Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand

According to Greek mythology Atlas is being punished and is forced to hold up the sky. If Atlas were to let go, the sky would come crashing down on earth…well you get the picture.

This book is great, a bit over the top but a very interesting read. The book is heavy and discusses some very touchy subjects. I enjoyed the book so much that I literally tore the book in-half, so I could carry it around with me.

The first thing that came to my mind when I finished, was that it reminded me of the Bible; particularly the New Testament. The hero John Galt reminds me of Jesus. Two men, rather than give in to the norm or do what the authorities demand of them, are willing to be sacrificed for what they believe. Two men who are willing to do what they must to bring forth the world they believe in. They do not sellout nor sell themselves short.

Galt takes over the broadcasting stations and has his “Sermon on the Mount” of what he believes are values by which we should live. His philosophy (just a few): knowledge must be acquired through reasoning, he rejects faith and emotion as tools of acquiring knowledge, self-sacrifice is the code of death, never sacrifice your values, never compromise, and that complacency is one of man’s worse enemies. He defends laissez-faire capitalism; Galt absolutely opposes socialism, fascism and communism. He rejects the idea of God and says that man himself chooses between good and evil. Towards the end of the book Galt is able to create a paradise where people live by these philosophies.

The flaw in Atlas Shrugged as in the Bible is the core material that you are working with is “Man”. It does not matter what “Paradise/Utopia” you create- capitalism, socialism, Objectivism, living together in peace with each other and the animals. Everyone and I mean Everyone has to agree, not forced to agree, but willingly agree and believe that the system in place is the one to live by. If even one individual disagrees or want to change anything – the system will be flawed. It will be back to square one unless Everyone once again agrees with the new change/s.

Ayn Rand is a strong believer in individualism. In Atlas Shrugged, she defends independent thought and believes that our society would collapse without it. Atlas Shrugged is also her defense of capitalism.


This is a great site for a summary the book.

http://www.cliffsnotes.com/study_guide/literature/Atlas-Shrugged-Book-Summary.id-7,pageNum-1.html

Hot Tamara by Mary Castillo

I’m trying to be kind to this new author and want to give her kudos, but I did not like this book at all. Chic-lit is not my thing anyway. I didn’t even want to finish it but I did for the sake of my blog. Hot Tamara got 5 our 5 stars on amazon from 16 reviews. It goes to show you different strokes for different folks. Some people thought it was a fast, fun, cute and romantic read and to some people it was disappointing, underdeveloped and a waste of money.

I did enjoy Tamara’s spunk and the fact that she took control of her life and went completely against the norm. I did not like Tamara's mother at all, she’s a control freak, rude and horrible to her daughter. I absolutely give credit to Castillo for bringing the Latino culture and family to the reading public.

Tamara Contreras is a twenty-six year Latina with an extremely controlling mother, Tamara decides to pursue her dreams and go at it on her own. Even with her mother's threats, that she will no longer speak to her (you are no longer my daughter), Tamara moves out. She gets a part-time job at an art gallery and a tiny apartment in Los Angeles. There is of course the forbidden love, the handsome Will Benavides, with whom she went to kindergarten, and has always been attracted to. 

The Crucible by Arthur Miller

I don’t remember if I read the Crucible in high school or college, but I do remember how angry I was. The story made me very angry because I was young and impressionable at that time. I believed in justice and the truth will always prevail and we are sensible logical creatures. Well any way here we are today…

The thing I find interesting is that no one was there but the 6 girls, but somehow with no evidence at all (ok well maybe a few theatrics) the other characters are able to make many accusations that became hard facts or evidence enough to condemn a man to death.

In 1957 Arthur Miller was convicted of contempt of Congress because he refused to give the names of the people at a meeting he attended. The House Un-American Activities Committee thought he was a member of the Communist Party. In “The Crucible” Miller wanted to send the message that people must be careful about how they react to situations.

The play is set in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. Reverend Parris caught his daughter in the woods, with Abigail, Mary Warren, Ruth Putnam, Mercy Lewis, and Tituba, his slave, dancing and chanting. Betty fainted once she saw her father, and still lies in bed the next day. Other members of the town (including the Putnams, John Proctor, and Reverend Hale) arrive at their home and want to know more. The rumors begin that the girls were participating in witchcraft. Now, they think that the Devil is hanging around the town of Salem. The girls must admit and repent of their sins. The people of the town are now terrified that the Devil is among them and their good Christian ways will be compromised.

Night by Elie Wiesel

 “THE OPPOSITE OF LOVE IS NOT HATE, IT’S INDIFFERENCE. THE OPPOSITE OF ART IS NOT UGLINESS, IT’S INDIFFERENCE. THE OPPOSITE OF FAITH IS NOT HERESY, IT’S INDIFFERENCE. AND THE OPPOSITE OF LIFE IS NOT DEATH, IT’S INDIFFERENCE.” ---Elie Wiesel

Elie Wiesel was born in 1928 in Sighet, Transylvania.

I think it’s my third time reading Night. No matter how many times I read this book I will never comprehend how events like this could happen and continue to happen. In this short memoir Wiesel takes us through the horror and with few words paint a vivid picture of ‘life’ in the camp. The book is based on his experience as a young Jew, after he and his family were sent to Auschwitz and Buchenwald.

He took a ten-year vow of silence after which he wrote "Night". "The anger is in me—hate is not," he says.

Heart of a Buddha -The Amitabha Buddhist Society

I don’t remember where I got this little book. I think it may have been Japan in 2002. It’s a free book given out by the Amitabha Buddhist Society. It has great short quotes.

Perfect wisdom,
Perfect tranquility,
Perfect compassion,
     Arise from
Our love,
Our sincerity,
Our understanding.

Even if everyone else
Is not doing good,
I alone will.
Even if everyone else
is doing wrong,
I alone will not.

Sea of Monsters and Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan

The fun thing about these stories is that they make me want to know more about the legends of the Gods. How did Atlas end up with the world on his shoulders?

Sea of Monsters, the second book in the series, introduces Percy to his half brother Tyson, who happens to be a Cyclops. Percy, Annabeth and Tyson must save Grover (the satyr) and the camp from the Titan's attack by bringing the Golden Fleece to cure Thalia's pine tree that was poisoned by Luke.

The Titan’s Curse, the third in the series, has Percy and Grover teemed up with Zoë and Thalia (a Hunter and Zeus’ daughter) on a quest to save Annabeth and the Goddess Artemis both kidnapped by the General.

Illustrated Dictionary of RELIGION by Philip Wilkinson

This dictionary has beautiful illustrations and covers all the religions. It has a rich context and gives the reader just enough information to understand the basics of that particular religion.  This is great for a beginner who is interested in general knowledge of religions and their history. The book is enjoyable and easy to read. Quotes from the Dictionary:

  

A Religion is a set of beliefs and practices, often associated with a supernatural power that shapes or directs human life and death or a commitment to ideas that provide coherence for one's existence. It is a belief in a divine force as well as offering moral guidance for believers. Religions also bind people into communities with common goals and values. There are many religions in the world.

Religion help answer questions: How did the world begin? Can we explain good and evil? What happens when we die? Religion may have begun as one of the ways of answering some of these questions.

Religion influences nearly everything in our daily lives, from buildings, the foods we eat, and the customs of courtroom and government - it shapes our beliefs, moral codes, and national identities. Both individuals and nations describe themselves in religious terms - Hindu or Muslim, Shinto or Buddhist, Christian or Jew.

Here are two examples:

Zoroastrianism - An ancient Persian religion, named after its founder Zoroaster. The faith: life is a constant struggle between the gods of good and evil. It is still practiced today in Iran and India. Followers are called Parsis. 
The Jain Religion started in India between the 7th and 4th century BCE. Jina or conqueror has cast off all worldly concerns and achieved the highest level of knowledge. Jinas show their followers how to achieve liberation from the cycle of reincarnation by attaining the three jewels - right knowledge, faith and conduct.