26Jul/1013
So Many Books, So Much Unemployed Time (in two weeks. probably.)
My internship with Family Life is over about two weeks from today. I don’t yet have plans about what I’m doing next. Other than finishing the 6th season of LOST (if I haven’t already), and reading a lot of books.
I have a list of just over 15 books that I want to read. I’m gonna post them here, and if you’ve heard of/read/want to recommend any of them to me, please do!
- Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life - Anne Lamott
- Culture Making – Andy Crouch
- Hear No Evil: My Story of Innocence, Music and the Holy Ghost – Matthew Paul Turner
- Imaginary Jesus - Matt Mikalatos
- The Things They Carried – Tim O’Brien
- The Unlikely Disciple – Kevin Roose
- Rediscovering Values – Jim Wallis
- The Value of Nothing – Raj Patel
- Three Cups of Tea – Greg Mortenson
- A People’s History of the United States – Howard Zinn
- Oh The Glory of it All – Sean Wilsey
- Eating Animals – Jonathan Saffron Foer
- Infinite Jest - David Foster Wallace
- The Good Man Jesus and The Scoundrel Christ - Phillip Pullman
- How We Decide - Jonah Lehrer
- Can We Be Good Without God? A Conversation About Truth, Morality, Culture, & a Few Other Things That Matter - Paul Chamberlain
I’m sort of resolving to only read books that I can’t put down – compelling stories – so keep that in mind if/when you chime in. I’ll post here when I start reading some of these and letcha know what I think!
July 26th, 2010 - 08:15
imaginary jesus is a good read – insightful, entertaining
the unlikely disciple is really interesting too.
both really sucked me in at the time.
July 26th, 2010 - 08:55
i wouldn’t put ‘eating animals’ by safran foer too high on the list. it’s an enlightening survey of the factory farming industry, but ultimately a case for animals having feelings and therefore they shouldn’t be killed.
July 26th, 2010 - 10:07
I think you will like three cups of tea.
July 26th, 2010 - 13:39
Peoples history is pretty mind blowing. Also the only history text I’ve ever read that not only wasn’t full of American propaganda, but also didn’t put me to sleep.
July 26th, 2010 - 13:44
I’m sad to hear what Micah had to say because I’m about to start Eating Animals. well, I’m about to start reading the book
and I’ve heard that The Things They Carried is good.
July 26th, 2010 - 14:23
‘The Value of Nothing’ is extraordinary. One of the best introductions to Left economics I can imagine, which isn’t polemical–just humane (in the proper sense of valuing a person as a person, regardless of their ability to produce profit; in the sense of human rights, as larger and more realistic than the simple capitalist trifecta of “life, liberty, property”). Really, really good.
I’d also recommend Michael Pollan’s ‘The Omnivore’s Dilemma,’ which is a sort of travelogue paean to Slow Food; if you visit basically any Environmental Studies program in a US college, invariably Pollan is the gateway drug to activism. He’s not a polemicist in the least, also not an ethical vegetarian–which is important, because those people are frequently resident citizens of La-La Land. If you’re gonna read Foer, you have to read Pollan.
And lastly, I don’t know how much DFW you’ve read, but start out with his short fiction. ‘Infinite Jest’ is as close to a page-turner as is possible considering how freaking small the print is; I’m like 100 pages in and am completely enthralled. But you have to treat it like a collection of short stories at first, because the first few chapters–not really chapters, more like sections–don’t connect to each other at all. I’ve met characters now that I have no way of knowing if I’ll ever meet again. It’s daunting. Read ‘Brief Interviews with Hideous Men’ and ‘Girl with Curious Hair’ if you haven’t already (especially GCH; it’s hilarious and vulgar and tearful and awesome, whereas BIHM is not funny hardly at all, just sad and upsetting–in a desirable literary way, if you enjoy shivers, which the movie likewise induces, though I was totally stoned at the time and that always makes me kind of shivery to begin with), and of course his essays are incredible as well (I prefer ‘A Supposedly Fun Thing’; his state fair and cruise essays are to die for).
Oh and I love Howard Zinn, but be warned that, like me, you will become a die-hard Stalinist. Of course I’m joking, but political discussion becomes much harder once you’ve realized that most people’s politics fall under the categories duped or duping.
You’ve got a freaking incredible reading list lined up for yourself.
July 26th, 2010 - 14:45
If you want a “food book,” read Omnivore’s Dilemma!
July 27th, 2010 - 10:47
“The Things They Carried” is excellent.
Phillip Pullman is an excellent writer and a horrible theologian.
I am very fond of “Imaginary Jesus” and would love to hear your thoughts on it.
July 27th, 2010 - 12:32
mr. mikalatos, i am honored to have you comment on this blog, and i look forward to reading your book in the very near future. perhaps i will even write a review
thanks to everyone else for the tips, too!
July 27th, 2010 - 13:46
I’m with everybody- if you are going to read a food book, read the omnivore’s dilemma
July 27th, 2010 - 18:09
I am wounded that The Christian Husband is not on your list.
July 28th, 2010 - 09:39
Hi James,
If you need an excuse to start on Greg Mortenson’s Three Cups of Tea, consider checking out Charlie Rose on Bloomberg Television tonight. He’ll be discussing his current endeavors and what led him to write Three Cups of Tea and his other books. Perhaps getting to know the inspiring man behind the book will provide some encouragement to pick it up. There’s a clip of tonight’s episode, including Greg’s segment, posted on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/BloombergTelevision.
Best of luck with all of your summer reading,
Meghan
Community Manager
Bloomberg Television
August 2nd, 2010 - 10:38
I read This is Water on the train ride home on Sunday. Must read.
http://www.amazon.com/This-Water-Delivered-Significant-Compassionate/dp/0316068225