Pakeha New Zealander, trying to read more and be a bit more grounded in the real. Huge Goodreads fan but also a fediverse fan and keen to try this thing out. Grateful to the volunteers with their ethos that have established all this.
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65% complete! Delia has read 27 of 41 books.
What would it be like to experience the ancient landscapes of the past as we …
Admittedly another book that we fell asleep to, but also good enough to want to go back to bits we missed. I enjoyed time travelling and my favourite bit was imaginings ancient mountain ranges and recognising where they are now. Weirdly made me feel more connected with the world.
What would it be like to experience the ancient landscapes of the past as we experience the reality of nature …
Bestselling Christian author, activist, and scholar Tony Campolo and his son Bart, an avowed Humanist, …
Tony campolo had a huge impact on me as a kid, and the Christianity I fell for and into was the one he presented. I remember the relief I felt when he came out in support of same sex marriage - that I could still be Christian. The best bits of this book were where they explored common ground. The worst were where tony seemed to make sweeping generalisations about what humanism means. He seemed naive and cocky in his arguements. It’s not the best book for these topics but unique I think, in reflecting real depth of love and conversation betweeen two folk that could have ended up drifting further and further apart. So a good read, even for that alone.
Bestselling Christian author, activist, and scholar Tony Campolo and his son Bart, an avowed Humanist, debate their spiritual differences and …
Powerful biography, more for Magda’s dad than her, and yet she weaves hers and his life story together poignantly and powerfully.
I loved in particular, the end of this book, where she stretched out a view to the magnitude of our interconnectivity- the vast numbers of anscestors we have, how dna gets lost in generations within lineage, what it means to be alive now. It was so inclusive and fascinating. I loved the “make no assumptions” approach to deep history, and the many different pictures of worlds then. The image of a Neanderthal era human buried with flowers (maybe) and the view of flowers maybe as technology (how do we mark the passing of our loved ones, how does our mind broaden to the possibility of beyond?) just really interesting. I think starting “searching for magic eels” on the back of this book really highlighted how much science is underestimated by those who think of science as fixed dry facts rather than a process. Alice’s audiobooks are very good and easy …
I loved in particular, the end of this book, where she stretched out a view to the magnitude of our interconnectivity- the vast numbers of anscestors we have, how dna gets lost in generations within lineage, what it means to be alive now. It was so inclusive and fascinating. I loved the “make no assumptions” approach to deep history, and the many different pictures of worlds then. The image of a Neanderthal era human buried with flowers (maybe) and the view of flowers maybe as technology (how do we mark the passing of our loved ones, how does our mind broaden to the possibility of beyond?) just really interesting. I think starting “searching for magic eels” on the back of this book really highlighted how much science is underestimated by those who think of science as fixed dry facts rather than a process. Alice’s audiobooks are very good and easy to listen to- my partner falls asleep to them, which is a happy peaceful thing and possibly not what Alice was after, but nonetheless in this household, high praise.
I so wanted to love this book. I like eels, and I love theology (I think). First up, very few eels in this book, but that’s okay. The authors arguement is fairly sound and I agree with it, that in seeking more concrete foundations to the view of our world; and letting go of or dismissing mysticism, we have lost wonder and have been more inclined to let go of God. Where he lost me, first started with describing time as sacred; suggesting that there was some time in history where hours were marked by prayer at certain points, as it still is in some monastic societies. Describing this is factual, for sure, but it was never the case for the whole of humanity; and for cultures where it was in place, it was not present for all in that society. I feel like in valuing that element of liturgy …
I so wanted to love this book. I like eels, and I love theology (I think). First up, very few eels in this book, but that’s okay. The authors arguement is fairly sound and I agree with it, that in seeking more concrete foundations to the view of our world; and letting go of or dismissing mysticism, we have lost wonder and have been more inclined to let go of God. Where he lost me, first started with describing time as sacred; suggesting that there was some time in history where hours were marked by prayer at certain points, as it still is in some monastic societies. Describing this is factual, for sure, but it was never the case for the whole of humanity; and for cultures where it was in place, it was not present for all in that society. I feel like in valuing that element of liturgy and rhythm, he devalued the encounters people had and have with God without these. This sense was further impacted by suggesting that considering red woods as just a configuration of atoms devoids them of any magic or enchantment. I don’t know how others “do science” but my experience is that the focus on the detail and the interaction of biology and chemistry and physics etc is driven by wonder and enchantment and (even by his own arguement) science does not necessarily undermine faith. By the time he was arguing that all people hallow things and suggesting “even most atheists pray”, and describing traditions, some of which are wrapped up in intense colonialism, I just felt like his view and outlook was so small for such a vast topic and I couldn’t listen anymore. I couldn’t figure out what he was trying to say. I may be being overly harsh but I think ultimately I’m not the audience for this text and I am happy letting it go.
Not usually a comic book reader but enjoyed this; also read the second in the series (with a laughable but fun Irish superhero), I think it sets up well for future stories and am looking forward to the rest of the series.
I feel bad rating this so low when it is such an important story to have told. It reads like someone dumping data (as she describes later on) - this happened then this happened then this happened then this happened. I almost DNF due to the stacking nature of one awful thing after another, but persisted out of respect for the fact it’s a true story and the events weren’t told for shock or awe, but to bear witness.
