Dune - Frank Herbert

“Dune” by Frank Herbert is a very compelling science-fiction classic that probably deserves its acclaim of “Science Fiction’s Supreme Masterpiece”, but that is more because science fiction is often not very compelling than because of this work’s value. This book can be long and tedious, and occasionally lacks clarity, but all in all it is an interesting story.

This book develops slowly. The extreme detail that Frank Herbert put into this work is impressive, but occasionally the detail seems to get a little muddled and it becomes difficult to understand. I would have gladly sacrificed some detail for clarity at these times.

I did love the premise of the story that in times long past mankind had outlawed “thinking machines” (computers). The lack of fancy computers and robots made the space travel and other futuristic experiences seem more authentic.

I also enjoyed the idea that a sacred mystic organization would send “missionaries” to a planet’s indigenous population in order to create religions with “Messiah” prophecies which future generations of the mystic society could fulfill. I find it difficult to suspend my disbelief that this would ever successfully be carried out and remain undetected by any organizations other than the mystic one even after centuries, but it was interesting to see all the pieces of the ancient plan fall together.

One statement in the book bothered me. Paul, the “messiah” and protagonist of the book, at one time flaunts his power over an antagonist and explains that “the power to destroy a thing is the absolute control over it.” I strongly disagree with this statement. Destructive power is easy compared to constructive power, and represents much less control. The power to destroy a beautiful vase is nothing compared to the power to create it, and all control is lost in the former case whereas the latter retains control indefinitely. The power to preserve the vase is also greater and represents more control than the power to destroy it. I find the idea than destructive power is absolute control to be just plain wrong, and the statement diminishes Paul as a protagonist whom you want to succeed. That said, from reviews I’ve read about later books in the Dune series where it seems Paul becomes the antagonist, it is entirely possible that this statement was set in place on purpose by Herbert to foreshadow Paul’s descent from protagony.

I definitely recommend “Dune” by Frank Herbert if you enjoy highly detailed literature and you are a fan of science fiction. However, if either of these criteria do not fit you, I suspect you will find the book tedious, and the storyline not interesting enough to sustain your interest throughout the read.

Parenting Beyond Belief - edited by Dale McGowan

If God didn’t exist, I would probably be an atheist.

This thought occurred to me several times as I read this collection of essays. “Parenting Beyond Belief” edited by Dale McGowan is a book that I found mostly interesting, but I don’t really recommend it.

I was excited to read this book in the interest of understanding how a system of morality is obtained and taught to children without including belief in God or some other higher authority. This book does contain information about this, but is much more evangelical of atheism than I was hoping.

I did like a few things. For example, the contrasting essays on Santa Claus covered many interesting points in favor and against establishing a belief in your children that you believe to be false. Having come from a family where Santa Claus was not taught as anything other than fiction (and having subsequently felt that I had lost out on a rite of childhood), I appreciated the differing perspectives on the subject. I also liked the chapter on Darwin’s Origin of Species. Darwin’s opus has been vilified in so many ways that I’ve never had the chance to see it as the fruit of a man who was passionate to discover and explain the world as he was able to observe it. Subjects such as these were definitely interesting to read and explore.

However, in the end, I didn’t really enjoy reading “Parenting Beyond Belief.” While it was interesting to get a perspective on morality of those who do not believe in a personable and responsive deity, it often times felt more like reading the boastings of arrogant men and women, rather than reading the caring words of people who actually had compassion for the welfare of their fellow parents. I was hoping for the latter.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J. K. Rowling

“Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” by J. K. Rowling is an outstanding second offering in the heptilogy of Harry Potter. Though this book is a sequel, it has a very unique story line that builds nicely on the first. The characters mature in this second book into much more unique and three-dimensional elements, which further enrich the story and the world that we explore with Harry. If you liked the first book, you will like the second.

First some plot items I like in this book. I loved the flying car. The way it plays such a major role in the book is just fun, but it makes me disappointed that after this book it isn’t heard from again. I would have loved to at least have found its remains and had a brief eulogy, say, in book seven? I also like the crucial role that Ron’s wand plays throughout the book. On top of that you add mandrakes, giant pumpkins, freaky spiders, parsel-tongue and so many other items that make this second edition in the study of the “science” of magic very enjoyable.

In addition the characters all get a dose of richness in this second novel. Each character is unique and fully emotive in the text. Hagrid is simple of speech but incredibly good hearted and brilliant with magical creatures. Gilderoy Lockhart is conceited and fairly incompetent, but extremely cunning. Tom Riddle is unscrupulously motivated to better his abilities regardless of the expense of others, an obsession that thoroughly lays the foundation for his future exploits. Harry is good-hearted, insecure and full of the self-important poor judgment that I remember having when I was twelve. Dumbledore matures significantly in this book, from the kind-but-extremely-eccentric headmaster of the first book to a competent and loving grandfather figure. Severus Snape’s actions in this book are a little harsher than I would expect given his motivation (as revealed in book seven), but not unreasonable. Character after character is unique and consistent in the way they use words, in the way the circumstances affect them emotionally and in the actions that they choose. If you read “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” for no other reason, then read it just to observe the beautifully crafted characters.

This second novel in the Harry Potter series builds and matures from the first into a very pleasant reading experience. The bottom line is that if you enjoyed reading the first book, then the depth and colors of the plot and characters in “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” will enhance your appreciation of J. K. Rowling’s expressive and clear style of writing, and you will thoroughly enjoy this book.

The Five Love Languanges by Gary Chapman

I enjoyed reading “The Five Love Languages” by Gary Chapman and I highly recommend it as your next “self-help” style book. The ideas presented by the book are original and insightful, and have proven to be of great worth to me. This book is so good, in fact, that it deserves a place in everyone’s library.

First some history on why I chose to read this book. It was given to me probably 6 or 7 years ago by someone I am close to, but after discussing the book with this someone it seemed to me that they wanted me to read this so that I would see a justification for them cheating on their spouse. I wanted nothing to do with the book from that point on. It is likely that I still would not have read the book, but the someone passed away this past year, and I was able to finally “forgive” the book for being (to me) a symbol of their disloyalty to their spouse. Having read the book I can see that there is certainly no way anyone can justify using the principles of the book as reasons to cheat.

The ideas of this book are probably the only truly original ideas in improving relationships that I’ve read since reading “Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus” by John Gray, which is interesting in part because they share the same copyright date (1992). The ideas presented revolve around the five “love languages,” which are Acts of Service, Physical Touch, Quality Time, Receiving Gifts and Words of Affirmation. All five are presented as having some importance, but the author claims that everyone has one of these “languages” that is their primary need in a relationship. These languages are prefaced by a description of the “falling in love” experience and why it seems to go away. The author argues that “falling in love” is a wonderful experience that serves to bring people together and cause the propagation of mankind but is mostly accomplished without conscious choices, whereas loving someone beyond the 2 years or so that the “in love” feeling lasts is a constant choice. This assessment is very well supported by the author as well as by my own experience in my eleven years of marriage. Also, the chapter on finding the love languages of your children provides a great framework for seeking to show affection to your kids in ways that they will be most open to accepting. My wife and I still discuss the ideas in this chapter on children’s love languages regularly.

I am very grateful that I was able to read “The Five Love Languages” right after it was read by my wife. Being able to discuss this book together has lead to several positive revelations in our marriage. For example, I enjoy some extravocational activities that take a lot of time away from home to accomplish. In times that I’ve participated in these activities my wife has been frustrated and felt that I was choosing these activities because I didn’t like her and didn’t want to be around her. From this, we assumed that if I just spent more time at home she would feel better, but even as my time with her increased, she did not feel more loved. I abandoned the extravocational activities altogether, and even limited my work hours for a time, and it seemed that things were getting worse. This was extremely frustrating for both of us. It seemed that when I was away that all she wanted was for me to be home, but when I was home it seemed that all she wanted was for me to leave her alone. After reading the different descriptions of the love languages, we both have come to the conclusion that what she wants is NOT quality time, but rather acts of service. She was frustrated when I was trying to spend quality time with her, because what she really wanted was for me to help with the sweeping, the dishes, the laundry, cleaning toilets, vacuuming, yard work, changing diapers, kids’ baths – all things I was neglecting so that I could spend more time with her. I’ve been focusing on doing service to show my affection since this discovery, and it has made a big difference in both her feelings about my desire to participate in activities outside the home, as well as my own frustrations because now I understand how I can prioritize my time when I’m home to help her feel that I do love her. I’ve also finally been able to accept that when she does acts of service for me, it is not because she thinks I am incompetent or unwilling to do the tasks, but rather she is just showing her affection in a way that is natural to her. These changes in my attitude and perception may seem simple and obvious, but to me they were life changing.

This is a book that should be available to you on a bookshelf in your home. It is not a thorough psychological explanation of the concepts that are presented, but the book is very well organized for understanding the concepts, and the examples given lend a great deal of support from the author’s experiences that are easy to read and digest. This book can be valuable to everyone regardless of experience, religion or state of relationship if you are willing to contemplate and apply the principles that are given.

“The Five Love Languages” by Gary Chapman, is a book you should read and own. The concepts in the book give some of the best advice on showing love that I’ve ever come across, and it is full of truly original and well supported ideas on how to improve your relationship with your loved ones, be it spouse, children or anyone else. In my own experience I’ve found the book to be an extremely valuable resource that I continue to reference for ideas for showing affection to my wife in ways she will most appreciate it, and I’ve even been adapting the ideas at work to help make the “attaboys” more personal and enjoyable for my team members. You should take the opportunity to read this book; it will help you by revealing more choices for how you can show your love more effectively in your relationships.

The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger

I’ll try to keep this review brief, because I really did not enjoy reading this book. There are a few things, in retrospect, that I find redeeming about “The Catcher in the Rye” by J. D. Salinger, including that it does a good job putting you inside the mind of a person exhibiting traits consistent with mental disorder. With that in mind, this book is controversial enough (and short enough) that you should probably read it and form your own opinion.

I did not find this book to be pleasant reading. The number one reason I found reading this book to be laborious was due to the frequent use of “the name of the Lord thy God in vain.” (Exodus 20:7). Having to navigate through the text while trying to deal with the frequent betrayal of the third commandment made it difficult to relax and just read. I may have been able to get past that if the story was interesting, but it is rather boring and uninspiring. The characters all seem to be angry or hypocritical or both, without much difference between the characters. Granted, this may be on purpose because of the perspective of the narrator of the book. This leads to some qualities that, having completed my reading, I’ve determined that I liked.

“The Catcher in the Rye” is written from the perspective of Holden Caulfield, who appears in the text to be suffering from manic depression. This was the most interesting part of the book, and it didn’t really spark my interest until after I had finished reading. Even the use of God’s name in vain, along with other mild to moderate language used in the book exhibits as a symptom of the mental disorder. If “The Catcher in the Rye” has any real value, it may be in being able to see many of the traits of manic depression in a believable context.

A hidden gem in this book comes in the form of a teacher quoting Wilhem Stekel in the 24th chapter as he tries to communicate his concern as to the path Holden is taking in his life. The quote is, “the mark of the immature man is that he wants to die nobly for a cause, while the mark of the mature man is that he wants to live humbly for one.” This quote is embedded in the middle of one of the best arguments for pursuing education and the value of applying yourself therein that I have read, which culminates in the words “…nine times out of ten [brilliant and creative men who are educated and scholarly] have more humility than the unscholarly thinker.” This thought that knowledge in the mind of a brilliant thinker will mature into humility is an idea that has great merit, and certainly deserves contemplation. This is, at least, a good reason to read the 24th chapter.

There are also other reasonable arguments for why you should read this book. It does give an interesting perspective of the culture of New York in the 1950’s. Also, the narration of the story is very fractured, almost like reading many short stories along the central story’s path, but it always maintains forward momentum, which is different than other books I’ve read. If the main plot was interesting this bird-walking narrative style probably could have made the novel quite compelling. The lack of conclusion to the story would usually ruin a book, but in this case it fits the book well, which is another aspect that could have been quite compelling if the story was enjoyable. Furthermore, Holden’s contrast in feelings for his siblings compared to his feelings towards the rest of the world is actually very interesting, and again would be great support for a decent plot. I don’t know that these are great reasons to read the book, but they at least make the time spent reading not seem completely wasted.

I don’t recommend “The Catcher in the Rye” as a must read, but its notoriety alone probably makes it a book you should read. While you will probably not enjoy the book if your background is similar to mine, there are some aspects of the book that make it unique and interesting enough to warrant spending the time to read it.

One word of caution, however: If you want to express a negative opinion of the book, don’t do so without reading it first.

Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand

“Atlas Shrugged” by Ayn Rand was a very difficult book to read, because it is not an interesting narrative whose purpose is to weave a story and suspend the conclusion for the entertainment of the reader, but is rather a very, very, very long parable designed to effectively prove the validity of a philosophy, namely objectivism. While Ayn Rand did an extremely good job of presenting her philosophy in “Atlas Shrugged” and wrapping it in a narrative that was often compelling, her book fails to be great fiction and should rather be read for non-fictional purposes as a means for understanding the intricate details of the application of objectivism. As a parable, “Atlas Shrugged” is very compelling and applicable in today’s political climate. While I don’t recommend “Atlas Shrugged” as a great novel, I do recommend you read this book if you feel that the wealthy business owners are robbing their workers of compensation that is the laborers’ entitlement.

Yes, you can.

“Atlas Shrugged” is a science fiction novel that follows the American political system through a collapse due to introduction of “emergency” laws that bring a socialistic system of rule, during which the opposition to these “emergency” laws is not to fight them, but to stop producing commodities that can be seized by those in power. People are divided into producers, competent laborers and moochers (also called rotters, leeches, looters and other names). Generally, producers create things (ore from a mine, crops from a farm, well-crafted art, realistic philosophies, scientific break-throughs), competent laborers work hard and successfully for these producers to enable there production and wealth (and are well compensated for their efforts) and the moochers try to manipulate moral codes to shame the producers and competent laborers into giving the moochers a portion of their wealth for reasons that only manipulated moral codes justify. Politicians in this book are universally in the category of the moocher (one of the leading moochers is even named Wesley Mooch). Successful and competent businessmen are producers. Dishonest and scheming businessmen are moochers. Competent laborers are highly valued by the producers and feared/despised by the moochers. This classification stems from the basic tenets of objectivism, which is, according Ayn Rand:
1) “Nature, to be commanded, must be obeyed.” – You can’t master science by pretending the laws of nature don’t exist.
2) “You can’t eat your cake and have it too” – You can’t consume something and expect it to still be there.
3) “Man is an end in himself” – Seeking your own survival as a rational being is the most basic virtue.
4) “Give me liberty or give me death” – Trading value for value by mutual consent is good; Forcing the exchange of goods with threat of force is bad. Redistributing wealth is evil.

As a novel, “Atlas Shrugged” starts with promise but ends up being boring and long. The story itself seems to grind to a halt in part three of the book and the reader must trudge through endless pages of essays on objectivism to come to the somewhat anticlimactic conclusion. If you boiled out all of the essays and made the novel to contain just the story, it wouldn’t be considered a great story.

The heroine of the story, the railroad executive named Dagny Taggart, is compelling but fairly disloyal and wishy-washy in her relationships. This is presented as a virtue, because to be loyal would be to deny her true feelings. As a heroine of objectivism I’m sure Dagny Taggart is almost perfect…but as a human hero, her desires shift a bit too frequently to make her trustworthy.

As a parable, “Atlas Shrugged” is exceptional. By placing her philosophy in a very carefully controlled atmosphere she is able to manipulate a very persuasive argument for objectivism. Her characters choices are realistic and usually believable, making the characters themselves seem much more human, which in turn makes the events seem very plausible. Furthermore, the political environment created in the story was so similar to today’s that it was eerie. “Atlas Shrugged” serves objectivism well as a parable.

I’m not going to spend a lot of time on the ideas of objectivism other than to say that I find it to be very interesting and to contain a lot of truth, but it is also rather self-promoting and inflammatory. Where Ayn Rand’s essays on objectivism become wearisome is when they start playing games with phrase meanings in order to illicit a response. For example, the “Love of money” in the 6th chapter of Timothy is akin to seeking to get gain without doing the work to produce, i.e. a robber loves money so he lies in wait to steal it. “Love of money” in objectivism is reinterpreted as the virtue of wanting to work hard to produce, akin to the attitudes of the first and second servants (given 5 and 2 talents) in the parable of the talents in Matthew chapter 25. The two ideas actually agree as to what the actual virtue is, so repurposing the phrase to try to create a division is frustrating.

If you want to read good fiction, pass over this novel. If you want to learn more about objectivism and have a chance to compare it and your philosophy, this novel will be a good one for you to read.

A word of warning, however: upon finishing this novel I didn’t want to read anything for several days because I was tired of trying to last through page after page of repetitive essays. No book should make you dislike reading; this one does.

Fablehaven: Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuaryby Brandon Mull

I like the Fablehaven series and this fourth installment is a good addition to the set, which (according to the back of the fourth book) will conclude in a fifth book due out sometime next year. “Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary” lacks the full emotional involvement that could catapult Mulls writing into the realm of the classics and suffers from some minor philosophical contradictions, but it is nevertheless an exciting and fresh story with unique characters and an unexpected conclusion.

Mull doesn’t fully develop the emotion of his stories, and this ends up hindering both the story and the speech of some of his characters. For example, in “Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary” chapter 3 should be read before chapter 2. The 3rd chapter of the book (along with pieces of chapter 5) weaves an immensely emotion story that tears at your hopes and bolsters your fears, and makes you anxious to read on for a resolution, desperately hoping that Mull has a way to undo everything that he has done. At least, that’s how you would feel if you hadn’t spoiled it by reading chapter 2, pre-empting the emotional investment you could have made and the wonderful sense of unexpected relief that chapter 2 could have given you (by the way, there is a very similar situation in Book Two: “Rise of the Evening Star”; Chapter 13 should be read before chapter 12). Seth and Kendra’s grandparents also suffer emotionally in the story, often sounding very detached and business-like when they speak to Seth or Kendra, rather than sounding like a grandparent that truly loves and adores their grandchild and therefore can’t help but let that adoration make their communication more intimate. This lack of emotion doesn’t ruin the story by any means, but it is one of the things that keep the books of this series from being books that you are anxious to read again.

The books of the Fablehaven series also suffer from a few contradictions, and this fourth book is no exception. For example, Fairy’s are presented as not being able to be good or bad because they don’t really choose to do good things, and yet some of the fairies make choices that separate them as clearly being more trustworthy and friendly than other fairies. Another contradiction is how deception is treated in the “Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary”. Betrayal and deception are the cornerstone of the evils of the book, and yet the “good” caretakers employ similar deceptive tactics in betraying the trust of some of the creatures on their reserve, justifying the deception and betrayal because of their need and the difficulty of dealing truthfully with the creatures. Honesty and integrity are the most important tenets of the “good” heroes I want to believe in, and if a hero must deceive I anxiously await the moment when all is revealed. A hero willing to permanently deceive others for sake of convenience is not the hero I want to stand behind, and these types of heroes should be presented as characters whose integrity needs to mature. Once again, however, these contradictions are minor annoyances, and don’t detract much from the story.

What makes this book worth reading is the story, and the rich array of characters and creatures that are a part of its world of magic. The creatures are exciting to learn about; some of the dragons introduced in this installment being especially interesting. The ending twist caught me completely off-guard, which hasn’t happened in even some of my favorite books. If anything, my criticisms described in the previous two paragraphs are the result of my love for the story of the Fablehaven series, and the rich magical world in which Mull immerses the reader. The contrast and collaborative possibilities presented in “Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary” that result from the special magical abilities that have been granted to Seth and Kendra are possibly some of my favorites in any book that I’ve read. I am hoping strongly that the conclusion of the series in book five, “Keys to the Demon Prison,” will be inextricably dependent upon some great power that can only be wielded by these two young heroes.

The fourth installment of the Fablehaven series, “Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary” is a book worth reading (after the first, second and third books, naturally). I wish that the stories were a little more refined to my taste, but they are still wonderful stories that are well written. Brandon Mull is an author that I will keep on the list of those whose books I am interested in reading.