Bookspotting (x3)
5) Out of the Storm: The Life and Legacy of Martin Luther by Derek Wilson. Martin Luther changed the world. This book gives context to the history of his actions, from joining the church in the first place, to his meteoric rise, to how that rise happened, and to his personal struggles with faith that led to his famous 95 Theses, which lead to everything else. In point of fact, the 95 Theses (which were *modestly* against the selling of indulgences), had they been simply ignored, probably wouldn't have done much in the long run. But the one person they were aimed at didn't let it go, and that got the officials in Rome involved, and from there it was a struggle between the Roman Catholic authority and Martin Luther and his belief (and the willingness of his supporters to protect him, physically and politically). Wilson talks about the other things Luther did in his life, from his (biased) translation of the Bible (probably even more important in the long run than his theses), to his work creating hymns, to his married and family life, etc. It's a very human look at a very famous person. At times it feels very apologetic, which is about the only real drawback to the book.
If you're interested in the Reformation, or even history around that time, it's a good book to read.
6) Coraline by Neil Gaiman (YA, reread). After having seen the movie, I needed to re-read the book, so I could remember what was and wasn't added. After re-reading, I could see why many of the changes for the movie were made - it's a very short book, even for the YA market. Anyway, the story of a young girl who wanders through a door and meets her "other mother", with the button eyes, is well worth reading, for young and old alike.
7) Standing Up to the Madness: Ordinary Heroes in Extraordinary Times by Amy Goodman and David Goodman. This book is pretty much a Democracy Now! propaganda piece, but that doesn't make it bad or wrong. It focuses on ordinary people who found themselves thrust into roles where they could make a difference and have opted to do so - from Malik Rahim, co-founder of Common Ground Relief, struggling to save New Orleans for the people who were driven out (and struggling in the face of racism and corruption) to the various protesters against the Iraq war - the military men who have refused to deploy as a matter of conscience. It also talks about the librarians who fought against the Patriot act, the high schoolers who put on a play of monologues of veterans of Iraq, which was then censored by the school district, to the Jena 6, and a long chapter about the role of psychologists and torture, and the struggle to have the APA stand out against it. It is a book that encourages you to take a stand on something, and makes no bones about what some of those things should be.
If you consider yourself a liberal activist, this is the kind of book that can refresh you. If you are just a liberal, this book may spur you to action, or may just outrage you. If you consider yourself a conservative, well, "outrage" is probably an appropriate word to use. But no matter what, it's well worth reading.
If you're interested in the Reformation, or even history around that time, it's a good book to read.
6) Coraline by Neil Gaiman (YA, reread). After having seen the movie, I needed to re-read the book, so I could remember what was and wasn't added. After re-reading, I could see why many of the changes for the movie were made - it's a very short book, even for the YA market. Anyway, the story of a young girl who wanders through a door and meets her "other mother", with the button eyes, is well worth reading, for young and old alike.
7) Standing Up to the Madness: Ordinary Heroes in Extraordinary Times by Amy Goodman and David Goodman. This book is pretty much a Democracy Now! propaganda piece, but that doesn't make it bad or wrong. It focuses on ordinary people who found themselves thrust into roles where they could make a difference and have opted to do so - from Malik Rahim, co-founder of Common Ground Relief, struggling to save New Orleans for the people who were driven out (and struggling in the face of racism and corruption) to the various protesters against the Iraq war - the military men who have refused to deploy as a matter of conscience. It also talks about the librarians who fought against the Patriot act, the high schoolers who put on a play of monologues of veterans of Iraq, which was then censored by the school district, to the Jena 6, and a long chapter about the role of psychologists and torture, and the struggle to have the APA stand out against it. It is a book that encourages you to take a stand on something, and makes no bones about what some of those things should be.
If you consider yourself a liberal activist, this is the kind of book that can refresh you. If you are just a liberal, this book may spur you to action, or may just outrage you. If you consider yourself a conservative, well, "outrage" is probably an appropriate word to use. But no matter what, it's well worth reading.