Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I approached this book with quite a bit of skepticism. I figured it for a "Twilight"-esque saga for adults.
It is a romantic saga, in painstaking detail, and I was right- definitely for adults, but that is about where the validity of my preconceptions ended.
Outlander, part one of the series by Gabaldon, is both devastating and wondrous. The characters are complex, richly described and difficult to forget. Most gratifying is the fact that the complexity of each character causes you to feel complete in your understanding of their motivations, actions and feelings. The story begins with the time travel of the main character. Suspending disbelief, one may really enjoy her encounters with time and customs long past, especially given the breathtaking scenery and setting- The Highlands of Scotland in the 18th century.
Her knowledge of medicine is all that saves her from certain capture, as she instead proves herself useful to almost everyone she meets. Her encounter with Jaime Fraser at first seems inocuous, but their story begins to unravel against the backdrop of civil unrest, cultural devastation and day to day hardship. What is revealed is a deep passionate and requited love that will leave you absolutely breathless and infatuated.
The climax of the book is at once terrible and hideous, but ultimately so tender and awe-inspiring that you wonder how the author could come up with so complicated a picture of the human spirit.

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The Language of God by Francis S. Collins

The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief by Francis S. Collins


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book presents a skeptic with many interesting choices, as well as thoughtful and thought provoking arguments for faith.

In a quest to understand God's plans for us, the author realized through his scientific discoveries the enigma and beauty of God's work. This book represents his journey to mesh the two passions and devotions of a rational mind- faith and science. Can evolution, the genetic code, the complexity and diversity of life, and our own inquisitive spiritual questing not belie a fraction of God's elegant intended creation?
Harmony of faith and scientific fact can each be pillars to building a foundation of the truths of life, as our meager brains can accept them.

Additionally, the arguments between creation and evolution are given much consideration. He proposes a faith theory of theistic evolution or BioLogos, as coined by the author. It is given credence in its careful assertions as a faith based, not science based theory (as opposed to creationists or believers in Intelligent Design who maintain their belief as scientific "fact", which in turn leads to destruction of faith as science provides ample evidence to the contrary).

This is also not a "God of the gaps" theory offering a theist explanation for anything unknown or unknowable at this time. Per Collins, "it proposes God as the answer to questions science was never intended to address, such as 'How did the universe get here?' 'What is the meaning of life?' 'What happens to us after we die?'"

Premises of BioLogos as described by Collins:

The universe came into being out of nothingness, approximately 14 billion years ago.

Despite massive improbabilities, the properties of the universe appear to have been precisely tuned for life

While the precise mechanism of the origin of life on earth remains unknown, once life arose, the process of evolution and natural selection permitted the development of biological diversity and complexity over very long periods of time.

Once evolution got under way, no special supernatural intervention was required.

Humans are part of this process, sharing a common ancestor with the great apes.

But humans are also unique in ways that defy evolutionary explanation and point to our spiritual nature. This includes the existence of the Moral Law (the knowledge of right and wrong) and the search for God that characterizes all human cultures thourhout history.

Can God not be worshipped in prayer as well as in scientific discovery? Collins again- "His creation is majestic, awesome, intricate, and beautiful- and it cannot be at war with itself".

Some other choice quotes:

Psalm 19

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands

By Galileo

I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their use

Most substantially, I appreciated the author's candor about his own quest, and the turning points in his life that helped answer perhaps the burning questions for all of us.

Questions to ponder in one's life:
What will be your life's work?
What role will love play in your life?
What will you do about faith?

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Listen Well

Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer

Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I found this book in the library next to "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson, and decided to read them as a series on outdoor adventuring.

The two books could not have been more different. While the Bryson book was a lighthearded travelogue, this book deals with the sobering story of a young man with hubris in the extreme who seeks to find himself and a new way of life. What he finds instead, far from home and alone, is his demise. Chris McCandless was only 24 years old, and in his short life he followed his grand ideas to daring extremes. It is the source of much controversy if this was sheer lunacy or simply bad luck after a valiant attempt of living off the land.

The detail of this book, and the great care taken with the delicate subject matter, gave me tremendous respect for the author. A self-described thrill seeker in climbing, Jon Krakauer has an obvious affinity with Chris McCandless. Without making McCandless seem a tragic hero, the author provides insight and background to the life choices that led this young man to Alaska, ill prepared and seeking solitude of this kind. The lives affected, both along the way and afterwards, serve as a reminder to me that it is the human intimacy we share with one another that provides the adventure in life.

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A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson

A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
As part of my "wilderness adventures" series, I read this book and Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer.

This light hearted and witty account of hiking the Appalachian Trail was, as promised, laugh out loud funny. I found Bryson's descriptions of his adventure, his friend, society and wildnerness escapades very appropo. His quite earnest segments on the wilderness he encounters, the history of its development and attempts to preserve it enlightening.

In the end, you learn that accomplishement is not only literal completion of a task at hand. Instead, achievement perhaps of a personal and metaphorical awareness that transcends the experience itself should be more keenly sought.

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