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Q2, 2007 Nonfiction Book Suggestions

Collaborate in choosing our next NON-FICTION book for group discussion within this forum. A minimum of 5 posts is necessary to participate here!
irishrosem

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Re: Oxford Handbook of Religion and Ecology

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Chris: She laughed too.Oh good, people often don't like my sense of humor. DH: Well, I suppose a book that examined Islam, Buddhism, Confucianism, Protestantism, Catholicism, Judaism, Eastern Orthodox, Taoism, African and Polynesian Indigenous religious systems would be somewhat narrow...Well I didn't say narrow. I said it wasn't multifaceted, which it isn't. The very title dictates that. This is a book about religion and ecology. It is a religious approach to ecology, not a multifaceted approach to ecology. Which may interesting to you, and interesting to this group of scientists. But it doesn't really have a place on this forum. This isn't a complicated point I'm making. You do understand the purpose of this site, right? That's why I started with that question to begin with. Chris, and others here, are not about to create a vehicle to show the positive power of religion. If that's what this site becomes, I'm out of here. And, at this point, I'm weary of reading your sermons. They're annoying and pointless. As for manure: thank God it exists, otherwise, how would we ever enjoy our Roses.On which day did god create manure? I am glad for manure's ability to make flowers, as I said before. But I have no more intention of sticking my nose in the books you sometimes suggest, than I would stick my nose in a pile of dung.
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Re: Q2, 2007 Nonfiction Book Suggestions

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Re: An Introduction to Hindusim,Yeah, Chris, I searched Amazon for the best academic book I could find on Hinduism. Ultimately, for brevity's sake, it came down to this and another book by an author named Knipe. Knipe's book is said to be more readable, but I thought the viewpoint looked a little narrow. If anyone is sufficiently interested, it may be worth our while to do a little more review-hunting and see if maybe the Knipe book wouldn't be better. Edited by: MadArchitect at: 2/4/07 4:20 pm
MadArchitect

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Re: Q2, 2007 Nonfiction Book Suggestions

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I'll start out by saying that I don't think this book stands much of a chance. Still, we've talked before about how it would be in line with BookTalk's method and motives to read books of comparative religion, and Hinduism is one of those religious traditions that most of us know the least about. So...An Introduction to Hindusim, by Gavin D. FloodReview"This new introduction to Hinduism is distinguished by exceptionally useful chapter divisions, good detail combined with ease of reading, and a particular focus on the integrated quality of the evolution of Hindu thought....The book's balance between scholarly detail and clear, readable elucidation of issues is commendable....In all, this is a valuable contribution to the undergraduate classroom. Libraries whose Hinduism holdings include other good introductions should, nonetheless, acquire this one." Choice"Flood's book is a very welcome newcomer, comprehensive, detailed and judicious." Francis X. Clooney, S.J., Theological Studies"...is one of the best and most informative intiations into Hinduism to date." Journal of Indo-European Studies"An Introduction to Hinduism is a highly readable and authoritative conspectus on this great religion....An Introduction to Hinduism will surely find a much wider audience, for scholars of comparative religion, Indologists, and non-specialists in their distinctive ways will certainly find this handsome book well worth reading." David Hicks, Asian Thought and Society
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Chris OConnor

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Re: Q2, 2007 Nonfiction Book Suggestions

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Perfect suggestion for our community. This falls in the comparative religion category and I think plenty of our members would appreciate learning more about Hinduism. I'm assuming the book is written from an academic standpoint and not from the perspective of a Hindu who is trying to preach and convert. Good suggestion.
MadArchitect

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Re: Q2, 2007 Nonfiction Book Suggestions

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Re: DH's suggestions,You may be right that a biography of a philosopher could serve as a catalyst to get more people to read the original works that cemented that personality's fame. But I think picking a book that is appropriate for such a broad range of familiarity is probably pretty tough. I know Descartes pretty well, and I've been making myself more familiar with James; but I'm pretty sure that a biography that I might pick for myself would assume too much prior knowledge for some of the people here.What would be needed, I suppose, is a book that is careful to give enough background on what views the philosopher espoused, without the whole thing coming across as a Cliff's Notes version of the subject's philosophy. Isaiah Berlin was adept at that sort of thing, but I'm not sure how often the world gives birth to an Isaiah Berlin.Grayling's biography of Descartes might fit the bill on that account, but I would want to take a much closer look at it before I decided that it was the best match for this community. As for William James, maybe something like this...A Stroll With William James, by Jacques BarzunBook DescriptionWith this book, Jacques Barzun pays what he describes as an "intellectual debt" to William James--psychologist, philosopher, and, for Barzun, guide and mentor. Commenting on James's life, thought, and legacy, Barzun leaves us with a wise and civilized distillation of the great thinker's work.
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Loricat
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Re: Q2, 2007 Nonfiction Book Suggestions

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I like the idea of the Capote book -- i've only ever read his short stories, and they're just stunning. (And I recently read To Kill a Mockingbird for the first time...according to the one movie I saw (Capote), Harper Lee was a friend of his.)Or the James bio. Not the one on Iraq though. "All beings are the owners of their deeds, the heirs to their deeds." Loricat's Book NookCelebrating the Absurd
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Mr. P

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Re: Q2, 2007 Nonfiction Book Suggestions

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The movie was very good.My daughter is in rehearsal for the role of "Scout" at a local theater group in NJ. She is very excited about getting this role. This is her first dramatic role and we are very proud of her for taking it so seriously.Mr. P. I'm not saying it's usual for people to do those things but I(with the permission of God) have raised a dog from the dead and healed many people from all sorts of ailments. - Asana Boditharta (former booktalk troll)The one thing of which I am positive is that there is much of which to be negative - Mr. P.What is all this shit about Angels? Have you heard this? 3 out of 4 people believe in Angels. Are you F****** STUPID? Has everybody lost their mind? - George CarlinI came to kick ass and chew Bubble Gum...and I am all out of Bubble Gum - They Live, Roddy PiperEdited by: misterpessimistic  at: 2/5/07 9:26 am
irishrosem

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Re: Q2, 2007 Nonfiction Book Suggestions

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Loricat, did you like To Kill a Mockingbird? That's one of those books I've read so many times I can't remember the first time I read it. I'm jealous of people who are first discovering it. I highly recommend the movie if you haven't seen it yet.
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Dissident Heart

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Re: Q2, 2007 Nonfiction Book Suggestions

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Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, like Jack London's Call of the Wild and White Fang, introduced me to what it means to fall in love with a story and be held in its grip...as well as sparking a lifelong companionship with books, libraries, and bookstores. Gregory Peck's Atticus Finch was the most decent and brave adult I'd ever come into contact with: sensitive, serious, compassionate, courageous, tolerant, attentive, wise, articulate, willing to take an unpopular stand at enormous cost and risk in order to do the right thing, protecting the outsider and outcast. And what about Robert Duvall as Boo Radley? A long way from Tom Hagen on the Godfather, or Frank Burns on MASH, or Lieutenant Colonel Kilgore on Apocalypse Now or Augustus "Gus" McCrae on Lonesome Dove....and I think Duvall's Gus is a beautiful rendition of the very best of Peck's Atticus.Has anybody ever considered the influence of Atticus Finch on Mayberry's Andy Taylor?
irishrosem

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Re: Q2, 2007 Nonfiction Book Suggestions

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Mr. P., congrats to your daughter for landing such a plum role. One of my favorite delivered lines in cinema is Mary Badham's (Scout's) "Hey Boo" at the end of To Kill a Mockingbird. Just an uninvited suggestion, if you don't mind. If she hasn't already seen the movie yet, don't show it to her until after the production. I've found when I directed children their interpretations of characters are more genuine if they aren't mimicking what they've seen before.As for Peck's Atticus, D.H., that's when I first started crushing on father figures. I loved the character when I read the book, but always pictured my own dad in the part. Then when I saw the movie, and Peck is well just yummy, I immediately fell in "crush." To this day I attribute that male/instructor crush to Gregory Peck's Atticus Finch.I agree about Duvall too; he just melts into any role.
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