplative Pastor by Eugene Peterson (1989)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">How to Inhabit Time by James K.A. Smith (2022)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Remarque (1928)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Where Your Treasure Is by Eugene Peterson (1985)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Sapiens by Yuval Harari (2015)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Reversed Thunder by Eugene Peterson (1988)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The Way of the Heart by Henri Nouwen (1981)</span></div></div><div><br /></div></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Past Years:</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="http://thismortallife.blogspot.com/2021/12/favorite-books-i-read-in-2021.html" target="_blank">2021</a></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="http://thismortallife.blogspot.com/2020/12/favorite-books-i-read-in-2020.html" target="_blank">2020</a></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://thismortallife.blogspot.com/2020/01/favorite-books-i-read-in-2019.html">2019</a></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://thismortallife.blogspot.com/2018/12/favorite-books-i-read-in-2018.html">2018</a></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span><span face=""calibri" , sans-serif" style="mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="http://thismortallife.blogspot.com/2017/12/favorite-books-i-read-in-2017.html" target="_blank">2017</a></span><br /><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><a href="http://thismortallife.blogspot.com/2016/12/favorite-books-i-read-in-2016.html" target="_blank">2016</a></span><br /><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><a href="http://thismortallife.blogspot.com/2015/12/favorite-books-i-read-in-2015.html" target="_blank">2015</a></span><br /><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><a href="http://thismortallife.blogspot.com/2015/01/favorite-books-i-read-in-2014.html" target="_blank">2014</a></span><br /><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><a href="http://thismortallife.blogspot.com/2013/12/favorite-books-i-read-in-2013.html" target="_blank">2013</a></span><br /><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><a href="http://thismortallife.blogspot.com/2012/12/favorite-books-i-read-in-2012.html" target="_blank">2012</a></span><br /></span><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><a href="http://thismortallife.blogspot.com/2011/12/favorite-books-i-read-in-2011.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">2011</span></a></span></span></div></div></div>David Wilhitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08187161025528660914noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29322791.post-46773686238892254682021-12-30T08:30:00.002-05:002022-01-02T20:28:57.343-05:00Favorite Content of 2021<p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Yes, I love lists (making them, organizing them, sharing them, intaking them from others) and I'm glad the trend of making year-end lists exists. Creating this particular type of favorites list was strongly inspired by <a href="https://www.brettmccracken.com/" target="_blank">Brett McCracken</a>, whose <a href="https://www.brettmccracken.com/blog/2021/12/26/favorites-of-2021" target="_blank">end of the year list of favorites</a> is something I look forward to every year.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">My intake on most everything, except for books, has decreased a good bit. The drop-off has been particularly steep for <b>movies</b>. Since having kids, it's been hard to find many 2 - 2.5 hour windows of time. And when I do and want to see a movie, I'm generally still catching up from the best of previous years (e.g., watching Sound of Metal this year, discovering it was DEFINITELY my favorite movie of 2020). However, I was glad I went to the theater (by myself) to see Dune a few weeks ago. It was incredible.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">With <b>music</b>, I've thoroughly enjoyed <i>7</i> by JUDAH all year. It took me a few listens before <i>The Million Masks of God </i>grew on me, but once it did, and after seeing Manchester in concert several weeks ago with my friend Robert (so good!), I've grown to really love that album. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">With <b>podcasts</b>, I've enjoyed my weekly rhythm of Bill Simmons, Relevant, This American Life, Holy Post (new this year), and Gospel in Life, but once The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill started dropping in June, I was hooked to the end. I think I found it particularly interesting because I was in Dricoll's orbit, listening to and watching him from afar during the late 2000s and early 2010s. I also went through a church blow-up situation with some parallels (minus the fame and tens of thousands of people) to Mars Hill. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I think Mike Cosper did an incredible job crafting and telling this tragic story. I hope it helps those who were part of this particular mess and others like it process their pain and experience healing. And I hope everyone else can learn to not empower or become a toxic leader, where charisma is outpacing character. I'd rather follow and be like Eugene Peterson, whose life, a</span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">s Andy Crouch says in my favorite episode (which inspired </span><a href="http://thismortallife.blogspot.com/2021/09/eugene-peterson-teresa-of-calcutta-and.html" style="font-family: helvetica;" target="_blank">one of my only blog posts</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> during the year), "mattered long before The Message."</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Speaking of Eugene Peterson, he shows up a number of times in my list of favorite <b>books</b> I read this year. And I have a feeling he'll be showing up again quite a bit in future years. I reviewed my top 10 books</span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i> </i><a href="http://thismortallife.blogspot.com/2021/12/favorite-books-i-read-in-2021.html">here</a> recently, but wanted to share several more as the excellence factor was very high this year.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Here are my favorite pieces of content (music, movies, TV, podcasts, books) this year:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Favorite Albums</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"></span></p><ol data-en-clipboard="true" data-pm-slice="3 3 []"><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i>The Million Masks of God</i> by Manchester Orchestra</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i>7</i> by JUDAH </span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i>I Don't Live Here Anymore</i> by The War on Drugs</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i>Star-crossed</i> by Kacey Musgraves</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i>Milk & Honey</i> by Crowder</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i>Justice</i> by Justin Bieber</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i>Never Land II</i> by Andy Mineo</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i>24</i> by Swoope</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i>The Ballad of Dood and Juanita</i> by Sturgill Simpson</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i>in defense of my own happiness</i> by Joy Oladokun</span></li></ol><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Favorite Things on the Screen <span style="font-size: x-small;">(</span></b></span><i><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Movies and TV combined since I watched little of each this year)</span></i></p><p></p><ol><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Dune</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Pig*</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Get Back</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The Chosen Season 2</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Mare of Easttown</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Encanto</span></li></ol><div></div><div data-en-clipboard="true" data-pm-slice="1 1 []"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Favorite Podcasts series/episodes</b></span></div><div data-en-clipboard="true" data-pm-slice="1 1 []"><ol><li><div data-en-clipboard="true" data-pm-slice="1 1 ["ul",{"style":null,"backgroundColor":null,"color":null,"lineHeight":null,"listStyleType":null},"li",{"style":null,"checked":null,"value":null,"displayValue":null,"backgroundColor":null,"color":null,"listStyleType":null}]"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill (16 episodes, June - December 2021)</span></div></li><li><div data-en-clipboard="true" data-pm-slice="1 1 ["ul",{"style":null,"backgroundColor":null,"color":null,"lineHeight":null,"listStyleType":null},"li",{"style":null,"checked":null,"value":null,"displayValue":null,"backgroundColor":null,"color":null,"listStyleType":null}]"><div data-en-clipboard="true" data-pm-slice="1 1 ["ul",{"style":null,"backgroundColor":null,"color":null,"lineHeight":null,"listStyleType":null},"li",{"style":null,"checked":null,"value":null,"displayValue":null,"backgroundColor":null,"color":null,"listStyleType":null}]"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Life and Books and Everything: Tim Keller on Reformed Resurgence (2/1/21)</span></div></div></li><li><div data-en-clipboard="true" data-pm-slice="1 1 ["ul",{"style":null,"backgroundColor":null,"color":null,"lineHeight":null,"listStyleType":null},"li",{"style":null,"checked":null,"value":null,"displayValue":null,"backgroundColor":null,"color":null,"listStyleType":null}]"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Language of God: 70. Amy & Andy Crouch / Finding the Off Switch (3/11/21)</span></div></li><li><div data-en-clipboard="true" data-pm-slice="1 1 ["ul",{"style":null,"backgroundColor":null,"color":null,"lineHeight":null,"listStyleType":null},"li",{"style":null,"checked":null,"value":null,"displayValue":null,"backgroundColor":null,"color":null,"listStyleType":null}]"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The Holy Post: Episode 478: Foreign Policy, Adoption, & Race with Esau McCaulley & Jamie Ivey (10/13/21)</span></div></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The Tim Ferriss Show: #502: Jordan Peterson on Rules for Life, Psychedelics, The Bible, and Much More (3/2/21)</span></li></ol><div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Favorite Books I Read This Year</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"></span></p><ol data-en-clipboard="true" data-pm-slice="3 3 []"><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Hiding-Place-Triumphant-Story-Corrie/dp/0553256696" target="_blank">The Hiding Place</a> by Corrie Ten Boom (1971)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Lonesome-Dove-Novel-Larry-McMurtry-ebook/dp/B003NE6HD4/ref=sr_1_3?crid=3FC0Y5V8I4701&keywords=lonesome+dove&qid=1640789551&s=books&sprefix=lonesome+dov%2Cstripbooks%2C90&sr=1-3" target="_blank">Lonesome Dove</a> by Larry McMurtry (1985)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Pastor-Memoir-Eugene-H-Peterson-ebook/dp/B004HD630C/ref=sr_1_1?crid=112CZJF3J3R5H&keywords=the+pastor+eugene+peterson&qid=1640789574&s=books&sprefix=the+pastor%2Cstripbooks%2C89&sr=1-1" target="_blank">The Pastor: A Memoir</a> by Eugene Peterson (2011)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0525653120/ref=x_gr_w_bb_glide_sin?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_bb_glide_sin-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0525653120&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2">Live No Lies</a> by John Mark Comer (2021)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Into-Thin-Air-Jon-Krakauer-ebook/dp/B000FC1ITK/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=into+thin+air+jon+krakauer&qid=1640789602&s=books&sprefix=into+thi%2Cstripbooks%2C90&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Into Thin Air</a> by Jon Krakauer (1997)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Long-Obedience-Same-Direction-Discipleship-ebook/dp/B07P43DCNZ/ref=sr_1_1?crid=R4YXZ8E88JO4&keywords=a+long+obedience+in+the+same+direction&qid=1640789624&s=books&sprefix=a+long+obe%2Cstripbooks%2C88&sr=1-1" target="_blank">A Long Obedience in the Same Direction</a> by Eugene Peterson (1980)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Rocket-Men-Odyssey-Astronauts-Journey-ebook/dp/B073QYYY55/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3T9GJSXV848AF&keywords=rocket+men&qid=1640789643&s=books&sprefix=rocket+men%2Cstripbooks%2C84&sr=1-1">Rocket Men</a> by Robert Kurson (2018)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Walden-Henry-David-Thoreau/dp/B086Y5JJFH/ref=sr_1_1?crid=18P47ODSR6HB0&keywords=walden+henry+david+thoreau&qid=1640789662&s=books&sprefix=walden%2Cstripbooks%2C91&sr=1-1">Walden</a> by Henry David Thoreau (1854)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Wisdom-Pyramid-Feeding-Post-Truth-World-ebook/dp/B08CS46222/ref=sr_1_1?crid=11ISTHDO372U8&keywords=the+wisdom+pyramid&qid=1640789692&s=books&sprefix=the+wisdom+py%2Cstripbooks%2C91&sr=1-1" target="_blank">The Wisdom Pyramid</a> by Brett McCracken (2021) </span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Rise-Triumph-Modern-Self-Individualism-ebook/dp/B089DNYCDY/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=the+rise+and+triumph+of+modern+self&qid=1640789712&s=books&sprefix=the+rise+and+triump%2Cstripbooks%2C90&sr=1-1">The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self</a> by Carl Trueman (2020)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Into-Wild-Jon-Krakauer/dp/0385486804" target="_blank">Into the Wild</a> by Jon Krakauer (1996)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Project-Hail-Mary-Andy-Weir-ebook/dp/B08FHBV4ZX/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3MLNQ1UVVKT4Y&keywords=project+hail+mary&qid=1640804937&s=books&sprefix=project+hail+mary%2Cstripbooks%2C93&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Project Hail Mary</a> by Andy Weir (2021)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Every-Good-Endeavor-Connecting-Your-ebook/dp/B007T8R18K/ref=sr_1_2?crid=H8137NMT7LOA&keywords=every+good+endeavor+tim+keller&qid=1640804958&s=books&sprefix=every+good+%2Cstripbooks%2C103&sr=1-2" target="_blank">Every Good Endeavor</a> by Tim Keller (2012)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Underground-Railroad-Pulitzer-Winner-National-ebook/dp/B01A4ATV0A/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1Q1B1YH4P3DB9&keywords=the+underground+railroad+a+novel+by+colson+whitehead&qid=1640804975&s=books&sprefix=the+under%2Cstripbooks%2C95&sr=1-1">The Underground Railroad</a> by Colson Whitehead (2016)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dreamland-True-Americas-Opiate-Epidemic-ebook/dp/B00U19DTS0/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2OV18NH7L4Z3E&keywords=dreamland+sam+quinones&qid=1640804994&s=books&sprefix=dreamland%2Cstripbooks%2C90&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Dreamland</a> by Sam Quinones (2015)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Shoe-Dog-Memoir-Creator-Nike-ebook/dp/B0176M1A44/ref=sr_1_1?crid=17X8DOKGK4SK9&keywords=shoe+dog+phil+knight&qid=1640805019&s=books&sprefix=shoe+dog%2Cstripbooks%2C90&sr=1-1">Shoe Dog</a> by Phil Knight (2016)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Strong-Weak-Embracing-Life-Flourishing-ebook/dp/B01AY6L2J2/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2CYPV1D8LUT51&keywords=strong+and+weak&qid=1640805040&s=books&sprefix=strong+and+weak%2Cstripbooks%2C83&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Strong and Weak</a> by Andy Crouch (2016)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Leadership-Turbulent-Doris-Kearns-Goodwin-ebook/dp/B079RLPFG7/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3D14GBCPVSDUH&keywords=leadership+in+turbulent+times+by+doris+kearns+goodwin&qid=1640805062&s=books&sprefix=leadership+in+tur%2Cstripbooks%2C85&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Leadership in Turbulent Times</a> by Doris Kearns Goodwin (2018)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Tale-Two-Cities-Charles-Dickens/dp/1503219704/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=3869JB4IIOSCU&keywords=a+tale+of+two+cities&qid=1640805085&s=books&sprefix=a+tale+of+two+%2Cstripbooks%2C96&sr=1-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExSjYyNVBYRUFNSjImZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTAxMjc1NjYyVDRFTDdCWEw0SkRNJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTAwMzcxNzEzNk5KMzNQQUxPQlVVJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==" target="_blank">A Tale of Two Cities</a> by Charles Dickens (1859)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Traveling-Light-Modern-Meditations-Freedom/dp/0939443082/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2O81EWEZJKVJQ&keywords=traveling+light+eugene+peterson&qid=1640805134&s=books&sprefix=traveling+light%2Cstripbooks%2C92&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Traveling Light</a> by Eugene Peterson (1982)</span></li></ol><p><i><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Here are my favorite things from <a href="http://thismortallife.blogspot.com/2020/12/favorite-things-in-2020.html" target="_blank">2020</a>.</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">*edited 1/2/21</span></i></p></div></div>David Wilhitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08187161025528660914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29322791.post-84135412008377638562021-12-29T09:50:00.004-05:002021-12-29T12:19:37.084-05:00Favorite Books I Read in 2021<p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I feel fortunate to have read many excellent books this year, many of which aren't listed below. It seems as the years go by, the more I read, the more I see how many great books there are in the world (and the impossibility of reading them all).</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I also am thankful to have read a handful of my favorites with friends. Not only did it likely improve the enjoyment of each book, we now have a valuable shared experience that has shaped us and that we can discuss over the coming years together.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Even though I have decreased my intake of news, social media, and TV over the years, I still feel the pull of the culture's narrative to want more, be entertained, be selfish, be angry at the other, etc. What I love about books is that they help remind me of what the good life really is and what kind of person I actually want to become. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">And that's also why I love making these lists and telling others about great books, because I want to help as many people as possible discover goodness, beauty, and truth. See below for a list of my favorite books I read in 2021:</span></p><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>1. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Hiding-Place-Triumphant-Story-Corrie/dp/0553256696" target="_blank">The Hiding Place</a> by Corrie Ten Boom (1971)</b></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: helvetica; font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg4onDXluil-4-kA-7wV0A3SSuGhQXZS94IYYk6Cvpp2elDf8viXaW5Xag8wlO0sn5-ZTiXUE244R1MI44pZifsyw8n-dCkFmGNst5sMmmYuNYQ0bbs20HOkNTMwPhjTlgxnz6S_e8p2Pq1oYuX3OpyA1O3LNXOoDSGbQrnRCrkCAYdnCpnLoU=s475" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="308" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg4onDXluil-4-kA-7wV0A3SSuGhQXZS94IYYk6Cvpp2elDf8viXaW5Xag8wlO0sn5-ZTiXUE244R1MI44pZifsyw8n-dCkFmGNst5sMmmYuNYQ0bbs20HOkNTMwPhjTlgxnz6S_e8p2Pq1oYuX3OpyA1O3LNXOoDSGbQrnRCrkCAYdnCpnLoU=w129-h200" width="129" /></span></a></div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: helvetica;">I read this one with my guys group and it was such an engaging and inspiring read. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: helvetica;">Corrie's story is relatable and human in many ways in that she doesn't shy away from writing about her fear, selfishness, confusion, and anger. However, there were so many inspiring moments that felt out of reach. But that's part of the point. As she would say, "Whatever bravery or skill I had ever shown were gifts of God -- sheer loans from Him of the talent needed to do a job."</span><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">As amazing as Corrie's courage and perseverance was, it was striking to see how her sister Betsie became an awe-inspiring source of strength for her. One particular gift she had was the ability to care for those who were inflicting the suffering, knowing they too must be suffering. She was determined to love those who were taught to hate and in turn teach them to love. It was comments like this that made Corrie wonder, "what sort of person she was...what kind of road she followed while I trudged beside her on the all-too-solid earth" and caused her to feel that she "belonged somehow to another order of beings."</span><br style="background-color: white;" /><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">This book is a gift, showing the way of true flourishing in this life. It reveals the secret to selflessly loving others and how to endure suffering, by becoming the type of people who press into God, who is the only true source of joy and safety, our hiding place.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>2. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Lonesome-Dove-Novel-Larry-McMurtry-ebook/dp/B003NE6HD4/ref=sr_1_3?crid=3FC0Y5V8I4701&keywords=lonesome+dove&qid=1640789551&s=books&sprefix=lonesome+dov%2Cstripbooks%2C90&sr=1-3" target="_blank">Lonesome Dove</a> by Larry McMurtry (1985)</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b><br /></b></span><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEinsCoocyLmicjHoi5iHgSkPRXVjdSuSyKIpV0XXzaiCUfsB3Uopi-5wWZMput_XIxikDSnOpB-4kdxVsD5IMTxuwUwCofDk_jj9VjWNvxNsH1PbemsiTceEImlZ8i83Lma91XfTr3OQaI0gFmBWaQJTwiY7eri23MuZubxh1KK4EVY64ttIfw=s346" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" data-original-height="346" data-original-width="227" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEinsCoocyLmicjHoi5iHgSkPRXVjdSuSyKIpV0XXzaiCUfsB3Uopi-5wWZMput_XIxikDSnOpB-4kdxVsD5IMTxuwUwCofDk_jj9VjWNvxNsH1PbemsiTceEImlZ8i83Lma91XfTr3OQaI0gFmBWaQJTwiY7eri23MuZubxh1KK4EVY64ttIfw=w131-h200" width="131" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="background-color: white;">I began loving this book just a few pages in and I now consider it one of my favorite novels ever. And it was fun to have read it with a handful of coworkers/friends. It's an engaging read, not really because of the action, but because of the in-between spaces, when the characters are just talking about life. I appreciated how McMurtry really fleshes out many of the characters with great depth, so you get a real sense at what's driving them, be it shame or the longing to be known. Gus is certainly a highlight throughout the book, not only because of his wit and lively nature, but also because of his wise words and the way he humanizes those around him, especially Lorena.</span><br style="background-color: white;" /><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">“I see you’re in a hurry to get someplace. It’s a great mistake to hurry.” “Why?” Joe asked, puzzled by almost everything the traveler said. “Because the grave’s our destination,” Mr. Sedgwick said. “Those who hurry usually get to it quicker than those who take their time."</span><br style="background-color: white;" /><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">“Life in San Francisco is still just life. If you want one thing too much it’s likely to be a disappointment. The healthy way is to learn to like the everyday things, like soft beds and buttermilk..." - Gus</span></span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /><b>3. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Pastor-Memoir-Eugene-H-Peterson-ebook/dp/B004HD630C/ref=sr_1_1?crid=112CZJF3J3R5H&keywords=the+pastor+eugene+peterson&qid=1640789574&s=books&sprefix=the+pastor%2Cstripbooks%2C89&sr=1-1" target="_blank">The Pastor: A Memoir</a> by Eugene Peterson (2011)</b></span><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhOZK7Ad8y3RCl2LAvHVET_L_b6fvRCOEHCW4Fl-5DkRHvVszdeA8sPgnrkKKM48_YnjvQkmOF9NoY9tR5BDuCyvyHzu1xLMcFaKP4AvhdDY5LRU6jtaqasTs7oYDm1ggGK7rlimejpRjN4ffG_pHg9eka1rB_alAlHTWc8aOfBOpfD-gxPyuU=s475" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhOZK7Ad8y3RCl2LAvHVET_L_b6fvRCOEHCW4Fl-5DkRHvVszdeA8sPgnrkKKM48_YnjvQkmOF9NoY9tR5BDuCyvyHzu1xLMcFaKP4AvhdDY5LRU6jtaqasTs7oYDm1ggGK7rlimejpRjN4ffG_pHg9eka1rB_alAlHTWc8aOfBOpfD-gxPyuU=w133-h200" width="133" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="background-color: white;">This book added to my fascination with and appreciation for Eugene Peterson (big shout out to Jared for helping me see the light). I feel a kinship with his restful, thoughtful, rooted spirit. He was a great writer, a lover of language, one that was immersed in Scripture, and who labored to bring the Bible alive in the everydayness of people's lives. He was keenly aware of how the American way - consumerism, refusal to rest, competitive spirit, celebrity, individualism - has infiltrated the imagination of the church. Therefore, throughout his life, he sought to give "witness to the sheer livability of the Christian life" (learned from Karl Barth).</span><br style="background-color: white;" /><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">“Classically, there are three ways in which humans try to find transcendence -- religious meaning, God meaning -- apart from God as revealed in the cross of Jesus: through the ecstasy of alcohol and drugs, through the ecstasy of recreational sex, through the ecstasy of crowds...But a crowd destroys the spirit as thoroughly as excessive drink and depersonalized sex. It takes us out of ourselves, but not to God, only away from him. The religious hunger is rooted in the unsatisfactory nature of the self. We hunger to escape the dullness, the boredom, the tiresomeness of me.”</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>4. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0525653120/ref=x_gr_w_bb_glide_sin?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_bb_glide_sin-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0525653120&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2">Live No Lies</a> by John Mark Comer (2021)<br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjaWkSmnARcpMUoiVY40VbdKyU71dutMsC4FTyO4BtQg7QnWIGgkiGH0tUOyIAupBFf0uycR0AONC2QCdTmuOADHMma3Rqr-skA1F3nhkn1lswbk_k6OPUs6fwUcjv6UbB_HFjjs5V5euHJPeIq2iZrGX81Ffs8I5JcnFsnLSs-fjPx4FjMI_8=s400" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="266" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjaWkSmnARcpMUoiVY40VbdKyU71dutMsC4FTyO4BtQg7QnWIGgkiGH0tUOyIAupBFf0uycR0AONC2QCdTmuOADHMma3Rqr-skA1F3nhkn1lswbk_k6OPUs6fwUcjv6UbB_HFjjs5V5euHJPeIq2iZrGX81Ffs8I5JcnFsnLSs-fjPx4FjMI_8=w133-h200" width="133" /></a></div>I was surprised at how much I appreciated and resonated with this book. Comer's writing style is more conversational than most, but far from being shallow, he brings substance, leaning on wisdom from across church history. He argues that our main battle is fighting lies (coming from the devil, the flesh, the world). When we believe lies, "we live at odds with reality, and as a result we struggle to thrive." </div><div><br /></div><div>Comer calls us as Christians to be a counterculture to our modern, secular society, that prioritizes self-expression and self-determination above all. We're meant to live an alternative, beautiful, and compelling way. To do that, the “Church must become a thick web of interdependent relationships between resilient disciples of Jesus deeply loyal to the Way.” Why? Because it's hard work and we can't do it in isolation.</div><div><br /></div><div>Thankfully, Comer makes this all very practical by highlighting what Paul says in Galatians 6: you reap what you sow. He reminds us living in reality is incredibly important and we get there through millions of choices/decisions. When we give in to a sinful desire, "we plant something in the soil of our hearts, which then begins to take root, grow, and, eventually, yield the harvest of a deformed nature." Alternatively, if we sow to the Spirit, we get life and peace. The point is, "our choices become our habits, our habits become our characters." What we think about and what we choose, even in the day to day, really matter. </div><div><br /></div><div>“The daily decision to rejoice – to cultivate a way of seeing our lives in God’s good world, not through the lens of our phones, news apps, or flesh, but through gratitude, celebration, and unhurried delight – will over time form us into joyful, thankful people who deeply enjoy life with God and others.”</div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /><b>5. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Into-Thin-Air-Jon-Krakauer-ebook/dp/B000FC1ITK/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=into+thin+air+jon+krakauer&qid=1640789602&s=books&sprefix=into+thi%2Cstripbooks%2C90&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Into Thin Air</a> by Jon Krakauer (1997)<br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhbp9burJ2WbMWNHufsZFAip4bjMNy51E2OzcOkYEMUmgFDbddcxe3vOj1UVRNskRAugNKL4LD5ARM6wa7wMvHAHK0G9dnrD2ll4CtaZ9cTOYTJrOYGAFeVqLHwdn2YbAvv-ixHtbX5tnSFjf-k-q8qDNxe_-4gbRsb4_ee8XLgOAUOnpxGNKs=s475" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="307" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhbp9burJ2WbMWNHufsZFAip4bjMNy51E2OzcOkYEMUmgFDbddcxe3vOj1UVRNskRAugNKL4LD5ARM6wa7wMvHAHK0G9dnrD2ll4CtaZ9cTOYTJrOYGAFeVqLHwdn2YbAvv-ixHtbX5tnSFjf-k-q8qDNxe_-4gbRsb4_ee8XLgOAUOnpxGNKs=w129-h200" width="129" /></a></div>I knew nothing of the 1996 Mt. Everest disaster going in. All I knew was, this book had come highly recommended for years. It did not disappoint and was absolutely riveting. Krakauer is a master story-teller. I was immediately and completely caught up into the world of mountaineering that, before this book, I knew nothing about. I now understand a little more why men and women risk their lives, and endure such bodily pain, to attempt to climb Everest, and other mountains like it. </span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="background-color: white;">“It was titillating to brush up against the enigma of mortality, to steal a glimpse across its forbidden frontier. Climbing was a </span><span style="background-color: white;">magnificent</span><span style="background-color: white;"> activity, I firmly believed, not in spite of the inherent perils, but precisely because of them.”</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>6. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Long-Obedience-Same-Direction-Discipleship-ebook/dp/B07P43DCNZ/ref=sr_1_1?crid=R4YXZ8E88JO4&keywords=a+long+obedience+in+the+same+direction&qid=1640789624&s=books&sprefix=a+long+obe%2Cstripbooks%2C88&sr=1-1" target="_blank">A Long Obedience in the Same Direction</a> by Eugene Peterson (1980)<br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj-8739Bghj6X73HcaSJPe-GSQTwlXrhTP2vBa_f3Ea7JiNOze4DjdKvFbd5470b_02NnKms-Ken5VyggaqB-Pl2HpYakpRzhWIkhqnN5vZs6rmWjSSESij8vbC9kcKoMCVlfvoI8gODvX1W3MPn-yr92QomHi7cBKCzBMrTRnscn4NU8b1V5Y=s475" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="307" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj-8739Bghj6X73HcaSJPe-GSQTwlXrhTP2vBa_f3Ea7JiNOze4DjdKvFbd5470b_02NnKms-Ken5VyggaqB-Pl2HpYakpRzhWIkhqnN5vZs6rmWjSSESij8vbC9kcKoMCVlfvoI8gODvX1W3MPn-yr92QomHi7cBKCzBMrTRnscn4NU8b1V5Y=w129-h200" width="129" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="background-color: white;">A wonderful book that shows how the people of God use the Psalms, specifically the Psalms of Ascent, to remind themselves of who they are and who God is. To not look to our own experience and feelings, which can be short-sighted and misleading, but to God who helps show us, as Creator, how to flourish as created beings. As Peterson says, “accepting the terms of creation, accepting God as our maker and redeemer, and growing day by day into an increasingly glorious creature in Christ, developing joy, experiencing love, maturing in peace.”</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">Peterson invites us to fight against the grain of the culture, which tempts us to move fast, be entertained, achieve much, and follow our feelings. Instead, he shows us how wonderful it is to slow down and walk in obedience, despite how we might feel, mostly through our immersion in the single act of Scripture and prayer, what he calls "the most accessible means provided to us for cultivating that life and maturing in it".</span></span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="background-color: white;">After reading this book, I discovered a friend who is early in the Peterson journey like me (separately finishing this book within hours of me), and who wants to start reading through all of Peterson's work chronologically. This book helped me see that's a journey I want to be on. Let's do this, Krin!</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>7. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Rocket-Men-Odyssey-Astronauts-Journey-ebook/dp/B073QYYY55/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3T9GJSXV848AF&keywords=rocket+men&qid=1640789643&s=books&sprefix=rocket+men%2Cstripbooks%2C84&sr=1-1">Rocket Men</a> by Robert Kurson (2018)<br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh2yYFmE9tKtz3_pYQre8EU8XHqAJ_R4A6sOpx54GCKeellLZR_b3C3fMDm54983S7rK82couvlFgHcmjw59_mT5tmCjKC9VRK4ye3GZFjAzAu2cC075yGRmj8Z6ND5jYYP9Cppe88swHtbbDM5eAZ-nDfdxPp908m-gX6vWYyTE8tV-9QBlGE=s475" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="306" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh2yYFmE9tKtz3_pYQre8EU8XHqAJ_R4A6sOpx54GCKeellLZR_b3C3fMDm54983S7rK82couvlFgHcmjw59_mT5tmCjKC9VRK4ye3GZFjAzAu2cC075yGRmj8Z6ND5jYYP9Cppe88swHtbbDM5eAZ-nDfdxPp908m-gX6vWYyTE8tV-9QBlGE=w129-h200" width="129" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="background-color: white;">What an incredible story. I was struck by the ingenuity and guts it took to plan, build for, and execute a mission to the moon with such precision and accuracy. I was also struck by the humility, integrity, and courage of the astronauts who made the journey. And I teared up a little when reading about how, in their first live TV broadcast from the moon, the astronauts started reading from Genesis 1. </span><br style="background-color: white;" /><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">"To Borman, spacecraft, rockets, and computers were the products of science, the logical advance of mankind. The lunar far side, however, seemed a dreamscape, straight out of science fiction. Nothing was lit like that on Earth, or even in one’s imagination. Nothing was ever that alone. And yet he saw splendor in all of it, in the epochs of violence gone perfectly still."</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>8. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Walden-Henry-David-Thoreau/dp/B086Y5JJFH/ref=sr_1_1?crid=18P47ODSR6HB0&keywords=walden+henry+david+thoreau&qid=1640789662&s=books&sprefix=walden%2Cstripbooks%2C91&sr=1-1">Walden</a> by Henry David Thoreau (1854)<br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjHDgudJh7PPx8mYvVoVWr_1I_bI-Sv_rxsTZhxxqDtRiBjNjxrf8B6cMzCCb0MZ6p9BuqItE1DSmnVOCz-9bCvfhPx3n_Mv-CGgKKvccaEbHly0sREbwABNFi1AoTGgpUXzy0cSHgNNfYSvp4GX86syQfIQQK1M3wjG9sXEkycHzayfaxRpbE=s475" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="310" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjHDgudJh7PPx8mYvVoVWr_1I_bI-Sv_rxsTZhxxqDtRiBjNjxrf8B6cMzCCb0MZ6p9BuqItE1DSmnVOCz-9bCvfhPx3n_Mv-CGgKKvccaEbHly0sREbwABNFi1AoTGgpUXzy0cSHgNNfYSvp4GX86syQfIQQK1M3wjG9sXEkycHzayfaxRpbE=w131-h200" width="131" /></span></a></div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: helvetica;">I was great to read this one with some friends in Montana, who have a lot more access and insight into wilderness and nature than I do. </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="background-color: white;">What a fascinating book. Thoreau often crafts beautiful sentences as he observes nature and reflects on the importance of living more simply. He argues how we need the "tonic of wildness" to wake us up from living unexamined "lives of quiet desperation", dependent on our comforts, and instead see and appreciate the beauty of the world around us. As he says, “We must learn to reawaken and keep ourselves awake, not by mechanical aids, but by an infinite expectation of the dawn.” Reading this book is an excellent way to let the "clean sea breeze of the centuries" blow through our minds (Lewis).</span><br style="background-color: white;" /><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. I did not wish to live what was not life...I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life."</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /><b>9. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Wisdom-Pyramid-Feeding-Post-Truth-World-ebook/dp/B08CS46222/ref=sr_1_1?crid=11ISTHDO372U8&keywords=the+wisdom+pyramid&qid=1640789692&s=books&sprefix=the+wisdom+py%2Cstripbooks%2C91&sr=1-1" target="_blank">The Wisdom Pyramid</a> by Brett McCracken </b><b>(2021) <br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjngyrcuZUDVA_rBwGK7imcMunPhtdqF_F489xoBXi3HC5C3ws06rofywzo2FAVf6CcipzjObtek6i5bl1ki5JNeRVX-So2K5T3Jne4pSb9sT9xJx5QyAloxm-L8kUwYnbwKmiI0cjHqQSxT1o-tbWZ6SBoYB0NsGkz50iID1XW8i660MyQ4uo=s475" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="307" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjngyrcuZUDVA_rBwGK7imcMunPhtdqF_F489xoBXi3HC5C3ws06rofywzo2FAVf6CcipzjObtek6i5bl1ki5JNeRVX-So2K5T3Jne4pSb9sT9xJx5QyAloxm-L8kUwYnbwKmiI0cjHqQSxT1o-tbWZ6SBoYB0NsGkz50iID1XW8i660MyQ4uo=w129-h200" width="129" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="background-color: white;">This is a book that not only offers great truth about how to flourish in today's world, but it was also very enjoyable to read. McCracken does a great job at offering a clear, succinct diagnosis of one of our culture's major problems: the world is saturated with information, but there is less wisdom - and the solution: we need to immerse ourselves in the appropriate sources for life and wisdom (The Bible, The Church, Nature, Books, Beauty, and The Internet and Social Media) and in varying and appropriate amounts.</span><br style="background-color: white;" /><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">While I've read and enjoyed many different works on our age of distraction, how we got here and why it is a problem, I appreciate the practicality of how to move against the current that this book provides. I'm reminded to not go to the Internet (or my phone) to wander, but only with purpose. I'm reminded about the importance of not filling up every space in my life with noise or information, but to instead take time to take in beauty or nature, or just "</span></span><span id="docs-internal-guid-72c83f01-7fff-6c48-2cfe-329527d3f594"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">staring at walls, which is infinitely more useful" (Earley).</span></span></span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="background-color: white;"> It's a great book that all would benefit from and I would especially recommend to read together with others, as McCracken does include some great discussion questions at the end of each chapter. I read it with my guys group and they've declared it's been our best book study yet!</span><br style="background-color: white;" /><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">“Sadly, the ease with which we can jump online in our spare moments (whether 30 seconds at a stop light or 90 seconds in the Chick-fil-A drive-thru line) conditions us to eliminate every last shred of unmediated space in our lives -- which is a terrible thing for cultivating wisdom.”</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /><b>10. </b></span><b style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Rise-Triumph-Modern-Self-Individualism-ebook/dp/B089DNYCDY/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=the+rise+and+triumph+of+modern+self&qid=1640789712&s=books&sprefix=the+rise+and+triump%2Cstripbooks%2C90&sr=1-1">The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self</a> by Carl Trueman (2020)<br /></b></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjoF7d5ECxDkN5F7RC2gSlcjk_jt5Fext0ULKoEQJqBEbwUdCUcmBJ0BjTnzS3FVzjJCRneQ41z617QNb1V2NVITPVKWM10bWHPw67kXaqwJLkswDrdfuwuZcoB8GaH1Ji3RXcKfNgFkG-A0cIwJw_kzT0UCbKLTzygR_7bp4A0dstuNPz4W18=s475" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="316" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjoF7d5ECxDkN5F7RC2gSlcjk_jt5Fext0ULKoEQJqBEbwUdCUcmBJ0BjTnzS3FVzjJCRneQ41z617QNb1V2NVITPVKWM10bWHPw67kXaqwJLkswDrdfuwuZcoB8GaH1Ji3RXcKfNgFkG-A0cIwJw_kzT0UCbKLTzygR_7bp4A0dstuNPz4W18=w133-h200" width="133" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="background-color: white;">A masterful work helping to explain how we find ourselves in a world where expressive individualism reigns and where sex as identity is normative. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: helvetica;">Trueman leans on a few philosophers to help show how the modern notion of the expressive (Charles Taylor), therapeutic/psychological (Philip Reiff), emotive (MacIntyre) self came to be and how we've moved from a mimetic view of the world - the world has a given order and meaning and humans are meant to "discover that meaning and conform themselves to it" - to one of poiesis - the world contains "much raw material out of which meaning and purpose can be created by the individual.”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">Trueman argues that the world loses its sense of teleology (having an end, purpose, or design) in the nineteenth century, mostly through the works of Nietzsche, Marx, and Darwin. He says that, these "three effectively strip away the metaphysical foundations for both human identity and for morality, leaving the latter, as Nietzsche is happy to point out, a matter of mere taste and manipulative power games.” Individuals begin to create meaning for themselves and to express their preferences, feelings, and desires as truth. The institutions and structures of society no longer become avenues of formation, but ones of oppression, holding the individual back from fully expressing oneself.</span><br style="background-color: white;" /><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">Trueman is understandably concerned about the trajectory of the chaotic world we find ourselves in: how our discourse has devolved because of the lack of a "commonly accepted foundation on which such discussions might constructively take place" and how religious freedom and expressive individualism seem to be increasingly antithetical to each other. However, he is not without hope. Much like how the 2nd century church was "a marginal sect within a dominant, pluralist society" and whose claims of Jesus as king was deeply subversive, the church today is in a similar spot, occupying a world where Christianity is a choice. Maybe another revolution is underway.</span></span></div><div><br /></div><div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span><b>Honorable Mentions:</b><br /></span></span><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer (1996)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir (2021)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Every Good Endeavor by Tim Keller (2012)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead (2016)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Dreamland by Sam Quinones (2015)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Shoe Dog by Phil Knight (2016)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Strong and Weak by Andy Crouch (2016)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Leadership in Turbulent Times by Doris Kearns Goodwin (2018)</span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Past Years:</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="http://thismortallife.blogspot.com/2020/12/favorite-books-i-read-in-2020.html" target="_blank">2020</a></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://thismortallife.blogspot.com/2020/01/favorite-books-i-read-in-2019.html">2019</a></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://thismortallife.blogspot.com/2018/12/favorite-books-i-read-in-2018.html">2018</a></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span><span face=""calibri" , sans-serif" style="mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="http://thismortallife.blogspot.com/2017/12/favorite-books-i-read-in-2017.html" target="_blank">2017</a></span><br /><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><a href="http://thismortallife.blogspot.com/2016/12/favorite-books-i-read-in-2016.html" target="_blank">2016</a></span><br /><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><a href="http://thismortallife.blogspot.com/2015/12/favorite-books-i-read-in-2015.html" target="_blank">2015</a></span><br /><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><a href="http://thismortallife.blogspot.com/2015/01/favorite-books-i-read-in-2014.html" target="_blank">2014</a></span><br /><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><a href="http://thismortallife.blogspot.com/2013/12/favorite-books-i-read-in-2013.html" target="_blank">2013</a></span><br /><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><a href="http://thismortallife.blogspot.com/2012/12/favorite-books-i-read-in-2012.html" target="_blank">2012</a></span><br /></span><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><a href="http://thismortallife.blogspot.com/2011/12/favorite-books-i-read-in-2011.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">2011</span><br /></a></span></span></div></div></div></div>David Wilhitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08187161025528660914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29322791.post-49192386069261361152021-09-21T22:33:00.000-04:002021-09-21T22:33:03.395-04:00Eugene Peterson, Teresa of Calcutta, and the path of sainthood<p>I began reading Eugene Peterson last August, after a good friend of mine spent several years reading most of his works. He's quickly becoming one of my favorites. I really appreciate his restful, thoughtful spirit and the particular way he encourages us to get God's Word in us, to form and shape us in a way that leads to flourishing.</p><p>Therefore, I was pleased to hear Andy Crouch bring him up in the <a href="https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/podcasts/rise-and-fall-of-mars-hill/bobby-knight-problem.html" target="_blank">latest episode</a> of The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill. The entire podcast, while well done and fascinating, has been a troubling and sad indictment of what happens in leaders when charisma outpaces character and how abuse can be overlooked and even protected by those close to it because a lot of good is happening too. </p><p>And that brings us to Peterson, and Teresa of Calcutta, on a different way to live and be. Here's Andy Crouch: </p><blockquote><div data-en-clipboard="true" data-pm-slice="1 1 []">Through this whole story of the rise of the mega-church, there's this incredible alternative being offered in the writing and the life of this guy, Eugene Peterson. Who then happens to perform a kind of act of media, sort of brilliance, by doing The Message thing...Then he becomes powerful in a worldly sense. Everyone was like, "Oh, Eugene Peterson." <b>But his life mattered long before The Message. His life would matter if the Message had never been produced and sold the way it did. There was a witness, right there, in our world.</b></div><div><br /></div><div>Teresa of Calcutta, not a perfect person, sometimes a little harsh with her people that she had power over. But nonetheless, a witness. I think about the fact that Teresa and Diana died in the same week. They are like these mirror images of what we want to be as a human being. The two most recognizable, visible women in the world, it was said, at the time. But utterly different paths to celebrity. Utterly different paths to influence. And of course, one of the things I said in my book Culture Making, it's fascinating that almost everybody wanted to be like Diana, but nobody could be like Diana. Only one person gets to marry the Prince of Wales. And most of us are not beautiful like Diana. We've got no shot. Zero.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Meanwhile</b>, <b>you have Teresa of Calcutta and anyone could be like her, because all she is is a saint. And anyone can be a saint if they open themselves up to Jesus.</b> <b>We have not lacked for models of godly power. We just don't want the suffering that comes with it, the long stretches of anonymity and seeming ineffectiveness, the humiliation of being like your Lord</b>. That part we would really rather not have. There have been other options. But the way of Eugene Peterson, the way of Teresa is right there. Any day I can wake up and say, "I'm heading on that road." Whereas, if I look at some celebrity and try to imagine how I'd get to where they are, I got no chance. Yet, every day I'm tempted to divert into some facsimile of the path of celebrity rather than the path of sainthood.</div></blockquote>David Wilhitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08187161025528660914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29322791.post-34864755349913513712021-02-21T23:23:00.002-05:002021-02-21T23:27:07.632-05:00Stillness and The Sound of Metal<p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;">(Mild spoilers ahead for <i>The Sound of Metal</i>)</span></p><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;">I can't stop thinking about a movie I watched last night, The Sound of Metal. It technically came out in 2019, but made it on several "best of" movie lists last year. It's the story of a heavy metal drummer, Ruben, on tour with his bandmate/girlfriend, who suddenly and rapidly starts losing his hearing. </span></div><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;"><span data-markholder="true"></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;">When this happens, the shock is palpable. You see and feel how hard and disorienting it must be to stop being able to hear. Ruben eventually gets connected with a deaf community, where he gets mentored by a Vietnam vet and recovering alcoholic named Joe. Ruben is clearly lost and scared. Joe wants to help Ruben learn how to be deaf and indicates that the battle at this point is not about the hearing, but about mentally learning to deal with this new reality. One thing he suggests is that Ruben start getting up early every morning, to write out his thoughts with pen and paper.</span></div><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;"><span data-markholder="true"></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;">While this does not seem to go well, Ruben does eventually start settling into the community, learning sign language, and experiencing connection and joy. However, something happens to shift his thoughts on to an expensive surgery and the small bit of hearing he might get back from it, so that he can go back to his old way of life.</span></div><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;"><span data-markholder="true"></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;">When Joe learns of this, he is disappointed. He not only sees how Ruben broke trust with the community there, but also sees how Ruben is acting like an addict, frantically grasping for what was lost, instead of learning to be content. Then, Joe says:</span></div><div><blockquote><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;">“All these mornings, you’ve been sitting in my study, sitting: have you had any moments of stillness? Cause you’re right, Ruben. The world does keep moving, and it can be a damn cruel place. But for me, those moments of stillness: that place, that’s the kingdom of God. And that place will never abandon you.”</span></blockquote></div><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;"><span data-markholder="true"></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;">Stillness. The place where the kingdom of God can enter in. Ruben hadn't learned this secret yet. Joe had. And what strength and contentment is on display for someone like Joe, who is in a constant state of silence, to still seek this stillness.</span></div><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;"><span data-markholder="true"></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;">I began to think about Blaise Pascal's famous words, "All of humanity's problems stem from man's inability to sit quietly in a room alone.” I think about the noise in my life. The constant interruptions and distractions, that both come to me and that I seek out.</span></div><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;"><span data-markholder="true"></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;">Shortly after this scene, Ruben gets cochlear implants which bring back some of his hearing. He is delighted, but soon after, sobered to learn that it's nowhere near the quality and volume that he once had. It's distorted, and lots of input only increases the distortion.</span></div><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;"><span data-markholder="true"></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;">In the final scene, after reuniting with his girlfriend and coming to the realization that life is not going to go back to normal, we see Ruben walk to a park bench in the middle of Paris. The church bells begin to ring, but again, they are loud and distorted. He decides to take the implant receiver off of his head, so that there is only silence. At this point, we see Ruben taking in the beauty of the day, and finally getting to a place where he is at peace with the silence.</span></div><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;">Great movies can stir up the soul in the direction of the divine. <i>The Sound of Metal</i> is a movie that stirs me up</span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;"> to not only to be the type of person </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;">who can sit in silence and stillness more often, in order to </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;">experience true soul rest (Matthew 11:29) by more clearly listening to the voice of the one who calls me beloved (Nouwen), and experiencing his beauty, but also to take this stillness to those I come in contact with through a strong and unhurried presence.</span></div>David Wilhitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08187161025528660914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29322791.post-68353219996637376782021-01-15T16:41:00.002-05:002021-01-15T16:41:47.921-05:00How Our Groups and Practices Shape Our Reality<span style="font-family: helvetica;">I've been struggling. I've been struggling to understand how it is that the reality of what <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFMd5cJ8DaY&ab_channel=Retrospect" target="_blank">happened</a> at the capitol last Wednesday can be interpreted in different ways. I've been struggling with the fact that people I know seem to not care about truth or reality (or at least not publicly), because it gets in the way of their team winning. And I've been particularly struggling with how many who identify as Christian are leading proponents of <a href="https://biologos.org/articles/beyond-plandemic-a-christian-response-to-conspiracies" target="_blank">different</a> <a href="https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/the-faqs-what-christians-should-know-about-qanon/" target="_blank">conspiracy</a> <a href="https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2020/august-web-only/qanon-is-wolf-in-wolfs-clothing.html" target="_blank">theories</a> and were leading participants in this <a href="https://www.russellmoore.com/2021/01/11/the-roman-road-from-insurrection/" target="_blank">violent</a> <a href="https://frenchpress.thedispatch.com/p/only-the-church-can-truly-defeat" target="_blank">insurrection</a>.</span><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">When I think about all of this for too long, I feel sadness, I feel anger, and I feel a sense of despair. How did we get here? How will it get any better? What can I do about it?</span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">One paradigm shifting book that reminds me why this is happening is called <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Righteous-Mind-Divided-Politics-Religion/dp/0307455777" target="_blank">The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion</a>, written by Jonathan Haidt in 2013. As a moral psychologist, he essentially argues what <a href="http://www.jasonvalendy.net/blog/2017/4/25/what-the-heart-loves-the-will-chooses-and-the-mind-justifies" target="_blank">Thomas Cranmer believed</a>: "what the heart loves, the will chooses, and the mind justifies." Basically, we are primarily <i>emotional</i> creatures who have our own internal press secretaries that are there to find evidence that justify our line of thinking. To put it another way, "intuitions come first, strategic reasoning second."</span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Another core tenet of moral psychology is that this shared morality binds and blinds. It <u>binds</u> us to the collective group and <u>blinds</u> us to alternative moral worlds.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">In his excellent <a href="https://vimeo.com/96892181" target="_blank">Mockingbird conference talk</a> in 2014, Haidt illustrates some of these ideas further. Speaking to the bizarre way that the same event can be interpreted completely differently, he says:</span></div><blockquote><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">"reality is ambiguous and we find the evidence out there in the ambiguous world to support what we believe. 'Once I have justifications, I know I'm right and if you disagree with me, you are either stupid or disingenuous'...This is the acceleration of righteousness."</span></div></blockquote><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">He goes on to say that our tendency to circle around sacred objects and principles ends up creating polarization where we think, "Our side is perfectly good. Their side is perfectly evil. Anyone who says otherwise, on our side, is a traitor." Sound familiar?</span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">So, what's the solution here? One antidote is empathy. Seeing an issue from someone else's perspective. In one of <a href="https://www.ted.com/talks/jonathan_haidt_the_moral_roots_of_liberals_and_conservatives?language=en" target="_blank">his TED talks</a>, he also argues for moral humility:</span></div><blockquote><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">"...step out of the moral matrix. Try to see it as a struggle that is playing out in which everybody does think they are right and everybody at least has some reason, even if you disagree with them... for what they're doing. If you do that, that's the essential move to cultivate moral humility. To get yourself out of this self-righteousness, which is the normal human condition."</span></div></blockquote><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Empathy. Humility. These are hard traits to come by, especially when our lives our more online that ever before. Where hot takes, rage, and de-humanization reigns. Where <a href="https://www.thesocialdilemma.com/" target="_blank">social media feeds</a> and cable news networks are designed to confirm our biases, furthering our inability to understand and humanize those not in our group. And it's easy to point this out and call out how "they" are the problem.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">However, I believe all of the work here <a href="https://mbird.com/2021/01/a-guide-to-loving-your-conspiracy-theorist/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+mbird+%28Mockingbird%29" target="_blank">starts with us</a>, starts with me. I need to make sure <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Wisdom-Pyramid-Feeding-Post-Truth-World/dp/1433569590/?tag=thegospcoal-20" target="_blank">I'm feeding my soul properly</a>, spending as little time as possible on social media and being caught up in the "<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Amusing-Ourselves-Death-Discourse-Business/dp/014303653X" target="_blank">news of the day</a>", and spending more time in <a href="https://www.readscripture.org/" target="_blank">the Word</a>, in prayer, encouraging and being encouraged by one another, reading books, taking <a href="https://www.pauseapp.com/" target="_blank">pauses</a>, enjoying nature, and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Ruthless-Elimination-Hurry-Emotionally-Spiritually/dp/0525653090/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=" target="_blank">slowing down</a>. To the degree I'm participating in these life-giving practices is the degree to which I'm training my soul to <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Desiring-Kingdom-Worldview-Formation-Liturgies/dp/0801035775" target="_blank">desire the kingdom</a>, and walking in peace, in hope, and love for others. Please join me.</span></div>David Wilhitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08187161025528660914noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29322791.post-90699173127368307982020-12-30T12:23:00.000-05:002020-12-30T12:23:02.482-05:00Favorite Things in 2020<p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">2020 has been difficult in many ways. However, thankfully, people continue to bring creativity and beauty into the world through writing and the arts. See below for my favorite pieces of content that came out this year. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Favorite Albums</b></span></p><div data-en-clipboard="true" data-pm-slice="1 1 []"><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i>Keeper of Days</i> by Jon Guerra (my <a href="http://thismortallife.blogspot.com/2020/11/a-reflection-on-keeper-of-days-my.html" target="_blank">review</a>)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i>folklore</i> by Taylor Swift</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i>mama's boy</i> by LANY</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i>Changes</i> by Justin Bieber</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i>Shore</i> by Fleet Foxes</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i>Women In Music Pt. III </i>by Haim</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i>His Glory</i> Alone by KB</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://youtu.be/R8Z0oAP8buU" target="_blank"><i>Twenty Four</i></a> by Jonathan Ogden</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i>Notes on a Conditional Form</i> by The 1975</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i>Color Theory</i> by Soccer Mommy</span></li></ol></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Favorite Movie</b></span></p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i>A Hidden Life</i> - I'm cheating a little bit here, as this movie was officially released (limited) last December. However, the wide release was in January and I haven't seen a movie that has come out since. Brett McCracken, one of my favorite connoisseurs of goodness and beauty in culture, first made me aware of it through his excellent review <a href="https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/hidden-life-faith-based-masterpiece/" target="_blank">here</a>, where he calls it a faith-based masterpiece. Lauren and I both loved it and it's now among our favorite movies ever. </span></li></ol><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Favorite Television</b></span></p><div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i>Ted Lasso</i> (AppleTV+)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i>The Chosen</i> (<a href="https://studios.vidangel.com/the-chosen/" target="_blank">ChosenTV app</a>)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i>The Last Dance</i> (Netflix)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i>Better Call Saul </i>(Netflix)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i>The Queen's Gambit</i> (Netflix)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i>The Crown</i> (Netflix)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i>The Good Place</i> (Netflix)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i>Dark</i> (Netflix)</span></li></ol></div><div data-en-clipboard="true" data-pm-slice="1 1 []"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Favorite Podcasts episodes/series</b></span></div><div data-en-clipboard="true" data-pm-slice="1 1 []"><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/column/rabbit-hole">Rabbit Hole</a> (8 episodes, April - June, 2020) - About how the internet, Youtube specifically, is changing us and helping to create silos of thought and division.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://careynieuwhof.com/episode355/" target="_blank">The Carey Nieuwhof Leadership Podcast: 355: John Eldredge</a> (7/21/2020) - conversation about slowing down, encouraging pauses throughout the day, and embracing the beauty of nature (The good stuff really starts at 28:00).</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><div data-en-clipboard="true" data-pm-slice="1 1 ["ul",{"style":null,"backgroundColor":null,"color":null,"lineHeight":null,"listStyleType":null},"li",{"style":null,"checked":null,"value":null,"displayValue":null,"backgroundColor":null,"color":null,"listStyleType":null}]"><a href="https://www.theringer.com/the-bill-simmons-podcast/2020/6/3/21278867/deray-mckesson-on-ending-police-brutality-plus-steve-kerr-pete-carroll-and-gregg-popovich" target="_blank">Bill Simmons: DeRay McKesson on Ending Police Brutality, Plus ‘Flying Coach’ With Steve Kerr, Pete Carroll, and Gregg Popovich</a> (6/3/20)</div></span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://careynieuwhof.com/episode339/" target="_blank">The Carey Nieuwhof Leadership Podcast: 339: Tim Keller</a> (5/12/20)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/radiolab/articles/graham" target="_blank">RadioLab: Graham</a> (6/6/20)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/0OrHFgKhoainuuJ9CBrw37" target="_blank">The Joe Rogan Experience: #1554 - Kanye West </a>(10/24/2020)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/radiolab/articles/flag-and-fury" target="_blank">RadioLab: The Flag and the Fury</a> (7/12/20)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://tim.blog/2020/06/26/hugh-jackman/">The Tim Ferris Show: 444: Hugh Jackman</a> (6/30/2020)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://gimletmedia.com/shows/reply-all/o2h8bx" target="_blank">ReplyAll: #158: The case of the missing hit </a>(3/5/20)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://www.thisamericanlife.org/693/abdi-the-american">This American Life: 693: Abdi the American</a> (2/10/20)</span></li></ol><div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Favorite Books I Read This Year</b></span></p><p></p><ol><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Grapes-Wrath-John-Steinbeck/dp/0143039431/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=the+grapes+of+wrath&qid=1609188795&sr=8-1" target="_blank"><i>The Grapes of Wrath</i></a> by John Steinbeck (1939)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Ruthless-Elimination-Hurry-Emotionally-Spiritually/dp/0525653090/ref=sr_1_2?crid=7IVR7GZSLS7J&dchild=1&keywords=ruthless+elimination+of+hurry+book&qid=1609188904&sprefix=ruthless%2Caps%2C190&sr=8-2" target="_blank"><i>The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry</i></a> by John Mark Comer (2019)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dominion-Christian-Revolution-Remade-World/dp/0465093507/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=dominion+tom+holland&qid=1609188872&sr=8-1" target="_blank"><i>Dominion</i></a> by Tom Holland (2019)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Tender-Bar-J-R-Moehringer/dp/0786888768/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=the+tender+bar&qid=1609188939&sr=8-1" target="_blank"><i>The Tender Bar</i></a> by J.R. Moehringer (2006)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Destiny-Republic-Madness-Medicine-President/dp/0767929713/ref=sr_1_1?crid=18XBO4KRXXEWX&dchild=1&keywords=destiny+of+the+republic&qid=1609188975&sprefix=destiny+of+the+%2Caps%2C177&sr=8-1" target="_blank"><i>Destiny of the Republic</i></a> by Candice Millard (2011)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Seven-Storey-Mountain-Thomas-Merton/dp/0156010860/ref=sr_1_1?crid=E3K9KJ8VRGSU&dchild=1&keywords=seven+storey+mountain+by+thomas+merton&qid=1609189010&sprefix=seven+store%2Caps%2C165&sr=8-1" target="_blank"><i>The Seven Storey Mountain</i></a> by Thomas Merton (1948)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Eat-This-Book-Conversation-Spiritual/dp/0802864902/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=eat+this+book&qid=1609189045&sr=8-1" target="_blank"><i>Eat This Book</i></a> by Eugene Peterson (2006)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Daring-Greatly-Courage-Vulnerable-Transforms/dp/1592408419/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=daring+greatly&qid=1609189077&sr=8-1" target="_blank"><i>Daring Greatly</i></a> by Brene Brown (2012)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Martian-Andy-Weir/dp/0553418025/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=the+martian&qid=1609189105&sr=8-2" target="_blank"><i>The Martian</i></a> by Andy Weir (2014)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Lions-Gate-Front-Lines-Six/dp/1595231196/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=the+lion%27s+gate&qid=1609189137&sr=8-1" target="_blank"><i>The Lion's Gate</i> </a>by Steven Pressfield (2014)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Stand-Complete-Uncut-Stephen-King/dp/B00BHP75VY"><i>The Stand </i></a>by Stephen King (1978)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Gentle-Lowly-Christ-Sinners-Sufferers/dp/1433566133/ref=sxts_sxwds-bia-wc-rsf1_0?cv_ct_cx=gentle+and+lowly&dchild=1&keywords=gentle+and+lowly&pd_rd_i=1433566133&pd_rd_r=52f7ff42-7f0d-4bb9-8af3-cf4caf9a1390&pd_rd_w=jmjM5&pd_rd_wg=yYjyX&pf_rd_p=e0f994a8-a359-40a9-8917-dadca71c7184&pf_rd_r=6VXQW3XBBBRNH45CW37Q&psc=1&qid=1609189237&sr=1-1-526ea17f-3f73-4b50-8cd8-6acff948fa5a"><i>Gentle and Lowly</i></a> by Dane Ortlund (2020)</span></li></ol><p></p><p><i><span style="font-family: helvetica;">See more detailed thoughts on these books </span><a href="http://thismortallife.blogspot.com/2020/12/favorite-books-i-read-in-2020.html" style="font-family: helvetica;">here</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;">.</span></i></p></div></div>David Wilhitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08187161025528660914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29322791.post-32466145947256777742020-12-28T17:10:00.001-05:002020-12-28T17:25:02.276-05:00Favorite Books I Read in 2020<p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Thankfully, I was able to spend a lot of time reading this year. In fact, </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I was able to read more this year than any year in my life. (slightly beating out last year). And it feels like I read more really good books this year than I typically do, as many I enjoyed don't crack my top twenty. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">See below for my favorites from 2020:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>1. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Grapes-Wrath-John-Steinbeck/dp/0143039431/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=the+grapes+of+wrath&qid=1609188795&sr=8-1" target="_blank">The Grapes of Wrath</a> by John Steinbeck (1939)</b></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YQ71LgQxmKQ/X-pH_gXRGNI/AAAAAAABLvc/Nk8TqYRvqP0lRGobJ1WXsD0LSeMZOM8VQCNcBGAsYHQ/s350/grapes.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="220" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YQ71LgQxmKQ/X-pH_gXRGNI/AAAAAAABLvc/Nk8TqYRvqP0lRGobJ1WXsD0LSeMZOM8VQCNcBGAsYHQ/w126-h200/grapes.jpg" width="126" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">While it is a sad story centered on the 1930s Dust Bowl era, and the poverty so many faced during this time, it also beautifully showcased how one family sticks together and creatively finds ways to support themselves and others. From being kicked off their small plot of farm land by the big bank ("the monster") to struggling to find work among the bountiful California orchards, the Joad family is met with hardship at the hands of those that already have and are greedily trying to take even more - "while the Californians wanted many things, accumulation, social success, amusement, luxury, and a curious banking security, the new barbarians wanted only two things - land and food."</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">In her book, "<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Reading-Well-Finding-through-Great/dp/1587433966" target="_blank">On Reading Well</a>", Karen Swallow Prior talks about how great literature embodies virtue and allows the reader to practice virtue vicariously. “Visions of the good life presented in the world’s best literature can be agents for cultivating knowledge of and desire for the good…” In Grapes of Wrath, perseverance, resiliency, hope, love for one another, and generosity in the midst of utter scarcity are all on display, contrasting the fear and greed around them.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>2. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Ruthless-Elimination-Hurry-Emotionally-Spiritually/dp/0525653090/ref=sr_1_2?crid=7IVR7GZSLS7J&dchild=1&keywords=ruthless+elimination+of+hurry+book&qid=1609188904&sprefix=ruthless%2Caps%2C190&sr=8-2" target="_blank">The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry</a> by John Mark Comer (2019)<br /></b></span></p><table border="0" cellspacing="1" class="myActivity" style="background-color: white; table-layout: fixed; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td colspan="2" style="line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-s7O7CG2jiGo/X-pNzuH4faI/AAAAAAABLxc/mLAGXGMIqtgUDJ8hIv6yrXP82GJEoylnQCNcBGAsYHQ/s499/ruthless.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="322" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-s7O7CG2jiGo/X-pNzuH4faI/AAAAAAABLxc/mLAGXGMIqtgUDJ8hIv6yrXP82GJEoylnQCNcBGAsYHQ/w129-h200/ruthless.jpg" width="129" /></a></div><span class="readable reviewText" style="line-height: 21px;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">This year has been one where I've thought a lot about rest and slowing down. Starting in March, the COVID quarantine brought a halt to some craziness in my family's schedule. Soon after, I went through a process (Younique) of discovering how I long to awaken rest in others, specifically, the soul rest that Jesus offers (Matt. 11:28-29). So yeah, Comer's book deeply resonated with me.<br /><br />The title comes from something Dallas Willard once told John Ortberg, when John asked him the key to becoming all of who God wants us to be. Dallas replied, "You must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life...There is nothing else. Hurry is the great enemy of spiritual life in our day.” Comer does a great job showing us how problematic our pace of life currently is, how we're way too busy and distracted to live vibrant, full, and restful lives. He then outlines how we should be emulating Jesus, in his unhurriedness, through sets of key rhythms and practices: Silence & Solitude, Sabbath, Simplicity Slowing. It was convicting and inspiring.<br /><br />“For many of us the great danger is not that we will renounce our faith. It is that we will become so distracted and rushed and preoccupied that we will settle for a mediocre version of it. We will skim our lives instead of actually living them.” - John Ortberg</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>3. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dominion-Christian-Revolution-Remade-World/dp/0465093507/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=dominion+tom+holland&qid=1609188872&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Dominion</a> by Tom Holland (2019)<br /></b></span></p><table border="0" cellspacing="1" class="myActivity" style="background-color: white; table-layout: fixed; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td colspan="2" style="line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kKtJtxXyJNI/X-pIQSCunzI/AAAAAAABLv8/kRW2a2rT6l4-UkyOysqtvbSPNiZGMVGUgCNcBGAsYHQ/s499/dominion.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="322" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kKtJtxXyJNI/X-pIQSCunzI/AAAAAAABLv8/kRW2a2rT6l4-UkyOysqtvbSPNiZGMVGUgCNcBGAsYHQ/w129-h200/dominion.jpg" width="129" /></span></a></div><span class="readable reviewText" style="line-height: 21px;"><span id="freeTextreview3594687262"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I loved this book throughout, but I think it especially improved in the last three chapters, as Holland starts to directly show how our current 'secular age' is saturated by "Christian concepts and assumptions." In an age where human rights are paramount, many do not consider that there is hardly any basis for human rights outside of Christianity.<br /><br />For instance, Christian sexual morality was seen as repressive and outdated in the sexual revolution of the 1960s, but Holland rightly argues that these same ideals provided the underlying force for the #MeToo movement. Also, while the church has often failed in living up to its own ideals concerning the poor, the weak, and the suffering, it is from the Christian worldview that love for others (charity) ultimately derives.<br /><br />It's this last point that is especially helpful in this book. Holland is not out to celebrate and condone the way Christians have often treated others in the last two millennia. He helpfully points out many instances of the hypocrisy of the church throughout history. Yet, here is what he says about that in his concluding paragraph: “Many [Christians]...have put the weak in their shadow; they have brought suffering, and persecution, and slavery in their wake. Yet the standards by which they stand condemned for this are themselves Christian; nor, even if churches across the West continue to empty, does it seem likely that these standards will quickly change."<br /><br />For a more insightful review, I highly recommend <a href="https://quarterly.gospelinlife.com/tom-hollands-dominion-a-review/">this one from Tim Keller </a>(who originally prompted me to read this book)<br /></span></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><b style="font-family: helvetica;">4. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Tender-Bar-J-R-Moehringer/dp/0786888768/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=the+tender+bar&qid=1609188939&sr=8-1" target="_blank">The Tender Bar</a> by J.R. Moehringer (2006)</b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eiKVxqt85wU/X-pImofr7KI/AAAAAAABLwQ/O50nSG5wnNsogmXradQjFrrBA7p6NgyawCNcBGAsYHQ/s499/tender.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="326" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eiKVxqt85wU/X-pImofr7KI/AAAAAAABLwQ/O50nSG5wnNsogmXradQjFrrBA7p6NgyawCNcBGAsYHQ/w131-h200/tender.jpg" width="131" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">This memoir came recommended to me by a couple of different people over the years. I'm glad I finally got to it. It was difficult to put it down. It's a moving story about a young boy, growing up without a father on Long Island. He falls in love with a local bar, run by his uncle, and the close-knit community that is formed there. Many of the men, most of whom read like fictional characters, become stand-in father figures for J.R., for better or worse. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">"While I fear that we’re drawn to what abandons us, and to what seems most likely to abandon us, in the end I believe we’re defined by what embraces us. Naturally I embraced the bar right back, until one night the bar turned me away, and in that final abandonment the bar saved my life."</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>5. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Destiny-Republic-Madness-Medicine-President/dp/0767929713/ref=sr_1_1?crid=18XBO4KRXXEWX&dchild=1&keywords=destiny+of+the+republic&qid=1609188975&sprefix=destiny+of+the+%2Caps%2C177&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Destiny of the Republic</a> by Candice Millard (2011)<br /></b></span></p><table border="0" cellspacing="1" class="myActivity" style="background-color: white; table-layout: fixed; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td colspan="2" style="line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iPf3adIWtIM/X-pIwegYWvI/AAAAAAABLwY/UDtX2ZBHMaU7-oOgVhm_HVebKZOAIjHhACNcBGAsYHQ/s499/destiny.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="307" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iPf3adIWtIM/X-pIwegYWvI/AAAAAAABLwY/UDtX2ZBHMaU7-oOgVhm_HVebKZOAIjHhACNcBGAsYHQ/w123-h200/destiny.jpg" width="123" /></span></a></div><span class="readable reviewText" style="line-height: 21px;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Fascinating story, not only about Garfield and Charles Guiteau, the man who shot him, but about the world of the late 1800s (including the discoveries of Alexander Graham Bell and Joseph Lister). The story, combined with Millard’s writing style, made this book difficult to put down. I was deeply drawn to the man Garfield was. He was a man of great character, full of humility, wisdom, grace, strength, and joy, which not only stands in stark contrast to our nation’s current leader, but also to many of those around Garfield who pridefully sought power, praise, and control at all costs.<br /><br />Quote: “Garfield could not shake the feeling that the presidency would bring him only loneliness and sorrow. As he watched everything he treasured -- his time with his children, his books, and his farm -- abruptly disappear, he understood that the life he had known was gone. The presidency seemed to him not a great accomplishment but a ‘bleak mountain’ that he was obliged to ascend.”</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>6. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Seven-Storey-Mountain-Thomas-Merton/dp/0156010860/ref=sr_1_1?crid=E3K9KJ8VRGSU&dchild=1&keywords=seven+storey+mountain+by+thomas+merton&qid=1609189010&sprefix=seven+store%2Caps%2C165&sr=8-1" target="_blank">The Seven Storey Mountain</a> by Thomas Merton (1948)<br /></b></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vpyZy3vBFxU/X-pJAEZVH8I/AAAAAAABLwg/oG3vNIMGr8AGxueb6Ix5nn95bgY7EvmzgCNcBGAsYHQ/s499/seven.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="329" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vpyZy3vBFxU/X-pJAEZVH8I/AAAAAAABLwg/oG3vNIMGr8AGxueb6Ix5nn95bgY7EvmzgCNcBGAsYHQ/w132-h200/seven.jpg" width="132" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="background-color: white;">A captivating autobiography of a Trappist monk who sought out to give himself to all worldly pleasures, but was left empty. I enjoyed the read and am encouraged by Merton's zeal to be with God and the solitude/stillness that enables that connection to flourish.</span><br style="background-color: white;" /><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">"...how strange it was to see people walking around as if they had something important to do, running after buses, reading the newspapers...How futile all their haste and anxiety seemed.”</span><br style="background-color: white;" /><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">"...no matter who you are or what you are...you are called to a deep interior life...and to pass the fruits of your contemplation on to others."</span><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>7. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Eat-This-Book-Conversation-Spiritual/dp/0802864902/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=eat+this+book&qid=1609189045&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Eat This Book</a> by Eugene Peterson (2006)<br /></b></span></p><table border="0" cellspacing="1" class="myActivity" style="background-color: white; table-layout: fixed; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td colspan="2" style="line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AFZVK6MvAxM/X-pJIKBuQ9I/AAAAAAABLwk/b8EYmGnfI8gnEuMGTCLhrwg1WqPTvxdowCNcBGAsYHQ/s499/eat.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="334" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AFZVK6MvAxM/X-pJIKBuQ9I/AAAAAAABLwk/b8EYmGnfI8gnEuMGTCLhrwg1WqPTvxdowCNcBGAsYHQ/w134-h200/eat.jpg" width="134" /></span></a></div><span class="readable reviewText" style="line-height: 21px;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">This was my first Peterson book. I now plan to read many more. I really love and appreciate his spirit and his love and reverence for the Bible. He challenges our tendency to bring our own self-sovereign reality to the Bible and how we prefer to read to get information out of the Bible for inspiration. Instead, he calls us to read in such a way to let God's Word get inside of us and "to form a life that is congruent with the world that God has created, the salvation that he has enacted, and the community that he has gathered...a dog-with-a-bone kind of reading.”<br /><br /></span><span id="docs-internal-guid-d91d0a8c-7fff-fdd9-46a2-c9b469d7df31"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">“‘Eat this book’ is my metaphor of choice for focusing attention on what is involved in reading our Holy Scriptures formatively, that is, in such a way that the Holy Spirit uses them to form Christ in us. We are not interested in knowing more but in becoming more.”</span></span></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>8. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Daring-Greatly-Courage-Vulnerable-Transforms/dp/1592408419/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=daring+greatly&qid=1609189077&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Daring Greatly</a> by Brene Brown (2012)<br /></b></span></p><table border="0" cellspacing="1" class="myActivity" style="background-color: white; table-layout: fixed; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td colspan="2" style="line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RGyvb0MxhmA/X-pJeZDeh8I/AAAAAAABLww/j4WpDYAPvKIMkpmFr67tlAhRobCLVSmCwCNcBGAsYHQ/s499/daring.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="332" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RGyvb0MxhmA/X-pJeZDeh8I/AAAAAAABLww/j4WpDYAPvKIMkpmFr67tlAhRobCLVSmCwCNcBGAsYHQ/w133-h200/daring.jpg" width="133" /></span></a></div><span class="readable reviewText" style="line-height: 21px;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Even though I've learned about the importance of vulnerability from multiple places (including Brown's TED talks) over the last decade or so and have grown in my ability to be vulnerable, I still very much appreciated Brené Brown's thoughts here. She clarifies what I have seen to be true in my own life: that vulnerability takes great courage, because of our own shame, but it breeds deep connection with others, freedom, and a sense of belonging. I want to live a wholehearted life and want to encourage others to do the same. This book is an excellent place to learn about what that means.<br /><br />Quote: “Belonging is the innate human desire to be part of something larger than us...we often try to acquire it by fitting in and by seeking approval, which are not only hollow substitutes for the belonging, but often barriers to it. Because true belonging only happens when we present our authentic, imperfect selves to the world..."<br /></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>9. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Martian-Andy-Weir/dp/0553418025/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=the+martian&qid=1609189105&sr=8-2" target="_blank">The Martian</a> by Andy Weir (2014)<br /></b></span></p><table border="0" cellspacing="1" class="myActivity" style="background-color: white; table-layout: fixed; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td colspan="2" style="line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--EEkVnWn3Hw/X-pJ2y45YqI/AAAAAAABLw4/VInak2ALoww6Lq3UMvtzbBIIYoQY4cK2ACNcBGAsYHQ/s499/martian.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: helvetica;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="324" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--EEkVnWn3Hw/X-pJ2y45YqI/AAAAAAABLw4/VInak2ALoww6Lq3UMvtzbBIIYoQY4cK2ACNcBGAsYHQ/w130-h200/martian.jpg" width="130" /></span></a></div><span class="readable reviewText" style="line-height: 21px;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I read this in a 36 hour timespan, which I think is the fastest I've ever read a book. I really enjoyed the story and the science woven in throughout. Thankfully, I had forgotten much of the movie, so I could mostly enjoy the book on its own and still be surprised in ways.<br /><br />“He’s stuck out there. He thinks he’s totally alone and that we all gave up on him. What kind of effect does that have on a man’s psychology?” He turned back to Venkat. “I wonder what he’s thinking right now.”<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">LOG ENTRY: SOL 61 How come Aquaman can control whales? They’re mammals! Makes no sense.”</span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>10. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Lions-Gate-Front-Lines-Six/dp/1595231196/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=the+lion%27s+gate&qid=1609189137&sr=8-1" target="_blank">The Lion's Gate </a>by Steven Pressfield (2014)<br /></b></span></p><table border="0" cellspacing="1" class="myActivity" style="background-color: white; table-layout: fixed; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td colspan="2" style="line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_kD4sepfpKY/X-pJ9ZwVnLI/AAAAAAABLw8/AeV3II17e3wLFtiGTwlDwXSFs-yvpO5kQCNcBGAsYHQ/s499/lion.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="326" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_kD4sepfpKY/X-pJ9ZwVnLI/AAAAAAABLw8/AeV3II17e3wLFtiGTwlDwXSFs-yvpO5kQCNcBGAsYHQ/w131-h200/lion.jpg" width="131" /></span></a></div><span class="readable reviewText" style="line-height: 21px;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I found it a little slow and disconnected at first, as I was getting familiar with the style of the book, which is not a straight history of the Six Day War (1967), but a collection of letters/writings from the various people involved. However, it eventually became a gripping story, especially because I was completely unfamiliar with it.<br /><br />I was struck by the love the Jewish people in Israel had for one another and for the land of their forefathers. I was struck by their courage to stand up to enemies that hated them from every direction. I was struck by their patience to endure the pain of exile for so many years. I was deeply moved as they finally regained access to some of the holiest sites of their faith.<br /><br />"If there is a universal disease of the modern era, I believe it is the malady of exile. This affliction is experienced on the individual level as well as on the national and the racial—the agony of feeling that one is a part of nothing, that he belongs nowhere and to no one. Exile is the torment of being held apart (or of holding oneself apart) from one’s own deepest essence and his truest, most primal legacy. What brings a nation or an individual out of exile? Only return—physically, emotionally, and spiritually—to the place of its birth."<br /><b style="background-color: transparent;"><br />11. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Stand-Complete-Uncut-Stephen-King/dp/B00BHP75VY">The Stand </a>by Stephen King (1978)</b></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span><table border="0" cellspacing="1" class="myActivity" style="background-color: white; table-layout: fixed; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td colspan="2" style="line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kPuYDAbKIs0/X-pKCkMKVrI/AAAAAAABLxA/kDFswU4N9Lws4E8Mlc0VlslljgQhhft_gCNcBGAsYHQ/s346/stand.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><img border="0" data-original-height="346" data-original-width="224" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kPuYDAbKIs0/X-pKCkMKVrI/AAAAAAABLxA/kDFswU4N9Lws4E8Mlc0VlslljgQhhft_gCNcBGAsYHQ/w129-h200/stand.jpg" width="129" /></span></a></div><span class="readable reviewText" style="line-height: 21px;"><span id="freeTextreview3334599095"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">After reading the Dark Tower series for the first time a couple of years ago, I wanted to take a shot at another of King's greats. And since it is about a killer virus that wipes most of the U.S., I thought it would be an interesting read during COVID-19. While King can be a little wordy, this was a great story, one mostly centered around good vs. evil. King does a great job building depth and complexity to characters and I love the way many of the heroes are not what you would expect.<br /><br />“‘You’re nothing!’ Glen said, wiping his streaming eyes and still chuckling. ‘Oh pardon me…It’s just that we were all so frightened…we made such a business out of you…I’m laughing as much at our own foolishness as at your regrettable lack of substance…’” <br /></span></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>12. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Gentle-Lowly-Christ-Sinners-Sufferers/dp/1433566133/ref=sxts_sxwds-bia-wc-rsf1_0?cv_ct_cx=gentle+and+lowly&dchild=1&keywords=gentle+and+lowly&pd_rd_i=1433566133&pd_rd_r=52f7ff42-7f0d-4bb9-8af3-cf4caf9a1390&pd_rd_w=jmjM5&pd_rd_wg=yYjyX&pf_rd_p=e0f994a8-a359-40a9-8917-dadca71c7184&pf_rd_r=6VXQW3XBBBRNH45CW37Q&psc=1&qid=1609189237&sr=1-1-526ea17f-3f73-4b50-8cd8-6acff948fa5a">Gentle and Lowly</a> by Dane Ortlund (2020)<br /></b></span></p><div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bXIq36MvkkQ/X-pKJkEhDjI/AAAAAAABLxI/7d9ezzC5C18dtYf_o1Tspkixcs90FeyOgCNcBGAsYHQ/s499/gentle.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="326" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bXIq36MvkkQ/X-pKJkEhDjI/AAAAAAABLxI/7d9ezzC5C18dtYf_o1Tspkixcs90FeyOgCNcBGAsYHQ/w131-h200/gentle.jpg" width="131" /></a></div></span><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Aided by Puritan writer Thomas Goodwin and centering on Jesus's call in Matthew 11:28-29, Ortlund uses various verses to show over and over again that the center of Christ's heart is bursting with affection and gentleness for us, and that "no one in human history has ever been more approachable than Jesus Christ.” He goes on to show how the Father's heart is the same and that "the Bible is one long attempt to deconstruct our natural vision of who God actually is."</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">For those that struggle with feeling like God's love for them is mixed with disappointment, this book would be a fantastic resource. My struggle is less here and more that I have a hard time letting His love actually impact me. Therefore, some of what was written landed a little flat to me, in a frustrating way. However, there were also times where my heart seemed to be stirred and warmed. I believe it's a book I should return to occasionally and I certainly recommend it for others.</span></p></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Honorable Mentions:</b><br /></span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Great Expectations by Charles Dickens<br /></span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Habits of the Heart by Robert Bellah<br /></span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The Prophetic Imagination by Walter Brueggemann<br /></span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Dracula by Bram Stoker<br /></span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Educated by Tara Westover</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Past Years:</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://thismortallife.blogspot.com/2020/01/favorite-books-i-read-in-2019.html">2019</a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://thismortallife.blogspot.com/2018/12/favorite-books-i-read-in-2018.html">2018</a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span face=""calibri" , sans-serif" style="color: black; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="http://thismortallife.blogspot.com/2017/12/favorite-books-i-read-in-2017.html" target="_blank">2017</a></span><br /><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><a href="http://thismortallife.blogspot.com/2016/12/favorite-books-i-read-in-2016.html" target="_blank">2016</a></span><br /><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><a href="http://thismortallife.blogspot.com/2015/12/favorite-books-i-read-in-2015.html" target="_blank">2015</a></span><br /><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><a href="http://thismortallife.blogspot.com/2015/01/favorite-books-i-read-in-2014.html" target="_blank">2014</a></span><br /><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><a href="http://thismortallife.blogspot.com/2013/12/favorite-books-i-read-in-2013.html" target="_blank">2013</a></span><br /><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><a href="http://thismortallife.blogspot.com/2012/12/favorite-books-i-read-in-2012.html" target="_blank">2012</a></span><br /><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><a href="http://thismortallife.blogspot.com/2011/12/favorite-books-i-read-in-2011.html" target="_blank">2011</a></span></span></div>David Wilhitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08187161025528660914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29322791.post-38395658394900946242020-11-01T21:13:00.000-05:002020-11-01T21:13:42.814-05:00A Reflection on Keeper of Days, My Favorite Album of 2020<p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">It’s been a while since I have loved an album as much as I love “Keeper of Days”, put out by <a href="https://www.jonguerramusic.com/" target="_blank">Jon Guerra</a> this past May. I can’t get over how good it is. I want to listen to it over and over and over again. </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">It is truly a breath of fresh air in this crazy year.</span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I first ran across it when when <a href="https://www.brettmccracken.com/blog" target="_blank">Brett</a> <a href="https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/profile/brett-mccracken/" target="_blank">McCracken</a> (who, by the way, has become one of my favorite recommender of good things) published an <a href="https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/jon-guerra-monday-morning-prayer-music/" target="_blank">excellent interview</a> with Jon about the album. In the interview, Jon points out that the genre for this album is “devotional music”...”music birthed in quiet, and intended to be listened to in quiet.”</span></p><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">When you listen to this album, that last line makes a lot of sense. There is a depth and beauty to the melodies and the lyrics that must come from a place of stillness and rest. Jon says, "The world is so loud. Our minds are so loud. But <a href="https://www.esv.org/1%20Thessalonians%204%3A11/" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; outline: none;" target="_blank">1 Thessalonians 4:11</a> says, “Aspire to live quietly.” How lovely would it be if we, as Christians, were known as the “quiet ones”?"</span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">And because of this, it invites the listener to be still, to rest, to be caught up in beauty, and to pray. And that’s ultimately what this album is, a collection of prayers. Jon elaborates as he further explains the devotional music style: “The music, language, style, and personal expression are, ideally, all alive with prayer. It takes cues from the Psalms. There’s room for darkness, doubt, ugliness, and self-exposure.<span style="caret-color: rgb(39, 39, 39);">”</span>
</span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The first song, “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMs-BF_5ioU&ab_channel=AlexGhiurau" target="_blank">Kingdom of God</a>”, is a prayer infused with longing: "Oh that I could see your face. How I’m longing for that day…Make my heart a holy place.” He goes on to remind himself and us that it’s the poor and the mourners and the guilty that are blessed: "For their hearts have a road to the kingdom of God. And their souls are the songs of the kingdom of God. And they will find a refuge, for theirs is the kingdom of God.<span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);">”</span> And the bridge is a beautiful, soaring melody quoting Psalm 23.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The second song, “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdqgDclXPpw&ab_channel=JonGuerraVEVO" target="_blank">Citizens</a>”, is equally as powerful, as he explores what is mean to be <span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);">“</span>Christian in this American life.” I continue to be thankful for this song in the midst of this election year, as it reminds us where our true citizenship lies: "I need to know there is justice. That it will roll in abundance. And that you're building a city. Where we arrive as immigrants. And you call us citizens. And you welcome us as children home.<span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);">”</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">It also doesn’t hold back in its prophetic voice to many in the church:</span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><blockquote>"There is a wolf who is ranting. All of the sheep, they are clapping. Promising power and protection. Claiming the Christ who was killed. Killed by a common consensus. Everyone screaming <span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);">“</span>Barabbas”. Trading their God for a hero. Forfeiting Heaven for Rome...Love has a million disguises. But winning is simply not one.<span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);">”</span></blockquote></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArsaiEDtgbo&ab_channel=JonGuerraVEVO" target="_blank">Love Goes On</a> is another one of my favorites. I’m a sucker for a song that builds and this one does it wonderfully. During the bridge, Jon belts out some lines from Psalm 139: “Where can I go from your presence? Where can I flee from your Spirit? Your goodness and your mercy will follow me forever, God"
</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Besides listening to the album (in order, in one sitting, if possible), I also recommend </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">his YouTube channel where he has some stripped down versions of the songs. Outside of the above songs/videos mentioned, these are a few more of my favorites:</span></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCTC4MSPrAI&ab_channel=JonGuerraVEVO" style="font-family: helvetica;" target="_blank">Hiding Lord</a></li><li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAViPF49o8A&ab_channel=JonGuerraVEVO" style="font-family: helvetica;" target="_blank">Teach Us That One Song</a></li><li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E04whlX866U&ab_channel=JonGuerraVEVO" style="font-family: helvetica;" target="_blank">My Truest Praise</a></li></ul></div>David Wilhitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08187161025528660914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29322791.post-90100958516804852542020-06-12T15:02:00.001-04:002021-02-22T08:53:04.188-05:00Black Lives Matter and Police Brutality is a Problem<div>I know that these thoughts are obvious to many, but also politically charged and anger-inducing for others. I hope my thoughts can be helpful to all, but particularly helpful to this latter group. </div><div><br /></div><div>It took me ten days <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/31/us/george-floyd-investigation.html" target="_blank">to watch the killing of George Floyd</a>. When I first heard about it and knew there was a video, I avoided it because I thought that I'd rather not watch someone die. What good would it do? But I soon begin to realize that I was de-sensitized to the stories of this kind of violence, especially directed toward black men and women, so I finally watched it.<div><br /></div><div>Even though I knew some of the details, I wasn't really prepared to see what I saw. Sadness and anger welled up inside me as I watched a helpless man slowly suffocate from the knee of someone who is meant to protect this country's citizens. And the sadness and anger increased as I saw how this moment was a microcosm of how white men in power have consistently abused and destroyed black bodies in this country for the last four centuries.</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm grieved as I hear and read stories from strangers and friends, black men and women across the country, that speak about how they've been mistreated by police, looked at as dangerous by others, and live with daily fear. These stories remind us that police brutality and mistreatment is so much more pervasive than the few instances of it that happen to be caught on video.</div><div><br /></div><div>Because of this, I'm not surprised by the protests and the swell of energy that these recent black deaths have brought about. What other response could there be? Silence? Politely saying (again) that this is wrong and that something needs to change? As Bryan Stevenson (author of Just Mercy) recently said, the anger showing up around the country is "not just anger over what happened to George Floyd or Breonna Taylor or Ahmaud Arbery. It is anger about continuing to live in a world where there is this presumption of dangerousness and guilt wherever you go."</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm deeply grateful for what seems like another, sorely needed, tipping point in this conversation. I'm encouraged to see some have had their eyes opened for the first time about the history of racial injustice and I'm also encouraged to see that there are policies, like <a href="https://8cantwait.org" target="_blank">8 Can't Wait</a>, being discussed and acted on as ways to tangibly move away from the systems that continue to allow for police brutality and racial injustice. I hope this energy continues in the months, years, and generations to come. And I hope I can be a part of the solution for continued reform.</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm indebted to many voices over the years that have written and spoken about racial injustice and for others who have pointed out these voices to me. For those of you wanting to grow in your understanding of this topic, I highly recommend any of the below resources as they have all significantly shaped my thinking.</div><div><br /></div><div><div>Writings:</div><div><ul><li><a href="http://www.africa.upenn.edu/Articles_Gen/Letter_Birmingham.html" target="_blank">Letter from a Birmingham Jail</a> (MLK Jr., 1963) - It is shocking how relevant MLK Jr.'s thoughts still are today.</li><li><a href="https://justmercy.eji.org" target="_blank">Just Mercy</a> (Stevenson, 2014) - No book has stirred me more on racial injustice issues than this one. From death row to juvenile facilities, Bryan Stevenson gets the reader close to the stories of how injustice is prevailing within our justice system and "how we allow fear, anger, and distance to shape the way we treat the most vulnerable among us."</li><li><a href="https://www.ibramxkendi.com/stamped-from-the-beginning" target="_blank">Stamped from the Beginning</a> (Kendi, 2017) - the best history I've read that summarizes the consistent examples of violence, injustice, and inequality directed against black people in this country. Dr. Kendi shows that from slavery to Jim Crow to mass incarceration up through today, racial discrimination has always led to racial policies which has always led to ignorance and hate, not the other way around.</li><li><a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/190696/the-warmth-of-other-suns-by-isabel-wilkerson/" target="_blank">The Warmth of Other Suns</a> (Wilkerson, 2011) - A captivating account of the migration of 6 million black southerners to the North, from 1915 to 1970, detailing the incredible amount of mistreatment and inequality black people were facing in the Jim Crow South.</li><li><a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/220290/between-the-world-and-me-by-ta-nehisi-coates/" target="_blank">Between the World and Me</a> (Coates, 2015) - Written as a letter to his son, Coates talks about the preciousness of the black body and how many will try to abuse and destroy it.</li><li><a href="https://thenewpress.com/books/new-jim-crow" target="_blank">The New Jim Crow</a> (Alexander, 2010) - Argues how the War on Drugs was the impetus for the systematic mass incarceration of people of color in the United States.</li><li><a href="https://www.counterpointpress.com/dd-product/the-hidden-wound/" target="_blank">The Hidden Wound </a>(Berry, 1970) - Agrarian thinker Wendell Berry wrestles with his family history of owning slaves. He argues how the white community has received a hidden wound from their injustices toward the black community and this wound needs to be looked at and talked about in order for the destruction of it to wane.</li></ul></div></div><div><br /></div><div>Podcasts:</div><div><ul><li><a href="https://www.sceneonradio.org/seeing-white/" target="_blank">Scene on the Radio: Seeing White (2017)</a> - 14 episode podcast series where host John Biewan explores his own whiteness, often interacting with guest Dr. Chenjerai Kumanyika.</li><li><a href="https://www.mprnews.org/story/2018/04/24/74-seconds-podcast-peabody-mpr-news" target="_blank">74 Seconds </a>(2017) - Series that tells the tragic story of the shooting of Philando Castile, during a July 2016 traffic stop outside of Minneapolis. </li><li><a href="https://theliturgists.com/podcast/2016/3/29/episode-34-black-and-white-racism-in-america" target="_blank">The Liturgists Podcast - Black and White: Racism in America</a> (5/19/16) - a conversation about race, racism, and white supremacy in America.</li><li><a href="https://onbeing.org/programs/ta-nehisi-coates-imagining-a-new-america/" target="_blank">On Being: Ta-Nehisi Coates: Imagining a New America</a> (9/12/19)</li></ul></div><div><br /></div><div>Finally, here are some recent resources I've found helpful:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://twitter.com/thEMANacho/status/1267609472589090816" target="_blank">Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man</a> - NFL linebacker Emmaunel Acho clearly and wisely answers questions he's recently received like, "Why do you think white privilege exists?"</li><li><a href="https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/when-injustice-seems-prevail/" target="_blank">How to Respond When Justice Seems to Prevail </a>- Bobby Jamison writes for the Gospel Coalition about how the Psalms teach us to engage with God with lament in the face of injustice</li><li><a href="https://www.theringer.com/the-bill-simmons-podcast/2020/6/3/21278867/deray-mckesson-on-ending-police-brutality-plus-steve-kerr-pete-carroll-and-gregg-popovich" target="_blank">The Bill Simmons Podcast: Deray Mckesson on Ending Police Brutality, Plus 'Flying Coach' with Steve Kerr, Peter Carroll, and Gregg Popovich (6/3/20)</a> - Excellent conversation with the founder of Campaign Zero followed by a conversation with three famous white coaches, who discuss the current national moment with remarkable wisdom, clarity, and humility.</li></ul></div></div>David Wilhitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08187161025528660914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29322791.post-3221898566730909622020-01-01T16:52:00.001-05:002020-05-21T15:22:51.022-04:00Favorite Books I Read in 2019Here are my favorite books that I read in 2019:<br />
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<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>1. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Lewis-Christian-Life-Becoming-Theologians/dp/1433550555" target="_blank">Lewis on the Christian Life</a> by Joe Rigney (2018)</b></span></span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ty4u2GJb2bQ/XfhGE9gYDDI/AAAAAAABAnI/oJV4zV6aZOogUp2kg7sRf_3w49dxG2nmwCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/lewis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ty4u2GJb2bQ/XfhGE9gYDDI/AAAAAAABAnI/oJV4zV6aZOogUp2kg7sRf_3w49dxG2nmwCK4BGAYYCw/s200/lewis.jpg" width="130" /></span></a><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I loved reading this book so much. Rigney does a masterful job at synthesizing Lewis's works to show the main ideas that fuel them all: I am here and now, God is here and now, God demands our all, every moment of life we're confronted with a Choice towards self/death/hell/emptiness or God/life/heaven/becoming truly human. This book makes me more appreciative of Lewis's brilliance in communicating great truth.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Quote: <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Over time, the confusion of worldly, twisted pleasures with God’s design for pleasures builds up a crust around the soul that prevents us from knowing God….Rather than commit acts of high defiance, we drift almost passively and imperceptibly, away from God. </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As the crust around our souls builds up, we shy away from our spiritual duties. We grow reluctant to actually engage with God</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Our sins become big enough to hinder prayer, but not large enough (so we think) to demand repentance</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. And so we drift and drift and drift.”</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>2. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Gentleman-Moscow-Novel-Amor-Towles/dp/0670026190" target="_blank">A Gentleman in Moscow</a> by Amor Towles (2016)</b></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kLux4d82hoQ/XfhG9kOul2I/AAAAAAABAns/2b3NcvVsyKcMtkujsl3PvcPkq8PaH65CQCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/moscos.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kLux4d82hoQ/XfhG9kOul2I/AAAAAAABAns/2b3NcvVsyKcMtkujsl3PvcPkq8PaH65CQCK4BGAYYCw/s200/moscos.jpg" width="130" /></span></a><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I checked this one out after being on one of Bill Gates '<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/05/20/bill-gates-2019-summer-reading-recommendations.html" target="_blank">best of' lists.</a> It's a fascinating work of historical fiction, centered around <span style="background-color: white;">Count Alexander Ilyich Rostov, who is under house arrest in Moscow's Metropol Hotel in the early twentieth century. While most of the characters were interesting, the Count's civility and appreciation for the people/things around him were especially enjoyable to read. </span><br /><br /><span style="background-color: white;">Quote: </span>“For his part, the Count had opted for the life of the purposefully unrushed. Not only was he disinclined to race toward some appointed hour - disdaining even to wear a watch - he took the greatest satisfaction when assuring a friend that a worldly matter could wait in favor of a leisurely lunch or stroll along the embankment. After all, did not wine improve with age? Was it not the passage of years that gave a piece of furniture its delightful patina? When all was said and done, the endeavors that most modern men saw as urgent (such as appointments with bankers and the catching of trains), probably could have waited, while those they deemed frivolous (such as cups of tea and friendly chats) had deserved their immediate attention.”</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>3. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Hellhound-His-Trail-Electrifying-American/dp/0307387437/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=hellbound+on+his+trail&qid=1576551165&s=books&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Hellhound on his Trail: The Stalking of Martin Luther King, Jr.</a> by Hampton Sides (2010)</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fjD5HTaz72M/XfhHXkvq_5I/AAAAAAABAn4/SwVZkRCuTVooG8KGKIoG4ylD4ouPsQlswCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/hellhound.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fjD5HTaz72M/XfhHXkvq_5I/AAAAAAABAn4/SwVZkRCuTVooG8KGKIoG4ylD4ouPsQlswCK4BGAYYCw/s200/hellhound.jpg" width="130" /></span></a><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I think I read this book faster than any other, because it was so captivating. In one thread of the narrative, you are learning about prisoner #416J, Eric Galt, who we eventually come to know as James Earl Ray. We learn about his early life in and out of prison and his drifting all over the continent. In another thread, you are learning about Martin Luther King, Jr., his civil rights movement, and intimate snapshots of his personal life along the way. I realized that I didn't know much about this story, including that the hunt for James Earl Ray was one the largest manhunts in American history. A very educational and engaging read.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Quote:</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">"For poverty is miserable. It is ugly, disorganized, rowdy, sick, uneducated, violent, afflicted with crime. Poverty demeans human dignity. The demanding tone, the inarticulateness, the implied violence deeply offended us. We didn’t want to see it on our sacred monumental grounds. We wanted it out of sight and out of mind."</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fjD5HTaz72M/XfhHXkvq_5I/AAAAAAABAn4/SwVZkRCuTVooG8KGKIoG4ylD4ouPsQlswCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/hellhound.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><span style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></span><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fjD5HTaz72M/XfhHXkvq_5I/AAAAAAABAn4/SwVZkRCuTVooG8KGKIoG4ylD4ouPsQlswCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/hellhound.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></a><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>4. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Harry-Potter-Paperback-Box-Books/dp/0545162076/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=harry+potter+series&qid=1577911869&s=books&sr=1-1" target="_blank">The Harry Potter series</a> by J.K. Rowling</b></span></span><br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l6HYPB_Z54M/Xg0EQ63-SNI/AAAAAAABAtw/RFn3OJPdKGAHqF4PdsSuPPCfD0-Iowe_ACK4BGAYYCw/s1600/harry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l6HYPB_Z54M/Xg0EQ63-SNI/AAAAAAABAtw/RFn3OJPdKGAHqF4PdsSuPPCfD0-Iowe_ACK4BGAYYCw/s200/harry.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Although I was a reader in high school while the first few books of this series were released, for some reason, I never did pick them up. Over the years, I had heard that they were well written books and that I should give them a chance, even if I wasn't into wizards and fantasy writing that much (I had only seen two of the movies and though they were just okay).</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I finally took the plunge at the beginning of this year. I enjoyed the first book, but really had to push through to make it through books 2, 3, and the first part of book 4. During this difficult run, I remember feeling like there was too much Quidditch, that many of the characters seemed flat, and that the writing was a bit more childish. </span></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;">However, once the Triwizard tournament selection started in The Goblet of Fire, I was hooked until the end. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I did eventually come to love the world that Rowling created and see why there are so many hardcore fans out there. I think my favorite part of the whole series with the relationship between Harry and Dumbledore. Something about Dumbledore's calm strength and his love for Harry, though he often seemed distant, was endearing, especially in the face of Harry's fear, doubt, anger, and disappointment with life. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>5. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Golden-Shore-Life-Adoniram-Judson/dp/0817011218/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1DPIHG3JX2U2E&keywords=to+the+golden+shore+the+life+of+adoniram+judson&qid=1577911843&s=books&sprefix=to+the+golde%2Cstripbooks%2C148&sr=1-1" target="_blank">To the Golden Shore</a> by Courtney Anderson</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I really enjoyed Judson's story and appreciate the many ways that if offered great perspective. Conditions of life were much more difficult in the early 19th century, and Judson willingly chose to endure more hardships and ended up experiencing a lot of additional suffering because of his dedication to bringing the gospel to Burma. This biography shows how so many revered him because of his lifelong efforts, both in Burma and the U.S., but it also revealed the broken man that he was, including his occasional doubt of the mission and how much of his motivation to become the first foreign US missionary stemmed from his ambition to be great in the eyes of others.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Quote: </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;">“There were two worlds, two lives, for each person: this one--brief, narrow, finite; and the hereafter-- eternal, limitless, infinite. Fame, to mean anything, should go with one into the next world, where one could enjoy it perpetually.”</span></span><br />
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<b style="color: #444444; font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;">6. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Tattoos-Heart-Power-Boundless-Compassion/dp/1439153159/ref=sr_1_1?crid=VAXTDHQOATTK&keywords=tatoos+on+the+heart&qid=1576551197&s=books&sprefix=tatoo%2Cstripbooks%2C167&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Tattoos on the Heart </a><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">by Father Greg Boyle (2010)</span></b></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-apWVGEwlWJU/XgevEEZLhiI/AAAAAAABAsQ/6MLs2s2qsAApRV54TM1f3QkGTCLn7sQ3wCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/tattoos.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-apWVGEwlWJU/XgevEEZLhiI/AAAAAAABAsQ/6MLs2s2qsAApRV54TM1f3QkGTCLn7sQ3wCK4BGAYYCw/s200/tattoos.jpg" width="130" /></a><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-p8J5gv8IXrI/XfhHio0XRTI/AAAAAAABAoA/khev6WyBrA09_sQplLnqxXnw9j6_lhJJgCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/tats.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span></a><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Engaging, funny, and heart-warming stories about the work that Father Greg Boyle and HomeBoy Industries are doing with gang members in L.A.. It's beautiful to see Boyle and his ministry give dignity and love to so many in cycles of shame, poverty, violence, and brokenness.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Quote: “No daylight to separate us...</span><span style="background-color: white;">Only kinship. Inching ourselves closer to creating a community of kinship such that God might recognize it. Soon we imagine, with God, this circle of compassion. Then we imagine no one standing outside of that circle, moving ourselves closer to the margins so that the margins themselves will be erased. We stand there with those whose dignity has been denied. We locate ourselves with the poor and the powerless and the voiceless. At the edges, we join the easily despised and the readily left out. We stand with the demonized so that the demonizing will stop. We situate ourselves right next to the disposable so that the day will come when we stop throwing people away.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>7. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Short-History-Nearly-Everything/dp/076790818X" target="_blank">A Short History of Nearly Everything</a> by Bill Bryson</b></span></span><br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uiZR5Qet3TY/Xg0FxPwmsmI/AAAAAAABAuI/QQcLQitA9b8Wc0OqAEPA1qPSOjL-PKaDACK4BGAYYCw/s1600/history.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uiZR5Qet3TY/Xg0FxPwmsmI/AAAAAAABAuI/QQcLQitA9b8Wc0OqAEPA1qPSOjL-PKaDACK4BGAYYCw/s200/history.jpg" width="132" /></a><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">A great book summarizing the important discoveries in science (cosmology, chemistry, biology, astronomy, physics, zoology, etc.) and the people involved. Bryson does a good job at not getting too much in the weeds, but also sharing enough detail so that most of the book stays very interesting and engaging. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;">I have three main take-aways from the book: 1) Our universe/world is an utterly fascinating place, 2) The fact that life (humans/animals/plants/etc.) exists and continues to exist is scientifically shown to be statistically improbable, 3) The history of scientific study reveals that while there have been smart people discovering amazing things, it's actually really hard to know what is true about our world and what we think we know today might completely change with time.</span><br />
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<b style="color: #444444; font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;">8. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Stamped-Beginning-Definitive-History-National/dp/1568585985" target="_blank">Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America</a> by Ibram X. Kendi</b><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Y1E1NJY5tK8/XfhFzzf5UUI/AAAAAAABAm8/2K-RlHCfzzYgkKBVv2dUtgOkEdikjwQqQCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/stamped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Y1E1NJY5tK8/XfhFzzf5UUI/AAAAAAABAm8/2K-RlHCfzzYgkKBVv2dUtgOkEdikjwQqQCK4BGAYYCw/s200/stamped.jpg" width="130" /></a><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">An insightful and compelling book, but also one that is hard to read because of the countless and consistent examples of violence, injustice, and inequality directed against black people over the history of this country. Dr. Kendi shows that from slavery to Jim Crow to mass incarceration up through today, racial discrimination has always led to racial policies which has always led to ignorance and hate, not the other way around. </span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">In his words, “Time and again, powerful and brilliant men and women have produced racist ideas in order to justify the racist policies of their era, in order to redirect the blame for their era’s racial disparities away from those policies and onto Black people.” </span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;">The challenge is to pursue antiracism, the belief that all racial groups truly are equal. However, since almost no one ever believes that they are being racist, it will take humility, courage, and a willingness to stand up to the backlash that often accompanies antiracist ideas.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>9. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Jane-Penguin-Classics-Charlotte-Bront%C3%AB/dp/0141441143/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=jane+eyre+penguin&qid=1577911952&s=books&sr=1-2" target="_blank">Jane Eyre</a> by Charlotte Bronte</b></span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TppsbB5X3GU/Xg0PQWJVRdI/AAAAAAABAuU/EyDmvXfrSvcMrHRinAALae-QiL74mJstACK4BGAYYCw/s1600/jane.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TppsbB5X3GU/Xg0PQWJVRdI/AAAAAAABAuU/EyDmvXfrSvcMrHRinAALae-QiL74mJstACK4BGAYYCw/s200/jane.jpg" width="129" /></a><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">After struggling through some older English fiction over the last few years, I was pleasantly surprised at how enjoyable this book was. From the beginning, I was taken in by Bronte's style and I loved who she created Jane Eyre to be. I appreciated her humility, strength, and independence, traits shining brightly as they are constantly juxtaposed against other characters around her. I'm now looking forward to watching the movie from 2011.</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Quote: <span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;">“I can live alone, if self-respect, and circumstances require me so to do. I need not sell my soul to buy bliss. I have an inward treasure born with me, which can keep me alive if all extraneous delights should be withheld, or offered only at a price I cannot afford to give.”</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>10. </b></span><b style="color: #444444; font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Reading-Well-Finding-through-Great/dp/1587433966/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=on+reading+well&qid=1577911896&s=books&sr=1-1" target="_blank">On Reading Well </a>by Karen Swallow Prior</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-176xzlvYRgU/XfhGaNpHIKI/AAAAAAABAnU/nJ7ACM9zpTcr7LWXAhoXgeaaaojQuknQACK4BGAYYCw/s1600/Reading%2Bwell.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-176xzlvYRgU/XfhGaNpHIKI/AAAAAAABAnU/nJ7ACM9zpTcr7LWXAhoXgeaaaojQuknQACK4BGAYYCw/s200/Reading%2Bwell.jpg" width="130" /></a><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;">Prior </span></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;">makes a great case that the way to become the type of person who acts more virtuously is to imagine what virtue looks like and that one of the best ways to do that is through reading great literature. She says that good books can help us vicariously practice virtue, which helps to cultivate our desires towards the good, virtuous life. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;">She takes 12 virtues (Cardinal: Temperance, Prudence, Justice, Courage; Theological: Faith, Hope, Love; Heavenly: Chastity, Diligence, Patience, Kindness, Humility) and pairs each one with a certain book (Ex. Temperance - The Great Gatsby), where she both elaborates on the meaning and history of the virtue, but shows how a book or a character in a book is teaching us about that particular virtue. I heartily agree with her thesis and I enjoyed her painting the picture of each virtue through the different stories presented. I had read some of the books she discussed and enjoyed remembering them again through the lens of a particular virtue. Other books I hadn't read and my interest was piqued to read them one day.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Honorable Mentions:</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">All The Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The Locust Effect by Gary Haugen</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Farenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Seculosity by David Zahl</span></div>
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David Wilhitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08187161025528660914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29322791.post-63670302609022883072019-12-28T15:42:00.002-05:002020-05-21T15:22:42.058-04:00Best of the Decade (2010s): Books<!--?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?-->
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<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Reading is one of my favorites things to do in life. Also, right up there, is creating and organizing lists to share about the books that I've most enjoyed and have shaped me most. That's why, despite this blog mostly being dormant during the year, I faithfully return at the end of each December to share my favorite books of that year (that post coming soon for 2019).</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Therefore, creating this best of the decade list for books was quite enjoyable and it's my pleasure to share them below.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>1. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Lewis-Christian-Life-Becoming-Theologians/dp/1433550555" target="_blank">Lewis on the Christian Life</a> by Joe Rigney (2018)</b></span></span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ty4u2GJb2bQ/XfhGE9gYDDI/AAAAAAABAnI/oJV4zV6aZOogUp2kg7sRf_3w49dxG2nmwCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/lewis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ty4u2GJb2bQ/XfhGE9gYDDI/AAAAAAABAnI/oJV4zV6aZOogUp2kg7sRf_3w49dxG2nmwCK4BGAYYCw/s200/lewis.jpg" width="130" /></span></a><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I loved reading this book so much. Rigney does a masterful job at synthesizing Lewis's works to show the main ideas that fuel them all: I am here and now, God is here and now, God demands our all, every moment of life we're confronted with a Choice towards self/death/hell/emptiness or God/life/heaven/becoming truly human. This book makes me more appreciative of Lewis's brilliance in communicating great truth.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Quote: <span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Over time, the confusion of worldly, twisted pleasures with God’s design for pleasures builds up a crust around the soul that prevents us from knowing God….Rather than commit acts of high defiance, we drift almost passively and imperceptibly, away from God. </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As the crust around our souls builds up, we shy away from our spiritual duties. We grow reluctant to actually engage with God</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Our sins become big enough to hinder prayer, but not large enough (so we think) to demand repentance</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. And so we drift and drift and drift.”</span></span><br />
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<b style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">2. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Just-Mercy-Story-Justice-Redemption/dp/081298496X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1513967375&sr=8-1&keywords=just+mercy" target="_blank">Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption</a> by Bryan Stevenson (2014)</span></b><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-adGcJgKYNxs/WkgvYWK1zqI/AAAAAAAAuH8/eYOQvQB30psMHQSQxonhf8FFbOj3c0qPQCLcBGAs/s1600/book%2B-%2Bjust%2Bmercy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="324" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-adGcJgKYNxs/WkgvYWK1zqI/AAAAAAAAuH8/eYOQvQB30psMHQSQxonhf8FFbOj3c0qPQCLcBGAs/s200/book%2B-%2Bjust%2Bmercy.jpg" width="129" /></span></a><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">This is a riveting, well-written book about the countless encounters Stevenson has had with the wrongly accused and excessively punished in this country. From death row to juvenile facilities, he shows the injustice prevailing within our justice system and it is often maddening. Stevenson summarizes the book this way, "this book is about getting closer to mass incarceration and extreme punishment in America. It is about how easily we condemn people in this country and the injustice we create when we allow fear, anger, and distance to shape the way we treat the most vulnerable among us." </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Quote: “Proximity has taught me some basic and humbling truths, including this vital lesson: Each of us is more than the worst thing we’ve ever done. My work with the poor and the incarcerated has persuaded me that the opposite of poverty is not wealth; the opposite of poverty is justice. Finally, I’ve come to believe that the true measure of our commitment to justice, the character of our society, our commitment to the rule of law, fairness, and equality cannot be measured by how we treat the rich, the powerful, the privileged, and the respected among us. The true measure of our character is how we treat the poor, the disfavored, the accused, the incarcerated, and the condemned.” </span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>3. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Common-Ground-Gods-Restored-Marriage/dp/0988328305/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1420426732&sr=1-1&keywords=common+ground+bals">Common Ground</a> by Gordon Bals (2012)</b></span><br />
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</span><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ehGC2UMbuL8/VKtUxpEWFJI/AAAAAAAAN-A/PDxsyxmYyWI/s1600/common%2Bground.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ehGC2UMbuL8/VKtUxpEWFJI/AAAAAAAAN-A/PDxsyxmYyWI/s1600/common%2Bground.jpg" width="133" /></span></a><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">This is hands down the best marriage book I've ever read. When Lauren and I were in a difficult place in our marriage a couple of months in, a counselor friend of mine recommended that we read this book. Time and time again, it proved to be so incredibly helpful as it laid out exactly what we were going through. In the book, Bals lays out a lot of wisdom about the lies we are tempted to believe, the unique struggles we face in the roles of husband and wife, and the unique ways we are called to love one another. I cannot recommend this book highly enough for those of you are married, especially if you're facing difficulty in relating to one another.</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Quote: "<span style="line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">God burdened Adam with futility to frustrate his desire to have impact...He burdened Eve with disappointment in relationships to frustrate her desire to be connected...</span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The burden of Genesis makes clear that </span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">the marriage relationship will be more vexing for the wife</span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">…The marital relationship is easier for the husband than it is for the wife...Marriage is more tenuous for a wife </span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">because she longs for more in marriage than her husband does, and she is wounded more deeply by marital pain</span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.”</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>4. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Righteous-Mind-Divided-Politics-Religion/dp/0307455777" target="_blank">The Righteous Mind: </a><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Righteous-Mind-Divided-Politics-Religion/dp/0307455777" target="_blank">Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion</a> </span>by Jonathan Haidt (2013)</b></span></span><br />
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ul59P7aSkeQ/WGMm-ELZsXI/AAAAAAAAoCI/14PYYrr_kc8BDJq3bP8uOpLvFlpxb4FEACLcB/s1600/righteous.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ul59P7aSkeQ/WGMm-ELZsXI/AAAAAAAAoCI/14PYYrr_kc8BDJq3bP8uOpLvFlpxb4FEACLcB/s200/righteous.jpg" width="129" /></span></a><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ul59P7aSkeQ/WGMm-ELZsXI/AAAAAAAAoCI/14PYYrr_kc8BDJq3bP8uOpLvFlpxb4FEACLcB/s1600/righteous.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span></a><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">This book was a huge paradigm shift for me and one that I've continued to think about more and more every year since reading it. Haidt is a social psychologist who looks into how moral psychology can help us understand our political and religious views better. We think we use our reason much more than we actually do, when in fact, our intuition/gut is much more involved in our judgments and our reason is mostly there to justify our decisions. He ultimately urges us towards empathy and humility in engaging with people who have ideas different than ours. If you want to understand why it's hard for people to calmly discuss politics or religion, you need to read this book.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span id="docs-internal-guid-4787d720-7fff-aedc-eb30-94126e882176"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">“If you really want to change someone’s mind on a moral or political matter, you’ll need to see things from that person’s angle as well as your own...Empathy is an antidote to righteousness, although it’s very difficult to empathize across a moral divide.”</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>5. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Gentleman-Moscow-Novel-Amor-Towles/dp/0670026190" target="_blank">A Gentleman in Moscow</a> by Amor Towles (2016)</b></span></span><br />
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</span><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kLux4d82hoQ/XfhG9kOul2I/AAAAAAABAns/2b3NcvVsyKcMtkujsl3PvcPkq8PaH65CQCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/moscos.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kLux4d82hoQ/XfhG9kOul2I/AAAAAAABAns/2b3NcvVsyKcMtkujsl3PvcPkq8PaH65CQCK4BGAYYCw/s200/moscos.jpg" width="130" /></span></a><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I checked this one out after being one of Bill Gates '<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/05/20/bill-gates-2019-summer-reading-recommendations.html" target="_blank">best of' lists.</a> It's a fascinating work of historical fiction, centered around <span style="background-color: white;">Count Alexander Ilyich Rostov, who is under house arrest in Moscow's Metropol Hotel in the early twentieth century. While most of the characters were interesting, the Count's civility and appreciation for the people/things around him were especially enjoyable to read. </span><br />
<br /><!--?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?--><span style="background-color: white;">Quote: </span>“For his part, the Count had opted for the life of the purposefully unrushed. Not only was he disinclined to race toward some appointed hour - disdaining even to wear a watch - he took the greatest satisfaction when assuring a friend that a worldly matter could wait in favor of a leisurely lunch or stroll along the embankment. After all, did not wine improve with age? Was it not the passage of years that gave a piece of furniture its delightful patina? When all was said and done, the endeavors that most modern men saw as urgent (such as appointments with bankers and the catching of trains), probably could have waited, while those they deemed frivolous (such as cups of tea and friendly chats) had deserved their immediate attention.”</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>6. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Warmth-Other-Suns-Americas-Migration/dp/0679763880" target="_blank">The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration</a> by Isabel Wilkerson (2011)</b></span></span></span><br />
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</span></span><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Sz-rTmow2tc/WGMmwKfc65I/AAAAAAAAoCA/M1ElIP7nBAUikVo4FTZxFCbl60q1xBrpwCLcB/s1600/WarmthofOtherSuns_paperback.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Sz-rTmow2tc/WGMmwKfc65I/AAAAAAAAoCA/M1ElIP7nBAUikVo4FTZxFCbl60q1xBrpwCLcB/s200/WarmthofOtherSuns_paperback.jpg" width="131" /></span></a><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">From 1915 to 1970, 6 million black southerners to the North, the greatest migration of any people in American history. This book tells the story of this migration by telling the stories of three different people: <span style="background-color: white;">Ida Mae, w</span><span style="background-color: white;">ho in 1937 left central Mississippi for Chicago</span><span style="background-color: white;">; </span><span style="background-color: white;">George Starling, who in 1945 left central Florida for Harlem; </span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333;">and Robert Foster, who in 1953 left Monroe, Louisiana for Los Angeles. It is a captivating read, as it speaks to the brutal inequality these and others dealt with in the Jim Crow South and to the courage they exhibited by leaving everything they knew for the possibility of a better life. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Quote: "The layers of accumulated assets built up by the better-paid dominant caste, generation after generation, would factor into a wealth disparity of white Americans having an average net worth ten times that of black Americans by the turn of the twenty-first century, dampening the economic prospects of the children and grandchildren of both Jim Crow and the Great Migration before they were even born."</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>7. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/When-Breath-Becomes-Paul-Kalanithi/dp/081298840X" target="_blank">When Breath Becomes Air</a> by Paul Kalanithi (2016)</b></span></span><br />
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</span><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5e1bLrIHcRk/WGMmsSR7VRI/AAAAAAAAoB4/RWIwUuu3xGMcn2ijXJ0BCQztw_mWs_JxACLcB/s1600/whenbreathbecomesair_0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5e1bLrIHcRk/WGMmsSR7VRI/AAAAAAAAoB4/RWIwUuu3xGMcn2ijXJ0BCQztw_mWs_JxACLcB/s200/whenbreathbecomesair_0.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="135" /></span></a><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">A beautifully moving story about a neurosurgeon, who at 36, receives a fatal diagnosis of lung cancer. His thoughtful reflections on life and death, both as the doctor and the patient, are great reminders of what is truly important in life and how death awaits us all. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Quote: “Don’t think I ever spent a minute of any day wondering why I did this work, or whether it was worth it. The call to protect life—and not merely life but another’s identity; it is perhaps not too much to say another’s soul—was obvious in its sacredness. Before operating on a patient’s brain, I realized, I must first understand his mind: his identity, his values, what makes his life worth living, and what devastation makes it reasonable to let that life end. The cost of my dedication to succeed was high, and the ineluctable failures brought me nearly unbearable guilt. Those burdens are what make medicine holy and wholly impossible: in taking up another’s cross, one must sometimes get crushed by the weight.” </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /><b>8. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Hellhound-His-Trail-Electrifying-American/dp/0307387437/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=hellbound+on+his+trail&qid=1576551165&s=books&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Hellhound on his Trail: The Stalking of Martin Luther King, Jr.</a> by Hampton Sides (2010)</b></span><br />
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</span><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fjD5HTaz72M/XfhHXkvq_5I/AAAAAAABAn4/SwVZkRCuTVooG8KGKIoG4ylD4ouPsQlswCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/hellhound.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fjD5HTaz72M/XfhHXkvq_5I/AAAAAAABAn4/SwVZkRCuTVooG8KGKIoG4ylD4ouPsQlswCK4BGAYYCw/s200/hellhound.jpg" width="130" /></span></a><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I think I read this book faster than any other, because it was so captivating. In one thread of the narrative, you are learning about prisoner #416J, Eric Galt, who we eventually come to know as James Earl Ray. We learn about his early life in and out of prison and his drifting all over the continent. In another thread, you are learning about Martin Luther King, Jr., his civil rights movement, and intimate snapshots of his personal life along the way. I realized that I didn't know much about this story, including that the hunt for James Earl Ray was one the largest manhunts in American history. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Quote:</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">"For poverty is miserable. It is ugly, disorganized, rowdy, sick, uneducated, violent, afflicted with crime. Poverty demeans human dignity. The demanding tone, the inarticulateness, the implied violence deeply offended us. We didn’t want to see it on our sacred monumental grounds. We wanted it out of sight and out of mind."</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fjD5HTaz72M/XfhHXkvq_5I/AAAAAAABAn4/SwVZkRCuTVooG8KGKIoG4ylD4ouPsQlswCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/hellhound.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><span style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></span><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fjD5HTaz72M/XfhHXkvq_5I/AAAAAAABAn4/SwVZkRCuTVooG8KGKIoG4ylD4ouPsQlswCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/hellhound.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></a>
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<br /><b>9. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Tattoos-Heart-Power-Boundless-Compassion/dp/1439153159/ref=sr_1_1?crid=VAXTDHQOATTK&keywords=tatoos+on+the+heart&qid=1576551197&s=books&sprefix=tatoo%2Cstripbooks%2C167&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Tattoos on the Heart </a><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">by Father Greg Boyle (2010)</span></b></span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-apWVGEwlWJU/XgevEEZLhiI/AAAAAAABAsQ/6MLs2s2qsAApRV54TM1f3QkGTCLn7sQ3wCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/tattoos.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-apWVGEwlWJU/XgevEEZLhiI/AAAAAAABAsQ/6MLs2s2qsAApRV54TM1f3QkGTCLn7sQ3wCK4BGAYYCw/s200/tattoos.jpg" width="130" /></a><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
</span><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-p8J5gv8IXrI/XfhHio0XRTI/AAAAAAABAoA/khev6WyBrA09_sQplLnqxXnw9j6_lhJJgCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/tats.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span></a><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Engaging, funny, and heart-warming stories about the work that Father Greg Boyle and HomeBoy Industries are doing with gang members in L.A.. It's beautiful to see Boyle and his ministry give dignity and love to so many in cycles of shame, poverty, violence, and brokenness.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Quote: “No daylight to separate us...</span><span style="background-color: white;">Only kinship. Inching ourselves closer to creating a community of kinship such that God might recognize it. Soon we imagine, with God, this circle of compassion. Then we imagine no one standing outside of that circle, moving ourselves closer to the margins so that the margins themselves will be erased. We stand there with those whose dignity has been denied. We locate ourselves with the poor and the powerless and the voiceless. At the edges, we join the easily despised and the readily left out. We stand with the demonized so that the demonizing will stop. We situate ourselves right next to the disposable so that the day will come when we stop throwing people away.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>10. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Stamped-Beginning-Definitive-History-National/dp/1568585985" target="_blank">Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America</a> by Ibram X. Kendi</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Y1E1NJY5tK8/XfhFzzf5UUI/AAAAAAABAm8/2K-RlHCfzzYgkKBVv2dUtgOkEdikjwQqQCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/stamped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Y1E1NJY5tK8/XfhFzzf5UUI/AAAAAAABAm8/2K-RlHCfzzYgkKBVv2dUtgOkEdikjwQqQCK4BGAYYCw/s200/stamped.jpg" width="130" /></a>An insightful and compelling book, but also one that is hard to read because of the countless and consistent examples of violence, injustice, and inequality directed against black people over the history of this country. Dr. Kendi shows that from slavery to Jim Crow to mass incarceration up through today, racial discrimination has always led to racial policies which has always led to ignorance and hate, not the other way around. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;">In his words, “Time and again, powerful and brilliant men and women have produced racist ideas in order to justify the racist policies of their era, in order to redirect the blame for their era’s racial disparities away from those policies and onto Black people.” </span></div>
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The challenge is to pursue antiracism, the belief that all racial groups truly are equal. However, since almost no one ever believes that they are being racist, it will take humility, courage, and a willingness to stand up to the backlash that often accompanies antiracist ideas.</div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>11. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Steve-Jobs-Walter-Isaacson/dp/1451648537/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1451059405&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Steve Jobs</a> by Walter Isaacson (2011)</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mfG1UNtAdSQ/Vn3r4e9ypBI/AAAAAAAAOFU/hjaOWIAdrjo/s1600/Steve_Jobs_by_Walter_Isaacson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mfG1UNtAdSQ/Vn3r4e9ypBI/AAAAAAAAOFU/hjaOWIAdrjo/s200/Steve_Jobs_by_Walter_Isaacson.jpg" width="125" /></span></a><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Isaacson was the one writer that Jobs wanted to write his biography. With that, Jobs gave Isaacson permission to be honest, even about his many faults and the ways he poorly treated the people around him. Jobs' perfectionism and lack of concern about what others thought certainly made him very hard to be around at times, but these same qualities were driving forces that lead to his being one of the most creative minds of our time, revolutionizing six industries: personal computers, animated movies (Pixar), music, phones, tablet computing, and digital publishing. </span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />Quote: "<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.096px;">Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything—all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure—these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart."</span></span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-t0gaJMfW_v0/UrS5MVKGv5I/AAAAAAAALPs/3LCEOTJ5uZc/s1600/meaning-of-marriage1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-t0gaJMfW_v0/UrS5MVKGv5I/AAAAAAAALPs/3LCEOTJ5uZc/s200/meaning-of-marriage1.jpg" width="130" /></span></a><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>12. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Meaning-Marriage-Timothy-Keller/dp/1594631875/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1387294353&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Meaning+of+Marriage+by+Tim+Keller">The Meaning of Marriage</a> by Tim Keller (2011)</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">This book was very helpful in preparing Lauren and I for spending our lives together. The Kellers look at what marriage is for, what it means to be married, and how a marriage can last. And I think Tim and Kathy both do a great job at setting expectations for what a biblical marriage is, in contrast to the American view of marriage.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Quote: <o:p></o:p></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">“In any relationship, there will be frightening spells in which your feelings of love dry up. And when that happens you must remember that the essence of marriage is that it is a covenant, a commitment, a promise of future love. So what do you do? You do the acts of love, despite your lack of feeling. You may not feel tender, sympathetic, and eager to please, but in your actions you must BE tender, understanding, forgiving and helpful. And, if you do that, as time goes on you will not only get through the dry spells, but they will become less frequent and deep, and you will become more constant in your feelings. This is what can happen if you decide to love.”</span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><b>13. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Tech-Wise-Family-Everyday-Putting-Technology/dp/0801018668/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1545765479&sr=8-1&keywords=tech+wise+family" target="_blank">The Tech-Wise Family: Everyday Steps for Putting Technology in Its Proper Place</a><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> by Andy Crouch (2017)</span></b></span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Bgn9qIGov74/XCkb69Cy8gI/AAAAAAAA5GQ/ZprfAWJtqbAAnrEjVruZW8wxJdPQJZriQCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/tech%2Bwise.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Bgn9qIGov74/XCkb69Cy8gI/AAAAAAAA5GQ/ZprfAWJtqbAAnrEjVruZW8wxJdPQJZriQCK4BGAYYCw/s200/tech%2Bwise.jpg" width="142" /></span></a></div>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">This is an indispensable book for all parents who want to lead their families well in the 21st century. While Tony Reinke’s book (below) has more of a focus on phones and social media, Crouch’s focus is on the home and how we should more purposefully consider interacting with many different types of technology. His guiding principles (Ten Tech-Wise Commitments) are excellent. In them, he lays out what a family should be about (developing wisdom and courage, more creating than consuming) and then practical commitments in light of those. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="background-color: white;">Quote:</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span>“Boredom -- for children and for adults -- is a perfectly modern condition. The technology that promises to release us from boredom is actually making it worse -- making us more prone to seek empty distractions than we have ever been...<i>the more you entertain children, the more bored they will get</i>...the videos we put on for our kids -- or the video games we pull up on our phones in our own moments of boredom -- are designed, unconsciously or consciously, to produce a bewitching effect. And this effect is achieved by filling a screen with a level of vividness and velocity that does not exist in the real world -- or only very rarely…So here is one result of our technology: we become people who desperately need entertainment and distraction because we have lost the world of meadows and meteors.”</span><br />
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<b style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">14. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Ways-Your-Phone-Changing-You/dp/1433552434" target="_blank">12 Ways Your Phone is Changing You</a> by Tony Reinke (2017)</span></b></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NQvksSGrFkU/XCkcAVJtlbI/AAAAAAAA5GY/DwxTTJWFcVQKp0KWsMoH_x0yamXIhjKWgCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/12%2Bways.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NQvksSGrFkU/XCkcAVJtlbI/AAAAAAAA5GY/DwxTTJWFcVQKp0KWsMoH_x0yamXIhjKWgCK4BGAYYCw/s200/12%2Bways.jpg" width="130" /></span></a></div>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">This was a very engaging, convicting, and helpful read about how our smart phones are changing the way we exist in the world. Reinke interacts with media theorists, psychologists, and everyday examples to point out the ways our phones are shaping us (causing us to be addicted to distraction, to crave immediate approval, to perpetuate our own loneliness, to lose our ability to think deeply, to fear missing out) and that what our hearts are really longing for underneath the constant interaction with our phones (connection with God and others). This book is great because it helps you see the silliness (at best) and destructiveness (at worst) behind our habits, gives some practical tips for using your phone in a healthy way, and also provides great wisdom behind those tips so that there might be lasting change. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="background-color: white;">Quote:</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span>“...we must become mindful and slow our pace...'The more we take refuge in distraction, the more habituated we become to mere stimulation and the more desensitized to delight. We lose our capacity to stop and ponder something deeply, to admire something beautiful for its own sake’ (Brad Littlejohn)...By seeking trivial pleasure in our phones, we train ourselves to want more of those trivial pleasures. Most seriously of all, ‘either we, out of fear and guilt, lose our delight in God, the source of all good, and thus begin to lose our delight in all the goods he has given us.'"</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>15. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Seeking-Allah-Finding-Jesus-Christianity/dp/0310527236/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1545616715&sr=8-1&keywords=seeking+allah" target="_blank">Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus: A Devout Muslim Encounters Christianity</a><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"> by Nabeel Qareshi (2016)</span></b></span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-31GnJD17MNw/XCkcIhUjPSI/AAAAAAAA5Go/-7me14JLzsAciP7ht4i6ysS3PhJqSrCBACK4BGAYYCw/s1600/Seeking%2BAllah.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-31GnJD17MNw/XCkcIhUjPSI/AAAAAAAA5Go/-7me14JLzsAciP7ht4i6ysS3PhJqSrCBACK4BGAYYCw/s200/Seeking%2BAllah.jpg" width="130" /></span></a></div>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">This was a very moving story and a fascinating read. Qareshi spends a good bit of the book reflecting upon and describing how practices of Islam were meaningful and impactful to him, offering a perspective I had not learned much about before. He also shows how he wrestles with his faith with his good friend, David. Through many disagreements and openly talking about their worldviews, Qareshi begins to see how much of Islam’s belief system and the Quran itself is blindly accepted with little critique, while the Bible and the person of Jesus seem to stand up in the face of much scrutiny. Living in the United States, and especially the South, I don’t have to give up much to be a Christian. It’s humbling and challenging to read about how much Qareshi gives up to follow Jesus.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Quote: “While I was wallowing in self-pity, focused on myself, there was a whole world with literally billions of people who had no idea who God is, how amazing He is, and the wonders He has done for us. They are the ones who are really suffering. They don’t know His hope, His peace, and His love that transcends all understanding. They don’t know the message of the gospel. After loving us with the most humble life and the most horrific death, Jesus told us, 'As I have loved you, go and love one another.' How could I consider myself a follower of Jesus if I was not willing to live as He lived? To die as He died? To love the unloved and give hope to the hopeless?” </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>16. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Unbroken-World-Survival-Resilience-Redemption/dp/1400064163">Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption</a> by Laura Hillenbrand (2010)</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">A fascinating true story about Louis Zamperini, a world class runner who ends up serving in World War II as a bombardier. He survives a plane crash, weeks alone in the ocean, and many brutal experiences in Japanese POW camps. It's a great story with a great ending.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Quote: “On Kwajalein, Louie and Phil learned a dark truth known to the doomed in Hitler’s death camps, the slaves of the American South, and a hundred other generations of betrayed people. Dignity is as essential to human life as water, food, and oxygen.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b>17. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Shallows-What-Internet-Doing-Brains/dp/0393339750/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1545767663&sr=8-1&keywords=the+shallows+what+the+internet+is+doing+to+our+brain" target="_blank">The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains</a> by Nichols Carr (2010)</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6CN44bRaO8U/XCkcNmepxLI/AAAAAAAA5G0/QGQ7Bpbt2es3JMmDocmGUrOnFKnu3hqdgCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/The%2Bshallows.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6CN44bRaO8U/XCkcNmepxLI/AAAAAAAA5G0/QGQ7Bpbt2es3JMmDocmGUrOnFKnu3hqdgCK4BGAYYCw/s200/The%2Bshallows.jpg" width="131" /></span></a><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background: white;">Written nine years ago, there are parts of this book that seem dated, but overall, this is still a very relevant read in our age of distractedness. The premise is that our brains are literally re-wired by the Internet and other related technologies to become distracted and shallow thinkers in all areas of our lives. I like that Carr leans heavily on McLuhan's <i>Understanding Media</i> and uses history to show how our technology tools have developed over time and both what was lost and gained with each major advancement. Spending less time on the Internet and associated technologies and spending more time in nature are two of the implicit take-aways that will help to build a calm, attentive mind, which can lead to deep thinking and empathy.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="background-color: white;">Quote:</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span>“...after spending time in a quiet, rural setting, close to nature, people exhibit greater attentiveness, stronger memory, and generally improved cognition. Their brains become both calmer and sharper...when people aren’t being bombarded by external stimuli, their brains can, in effect, relax. They no longer have to tax their working memories by processing a stream of bottom-up distractions. The resulting state of contemplativeness strengthens their ability to control their mind.”</span><br />
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<b style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">18. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Reading-Well-Finding-through-Great/dp/1587433966/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=on+reading+well&qid=1576551227&s=books&sr=1-1" target="_blank">On Reading Well</a> by Karen Swallow Prior (2018)</span></b><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-176xzlvYRgU/XfhGaNpHIKI/AAAAAAABAnU/nJ7ACM9zpTcr7LWXAhoXgeaaaojQuknQACK4BGAYYCw/s1600/Reading%2Bwell.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-176xzlvYRgU/XfhGaNpHIKI/AAAAAAABAnU/nJ7ACM9zpTcr7LWXAhoXgeaaaojQuknQACK4BGAYYCw/s200/Reading%2Bwell.jpg" width="130" /></a>Prior makes a great case that the way to become the type of person who acts more virtuously is to imagine what virtue looks like and that one of the best ways to do that is through reading great literature. She says that good books can help us vicariously practice virtue, which helps to cultivate our desires towards the good, virtuous life. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;">She takes 12 virtues (Cardinal: Temperance, Prudence, Justice, Courage; Theological: Faith, Hope, Love; Heavenly: Chastity, Diligence, Patience, Kindness, Humility) and pairs each one with a certain book (Ex. Temperance - The Great Gatsby), where she both elaborates on the meaning and history of the virtue, but shows how a book or a character in a book is teaching us about that particular virtue. I heartily agree with her thesis and I enjoyed her painting the picture of each virtue through the different stories presented. I had read some of the books she discussed and enjoyed remembering them again through the lens of a particular virtue. Other books I hadn't read and my interest was piqued to read them one day.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>19. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dead-Wake-Last-Crossing-Lusitania/dp/0307408868/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1451059385&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania</a> by Erik Larson (2015)</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-htpL1hQ7Ovo/Vn3sFML7nvI/AAAAAAAAOFg/e7RpDBNAtGs/s1600/dead-wake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-htpL1hQ7Ovo/Vn3sFML7nvI/AAAAAAAAOFg/e7RpDBNAtGs/s200/dead-wake.jpg" width="131" /></a><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">This was my f</span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">irst Erik Larson book (I've read a few more since), and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It's a fascinating tale of how the sinking of the British-owned Lusitania, by a German U-boat, helped launch the United States into World War I. Larson does a great job weaving in stories of the Lusitania passengers, the German navy, Woodrow Wilson's love interest, and </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">a secret British war room. </span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Quote: </span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">“Families learned of the deaths of kin mostly by telegram, but some knew or sensed their loss even when no telegram brought the news. Husbands and wives had promised to write letters or send cables to announce their safe arrival, but these were never sent. Passengers who had arranged to stay with friends in England and Ireland never showed up. The worst were those situations where a passenger was expected to be on a different ship but for one reason or another had ended up on the Lusitania.”</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>20. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Prayer-Experiencing-Awe-Intimacy-God-ebook/dp/B00INIXGIO/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1451059324&sr=1-1&keywords=prayer+keller" target="_blank">Prayer: Experiencing Awe and Intimacy with God</a> by Tim Keller (2014)</b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RNPq36y7fKk/Vn3sVeE6beI/AAAAAAAAOGg/wkk_l8kA_cg/s1600/prayer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RNPq36y7fKk/Vn3sVeE6beI/AAAAAAAAOGg/wkk_l8kA_cg/s200/prayer.jpg" width="131" /></span></a><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I really appreciated this unique book on prayer. Devoting time to prayer has been a growing struggle for me, especially over the few years. I loved how Keller spent the first several chapters getting to the heart of why prayer is good and beneficial, which is a motivating introduction to everything that comes afterwards. He then takes the reader through biblical and historical examples of prayer and gives plenty of practical suggestions for growing in one's prayer life. This will be a book I will probably revisit again and again throughout my life.</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />Quote: <span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“</span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Prayer is the only entryway into genuine self-knowledge. It is also the main way we experience deep change--the reordering of our loves...Indeed, prayer makes it safe for God to give us many of the things we most desire. It is the way we know God, the way we finally treat God </span><span style="font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">as </span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">God. Prayer is simply the key to everything we need to do and be in life</span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.”</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>21. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Between-World-Me-Ta-Nehisi-Coates/dp/0812993543/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1482864630&sr=1-1&keywords=between+the+world+and+me" target="_blank">Between the World and Me</a> by Ta-Nehisi Coates (2015)</b></span></span><br />
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-I9v-o0sZhKQ/XfhIHrzQJ6I/AAAAAAABAoM/QkRBPWJSu1Mhkml0quSOfSp-r0Q-GQCGwCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/betwee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-I9v-o0sZhKQ/XfhIHrzQJ6I/AAAAAAABAoM/QkRBPWJSu1Mhkml0quSOfSp-r0Q-GQCGwCK4BGAYYCw/s200/betwee.jpg" width="170" /></a><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I'm thankful for hearing the perspective of Coates, a man who thoughtfully writes to his son of his experience of being black in this white dominated world. He speaks most of the preciousness of the black body and how many will try to abuse and destroy it. This book has helped me understand the fear that many people in our country face today and has challenged me think more about the privileges I and my ancestors have had purely because of our whiteness.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Quote: "But race is the child of racism, not the father. And the process of naming “the people” has never been a matter of genealogy and physiognomy so much as one of hierarchy. Difference in hue and hair is old. But the belief in the preeminence of hue and hair, the notion that these factors can correctly organize a society and that they signify deeper attributes, which are indelible—this is the new idea at the heart of these new people who have been brought up hopelessly, tragically, deceitfully, to believe that they are white."</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>22. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Making-Sense-God-Invitation-Skeptical/dp/0525954155/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1513967541&sr=1-1&keywords=making+sense+of+god" target="_blank">Making Sense of God: An Invitation to the Skeptical</a> by Tim Keller (2016)</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cwBULKlPh7o/WkgvYg4AEYI/AAAAAAAAuIA/yUZwfyntgAcb75MFaEOFPrUzpPJCb05pACEwYBhgL/s1600/book%2B-%2Bkeller.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="331" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cwBULKlPh7o/WkgvYg4AEYI/AAAAAAAAuIA/yUZwfyntgAcb75MFaEOFPrUzpPJCb05pACEwYBhgL/s200/book%2B-%2Bkeller.jpg" width="132" /></a><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cwBULKlPh7o/WkgvYg4AEYI/AAAAAAAAuIA/yUZwfyntgAcb75MFaEOFPrUzpPJCb05pACEwYBhgL/s1600/book%2B-%2Bkeller.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></span></a><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">In 2009, Keller wrote the best seller, The Reason for God. In it, he provides a case for belief in God and Christianity. Making Sense of God is a sort of prequel, starting further back in the journey of spiritual exploration as it addresses Christianity's relevance in modern times. Keller also addresses the assumption that the world is getting more secular and the assumptions that many of us wrongly hold about the foundations of what true Christianity is. As always, Keller draws on many philosophical, literary, and cultural sources and lays his argument out in a compelling and easy to read way.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Quote: </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">“Actually, it is quite natural to human beings to move toward belief in God. As humanities scholar Mark Lilla has written: 'To most humans, curiosity about higher things comes naturally, it’s indifference to them that must be learned.' Strict secularism holds that people are only physical entities without souls, that when loved ones die they simply cease to exist, that sensations of love and beauty are just neurological-chemical events, that there is no right or wrong outside of what we in our minds determine and choose. Those positions are at the very least deeply counterintuitive for nearly all people, and large swaths of humanity will continue to simply reject them as impossible to believe.”</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>23. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Men-Courage-Gods-Beyond-Silence/dp/0310336929/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1420426844&sr=1-1&keywords=men+of+courage">Men of Courage </a>by Larry Crabb (2013)</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3pXrn599jfI/VKtUyHJ-PsI/AAAAAAAAN9o/Hk15Wq49zXU/s1600/men%2Bof%2Bcourage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3pXrn599jfI/VKtUyHJ-PsI/AAAAAAAAN9o/Hk15Wq49zXU/s1600/men%2Bof%2Bcourage.jpg" width="150" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3pXrn599jfI/VKtUyHJ-PsI/AAAAAAAAN9o/Hk15Wq49zXU/s1600/men%2Bof%2Bcourage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></span></a><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">This is an updated and expanded edition of Crabb's, The Silence of Adam, which I had never read. It's a great book for understanding the struggles men face and what our calling is. On one of the hardest nights my wife and I faced this year, as we struggled to believe truth two months into our marriage, I remember reading the quote below out loud with tears in my eyes. It nailed me and my desire to run away from conflict. Although, I'm sure I felt some shame in that moment, the tears seemed to come more from a place of hope, a hope that God had indeed called me to more and promised to give me strength to become more.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Quote: "Since Adam, every man has had a natural inclination to remain silent when he should speak. A man is most comfortable in situations in which he knows exactly what to do. When things get confusing and scary, his insides tighten and he backs away. When life frustrates him with its maddening unpredictability, he feels the anger rise within him. And then filled with terror and rage, he forgets God’s truth and looks out for himself. From then on, everything goes wrong. Committed only to himself, he scrambles to make his own life work.”</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b>24. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/How-Think-Survival-Guide-World/dp/0451499603/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1545589747&sr=8-1&keywords=how+to+think+jacobs" target="_blank">How to Think: A Survival Guide for a World at Odds</a> by Alan Jacobs (2017)</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Gi16ksPQaIs/XCkcYh5iosI/AAAAAAAA5HM/pyYuvrBa8pwXvt7luF2LrFT0jFSw660DwCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/How%2Bto%2BThink.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Gi16ksPQaIs/XCkcYh5iosI/AAAAAAAA5HM/pyYuvrBa8pwXvt7luF2LrFT0jFSw660DwCK4BGAYYCw/s200/How%2Bto%2BThink.jpg" width="150" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Gi16ksPQaIs/XCkcYh5iosI/AAAAAAAA5HM/pyYuvrBa8pwXvt7luF2LrFT0jFSw660DwCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/How%2Bto%2BThink.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></span></a><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">In 2019, it seems that beliefs and ideas about the world are as divisive as ever. Most of us are very quick to mock those who disagree with us, instead of thoughtfully engaging in a dialogue that could possibly change our minds. In this book, Jacobs argues that most of us don’t really want to think, because thinking is hard, and it’s easier to say things that make you feel like part of the in-group. It’s easier to go into “Refutation Mode” and quickly dismiss what others say without considering that they could be right. Jacobs calls us to humility and courage as we do the hard work of considering those with different beliefs to be our neighbors and less as the "Repugnant Cultural Other."</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Quote:</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">“Everyone today seems to have an RCO [Repugnant Cultural Other], and everyone’s RCO is on social media somewhere...This is a profoundly unhealthy situation. It’s unhealthy because it prevents us from recognizing others as our neighbors -- even when they are quite literally our neighbors. If I’m consumed by this belief that that person over there is both Other and Repugnant, I may never discover that my favorite television program is also his favorite television program; that we like some of the same books...I may all to easily forget that political and social and religious differences are not the whole of human experience. The cold divisive logic of the RCO impoverishes us, all of us, and brings us closer to that primitive state that the political philosopher Thomas Hobbes called ‘the war of every man against every man.’”</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b>25. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=how+not+to+be+secular" target="_blank">How (Not) To Be Secular: Reading Charles Taylor</a> by James K.A. Smith (2014)</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-A-xUgz6iPIc/XCkcip-A0mI/AAAAAAAA5Hg/nrKeBa8ef6IBGBTjDOKoj7Ih9kNmIlkTwCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/How%2Bnot%2Bto%2Bbe%2Bsecular.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-A-xUgz6iPIc/XCkcip-A0mI/AAAAAAAA5Hg/nrKeBa8ef6IBGBTjDOKoj7Ih9kNmIlkTwCK4BGAYYCw/s200/How%2Bnot%2Bto%2Bbe%2Bsecular.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-A-xUgz6iPIc/XCkcip-A0mI/AAAAAAAA5Hg/nrKeBa8ef6IBGBTjDOKoj7Ih9kNmIlkTwCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/How%2Bnot%2Bto%2Bbe%2Bsecular.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></span></a><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">This book is a commentary on <i>A Secular Age</i>, an award winning book about our postmodern, post Christian culture, written by Canadian philosopher Charles Taylor. It’s not likely that I would read Taylor’s massive work anytime soon, so I was glad to be able to read Smith’s summary. Taylor/Smith argue that we formerly lived in an enchanted, God-soaked world, but modernity brought a flatness to life as exclusive humanism started to take hold as a dominant view of life. We don’t live in an age of disbelief, but in an age that believes otherwise, in an Age of Authenticity where choice and tolerance are the highest virtues. As Smith says, "Your neighbors inhabit what Charles Taylor calls an ‘immanent frame’; they are no longer bothered by ‘the God question’ <i>as</i> a question because they are devotees of ‘exclusive humanism’ -- a way of being-in-the-world that offers significance without transcendence. They don’t feel like anything is missing.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="background-color: white;">Quote:</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span>“Taylor presses the closed, immanentist ‘take’ not by pointing out logical inconsistencies or questioning the veracity of premises, but rather by suggesting that the closed take can’t seem to get rid of a certain haunting, a certain rumbling in our hearts...The upshot will be that Christianity (the ‘open’ take) can provide a better way to account for this -- not necessarily a way to quell it so we can all live happily ever after, but a way to <i>name</i> it and be honest about this dis-ease.”</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b>26. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Ready-Player-One-Ernest-Cline/dp/0307887448/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1545768033&sr=1-1&keywords=ready+player+one" target="_blank">Ready Player One</a> by Ernest Cline (2012)</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FHyzcShK5U4/XCkcTv9a7II/AAAAAAAA5HA/hgDq3Ivn9IcEn6VFMlzXaZI1tpw31v3cwCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/Ready%2BPlayer%2BOne.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FHyzcShK5U4/XCkcTv9a7II/AAAAAAAA5HA/hgDq3Ivn9IcEn6VFMlzXaZI1tpw31v3cwCK4BGAYYCw/s200/Ready%2BPlayer%2BOne.jpg" width="130" /></span></a><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">At the </span><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">recommendation of a friend, I was able to read this before seeing the movie that came out last year (side note: while the movie got some things right and was entertaining in its own way, the book was better, as per the norm). It was very entertaining and hard to put down. The story is all about a futuristic dystopia where most people spend their days plugged into a virtual reality game (OASIS). The protagonist, Wade Watts, ends up learning everything about 80s TV, movies, and video games to help him succeed in the game, so it’s fun to be taken back into that world a bit. It’s also interesting to see how the story is a commentary on how our current lives are more and more bound up in online and virtual relationships and games. It shows what this does to a person, and how connecting with people in the physical, actual world, is the best kind of connection. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Quote:</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">"I created the OASIS because I never felt at home in the real world. I didn't know how to connect with the people there. I was afraid, for all of my life, right up until I knew it was ending. That was when I realized, as terrifying and painful as reality can be, it's also the only place where you can find true happiness. Because reality is real."</span></span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FHyzcShK5U4/XCkcTv9a7II/AAAAAAAA5HA/hgDq3Ivn9IcEn6VFMlzXaZI1tpw31v3cwCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/Ready%2BPlayer%2BOne.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>27. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=the+locust+effect&i=stripbooks&ref=nb_sb_noss_2" target="_blank">The Locust Effect</a> by Gary Haugen (2013)</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-m4Kiwf1GKK4/XfhGg-xeYZI/AAAAAAABAnc/vLxnlCpJGe4irhnPXv4TVuE8qtrTCAuGgCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/locust.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-m4Kiwf1GKK4/XfhGg-xeYZI/AAAAAAABAnc/vLxnlCpJGe4irhnPXv4TVuE8qtrTCAuGgCK4BGAYYCw/s200/locust.jpg" width="132" /></span></a><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">A very </span><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;">eye-opening and convicting book about how devastating violence is for most of the world's poorest people. Haugen, founder of IJM, makes the compelling case that lack of safety, is one of the greatest problems for the global poor.</span><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;">Most of the world's justice systems are corrupt and ill-equipped to protect its people, and therefore, the poor are "utterly vulnerable to the locusts of violence [Ex. physical violence/abuse, sexual slavery/violence/exploitation, bonded labor, long periods of pre-trial detention for the innocent] that can come on any given day and sweep all other good efforts to improve their lives away.”</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">Quote: “One would hope that if the world woke up to such a reality, it would swiftly acknowledge and respond to the disaster—but tragically, the world has neither woken up to the reality nor responded in a way that offers meaningful hope for the poor. It has mostly said and done nothing. And as we shall see, the failure to respond to such a basic need—to prioritize criminal justice systems that can protect poor people from common violence—has had a devastating impact on two great struggles that made heroic progress in the last century but have stalled out for the poorest in the twenty-first century: namely, the struggle to end severe poverty and the fight to secure the most basic human rights.”</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>28. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Hillbilly-Elegy-Memoir-Family-Culture/dp/0062300547/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1482864728&sr=1-1&keywords=hillbilly" target="_blank">Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis</a> by J.D. Vance (2016)</b></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SpgDDBKy4ZM/WGR9zI-SRFI/AAAAAAAAoDk/E3NEQehkZ1IUS9wPhC48m_Hw_eMzvHSWQCEw/s1600/hillbilly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; font-family: times, "times new roman", serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SpgDDBKy4ZM/WGR9zI-SRFI/AAAAAAAAoDk/E3NEQehkZ1IUS9wPhC48m_Hw_eMzvHSWQCEw/s200/hillbilly.jpg" width="132" /></span></a><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I began reading this as it seemed most everyone else was. The New York Times says it's one of </span></span><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;">several books to explain the rise of Trump. It's basically about a rural working class white family, which is a microcosm of the hillbilly world described. Cycles of poverty, substance abuse, and family instability and dysfunction plague J.D.'s family and most of the families around him. Against the odds, and mostly due to a always present Mamaw along with some mentors along the way, J.D. breaks out of the cycle and ends up graduating from Yale Law School. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">Quote: “If you believe that hard work pays off, then you work hard; if you think it’s hard to get ahead even when you try, then why try at all? Similarly, when people do fail, this mind-set allows them to look outward. I once ran into an old acquaintance at a Middletown bar who told me that he had recently quit his job because he was sick of waking up early. I later saw him complaining on Facebook about the “Obama economy” and how it had affected his life. I don’t doubt that the Obama economy has affected many, but this man is assuredly not among them. His status in life is directly attributable to the choices he’s made, and his life will improve only through better decisions. But for him to make better choices, he needs to live in an environment that forces him to ask tough questions about himself. There is a cultural movement in the white working class to blame problems on society or the government, and that movement gains adherents by the day.” </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">29. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/New-Jim-Crow-Incarceration-Colorblindness/dp/1595586431/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1451058601&sr=1-1&keywords=the+new+jim+crow" target="_blank">The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness</a> by Michelle Alexander (2010)</span></b></span><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_EYMk2qlp9o/Vn3sSHFuFjI/AAAAAAAAOGQ/ZcN_pJHUSpI/s1600/new%2Bjim%2Bcrow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_EYMk2qlp9o/Vn3sSHFuFjI/AAAAAAAAOGQ/ZcN_pJHUSpI/s200/new%2Bjim%2Bcrow.jpg" width="132" /></span></a><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Before this reading this book, I didn't know what the term "mass incarceration" meant. Through various resources this year, including this book, I now understand it to be a huge problem that African Americans have understood and dealt with for years. In this book, Alexander argues that the War on Drugs, famously implemented by the Reagan administration in the 1980s, was the impetus for the systematic mass incarceration of people of color in the United States. While I didn't always agree with her perspective or her solutions, this was a deeply helpful book for understanding how certain laws and systems contribute to racial injustices and mindsets.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;">Quote: </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;">“In the era of colorblindness, it is no longer socially permissible to use race, explicitly, as a justification for discrimination, exclusion, and social contempt. So we don’t. Rather than rely on race, we use our criminal justice system to label people of color “criminals” and then engage in all the practices we supposedly left behind. Today it is perfectly legal to discriminate against criminals in nearly all the ways that it was once legal to discriminate against African Americans. Once you’re labeled a felon, the old forms of discrimination—employment discrimination, housing discrimination, denial of the right to vote, denial of educational opportunity, denial of food stamps and other public benefits, and exclusion from jury service—are suddenly legal. As a criminal, you have scarcely more rights, and arguably less respect, than a black man living in Alabama at the height of Jim Crow. We have not ended racial caste in America; we have merely redesigned it.” </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>30. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Road-Character-David-Brooks/dp/0812983416/ref=sr_1_1?crid=JXY163KLDMPV&keywords=the+road+to+character&qid=1576551363&s=books&sprefix=the+road+to+char%2Cstripbooks%2C149&sr=1-1" target="_blank">The Road to Character</a> by David Brooks (2015)</b></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A-Pu_UEI0oI/XfhIPjzoD2I/AAAAAAABAoU/7appuox8EC4CR7Ct97oloTO-Ll9JOXlAQCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/character.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A-Pu_UEI0oI/XfhIPjzoD2I/AAAAAAABAoU/7appuox8EC4CR7Ct97oloTO-Ll9JOXlAQCK4BGAYYCw/s200/character.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="130" /></span></a><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">David Brooks is one of the few newspaper columnists I read. Writing for the <i>New York Times</i>, he sees past partisan agendas and often paints a picture of the good of humanity, calling us to more. This is, in large part, what makes this book compelling. Through brief biographies of some of our greatest thinkers and leaders, Brooks shows us the deficiencies of our often sought after "resumé virtues" (wealth, fame, status) and compels us to seek after the more life giving "eulogy virtues" (kindness, bravery, honesty, faithfulness).</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Quote: “We are called at certain moments to comfort people who are enduring some trauma. Many of us don't know how to react in such situations, but others do. In the first place, they just show up. They provide a ministry of presence. Next, they don't compare. The sensitive person understands that each person's ordeal is unique and should not be compared to anyone else's. Next, they do the practical things--making lunch, dusting the room, washing the towels. Finally, they don't try to minimize what is going on. They don't attempt to reassure with false, saccharine sentiments. They don't say that the pain is all for the best. They don't search for silver linings. They do what wise souls do in the presence of tragedy and trauma. They practice a passive activism. They don't bustle about trying to solve something that cannot be solved. The sensitive person grants the sufferer the dignity of her own process. She lets the sufferer define the meaning of what is going on. She just sits simply through the nights of pain and darkness, being practical, human, simple, and direct.”</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Other Best of the Decade (2010s) posts:</span></div>
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<a href="http://thismortallife.blogspot.com/2019/12/best-of-decade-2010s-albums-songs.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Albums & Songs</span></a><br />
<a href="http://thismortallife.blogspot.com/2019/12/best-of-decade-2010s-concerts_16.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Concerts</span></a><br />
<a href="http://thismortallife.blogspot.com/2019/12/best-of-decade-2010s-podcasts.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Podcasts</span></a><br />
<a href="http://thismortallife.blogspot.com/2019/12/best-of-decade-2010s-tv.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">TV</span></a><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://thismortallife.blogspot.com/2019/12/best-of-decade-2010s-movies.html" target="_blank">Movies & Documentaries</a></span></div>
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David Wilhitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08187161025528660914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29322791.post-33615277144134026132019-12-27T20:04:00.000-05:002020-05-21T15:22:23.127-04:00Best of the Decade (2010s): Movies & DocumentariesBelow are my favorite movies of the decade:<br />
<ol>
<li>The Hateful Eight (2015)</li>
<li>Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
</li>
<li>Tree of Life (2011)
</li>
<li>Moonlight (2016)
</li>
<li>Take Shelter (2011)
</li>
<li>Inception (2010)
</li>
<li>Manchester by the Sea (2016)
</li>
<li>The Social Network (2010)
</li>
<li>Whiplash (2014)
</li>
<li>Selma (2014)
</li>
<li>Calvary (2014)
</li>
<li>12 Years a Slave (2013)
</li>
<li>Interstaller (2014)
</li>
<li>A Prophet (2010)
</li>
<li>Get Out (2017)
</li>
<li>Boyhood (2014)
</li>
<li>The Revenant (2015)
</li>
<li>The Rider (2018)
</li>
<li>Sicario (2015)
</li>
<li>Django Unchained (2012)
</li>
<li>The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)
</li>
<li>Spotlight (2015)
</li>
<li>Captain Phillips (2013)
</li>
<li>The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
</li>
<li>Phantom Thread (2018)
</li>
<li>Creed (2015)
</li>
<li>Gone Girl (2014)
</li>
<li>Zero Dark Thirty (2013)
</li>
<li>American Animals (2018)
</li>
<li>Mission Impossible: Fallout (2018)</li>
</ol>
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Below are my favorite documentaries of the decade:</div>
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<ol>
<li>O.J. Made in America (2016)
</li>
<li>The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst (2015)
</li>
<li>The Defiant Ones (2017)
</li>
<li>Minding the Gap (2018)</li>
<li>Free Solo (2018)
</li>
<li>Won’t You Be My Neighbor? (2018)
</li>
<li>Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief (2015)
</li>
<li>Momentum Generation (2018)
</li>
<li>Three Identical Strangers (2018)
</li>
<li>13th (2016)</li>
<li>Apollo 11 (2019)
</li>
<li>I Am Not Your Negro (2017)
</li>
<li>Strange Negotiations (2019)
</li>
<li>Fyre (2019)
</li>
<li>Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond (2017)</li>
</ol>
</div>
<div>
<div>
Other Best of the Decade (2010s) posts:<br />
<a href="http://thismortallife.blogspot.com/2019/12/best-of-decade-2010s-albums-songs.html" target="_blank">Albums & Songs</a><br />
<a href="http://thismortallife.blogspot.com/2019/12/best-of-decade-2010s-concerts_16.html" target="_blank">Concerts</a><br />
<a href="http://thismortallife.blogspot.com/2019/12/best-of-decade-2010s-podcasts.html" target="_blank">Podcasts</a><br />
<a href="http://thismortallife.blogspot.com/2019/12/best-of-decade-2010s-tv.html" target="_blank">TV</a></div>
</div>
David Wilhitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08187161025528660914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29322791.post-79706504711252785132019-12-26T13:49:00.001-05:002020-05-21T15:21:40.148-04:00Best of the Decade (2010s): TVBelow are my favorite television series of the decade (for shows where most of the series was this decade):<br />
<br />
<b><u>1. Breaking Bad</u> (2008-2013)</b><br />
<div>
<ul>
<li>Seasons: 5</li>
<li>Type: Drama, Crime</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
<b><u>2. Fargo</u> (2014 - </b></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Seasons: 3 so far (each season stands alone)</li>
<li>Type: Drama, Crime</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<b><u><br /></u></b></div>
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<b><u>3. Mad Men</u> (2007 - 2015)</b></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Seasons: 7</li>
<li>Type: Drama</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
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<b><u>4. Parks and Recreation</u> (2009 - 2015)</b></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Seasons: 7</li>
<li>Type: Comedy</li>
</ul>
<b>
<u><div>
<b><u><br /></u></b></div>
5. Barry</u> (2018 - </b></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Seasons: 2 so far</li>
<li>Type: Action, Comedy, Crime</li>
</ul>
<div>
<b><u><br /></u></b>
<b><u>6. Atlanta</u> (2016 - </b></div>
</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Seasons: 2 so far</li>
<li>Type: Comedy, Drama</li>
</ul>
<div>
<b><u><br /></u></b>
<b><u>7. True Detective</u> (2014 - </b></div>
</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Seasons: 3 so far (each season stands alone)</li>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: x-small;">Season 1 is one of my favorite seasons of television. I haven't seen season 2.</span></li>
</ul>
<li>Type: Crime, Drama</li>
</ul>
<div>
<b><u><br /></u></b>
<b><u>8. Chernobyl </u>(2019)</b></div>
</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Seasons: 1 (mini-series)</li>
<li>Type: Drama, History</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<b><u><br /></u></b></div>
<div>
<b><u>9. Better Call Saul </u>(2015 - </b></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Seasons: 4 so far</li>
<li>Type: Drama, Crime</li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<b><u><br /></u></b></div>
<div>
<b><u>10. Luther</u> (2010 - )</b></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Seasons: 5 so far</li>
<li>Type: Crime, Drama</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<b><u><br /></u></b></div>
<div>
<b><u>11. Silicon Valley</u> (2014 - 2019)</b></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Seasons: 6</li>
<li>Type: Comedy</li>
</ul>
<b><u><div>
<b><u><br /></u></b></div>
12. The Good Place</u> (2016 - )</b></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Seasons: 4 so far</li>
<li>Type: Comedy, Drama</li>
</ul>
<b><u><div>
<b><u><br /></u></b></div>
13. Stranger Things</u> (2016 - </b></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Seasons: 3 so far</li>
<li>Type: Drama, Fantasy</li>
</ul>
<b><u><div>
<b><u><br /></u></b></div>
14. Black Mirror</u> (2011 - </b></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Seasons: 5 so far (each episode stands alone)</li>
<li>Type: Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller</li>
</ul>
<div>
<div style="font-weight: 400;">
<b><b><u><br /></u></b></b>
<b><b><u>15. Dark</u> (2018 - </b></b></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Seasons: 2 so far </li>
<li>Type: Crime, Drama, Mystery</li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
<b>
<u><div>
<br /></div>
</u></b>Other Best of the Decade (2010s) posts:<br />
<a href="http://thismortallife.blogspot.com/2019/12/best-of-decade-2010s-albums-songs.html" target="_blank">Albums & Songs</a><br />
<a href="http://thismortallife.blogspot.com/2019/12/best-of-decade-2010s-concerts_16.html" target="_blank">Concerts</a><br />
<a href="http://thismortallife.blogspot.com/2019/12/best-of-decade-2010s-podcasts.html" target="_blank">Podcasts</a><br />
<br /></div>
David Wilhitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08187161025528660914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29322791.post-76971338920693542172019-12-21T22:28:00.000-05:002020-05-21T15:21:26.628-04:00Best of the Decade (2010s): Podcasts<div style="-en-clipboard: true;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The 2010s was a big decade for podcasts. Though I started listening to a few before 2010, the became a larger part of my life and commute this decade. See below for my favorite podcasts of the decade (grouped by five categories: Current Happenings, Series, Interviews, Stories, Topical):</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">Current Happenings</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Podcasts where episodes come out 2-3 times a week and mostly contain conversations about topics of the day.
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: bold;">The Bill Simmons Podcast</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This has been a staple for me over the last 5-6 years. I love sports and this is the main way that I stay up to date on what’s going on. Bill is interacts with various guests, mostly to discuss interesting happenings in sports, but sometimes to discuss pop culture, movies, etc.
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: bold;">The Relevant Podcast</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This has been one of my favorite and most consistent podcasts over the last 12 years (started in 2007). Episodes come out twice a week and mostly consist of hilarious banter about random things, faith-meets-culture updates, and interviews with various leaders/songwriters/authors.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: underline;">Series</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Podcasts telling one story over multiple episodes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Serial</span> (Season 1 - 2014) - <span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">This was an incredible journalistic story that seemed to have most of the country captivated during its run and seemed to re-invigorate the true crime genre. This American Life producer, Sarah Koenig, took another look at a murder case from 1999 involving A</span>dnan Syed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Scene on the Radio: Seeing White</span> (2017) - I was really challenged by and appreciated this series on race and whiteness.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">S-Town</span> (2017) - <span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">This is the fascinating account of John B. McLemore, genius and antique clock restorer, troubled by his own self, his small Alabama town and so many things in the world. Great story-telling by Brian Reed about a very unique man. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Blue Babies Pink</span> (2016) - <span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">I was really challenged by listening to this story of Brett Trapp, growing up as a Christian and struggling with his sexuality. It help create a lot more empathy and understanding for those who are gay.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">74 Seconds</span> (2017) - This tells the tragic story of the shooting of Philando Castile, during a July 2016 traffic stop outside of Minneapolis. It took 74 seconds from the stop to the shooting. This podcast explores race, policing, justice and safety in America.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Caliphate</span> (2018) - A New York Times reporter goes on a quest to better understand ISIS. It’s fascinating to hear her get to know former members as they explain more about the organization and how they got there.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">On the Media: Busted: America’s Poverty Myths #1 - #5</span> (1/17/16) - <span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">A very challenging and interesting series that speak to our incorrect assumptions about poverty.</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Dolly Parton’s America</span> (2019) - RadioLab host Jad Abumrad helps us understand Dolly’s past, influence, and her place in the “crossroads of America’s culture wars.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">Interviews</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Podcasts where each episode is a different interview.
</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: bold;">On Being</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I discovered this podcast earlier this year, but it’s quickly risen to one of my favorites. Host Krista Tippett thoughtfully engages with each guest, always asking insightful questions, ultimately trying to open up conversations around deep realities of meaning and purpose.
</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Favorite Episodes:</span></div>
<ul>
<li><div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Eugene Peterson (12/22/16)
</span></div>
</li>
<li><div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ta-Nehisi Coates: Imagining a New America (9/12/19)
</span></div>
</li>
<li><div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Father Gregory Boyle (2/26/13)
</span></div>
</li>
<li><div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Isabel Wilkerson - The Heart Is The Last Frontier (01/11/18)</span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<div>
<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Conversing</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hosted by Fuller Seminary president Mark Labberton. I appreciate the focus on issues like community, justice, creativity, and faith.
</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Favorite Episodes:
</span></div>
<ul>
<li><div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tony Hale on the Creative Life (6/25/19)
</span></div>
</li>
<li><div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">David Brooks and Community (4/9/19)
</span></div>
</li>
<li><div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Gary Haugen on Working with the Poor (2/27/18)</span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: bold;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: bold;">WTF with Marc Maron</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On each episode, comedian Marc Maron interviews a different guest, often from Hollywood, about their personal stories. Marc is very open about his own struggles and does a great job connecting with his guests and having them open up about the experiences that have shaped their lives.
</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Favorite Episodes:
</span></div>
<ul>
<li><div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Brené Brown (4/22/19)
</span></div>
</li>
<li><div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">President Barack Obama (6/22/15)</span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: underline;">Stories</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Podcasts where each episode is a different story or a collection of stories.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: bold;">This American Life</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I started listening in 2011 and have tuned in most every week since then. It’s produced and hosted by Ira Glass and puts on weekly episodes centered around a particular topic. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Favorite Episodes:</span></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">White Haze (9/17/17)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">129 Cars (11/16/19)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Beware the Jabberwock (3/17/19)</span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: bold;">RadioLab</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I started listening to this back in 2014. Hosts Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich do a great job unpacking various stories related to science, philosophy, psychology, and history.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Favorite Episodes:</span></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Match Made in Marrow (11/9/17)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For the Love of Numbers (5/2/14)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Oliver Sipple (9/22/17)</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">Topical</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Podcasts where each episode or season is a discussion on a particular topic or idea.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: bold;">This Cultural Moment</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Having just ended its third season, this is self-described as a podcast about following Jesus in the post-Christian world. Each episode is a collaborative conversation, mostly between John Mark Comer and Mark Sayers, about our current post-Christian age. Very engaging and insightful.
</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Favorite Episodes:</span></div>
<ul>
<li><div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Live at Wildfires in the UK (6/11/19)
</span></div>
</li>
<li class=""><div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Soft Power, Dirty War, and Russian YouTube Videos (12/4/18).
</span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: bold;">The Liturgists Podcast</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I don’t currently subscribe to this one and haven’t always jived with the conversations had here, but they have produced some very helpful/impactful episodes related to various topics.
</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Favorite Episodes:</span></div>
<!--?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?-->
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">LGBTQ (5/19/15)
</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Black and White: Racism in America (5/19/16)
</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Christian Violence (6/6/17) </span></li>
</ul>
David Wilhitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08187161025528660914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29322791.post-7591560727150156422019-12-16T21:07:00.000-05:002019-12-16T21:10:27.175-05:00Best of the Decade (2010s): ConcertsHere are my favorite concerts of the decade:<br />
<ol>
<li>Mumford & Sons at Buckhead Theatre (Atlanta) - November 7, 2010
</li>
<li>Jonsi at The Tabernacle (Atlanta) - October 31, 2010
</li>
<li>Sufjan Stevens at Cobb Energy Theatre (Atlanta) - November 5, 2015
</li>
<li>Lone Bellow at Eddie’s Attic (Decatur) - April 3, 2013
</li>
<li>Kings Kaleidoscope at The Loft (Atlanta) - April 26, 2019
</li>
<li>Sufjan Stevens at The Tabernacle (Atlanta) - November 6, 2010
</li>
<li>John Mayer at Lakewood Amphitheater (Atlanta) - September 8, 2010
</li>
<li>Mumford & Sons at Red Rocks Ampitheatre (Denver) - August 29, 2012
</li>
<li>Johnnyswim at The Roxy Theatre (Atlanta) - May 11, 2019
</li>
<li>Patty Griffin at Red Clay Theatre (Duluth) - October 12, 2012
</li>
<li>Arcade Fire at Verizon Wireless (Alpharetta) - August 11, 2010
</li>
<li>Matthew Perryman Jones at Red Clay Theater (Duluth) - October 26, 2012
</li>
<li>Avett Brothers at Verizon Wireless (Alpharetta) - May 17, 2013
</li>
<li>Garth Brooks at Philips Arena (Atlanta) - September 20, 2014
</li>
<li>Over the Rhine at Eddie’s Attic (Decatur) - March 8, 2010
</li>
<li>Jump Little Children at Variety Playhouse (Atlanta) - September 21, 2019
</li>
<li>Civil Wars at El Rey Theatre (Los Angeles) - June 15, 2011
</li>
<li>Johnnyswim at Variety Playhouse (Atlanta) - September 26, 2014
</li>
<li>Rosie Thomas at Hotel Cafe (Los Angeles) - April 29, 2012
</li>
<li>Switchfoot at The Wiltern (Los Angeles) - October 11, 2011
</li>
<li>Ben Rector at The Tabernacle (Atlanta) - October 18, 2013
</li>
<li>Avett Brothers at Chastain Amphitheater (Atlanta) - September 10, 2010
</li>
<li>William Fitzsimmons at Smith’s Old Bar (Atlanta) - July 23, 2010
</li>
<li>Lone Bellow at Terminal West (Atlanta) - October 22, 2013
</li>
<li>Tyrone Wells at Hotel Cafe (Los Angeles) - October 30, 2011 </li>
</ol>
David Wilhitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08187161025528660914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29322791.post-36795809802041451542019-12-15T15:05:00.001-05:002019-12-15T15:07:01.313-05:00Best of the Decade (2010s): Albums & SongsAs we come to the end of another decade, I've been reflecting on some of my favorite media/art that I've taken in and enjoyed. Over the next few weeks, I'll be sharing some of these lists.<br />
<br />
Like most of the other lists to come, it's difficult for me to pick clear winners in each category. I like to think of this and upcoming lists as compilations of my favorites, where generally, the higher the more I have or still do appreciate it, but many could be switched around based on mood.<br />
<br />
First up is a list of my favorite albums and songs of the decade. Music has always been really important to me. I love how it calls out things that are true and we can make deep connections with it. I also love it because it can provide soundtracks for times of joy and dance, but also for grief and reflection.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><a href="https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/best-songs-of-the-2010s/pl.u-b91BuxoErj" target="_blank">These songs</a> </span>and the <a href="https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/best-albums-in-4-songs-of-2010s/pl.u-v5P3F792Jg" target="_blank">below albums</a> have been my soundtrack to this past decade.<br />
<!--?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?--> <br />
<ol>
<li>Kings Kaleidoscope - Beyond Control (2016)</li>
<li>Matthew Perryman Jones - Land of the Living (2012)</li>
<li>Sufjan Stevens - Carrie & Lowell (2015)</li>
<li>The Modern Post - The Water & The Blood (2013)</li>
<li>Mumford & Sons - Sigh No More (2010)</li>
<li>Manchester Orchestra - A Black Mile to the Surface (2017)</li>
<li>The Lone Bellow - The Lone Bellow (2013)</li>
<li>Kings Kaleidoscope - Zeal (2019)</li>
<li>Vampire Weekend - Modern Vampires of the City (2013)</li>
<li>Kacey Musgraves - Golden Hour (2018)</li>
<li>Kings Kaleidoscope - Becoming Who We Are (2014)</li>
<li>Vampire Weekend - Father of the Bride (2019)</li>
<li>Switchfoot - Vice Verses (2011)</li>
<li>JOHNNYSWIM - Moonlight (2019)</li>
<li>Arcade Fire - The Suburbs (2010)</li>
<li>Jonsi - Go (2010)</li>
<li>Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010)</li>
<li>Ben Howard - Every Kingdom (2011)</li>
<li>Kings Kaleidoscope - The Beauty Between (2017)</li>
<li>Derek Webb - I Was Wrong, I’m Sorry & I Love You (2013)</li>
<li>Vampire Weekend - Contra (2010)</li>
<li>Chance the Rapper - Coloring Book (2016)</li>
<li>Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp A Butterfly (2015)</li>
<li>The Lumineers - The Lumineers (2012)</li>
<li>LANY - LANY (2017)</li>
<li>John Mayer The Search For Everything (2017)</li>
<li>Johnnyswim - Diamonds (2014)</li>
<li>Lecrae - All Things Work Together (2017)</li>
<li>Local Natives - Hummingbird (2013)</li>
<li>Crowder - American Prodigal (2016)</li>
<li>The Head and the Heart by The Head and the Heart (2010)</li>
<li>High Violet by The National (2010)</li>
<li>Bon Iver - Bon Iver (2011)</li>
<li>The Lumineers - Cleopatra (2016)</li>
<li>The Hurry and the Harm by City and Colour (2013)</li>
<li>NF - Perception (2017)</li>
<li>Justin Timberlake - The 20/20 Experience (Part 1) (2013)</li>
<li>Lecrae - Rehab (2010)</li>
<li>Avett Brothers - The Carpenter (2012)</li>
<li>Fleurie - Love and War (2016) </li>
</ol>
David Wilhitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08187161025528660914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29322791.post-19111394405736048102018-12-30T21:08:00.000-05:002020-05-21T15:23:02.806-04:00Favorite Books I Read in 2018<div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;">
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">Once again, I get to think through and post my favorite books I read this year. This continues to be a highlight of the year for me because I get to remember these books again and think through why I liked each of them. I also get to do one of the things I love most, recommend books!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">Here are my favorite books that I read in 2018:</span><br />
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">1. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Tower-8-Book-Boxed-Set/dp/1501163566/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1545768090&sr=1-1&keywords=the+dark+tower+series">The
Dark Tower series </a>by Stephen King (1982 - 2012)<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2Z37RR7rBvY/XCkb0S1o6aI/AAAAAAAA5GA/_oLqyEvGITMNSymaEe8WoAaNXMssfdW6QCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/the%2Bdark%2Btower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2Z37RR7rBvY/XCkb0S1o6aI/AAAAAAAA5GA/_oLqyEvGITMNSymaEe8WoAaNXMssfdW6QCK4BGAYYCw/s320/the%2Bdark%2Btower.jpg" width="208" /></a><span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">At the end of last year, I had never read a Stephen
King book and had never heard of this series. However, after hearing multiple
co-workers talk about how this series was one of their favorites, I took a
chance and started reading. The series is made up of seven books, written between
1982 and 2004, and is a futuristic fantasy Western, centered on Roland Deschain
of Gilead. King considers this his magnum opus and would say that most of his
other works have bits of <i>The Dark Tower</i> in them. <i>The Lord of the Rings</i> and <i>The
Good, the Bad, and the Ugly</i> are two of his main inspirations for the characters
and plot.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The first book, <i>The Gunslinger</i>, was the shortest and
my least favorite. Once I got a quarter of the way through book two, <i>The Drawing of the
Three</i>, I was hooked. Book four, <i>Wizard and the Glass</i>, was probably my favorite,
and the conclusion in the final book, <i>The Dark Tower</i>, was very well done. By the way, I recommend reading them in order, but reading <i>Wind Through the Keyhole</i>, which King wrote last, between books four and five. </span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I really loved the story overall as it draws you in to a rag-tag group of people (known as "ka-tet") who, though hesitant at first, become united in their purpose and love for each other. Roland is a deeply flawed individual, but I love his strength and courage, his singular focus in life, and the ways he grows in his ability to love others. </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">I'll miss the world that King created, but its characters and unique language will stay with me for a while. Long days and pleasant nights. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">2. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Tech-Wise-Family-Everyday-Putting-Technology/dp/0801018668/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1545765479&sr=8-1&keywords=tech+wise+family" target="_blank">The Tech-Wise Family: Everyday Steps for
Putting Technology in Its Proper Place</a> by Andy Crouch (2017)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Bgn9qIGov74/XCkb69Cy8gI/AAAAAAAA5GQ/ZprfAWJtqbAAnrEjVruZW8wxJdPQJZriQCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/tech%2Bwise.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Bgn9qIGov74/XCkb69Cy8gI/AAAAAAAA5GQ/ZprfAWJtqbAAnrEjVruZW8wxJdPQJZriQCK4BGAYYCw/s320/tech%2Bwise.jpg" width="228" /></a></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">This is an indispensable book for all parents who want
to lead their families well in the 21st century. While Tony Reinke’s book (below)
has more of a focus on phones and social media, Crouch’s focus is on the home
and how we should more purposefully consider interacting with many different
types of technology. His guiding principles (Ten Tech-Wise Commitments) are
excellent. In them, he lays out what a family should be about (developing
wisdom and courage, more creating than consuming) and then practical
commitments in light of those. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Boredom -- for children and for adults -- is a
perfectly modern condition. The technology that promises to release us from
boredom is actually making it worse -- making us more prone to seek empty
distractions than we have ever been...<i>the more you entertain children, the
more bored they will get</i>...the videos we put on for our kids -- or the
video games we pull up on our phones in our own moments of boredom -- are
designed, unconsciously or consciously, to produce a bewitching effect. And
this effect is achieved by filling a screen with a level of vividness and
velocity that does not exist in the real world -- or only very rarely…So here
is one result of our technology: we become people who desperately need
entertainment and distraction because we have lost the world of meadows and
meteors.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />3. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Ways-Your-Phone-Changing-You/dp/1433552434" target="_blank">12 Ways Your Phone is Changing You</a> by Tony Reinke (2017)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NQvksSGrFkU/XCkcAVJtlbI/AAAAAAAA5GY/DwxTTJWFcVQKp0KWsMoH_x0yamXIhjKWgCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/12%2Bways.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; font-family: calibri, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NQvksSGrFkU/XCkcAVJtlbI/AAAAAAAA5GY/DwxTTJWFcVQKp0KWsMoH_x0yamXIhjKWgCK4BGAYYCw/s320/12%2Bways.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">This was a very engaging, convicting, and helpful read
about how our smart phones are changing the way we exist in the world. Reinke
interacts with media theorists, psychologists, and everyday examples to point
out the ways our phones are shaping us (causing us to be addicted to
distraction, to crave immediate approval, to perpetuate our own loneliness, to
lose our ability to think deeply, to fear missing out) and that what our hearts
are really longing for underneath the constant interaction with our phones (connection with God and others).
This book is great because it helps you see the silliness (at best) and
destructiveness (at worst) behind our habits, gives some practical tips for using
your phone in a healthy way, and also provides great wisdom behind those tips
so that there might be lasting change. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
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</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“...we must become mindful and slow our pace...'The
more we take refuge in distraction, the more habituated we become to mere
stimulation and the more desensitized to delight. We lose our capacity to stop
and ponder something deeply, to admire something beautiful for its own sake’
(Brad Littlejohn)...By seeking trivial pleasure in our phones, we train
ourselves to want more of those trivial pleasures. Most seriously of all,
‘either we, out of fear and guilt, lose our delight in God, the source of all
good, and thus begin to lose our delight in all the goods he has given
us.'"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">4. </span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Seeking-Allah-Finding-Jesus-Christianity/dp/0310527236/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1545616715&sr=8-1&keywords=seeking+allah" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus: A Devout Muslim Encounters Christianity</a><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"> by Nabeel Qareshi (2016)</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-31GnJD17MNw/XCkcIhUjPSI/AAAAAAAA5Go/-7me14JLzsAciP7ht4i6ysS3PhJqSrCBACK4BGAYYCw/s1600/Seeking%2BAllah.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; font-family: calibri, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-31GnJD17MNw/XCkcIhUjPSI/AAAAAAAA5Go/-7me14JLzsAciP7ht4i6ysS3PhJqSrCBACK4BGAYYCw/s320/Seeking%2BAllah.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">This was a very moving story and a very fascinating read. Qareshi spends a good bit of the book reflecting upon and describing how practices of Islam were meaningful and impactful to him, offering a perspective I had not learned much about before. He also shows how he wrestles with his faith with his good friend, David. Through many disagreements and openly talking about their worldviews, Qareshi begins to see how much of Islam’s belief system and the Quran itself is blindly accepted with little critique, while the Bible and the person of Jesus seem to stand up in the face of much scrutiny. Living in the United States, and especially the South, I don’t have to give up much to be a Christian. It’s humbling and challenging to read about how much Qareshi gives up to follow Jesus.</span></div>
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</div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span><br />
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<span style="background: white; color: #181818; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">“While I was wallowing in self-pity, focused on myself, there was a whole world with literally billions of people who had no idea who God is, how amazing He is, and the wonders He has done for us. They are the ones who are really suffering. They don’t know His hope, His peace, and His love that transcends all understanding. They don’t know the message of the gospel. After loving us with the most humble life and the most horrific death, Jesus told us, 'As I have loved you, go and love one another.' How could I consider myself a follower of Jesus if I was not willing to live as He lived? To die as He died? To love the unloved and give hope to the hopeless?” </span></div>
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">5. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Shallows-What-Internet-Doing-Brains/dp/0393339750/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1545767663&sr=8-1&keywords=the+shallows+what+the+internet+is+doing+to+our+brain" target="_blank">The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains</a> by Nichols Carr (2010)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6CN44bRaO8U/XCkcNmepxLI/AAAAAAAA5G0/QGQ7Bpbt2es3JMmDocmGUrOnFKnu3hqdgCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/The%2Bshallows.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6CN44bRaO8U/XCkcNmepxLI/AAAAAAAA5G0/QGQ7Bpbt2es3JMmDocmGUrOnFKnu3hqdgCK4BGAYYCw/s320/The%2Bshallows.jpg" width="211" /></a><span style="background: white; color: #181818; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">Having been written eight years ago, there are
parts of this book that seem dated, but overall, this is still a very relevant read in our age
of distractedness. The premise is that our brains are literally re-wired by the
Internet and other related technologies to become distracted and
shallow thinkers in all areas of our lives. I like that the author leans
heavily on McLuhan's <i>Understanding Media</i> and uses history to show how our
technology tools have developed over time and both what was lost and gained with each major advancement. Spending less time on the Internet and
associated technologies and spending more time in nature are two of the implicit
take-aways that will help to build a calm, attentive mind, which can lead to
deep thinking and empathy.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="background: white; color: #181818; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white; color: #181818; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“...after spending time in a quiet rural setting,
close to nature, people exhibit greater attentiveness, stronger memory, and
generally improved cognition. Their brains become both calmer and
sharper...when people aren’t being bombarded by external stimuli, their brains
can, in effect, relax. They no longer have to tax their working memories by processing
a stream of bottom-up distractions. The resulting state of contemplativeness
strengthens their ability to control their mind.”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white; color: #181818; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">6. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Ready-Player-One-Ernest-Cline/dp/0307887448/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1545768033&sr=1-1&keywords=ready+player+one" target="_blank">Ready Player One</a> by Ernest Cline (2012)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FHyzcShK5U4/XCkcTv9a7II/AAAAAAAA5HA/hgDq3Ivn9IcEn6VFMlzXaZI1tpw31v3cwCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/Ready%2BPlayer%2BOne.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; font-family: calibri, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FHyzcShK5U4/XCkcTv9a7II/AAAAAAAA5HA/hgDq3Ivn9IcEn6VFMlzXaZI1tpw31v3cwCK4BGAYYCw/s320/Ready%2BPlayer%2BOne.jpg" width="208" /></a><span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">At the recommendation of a friend, I was able to read this before seeing the movie that
came out in the spring (side note: while the movie got some things right and was entertaining in its own way, the book was better, as per the norm). It was very entertaining and hard to put down. The story is all about a
futuristic dystopia where most people spend their days plugged into a virtual
reality game (OASIS). The protagonist, Wade Watts, ends up learning everything about 80s TV,
movies, and video games to help him succeed in the game, so it’s fun to be
taken back into that world a bit. It’s also interesting to see how the story is a commentary on how our current lives are more and more bound up in online and
virtual relationships and games. It shows what this does to a person, and how connecting with people in the physical, actual world, is the best kind of connection. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #020202; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">"I created the OASIS because I never felt at home in
the real world. I didn't know how to connect with the people there. I was
afraid, for all of my life, right up until I knew it was ending. That was when
I realized, as terrifying and painful as reality can be, it's also the only
place where you can find true happiness. Because reality is real."</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">7. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/How-Think-Survival-Guide-World/dp/0451499603/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1545589747&sr=8-1&keywords=how+to+think+jacobs" target="_blank">How to Think: A Survival Guide for a World at Odds</a> by
Alan Jacobs (2017)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Gi16ksPQaIs/XCkcYh5iosI/AAAAAAAA5HM/pyYuvrBa8pwXvt7luF2LrFT0jFSw660DwCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/How%2Bto%2BThink.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; font-family: calibri, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Gi16ksPQaIs/XCkcYh5iosI/AAAAAAAA5HM/pyYuvrBa8pwXvt7luF2LrFT0jFSw660DwCK4BGAYYCw/s320/How%2Bto%2BThink.jpg" width="241" /></a><span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">In 2018, it seems that beliefs and ideas about the
world are as divisive as ever. Most of us are very quick to mock those who
disagree with us, instead of thoughtfully engaging in a dialogue that could
possibly change our minds. In this book, Jacobs argues that most of us don’t
really want to think, because thinking is hard, and it’s easier to say things
that make you feel like part of the in-group. It’s easier to go into
“Refutation Mode” and quickly dismiss what others say without considering that
they could be right. Jacobs calls us to humility and courage as we do the hard
work of considering those with different beliefs to be our neighbors and less as
the "Repugnant Cultural Other."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Everyone today seems to have an RCO [Repugnant
Cultural Other], and everyone’s RCO is on social media somewhere...This is a
profoundly unhealthy situation. It’s unhealthy because it prevents us
from recognizing others as our neighbors -- even when they are quite
literally our neighbors. If I’m consumed by this belief that that person over
there is both Other and Repugnant, I may never discover that my favorite
television program is also his favorite television program; that we like some
of the same books...I may all to easily forget that political and social and
religious differences are not the whole of human experience. The cold divisive
logic of the RCO impoverishes us, all of us, and brings us closer to that
primitive state that the political philosopher Thomas Hobbes called ‘the war of
every man against every man.’”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">8. </span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Denial-Death-Ernest-Becker/dp/0684832402/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1545593087&sr=8-1&keywords=denial+of+death" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;" target="_blank">The Denial of Death</a><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"> by Ernest Becker (1973)</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dedmPmee8C0/XCkceNDtEBI/AAAAAAAA5HY/rL_i49ubaMM4wbRNF4fciVhsvXI49C7uwCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/The%2BDenial%2Bof%2BDeath.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dedmPmee8C0/XCkceNDtEBI/AAAAAAAA5HY/rL_i49ubaMM4wbRNF4fciVhsvXI49C7uwCK4BGAYYCw/s320/The%2BDenial%2Bof%2BDeath.jpg" width="209" /></a></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />I first heard of this book in 2011, as it was assigned as reading for my seminary class Grief, Loss, Death and Dying. However, it took several more years, seeing it as influential to many and this <a href="http://www.mbird.com/2017/08/architects-madmen-and-ernest-beckers-the-denial-of-death/" target="_blank">great blog post interaction with it,</a> to finally tip the scales for me to read it. While it was not a light read and one that was dense at times, I’m very glad I made it through. Becker’s argument in this book, for which he won a Pulitzer Prize in 1974, is that h</span><span style="color: #040404; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">uman civilization is ultimately an elaborate, symbolic defense mechanism against the knowledge of our mortality and that death is man’s greatest anxiety.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span><span style="color: #040404; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Because of this anxiety, we either focus on the small problems of our lives and “tranquilize ourselves with the trivial,” or we seek to transcend death by trying to live lives full of meaning, believing them to live on through eternity. As the Mockingbird article above points out, it’s good that Becker helps us be broken by the anxiety of death in light of our own small hero projects. Once there, we can see Christ who became mortal, faced and defeated death, and was raised for our immortality.</span><br />
<span style="color: #040404; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #040404; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">"</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">This is the terror: to have emerged from nothing, to have a name, consciousness of self, deep inner feelings, an excruciating inner yearning for life and self-expression--and with all this yet to die.”</span></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">9. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=how+not+to+be+secular" target="_blank">How (Not) To Be Secular: Reading Charles Taylor</a> by
James K.A. Smith (2014)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-A-xUgz6iPIc/XCkcip-A0mI/AAAAAAAA5Hg/nrKeBa8ef6IBGBTjDOKoj7Ih9kNmIlkTwCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/How%2Bnot%2Bto%2Bbe%2Bsecular.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; font-family: calibri, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-A-xUgz6iPIc/XCkcip-A0mI/AAAAAAAA5Hg/nrKeBa8ef6IBGBTjDOKoj7Ih9kNmIlkTwCK4BGAYYCw/s320/How%2Bnot%2Bto%2Bbe%2Bsecular.jpg" width="213" /></a><span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">This book is a commentary on <i>A Secular Age</i>, an award
winning book about our postmodern, post Christian culture, written by Canadian
philosopher Charles Taylor. It’s not likely that I would read Taylor’s massive
work anytime soon, so I was glad to be able to read Smith’s summary. Taylor/Smith
argue that we formerly lived in an enchanted, God-soaked world, but modernity
brought a flatness to life as exclusive humanism started to take hold as a
dominant view of life. We don’t live in an age of disbelief, but in an age that
believes otherwise, in an Age of Authenticity where choice and tolerance are
the highest virtues. As Smith says, "Your neighbors inhabit what
Charles Taylor calls an ‘immanent frame’; they are no longer bothered by ‘the
God question’ <i>as</i> a question because they are devotees of ‘exclusive
humanism’ -- a way of being-in-the-world that offers significance without
transcendence. They don’t feel like anything is missing.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Taylor presses the closed, immanentist ‘take’ not by
pointing out logical inconsistencies or questioning the veracity of premises,
but rather by suggesting that the closed take can’t seem to get rid of a
certain haunting, a certain rumbling in our hearts...The upshot will be that
Christianity (the ‘open’ take) can provide a better way to account for this --
not necessarily a way to quell it so we can all live happily ever after, but a
way to <i>name</i> it and be honest about this dis-ease.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">10. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Divided-Faith-Evangelical-Religion-Problem/dp/0195147073/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1545591021&sr=8-1&keywords=divided+by+faith" target="_blank">Divided by Faith: Evangelical Religion and the Problem of Race in America</a> by Michael O. Emerson and Christian Smith (2001)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kNc1YhnY5ZY/XCkcmsB1EaI/AAAAAAAA5Hs/jlC-UQqeH_EDq9B5Ly0udvRNfSLfTpjgwCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/Divided%2BBy%2BFaith.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kNc1YhnY5ZY/XCkcmsB1EaI/AAAAAAAA5Hs/jlC-UQqeH_EDq9B5Ly0udvRNfSLfTpjgwCK4BGAYYCw/s320/Divided%2BBy%2BFaith.jpg" width="210" /></a><span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Emerson and Smith argue that many white evangelicals
desire to end racial division and inequality in America, but because they don’t
understand the structures that cause racial division, they end up perpetuating
it. White evangelicals are firm believers in freewill individualism and blame
the race problem on prejudiced individuals or a fabrication of the
self-interested. However, this perspective, "misses that whites can move
to most any neighborhood, eat at most any restaurant, walk down most any
street, or shop at most any store without having to worry or find out that they
are not wanted, whereas African Americans often cannot...misses that white
Americans can be almost certain that when stopped by the police, it has nothing
to do with race, whereas African Americans cannot.” Therefore, we need to
recognize that there is more work to be done in this area and fruit will come
as we repent of our individual, historical, and social sins and seek to eliminate
the areas of systematic discrimination.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Most Americans believe that opportunity for economic
advancement is widely available, that economic outcomes are determined by
individuals efforts and talents (or their lack) and that in general economic
inequality is fair...By not seeing the structures that impact on individual
initiative--such as unequal access to quality education, segregated
neighborhoods that concentrate the already higher black poverty rate and lead
to further social problems, and other forms of discrimination--the structures
are allowed to continue unimpeded.”<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Honorable Mentions: </span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Everything-Happens-Reason-Other-Loved/dp/0399592067" target="_blank">Everything Happens for a Reason</a> by
Kate Bowler, </span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Supposedly-Fun-Thing-Never-Again/dp/0316925284/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1546198820&sr=1-1&keywords=a+supposedly+fun+thing+i%27ll+never+do+again+by+david+foster+wallace" target="_blank">A Supposedly Fun Thing I’ll Never Do Again: Essays and Arguments</a>
by David Foster Wallace </span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Lists from past years:</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="http://thismortallife.blogspot.com/2017/12/favorite-books-i-read-in-2017.html" target="_blank">2017</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://thismortallife.blogspot.com/2016/12/favorite-books-i-read-in-2016.html" target="_blank">2016</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://thismortallife.blogspot.com/2015/12/favorite-books-i-read-in-2015.html" target="_blank">2015</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://thismortallife.blogspot.com/2015/01/favorite-books-i-read-in-2014.html" target="_blank">2014</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://thismortallife.blogspot.com/2013/12/favorite-books-i-read-in-2013.html" target="_blank">2013</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://thismortallife.blogspot.com/2012/12/favorite-books-i-read-in-2012.html" target="_blank">2012</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://thismortallife.blogspot.com/2011/12/favorite-books-i-read-in-2011.html" target="_blank">2011</a></span><br />
<a href="http://thismortallife.blogspot.com/2010/12/best-books-i-read-in-2010.html" style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">2010</a></div>
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David Wilhitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08187161025528660914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29322791.post-25955890292681467892018-01-03T20:59:00.002-05:002020-05-21T15:23:15.205-04:00Favorite Podcasts in 2017<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Below are my favorite podcasts I listened to this year and the podcasts I'm currently subscribed to. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Podcast Series</u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1. <a href="http://www.bluebabiespink.com/" target="_blank">Blue Babies Pink</a> by Brett Trapp (2016) - My friend Nate recommended this podcast series last fall. It's Brett's story of being a Christian yet struggling with being gay. I was really challenged by listening to it as it created a lot more empathy and understanding for those who are gay but desperately don't want to be. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">2. <a href="https://stownpodcast.org/" target="_blank">S-Town</a> narrated by Brian Reed (2017) - The fascinating account of John B. McLemore, genius and antique clock restorer, troubled by his self, his town and so many things in the world. Great story-telling about a very unique man. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Stand-alone Episodes (mostly):</u></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1. <a href="http://www.theliturgists.com/podcast/2015/5/18/episode-20-lgbtq" target="_blank">LGBTQ</a>, The Liturgists Podcast (May 19, 2015) - Along with Blue Babies Pink (above), this episode was formative for me in the way that it humanized the struggle of being gay or transgender. It is mostly interviews with current Christians who face attraction to the same sex and/or identify with another sex. I was especially moved listening to the story of a transgender person who didn't desire the identity felt and who was cast out by family and the church. (Related/Recommended - the best sermon I've heard on the topic, <a href="https://roswellchurch.com/sermons-master/2017/10/8/the-gift-of-being-gendered" target="_blank">The Gift of Being Gendered</a> by my pastor Matt Miller).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">2. <a href="http://www.theliturgists.com/podcast/2016/3/29/episode-34-black-and-white-racism-in-america" target="_blank">Black and White: Racism in America</a>, The Liturgists Podcast (May 19, 2016) - Though the entire episode is a great conversation about history and current state of racism in this country, the first 20 minutes are especially powerful. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">3. <a href="http://www.radiolab.org/story/match-made-in-marrow/" target="_blank">Match Made In Marrow</a>, RadioLab (November 9, 2017) - Account of a bone marrow receiver meeting her donor and the civil clash of their opposing world-views.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">4. <a href="https://gimletmedia.com/episode/12-jesse/" target="_blank">Jesse</a>, Heavyweight (November 9, 2017) - really moving story about a man run over by a car seeks out the driver to thank and forgive him.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">5. </span><a href="https://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/626/white-haze" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">White Haze</a><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">, This American Life (September 17, 2017) - About a right-wing group called the Proud Boys. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">6. "<a href="https://www.wnyc.org/series/busted-americas-poverty-myths" target="_blank">Busted: America's Poverty Myths</a>" #1 - #5, On the Media (January 17, 2016) - A very challenging and interesting series that speak to our incorrect assumptions about poverty.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">7. </span><a href="https://gimletmedia.com/episode/86-man-of-the-people/" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Man of the People</a><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">, ReplyAll (Jan 19, 2017) - strange and truly fascinating story about Dr. John Brinkley, early 20th century huckster.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">8. </span><a href="https://www.npr.org/programs/invisibilia/530718193/emotions" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Emotions</a><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Part 1 & 2, Invisibilia (June 22, 2017) - A story about emotions and how they develop and play out in our lives </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">9. </span><a href="http://www.theliturgists.com/podcast/2017/6/6/christian-violence" style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Christian Violence</a><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">, The Liturgists Podcast (June 6, 2017) - Along with Shane Claiborne, this is mostly about how incompatible the death penalty is with Jesus. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">10. <a href="https://www.theringer.com/the-bill-simmons-podcast/2017/8/24/16199752/kevin-durant-iv-ask-kevin-anything-part-1" target="_blank">Kevin Durant IV: Ask Kevin Anything</a> Part 1 & 2, The Bill Simmons Podcast (August 24 & 28, 2017) - Honest and open dialogue from one of the NBA's best players.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">11. <a href="https://tim.blog/2017/10/09/richard-branson/" target="_blank">Sir Richard Branson</a> - The Billionaire Maverick of the Virgin Empire, The Tim Ferris Show (October 9, 2017) - As you can imagine, one of the richest men on the planet has led a very fascinating life. Not knowing much about him before, I came away liking him.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">12. <a href="http://www.radiolab.org/story/oliver-sipple/" target="_blank">Oliver Sipple</a>, RadioLab (September 22, 2017) - Story of a man saving the president's life and hating the attention he receives</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">13. <a href="http://www.theliturgists.com/podcast/2016/8/23/the-enneagram-episode-37" target="_blank">The Enneagram</a>, The Liturgists Podcast (August 23, 2016) - I've benefited a lot from better understanding the Enneagram. While not my first deep dive, this was a great walk through each of the nine types.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">14. <a href="https://www.wnycstudios.org/story/htt-howard-schultz/" target="_blank">Starbucks' Howard Schultz Doesn't Sleep--But Don't Blame Coffee</a>, Here's The Thing (September 27, 2016) - Cool perspective on the history and ethos of Starbucks and it's founder.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">15. <a href="https://www.npr.org/programs/invisibilia/532950995/the-culture-inside" target="_blank">The Culture Inside</a>, Invisibilia (June 8, 2017) - About implicit bias and our unconscious selves</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">16. <a href="http://www.radiolab.org/story/shots-fired-part-1/" target="_blank">Shots Fired</a>: Part 1 & 2, RadioLab (March 17 &24, 2017) - Reporter searches for truth in a case of a police officer discharging his weapon in the line of duty.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">17. </span><a href="http://www.radiolab.org/story/driverless-dilemma/" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Driverless Dilemma</a><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">, RadioLab (September 26, 2017) - Discussing the famous trolley problem along with the future of driverless car technology.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">18. </span><a href="http://www.theliturgists.com/podcast/2017/8/15/names" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Names</a><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">, The Liturgists Podcast (August 15, 2017) - "<span style="background-color: white;">An exploration of what names are, how they shape us, and what happens when we change more than our label can accommodate."</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">19. <a href="http://www.radiolab.org/story/null-and-void/" target="_blank">Null & Void</a>, RadioLab (May 12, 2017) - All about the concept of </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jury_nullification" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">jury nullification</a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">20. <a href="https://www.wnycstudios.org/story/steve-erickson-saw-trumpism-coming/" target="_blank">Steve Erickson Saw Trumpism Coming</a>, Here's The Thing (November 7, 2017) - About a novelist who, with this 1995 essay, American Weimar, spoke about the growing fury and polarization of the country.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u><br /></u></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Currently Subscribed To:</u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Bill Simmons Podcast</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Relevant Podcast</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Relevant is Doing a Sports Podcast</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">RadioLab</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This American Life<br />Invisibilia</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Liturgists Podcast</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">WTF with Marc Maron</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Tim Ferris Show</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here's the Thing with Alec Baldwin</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Any recommendations?</span>David Wilhitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08187161025528660914noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29322791.post-64952422066747177912017-12-31T13:41:00.000-05:002020-05-21T15:23:22.683-04:00Favorite Books I Read in 2017<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While this blog now stays dormant most of the year, I resurrect it at the end of each year for a couple of lists, one of which is always my favorite, this summary of my favorite books of the year. I love compiling and listing for myself, to reflect on the year, but I also love curating this list for any of you who might be reading, in hopes that you might pick one or two of them and enjoy them as much as I did. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With that, below are my favorite books I read this year:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Just-Mercy-Story-Justice-Redemption/dp/081298496X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1513967375&sr=8-1&keywords=just+mercy" target="_blank">Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption</a> by Bryan Stevenson (2014)</span></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-adGcJgKYNxs/WkgvYWK1zqI/AAAAAAAAuH8/eYOQvQB30psMHQSQxonhf8FFbOj3c0qPQCLcBGAs/s1600/book%2B-%2Bjust%2Bmercy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="324" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-adGcJgKYNxs/WkgvYWK1zqI/AAAAAAAAuH8/eYOQvQB30psMHQSQxonhf8FFbOj3c0qPQCLcBGAs/s200/book%2B-%2Bjust%2Bmercy.jpg" width="129" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is a riveting, well-written book about the countless encounters Stevenson has had with the wrongly accused and excessively punished in this country. From death row to juvenile facilities, he shows the injustice prevailing within our justice system and it is often maddening. Stevenson summarizes the book this way, "this book is about getting closer to mass incarceration and extreme punishment in America. It is about how easily we condemn people in this country and the injustice we create when we allow fear, anger, and distance to shape the way we treat the most vulnerable among us." </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Quote: “Proximity has taught me some basic and humbling truths, including this vital lesson: Each of us is more than the worst thing we’ve ever done. My work with the poor and the incarcerated has persuaded me that the opposite of poverty is not wealth; the opposite of poverty is justice. Finally, I’ve come to believe that the true measure of our commitment to justice, the character of our society, our commitment to the rule of law, fairness, and equality cannot be measured by how we treat the rich, the powerful, the privileged, and the respected among us. The true measure of our character is how we treat the poor, the disfavored, the accused, the incarcerated, and the condemned.” </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Making-Sense-God-Invitation-Skeptical/dp/0525954155/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1513967541&sr=1-1&keywords=making+sense+of+god" target="_blank">Making Sense of God: An Invitation to the Skeptical</a> by Tim Keller (2016)</span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cwBULKlPh7o/WkgvYg4AEYI/AAAAAAAAuIA/yUZwfyntgAcb75MFaEOFPrUzpPJCb05pACEwYBhgL/s1600/book%2B-%2Bkeller.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="331" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cwBULKlPh7o/WkgvYg4AEYI/AAAAAAAAuIA/yUZwfyntgAcb75MFaEOFPrUzpPJCb05pACEwYBhgL/s200/book%2B-%2Bkeller.jpg" width="132" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In 2009, Keller wrote the best seller, The Reason for God. In it, he provides a case for belief in God and Christianity. Making Sense of God is a sort of prequel, starting further back in the journey of spiritual exploration as it addresses Christianity's relevance in modern times. Keller also addresses the assumption that the world is getting more secular and the assumptions that many of us wrongly hold about the foundations of what true Christianity is. As always, Keller draws on many philosophical, literary, and cultural sources and lays his argument out in a compelling and easy to read way.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Quotes: <span style="background-color: white;">“Actually, it is quite natural to human beings to move toward belief in God. As humanities scholar Mark Lilla has written: 'To most humans, curiosity about higher things comes naturally, it’s indifference to them that must be learned.' Strict secularism holds that people are only physical entities without souls, that when loved ones die they simply cease to exist, that sensations of love and beauty are just neurological-chemical events, that there is no right or wrong outside of what we in our minds determine and choose. Those positions are at the very least deeply counterintuitive for nearly all people, and large swaths of humanity will continue to simply reject them as impossible to believe.”</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Crossing-Safety-Modern-Library-Classics/dp/037575931X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1513967614&sr=1-1&keywords=crossing+to+safety+wallace+stegner" target="_blank">Crossing to Safety</a> by Wallace Stegner (1987)</span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RsRessS41hI/WkgvYzfjQRI/AAAAAAAAuII/cxKR9visaoQ1L-mwmEzLyK5ZdNnwpAmeACEwYBhgL/s1600/book%2B-%2Bcrossing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="322" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RsRessS41hI/WkgvYzfjQRI/AAAAAAAAuII/cxKR9visaoQ1L-mwmEzLyK5ZdNnwpAmeACEwYBhgL/s200/book%2B-%2Bcrossing.jpg" width="128" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This was my first Stegner novel, and I highly doubt it will be my last. It was the last novel of this Pulitzer prize winner's life. It is an excellent story about the lives of the Morgans and the Langs, two couples spending life together between work in Madison, WI and vacations in Vermont. Nothing overly spectacular happens in the story, but it is captivating nonetheless. It's mostly about friendship, marriage, and caring for one another, both in the day to day and in the face of terminal illness. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Quote: <span style="background-color: white;">“You can plan all you want to. You can lie in your morning bed and fill whole notebooks with schemes and intentions. But within a single afternoon, within hours or minutes, everything you plan and everything you have fought to make yourself can be undone as a slug is undone when salt is poured on him. And right up to the moment when you find yourself dissolving into foam you can still believe you are doing fine.”</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Copperfield-Penguin-Classics-Charles-Dickens/dp/0140439447/ref=sr_1_sc_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1513967814&sr=1-1-spell&keywords=david+copperfield+pneguin" target="_blank">David Copperfield</a> by Charles Dickens (1850)</span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dbnQhPkfEMo/WkgvYQztZPI/AAAAAAAAuH4/Yj1nkLHtUKEHAJMBDQn1-IXBPTWzuELzQCEwYBhgL/s1600/book%2B-%2Bdavid.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="326" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dbnQhPkfEMo/WkgvYQztZPI/AAAAAAAAuH4/Yj1nkLHtUKEHAJMBDQn1-IXBPTWzuELzQCEwYBhgL/s200/book%2B-%2Bdavid.jpg" width="130" /></a><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I almost didn't finish this book. After slowly making my way up to the halfway point, I looked at the remaining 400 pages and considering calling it quits. However, my wife convinced me to continue, so I did. And it was worth it. Though I think the story takes a little while to develop and the older English language can be tiring at times, by the end of the book, you have a great cast of characters that I found quite intriguing. This book (mild spoilers ahead) is about a boy who gets orphaned early in life, sent to boarding school by his abusive step-dad, and spends the rest of the story wandering around England, developing rich friendships. David makes a lot of mistakes throughout the novel, trusting those who would take advantage of him and falling in love with the wrong girl, but ultimately, he does develop into a wise man and finally awakens to the reality of Agnes as his true love.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Quote: 'Whenever I have not had you, Agnes, to advise and approve in the beginning, I have seemed to go wild, and to get into all sorts of difficulty. When I have come to you, at last (as I have always done), I have come to peace and happiness. I come home, now, like a tired traveller, and find such a blessed sense of rest!' I felt so deeply what I said, it affected me so sincerely, that my voice failed, and I covered my face with my hand, and broke into tears. I write the truth. Whatever contradictions and inconsistencies there were within me, as there are within so many of us; whatever might have been so different, and so much better; whatever I had done, in which I had perversely wandered away from the voice of my own heart; I knew nothing of. I only knew that I was fervently in earnest, when I felt the rest and peace of having Agnes near me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Bad-Religion-Became-Nation-Heretics/dp/143917833X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1513967973&sr=1-1&keywords=bad+religion" target="_blank">Bad Religion: How We Became a Nation of Heretics</a> by Ross Douthat (2013)</span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ak_amppTRZk/WkgvYCP0PLI/AAAAAAAAuHw/6BktizV7KjIKwwdUYnhsIsDHajM_vz6lgCEwYBhgL/s1600/book%2B-%2Bbad%2Breligion.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="326" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ak_amppTRZk/WkgvYCP0PLI/AAAAAAAAuHw/6BktizV7KjIKwwdUYnhsIsDHajM_vz6lgCEwYBhgL/s200/book%2B-%2Bbad%2Breligion.jpg" width="130" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This review by Tim Keller first got me interested in this book: "</span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not only is Ross Douthat's account of orthodox Christianity's decline provocative, but his critique of today's ascendant heresies is compelling. This volume is a sustained proof of Chesterton's thesis that when people turn from God, 'they don't believe in nothing--they believe in anything.' Everyone who is interested in why the church is faring as it is in U.S. culture today needs to get this book." It's definitely an interesting look at the history and current state of pseudo-Christianity movements in this country. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Quote: <span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“America’s problem isn’t too much religion, or too little of it. It’s </span><span style="font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">bad</span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> religion: the slow-motion collapse of traditional Christianity and the rise of a variety of destructive pseudo-Christianities in its place.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Garden-Beasts-Terror-American-Hitlers/dp/030740885X" target="_blank">In the Garden of the Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin</a> by Erik Larson (2012)</span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N6V-dnTRZkg/WkklmnmU8zI/AAAAAAAAuI4/ohDkus-jmoAWMVbzwzs-ru2gzI-BDjikQCLcBGAs/s1600/book%2B-%2Bgarden.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="324" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N6V-dnTRZkg/WkklmnmU8zI/AAAAAAAAuI4/ohDkus-jmoAWMVbzwzs-ru2gzI-BDjikQCLcBGAs/s200/book%2B-%2Bgarden.jpg" width="129" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This was my third book by Larson </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Others = Dead Wake & Devil in the White City)</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, and though it was my third favorite, it was still quite engaging. Larson centers this work of historical fiction on the U.S. ambassador to Germany (William Dodd) during the mid 1930s and his family. He shows how the horrific thoughts and practices of the Nazis slowly took over the country, in a way that many seemed unaffected by the atrocities</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> going on around them. Dodd tried to be a voice of reason among the madness.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Quote: Throughout that first year in Germany, Dodd had been struck again and again by the strange indifference to atrocity that had settled over the nation, the willingness of the populace and of the moderate elements in the government to accept each new oppressive decree, each new act of violence, without protest. It was as if he had entered the dark forest of a fairy tale where all the rules of right and wrong were upended. He wrote to his friend Roper, “I could not have imagined the outbreak against the Jews when everybody was suffering, one way or another, from declining commerce. Nor could one have imagined that such a terroristic performance as that of June 30* would have been permitted in modern times.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">*June 30, 1934 - <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_of_the_Long_Knives" target="_blank">The Night of the Long Knives</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">7. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Ways-White-Folks-Stories-Classics/dp/0679728171/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1513968438&sr=1-1&keywords=the+ways+of+white+folks+by+langston+hughes" target="_blank">The Ways of White Folks</a> by Langston Hughes (1934)</span><br />
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/--DihUxk-1Lg/WkkoiZGN--I/AAAAAAAAuJE/uyWCog34gRoSuEbOrkU_JOmlUWMwUS5bgCLcBGAs/s1600/book%2B-%2Bwhite.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"></span></a><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/--DihUxk-1Lg/WkkoiZGN--I/AAAAAAAAuJE/uyWCog34gRoSuEbOrkU_JOmlUWMwUS5bgCLcBGAs/s1600/book%2B-%2Bwhite.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="280" data-original-width="180" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/--DihUxk-1Lg/WkkoiZGN--I/AAAAAAAAuJE/uyWCog34gRoSuEbOrkU_JOmlUWMwUS5bgCLcBGAs/s200/book%2B-%2Bwhite.jpeg" width="128" /></a><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is a collection of short stories that mostly looks at the racism and dynamics of race relations in the early 20th century.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Quote: "<span style="background-color: white;">Bow down and pray in fear and trembling, go way back in the dark afraid; or work harder and harder; or stumble and learn; or raise up your fist and strike-but once the idea comes into your head you’ll never be the same again. Oh, test tube of life! Crucible of the South, find the right powder and you’ll never be the same again-the cotton will blaze and the cabins will burn and the chains will be broken and men, all of a sudden, will shakes hands, black men and white men, like steel meeting steel!”</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stats: 10 books (3,562 pages) read</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lists from past years:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://thismortallife.blogspot.com/2016/12/favorite-books-i-read-in-2016.html" target="_blank">2016</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://thismortallife.blogspot.com/2015/12/favorite-books-i-read-in-2015.html" target="_blank">2015</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://thismortallife.blogspot.com/2015/01/favorite-books-i-read-in-2014.html" target="_blank">2014</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://thismortallife.blogspot.com/2013/12/favorite-books-i-read-in-2013.html" target="_blank">2013</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://thismortallife.blogspot.com/2012/12/favorite-books-i-read-in-2012.html" target="_blank">2012</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://thismortallife.blogspot.com/2011/12/favorite-books-i-read-in-2011.html" target="_blank">2011</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://thismortallife.blogspot.com/2010/12/best-books-i-read-in-2010.html" target="_blank">2010</a></span></div>
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David Wilhitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08187161025528660914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29322791.post-64451658420094421222017-02-26T16:06:00.000-05:002020-05-21T15:23:30.732-04:00Favorite Films of 2016I like using the Oscars as an excuse to post these later than the end of the year. It definitely helps me get a few more in. A couple of notes: 1) It was very difficult to choose between Moonlight and Manchester by the Sea for the top spot, as both were so very good, 2) O.J. Made in America is one of my favorite documentaries I've ever seen.<br />
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<b>Favorite Movies:</b><br />
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1. <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4975722/" target="_blank">Moonlight</a><br />
2. <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4034228/?ref_=nv_sr_2" target="_blank">Manchester by the Sea</a><br />
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3. <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2582782/?ref_=nv_sr_1" target="_blank">Hell or High Water</a><br />
4. <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3748528/?ref_=nv_sr_2" target="_blank">Rogue One</a><br />
5. <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2543164/?ref_=nv_sr_1" target="_blank">Arrival</a><br />
6. <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3783958/?ref_=nv_sr_1" target="_blank">La La Land</a><br />
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7. <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3513054/?ref_=nv_sr_2" target="_blank">Last Days in the Desert</a><br />
8. <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0475290/?ref_=nv_sr_1" target="_blank">Hail, Caesar!</a><br />
9. <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2937696/?ref_=nv_sr_2" target="_blank">Everybody Wants Some</a><br />
10. <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1431045/?ref_=nv_sr_1" target="_blank">Deadpool</a><br />
11. <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1179933/?ref_=nv_sr_1" target="_blank">10 Cloverfield Lane</a><br />
12. <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2948356/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1" target="_blank">Zootopia</a><br />
13. <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3068194/?ref_=nv_sr_1" target="_blank">Love and Friendship</a><br />
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Not Yet Seen: Silence, Voyage of Time, Hacksaw Ridge, Loving, Fences, Lion, Hidden Figures<br />
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<b>Favorite Documentaries:</b><br />
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1. <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5275892/?ref_=nv_sr_1" target="_blank">O.J. Made in America</a><br />
2. <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5213534/?ref_=nv_sr_1" target="_blank">Oasis: Supersonic</a><br />
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Not Yet Seen: 13th, WeinerDavid Wilhitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08187161025528660914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29322791.post-36246530940527947782016-12-29T20:32:00.001-05:002020-05-21T15:23:36.714-04:00Favorite Books I Read in 2016<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Below are my favorite books that I read this year:<a href="https://www.amazon.com/When-Breath-Becomes-Paul-Kalanithi/dp/081298840X" target="_blank"><br /></a></span>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">1. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Warmth-Other-Suns-Americas-Migration/dp/0679763880" target="_blank">The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration</a> by Isabel Wilkerson (2011)</span><br />
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Sz-rTmow2tc/WGMmwKfc65I/AAAAAAAAoCA/M1ElIP7nBAUikVo4FTZxFCbl60q1xBrpwCLcB/s1600/WarmthofOtherSuns_paperback.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Sz-rTmow2tc/WGMmwKfc65I/AAAAAAAAoCA/M1ElIP7nBAUikVo4FTZxFCbl60q1xBrpwCLcB/s200/WarmthofOtherSuns_paperback.jpg" width="131" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">From 1915 to 1970, 6 million black southerners to the North, the greatest migration of any people in American history. This book tells the story of this migration by telling the stories of three different people: <span style="background-color: white;">Ida Mae, w</span><span style="background-color: white;">ho in 1937 left central Mississippi for Chicago</span><span style="background-color: white;">; </span><span style="background-color: white;">George Starling, who in 1945 left central Florida for Harlem; </span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333;">and Robert Foster, who in 1953 left Monroe, Louisiana for Los Angeles. It is a captivating read, as it speaks to the brutal inequality these and others dealt with in the Jim Crow South and to the courage they exhibited by leaving everything they knew for the possibility of a better life. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Quote: "The layers of accumulated assets built up by the better-paid dominant caste, generation after generation, would factor into a wealth disparity of white Americans having an average net worth ten times that of black Americans by the turn of the twenty-first century, dampening the economic prospects of the children and grandchildren of both Jim Crow and the Great Migration before they were even born."</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">2. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/When-Breath-Becomes-Paul-Kalanithi/dp/081298840X" target="_blank">When Breath Becomes Air</a> by Paul Kalanithi (2016)</span><br />
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5e1bLrIHcRk/WGMmsSR7VRI/AAAAAAAAoB4/RWIwUuu3xGMcn2ijXJ0BCQztw_mWs_JxACLcB/s1600/whenbreathbecomesair_0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5e1bLrIHcRk/WGMmsSR7VRI/AAAAAAAAoB4/RWIwUuu3xGMcn2ijXJ0BCQztw_mWs_JxACLcB/s200/whenbreathbecomesair_0.jpg" width="135" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">A beautifully moving story about a neurosurgeon, who at 36, receives a fatal diagnosis of lung cancer. His thoughtful reflections on life and death, both as the doctor and the patient, are great reminders of what is truly important in life and how death awaits us all. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Quote: “Don’t think I ever spent a minute of any day wondering why I did this work, or whether it was worth it. The call to protect life—and not merely life but another’s identity; it is perhaps not too much to say another’s soul—was obvious in its sacredness. Before operating on a patient’s brain, I realized, I must first understand his mind: his identity, his values, what makes his life worth living, and what devastation makes it reasonable to let that life end. The cost of my dedication to succeed was high, and the ineluctable failures brought me nearly unbearable guilt. Those burdens are what make medicine holy and wholly impossible: in taking up another’s cross, one must sometimes get crushed by the weight.” </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">3. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Looming-Tower-Al-Qaeda-Road-11/dp/1400030846/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1482864589&sr=1-1&keywords=the+looming+tower" target="_blank">The Looming Tower: Al-Queda and the Road to 9/11</a> by Lawrence Wright (2007)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_coo0RTSJNA/WGMni8dNt_I/AAAAAAAAoCQ/xu6jlpII7nwL3YMNWjEEJQUuxJ1blN-4gCLcB/s1600/looming.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_coo0RTSJNA/WGMni8dNt_I/AAAAAAAAoCQ/xu6jlpII7nwL3YMNWjEEJQUuxJ1blN-4gCLcB/s200/looming.jpg" width="129" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">This is a fascinating read, focusing on the birth of radical Islam in the 20th century. This book won the Pulitzer Prize for Non-Fiction in 2007 and I understand why. Wright does a great job providing rich history in a seamless, interesting way. One of the biggest ideas I gleaned from this work was how critical Osama bin Laden really was at fanning the flames of hatred towards the United States, ultimately leading to the attacks of 9/11.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Quote: “Radicalism usually prospers in the gap between rising expectations and declining opportunities. This is especially true where the population is young, idle, and bored; where the art is impoverished; where entertainment—movies, theater, music—is policed or absent altogether; and where young men are set apart from the consoling and socializing presence of women.”</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">4. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Righteous-Mind-Divided-Politics-Religion/dp/0307455777" target="_blank">The Righteous Mind: </a><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Righteous-Mind-Divided-Politics-Religion/dp/0307455777" target="_blank">Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion</a> </span>by Jonathan Haidt (2013)</span><br />
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ul59P7aSkeQ/WGMm-ELZsXI/AAAAAAAAoCI/14PYYrr_kc8BDJq3bP8uOpLvFlpxb4FEACLcB/s1600/righteous.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ul59P7aSkeQ/WGMm-ELZsXI/AAAAAAAAoCI/14PYYrr_kc8BDJq3bP8uOpLvFlpxb4FEACLcB/s200/righteous.jpg" width="129" /></a><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I meant to review this book with it's own blog post, but didn't get around to it. Though it's fourth on the list, this very accessible (not-too-academic) book was a huge paradigm shift for me. I've thought about it's principles many times since I finished it earlier this year, especially during the election season, when people seemed to be more divided politically than ever. Haidt is a social psychologist who looks into how moral psychology can help us understand our political and religious views better. We think we use our reason much more than we actually do, when in fact, our intuition/gut is much more involved in our judgments. He ultimately urges us towards empathy and humility in engaging with people who have ideas different than ours. A good introduction to this book is a 30 minute talk he gave at a Mockingbird conference, entitled "<a href="https://vimeo.com/96892181" target="_blank">The Rationalist Delusion and the Perils of Certainty.</a>"</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Quote: “Morality binds and blinds. It binds us into ideological teams that fight each other as though the fate of the world depended on our side winning each battle. It blinds us to the fact that each team is composed of good people who have something important to say.” </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">5. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Place-Earth-Novel-Wendell-Berry/dp/1582431248/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1482864853&sr=1-1&keywords=a+place+on+earth+by+wendell+berry" target="_blank">A Place on Earth</a> by Wendell Berry (1983)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WTRz0RqOFtg/WGR9zbei-II/AAAAAAAAoDg/OIz_21djNOoUl_i4N0yARKUl77HntHSJwCLcB/s1600/placeonearth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WTRz0RqOFtg/WGR9zbei-II/AAAAAAAAoDg/OIz_21djNOoUl_i4N0yARKUl77HntHSJwCLcB/s200/placeonearth.jpg" width="131" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">My third in the fictional Port William Series (previously read Hannah Coulter and Jayber Crow). I love Berry and his writings. There is a certain peace and wisdom in his words. Like others in the series, this book is rich with stories of an imperfect, yet loving community in the farmland of Kentucky. I'm looking forward to the next one.</span><br />
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-2c9e0570-4325-e1d7-9e27-5845dac749c1"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">“Now, as from the extremity of his embarrassment, she grows aware of his caring for her. She understands, with shame at her misapprehension, that he is not there because he is flattered by her small attentions; he has come to offer himself. In all her life she has known nothing like it. She sees how free he leaves her. His love for her requires nothing of her, not even that she find it useful. He has simply made himself present, turning away, as he has now, to allow her to sleep if she wants to. She feels enclosed by this generosity as by a room, ample and light. Turning on her side, she does sleep.” - Hannah, speaking of Old Jack after having her baby</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">6. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Jonathan-Edwards-George-M-Marsden/dp/0300105967/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1482864598&sr=1-4&keywords=jonathan+edwards" target="_blank">Jonathan Edwards: A Life</a> by George Marsden (2004)</span><br />
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9dcLkZ0J2ms/WGR9zPM47PI/AAAAAAAAoDU/xDofgK2ADIoHRJPRNN5PKlv1cFakOH8OgCEw/s1600/edwards.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9dcLkZ0J2ms/WGR9zPM47PI/AAAAAAAAoDU/xDofgK2ADIoHRJPRNN5PKlv1cFakOH8OgCEw/s200/edwards.jpg" width="123" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">This was the last of four biographies I read within a year (Bonhoeffer, John Adams, Steve Jobs). I enjoyed it and would rank ahead of Bonhoeffer, but behind Adams and Jobs. Edwards was a brilliant man, pastor and theologian, and Marsden does a great job revealing all of these facets of his life.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Quote: “Having once thought that most of his parishioners shared the life-changing encounter with blazing beauty, it was all the harder for him to see them day after day preoccupied with petty jealousies, avarice, and lusts, and to endure their sullen expressions and bored irreverence as they went through the forms of weekly worship.” </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CkeQLDP2jCA/WGR9zPzqZLI/AAAAAAAAoDc/Zv-lQ7OGSwQJaIXiZ-MlYHuv2FkHRh5SgCEw/s1600/coates.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CkeQLDP2jCA/WGR9zPzqZLI/AAAAAAAAoDc/Zv-lQ7OGSwQJaIXiZ-MlYHuv2FkHRh5SgCEw/s200/coates.jpg" width="131" /></a><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">7. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Between-World-Me-Ta-Nehisi-Coates/dp/0812993543/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1482864630&sr=1-1&keywords=between+the+world+and+me" target="_blank">Between the World and Me</a> by Ta-Nehisi Coates (2015)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I really appreciated hearing the perspective of Coates, a man who thoughtfully writes to his son of his experience of being black in this white dominated world. He speaks most of the preciousness of the black body and how many will try to abuse and destroy it. This book has helped me understand the fear that many people in our country face today and has challenged me think more about the privileges I and my ancestors have had purely because of our whiteness.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Quote: "But race is the child of racism, not the father. And the process of naming “the people” has never been a matter of genealogy and physiognomy so much as one of hierarchy. Difference in hue and hair is old. But the belief in the preeminence of hue and hair, the notion that these factors can correctly organize a society and that they signify deeper attributes, which are indelible—this is the new idea at the heart of these new people who have been brought up hopelessly, tragically, deceitfully, to believe that they are white."</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">8. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/End-Affair-Penguin-Classics-Deluxe/dp/0142437980/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1482864682&sr=1-1&keywords=the+end+of+the+affair" target="_blank">The End of the Affair</a> by Graham Greene (1951)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-P1_puLX3h5k/WGR9zIyORpI/AAAAAAAAoDY/sQpvAhNHq-8uDjncnmHw3oPFWIPs2AR0ACEw/s1600/graham%2Bgreene.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-P1_puLX3h5k/WGR9zIyORpI/AAAAAAAAoDY/sQpvAhNHq-8uDjncnmHw3oPFWIPs2AR0ACEw/s200/graham%2Bgreene.jpg" width="133" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">This was my second book by Greene after first reading The Power in the Glory. I really like Greene's style and themes. This is a book about two lovers mixed up in an adulterous relationship and about how they wrestle with God in the midst of their love and hate.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Quote: "I went to a priest two days ago before you rang me up and I told him I wanted to be a Catholic. I told him about my promise and about you. I said, I’m not really married to Henry any more. We don’t sleep together—not since the first year with you. And it wasn’t really a marriage, I said, you couldn’t call a registry office a wedding. I asked him couldn’t I be a Catholic and marry you?...No, no, no, he said, I couldn’t marry you, I couldn’t go on seeing you, not if I was going to be a Catholic. I thought, to hell with the whole lot of them and I walked out of the room where I was seeing him, and I slammed the door to show what I thought of priests. They are between us and God, I thought; God has more mercy, and then I came out of the church and saw the crucifix they have there, and I thought, of course, he’s got mercy, only it’s such an odd sort of mercy, it sometimes looks like punishment."</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">9. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Hillbilly-Elegy-Memoir-Family-Culture/dp/0062300547/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1482864728&sr=1-1&keywords=hillbilly" target="_blank">Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis</a> by J.D. Vance (2016)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SpgDDBKy4ZM/WGR9zI-SRFI/AAAAAAAAoDk/E3NEQehkZ1IUS9wPhC48m_Hw_eMzvHSWQCEw/s1600/hillbilly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SpgDDBKy4ZM/WGR9zI-SRFI/AAAAAAAAoDk/E3NEQehkZ1IUS9wPhC48m_Hw_eMzvHSWQCEw/s200/hillbilly.jpg" width="132" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I began reading this as it seemed most everyone else was. The New York Times says it's one of several books to explain the rise of Trump. It's basically about a rural working class white family, which is a microcosm of the hillbilly world described. Cycles of poverty, substance abuse, and family instability and dysfunction plague J.D.'s family and most of the families around him. Against the odds, and mostly due to a always present Mamaw along with some mentors along the way, J.D. breaks out of the cycle and ends up graduating from Yale Law School. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Quote: “If you believe that hard work pays off, then you work hard; if you think it’s hard to get ahead even when you try, then why try at all? Similarly, when people do fail, this mind-set allows them to look outward. I once ran into an old acquaintance at a Middletown bar who told me that he had recently quit his job because he was sick of waking up early. I later saw him complaining on Facebook about the “Obama economy” and how it had affected his life. I don’t doubt that the Obama economy has affected many, but this man is assuredly not among them. His status in life is directly attributable to the choices he’s made, and his life will improve only through better decisions. But for him to make better choices, he needs to live in an environment that forces him to ask tough questions about himself. There is a cultural movement in the white working class to blame problems on society or the government, and that movement gains adherents by the day.” </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">10. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Hillbilly-Elegy-Memoir-Family-Culture/dp/0062300547/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1482864728&sr=1-1&keywords=hillbilly" target="_blank">You Are What You Love: The Spiritual Power of Habit</a> by James K.A. Smith (2016)</span><br />
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XNXZy74qP7s/WGMmuGuwIhI/AAAAAAAAoB8/NpbPckCQQ_o6RO9_FFSAHojJviOETn2FQCLcB/s1600/whatyoulove.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XNXZy74qP7s/WGMmuGuwIhI/AAAAAAAAoB8/NpbPckCQQ_o6RO9_FFSAHojJviOETn2FQCLcB/s200/whatyoulove.jpg" width="128" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">After Smith's Desiring the Kingdom rocked my world several years ago, I was excited to see a shorter, less academic version of the concepts he previously laid out. In many ways, this book is a summary, but also has some fresh takes and new sections that DTK did not have. In it, he continues to remind us that what we do shapes what we love more than what we think. Also, he adds a particularly relevant warning to the rise of mega-churches, or really any church that removes the opportunity to corporately confess sin. He explains...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Quote: "In the 1980s, <span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">North American evangelicalism experienced an almost revolutionary innovation: what later came to be known as the megachurch…...</span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">One common aspect of traditional Christian worship that was excised from seeker-sensitive congregations was the practice of corporate confession of sin.....</span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But what if the opportunity to confess is </span><span style="font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">precisely</span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> what we long for?...What if we </span><span style="font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">want </span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">to confess our sins and didn’t even realize it until given the opportunity?”</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"Look--everybody knows there's something wrong with them. They just don't know what it is. Everybody wants confession, everybody wants some cathartic narrative for it. The guilty especially. And everybody's guilty." - Rust Cohle, True Detective</span></span><br />
David Wilhitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08187161025528660914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29322791.post-72313957997827600702016-02-27T15:09:00.000-05:002016-02-27T15:09:34.763-05:00Favorite Films of 2015Just in time for the Oscars tomorrow night, below are my favorite movies and documentaries of 2015.<br />
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<b>Favorite Movies:</b><br />
<br />
<u>Top 10</u><br />
1. <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1392190/" target="_blank">Mad Max: Fury Road</a><br />2. <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1663202/" target="_blank">The Revenant</a><br />3. <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1895587/" target="_blank">Spotlight</a><br />4. <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3397884/" target="_blank">Sicario</a><br />5. <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3460252/" target="_blank">The Hateful Eight</a><br />6. <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3076658/" target="_blank">Creed</a><br />7. <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1596363/" target="_blank">The Big Short</a><br />8. <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2488496/" target="_blank">Star Wars: The Force Awakens</a><br />9. <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2096673/" target="_blank">Inside Out</a><br />
10. <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0470752/" target="_blank">Ex Machina</a><br /><br />
<u>Next 5</u><br />
11. <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3170832/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1" target="_blank">Room</a><br />
12. <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3659388/" target="_blank">The Martian</a><br />
13. <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0903657/" target="_blank">Love & Mercy</a><br />14. <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0369610/" target="_blank">Jurassic World</a><br />15. <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3079380/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1" target="_blank">Spy</a><br />
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Unseen: Mistress America, Brooklyn, Straight Outta Compton, The End of the Tour, Steve Jobs<br />
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<b>Favorite Documentaries:</b><br />
<br />1. <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4257858/" target="_blank">Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief</a><br />2. <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4425064/" target="_blank">Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine</a><br />3. <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2545428/" target="_blank">Meru</a><br />
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Unseen: Amy, The Look of Silence<br />
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<b><br /></b>David Wilhitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08187161025528660914noreply@blogger.com3