Friday;, February 11th, 2011
The Illusion of Immortality has been sitting on my shelves since the mid seventies when I went through a bad patch after reading the contribution to radical theology by John Robinson, the Bishop of Woolwich, in his book "Honest to God". It turned my comfortable Anglican world upside down for a good while. Eventually I returned to the church because I was very suspect of the morality of the secular world, but without the naive concept of religion that had been with me from the cradle to John Robinson.
Now, of course, in the Liberal church, we have The Church of The Golden Rule and Social Activism, and God and Christ have little place in it, except that Jesus is sometimes acknowledged as a prophet, along with Buddha and Mohammed.
I am off the topic I started to write on.......
My copy of the Illusion of Immortality is well thumbed, has lots of margin notes, and is falling apart in places. I leaf through it, stopping to read whole paragraphs or pages, sighing all the while...
However, waiting for me at the Library is David Shenk's new book "The Genius in all of Us" which I think is a great consolation for those who are no longer anticipating Immortality (in one form or another) in that it opens the possibility for achieving a full and wonderful life while we are alive. His theory, (that genes and environment combined help to realize a person's potential), gives hope by dashing the theory of genetic determinism.... too bad, if you were born without talent and intellect there is no hope for you!!!
Daniel H. Pink, author of Drive and A whole New Mind has this to say about Shenk's book...
"David Shenk sweeps aside decades of misconceptions about genetics and shows that by overstating the importance of genes we've understated the potential of ourselves. This is a persuasive and inspiring book that will make you think anew about your own life and our shared future".
Charles is going to sing with the Senior's Choir at a Valentine Tea this afternoon, - I am going to get dressed up and go along with him and sip tea, and after we will go by the library where I can pick up this book that I expect to inspire me to live a full and rich life for all those thousands of days left to me!
I will let you know after I have read the book and not just the reviews.
4 comments:
Hi Hildred, Hope you enjoyed the tea (and Charles singing...). I read both Pink's book and Shenk's. I commented on The Genius in All of Us in my sidebar (2010 Books). I think you'll enjoy and learn from his compilation of the research. I may have to go back and reread portions of it. Happy Valentine to you and Charles.
I am afraid I think in a lot of ways we are what we are, and although not God fearing, sometimes think a good dose of some sort of omnipotent being is not such a bad thing.
Todays children have not a lot of respect and no fear of retribution, not a bad thing in its way, but lack of respect for other people, other peoples things, other animals or beings is a very sad state of affairs.
Better get off my soap box.
It does sound interesting Hildred and I will look out for your thoughts on it. Do hope you both enjoyed the afternoon tea and singing. A
I know so many people who never ask questions and never wonder and never read. So they never go through bad patches such as you describe. Their life is a walk on a straight and narrow path and life is all one color with no shadings or room for doubt.
I think their life is probably easier in many ways and sometimes I envy them ;>)...(but not often).
I believe I'd enjoy the book you are about to read and I await your reviews.
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