The Untethered Soul by Michael A Singer

The Untethered Soul

by

Michael A. Singer

While this book is totally out of my genre, I sometimes really enjoy reading or listening to a book that a family member has recommended.  It is a basis of conversation and something to share in common with the loved one.  I may not like or agree with a book that someone recommends but nevertheless, it is a shared experience.  When my children were small,  I spent many hours reading to them while they were snuggled up on my lap.  I miss the sharing this involved.  So when one of my kids says they read a book I am pretty quick to add it to  my to read list.  It might be awhile till I get to it but I will probably get to it eventually.   This is the case with The Untethered Soul by Michael A. Singer.  This a non fiction book which would probably be found in the self help section of the book store.  Or perhaps on the shelf with spirituality books.  It draws in teachings from Yoga, Buddhism, Taoism, and Christianity and forms a blend of ideas for the reader to take away.  The author makes some valid points.  The concept of mindfulness is explained in a clear manner.  He also does a good job of giving ideas of how to not become so upset over things that are not in our control.  I found the first three fourths of the book to have helpful ideas.  There were things I didn't quite accept but over all I think the author did a good job of explaining things which I had read before or been taught before in a more simple and straightforward way.  I did disagree with some concepts. For example, I think our experiences teach us things to avoid or not do.  While some of his tactics for letting go of unreasonable fears might be helpful, in my opinion some of our fears are very reasonable things to have.  For example my fear of heights, or  stated in another way, my fear of falling.  I am a klutz so therefore it is not unreasonable for me to be leery of situations where I might fall and to avoid activities that might cause me to injure myself.  I have no desire to be free of this fear which I consider in my situation reasonable. I am very clumsy and can easily fall over my own feet.  But I do think his suggestions for letting go of past hurts which are causing us to avoid situations in the present are valid in many instances; if used with common sense.   I just think some of our past hurts taught us lessons which we shouldn't get past or let go.  His explanation of living in the present is very valid.  Unfortunately he kind of lost me in the last quarter of the book where he gets more into the spirituality of his belief system.  I think many of the things earlier in the book would help me reach goals of feeling less anxiety and being more grounded.  In the last part of the book he uses the "untethered"  imagery along with floating in freedom and that sort of wording.  Transcendence has been a concept I never quite was in agreement with because I want to remain with my feet firmly planted on the ground.  But the reader of this book will take away many good ideas to improve their outlook and Singer explains difficult concepts  in very easy terms.  It is worth a read and will cause the reader to stretch their experience to whatever degree they so choose.  Even, if like  me,  the prefer to remain tethered to reality.   Please click on the author's name and book title above to follow the links to more information and enjoy the video that follows.  

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

A Man Called Ove

by

Fredrik Backman

     The local library's day time book group's selection for December is A Man Called Ove by Fredrick Backman.  It is a novel that was written in Sweden but has been translated into English.   I listened to the book in audio format and the narrater pronounced Ove's  name Ewe-Vah.  It is the story of a man who is 59 years old and is going through the grieving process after his wife died and then he was told at his job he must retire early.  Throughout the first part of the book he keeps trying to kill himself and failing, but by the middle of the book he begins to engage with others, and by the end of the book he has adjusted.  It is the description of a journey through grief and finding a new life without a loved one.   And despite all this sadness the book it is still a comedy.  Somehow the fact that Ove is such a grumpy old man and that his neighborhood is filled with such odd ball characters, comes together to make a very sad story that is also a very funny story.   It is really the book for any one who has to deal with a grumpy man in their life as it travels back into Ove's childhood and through his adulthood to show why he has become so bitter and grumpy.  Most of the time I was listening to the book I could not decide if I liked it or not.  My mind did not want to accept that this sad situation had humor in it.  But of course all situations contain humor and by the end the author had won me over.  Do not read or listen to this book without a hankie near by.   Please click on the author's name and book title above to follow the links to more information.  The video that follows is the trailer for the movie that was made in Sweden.  This English version of the trailer has the English words at the bottom of the screen.  A Man Called Ove is a book that is highly acclaimed and I encourage everyone to read it.  Especially if you have to deal with any  grumpy old men. 

Becoming Mrs. Lewis by Patti Callahan

Becoming Mrs. Lewis

by

Patti Callahan

"I know the thing I want is exactly the thing I can never get.  the old life, the jokes, the drinks, the arguments, the lovemaking, the tiny heartbreaking commonplace."

~ C.S. Lewis 

after the death of his wife 

"A Grief Observed" 

  Last month this novel was released.  I had requested it at the State Library Of Ohio digital and ebook area and was the first to get it.  But two thirds of my way through it became due and I was suddenly number 65 on a hold list.  I checked in my local library's digital book area and was able to immediately down load it again.  I was enjoying the book but it was not one that I could not put down and just had to buy because it had expired and I couldn't immediately check it back out where I had checked it out from.  It is a well written novel and very interesting  but love stories are not my genre. Also it delves into the characters religious faiths and how their faith grew which is not a type of book I would normally select.   And although it has the churchy parts of it the book is also a bit earthy in its description of longing for sexual encounter and some of the past choices that both main characters had made while youth.  So it is a book I would be selective of who I recommended it to.  Nevertheless,  I enjoyed the book and am very glad to see a woman get recognized for her contributions to a body of work that a man has previously been given the entire credit.   I am glad I read it.  I know I read some of C.S. Lewis's books a long time ago but I really don't remember them.  For the C.S. Lewis fan who doesn't not get pink in the cheeks easily this book is for you.   It is the love story of the woman he married.  She was married when their friendship began.  They were pen pals from different countries and developed an emotional bond.  While they did not step over the line physically,  in fact I had begun to believe sex for them was never going to happen,  they did cross the line emotionally and she turned to C.S. Lewis and away from her husband.  Her husband was abusive and she was miserable.  The book is not biographical but instead is historical fiction.  It is a worth while read and the right reader will really love the book.  Please click on the title and the author's name for more information and enjoy the wonderful video that follows.  

Fascism: A Warning by Madeleine Albright

Fascism: A Warning

by

Madeleine Albright

     Several years ago I visited the Indianapolis Museum of Art and had the privilege of viewing Madeleine Albright's pin collection.  I later purchased her book Read My Pins.  I also began a pin collection of my own.  Earlier this year, when I heard of the release of her new book, Fascism: A Warning,  I promptly put it on my to read list.   Two weeks ago I chose it as my audible book selection.   A 304 page non-fiction book, it is narrated by Madeleine herself and only takes ten hours to listen to.  She begins by relating history of the 20th Century and describes fascist leaders such as Mussolini and Hitler.  As the book progresses she describes current leaders who are approaching fascism with some of their leadership styles, but only calls out one county as being fascist today and that is North Korea.   She defines fascism clearly.  It is a style of leadership.  A liberal can be a fascist,  a conservative can be a fascist, a socialist can be a fascist, a capitalist can be a fascist,  as can a communist.   It is not an ideology. It is a means of seizing power and holding on to it.  It is a means of manipulation of a population.  Some of the  tactics a fascist leader uses include nationalism,  racism, the silencing of any opposition (including the press), fanning fears,  igniting division and suppression of rights.  As I listened to her read her book, I felt as if she was in my passenger seat.  I can't think of another book that has validated my value system as much as this one has.  It is not possible to force people to read or listen to this book, but I wish that everyone would.   At the very least,  I wish that those people who are my friends and relatives would - but I know they will not.  If any of them do take the time to read this book,  I will appreciate them for wanting to take the time to understand how important a democracy is to me.  I realize we don't have a democracy, instead what we have is more of a republic.  Never the less,  for me a democracy is the goal to strive for.  Madeline Albright's book calls for diplomacy and finding compromise in the middle ground between extremes.  Yet it stirs passion for ideals that are extremely important.  Please read this book! Click on the authors name and book title above to follow the link to more information.  And listen to the author speak in the video that follows.  

Amity and Prosperity by Eliza Griswold

Amity and Prosperity

by

Eliza Griswold

     The State Library Of Ohio offered this as a digital book after I,  and many others I am sure,  recommended it.  Since I recommended it, I got to be the first to check it out on my kindle app.  Last pm as I finished it up I caught my breath when I read the author's closing words:  "This is the story of those Americans who've wrestled with the price their communities have long paid so the rest of us can plug in our phones.  Some feel the price was worth paying; others don't."   Eliza Griswold does an excellent job of telling both sides of the story in her book Amity and Prosperity.  It is a non fiction book about a community that opens its farm fields to fracking in South West Pennsylvania.  The community has many people that are in favor of the process and a few that have really bad experiences as a result of it.  The book also gives a fair report of how the industry  learned and made changes to improve the mistakes it made early on.  Unfortunately the mistakes had repercussions for people.  I was very impressed with the lawyers who took on Stacey's case in this story.  She is a single mom who is a  nurse and was hesitant to take matters public about how the fracking affected her family.  And once she did many people were not friendly with her any longer in the small town that stood to make a lot of money from the fracking.  But John and Kendra Smith took on Stacey's case and really went to bat for her and the handful of people who also wanted to make the extraction companies accountable.  I was very disappointed in the way the state and federal environmental agencies catered to the the energy companies at the expense of the peoples safety.  This book makes clear how complicated the issue is.  There are many things to consider with the fracking issue and no easy answers.  Please read this book.  Feel free to click on the author's name and book title above to learn more information about the book.   And listen to the author in the short video that follows.