- Details
- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Books
- Hits: 487
Now I read it, I had to, having requested a copy.
It was better than I expected, which was not much. That is not to say that it was good, standard New Age Theosophical type stuff, with lines like: "Through quantum physics and our advanced technology, it has been discovered that the heart is the true brain of the body.", that explain nothing and presume upon the reader to have an understanding of quantum physics and advanced technology that clearly the author doesn't.
This is the thing, I've long been at the point where if I met the Buddha on the road I'd have to kill him, and this, it's presumptive, that he's found the meaning of life (maybe?), that his experience is worth the sharing (perhaps?), that he can explain better or in a more accessible fashion what all the world's teachers have taught since the beginning of time.
In this I disagree. The truth, given it's variable nature, is best explained through sutras, koans, parables, his nonsensical fables and illustrations explain very little, what would be more informative is a collection of parables, gospels, stories, poems, all culled from the great religions of the world and that work towards illustrating the common point.
In any event, he wrote it, got it published, so he's doing something right, and I am a poor disciple. But it's read and when I see them next I will say how wonderful it is and congratulate him on his own personal interpretation. Now on to my own projects...
- Details
- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Books
- Hits: 640
This took far too long to read.
It's autobiographical, the author simply swaps out the lead character for himself, returning to Mexico after a long hiatus, with a new wife, afraid of confronting old people, situations, trying to put right a past that can't be put right or in any sort of order.
He's an alcoholic, forever struggling against the temptation of another drink, and - for a book containing relatively little action, it's a masterpiece of the interior life of the chaotic and suffering artist.
Now - a masterpiece is true, and his prose is magnificent, the directions his mind takes - unravelling memory, experience, sleep, the perpetually neurotic over analyzing of the minutiae of life, the failure to take both remedial and obvious steps, well, I get it. I get it too well. And so it's uncomfortable, we've a great deal in common, if only I possessed a teaspoon of his talent, and so it took forever to read and now, now, finally it's done.
- Details
- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Books
- Hits: 918
Found this via Reddit - and am quite enjoying it. Nothing I didn't "Know" - or speculate, but I'm not even 100 pages in.
You can find it online here: https://archive.org/details/itzhak-bentov-stalking-the-wild-pendulum-on-the-mechanics-of-consciousness
The writing style reminds me of Guy Murchie's "The Seven Mysteries of Life", or "Godel, Escher & Bach", by Hofstadter, which were books that I also greatly enjoyed once upon a time. And any number of others which seek to reconcile science and spirituality. But I'll come back to this...
****
Note, having finished it it was fine. Not Terrific, but I've long been informed of these various theories through various other channels. But he has a way of wrapping it all up. In the vein of "Dancing Wu-Li Masters" or various other books from the 70's that attempt to reconcile science and spirituality.
- Details
- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Books
- Hits: 837
And this, a book that I'm looking forward to reading but I have yet to come across, yet I don't want to break down and give Amazon any of my hard-earned money. Not that Jeff Bezos needs it, or I have any:
Link: The First Ghosts - Irving Finkel
Lectures on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFPeOi5H6Zo
And this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNNaZ110ee4
He's an erudite and charming lecturer and host. If more professors were like him I'd still be in college.
(*NB I'd have embedded the videos but having upgraded my Joomla! installation I'm already paying the price of broken components. When they've ironed out the bugs I'll go back and fix. For now this is easiest.)
- Details
- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Books
- Hits: 682
"Big feet and a Mouth To Match"
Gifted to me by a friend who thought we'd have a lot in common, because, trappers, prospecting, what's the diff? Anyways...
This was surprisingly (to me) much easier to read than the cover would have led me to believe. Basically the childhood reminiscings of a trapper/guide/outdoorsman who grew up (and trapped) in and around White Rock and Vancouver.
A very droll way of looking at things, interesting characters, times, this would have made for an excellent kids book - a-la "The Great Brain" series - a favorite of mine when I was a certain age - were it not for a few (unnecessary) adult references.
Initially skeptical I soon found myself laughing out loud and managed to devour it in an afternoon. Once in a while it's a treat to read something light...