Books I've Read

The Way It Spozed To Be

2007-06-11T14:33:00.000-07:00

Author: James Herndon
Format: Print

This book described Mr. Herndon's experiences during his first year of teaching in an urban environment in the 60's. It seems that Herndon goes into the school as a blank slate, he doesn't really have a plan, or a mission, or educational theories and practices. He doesn't attempt to "control the class" but observes as it chaotically organizes itself and he steers it towards education. In ways I had a similar experience: 5th period didn't change, they didn't decide to listen to my lectures, or quietly work like they should--I changed, I stopped lecturing, and stopped expecting quiet, I found a way to communicate to people who won't listen.

Summer Reading List

2007-06-06T14:18:00.000-07:00

Here's a tentative summer reading list:

Vector Prime (Star Wars Novel)
What is it about me you can't teach?
Teacher Man
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Lawn Care for Dummies
Dress your Family in Corduroy and Denim
The Audacity of Hope
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Dune

2007-05-19T13:03:00.000-07:00

Author: Frank Herbert
Format: Audiobook (20 discs)

Took me 5 years or so to finish it. I started with the print version and ended up listening to the audio. This was really a great story despite its inability to hold my attention at times. I can definitely see Tatooine in Arrakis.

The Last Command

2007-04-21T13:46:00.000-07:00

Author: Timothy Zahn
Format: Print

The conclusion to the Trawn trilogy. Took me long enough to finally finish it. It was good. Ever wonder what happened to Luke's severed hand that was cut off by Darth Vader? Find out when you read this book...

Tatooine Ghost

2007-02-17T11:25:00.000-08:00

Author: Troy Denning
Format: Audiobook

This novel fills in some of the details of Anakin and his mother's life on Tatooine. It features the newly married Han and Leiah as they learn about Anakin's past while trying to prevent the Empire from acquiring an important artifact. Again, Star Wars audio does a really great job with sound.

My Life

2006-12-27T19:13:00.000-08:00

Author: Bill Clinton
Format: Audiobook

Hey, I read nonfiction! About politics! This book actually made me think, "hey, I could be President--it doesn't seem that hard." Ofcourse, it also made me appreciate the skills that President Clinton brought to the table even if spoken from his own mouth. I wish he had said more about "[his] Life" it would have been better named "My Presidency" I suppose, although he does talk about issues and events outside of politics, it seems like it is a lot of "name clearing" that goes on in this book. Does he need to be on the defensive even after retiring from being the president? It was neat that it was read by the author.

Artemis Fowl: Eternity Code

2006-12-26T12:43:00.000-08:00

Author: Eoin Colfer
Format: Audiobook

Yet another great installment in the Artemis Fowl series. Katie and I read the others together but decided to go our seperate ways on this one when she took the audio on a business trip. Can't wait to read the next one, great light reading.

The Screw Tape Letters

2006-11-11T20:12:00.000-08:00

Author: C.S. Lewis
Format: Audiobook

From the perspective of Screwtape an exprienced deamon writing to Wormwood who is new to the profession of "temptor." Another great work by C.S. Lewis. The words that stick with me most from this book are something to the affect of, "a trap humans fall into is in thinking that their time belongs to them."

Dave Barry is Not Making This Up

2006-10-13T10:05:00.000-07:00

Author: Dave Barry
Format: Audiobook

Very funny collection of Mr. Barry's columns. I enjoyed the section about people "teaming" in China. Beware of toilet snakes.

The Seven Habbits of Highly Effective People

2006-10-13T10:01:00.000-07:00

Author: Stephen R. Covey
Format: Audio

Not exactly an audiobook version of "7 habits." It seems to be more of a supplementary audio program. Great intro to the 7 habits, definitely something I'd like to revisit.

Welcome to the Monkey House

2006-10-13T09:53:00.000-07:00

Author: Kurt Vonnegut
Format: Audiobook

A great collection of short stories. Some are science fiction, others are just great tales. Did you know Edison's dog invented the light bulb? ;)

Mere Christianity

2006-08-22T13:08:00.000-07:00

Author: C.S. Lewis
Format: Audiobook

C.S. Lewis reminds me a lot of Isaac Asimov in that he uses logic in his writing beautifully. This book attempts to give a good overview of what it means to be a Christian and gives logical evidence for why things are the way they are. A great read, it was difficult to put this one down.

Star Trek: Genesis Force

2006-08-22T13:04:00.000-07:00

Format: Audiobook

This audiobook also did an excellent job with sound effects. It centered around Warf as an ambassador and his two sons. Seems I didn't have the whole story but apparently the federation created something that is being used as a weapon and has the ability to destroy entire planets.

American Gods

2006-08-14T09:12:00.000-07:00

Format: Audiobook (20 hours)
Author: Neil Gaiman

Great book. Strange and x-rated at points. The basic idea is that people moving to America bring their gods with them. Oddly but perhaps wisely it leaves Christianity out of the picture almost entirely. It focuses on a war between old and new gods concluding that "America is a bad place for gods." My birthday March 23 becomes a significant date, so that's cool.

Star Trek: Double Helix Book 1 - Infection

2006-08-14T09:05:00.000-07:00

Format: Print
Author: John Gregory Betancourt

Pretty good. A quick read. This was my first star trek book, my dad recommended the Double Helix series as a good starting point. I'll definitely read the next in the series when I get the chance. I read this one while in Goochland, Virginia on a missions project with my church. Everyone else brought more sophisticated books, I felt a little embarresed reading it, "it's my first one I swear."

Innumeracy

2006-07-17T13:56:00.000-07:00

Format: Print
Author: John Allen Paulos

"A billion, a trillion, whatever." We say these things but do we really have a sense of magnitude for big and small numbers as well as the risk and probabilities associated with our daily lives. Paulos tries to give the reader a good number sense as well as an understanding of probability while explaining the effects and causes of "innumeracy." The book is pretty entertaining with some great examples.

Infinite Ascent

2006-07-17T13:50:00.000-07:00

Format: Print
Author: David Berlinski

This was a great overview of Math History. This topic is lacking in my math education so this book was a great help. It is very poetically written and could be good for even non-math types all though some passages were a little difficult to wrap my head around. Point of interest: Cantor claims that there are different sized infinities, he calls the size of the natural numbers "Aleph null." Also, not only is Euclid the "Father of Geometry" he is the Father of Proof as well.

Star Wars: Shatterpoint

2006-07-17T13:45:00.000-07:00

Format: Audiobook

Not all that great. Didn't hold my attention as well as the other Star Wars audio. Star Wars audio does an amazing job with sound, it isn't distracting but enhancing, this book was no exception to that rule. I learned that there are 7 jedi fighting styles and Mace Windu invented one, I guess this makes him pretty cool.

Books Katie and I have read.

2006-06-27T11:38:00.000-07:00

It all started with Chronicles of Narnia. I wanted to read them because I never had so I started reading the first one. Katie asked me to read the first one to her while I was reading it one day. After a time we finished reading the whole series.

Chronicles of Narnia series
Peter Pan
Journey to the Center of the Earth
The Phantom Toll Booth
Touching Spirit Bear
Artemis Fowl
Currently reading: ArtemisFowl the Arctic Incident

Some books I've read since Hume Lake.

2006-06-26T14:08:00.000-07:00

The Harry Potters
The Lord of the Rings Trilogy and the Hobbit
Ender's Game and the Ender Books by Orson Scott Card
Bee Season
Eragon by Christopher Paolini
I, Robot by Isaac Asimov
Foundation by Isaac Asimon
A Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
Bless Me, Ultima
Out of the Silent Planet by C.S. Lewis (and the other two in this series)
Have Space Suit Will Travel by Heinlein

A whole bunch of Star Wars books:
The Rise of Darth Vader
Darth Maul Shadow Hunter
The Thrawn Trilogy
Jedi Trial
Cloak of Deception
...
Doesn't seem like much, I'll add more as I think of them.

A book a week.

2006-06-26T13:48:00.000-07:00

My goal is to read one book per week. I launched myself on this track in the summer of 2001 while working as a Grill Cook at Hume Lake Christian Camps. Before this time I wasn't much of a reader and since then have read many many books. However, the book a week goal hasn't been very realistic. Until recently.

I discovered the power of Audiobooks when I got my Saturn from my Grandparents in Spring 2002. One advantage it had over my old car (besides newer with less miles) was that it has a tape player. With a six hour drive back to college ahead of me I went out and bought my first book-on-tape. Tony Hillerman's "The First Eagle," I enjoyed the experience so much that I actually took the long way home so that I could finish the book.

We're not quite up to "recently." MP3s, need I say more. With the advent of MP3 players I saw the advantage of buying a MP3 playing CD-man because one disk can hold twelve albums worth. This was spurred on by me realizing the awesomeness of listening to music while walking to school.

Moved to Cleveland, got married, and Katie helped me to discover the awesome resource that is the public library. The public library which has Audiobooks on CD. One Audiobook which might be up to 12 CDs fits quite nicely on an MP3 disk. At some point I realized that listening to an Audiobook while doing the dishes made the chore almost bearable.

This past Christmas my parents gave me an iPod nano which will fit an Audiobook of any size, and the rest is history. Thus, even though I find myself insanely busy reading is possible! And I owe it all to Hume Lake, my Saturn, MP3s, the Public Library, my wife, my grandparents, my parents, and my iPod. Thanks.