Book: "The Unlikely Disciple" by Kevin Roose

Great read. Assuming Roose is honest and trustworthy in his writing, I have to say the book, and Roose's intentions and determination, is just plain remarkable.

Kevin Roose, a college freshman, has been culturally bred, born, raised, and educated to be highly liberal democrat. He is studying journalism at Brown University and to the amazement, astonishment, and even fear of his family and many friends Roose decides to spend his a semester at one of the strictest, bible thumping, conservative, evangelical schools in the world. Roose is sincerely curious about how people can live such lives as those at Farwell's Liberty University and intends to write a book about it.

While one might not agree with some of his thinking and nor completely understand his feelings, you have to admire Roose for his honesty and deliverance. Roose's transparency is admirable and I agree with the jacket cover's statement about the book being thought-provoking, heartwarming, and respectful.

A great read no matter which side (Brown vs Liberty) you're on.

To that end....

Book: "Vanished" by Joseph Finder

Philosopher and fellow Twitterer Thomas V Morris (TomVMorris)recommended this book and author recently and a good recommendation it was.

Attacked outside a DC resturaunt, Roger Heller dissappears while his wife Lauren is almost killed. Their son calls his clandestine uncle Nick to help find his dad and the plot thickens and twists.

After thanking Tom for the recommendation I was tweeted a few days later by a NickHeller that "he trusted I would follow more of his exploits." The name, NickHeller, was familiar but I first assumed it was just some solicitation until later when I remembered that Nick Heller was the main character in Finder's book.

I then began following NickHeller on Twitter and what a great tie to the character Finder is building for his next book!

Book: Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture - Ecclesiastes

Excerpts

Page 190: Didymus - in one sense, though, the Spirit is the real author of this book.

Gregory of Nyssa - the book of Ecclesiastes must be understood spiritually and in light of other passages of scripture.

1:1 The name Ecclesiastes

Origen-Preacher / Didymus-Soloman / Jerome-the Church / Gregory of Nyssa-about the church and the one who leads it / Evagrius of Pontus-Christ the Author of True Knowledge

1:2 Vanity of Life

Evagrius of Pontus-for it is futile for medicine to sek a final cure, so it is useless to seek after knowledge of the Holy Trinty in the ideas of the present ages and worlds.

Jerome-If everything that God made is good, then how can everything be vanity?

Ambrose-Accordingly, let the person who wishes to be saved ascend above the world, let him seek the Word of God, let him flee from this world and depat the earth. For a man cannot comprehend that which exists and exists always, unless he has first fled from here.

Augustine-the reason why corporeal beauty is the lowest beauty is that it's parts cannot exist simultaneously.

1:3 Vanity of Human Labor

Augustine-So true life is be laid hold of, our investments are to be transferred to the place of true life, so that we may find there what we give here.

Book: "Fallen Founder: The Life of Aaron Burr," by Nancy Isenburg

Ms. Isenburg promises a totally new look at Aaron Burg with this biography. She claims that he has been railroaded through the halls of American history and intends to set the record straight.

Burr, the grandson of Jonathon Edwards, was indeed a spectical, if not committed to his cause; educated, patriot, womanizer, and crude. His father, a college president, and grandfather both died before Burr's 5th birthday and I'm sure would have been much more productive role models.

The author doesn't have much to say, possibly because of the lack of material, about Burr's upbringing and why he was so unprincipled. There was thought during this period of American history that common sense one would increase with education, and I supposed that depends upon one's definition of common sense.

8/30/2009: This being my 7 biography of this era, I'm finding myself trying to skip over the historical events. So, I'm reading it a few pages a week to insure that I allow Ms. Isenburg to get her point across.

As I read Burr's exploits, I do continue to wonder how much different he would have turned out if his father and grandfather had of been a bigger part of his life. Or the difference if he and Alexander Hamilton's paths had not of crossed as many times as they did! Having said that...what if his wife had not been taken from him so soon.

The author, unknowingly or not, shows that Mr. Burr was definitely influenced by certain people and events in his life.

Federalist Paper #10, by James Madison

Published in 1787 in a prominent newspaper Federalist Paper #10 was written by James Madison.

Madison, recruited by Alexander Hamilton and joined by John Jay to promote their political views.

The main purpose of this particular paper was to guard against "factions," or as we know them to be "special interest groups."

An interesting note is that James Madison was very much a part of factions in his college days and early in his career. Obviousy, he came to realize that such activity was self-serving and not good for the Union.

Yet, it seems that our constitution, for which the Papers were a foundation, did not fair as well as our Constitutional Constructors would have hoped. Hence, the Republican and Democratic special interest groups, err "parties."

Book: "Paths of Glory" by Jeffrey Archer

Awesome story, true, of a man and his calling. Yet, a man that followed his call and did not know the caller.

Did he reach the top? I want to believe he did. Otherwise, the picture would have been in his pocket.

Book: Glenn Beck's Common Sense, Inspired by Thomas Paine

Thomas Paine 1st penned Common Sense in January, 1776, and published as a 50 page pamphlet under a false name. This British citizen with only a basic education was shocked a what he had found in his two years in the Colonies and decided to do something about the oppression heaped upon the people by a government (England) out-of-control.

Glenn Beck now brings this to our attention with his own version of Common Sense: The Case Against An Out-of-Control Government.

A few excerpts

ix: If you believe that it's time to put principles above parties, character above campaign promises, and Common Sense above all - then I ask you to read this book, declare yourself a creative extremist, and then pass these words along to others who may agree with something else Martin Luther King, Jr., once said:

The hottest place in Hell is reserved for those who remain neutral in times of great moral conflict."

Page 17: I seriously believe that no discussion or debate is un-American. I agree with the Founding Fathers that it is only on the battlefield of ides that the best ones can be recognized and ultimately prevail.

Page 106: DO NOT WAIT FOR OTHERS TO SAY AND DO THE THINGS YOU FEEL. The American Republic will not be seept into the dusbin of history if good men come forward now....Stand shoulder to shoulder and arm in arm unafraid. Listen, learn, and lead. Renew that promise first made during a hot summer in Philadelphia and mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.....I believe that is still true today. Great and powerful miracles are about to unfold before us....Once we dedicate ourselves to the new dawn and experience a restoration of our founding principles, we can be secure in the knowledge that future generations will enjoy the same liberties that we reserved for us.

Page 107: But until then, the sense that something just doesn't feel right will linger.

"....until an indipendence is declared, the Continent will feel itself like a man who continues putting off some unpleasant business from day to day, yet knows it must be done, hates to set about it, wishes it over, and is continually haunted with the thoughts of its necessity." Thomas Paine (and Glenn Beck's) last words of a call to action.

Those words find their roots in an idea that seems to have been all but abandoned....Common Sense.

Page 109: The 9.12 Project (9 Principles and 12 Values)

Visit http://www.the912project.com/ for more information

Book: Ludlum's "The Bourne Deception" by Eric Van Lustbader

Good book to just spend the day in, which is what I did. Author had an interesting "sub-agenda" with his
eesages about eastern religions and thoughts about truth and lies.

Page 128: "Human beings, it became clear to him, thrived on lies; they needed them in order to survive, be happy, even. Because the truth is often unpleasant, and people didn't care about that. Furthermore, it didn't suit many of them. They'd much rather lie to themselves, have those around them to lie to them to perserve the illusion of beauty. Realty wasn't pretty, that wasn't the truth.

Book: "Predictably Irrational" by Dan Ariely

This book might make my "top 5 read again and again" list.

It looks promising. http://www.predictablyirrational.com/