I like to read.

Title: Ethics of the Sages (Pirke Avot)
Author: Shop Class as Soulcraft: An Inquiry Into the Value of Work
Genre: Non-Fiction

I liked but didn’t love this book although there were sections and definitely passages that I absolutely loved. The concept of the book is very interesting. “An Inquiry Into the Value of Work” is a perfect subheading. When the author was talking about “the work” (being a motorcycle mechanic for example) I enjoyed it very much. When he went more toward an academic, theoretical explanation the book, in my opinion, got bogged down and was a bit hard to slog through.

I’m really glad I read it though because it aligns really well some things I’ve been thinking about for the last 6-8 months (since the disaster of employment that we don’t speak of). I think that my generation kind of got conned into thinking that college and then a career in knowledge work is the end all and be all.

Title: Ethics of the Sages (Pirke Avot)
Author: Translation and annotation by Rabbi Rami Shapiro
Genre: Judaism, loved

Pirke Avot 3:12
If your kindness exceeds your wisdom,
your wisdom will endure.
If your wisdom exceeds your kindness,
your wisdom will not endure.

When it to books about Jewish ethics this small book is at the top of the (substantial) pile. It’s a collection of Talmudic wisdom with modern commentary. It’s really a wonderful book and full of so much ethical goodness to think about on I’m ready to re-read it again though I only finished it yesterday.

Title: The Sabbath
Author: Arthur Phillips
Genre: Fiction

I wanted to love this book. I was hoping it would be something like a fictional “Love is Mix Tape.” It was not. I try to be careful when I criticize things because there is no good or bad in art there is just good and bad to you/me. So I won’t say the book was bad. I would instead say that I wish the author had made some different choices for his characters and that a couple plot developments had been left out.

Title: The Sabbath
Author: Abraham Joshua Heschel
Genre: Non-Fiction, Judaism

This is the most poetic book that isn’t actually poetry I’ve ever read. Heschel was in love with the Sabbath. Seriously in love with it and its place within Judaism and the world. This 100 page book is love song to it. When I took the Big Dunk one of the questions my Beit Din asked me was what particular observance meant the most to me and I said Shabbat. At the time my Shabbat observance was only a fraction of what it is now but even then it really was a sanctification of time for me.

Now Shabbat has become absolutely sacred time for B and myself. The Sabbath helped me see and think about Shabbat in new ways that can make it even more special. It’s funny though but my week really does revolve around Shabbat. On Sunday afternoon I usually start thinking about what I’m going to make for Shabbat dinner. Then I get to start looking forward to shopping on Friday morning and spending Friday afternoon cooking and preparing for Shabbat. I light the candles and serve B a nice Shabbat meal before we cozy in to spend some quiet time together. Then on Shabbat morning she makes me breakfast before I go to shul. I can’t describe to you how much more lovely our weekends our since we started observing Shabbat as a family.

Title: Rashi
Author: Elie Wiesel
Genre: Non-Fiction, Judaism

This small little book was a joy to read and deeply frustrating at the same time. A joy because Wiesel’s deep affection for Rashi is plain to see. A joy because Rashi the person and his influence on Judaism are so fascinating and rewarding to read about. Frustrating because the book really just barely scratches the service on Rashi and his contributions to Jewish scholarship. You can’t read this book and not be hungry for far more information about Rashi and his Torah and Talmud commentaries.

I realize that I only have 14 more books to read before I reach my goal of reading 45 books in 2009. I think I’ll scope out what I want those final 14 to be this weekend.

Title: The Whuffie Factor
Author: Tara Hunt
Genre: Non-Fiction, Business

This is one of those books that was kind of wasted on me but I think it’s good and will definitely recommend it to people. Why was it wasted on me? Because I already kind of live “The Whuffie Factor.” Open, transparent, trying to do well by doing good, being a good community member, etc, etc. I live the social media lifestyle (for lack of a better term) so there wasn’t a lot of new information in this book for me.

Title: Columbine
Author: Dave Cullen
Genre: Non-Fiction

This is the most fascinating non-fiction book I’ve read in a while. It’s about a horrible subject but it gives such insight and understanding to both the mythology and reality of the Columbine school shooting that it was hard not to get just completely sucked into it. I read the whole book in two days.

I didn’t have a lot of ideas about the Columbine shooting but I did have a few, that the shooters were outcasts who were bullied for example, that all turned out not to be true. I want to tell you the most interesting things I learned in this book and the things that it has me thinking about most but I want you to be able to read it for yourself. Seriously go read and then come back here so we can discuss it.

Title: The Promise
Author: Chaim Potok
Genre: Fiction

This is the first Chaim Potok book that I didn’t absolutely love. I enjoyed it, but I just didn’t love it. I read it just as quickly as I read other Potok books and I was just as engrossed but now that I’ve finished it I’m not as sad that I’m done. That being said I’m thinking about the book a lot now that it’s finished so, love it or not, it’s clearly left me with a great deal to think about and that, typically, is the mark of a good book. 

Title: Gilead
Author: Marilynne Robinson
Genre: Fiction, Loved

My rebbetzin recommended this book. It’s sort about a family of ministers in Iowa. It’s sort of about a dying man. It’s sort of about agnosticism and belief. And it’s sort of about nothing. It’s a book with beautiful, profound prose and beautiful profound sentiments and I enjoyed it very much.

Title: Miriam’s Kitchen
Author: Elizabeth Ehrlich
Genre: Non-Fiction, Loved

What a fascinating book this was. On its surface this is the story of a woman transforming her kitchen into a kosher one and the rhythm of her family’s life into an observant one. Deeper it’s a story about making life more meaningful, a deepening of the understanding of ritual, connection to family and community and also it’s a cookbook of sorts. That’s a lot for one book to take on and this one did it beautifully. Highly recommended to anyone interested in the role food plays in our lives and families and anyone interested in personal stories about spiritual journeys.