Philosophy & Religion
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by James Barrett.
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From the assessment of one's capability of working with abstract visual objects to the measurement of practical verbal skills, this book includes 21 specific psychometric tests. Each of the 8 sections includes a one or two page introduction. The book closes with five pages on calculating one's IQ, including a chart enabling the translation of one's score on the 21 aptitude tests and their integration into a total. --Summary
by Brett C. Hoover. (Find the Book) We begin our lives, Hoover points out, in the comfort of the womb, where everything we need is provided for us. And, to a certain extent, we spend the rest of our lives seeking comfort. Drawing on his own experiences and those of others, Hoover explores the notion of comfort from a variety of angles: comfort food, creature comforts, the rise of comfort as a lifestyle (which roughly coincided with the rise of technologies such as running water and indoor heating), the idea of intellectual comfort, and the seemingly paradoxical idea that comfort can be a restraint on us (because, in seeking comfort, we may turn away from challenge). He also explores the cultural relativity of comfort, the idea that different societies place different values on some comfort: some cultures derive comfort from being paid attention to (say, in a hospital setting) whereas others derive it from being left alone. Comfort is one of those concepts that has far more depth and variety than we realize; thankfully, there's this insightful, engaging book to set us straight. --Booklist
by Mario Beauregard (Find the Book)
In this exploration of the nature of the mind, neuroscientist Beauregard (psychology & radiology, Univ. of Montreal; coauthor, The Spiritual Brain: A Neuroscientist's Case for the Existence of the Soul) covers a wide range of topics including placebos (and nocebos), neurofeedback, neuroplasticity, psychoneuroimmunology, hypnosis, psi (e.g., extrasensory perception and psychokinesis), near death and mystical experiences, and quantum physics. The 1990s were "the decade of the brain," he writes, and neuroscience remains one of the few largely unexplored scientific frontiers. Discussing imaging technologies, such as functional MRIs, that can noninvasively measure brain activity in new and exciting ways, Beauregard suggests that today's science fiction may become tomorrow's science, particularly in the field of biology. His book makes clear that, in the profound relationship between mind and body, there is a great deal about both that nobody yet knows. VERDICT Provocative and accessible, this book is ultimately less about hard science and more about the mind-body problem and philosophy of materialistic science. It will be of interest to readers of Andrew Newberg's How God Changes Your Brain. --Library Journal
by Matti Friedman. (Find the Book)Written in the tenth century, the Aleppo Codex is the most accurate copy of the Hebrew Bible. Named for the Syrian city in which it was kept, the codex is also known as the Crown of Aleppo and was said to protect those who cared for it and curse those who defiled it. Friedman, a Jerusalem journalist, came across part of the Crown in a museum and decided he wanted to write about it in doing so, he opened a treasure box of history, mystery, conspiracy, and convolutions that would do any biblical thriller proud. There are several intriguing strands in play here. First, there is the history of a vibrant Syrian community, under siege when Israel became a state. Add a cast of academics, spys, merchants, refugees, and bureaucrats, high and low, whose roles in getting the Crown out of Syria and into Israel loop and reloop throughout the narrative. Then there is the ever-evolving topic of the underground market for antiquities, fascinating in itself, but Friedman shows us, in addition, just how much is lost when the very rich purchase rarities and remove them from the public eye. The time line sometimes gets confusing, and so do the players (though an introductory cast list helps), but Friedman has done a remarkable job finding sources and digging through archives of getting the Crown's fascinating story out of the shadows and into the light. In the process, he's become the latest in the long line of the Crown's protectors. --Booklist
by Henri J.M. Nouwen. Since it was first published more than twenty years ago, The Way of the Heart has helped millions of men and women cast off the anger and greed that trouble the world-and find love, compassion, and peace in the heart of God. Inspired by the ancient teachings of St. Anthony and the Desert Fathers, The Way of the Heart clears before us a spiritual path consisting of three stepping-stones: Solitude (learning not to be alone but to be alone with God); Silence (the discipline by which the inner fire of God is tended and kept alive); and Prayer (standing in the presence of God with the mind in the heart). Distinguished theologian Henri Nouwen brilliantly illuminates each of these disciplines. In reflections that are beautifully clear and practical, as uplifting on the fourth reading as on the first, he helps us separate the wheat from the chaff in our spiritual lives-and reconnects us with what truly matters. Within this one small book lies the most relevant and inspiring challenge that we shall ever face: to surrender the compulsive noise of the world for the way of the heart that leads us to God. --Summary (Check Catalog)
by Mark Kram, Jr. During a football game in 1973, Buddy Miley, a promising high-school athlete, was paralyzed from the neck down. In 1997, after a quarter-century of imprisonment within his own body, and with his brother's help, he ended his life. Kram, a sports reporter for the Philadelphia Daily News who has written about Buddy over the years, focuses here not on the morbidities of Buddy's life, but on his close relationship with his brother, Jimmy, who spent years helping Buddy look for a cure and was instrumental in his assisted suicide (even as he harbored some deep misgivings). With a reporter's eye for detail and character, Kram takes what could have been a relentlessly depressing story and turns it into one that is equal parts hope and triumph. A potentially controversial book assisted suicide being a perennially hot-button issue it is genuinely inspiring. --Booklist (Check Catalog)
by Nancy Sleeth. After years of consumption, Sleeth and her family decided to live more simply. From eliminating a car to gardening and line-drying laundry, her life began to resemble that of the Amish-a greener, calmer existence. Sleeth (Go Green, Save Green), cofounder of the nonprofit Blessed Earth, offers ideas for a simplified lifestyle backed by biblical principles and Amish and Mennonite ideologies. In much the same vein as the Mennonite classic Living More with Less (Sleeth wrote an introduction for its anniversary edition), the book serves as a guide for a range of earth-friendly practices.The author idealizes days gone by, when children played outside and respected their elders. "Being behind the times can indeed have its advantages," she writes, as she warns about the use of cellphones, video games, and motorcycles. While Sleeth does not totally condemn progress, the book may not connect with younger audiences for whom technology is an indisputable fact of life. She is at her best when she sticks to the subject of sustainability, an important topic in a down economy. --Publishers Weekly (Check Catalog)
by Alain de Botton. Atheism is a form of faith. The convinced atheist believes that there is no god and no supernatural, and that religion is nothing but superstitious bunk. The atheist is therefore unlikely to see that there is a lot that is useful and good in religion. De Botton (How Proust Can Change Your Life), a convinced atheist but a Jew by birth, shows how much of religion is indeed very good and worth keeping, even in a society tending (at least in Europe) toward atheism. There is strong community, for instance, and high art, especially in architecture, painting, sculpture, and music. De Botton discusses these and many other benefits, while rejecting religious doctrine and ritual. He demonstrates his usual urbane, intelligent, and witty prose, always entertaining and worth reading. VERDICT While the educated atheist may have noticed some of the benefits of religion, many of those that de Botton proposes are not obvious. Religious believers may take some of this for granted, but they will also find enlightenment in de Botton's discussions, even if some may think his atheist convictions somewhat smug. Both useful and entertaining, this book will advance amicable discussion among both believers and disbelievers. --Library Journal (Check catalog)
by Kristin Neff. Through her encounters with eastern spirituality, Neff, an associate professor in human development at the University of Texas-Austin, began to understand that having compassion for oneself is as important as having compassion for others: "From the Buddhist point of view, you have to care about yourself before you can really care about other people." As Neff defines it, self-compassion has three core components: self-kindness, realizing one's common humanity, and mindfulness. Self-kindness means being gentle and understanding, rather than harshly critical of our own errors. The recognition of common humanity involves feeling connected to others rather than alienated by our suffering. Mindfulness requires "that we hold our experience in balanced awareness, rather than ignoring our pain or exaggerating it." While exploring these three components in depth, Neff weaves in events that inform her own life, such as the "precipice of despair" she felt while struggling emotionally with her son's autism. By sharing such personal anecdotes, Neff helps readers understand how self-compassion can aid them. Neff's compassionate tone makes Buddhist principles accessible, and exercises make them applicable in real life. --Publishers Weekly
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by John Shelby Spong. Spong, an Episcopalian bishop, is tired of the fundamentalist wing of the Church claiming the Bible as their own. He doesn't agree with their narrow interpretation, but his own, more liberal view is sure to provoke discussion and at times cause consternation. He discusses issues that have been raised elsewhere (Is the virginity of Mary based on a mistranslation of the Greek word in the Bible?) and brings forth new interpretations that have only been whispered about (Was Paul gay?). His appraisal of Paul's character is perhaps the most controversial of his positions, but his problems with the Bible and the harsh God it depicts, even in the New Testament, won't be well received in many circles. Spong is not writing to discredit the Bible, the book with which he says he has had a lifelong affair. Rather, he wants to bring it into the twentieth century by focusing on its eternal truths rather than the historical, philosophical, and scientific aberrations that have caused some to discount it entirely. Though he reaches a bit on the Paul issue, Spong offers interesting, well-thought-out ideas that should do what he intends--get people thinking about the Bible. --Booklist (Check Catalog)
