Posted by Som
Mon, 10 Apr 2006 23:52:00 GMT
First, a book I just finished reading last night: Buddha, by Karen Armstrong.
There is a fundamental conundrum which must be addressed by anyone attempting a biography of Siddhartha Gatama: to the Buddhist, the life of the historical Buddha doesn't hold that much importance. Actually, that's putting it mildly. There's an old saying: "If you meet the Buddha on the road, kill him." In short, take nothing for granted, but instead find the path for yourself.
Armstrong addresses this issue, and thankfully, it doesn't stop her from writing a well-researched and thorough biography of Gatama, the man who would be known as the Buddha. There's a wealth of information in this slim volume (you know I've been reading too much when 240 pages is "slim.") Armstrong puts Gatama's life in the context of the Axial Age, when philosophers and religious people all over the world were turning conventional wisdom and dogma on its head and instead turning inward for answers. (She further explores this unique period of human history in her latest book, The Great Transformation: The Beginning of Our Religious Traditions.)
This book is positively dense with information - so much so that it's impossible to absorb it all in just one reading. For those unfamiliar with the terminology of Buddhism, the first read-through might be difficult; although Armstrong takes pains to define the words, it's easy to forget which Sanskrit word means what. Thankfully, there is a glossary at the end - which I didn't discover until I was through with the book. All in all, for anyone interseted in a biography of the Buddha, I would highly recommend this one. The sheer amount of research Armstrong put into the historical context alone is worth the read.
Next, a book I just picked up at the library today:
Baghdad Burning: Girl Blog from Iraq.
"Baghdad Burning" is the title of Riverbend's blog detailing her life as a 20-something Iraqi woman in Baghdad. The book is the blog - from its inception in August 2003 through 15 September 2004. Everything in the book is still available on the blog, and the blog continues up to this date.
I've only read about half of the book so far, but even so, I can unequivocally recommend it. This is the face of the war you don't see on American news programs: life during wartime for an ordinary Iraqi citizen. Read this book (or blog) and you'll never look at the American news media's coverage of the war the same again. It's pitiful that we, the American public, need to be reminded that Iraqis aren't a bunch of insane fundamentalists sitting in tents, spending their days plotting the best way to kill the infidels. Here is a highly educated, eloquent woman to remind us that, in reality, they're not all that different from us.
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Posted by Som
Tue, 14 Mar 2006 04:35:00 GMT
Mindful Knitting, by Tara Jon Manning.
Tara Jon Manning certainly isn't the first to explore the spiritual side of knitting, nor will she be the last. The knitting section is replete with such titles: Zen and the Art of Knitting, The Knitting Sutra, Knitting into the Mystery, The Knitting Way, The Knitting Goddess. What makes Mindful Knitting unique is that it's both an exploration of knitting's oft-explored spiritual side and an introduction to meditation.
That's not to say that the book is purely philosophical. It's practical, too, with ten patterns of varying levels of difficulty. In particular, I like the patterns for cotton wash cloths and the "Kata" Felicity Scarf. Both are simple enough not to interfere with meditation, but the stitches are interesting and require a certain level of mindfulness - which is exactly the point.
Manning's voice is clear and down-to-earth. This isn't some fluffy nonsense dreamed up by a Professor Trelawney-type. And one certainly doesn't have to be Buddhist to benefit from the book; people of all faiths and non-faiths have benefitted from meditation, and knitting is a wonderful tool for focus.
That said, I wish the book was heavier on the meditation and spirituality content. It's about 50/50 commentary and patterns, and while I do like a few of the patterns, I wouldn't have purchased this book for the patterns alone. Of the patterns I do like, I probably could have looked over them for a few minutes in the bookstore, driven home, and still have memorized them enough to write down once I was home. They're that simple.
So, don't get it for the patterns. Read the book for what really makes it valuable: a real-world, easily applied introduction to Mindfulness Meditation and clear contemplation that will enrich your knitting stitch by stitch.
Patterns included in this book:
- Deliberate Focus Garter Stitch Scarf
- A Trio of Washcloths
- Warm Blankets and Hats for Giving
- A Simple Sweater for All Ages
- Aromatherapy Tea Cozy
- "Kata" Felicity Scarf
- Cable Cardigan Jacket
- Lotus Silk Purse
- Organic Baby Layette
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Posted by Som
Sat, 14 Jan 2006 20:56:00 GMT
Kafka on the Shore by Murakami Haruki.
Kafka on the Shore is one of those books that's best read without knowing anything about the plot. In the interest of keeping potential readers in the dark, I'll put all plot-specific discussion under "Read More" below. That said, there are some non-plot-specific reasons to read this book.
Kafka on the Shore is, at its heart, a postmodern novel. But don't let that scare you away. Murakami has mastered the art of postmodern writing wihtout being mindnumbingly boring. Quite the contrary, Kafka's plot is a real page-turner. I haven't read a postmodern novel this interesting since I went through my Kurt Vonnegut stage back in college.
Vonnegut fans will immediately recognize the anti-hero type here. The pages of internal monologue are revealing without being tedious - tedium being that cardinal of sins among novelists. There's just a touch of Sartre here, too, in many of the characters' detachedness from the world around them.
The novel is rife with mystery, hints, and revelation, though the revelations hardly came as a surprise to me. To discuss anything more here would ruin some surprises for readers, though, so the rest of this review is behind the "Read More" link below.
Read more...
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