|
The Longing for Less : Living With Minimalism
by Kyle Chayka
Kyle Chayka is one of our sharpest cultural observers. After spending years covering minimalist trends for leading publications, he now delves beneath this lifestyle's glossy surface, seeking better ways to claim the time and space we crave. He shows that our longing for less goes back further than we realize. His search leads him to the philosophical and spiritual origins of minimalism, and to the stories of artists such as Agnes Martin and Donald Judd; composers such as John Cage and Julius Eastman; architects and designers; visionaries and misfits. As Chayka looks anew at their extraordinary lives and explores the places where they worked from Manhattan lofts to the Texas high desert and the back alleys of Kyoto he reminds us that what we most require is presence, not absence.
|
|
|
When Less Becomes More : Making Space for Slow, Simple, and Good
by Emily Ley
The best-selling author and founder of a brand of planners and organizational tools for women helps readers who are feeling fatigued and overwhelmed unravel their patterns of emptiness and build a life of nourishment, fullness, dreaming and joy.
|
|
|
Buddhism for dummies
by Jonathan Landaw
Buddhism, one of the world's most widely practiced religions, is a fascinating yet complex eastern religion that is rapidly spreading throughout western civilization. What does it mean to be a Buddhist? What are the fundamental beliefs and history behind this religion? Buddhism For Dummies explores these questions and more in this updated guide to Buddhist culture. You'll gain an understanding of the origins of this ancient practice and how they're currently applied to everyday life.
|
|
|
Humanity in Crisis : Ethical and Religious Response to Refugees
by David Hollenbach
The major humanitarian crises of recent years are well known: the Shoah, the killing fields of Cambodia, Rwandan genocide, the massacre in Bosnia, the tsunami in southeast Asia, not to mention bloody conflicts in Sudan, Syria, and Afghanistan. Millions have been killed and many millions more have been driven from their homes; the world is sadly full of refugees and internally displaced persons. Could these crises have been prevented? Why do they continue? This book seeks to understand how humanity is in crisis, and what we can do about it.
|
|
| Notre-Dame: A Short History of the Meaning of Cathedrals by Ken FollettWhat it is: an impassioned and atmospheric chronicle of the cathedral Notre-Dame de Paris, from its centuries-long construction to the fire that devastated it in April of 2019.
Read it for: Pillars of the Earth author Ken Follett's deep knowledge of cathedral construction, which reminds readers that a cathedral is always a work in progress; an engaging examination of the power of large-scale, culturally rich buildings to move us. |
|
| Unbelievers: An Emotional History of Doubt by Alec RyrieWhat it's about: the long history of doubt, agnosticism, and atheism in the Christian world; the emotional motivations behind religious belief (or lack thereof), with a special focus on the power of anxiety and anger.
Why you should read it: Alec Ryrie argues that atheism in Christian Europe dates from long before the Enlightenment, painting a portrait of notable doubters that reaches back to the church's early days.
Is it for you? Although books about Christian history aren't always written with believers in mind, this one is, so Ryrie's analysis should be interpreted in that context. |
|
| Confessions: A New Translation by Augustine, translation by Peter ConstantineWhat it is: a new translation of Augustine of Hippo's most well-known work by noted translator Peter Constantine (who has also translated Rousseau, Machiavelli, and Chekov).
What sets it apart: Constantine takes great pains to present Augustine's theological points with clarity and puts Augustine's candid, erudite reflections into a contemporary voice that makes Confessions more accessible to general readers. |
|
| Martin Luther: Renegade and Prophet by Lyndal RoperWhat it is: a thought-provoking new biography of Protestant reformer Martin Luther, published in 2017 to coincide with the 500th anniversary of the posting of his 95 Theses at All Saints' Church in Wittenberg, Saxony.
Why you should read it: Historian Lyndal Roper presents a comprehensive narrative of Luther's life that doesn't shy away from the theologian's uncompromising nature and antisemitism, and manages to balance thorough research with an approachable, engaging readability. |
|
| Paul: A Biography by N.T. WrightWhat it is: Combining solid scholarship of what is known about the apostle Paul with a careful reading of the writings he left behind, Anglican bishop N.T. Wright provides both a biography and an examination of Paul's intentions.
Reviewers say: Written "not for the skeptic but for the believer" (Kirkus Reviews), this is a thought-provoking analysis that will inform interested readers and likely prompt debate. |
|
Contact your librarian for more great books!
|
|
|