August reading list

It gets harder and harder to make the time to do everything you might want to do: read books, keep up with magazines, watch some TV programs, read newspapers, scan the internet for interesting stories, work (can't forget work), gardening, getting exercise, having some "down" time (what's that?), spending time with family and friends. Those are in no particular order of importance, of course. Of course. That "work" stuff sure eats up a lot of time, dudn't it? And we musn't forget to get enough sleep or things just get worse and worse.

In that rather hectic, anxious spirit, my current book-reading list is below. I wish I could say that I read every single word of every book listed, but I can't, because I don't. Most of most of them. All of some of them. Some of all of them.

Even more important, I wish I could say that I reMEMber everything I've read and could incorporate it into my being, but that's doubtful. Scientists might say that you actually DO retain everything that you read and hear; that it all becomes a part of you, and it can be recalled; it's just the actual ACT of recalling all that info that gets problematic. OTOH, total recall would be a little scary.

1) Confucius in 90 Minutes, by Paul Strathern. This guy Strathern has made a whole genre out of this idea: "(blank) in 90 Minutes," including Aristotle, Descartes, Kant, Machiavelli, Marx, Bertrand Russell, etc etc. Worth checking out. They're perfect for our attention-deficit culture.

2) American Fascists: The Christian Right And The War On America, by Chris Hedges. Dominionists as fascists. Indeed. This country is in trouble, Praise Jesus!

3) Rising Powers, Shrinking Planet: The New Geopolitics of Energy, by Michael T. Klare. Right up my alley. Don't you dare question those 12-year-old Chinese gymnasts!

4) Chicken Soup For The Soul: Celebrating People Who Make A Difference, by Jack Canfield. One can only take so much doom and gloom.

5) The Big Squeeze: Tough Times For The American Worker, by Steven Greenhouse. More doom and gloom, but Greenhouse also writes about some companies who treat their employees very well, which is refreshing and gives hope.

6) The Sacred Balance: Rediscovering Our Place In Nature, by David Suzuki. An updated version of the decade-old "classic." Ah, mystery of life, from an environmentalist viewpoint.

7) Tender At The Bone: Growing Up At The Table, by Ruth Reichl. A very pleasureable, much-needed respite from politics.