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Tuesday, January 1, 2008

Books I've Read


The World is Flat
Author: Thomas L. Friedman
Format: Audiobook

This book should be read by people "all around the world." I'm wishing I had counted the number of times Mr. Friedman used this phrase in his book, I'm sure it is in the hundreds. However, "all around the world" pretty much sums it up, in his "history of the twenty-first century" Mr. Friedman more or less concludes that our era is all about globalization. Wait, wait, wait! All around the world! I thought it was flat now, Mr. Friedman? If anything the new connectivity of people around the world pulls it in tighter and increases the curvature or this sphere. When people lived on a flat earth it was full of unknowns, the people on one side of the coin didn't even know the people on the other side existed. All this to say, the terminology of a flat world annoys me. Still, a good read full of interesting anecdotes about technology and globalization. If you've been asleep for the past few years, wake up and read this book.

Teacher Man

Author: Frank McCourt
Format: Print

Frank McCourt's account of his 30 year teaching career. It was a well written entertaining book that mixes in parts of his past as a child in Ireland and young adult in New York. Most striking is his meandering sense of adventure throughout his career. His 30 years is divided up by an attempt at getting a doctoral degree, getting fired and changing schools, lessons on cookbooks that don't seem to have any point.




Star Wars New Jedi Order: Vector Prime



Author: R. A. Salvatore
Format: Print

An extragalactic invasion! Great opening to what looks to be a great series (New Jedi Order). It's clear that the challenges will be fighting this alien species which has an amazing set of anticomputer technology and rounding up the jedi and reforming the council. Another interesting thing about this book: a major character died! Great book.




The Way It Spozed To Be

Author: James Herndon
Format: Print

This book described Mr. Herndon's experiences during his first year of teaching in an urban environment in the 60's. It seems that Herndon goes into the school as a blank slate, he doesn't really have a plan, or a mission, or educational theories and practices. He doesn't attempt to "control the class" but observes as it chaotically organizes itself and he steers it towards education. In ways I had a similar experience: 5th period didn't change, they didn't decide to listen to my lectures, or quietly work like they should--I changed, I stopped lecturing, and stopped expecting quiet, I found a way to communicate to people who won't listen.


The Rider of Lost Creek

Author: Louis L'Amour
Format: Audiobook

A quick read. It was nice to travel to a forgotten land. The "gun slinging" made me think of some of my students. Ag students with images of guns on their over-sized belt buckles and urban students with these images on their over-sized t-shirts. The same romance of power and justice threads itself through our diverse American culture.




Mere Christianity

Author: C.S. Lewis
Format: Audiobook

C.S. Lewis reminds me a lot of Isaac Asimov in that he uses logic in his writing beautifully. This book attempts to give a good overview of what it means to be a Christian and gives logical evidence for why things are the way they are. A great read, it was difficult to put this one down.

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