Tag Archives: religion

The DaVinci Code

Posted on May 17, 2009 by smellincoffee

The DaVinci Code© 2003 Dan Brown454 pages I don’t know that there is any point in introducing this book: given the controversy of its plot developments, I think it is safe to say that the whole of the English-speaking western … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Islam

Posted on May 16, 2009 by smellincoffee

Islam: A Short History© 2000 Karen Armstrong222 This is the third or fourth book I’ve read in the “Modern Library Chronicle” series, which consists (I now realize) of brief but fairly informative treatments of given topics. I have not purposely … Continue reading →

Posted in history, Reviews | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Out of my Life and Thought

Posted on May 4, 2009 by smellincoffee

Out of My Life and Thought,© 1933, Albert Schweitzer (translated and republished in 1960)233 pages These comments are long-overdue. Unlike The Sane Society and The Reason for God, Albert Schweitzer’s autobiography doesn’t require a point-by-point review. It’s not that the … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Wicca for Beginners

Posted on May 4, 2009 by smellincoffee

Wicca for Beginners: Fundamentals of Philosophy and Practice© 2006 Thea Sabin288 pages I could say that I decided to read this book as a part of my private comparative religion studies, or as research for a fantasy novel — but … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged | 5 Comments

Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life

Posted on May 4, 2009 by smellincoffee

Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life: Living the Wisdom of the Tao© 2007 Wayne Dyer416 pages In continuing my philosophical and comparative religion studies, I’m reading another book on the Tao Te Ching. While The Guiding Light of Lao Tzu … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

The Guiding Light of Lao Tzu

Posted on April 20, 2009 by smellincoffee

The Guiding Light of Lao Tzu : A New Translation and Commentary on the Tao Teh Ching © 1982 Henry Wei234 pages In the interests of cultural literacy, I’ve been trying to get a handle on major religions I have … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Mere Christianity

Posted on March 17, 2009 by smellincoffee

Mere Christianity© 1952 C.S. Lewis191 pages This is a little book I have heard an awful lot about. While friends and readers may know of my interest in philosophy, few know that it stems from a period back in late … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Here If You Need Me

Posted on March 16, 2009 by smellincoffee

Here If You Need Me: A True Story© 2001 Kate Braestrup211 pages Here If You Need Me is the story of Kate Braestrup, a Unitarian Universalist minister and game warden chaplain who went into that service after the death of … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

An Open Heart

Posted on March 16, 2009 by smellincoffee

An Open Heart: Practicing Compassion in Everyday Life© 2001 the XIV Dalai Lama191 pages Because I enjoyed The Art of Happiness so much, I decided to continue reading the Dalai Lama’s thoughts. An Open Heart is considerably more short than … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Desire of the Everlasting Hills

Posted on March 4, 2009 by smellincoffee

Desire of the Everlasting Hills: The World Before and After Jesus© 1999 Thomas Cahill I’ve never expected to read the words “his silly circumcised penis swelling for all to see” in connected with Jesus Christ, but I have now, after … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment