August Read/3

Title: 

Eastern Wisdom, Modern Life: Collected Talks: 1960-1969

Author: Watts, Alan

Book Description (from amazon.com):

Alan Watts introduced millions of Western readers to Zen and other Eastern philosophies, but he’s also recognized as a brilliant commentator on Judeo-Christian traditions as well as a celebrity philosopher who exemplified the ideas — and lifestyle — of the 1960s counterculture. In this compilation of controversial lectures, delivered at American universities throughout the decade, Watts challenges readers to reevaluate Western culture’s most hallowed constructs. Watts treads familiar ground, interpreting Eastern traditions, and also covers new territory, exploring the counterculture’s basis in the ancient tribal and shamanic cultures of Asia, Siberia, and the Americas. In the process, he addresses some of the era’s most important questions: What is the nature of reality? And how does an individual’s relationship to society affect this reality? Filled with his playful, provocative style, the talks show the remarkable scope of a philosopher in his prime, exploring and defining the '60s counterculture as only Alan Watts could.
My Read:
Page: 142
"The art of living is to operate in the world as if you were absent." 
This sentence stays with me after I finished the book. It reminds me of those books I have read about "mindfulness," "live in the moment," "enlightened life." But this book also provoked me in some ways. For instance, as I was walking I wondered where the ancient sages got their ideas/perceptions about life. There were no printed wisdom in ancient time. The answer must, in my own personal thinking, come from the nature: the changes of the time and seasons, the ever-changing landscapes and the shapely clouds, mountains, rivers, and creatures roaming the earth. Sometimes, I figure, the answers are simple and straight; they are right in the plain sight and around us. It just needs an aware mind to be conscious about life, living, and beyond. Life is to live.

August/John

THE WINTER FORTRESS

This non-fiction book was written by Neal Bascomb. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, it is 322 pages of narrative, two pages of acknowledgements, 34 pages of notes, and 20 pages of bibliography and index. Archives were researched in five different countries. And yet, it reads like a novel, urging the reader to keep turning pages to follow the action which detail the pursuit to destroy the 'heavy water' and the equipment required to manufacture atomic weapons. 

The movie based on this story, 'The Heroes of Telemark', as it turns out, barely covered the story - as films can only do. Although it was very good and with much action, it does not hold a candle to the whole saga delivered in the book. Chapter one begins on February 14, 1940 and this fascinating story does not conclude until 1945, plus its contextual follow up. 

As a race between the Allies and the Axis powers to first develop the atomic bomb, this story, in spite of already knowing the ending, is a nail-biter. Obviously I enjoyed reading about the story's background, all the personalities involved from various countries and backgrounds, the rugged training, and the various operations to thwart the Nazis. It gives merit to the expression "The Greatest Generation." 

August Read/2

Title: Subliminal: How Your Unconscious Mind Rules Your Behavior

Author: Mlodinow, Leonard

Book Description (from amazon.com):

Over the past two decades of neurological research, it has become increasingly clear that the way we experience the world--our perception, behavior, memory, and social judgment--is largely driven by the mind's subliminal processes and not by the conscious ones, as we have long believed. As in the bestselling The Drunkard’s Walk: How Randomness Rules Our Lives, Leonard Mlodinow employs his signature concise, accessible explanations of the most obscure scientific subjects to unravel the complexities of the subliminal mind. In the process he shows the many ways it influences how we misperceive our relationships with family, friends, and business associates; how we misunderstand the reasons for our investment decisions; and how we misremember important events--along the way, changing our view of ourselves and the world around us.

August Read

Title: Is Nothing Something?: Kids' Questions and Zen Answers About Life, Death, Family, Friendship, and Everything in Between
Author: Thich Nhat Hanh
Book Description (from amazon.com):
In Is Nothing Something? Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh answers heartfelt, difficult, and funny questions from children of all ages. Illustrated with original full-color artwork by Jessica McClure, Is Nothing Something? will help adults plant the seeds of mindfulness in the young children in their lives. Beginning with the most basic questions, "What is important in life?" and "Why is my brother mean to me?" and progressing through issues that we all wrestle with, such as "How do I know if I really love somebody?", "How long am I going to live?", and "What does God look like?", each page presents a question with a short answer from Thich Nhat Hanh, appropriate for beginning readers to work with on their own. The back of the book has the first complete children’s biography of Thich Nhat Hanh, along with basic, kid-friendly instructions for mindful breathing and mindful walking. Both humorous and profound, Is Nothing Something? is the perfect resource for kids with questions, adults looking to answer them, and anyone with questions of their own.