7. Between a Rock and a Hard Place (Aron Ralston)
Pleasure: 3/10 Stars
Utility: 5/10 Stars
This is the first (and I hope last) time I've ever said this: the movie is better than the book. The story of what happened to Ralston in the Horseshoe Canyon of Moab, UT is a fascinating one. But instead of simply relating the events surrounding his amputation he turns the book into an autobiography. And the tone of the writing came across in many places as an extended ego trip. Several times in the first few chapters I found myself thinking "Aron, I really couldn't care less about when you climbed Mount McKinley or when you saw the Grand Canyon for the first time." I'm sure they were significant moments for him but, as he himself says, even photographs failed to capture the experience itself which is only available to those who have actually done it and gone through the pain and exhilaration. I also often felt that so much of the writing was dragged down by unnecessary detail. It reminded me of when, as a child, I was trying to recount a story to my parents that I'd seen in a movie or TV show but instead of giving a general idea of the broad themes, I got bogged down with excess verbiage. Some portions were literally blow by blow explanations of exactly what was happening and I just found myself thinking "Come on! Get on with the story of you cutting your hand off!"
One thing I would like to mention is the occasional theme of sensationalism. Aron is definitely a sensationalist and constantly needs to be stretching himself and expanding his horizons and chasing these wild experiences. Thoughts of Madame Bovary kept surfacing in my head and I thought to check out Ralston's page on Wikipedia. My suspicions were immediately confirmed. The poor guy really doesn't have a fun personal life. He's experienced the pain of divorce and, at one point, was arrested for, although never charged with, domestic abuse. The book gives the impression that, in Ralston's mind, every moment not spent chasing sensational experiences in the outdoors is a wasted moment. The following selection stood out as particularly revealing of his outlook on life:
"I thrive on stimulation and action, and aside from the litany of physical duress, my entrapment has brought the additional psychological curse of being unable to fully occupy my mind. I feel engaged at moments, even an hour at a time, but I can't help dwelling on the monotony of this motionlessness. If dehydration and hypothermia don't take me in the next couple of days, boredom may well dull my instincts and quash my will to live. A question haunts me: How weary will I get before suicide seems the only excitement that could relieve the ennui?"
The thought crossed my mind that Ralston will likely never know the joys of being married to one person for decades or of contributing something truly significant to a small community of people. It seems that life for him has largely become about simply living his dreams and doing those things that make him feel as alive as possible. Such an existence, while having a superficial layering of friendships to stave off feelings of isolation, must be a lonely one from time to time. It is in those moments of monotony that simple, mundane joys fill our hearts and we can be happier than we ever thought we could be.
28 March 2014
16 March 2014
Review of The Call of the Wild
6. The Call of the Wild (Jack London)
Pleasure: 8/10 Stars
Utility: 2/10 Stars
Jack London has created a mythical figure in this book. This is the first of the so-called "classics" that I *really* enjoyed reading. I think most of that can be attributed to the fact that there was a lot more action and less dialogue than previous books. The story follows Buck, a homely mix between a St. Bernard and Scotch Collie, who is a family pet of Judge Miller in central California. One of the judge's employees kidnaps Buck and sells him to pay off his gambling debts. Buck is shipped northward toward the Canadian border where he is trained to be a working dog. The majority of the story follows his difficult journey and his gradual return to the primordial instincts of the wolves. What London does in this story, though, is paint one of the most majestic portraits of an animal that anyone could read. He paints in broad strokes the rich soul of Buck as it transitions from the pampered life he enjoyed on the farm to the brutal wilds of the Canadian wilderness. Through the intense suffering of his journey, Buck takes on new dimensions and experiences greater joys and passions than he ever would have known had he stayed on Judge Miller's farm. By the end of the book, the once pampered family pet becomes the stuff of legends throughout the mining camps of the Yukon and the fear of many Indians who have inadvertently gotten on his wrong side. If you haven't read this book yet, I highly recommend doing so! It's not even very long!
Pleasure: 8/10 Stars
Utility: 2/10 Stars
Jack London has created a mythical figure in this book. This is the first of the so-called "classics" that I *really* enjoyed reading. I think most of that can be attributed to the fact that there was a lot more action and less dialogue than previous books. The story follows Buck, a homely mix between a St. Bernard and Scotch Collie, who is a family pet of Judge Miller in central California. One of the judge's employees kidnaps Buck and sells him to pay off his gambling debts. Buck is shipped northward toward the Canadian border where he is trained to be a working dog. The majority of the story follows his difficult journey and his gradual return to the primordial instincts of the wolves. What London does in this story, though, is paint one of the most majestic portraits of an animal that anyone could read. He paints in broad strokes the rich soul of Buck as it transitions from the pampered life he enjoyed on the farm to the brutal wilds of the Canadian wilderness. Through the intense suffering of his journey, Buck takes on new dimensions and experiences greater joys and passions than he ever would have known had he stayed on Judge Miller's farm. By the end of the book, the once pampered family pet becomes the stuff of legends throughout the mining camps of the Yukon and the fear of many Indians who have inadvertently gotten on his wrong side. If you haven't read this book yet, I highly recommend doing so! It's not even very long!
12 March 2014
Review of Madame Bovary
5. Madame Bovary (Gustave Flaubert)
Pleasure: 7/10 Stars
Utility: 6/10
This is a harrowing book. Going into it, I had a good idea of the main theme of the novel (a warning about chasing after sensationalism) but I didn't realize what a stark warning it was. Don't read this book if you're prone to bi-polar disorder! The story opens following the life of Mr. Charles Bovary, a simple minded country doctor who takes great delight in the simple pleasures life has to offer. Eventually, however, he marries Emma (the Madame Bovary of the title), a fickle young woman prone to flights of fancy and idealistic tendencies. The story begins to focus on her and her perpetual dissatisfaction with the mundane, day to day life that is all Charles can offer her. Over the course of the novel she enters a couple of different affairs in an attempt to make her life more interesting. I knew going in that these tendencies must end in a disaster for her but what I did not realize was that she finally destroyed the lives of both her husband and daughter. I saw in this story the sordid tendencies of my own heart and how they wreak havoc not only on my own joy and peace but on the lives of so many others as well. And in Charles I saw a clumsy portrait of Christ. He loves Emma deeply and in his eyes she can do no wrong. It's only at the end of the book that he discovers her affairs and it destroys him. That's why the utility rating is so high. In my mind, this is a story designed to teach one simple lesson: People chase drama because our lives don't live up to a certain ideal that they have for how life is supposed to work. And as we chase it, we don't realize we are bringing destruction down on ourselves, all our friends and family, and (very most importantly) we wound the One who loves us more than words can describe, Jesus.
Pleasure: 7/10 Stars
Utility: 6/10
This is a harrowing book. Going into it, I had a good idea of the main theme of the novel (a warning about chasing after sensationalism) but I didn't realize what a stark warning it was. Don't read this book if you're prone to bi-polar disorder! The story opens following the life of Mr. Charles Bovary, a simple minded country doctor who takes great delight in the simple pleasures life has to offer. Eventually, however, he marries Emma (the Madame Bovary of the title), a fickle young woman prone to flights of fancy and idealistic tendencies. The story begins to focus on her and her perpetual dissatisfaction with the mundane, day to day life that is all Charles can offer her. Over the course of the novel she enters a couple of different affairs in an attempt to make her life more interesting. I knew going in that these tendencies must end in a disaster for her but what I did not realize was that she finally destroyed the lives of both her husband and daughter. I saw in this story the sordid tendencies of my own heart and how they wreak havoc not only on my own joy and peace but on the lives of so many others as well. And in Charles I saw a clumsy portrait of Christ. He loves Emma deeply and in his eyes she can do no wrong. It's only at the end of the book that he discovers her affairs and it destroys him. That's why the utility rating is so high. In my mind, this is a story designed to teach one simple lesson: People chase drama because our lives don't live up to a certain ideal that they have for how life is supposed to work. And as we chase it, we don't realize we are bringing destruction down on ourselves, all our friends and family, and (very most importantly) we wound the One who loves us more than words can describe, Jesus.
24 February 2014
Review of The Total Money Makeover
4. The Total Money Makeover (Dave Ramsey)
Pleasure: 5/10 Stars
Utility: 10/10 Stars
I'm inspired! For the first time in my life I feel like I'm not flying in the blind financially! Dave Ramsey's "The Total Money Makeover" provided me with a set of tools that were easy to understand and extremely logical. At the same time, it was not a cold, calculating, purely left-brained manual on how to handle personal finances. Mr. Ramsey seemed very much in touch with the emotional issues that come with handling money and debt and he did not scoff at them. He knew that finances often come with fear, anger, discouragement and confusion. So he interspersed his financial guidance with stories of people who were in a similar situation as I am, put these tools into practice and saw real change come about. In the final chapter, he even made sure to let people know that financial security and wealth are not the end-all-be-all in life and that reforming our money-handling habits should help us to see that money isn't everything. Throughout the book, I thought of another title I'd read on finances entitled "Money, Possessions and Eternity" (Randy Alcorn) and in the last chapter, I was stunned to see Mr. Ramsey mention this book and endorse it as containing good advice. How many financial advisors recommend giving away large sums of money on a regular basis? Not too many! I highly, highly recommend this book to any of my friends and family who have not read it. It's one that I will be returning to multiple times and I progress through this plan.
Pleasure: 5/10 Stars
Utility: 10/10 Stars
I'm inspired! For the first time in my life I feel like I'm not flying in the blind financially! Dave Ramsey's "The Total Money Makeover" provided me with a set of tools that were easy to understand and extremely logical. At the same time, it was not a cold, calculating, purely left-brained manual on how to handle personal finances. Mr. Ramsey seemed very much in touch with the emotional issues that come with handling money and debt and he did not scoff at them. He knew that finances often come with fear, anger, discouragement and confusion. So he interspersed his financial guidance with stories of people who were in a similar situation as I am, put these tools into practice and saw real change come about. In the final chapter, he even made sure to let people know that financial security and wealth are not the end-all-be-all in life and that reforming our money-handling habits should help us to see that money isn't everything. Throughout the book, I thought of another title I'd read on finances entitled "Money, Possessions and Eternity" (Randy Alcorn) and in the last chapter, I was stunned to see Mr. Ramsey mention this book and endorse it as containing good advice. How many financial advisors recommend giving away large sums of money on a regular basis? Not too many! I highly, highly recommend this book to any of my friends and family who have not read it. It's one that I will be returning to multiple times and I progress through this plan.
04 February 2014
Review of Jane Eyre
3. Jane Eyre (Charlotte Brontë)
Pleasure: 8/10 Stars
Utility: 1/10 Stars
There are books that aid you in the process of living and books that make that process mean something. Jane Eyre is in the latter group. As Glen Holland (the fictional main character in Mr. Holland's Opus) once observed, "...you can cut the arts as much as you want... [but] sooner or later, these kids aren't gonna have anything to read or write about."
I had a hard time reading through this book. There were stretches that were quite boring to me. But the problem does not lie in the book. It's a terrific book. Wonderful! Marvelous! Nuanced! Moving, tearful, horrifying, suspenseful, full of mystery and intrigue! No, the problem does not lie in the book. It's a terrific composition. The problem lies in me. The problem lies in our society. We are a people addicted to instant gratification, brevity and excitement. We are a superficial people. We have largely lost our ability to be patient, to meditate and to consider things of depth. And Jane Eyre requires those 3 things.
The story as a whole is a look at Jane's soul which, though it has encountered very little but pain, suffering, and horror, has kept its integrity. Jane refuses time and again to compromise her virtues and convictions in order to find acceptance or love. It is this constant refusal to allow herself to be corrupted that makes the ending so wonderfully tearful when she at last is able to be joined to one who loves her. If you read this one, you may need a box of tissues. It'll make you laugh out loud (on rare occasions), think, cry, and be freaked out.
Pleasure: 8/10 Stars
Utility: 1/10 Stars
There are books that aid you in the process of living and books that make that process mean something. Jane Eyre is in the latter group. As Glen Holland (the fictional main character in Mr. Holland's Opus) once observed, "...you can cut the arts as much as you want... [but] sooner or later, these kids aren't gonna have anything to read or write about."
I had a hard time reading through this book. There were stretches that were quite boring to me. But the problem does not lie in the book. It's a terrific book. Wonderful! Marvelous! Nuanced! Moving, tearful, horrifying, suspenseful, full of mystery and intrigue! No, the problem does not lie in the book. It's a terrific composition. The problem lies in me. The problem lies in our society. We are a people addicted to instant gratification, brevity and excitement. We are a superficial people. We have largely lost our ability to be patient, to meditate and to consider things of depth. And Jane Eyre requires those 3 things.
The story as a whole is a look at Jane's soul which, though it has encountered very little but pain, suffering, and horror, has kept its integrity. Jane refuses time and again to compromise her virtues and convictions in order to find acceptance or love. It is this constant refusal to allow herself to be corrupted that makes the ending so wonderfully tearful when she at last is able to be joined to one who loves her. If you read this one, you may need a box of tissues. It'll make you laugh out loud (on rare occasions), think, cry, and be freaked out.
25 January 2014
Book Reviews 1 & 2
So in 2014 I am cutting out all movies, TV shows and personal visual entertainment and trying to spend a bit more time reading. In the interests of keeping up my motivation, I'm going to write reviews for each book I read and give 2 ratings out of 10 stars for how much I *personally* enjoyed it and how much I got out of it. Here are the first two:
1. Too Busy Not To Pray (Bill Hybels)
Pleasure: 4/10 Stars
Utility 9/10 Stars
In this exploration of what it looks like to have a prayer life, Mr. Hybels provides a series of tools to incorporate into one's daily routine and answers questions that people typically raise regarding prayer such as prayer's relationship to doubt, suffering and faith. It's a comprehensive introduction to praying and offers some very practical, sound advice on how to have a satisfying prayer life. The reason the pleasure rating is so low is that I have this sinful propensity to see Christianity as merely a system of ideas and concepts. When a book becomes intensely practical, my sinful heart says "Come on, man! Where are the INSIGHTS??? The connections between one idea and another?!" So the low rating says a lot more about me than about the book.
2. The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable (F. F. Bruce)
Pleasure: 6/10 Stars
Utility: 9/10 Stars
In this brief but classic examination of the historicity of the 27 "books" in the New Testament canon, Dr. Bruce lays a bedrock for faith. Each chapter is (relatively) short but addresses a different type of the prose (the gospels, the Pauline epistles, the Petrine epistles, and the Johannine writings), pulls what historicity we can from each section and shows that the New Testament is worthy to be considered as a rigorously compiled record of God's interaction in our world through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. In addition to addressing each kind of prose, Dr. Bruce also looked at some of the most common objections that modern, secular critics raise when confronting Scripture. It was often tersely worded and hard to understand but with some focus and a dictionary/ Wikipedia at hand it was WELL worth the read.
Next up is Jane Eyre...
1. Too Busy Not To Pray (Bill Hybels)
Pleasure: 4/10 Stars
Utility 9/10 Stars
In this exploration of what it looks like to have a prayer life, Mr. Hybels provides a series of tools to incorporate into one's daily routine and answers questions that people typically raise regarding prayer such as prayer's relationship to doubt, suffering and faith. It's a comprehensive introduction to praying and offers some very practical, sound advice on how to have a satisfying prayer life. The reason the pleasure rating is so low is that I have this sinful propensity to see Christianity as merely a system of ideas and concepts. When a book becomes intensely practical, my sinful heart says "Come on, man! Where are the INSIGHTS??? The connections between one idea and another?!" So the low rating says a lot more about me than about the book.
2. The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable (F. F. Bruce)
Pleasure: 6/10 Stars
Utility: 9/10 Stars
In this brief but classic examination of the historicity of the 27 "books" in the New Testament canon, Dr. Bruce lays a bedrock for faith. Each chapter is (relatively) short but addresses a different type of the prose (the gospels, the Pauline epistles, the Petrine epistles, and the Johannine writings), pulls what historicity we can from each section and shows that the New Testament is worthy to be considered as a rigorously compiled record of God's interaction in our world through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. In addition to addressing each kind of prose, Dr. Bruce also looked at some of the most common objections that modern, secular critics raise when confronting Scripture. It was often tersely worded and hard to understand but with some focus and a dictionary/ Wikipedia at hand it was WELL worth the read.
Next up is Jane Eyre...
31 December 2013
A List of What God Did in 2013
Instead of another insipid round of self-evaluation like I would normally engage in on an occasion like New Year's Eve, I decided to focus on awesome things that God did this past year. Here goes!
1. I was let go from Walmart on December 26th, 2012 and spent a month searching for work in an economically stagnant Hanover. The day before I would have had to go through the application and hiring process again, I got a call from the HR office saying they'd like to bring me back on as a permanent employee. I was later told that I was the ONLY seasonal cashier that they called back. They were authorized to call one person back and I was the one they picked. That was a God-thing.
2. In February, I flew out to Phoenix, AZ to interview with the Arizona Teaching Fellows. I didn't make it into the program and was a bit bummed out by that fact. Mere weeks later, I realized that I really wasn't interested in teaching again after Korea. Can you imagine if I'd made it into that program, moved out to Phoenix and THEN realized I didn't like being a teacher?! God saved me from stepping in a big pile of it there!
3. After coming back from Phoenix, I started work at a turkey-processing plant in New Oxford. It was miserable and I hated every minute of it. I went back to Walmart and pleaded with them to give me my old job back. God made sure they hadn't hired another person to replace me yet and I was able to finish out the week and then return to a job that I didn't mind as much. And I got a great pair of galoshes out of the deal too!
4. I found a great place to live that I could afford on my budget shortly after that fiasco. Living on a part-time Walmart job isn't a great financial base and I had to pass up a few places before finding this one. It's been such a blessing though. The landlady is great, it comes furnished, and I even have money for extras now and then.
5. I started experiencing major tooth pain in April but I didn't have the income to see a dentist right away. The dentist referred me to a credit offer that would allow me to have an emergency root canal done with no interest for 6 months. I applied and was approved. I had the procedure done and God provided the money I needed to pay off the whole bill within the 6 month time frame.
6. God provided the finances I needed to travel down to Lynchburg in September for an interview in Student Accounts at Liberty. I didn't get the job but I had a great time visiting friends and resting. I think God just knew I needed a little break to enjoy myself but that I wouldn't "waste" money doing it just because.
7. When I felt the financial noose tightening in November, I became really upset thinking that I wouldn't get any sort of a Christmas celebration. The worst moods were the week before my hours started shooting through the roof and the 10% grocery discount went into effect. God gave me a terrific Christmas and even lovingly reminded me on Christmas Eve that He really was the greatest reason to celebrate and that I shouldn't be so fixated on giving or receiving gifts or enjoying nice food.
8. God has opened the door for me to really get to know my dad better. His schedule is pretty full but we've had enough time to visit just the two of us together a couple of times. I am thankful that I have this opportunity.
9. God did so many little things this year that I can't list because I don't remember them. I've become more aware of how richly He has blessed me in the past couple of months. Every Sunday, I learn more about His love for me and His grace and compassion. I've gotten to meet with my mentor Bruce several times. I'm getting ready to retake my driver's license test. I've become involved with two small group bible studies. I've been a member of eHarmony for a few months and have met people on there that I'm getting to know better. I've gotten a couple pieces of furniture that make my house feel more like a home. And on and on and on. And He's done these things in the face of my sinfulness and rebelliousness. He. Is. Awesome!
1. I was let go from Walmart on December 26th, 2012 and spent a month searching for work in an economically stagnant Hanover. The day before I would have had to go through the application and hiring process again, I got a call from the HR office saying they'd like to bring me back on as a permanent employee. I was later told that I was the ONLY seasonal cashier that they called back. They were authorized to call one person back and I was the one they picked. That was a God-thing.
2. In February, I flew out to Phoenix, AZ to interview with the Arizona Teaching Fellows. I didn't make it into the program and was a bit bummed out by that fact. Mere weeks later, I realized that I really wasn't interested in teaching again after Korea. Can you imagine if I'd made it into that program, moved out to Phoenix and THEN realized I didn't like being a teacher?! God saved me from stepping in a big pile of it there!
3. After coming back from Phoenix, I started work at a turkey-processing plant in New Oxford. It was miserable and I hated every minute of it. I went back to Walmart and pleaded with them to give me my old job back. God made sure they hadn't hired another person to replace me yet and I was able to finish out the week and then return to a job that I didn't mind as much. And I got a great pair of galoshes out of the deal too!
4. I found a great place to live that I could afford on my budget shortly after that fiasco. Living on a part-time Walmart job isn't a great financial base and I had to pass up a few places before finding this one. It's been such a blessing though. The landlady is great, it comes furnished, and I even have money for extras now and then.
5. I started experiencing major tooth pain in April but I didn't have the income to see a dentist right away. The dentist referred me to a credit offer that would allow me to have an emergency root canal done with no interest for 6 months. I applied and was approved. I had the procedure done and God provided the money I needed to pay off the whole bill within the 6 month time frame.
6. God provided the finances I needed to travel down to Lynchburg in September for an interview in Student Accounts at Liberty. I didn't get the job but I had a great time visiting friends and resting. I think God just knew I needed a little break to enjoy myself but that I wouldn't "waste" money doing it just because.
7. When I felt the financial noose tightening in November, I became really upset thinking that I wouldn't get any sort of a Christmas celebration. The worst moods were the week before my hours started shooting through the roof and the 10% grocery discount went into effect. God gave me a terrific Christmas and even lovingly reminded me on Christmas Eve that He really was the greatest reason to celebrate and that I shouldn't be so fixated on giving or receiving gifts or enjoying nice food.
8. God has opened the door for me to really get to know my dad better. His schedule is pretty full but we've had enough time to visit just the two of us together a couple of times. I am thankful that I have this opportunity.
9. God did so many little things this year that I can't list because I don't remember them. I've become more aware of how richly He has blessed me in the past couple of months. Every Sunday, I learn more about His love for me and His grace and compassion. I've gotten to meet with my mentor Bruce several times. I'm getting ready to retake my driver's license test. I've become involved with two small group bible studies. I've been a member of eHarmony for a few months and have met people on there that I'm getting to know better. I've gotten a couple pieces of furniture that make my house feel more like a home. And on and on and on. And He's done these things in the face of my sinfulness and rebelliousness. He. Is. Awesome!
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