Descartes’ Bones: A Skeletal History of the War Between Faith and Reason
On a frigid February day in 1650, René Descartes was buried in the frozen ground of Stockholm, far from his French homeland. Sixteen years later, a French government official surreptitiously unearthed the philosopher’s remains and returned them to the country of his birth. That, however, was only the beginning of the posthumous journeys of “the Father of Philosophy. In this refreshingly heterodox history, Russell Shorto follows Descarte’s bones over three centuries and six countries, showing how the battle over his body and most especially his skull exemplifies a far more significant war between faith and reason. Descartes’ Bones deserves to be read by anyone who ever puzzled over mind/body problems.
One of my top 10% favorites
Every now and then, I hit on one of those books that I can't put down. I know I've found one of those books when I'm neglecting all the other forms of entertainment in my life--TV, Xbox, the Internet--just to read. This was the case with "The Unlikely Disciple."
I started reading this book with high expectations, and they were delivered on. Roose's style of writing is both accessible and entertaining at the same time. His depictions of his semester at Liberty University are vivid and will make you angry and make you laugh in the same paragraph. In case you're wondering, he treats Liberty very fairly--if you're expecting a brutal smackdown, you won't find it here. Most of the time he just lets Liberty speak for itself, the good and the bad, and I think in the end that might be what I like so much about this book.
Of all the books I've read in my 7 years at Barnes & Noble, this is definitely in my top 10%, and I will be recommending it to customers for a long time to come.
Great for: non-fiction readers, expose enthusiasts, and people with an open mind about religion.
The Chronicles of Narnia Audiobooks
I enjoy listening to audio books. I find that time passes much more quickly at work or on long drive when I have one playing. For me, the two most important things I look for in a new audio book are a great story and a great reader, which is why I loved the Chronicles of Narnia CD Box Set. You probably already know that the stories by C. S. Lewis are classic works of fantasy, but the great actors that were recruited to perform for the audio versions--including Patrick Stewart, Kenneth Branagh, and Lynn Redgrave--increase their enjoyability greatly. My personal favorite on this collection is The Magician's Nephew as read by Michael York; I could listen to him read the phone book and never get bored. I would recommend this collection to both adults and children; it's the perfect choice for family road trips.
