Carson Books
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Book Queue
(To be read)
- The Hobbit - Tolkien, J.R.R.
Books Read
2008
July
- His Excellency: George Washington - Joseph Ellis.
- After concluding this book, I read an interesting review of it that highlighted one of my gripes with Ellis' book: that, as a Biography, it attempts to define the man in light of the facts surrounding his life. This seems appropriate for a biographer to do, as long as he acknowledges that he is providing just that - an interpretation. Although Ellis may have states his intentions thusly, I remain peeved at the anti-religion tint that so many modern biographers like him paint into the portraits of their subjects. For example, on page 269, Ellis concludes that history shows that Washington was not a religious man. That he never joined a congregation or formally declared his religious preference is simply not grounds for saying he was not religious. There are many quotes where Washington expresses what I can only describe as a deeply religious faith in God. Apparently those quotes were not supportive of the slant authors such as Ellis wish to place on their portrayals of their subjects. Although I cannot pin down why they want to put an atheistic spin on accounts of the Founding Fathers, the bottom line is this: they are wrong. History does suggest a religious nature to men such as Washington, Lincoln, etc. Although biographers may exclude supporting evidence, history does not.
January
- John Adams - David McCullough.
- Put simply, I loved this book. Adams was an ordinary man in extraordinary circumstances. McCullough takes Adams and gives a narrative capable of describing the man and his life in a manner which is captivating and elucidating. By the end of the first chapter, you are thrust into the battle for the new republic - John Adams narrowly escaping capture while on his way to France. The book does seem to slow down - but only in the sense that except for a few moments in his life, John Adams was not all that exciting of a man. That being said, he is one of my heros - for being so ordinary and yet accomplishing so much I consider extraordinary. Namely, he had a good family life, he was industrious, honest, religious, and an excellent human in most respects. That alone is more than can be said of most modern politicians.
2007
September
- Cuckoo's Egg - Clif Stoll
January
- The Killer Angels - Shaara, Michael
2006
December
- Animal Farm - Orwell, George
- Candide - Voltaire
October
- Lincoln - Donald, David
July
- A World Without Time - Yourgrau, Palle (Done: July) - Review
- Old Testament (Done - Finished in 2007)
- The Great Divorce - Lewis, C.S. (Done: July 2006)
- 1776 - McCullough, David (Done: July 2006)
- Incompleteness - Goldstein, Rebecca (Done: July 2006)
- Screwtape Letters - Lewis, C.S. (Done: July 2006)
June
- Pride and Prejudice - Austen, Jane (Done: June 2006)
May
- The Man Who Loved Only Numbers - Hoffman, Paul (Done: May 2006)
- Les Miserables - Hugo, Victor (Done: May 2006)
March
- A Tale of Two Cities - Dickens, Charles (Done: March 2006)
January
- Joy at Work - Bakke, Dennis (Done: January 2006)
2005
- Tuesdays with Morrey - Albom, Mitch
- Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
- Forward with Faith - Hinckley, Gordon B.
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