Maphead’s Book Blog

Gentlemen, we're history.
     -Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure

    I don't what made me pick up not one but two MORE history books at the library not long ago, but for whatever reason, I did. The two books take contrasting approaches to how one looks at history. The first book, 1688: A Global History looks at how the entire world looked during one year in the late 17th Century. The other book, The Way of the World, is a sweeping look from the first stirrings of civilization to the present age. And I must say, while I found neither book to be incredibly spectacular, I enjoyed them both.
  In 1688: A Global History by John E. Wills, Wills picks one year and travels all over the world to give us a idea of what was going on during that pivotal period in the late 17th century. I liked how Wills focused on specific people from this era to show us the world almost through their eyes. Unlike many traditional historians, Willis covered the entire earth, detailing events and personalities in China, Japan, South America and the Muslim world. His scope as well as his writing style made for interesting reading and kept this book from being a dry history textbook. I liked it.
   David Fromkin's The Way of the World: From the Dawn of Civilization to the Eve of the Twenty-Third Century is a nice, well-written history of the last five thousand years. Fromkin, known also as the author of the well respected A Peace to End All Peace, takes on the thankless job of writing a history of everything and pulls it off

.It won't win any awards, but it give you a nice, readable introduction to the history of the world. No complaints-I liked it.

    

Tomas Halik's book Patience with God: The Story of Zacchaeus Continuing In Us was another one of those books I saw sitting on the "new books" shelf at my public library that, after a cursory inspection I decided to take home with me to read. Halik, a Czech Catholic priest, Professor and adviser to former Czech President Vaclav Havel in his book tries to reach out those outside creedal belief, people like atheists, skeptics and agnostics. To Halik, these are the modern heirs of the New Testament figure of Zacchaeus. Zacchaeus of course according to Gospels was the Jewish tax collector who while perched in a tree watched Jesus preach to the crowd. Since Zacchaeus was not actively participating, he was nevertheless curious and to a degree engaged by what he saw going on around him. Today while many of those individuals are not in the Church, they might be hanging outside listening, or more likely engaged in intellectual discovery or doing admirable deeds.
    In a sense, Halik advocates a new ecumenicism. He calls on the Church to reach out those whose intellectual honesty and commitment to the Greater Good make them admirable in the eyes of God. To make his point Halik uses numerous examples from Liberation Theology, literature, philosophy, the writings of St. Paul and the lives of the Saints.
    While this is a good book, alas it is not a great book. I suspect Halik, is a better thinker than a writer. And for all his sincerity, many of the modern Zacchaeuses will strongly disagree with his opinions. I do think however, his book has contributed nicely to the ongoing debate between belief and nonbelief. Some might think his book is a bit muddled, but then again, so is the middle ground when it comes to the classic argument between belief in God and the denial of God's existence.

    Disease is not merely ubiquitous. It is normal. It is natural. It is even essential. Illness has shaped all living things for millions of years, and life as we know it -- we, as we know ourselves -- would not exist without disease.
                                                                                            -Marlene Zuk

   I've been wanting to read Marlene Zuk's 2007 book Riddled with Life: Friendly Worms, Ladybug Sex and the Parasites That Make Us Who We Are ever since I saw it on display at my local university's bookstore. In the interim  I've read Carl Zimmers superb book Parasite Rex as well Robert Desowitz's fine books Who Gave Pinta to Santa Maria and The Malaria Capers, so I guess I must have a soft spot for parasites. A few weeks ago while I was at the public library I grabbed Zuk's book. While I was not incredibly impressed by it, nevertheless I did find it somewhat enjoyable. But more importantly, I found the subject matter quite interesting.
    Zuk, a professor of biology at the University of California at Riverside, paints a detailed picture of the complex role of parasites as an integral part of all life on Earth. According to Zuk, since sexually reproducing organisms can create offspring with considerable evolutionary diversity, parasites are the primary reason why most if not all organisms reproduce sexually and not asexually. In fact, life in general is an ancient arms race of evolution and response between host and parasite. And as long as there's life, it will never end.
   Zuk also writes about the "cutting edge" stuff that is going on regarding human health and parasites, such as research into a possible link between toxoplasmosis and schizophrenia, as well as the therapeutic use of the porcine afflicting parasite whipworm to treat the autoimmune disorder Crohn's disease. It could all be a bunch of bunk, but it definitely made for enjoyable reading.

    Since I am a huge fan of spicy food, I especially enjoyed what she had to say about the use of spices in cooking. According to Zuk, research has shown that cultures associated with warmer climates tend to use lots of spices in the local dishes. It is thought that such spices tend to have antimicrobial properties, just what you need when you don't want your meal going bad while dining in India, Indonesia or Thailand. This is also why the meat dishes common to these regions contain more spices than their vegetarian counterparts. The greater the variety of spices used in a dish, the lesser the risk of bacterial growth and spoilage.
     But, as much as I as enjoyed the subject matter covered in Zuk's book, Riddled with Life did not blow me away. Several reviewers on Amazon thought the book was not edited well and unfortunately, I must agree. Still, if you enjoyed Parasite Rex and/or Sharon Moalem's Survival of the Sickest, you probably should read Riddled with Life.   

With apologies to the 80's band Flock Of Seagulls, let me continue with my latest post. A few weeks ago I finished The Ayatollah Begs to Differ: The Paradox of Modern Iran by Hooman Majd, a New York City-based journalist and Iranian expat. Majd does an excellent job painting a vivid picture, both deep and wide of the fascinating nation of Iran, a nation with a people and a culture full of complexity and contradictions. Majd takes the reader on an extensive journey through the mysterious Middle Eastern country, visiting such disparate locales as hi tech opium dens, Shia seminaries, religious shrines and the household of Iran's former President. Perhaps most importantly, Majd examines the unwritten social contract between Iran's ruling clergy and the general population- the tacit agreement allowing Iranians to engage in any activities, illegal, immoral or otherwise as long as it is done privately behind closed doors. However, once dissent organized and done in the open and/or declared in newspapers or on the Internet, the theocratic regime feels its authority challenged and reacts accordingly.

    Perhaps equally important, you come away from Majd's book with a strong sense of just who the Iranians are. First and foremost they are Persians, therefore heirs to a rich and advanced culture stretching back thousands of years. And yes, they Muslims but Shia, and with a religion interpreted and practiced as the end product of an ancient Persian culture. But above all, they are Persians and not those country cousin Sunni Arabs around them.
    This is an essential book if one want to understand the nation behind the headlines. Majd's book, along Vali Nasr's Shia Revival, are must read books when it comes to addressing the culture and politics of modern Iran.

It's always a good idea to read stuff by folks with whom you might not agree. If nothing else their particular opinions and arguments will help you understand where they are coming from and hopefully should challenge your own beliefs. And sometimes, it might just influence what you believe. Recently I finished two books which challenged my political opinions. And ya know, I'm glad I read them.
    The first book was an essay collection titled Why I Turned Right: Leading Baby Boom Conservatives Chronicle Their Political Journeys. Edited by Mary Eberstadt, the collection contains 12 essays written by cast of conservative writers including David Brooks, P.J. O'Rourke and Dinesh D'Souza. Each one chronicles their respective evolutionary journey from liberal to conservative. Interestingly, most if not all of these selected writers "turned right" after experiencing what they felt were the "liberal excesses" and "extremism" of the last 30 years or so. Perhaps also of interest, no small number of these featured writers attended the University of Chicago, a college long associated with the "neo-con" movement.
    Much to my surprise, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. All the contributors could write and write very well. I thought all of them contributed something meaningful and thoughtful to the political debate. Perhaps more importantly, all of them, regardless of their political opinions came off as reasonable individuals. Based on the writings in this collection, there wasn't a whack job in the bunch. In all, it's a fine anthology.
    The second book would be Comeback:Conservatism That Can Win Again by David Frum. Frum, a former George W. Bush speechwriter, National Review writer and contributor to American Public Radio's program Marketplace, examines the current shortcomings of the Republican Party and offers his solutions on how it can regain America's confidence and retake the political highground from the Democrats. Frum urges his fellow Republicans to instead of merely blocking Democratic policies they don't like, they take to heart the concerns of average Americans and craft constructive policies that address those concerns.After watching Frum promote his book on Book TV last year and being impressed by him, sadly I must say his book was a slight disappointment. Maybe it was his "sound bite" style of writing or maybe it was particular views but for whatever reason, I walked away from his book wanting more. Some of his ideas I liked, but some I found downright laughable. I do admire his courage to take his Party to task on a number of issues. And just like the writers in Turning Right anthology, Frum is not a whack job. And in my opinion, just like them he brings meaningful and thoughtful contributions to the political debate.

Can't let the technical problems at Vox slow me down. Time to get posting. First up is John Hick's 1963 Philosophy of Religion

from the Foundations of Philosophy series. I actually purchased this book years ago at the South Tillamook County Library Thrift Shop. Of course like many of my books the thing sat unread in my library for a number of years before I actually picked it up and started reading the thing. As you might have guessed, it's pretty much just an introductory work on the philosophy of religion. It would probably serve as an adequate textbook at the college level. It might also serve as OK follow-up read to some of the "New Atheists" like Harris and Dawkins since Hick's book does look at the classic arguments for and against the existence of God. Fortunately, this book was recently revised, which is good because a lot of water has gone under the bridge since it was written well over 40 years ago. Not sure I can recommend it, but I am glad I read it.
    Next up would be Runo Isaksen's Literature and War: Conversations with Israeli and Palestinian Writers. This was yet another one of those books I grabbed from the new books shelf at my local library. Well, I'm glad I did. I expected all the Israeli writers to be ultra-idealistic,/peace at any cost/pie in the sky/way too liberal for their own collective good kind of lot. They weren't. I also expected the Palestinian writers to be uncompromising/death to Israel and the enemies of Islam/drive to Jews into the sea kind of bunch. They weren't either. Every single writer interviewed had valid and interesting things to say. Each one came off as reasonable and with something to bring to the table. I've been looking for a good Arab-Israeli anthology and I am happy to say that Isaksen's collection of interviews would make a nice follow-up read to something like, say The Israeli-Arab Reader. I highly recommend Isaksen's book.

Barbara E. Organ's 2004 book Is the Bible Fact or Fiction: An Introduction to Biblical Historiography was one of those books I saw languishing on the shelf at my local library that I just had to grab and take home with me. However, after finishing it late last week I was not impressed. Don't get me wrong, it's not a bad book, it's just not a very good one.
    Organ, a professor at the University of Sudbury in Ontario, Canada and Catholic theologian, according to the editors at Amazon, wrote her book "out of frustration with uncritical reading of various genres of biblical texts." Unfortunately much if not all of the material she discusses in her book more respected Biblical scholars have already done so, and more expertly. While I'm glad she included a section on First and Second Maccabees from the Apocrypha, (a collection of Biblical books I've wanted to read for years), unfortunately Organ's book contains nothing new or innovative.
    Perhaps Organ's goal is to promote the Bible's religious truth as opposed to its literal or historical truth, (as defined by today's modern standards). If that is the case I'm temped to place her in the "enlightened orthodox" camp with Evangelical Timothy Paul Jones and Mainline Protestant Charles Merrill Smith.
    While Organ's book might make an OK introductory book, by no means is it a definitive work on the Biblical scholarship. You can start with her book, but please, don't end with it.

I resolved last year to read more fiction in 2009. So far I've read about seven works of fiction, which is about seven more than I read last year. Therefore, I'm feeling pretty good about myself. And heck, the year is only half over.
    First up is Kirsten Menger-Anderson's 2008 book Doctor Olaf van Schuler's Brain. Spanning a 350 year time frame set almost exclusively in New York City, this collection of short stories covers 14 generations, with each story containing at least one passing link to the previous one, (a technique used in Kieslowski's "Three Colors Trilogy" Red, White and Blue) with the central theme being the ongoing evolution of medical science. Of course, much of the medicine depicted in Menger-Anderson's

collection could be considered downright quackery practiced by charlatans and other unsavory characters.
    While I didn't find anything in this collection I really disliked, I didn't find anything I really, really liked either. Perhaps one reviewer on Amazon said it best, "clever, but surprisingly forgettable".
    Jim Harrison 2000 collection of novellas The Beast God Forgot to Invent had been sitting on my co-worker's desk for over a month, begging me to take it home before I yielded to temptation and grabbed the thing. After finishing it early yesterday morning I'm glad I did. Of the three novellas, one was good, one was very good and the other, "Westward Ho", was great. Very seldom does the printed word make me laugh outloud in public but this novella did a number of times. I was very impressed with Harrison's extensive use of internal monolgue, so well crafted that I must agree with one reviewer on Amazon when he/she wrote "it's like you're having a conversation with the author".
     After reading Harrison's book, I want to read more of his stuff. Unlike Menger-Anderson's book, I highly recommend this collection.

This seems to be my summer for reading books written by Israelis or at least about Jews from the Middle East. Keeping with that theme are two books I recently finished, namely My Father's Paradise: A Son's Search for His Jewish Past in Kurdish Iraq by Ariel Sabar and Out of Egypt: A Memoir by Andre Aciman.  Needless to say I was pleased with both books.

    Sabar, a former journalist for the Baltimore Sun, portrays the forgotten world of the Jews of Kurdistan, a world of religious mystics, illiterate storytellers and villagers who casually converse in the ancient tongue of Aramaic. Sabar also chronicles the community's migration the Israel and the difficult time it had assimilating in the more European-oriented state of Israel. He goes on to tell of his father Yona's rise to eventually become an internationally recognized expert in "Neo-Aramaic"- even earning him the occasional call from Hollywood to translate dialog for Biblical epics, (as well as one episode of the X-Files, translating "I am the walrus" into ancient Aramaic).
    This is an enjoyable book. I found it readable, interesting and provided great insight into a world long forgotten. Considering the book's focus on Sabar's relationship with his father, it would undoubtably make a nice Fathers Day gift.
    If Sabar's book is an account of a vanished world told with the voice of a modern American journalist, then the voice of Andre Aciman's in Out of Egypt is perhaps representative of the world it portrays, cultured and sophisticated but above all else Levantine with a slight Continental flair. Aciman shows us a world with family grandmothers who gossip in six languages, womanizing husbands and their long suffering wives, quasi-legal business dealings and likable figures such as Costa, a black jacket wearing, motorcycle riding Greek expat trapped in the throes of a passionless marriage. Much like the world portrayed in Sabar's book, it also is a forgotten one, swept away by the rise of Pan-Arabism in the wake of the first Arab-Israeli war and the Suez debacle of 1956.
     One wonders how the political landscape of the Middle East would look if Sabar and Aciman's respective worlds had not been swept away by more powerful forces. Would the Arab-Israeli conflict exist and if so, in what form ? Or considering Faulkner's words that the past is never really past, are the worlds portrayed in these two fine books still there in some form or another, perhaps buried under the sands like some ancient civilization, found all too often in that part of the world.
   

Yes, I'm about two months late in posting this, but here is a list of the top ten books I've read through June of this year. It was not easy choosing ten, but these books kind of stood out from all the others. Here they are in no special order.
     So, in the immortal words of the Joker, "And here we...go"

1. A Voyage Long and Strange: Rediscovering the New World by Tony Horwitz
2. God's Problem: Why the Bible Fails to Answer Our Most Important Question-Why We Suffer by Bart Ehrman
3. Rome Inc.: The Rise and Fall of First Multinational Corporation by Stanley Bing
4. Julius Winsome: A Novel by Gerard Donovan
5. God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything by Christopher Hitchens 
6. Freethinkers: A History of American Secularism by Susan Jacoby
7. The Shia Revival: How Conflicts Within Islam Will Shape the Future by Vali Nasr
8. Jesus Interrupted: Revealing The Hidden Contradictions In the Bible by Bart Ehrman
9. Midnight at the Dragon Cafe by Judy Fong Bates
10. The Way of the World: A Story of Truth and Hope in an Age of Extremism by Ron Suskind

Of course, I will be back at the end of the year with my favorites of 2009.