Caste by Isabel Wilkerson and great fiction by Toni Morrison, essays by James Baldwin, Ta’ Nehisi Coates: I share this as a 70 year old white woman who grew up loving Charles Dickens because of course these writers removed some scales from my eyes. The Bible with informed help: Ched Myers and so many other thoughtful preachers and theologians. Happy Birthday and what a wonderful life of family and reading.
"Caste" was the first book I thought of when I read the request for recommendations! It stripped bare my notion that I, as a white Boomer, was "educated" on the history of race in this country (and others).
Also recommend "Allow Me To Retort" by Elie Mystal, and concur on any works by Baldwin, Morrison and Coates.
Of all the books discussed in my book clubs, the most memorable was: "Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men" by Caroline Criado Perez.
A very simple book I first read as a child then continued to reread it periodically through my adult life. ‘The Little Prince’ by de SaintExupery’. When I lose focus or appreciation for what matters, I reread it to restore my soul.
The pleasure of learning how reading is a foundation for character development, thoughtful insights and humaneness resonates throughout this essay. This is joyful reading for the soul. Thank you, John Pepper and John Pepper Sr.! Many happy returns of the day, John Sr, with many more hours of the pleasure of reading. Allow me to share a book that might also give pleasure, Collected Poems by Marie Ponsot. She too can be Googled.
I have no reading recommendations, but I am inspired by what your father wrote. I think reading also keeps his mind sharp. It’s true that you use it or you lose it.
I think everybody who lives in a representative democracy needs to read “On Tyranny” by Timothy Snyder. Our democracy and our freedoms are too valuable to throw away to authoritarianism.
As I was reading I recalled, or thought I did, that Schopenhauer said more time spent reading is less time spent writing. I checked quotes from him. He said something like that but it was much more equivocal. A book I read 50 years ago which I still read today is the Tao Te Ching. I liked it then for its mysticism. Much later I found out (by reading) that it’s not really mystical. It’s a commentary on the nature of language. It ends by saying: good words are not beautiful. Beautiful words are not good. Make of that what you will. I tend to read the same thing over and over. I am drawn to a passage named The Vision and the Riddle from Thus Spoke Zarathustra. It is Nietzsche’s metaphorical account of his doctrine of the eternal recurrence. There is an irony in me re-reading it I suppose. The idea fascinates me and repels me in equal measure. I thought Nietzsche invented it but he didn’t. He got it from pre-Socratic thinkers, one assumes by reading them.
Read anything by Alice Miller (deceased). Deeply psychological and personal. She analyzes people's adult behavior as being caused in early childhood, often from traumatic experiences.
Caste by Isabel Wilkerson and great fiction by Toni Morrison, essays by James Baldwin, Ta’ Nehisi Coates: I share this as a 70 year old white woman who grew up loving Charles Dickens because of course these writers removed some scales from my eyes. The Bible with informed help: Ched Myers and so many other thoughtful preachers and theologians. Happy Birthday and what a wonderful life of family and reading.
"Caste" was the first book I thought of when I read the request for recommendations! It stripped bare my notion that I, as a white Boomer, was "educated" on the history of race in this country (and others).
Also recommend "Allow Me To Retort" by Elie Mystal, and concur on any works by Baldwin, Morrison and Coates.
And my reading history and rationale mirrors your father’s almost exactly!
But I never wanted to be a corporate executive! I chose teaching instead!
And I was greatly rewarded for 44 years of totally involved pleasure and treasure !
Of all the books discussed in my book clubs, the most memorable was: "Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men" by Caroline Criado Perez.
Read the book Educated, about a young woman going off to college and how it changed her, and her views of her family and the world she grew up in
A very simple book I first read as a child then continued to reread it periodically through my adult life. ‘The Little Prince’ by de SaintExupery’. When I lose focus or appreciation for what matters, I reread it to restore my soul.
Simply put “The Soul of America” by Jon Meacham.
David this is beautiful.
As for books…. Too many to mention from Moby Dick to Cloud Cuckoo Land, from Parting the Waters to Laboratories of Autocracy.
I am a fan of baseball books. There are 2 that are really memorable to me.
"Fridays with Red" by Bob Edwards former host of npr morning edition about his relationship with baseball broadcaster Red Barber.
"I was right on time" by Buck O'Neil former negro league player who never had the chance to play in the major leagues.
If only we could have more people like your dad (and you). Thanks for all you do. Ann T.
The pleasure of learning how reading is a foundation for character development, thoughtful insights and humaneness resonates throughout this essay. This is joyful reading for the soul. Thank you, John Pepper and John Pepper Sr.! Many happy returns of the day, John Sr, with many more hours of the pleasure of reading. Allow me to share a book that might also give pleasure, Collected Poems by Marie Ponsot. She too can be Googled.
I have no reading recommendations, but I am inspired by what your father wrote. I think reading also keeps his mind sharp. It’s true that you use it or you lose it.
I think everybody who lives in a representative democracy needs to read “On Tyranny” by Timothy Snyder. Our democracy and our freedoms are too valuable to throw away to authoritarianism.
As I was reading I recalled, or thought I did, that Schopenhauer said more time spent reading is less time spent writing. I checked quotes from him. He said something like that but it was much more equivocal. A book I read 50 years ago which I still read today is the Tao Te Ching. I liked it then for its mysticism. Much later I found out (by reading) that it’s not really mystical. It’s a commentary on the nature of language. It ends by saying: good words are not beautiful. Beautiful words are not good. Make of that what you will. I tend to read the same thing over and over. I am drawn to a passage named The Vision and the Riddle from Thus Spoke Zarathustra. It is Nietzsche’s metaphorical account of his doctrine of the eternal recurrence. There is an irony in me re-reading it I suppose. The idea fascinates me and repels me in equal measure. I thought Nietzsche invented it but he didn’t. He got it from pre-Socratic thinkers, one assumes by reading them.
Read anything by Alice Miller (deceased). Deeply psychological and personal. She analyzes people's adult behavior as being caused in early childhood, often from traumatic experiences.
Thank you for sharing this, for the gift of your perspective I read every day, and to all of you opening our worlds through the words you write.
Thanks so much for this, David, John, and John—it’s wonderful! I recommend The Collected Poems of W. B. Yeats.