A little light reading

So far in 2008 I've read...

The Language of God by Francis Collins. -- Dr. Collins was head of The Human Genome Project and one of the brilliant scientists responsible for discovering the gene that causes Cystic Fibrosis (so you gotta love him!). I heard him interviewed on NPR and was intrigued. He was an atheist who became a Christian later in life and doesn't embrace intelligent design, but has his own explanation on the debate of creationism vs. evolution. He wholeheartedly embraces evolution, as a scientist, but also believes that God is present in our daily lives. In his book he said, "The God of the Bible is also the God of the genome. God can be found in the cathedral or in the laboratory." He believes that the cure for CF is not only possible, but very close. So of course, I love, love, love this man! Of anyone, I have found his beliefs to be the most similar to my own. You can't refute evolution and the Big Bang, but I've also had profound and powerful spiritual experiences. So, there you go, a happy medium.

The Happiest Toddler on the Block, by Dr. Harvey Karp. Ahhh, one of my many parenting books about how to raise a well-adjusted child. It basically teaches the parent to speak to their child like a neanderthal, because toddler brains have only evolved to cave-baby status. I must say, it works. And Froggy is pretty happy, even if she is writing on our cave walls, and peeing on the rug.

Water for Elephants, by Sara Gruen - Finally, some fiction! This was a great book about a veterinarian who travels with the circus. Love, sex, murder, elephants, what more could you want out of a book. It was a quick read, and I couldn't put it down. I wouldn't classify this book as literature, rather entertainment.

The Seat of the Soul, by Gary Zukav - Okay, I'm a little embarrassed to admit I read this. It's about aligning your personality with your soul, and blah blah blah. There were some insightful chapters, but it was a little too much "karma talk" for me. Life is hard enough, not to feel like you're being punished for past lives. Geesh.

In Defense of Food, by Michael Pollan - Again, non-fiction. I'm obsessed with Michael Pollan. He wrote The Omnivore's Dilemma and The Botany of Desire. He's a foody, who believes that we should all shop our local farmer's markets and embrace the French style of eating, that centers around enjoying food and life. He believes that food is political, but I can't imagine a more diplomatic writer. If you haven't read his work, you are missing out. I'm happy to loan my books, if you're interested.

And I just started Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts and Foreskin's Lament by Shalom Auslander. The latter is my book club's choice, and is a humorous memoir about growing up in an Orthodox Jewish home. Along with my desire to attend more theatre, I'm desperately trying to read more. It keeps me sane, and encourages my brain to form complete sentences. Because, "honey, don't, let Mommy help, okay, give me Elmo, no, let go, okay, we go play now, go pee pee, okay, have a juice box, time for playdough" is just not poetic.

What are you reading?