Wednesday, September 15, 2010

The Paper Chase by John Jay Osborn

The movie is better than the book... although much of the movie dialog is drawn directly from the book.

Saturday, August 21, 2010

Kant's Theory of Knowledge by Justus Hartnack

This is an excellent, succinct introduction to the Critique of Pure Reason. Hartnack is outstanding at getting across the meaning of Kant's technical terms.

Sunday, August 8, 2010

Blitzkrieg by Len Deighton

Excellent account of the Battle of France, 1940, from the rise of Hitler to Dunkirk.

Saturday, July 31, 2010

The Cold Kiss by John Rector

Decent thriller novel about a young couple stranded at a motel in a snowstorm, with a dead body, and a suitcase full of money.

Friday, July 30, 2010

Thursday, July 8, 2010

Atheist Delusions - The Christian Revolution and Its Fashionable Enemies by David Bentley Hart

Excellent response to the New Atheism, made in terms of showing just what it is that Christianity has added to the world and what it might lose when (if) Christianity disappears.

Monday, July 5, 2010

A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving

My wife has been bugging me for twenty years to read this, so I finally did.

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Dance Hall of the Dead by Tony Hillerman

The second in Hillerman's Navaho tribal police series. Listened to it while running; being a Hillerman veteran, I was able to identify the killer fairly quickly, but the mystery isn't the best part of Hillerman. It's his development of Joe Leaphorn and his insights into Navaho culture.

Saturday, June 19, 2010

The Deep by Peter Benchley

A good, short adventure story by the author of Jaws.

Sunday, May 30, 2010

Ghost and Horror Stories by Ambrose Bierce

Don't expect the horrifying ghosts of M.R. James in Bierce's writing; Bierce is more about moral horror.

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

The First Eagle by Tony Hillerman

Another Joe Leaphorn/Jim Chee Navaho Tribal Police novel. The best part of these novels is the author's evocation of Navaho culture, his plain, direct style of writing, and the understated but genuine way he develops his characters. Sometimes it's not too difficult to guess the identity of the murderer, as it was in this case, but then, the mystery is only of secondary importance for me. I've read a number of the Leaphorn/Chee novels by now, and Leaphorn and Chee have come to seem like old friends who I look forward to meeting again; this is what I really want in a series and Hillerman delivers.

Sunday, May 2, 2010

The Last Superstition by Edward Feser

Feser takes on the "New Atheists" in this work. To do so, he introduces his Aristotelian worldview and shows why modern philosophy in general is inadequate. Probably the best takedown of the New Atheists that I have read. Also includes Feser's take on the Intelligent Design movement, of which Feser is not a fan.

Aquinas by Edward Feser

Good introduction to the philosophy of the master.

Sunday, March 14, 2010

The Right Darwin by Carson Holloway

Demolition of the position that Darwinism can be a sufficient basis for morality.

A Soul in a Bottle by Tim Powers

Modern ghost story that is more "disturbing" than scary.

Monday, February 15, 2010

Skeptics and True Believers by Chet Raymo

Picked this up for a few $$$ at the used book store. Usual stuff about folks who accept science (yea!) rather than remain dogmatically ignorant in religion (boo!). You should be able to find it on the shelf at your local Strawmen'R'Us.

Saturday, February 6, 2010

God's Battalions by Rodney Stark

Subtitled the Case for the Crusades.