The Book Basement Bulletin #17
The Book Basement Bulletin #17
What We Talk About When We Talk About Love, Why Children Don't Succeed and Was Jesus Real - On this week's issue
Opening Thoughts
Hello! Unfortunately, I couldn’t finish any books this week. As always, however, I’ll give you a book recommendation that I think you’ll enjoy.
Three Things I Wanted to Share
I’ll recommend the first book that I read this year, which was What We Talk About When We Talk About Love by Raymond Carver. This is a collection of short stories which portray different kinds, stages, dichotomies, and actions of love. Carver has some spectacular writing which, when analyzed can be very thought-provoking as you pick apart each story trying to figure out what each character represents and what the general theme of the story is. I definitely want to revisit this book again, and I’ll make sure to talk about it again once I do. In the meanwhile, check it out, it’s amazing.
If you’re even the slightest bit interested in history then I can’t recommend enough this video on the existence of Jesus. This essay by Let’s Talk Religion is a half-hour deep dive into the age-old debate on the existence of Jesus. By watching it, you’ll not only get a strictly factual account of events, but also a fascinating story of manipulated history, first-hand sources, testimonies as well as what sources we do we have that testify the existence of arguably the world’s most famous man. Packed full of information that had me hooked all throughout it, this video essay is sure to inform and educate!
Carlos is a student that never really struggled with any school topic. Why do students like Carlos rarely make it outside high school? Why do they not get to walk the ivy walls of Harvard, Princeton, and Stanford? This Revisionist History episode talks about just that; how and why many gifted students never achieve their potential. I could go on for years about how I much I love Malcolm Gladwell. But I won’t. Just listen to this.
Quote of the Week
“The only man I know who will behave sensibly is my tailor; he takes my measurments anew each time he sees me. The rest go on with their old measurments and expect me to fit them”
George Benard Shaw (Found through the Five-Bullet Friday newlsetter)
Has anyone told you that you’ve changed, that you’re different in some way? If so they’re probably right, it would be ridiculous to assume that a person will not change throughout their life. However, both you and I know that it isn’t what they’re saying. I assume you are well aware of the fact that humans change constantly. What icks us about comments like that is the assumption that this presumed change is negative. Again, that’s a question for you to answer. Though, I want you to ask yourself if your image of certain people is outdated; if you’re expecting old values out of a new person. It’s not something we are consciously aware of most of the time—the preconceived rules we hold a person to, but it’s something we can adapt. Accept that people change, much like yourself. There is a saying that you never step into the same river twice; as the river and you are constantly changing. Use this model when holding people to their past character. A world where people remain stagnant is a world full of grown-ups that still suck on pacifiers.
Podcast Highlight
Closing Thoughts
Let me know if you enjoyed this edition! Have a lovely day and try to pick up a book and read.