Archive for the ‘Education’ Category
Recent Books (Feb 8, 2010)
So I recently made a trip to Hastings (“You’re entertaiment superstore!) and picked up a few things. First, I got volumes 4 and 5 of Scott Pilgrim by Bryan Lee O’Malley. I’ve been enjoying the Scott Pilgrim series over the past month or so, and these two volumes were great. For those who don’t know, the book’s titular hero falls in love with Ramona Flowers, who has seven evil exes that Scott must defeat to continue dating her. The book is great for fans of video games and music, and I’ve enjoyed the romance story between Scott and Ramona.
Second, I got volume 1 of The Walking Dead by Robert Kirkman and Tony Moore. I had heard about this book for years but had never picked it up (as with Scott Pilgrim as well). I felt that the beginning was too much like 28 Days Later in why the main character, Rick (a small town police officer), doesn’t know what’s going on (he was shot on duty and in a coma for a month), but overall I enjoyed it. There were a couple of times when reading it, however, that I had to double check the pages to make sure I hadn’t missed something; at times, there is a slight jump in time, but there’s no obvious indication of it. Other than those two quibbles, it was good, and the art style helps to capture the creepiness of a world overrun with zombies.
Third, I finally bought Night by Elie Wiesel. I’ve wanted to read this book for a while, and I found it in the used the section. I’m considering teaching it in my Reading class, given its shorter length.
Fourth, I got C.S. Lewis’s Dangerous Idea: In Support of the Argument from Reason by Victor Reppert. The book is an examination of Lewis’s argument that the existence of rational thought proves the existence of the supernatural (an idea Lewis explored in Mircales). It was fortuitous that I found this book at this time, as I was listening to a podcast in which the hosts briefly discussed recent scientific developments in brain research that suggest that there is no free will (something atheists have been claiming for years). This “discovery” (if it’s held up) basically proves Lewis’s argument: in a “naturalist” system (in which nothing exists but nature), there cannot be true rational thought (because everything is cause and effect); thus, reason is a supernatural miracle.
Let me know if you’ve read any of them. I may post fully reviews as I finish reading these books.