Glance through any textbook and you will quickly notice a pattern. Sir Edmund Hillary was the first Western man to summit on Mt. Everest, the tallest mountain on Earth. Mary Kingsley was an unmarried English woman who used part of her inheritance to travel and study in “uncivilized” parts of Africa during the 19th century. Benjamin Franklin, Albert… Continue Reading
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Tag Archives: book review
Ten Poems to Say Goodbye
“A goodbye is an opportunity for forgiveness, kindness, intimacy, and ultimately for love and a deepening acceptance of life as it is instead of what it was or what we may have wanted it to be.” Saying goodbye can be one of the most trying experiences, whether it be to a dying family member, a… Continue Reading
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking
“It’s the quiet ones you have to watch out for…” I can’t begin to tell you how many times friends have playfully jested, insinuating that the silently observant individuals, like myself, innocently skirting the periphery are the ones secretly plotting some mischievous crime. In her debut release, Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, Susan Cain… Continue Reading
Way of the Peaceful Warrior
“Everything you’ll ever need to know is within you; the secrets of the universe are imprinted on the cells of your body. But you haven’t learned how to read the wisdom of the body. So you an can only read books and listen to experts and hope they are right.” Way of the Peaceful Warrior is… Continue Reading
The Evolution of God
How has the conception of “God” changed over the years, and how have social and political climates triggered these changes? In The Evolution of God, Robert Wright addresses these questions, both in great breadth and depth. The scope of the book is impressive, exploring man’s cultural evolution over time, through the lens of religious beliefs and adherence.… Continue Reading
The Importance of Character Development
For the past few days, I’ve been floundering about trying to recall what on earth I did before November, when every minute of free time was dedicated to fiction-writing. Blogging, that rings a bell, but writing about what? And books, I faintly recall the voracious consumption of literature. Music, food, friends…it’s slowly coming back to me. But not quite. As… Continue Reading
Enjoy Every Sandwich: Living Each Day as If It Were Your Last
Would today be a good day to die? Honestly, take a few minutes to think about it. Are you content where you are and happy with what you’ve accomplished? Have you made a difference, left the world a better place? At age 52, Lee Lipsenthal, a successful and widely recognized and respected physician, was diagnosed with esophageal cancer.… Continue Reading
Unwind
In a futuristic US society, a civil war is fought over the issue of abortion. After years of fighting, the pro-life and pro-choice sides finally come to an agreement, an agreement that allows parents to retroactively ‘abort’ a child between the ages of thirteen and eighteen as long as the teenager’s life doesn’t ‘technically’ end. The… Continue Reading
Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal
Have you ever wondered what Christ was up to during those 33 unaccounted for years between his birth and when he began preaching? In Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal, Christopher Moore constructs a historically based fictional story of Joshua (aka Yeshua, Jesus), as told from the perspective of his trouble-making best friend, Biff.… Continue Reading
The White Tiger
Munna: the Hindi word for “boy” and the protagonist in The White Tiger. Born into a simple family, Munna remains nameless until his teacher decides that a smart boy like him deserves a proper name, the name Balram Halwai. When the educational inspector visits the school and observes Balram’s striking intelligence, the man declares him to be a white tiger –… Continue Reading