#12 Economics in One Lesson-Day One

Last night I was laying in bed with a miserable cold that I managed to contract last week and my stuffy nose and achy body would not let me sleep. So I turned on the light and picked up Henry Hazlitt's Economics in one lesson and started to read. What can I say, It's actually kind of interesting. The basic premise so far is that everyone out there is cuckoo. We have been taught that situations that create need, such as war, that appear to boost the economy have actually just diverted need. The demand for new homes, factories, and cars after a country has been demolished by war is a falsely created demand that would not have been there without the destruction. Had the country not have experienced war, there would have been a true demand for homes, cars, TVs, refrigerators, and other stuff because the people there would have been in the economic situation to have those things.
I am sure that is a poor explanation of what Hazlitt is trying to say, but I am only on the 2nd chapter. I will let you know if my understanding gets any less fuzzy.

I'm a little behind

It's great to hear that I have a few followers out there, so I thought I might apologize for being so slow on my next post. I do want to read Henry Hazlitt's Economics on one Lesson, but it looks so uninviting sitting on my night stand. The print is so tiny, that I feel like it will take forever to get through, so there it sits. Should I give up and move on to something else, or tackle this educational read. Stay tuned to see what I decide to do...

#11 The Wednesday Wars- A story of cream puffs, shakespeare, and yellow tights.

The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt is a great read in young adult fiction that is also entertaining for adults. I admit, it had a bit of a slow start, but it did not take long to fall in love with Holling Hoodhoood and his Presbyterian ways. The story is warm and funny and only slightly unrealistic. In fact you can almost imagine your self in Holling's 7th grade class. A great read and fun to have a story written from a boys perspective.

#10 Taking Charge of Your Fertility

OK, I debated about whether or not to post Toni Weschler's Taking Charge of Your Fertility, but it really is a great book and I would recommend it to anyone, so I am going to include it. You might wonder why a single girl is interested in taking charge of her fertility. The book teaches you about how a woman's body works. This is not exactly the stuff you learn in 8th grade health class. I found it really interesting and empowering, not to mention, miraculous. This a must for anyone trying to get pregnant or trying to not get pregnant, but also a great read for anyone who wants to understand their body, considering that their body is a girl's body.

#9 The Lovely Bones

I think it is a good thing if you feel passionate about a book. Unfortunately, I feel passionately that I hated this book. I don't hate a lot of books, sometimes I think they are poorly written, sometimes I think they are boring. I didn't think this book was poorly written or boring, in fact I could not put it down, but I still hated it. It tells the story of a girl who is kidnapped and murdered by a neighbor when she is 14. Then she watches from heaven as her family falls apart and her killer runs free. I knew that this is what the book was about, but somehow I thought it would be a good story. It wasn't. There is a movie coming out, that has moderate reviews. I have not decided if I will see it. I'm curious if there is anyone out ther who has read this one and has an opinion on it. Clearly, I did.

#8 Three Cups of Tea- Is Educating Girls the Way to Save the World

I think the answer to that question is yes. The last half of Three Cups of Tea tells about Greg's mission to combat extremist by building schools in Pakistan and eventually in Afghanistan. The people there are starving for education. The government does not provide schools in rural areas, and the parents are desperate to educate their children. The extremist Islamists build schools and educate children in anti-western and extremist principles. Unfortunately, the children are taught to hate America. Greg Mortenson is trying to combat this trend by providing an alternative to parents. He helps the members of a village build a school and provide a non-extremist education to the children of the village. He has discovered that if girls are educated, they become mothers who are educated and they teach their children correct principles. When young men are asks why they did not join extremist organizations, they often say that they knew their mother's would not approve. Greg Mortenson's story has been on my mind since I finished this book, and I have a feeling it will be on my mind for a long time. I strongly recommend reading this book.

#8 Three cups of Tea- I can't say enough about how much I love this book

This book is moving to the top of my list as my favorite book I've read so far. What an amazing true story. This book is appealing because it is the story of a man who seems like an ordinary person, but is so full of love and compassion that is able to accomplish unthinkable tasks. I love the story of his path. How he wants everything to happen in a moment, but is required to exercise patience. Mostly I love that although the path is hard, it seems as though divine providence is guiding him. Just when it seems that all is lost, the way opens. It is a beautiful story. I am now in the part of the story when he is building 3 schools each spring. The year is 1998. Knowing what is coming in history, I am worried that terrorism and Islamic radicalism is about to destroy his efforts. Sometimes I forget that in these warring nations filled with men seeking to destroy our freedoms, there are beautiful people and children. It is too easy to forget.