by Richard Dawkins
The title of this piece of lyrical non-fiction is bold, but what is inside the book is really what matters. It just so happens that the meat of the book is more cutthroat than the title.
Richard Dawkins is unapologetic in his attack of religion. He gets down to business on the God issue, first disproving him then questioning our needs for a figure of that magnitude. Anyone of faith will avoid this book for good reason, they won't hold the same faith after reading it. This book will convert some people into atheists, but after reading this masterpiece, that is what we need.
Dawkins is an evolutionary biologist who supports the Darwinian way of thinking, so naturally parts of the book were filled with science. This made parts of the book hard to get through, but the points made with Darwinian natural selection were worth the trek.
This book may or may not help change the religious scene all around the world, depending on who is brave enough to open their minds to this type of thinking. One thing for sure, fundamentalist Christian radicals will push to get such an abomination banned in the bible belt where the book is most needed.
Verdict: Read
Monday, June 30, 2008
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Lord of the Flies
by William Golding
This is a tale of how a group of boy react when they are stranded on an uncharted island. To add to the mix, no adults are on this island with them. On the surface, this novel seems like a tale of order falling to savagery, but it is really an allegory of our world.
These boys seem innocent enough when we first meet them, but they turn into wild animals capable of murdering their fellow school boys. Once the story is looked at from a symbolic level, the author's message becomes clear. His message is that culture created by man will ultimately fail.
This novel has become a notable in its own right because of the endless parallels between it and real life. The symbolism is so deep, I do not think we will ever find an end to it. Even though we may never find an end to the symbols, the novel should never be forgotten because of its chilling truths about human nature.
Verdict: Read
This is a tale of how a group of boy react when they are stranded on an uncharted island. To add to the mix, no adults are on this island with them. On the surface, this novel seems like a tale of order falling to savagery, but it is really an allegory of our world.
These boys seem innocent enough when we first meet them, but they turn into wild animals capable of murdering their fellow school boys. Once the story is looked at from a symbolic level, the author's message becomes clear. His message is that culture created by man will ultimately fail.
This novel has become a notable in its own right because of the endless parallels between it and real life. The symbolism is so deep, I do not think we will ever find an end to it. Even though we may never find an end to the symbols, the novel should never be forgotten because of its chilling truths about human nature.
Verdict: Read
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