Does the Center Hold? by Donald Palmer

Donald Palmer's first history of philosophy, Looking at Philosophy, took the reader through the subject in chronological order. His second book, Does the Center Hold? arranges much the same material by subject and adds references to other fields and a little personal opinion. It is wonderfully well written and has amusing cartoons sprinkled throughout. Nevertheless, it is still basically a textbook and needs serious attention to get the most out of it.

Leaving the Saints by Martha Beck

In Expecting Adam Martha Beck described spiritual experiences she had while pregnant with her Down Syndrome son, and Leaving the Saints continues with more spiritual events. Subtitled How I Lost the Mormons and Found My Faith, Beck's memoir is rife with inside information about the Mormon Church, although she insists she has not given away any secrets. It's a fascinating book of religious and family struggles that center around alleged child abuse. Beck is a highly intelligent and very successful woman who lives in Arizona and works as a life coach. However, her story of abuse is challenged by some family members and I found myself wondering if her story is accurate or tinged with paranoia.

The House at Sugar Beach by Helene Cooper

Liberia is a country founded by former slaves settled there by Americans who felt that it was a good idea to send ex-slaves back to Africa. Helene Cooper captures some of that history in her memoir as she recounts the participation of her forebears in the event; then she moves on to describe more recent political events in Liberia. As a member of one of the country's wealthy families, she was able to escape the place when the political situation got nasty. She transitioned into an American college student and eventually became a reporter who traveled all over the world. The House at Sugar Beach is an interesting memoir, both as character study and as a recounting of historical events most of us know little about.

Looking at Philosophy by Donald Palmer

Donald Palmer presents the history of western philosophy in a light hearted and entertaining manner in this book with lots of cartoon drawings. "The Unbearable Heaviness of Philosophy Made Lighter," says the subtitle. Even so, the subject is seriously covered from the pre-Socratics to 20th century philosophers who are still living. Palmer is an excellent writer who includes biographical bits and pieces into his summary of each person's philosophy. While I don't feel qualified to comment on the intellectual quality of Palmer's work, I do believe that he takes difficult subject matter and makes it more accessible to those of us who are interested but not especially studious.

Last Night in Twisted River by John Irving

John Irving is a great American writer, but I think Last Night in Twisted River should have been edited down by about a third. It's almost 600 pages long and some of its ruminations were a little boring. The plot of the novel is more twisted than the eponymous river from which a cook in a logging camp and his twelve-year-old son are forced into flight because of a disastrous accident. They change names and locations several times during their 50 years on the run. They are wonderful characters, fully and individually drawn in a story that sometimes strains credibility.

The Book of Mirdad by Mikhail Naimy

I paid $74.00 for a used paperback copy of this out-of-print, 185-page novel. Later I learned that I could have downloaded it for free from the Internet; but this does not really bother me, because I love the book. Its central character, Mirdad, is a Christ-like figure who teaches monks the error of duality and the truth of the Oneness of all things. Mirdad teaches the same kinds of truth that my Unity Church does. It is truth that is both very ancient and very modern; it transcends creeds and formal theology.

Mikhail Naimy was a friend and biographer of Kahlil Gibran, and the The Book of Mirdad is written in a poetic style that reminds one of The Prophet. I really wish that someone would re-publish it so that I could buy and give copies to my friends.

The Glassblower of Murano by Marina Fiorato

A marriage collapses in London, and the wife, Nora, moves to Venice, Italy with the intention of becoming a glassblower like one of her Italian ancestors. How she starts life over here is only part of the story. The rest concerns a mystery in the life of her ancestor who lived in a much more dangerous Venice of the 1600s. Some of the plot situations in this novel are very interesting, but it is flawed by unlikely turns of events and a silly romance. The glassblowing business is nicely described, but there are errors in language. As a genealogist, I was annoyed by the use of the word "ancestor" when the meaning was clearly "descendant." A very light read.