New and Noteworthy Non-Fiction – October 2006

Pagan Every Day:  Finding the Extraordinary in Our Ordinary Lives
by Barbara Ardinger
A day by day look at the “extraordinary” that we see as “ordinary” using myth, secular figures and wisdom, and fable. Each month is organized around a special topic—October’s is Air.

Democracy, A History
by John Dunn
In the month before the mid-term elections, Dunn relates the history of the “political core of civilization” and in doing so, reminds us of its importance in today’s (and the future) world.

Censored 2006: The Top 25 Censored Stories
by Peter Phillips and Project Censored
Do reports embarrassing to government, business and other entities always get printed? No, says Project Censored.  Each year, the top 25 stories (in this case of 2004 and 2005) that were never widely disseminated are printed—this year’s categories include politics, science, human rights issues, domestic policy, and others.

The Last Word: Beyond the Bible Wars to a New Understanding of the Authority of Scripture
by N. T. Wright
Addressing the question of “authority” in examining the Bible, with, as Wright says, “fresh eyes”, is essential for people within and without the Church.  He looks at both the New and Old Testaments, the role of scripture within the Church, and examines the concept of authority in relation to the current “Bible Wars”.

Enemies:  How America’s Foes Steal Our Vital Secrets and How We Let It Happen
by Bill Gertz
Almost “140 nations and some 35 known …terrorist groups” are involved in espionage activities against the United States. Gertz examines these activities and our efforts to counteract them—and finds our effort woefully lacking.

This I Believe: The Personal Philosophies of Remarkable Men and Women
edited by Jay Allison and Dan Gediman (in association with National Public Radio)
You may have heard the personal statements of young and old, famous and not, on NPR over the past few years. Here they are collected –80 in all-some dealing with large issues, some smaller but all reflecting a thoughtful look at the world and how the writer, at least, wants to live in it.

NonProfit Essentials: Managing Technology
by Jeannette Woodward
Technology can free “hands and imagination” when incorporated well into an organization’s processes.  Too often, though, computer literacy among the staff is not viewed as essential ---but it is.  While the book addresses all mission-based organizations, large and small, it is particularly directed at those organizations that have few paid staff and rely on volunteer efforts.

The Soul of a New Cuisine: A Discovery of the Foods and Flavors of Africa
by Marcus Samuelsson
Recipes for Spicy Plantain Chips, Grilled Tilapia-Avocado Soup, Egg Sandwiches,  Chicken Mofongo and many, many more—plus beautiful pictures of Africa –make this a book for reading pleasure as well as for cooking advice. Mr. Samuelsson was born Kassahun Tsegie in Ethiopia, was raised in Sweden, and is a chef at Aquavit (and other restaurants) in NYC, and is the youngest chef to receive two three-star ratings from the New York Times.

The Rule of Benedict: Pope Benedict XVI and His Battle with the Modern World
by David Gibson
Gibson states that the election of Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, has brought to the fore the struggles between various currents within the Catholic Church (with one billion adherents in the world).  Understanding Benedict is essential for deciphering the coming conflict between the “self-declared orthodox” and those who see their positions as progressive and the determination of which is “the good Catholic”.

A Greener Faith:  Religious Environmentalism and Our Planet’s Future
by Roger S. Gottleib
Gottleib says that environmentalism has become a focus of many churches and belief systems—that a respect for the earth, for creatures human and non-human, and an involvement in social and political thought based on this respect have become leading aspects of religious life.  He recounts the change this represents and describes the commitments religious bodies have made to environmentalism and the partnerships with secular groups that can (and have) come of these commitments.