Feb 4
SeanPersonal Books
i started and finished the da vinci code this past week. i was surprised at how detailed and well put together the novel was. the author put together a story that tells a detailed controversial history of the bible, the catholic church, and the secret societies that encircle them both. you’ll notice that is did say novel, not a history book. this book comes in the form of a enthralling dramatic well researched murder mystery that not only sparked my interest in the alternate history of the church but really made me think about how much the church is like today’s corporate america.
both the church and corporate america do everything within their power to change peoples perception of their indiscretions, including rewriting history. they amass huge marketing campaigns to deface their enemies or advertise their few successes. they beg borrow and steal to stay alive and then later deny any involvement or indiscretions that led to their failures.
anyhow, throughout the book during different plot points the main character referred to various books and research from which he extracted his knowledge. my interest in the topics that were discussed was piqued throughout the book so i decided to follow my interest and pick up a few of the books. i started reading holy blood, holy grail which actually came out in the early 80’s and made quite a splash around the release. i also plan on reading a few of the other books he recommends like the woman with the alabaster jar, the messianic legacy, the templarr revelation, and others.
i created a new ”religion” category that i’ll be posting things i learn or find interesting from the books. yet another new hobby for me … woohooo.
Feb 4
SeanAstronomy & Space Astronomy, Books
after reading the review of seeing in the dark in the various astronomy magazines i picked it up from amazon. the author, timothy ferris, has written astronomy articles in just about any publication you can name. he has also authored a number of books on astronomy as well.
there are were a number of moments while reading this book that i just couldn’t put it down. unfortunately there were just as many where i wanted to skip to the next chapter. the author had a way of engaging the reader with his interviews and his personal accounts of historical and astronomical topics. in beginning of the book when he recounted how space exploration and astronomy influenced his life i was hooked. he had a way of pulling you in and really making you feel like you were there experiencing those defining moments with him. the accounts of his interviews with famous astronomy personalities were sometimes short but i enjoyed them all anyway. i couldn’t imagine meeting so many people who’ve had such a huge impact on so many lives.
where the book fell short for me was the chapters he wrote about the planets and the sky. while reading those chapters it felt like i was reading a guidebook, not the engaging book i described above. i’m not even sure why these chapters were put in the book, filler maybe? i enjoyed his discussions about the historical significance of some events within these chapters but i almost felt like that could and should be in another book. the author has had so many life experiences worth sharing and yet he spends a chunk of the book defining basic astronomy principles and what’s in what constellation. he would have been better served skipping the tutorials and guides and writing more about the people and places he’s experienced.
would i recommend the book, in short yes. would i skip the chapters i talked about above, it depends on what you want from the book. there are better guidebooks on the market that cover the planets, stars, and star-hopping in greater detail. this book excels at putting together engrossing astronomy interviews and presenting the experiences of a normal person on his path toward experiencing the true wonder of the universe through astronomy. timothy ferris is a truly amazing person with ample information to share with his readership, i just wish he would have put more of his experiences in this book.
