Brandon E Taylor's Weblog Cogitations, Meditations, and Ruminations

Recent Reads

• The Brothers Karamazov - Fyodor Dostoevsky (1880) - ***** (out of 5)

Another Dostoevsky masterwork informed by man's tremendous struggle between belief and doubt and by the power of redemptive suffering and salvation. [Referring to his own travail from atheism to belief, Dostoevsky reflected: "My hosanna has come forth from the crucible of doubt."] A primary theme - perhaps the central theme - of this deeply religious book is God's relationship to morality ("if there is no God, everything is permitted"). It is gratifying to see Dostoevsky actively take the side of faith in the novel - as exhibited by Alyosha and Father Zosima - against the side of doubt - as exhibited by Ivan. The plot of The Brothers Karamazov - the patricide of Fyodor Karamazov and the resulting trial of one of his sons - is interesting in its own right. The true genius of this novel, however, is embodied in its profound thematic content.

Other Worth a Look:

• Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoevsky

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• 1776 - David McCullough (2005) - **** 1/2 (out of 5)

Every once in a while, I feel a compulsion to read a book based on title alone. 1776 was such a book - the fact that it was written by David McCullough was icing on the proverbial cake. This terrific book provides a detailed account of the first full year of the American Revolution - from the British abandonment of Boston, through the disastrous New York campaign, to the pivotal American victories at Trenton and Princeton - and its principal players. 1776 is a first-rate historical account of a critically important and difficult year in the history of the greatest nation on earth.

Other Worth a Look:

• Washington's Crossing - David Hackett Fisher

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• The March - E.L. Doctorow (2005) - **** (out of 5)

The March is Doctorow's historic novel about General Sherman's march to the sea during the American Civil War. The novel is structured a bit like a Civil War version of the Canterbury Tales, with an interesting array of characters introduced along the march and allowed to tell their stories. This is a solidly written book about a fascinating - although regrettable and criminal - part of the Civil War and consequently well worth a look. After this book, the first I have read by Doctorow, I am looking forward to eventually reading some of his other works (esp. Ragtime).

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• Jesus, His Life and Teachings: As Recorded by His Friends Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John - Joseph Girzone (2001) - **** (out of 5)

A smooth, enjoyable retelling of the the life and work of Jesus Christ based on the scriptural accounts of the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. This "plain language" book, written by a retired Catholic priest, provides an easily accessible account of the Greatest Story Ever Told.

Other Worth a Look:

• The Five Books Of Moses: An Easy To Read Torah Translation - Sol Scharfstein

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• Hawaii - James Michener (1959) - **** (out of 5)

Hawaii follows the formula Michener has used on so many of his other multi-generational historical epics. Readers are treated to a novel of amazing scope and span. Hawaii begins with the volcanic birth of the island chain and ends with impending statehood (the novel was published in 1959). Not surprisingly, given its breadth, the novel lacks some depth. In my opinion, this weakness (along with others like the weak final section) is offset by its broad reach and by the compelling, ultimately intertwined, stories of the Polynesians, American missionaries, Chinese, and Japanese and their heroic struggles in the formation of Hawaiian society.

Other Worth a Look:

• Poland - James Michener

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• The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness - Stephen R. Covey (2004) - **** (out of 5)

15 years after the publication of his superb 7 Habits book, Covey has published a new book detailing a new habit intended to help move an adherent "from effectiveness to greatness". The eighth habit, in summary, is to "find your voice and inspire others to find theirs". As in his other works, Covey eschews quick fixes and instead focuses on approaches intended to affect real long-term change. I continue to be impressed by Covey's emphasis on principle-centered leadership, an emphasis no doubt stemming from his devout faith.

Other Worth a Look:

• The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People - Stephen R. Covey

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• The Elements of Computing Systems: Building a Modern Computer from First Principles - Noam Nisan and Shimon Schocken (2005) - *** 1/2 (out of 5)

The premise of this book is terrific - understanding applied computer science by building a basic computer starting from digital logic gates and ending with a basic hardware platform, operating system, OO programming language, and compiler. Rich treatment of issues is not a strong suit of this book - the level of detail is kept intentionally "survey-like". The value of this book is in its pedagogic approach and its inevitable inspiration to further explore topics. This book should be of particular interest to undergraduate computer science students and to more experienced readers with gaps in their understanding of how computers do the wonderful things they do.

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• Eye of the World - Robert Jordan (1990) - ** 1/2 (out of 5)
• The Great Hunt - Robert Jordan (1990) - *** (out of 5)

Many fans of Robert Jordan have hailed him as the heir apparent to the J.R.R. Tolkien, with the unfinished Wheel of Time series serving, to date, as his magnum opus. While better than the vast majority of contemporary fantasy I have read, I have so far found the series - with its classic quest format and its set of improbable and reluctant heroes - to be overly formulaic and derivative of works like The Lord of the Rings. The improvement of the second book (The Great Hunt) over the first (Eye of the World) does, however, give me hope that the series will strengthen as it nears the final (and as of yet unwritten) 12th book.

Other Worth a Look:

• Song of Ice and Fire Series - George R.R. Martin

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• The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference - Malcolm Gladwell (2000) - ** (out of 5)

The Tipping Point is Gladwell's attempt at improving our understanding of innovative diffusion. He expounds on the notion that small changes ("Little Things") made by a small number of people - Connectors, Mavens, and/or Salesmen - can precipitate a tipping point resulting in sudden significant changes from one state to another ("Big Differences"). I was disappointed in this book, particularly given the tremendous hype surrounding it. I found it to be mildly interesting, but ultimately drawn out, lacking in substantive original insight, and overly reliant on anecdotal evidence and questionable correlation-causation leaps. ( Nov 08 2006, 12:55:15 PM PST ) Permalink

Principle-Centered Voting

Catholic teaching has two basic principles we should use in judging every public issue: First, does this issue advance the dignity of the individual human person; and second, does this issue promote the common good? We can never choose one of these principles to the exclusion of the other. We need to follow both. A public policy can’t truly serve the common good if it violates, or allows to be violated, the sanctity of someone’s fundamental human rights, from conception to natural death.

This is wonderful advice for voters of all religious and political persuasions. ( Nov 06 2006, 10:50:05 AM PST ) Permalink

Words To Live By

Republicans Retain Control?

It is difficult to argue against the notion that the Republicans are heavy underdogs at present. Do not be surprised, however, if November 8 sees the Republicans still in charge, whether they deserve to be or not, of both the House and the Senate. The GOP machine has an impressive ground game, relentlessly campaigning and turning out voters. Moreover, I suspect that the "Republican Base" will become more and more energized as the horrifying thought starts to sink in of Nancy Pelosi as Speaker of the House.

In either case - the Republicans retain OR lose control of one or both houses - I hope that they take this election to heart. The record of this Congress has been dismal and the stream of ethics violations and scandals is deplorable. While I do not believe that a shift in power from Rep to Dem is warranted, I do believe that substantive change is required and the American voters have the right, and indeed the responsibility, to demand it. ( Nov 02 2006, 11:35:10 AM PST ) Permalink