Another Good Read

Is the instinctive belief in God a blessing from him, bestowed upon us for any of several imaginable reasons?  Or, does god exist only in our imagination because that belief is a functional adaption to the world in which we live?

Bering does a great job of explaining his idea that we have instinctive beliefs that do not require and do not conform with objective, logical, and scientific thinking.  In the end, the meaning of that finding is up to the reader to decide.

Whether you agree with the author's conclusions or not, this book is an important read for those who are psychologically, scientifically, and religiously minded.  The book is written with a good balance of empiricism, humor, and respect.

Recommended Reading: Life of Pi

What a great book to read for recreation, mental and emotional stimulation, as well as spiritual rejuvenation. I highly recommend that you read this book along with a good friend so that you can talk about it when you are done.

What a blessing it is in our lives to have the ability and the opportunity to read.

Recommended Reading: You Just Don't Understand

Deborah Tannen is a really smart woman who has written several books about the gender differences in the English language. Whether you think that language differences are the outcome of inherently different gender characteristics, or that gender characteristics are the result of language differences, I think that you will find this particular book of hers quite accurate and informative. The book is filled the author's experiences that capture the feel of real life moments that any married couple will recognize as their own.

What I find especially edifying is the author's even-handed approach. Often, a discussion of gender differences turns into a quazi-socio-political debate of the rightness and/or wrongness of the ways of men and/or women. Tannen is fair in her representation of both sides and acknowledges the utility of the different approaches of each.

I have enjoyed reading this book and have found it to be helpful in both my private and professional life. I highly recommend it.

Recommended Reading: BOYS ADRIFT

boys adrift: The FIVE FACTORS DRIVING the GROWING EPIDEMIC of UNMOTIVATED BOYS and UNDERACHIEVING YOUNG MEN by Leonard Sax, MD, PhD.

In this book the author provides compelling evidence that

• changes in how school is structured,
  
• the pervasiveness of video games,
  
• medications for ADHD,
  
• environmentally based biomedical changes, and
  
• cultural changes

have combined to work against the success of boys/men in today's American society.

The book is a good read for any parent, if for no other reason than to just keep abreast of the current zeitgeist. But more importantly, it can offer an improved understanding of the troubling phenomenon of how our really great young men are not living up to their potential without resorting to the blaming/shaming fall-back of "they are just lazy."