From "In But Not Of:"
First, to scare you: after recommending about 14 books, Hugh says,"Fourteen volumes may seem like a lot, but they are not. In fact, that number should be a small portion of the reading you routinely do over the course of a year."
Second, the suggestion: Hugh says, "The world is full of terrible books, both those that are time wasters and those that are deeply, horribly wrong about the way the world works and how it came to be this way. The first sort are mistakes, but the latter can be deadly. Which is why there is no such thing as an innocent suggestion of a book to read." He is refferring to the writings of Marx and Hitler. He goes on, "So it is best to get your suggestions from reliable individuals--individuals whose charater impresses you as much as their intellect."
Any book recommendations?
6 comments:
Hi John,
Hmm....Let's see, what would I recommend?
For an excellent work on Jesus, check out N.T. Wright's Jesus and the Victory of God.
For good old historical fiction try The Alienist by Caleb Carr (?). Warning: it's a mystery/thriller about a twisted serial killer.
Far As the Curse is Found by Michael Williams is a good read.
Any Harry Potter book is an excellent read.
The Curved Saber by Harold Lamb is a lot of fun. It is a compilation of short stories about an Old Cossack Warrior who roams the steppe.
I could go on and on....and I realize that some of the books listed above probably don't meet Hewitt's criteria (e.g. I know absolutely zilch about Caleb Carr's character).
Well, it's not so much the character of the author as the character of the person recommending the book.
One of these days, I will read N.T. Wright, but I am on a non-theological kick right now. After a few historical, fiction, and philosophical books, I'll give it a try.
Hugh Hewitt recommended a bunch of Historical Fiction, mainly on the Greeks and Romans. What time setting is the Alienist?
Hi John,
The Alienist takes place in 19th Century America during Teddy Roosevelt's tenure as police commissioner. Teddy is even a side character who helps out with some of the case.
A fascinating book which also deals with the problem of boy-prostitution in New York City in the 19th century.
Have you discovered G.K. Chesterton yet?
Welcome to my blog Paul.
I have not read Chesterton, yet. A previous pastor of mine would occasionally quote from the book Orthodoxy, and a friend of mine has read a few of his novels.
I know he debated a lot, converted to Catholicism, and was very witty.
In your opinion, is there a must read of Chesterton?
Hey John! Found your comment on my site, and I'm glad I dropped in to see what you're up to.
On recommendation from both of the Hjelle brothers, and because it had a cool title, I read Chesterton's The Man Who Was Thursday. I really enjoyed it. Almost like good adult fiction, but not quite fiction. Maybe I could explain it better if I had understood the book more fully...
Post a Comment