A few weeks back I received the following comment about my blog: "You seem to read a lot of books that aren't related to religion. Why is that?"
Simple answer: Most religious books are boring, and my interests and tastes have always been so broad I can't even begin to learn all I want and need to know from perusing the religious book shelf. I also see myself as a lifelong learner, and I want to learn about everything from history, to science, to sociology, to micro biology.
Now that it is mid year 2008, I thought I'd take a look back over the past twenty-four months or so and select my "best of" books and a few that I would rather have not read. Here's goes.
Best Business/Leadership Book: I've read dozens, but I'd have to go with What Got You Here Won't Get You There, by Marshall Goldsmith. It's that good, and I plan to reread it every couple of years.
Science: I'll go with The World Without Us, by Alan Weisman.
Biography: Eistein, by Walter Isaacson.
History: Charlatan, by Pope Brock. An American story most people know nothing about and incredibly fascinating, especially if you can stomach the history of testicle implants.
Sociology: My Freshman Year, by Rebekah Nathan.
Memoir: The Year of Magical Thinking, by Joan Didion.
Law: The Constitution of the United States, by FSG editors.
Human Sexuality: Toss up between Sex God, by Rob Bell, and Bonk, by Mary Roach.
Travel: The Lost Continent, by Bill Bryson.
Novel or Short Stories: (A thin year for me as far as fiction, but I'll go with:) The Best American Short Stories, 2007, edited by Stephen King.
Okay, I'll toss in Religion (but most of what I read was REALLY bad, and Joel Osteen's book tops the list . . . sorry Joel): Sermons from Duke Chapel, edited by Will Willimon (okay, so I'm still a Dukie).
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