Books! So much to read, so little time…
One of the things they taught us in school was that writers should read. That might be one of the only things I remember from college, but it’s served me well. I’m constantly reading. It’s good for the mind, good for the soul, and according to Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Borders, it’s good for the economy as well (yes, I’ve heard of libraries – but there’s something so very ‘what if’ about them).
My latest two book purchases are from the same author, a Professor Stephen T. Asma, a man I was lucky enough to take a philosophy course from several years ago.
The first book is Buddha For Beginners; an illustrated introduction and guide to Buddhism. I might be the only grad student on this green earth who still prefers his texts to have a lot of pictures, but in this case, the illustrations are well planned and only augment the points being made. Though packed with pictures, this book doesn’t skimp on information. The layout of the book is fluid and a little distracting at first, however, as one delves deeper into the not-so-mysterious-yet-highly-practical nature of Buddhism, the book itself begins to reflect the fluid nature of our reality. Intentional? Who cares? It works like a charm. High recommended for neonate Buddhists, those who are just curious about eastern thought and philosophy or even Dharma-tossin’ experts who’d like a refresher. Perfect for text for your Eastern Religion 101 class.
The second book I’m going to gush about is called On Monsters: An Unnatural History of Our Worst Fears. As a writer, mythology and anthropology are two words that are never far from my conscious mind. It is in these disciplines that we story tellers use to create our epics, to ensure they are received and understood by audiences. This book is a crash course in the worst, yet more blindingly prevalent aspect of human psychology: the monsters under the bed and in the closet. Well researched and thorough, this book covers deftly slides through history, taking time to elaborate on our fears from ancient times to “post-human cyborgs” (which of course, are my personal demons). Asma eventakes time to discuss the vilification of culture in a chapter called “Torturers, Terrorists and Zombies: The Products of Monstrous Societies.” The icing on the cake is an abundance of photographs and illustrations (I don’t know which stodgy academic Methuselah said knowledge can’t have pictures, but he was dead wrong). This book is a great source of inspiration for writers of any genre, and belongs on your desk, right next to the Maleficus Maleficarum (or your latin dictionary, however you roll) and your Encyclopedia of Physics.
