Yes, I need to start reading books more. My husband loves reading books from the library. I need to do the same. Seems like since I retired, I don’t have time to read books. I know that sounds crazy! The last book I read was the Radium Girls. Very good book but sad. Based on a true story of women hired by a company to paint radium on the dials of watches. Many died from cancer. This took place in Ottawa, Illinois. The company knew the hazards of the paint but didn’t tell the woman hired to do this job.
By the way, the phone for me unfortunately to say but it is the reality is the strongest tool empowering me to learn English without it, I would not have been able right now to write in English and being on social media particularly Substack.
“But when her violin was stolen one day, her world collapsed. She stopped playing for years, fell into a deep depression”.
So touching, but why?
I think she feels so sad because she nobody knows the value of its moral and spiritual violin only her. It is not about a material tool she lost but it is about a catalyst grows in her inner self the power and energy to connect her own world the way she believes.
I love reading books, made of paper, that smell good, no screen, no batteries needed. Usually I am reading more than one at a time, which one I pick up depends on time of day, my mood, how long I can spend reading.
These days I am reading "The Sound That Perceives The World" by Kosho Uchiyama Roshi, where he explores the role of chanting in Zen practice, and how chanting and zazen are actually the same thing. This devotional side of the practice is something I had longed to find somewhere, it is so usually overlooked, so I am enjoying reading it, and chanting too.
I am also reading "Bittersweet", and yesterday it gave me a beautiful glimpse of something beautiful, peaceful, profound... my son goes to a Ninja warrior class, and his time there is my reading time of the week, it's the only 1 hour period I have that I know will not be interrupted. As I sat in the parent viewing area, in the back of my mind I knew that the clock was ticking and time was running out for the latest deadline of the crazy war that has engulfed the world, so I was nervous when I opened the book. I read the chapter about Leonard Cohen and LVL and I was transported back to the light side of life, it left me feeling that there is good in the world, no matter what happens next. Thank you Susan for that, that chapter reminded me that there's beauty even in dark times.
The last book I am reading is "Keeper of The Lost Cities" by Shannon Messenger, this one at the request of my daughter who has read the whole series twice and loves them. She is 11 and has finally discovered the love of reading thanks to this series, and now is reading whole books in a few days, I am so thrilled about this, she used to refuse to even try to read and now is enjoying and asking to go to the library. I hope it is a trend and all kids let go of the phones and choose books instead, and we grown ups can stop doomscrolling and start building a better world for them.
I've recently been reminded by listening to a Michael Meade "Living Myth" podcast episode, that the hero's journey is definitely NOT the only myth out there, yet in the modern world it seems to be the only one ever portrayed in tv & film and talked about generally. I really enjoyed Maureen Murdock's "The Heroine's Journey" which is quite different from the hero's journey. I recently read "Pandora's Jar" by Natalie Haynes, which was fun. She investigates and writes wryly about various women in the ancient Greek stories, pointing out where their importance to the original authors' versions were lessened or deleted in later versions. Another really good and VERY LONG read is "The Indigenous Paleolithic of the Western Hemisphere" by Paulette Steeves. It's fascinating to learn of the many, many sites that are dated much, much older than the previously-emphasized "arrival" through the Bering land bridge during the most recent ice age. Turns out that's not at all the origin of humans in the Western Hemisphere...only one of multiple waves over tens of thousands of years.
I have read Pandoras Jar, it was great to read about the Greek women from a female perspective rather than the misogynistic male accounts. You may be interested in David Reich's "Who we are and how we got here". He used ancient DNA to determine how early humans populated the world, and proved that previous research had been completely wrong.
Oh, thanks. That reminds me, another good and very long read is "The Alphabet and The Goddess" ~ all about the author's theory that as writing came to a culture, especially abstract alphabet rather than hieroglyphics, things shifted toward patriarchy.
Susan, I want to thank you for this post and I hope it is the kick in the butt I needed. I've been telling myself for more than a year that I should read more and get away from the damn computer/phone and as you said, any amount of minutes reading is better than zero minutes.
I read a lot, and I have just started moving my reading from Kindle to paperbacks and hardcovers again. I even bought myself a reading light that I can clip to my book. I am in a privileged position to read several hours a day, a goal I hope to approach at some point. Reading Anne-Laure Le Cunff's tiny experiments, I will try to make this an experiment rather than a goal. Goals are lofty, big, smart, and feel like failure if you do not achieve them. Experiments are short, easy to handle, and can change habits.
So rather than "read 26 books within 2026" (because I love symmetry), I start with reading 30 minutes a day from a physical book for 30 days. Then, I decide whether I liked it, should make it more challenging for the next experiment, or shift to something totally different, like writing a Substack post every other day for 50 days.
Speaking of writing. I have just written the Further Reading section of my next book and will gladly share some of the mentions here, as these are among my absolute favorites. Avid readers here might recognize some of them, as they have accompanied me for years. The comments are about what I have drawn from them for my upcoming book, "The God Who Becomes."
Iain McGilchrist, The Master and His Emissary (2009) and The Matter with Things (2021)
Essential for understanding how attention shapes reality and why left-hemisphere thinking struggles with genuine becoming.
Kazimierz Dabrowski, Theory of Positive Disintegra- tion (1964) and Multilevelness of Emotional and Instinctual Functions (1977)
The psychological counterpart to the theological third factor I write about in my book. Especially helpful for understanding neurodivergent pioneers.
Don Beck & Christopher Cowan, Spiral Dynamics (1996)
The map of how the “we” expands. Practical, non- judgmental, and directly useful for understanding different sizes of care.
Alfred North Whitehead, Process and Reality (1929)
The philosophical bedrock. Dense, but the chapters on prehension, the initial aim and the two natures of God are worth the effort.
M. Scott Peck The Different Drum: Community Making and Peace. Simon & Schuster, 1987.
The source of the pseudo-community concept used in Chapter 2.
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin The Human Phenomenon. Translated by Sarah Appleton-Weber. Sussex Academic Press, 1999. The Divine Milieu. Harper & Row, 1960.
Teilhard's evolutionary vision of consciousness and the Omega Point is a back- ground presence in the book's understanding of God developing alongside creation.
I have never given up the habit of book reading but I notice that, when I am scanning my phone too much, my feeling of immersion in book reading is diminished. I stay ‘outside’ the experience. The way to fix this is to turn off the phone for a weekend, stay in bed and read a large paper book.
Anything book related, I am in! I have been in an “analog” mindset for many months now. I am writing letters, I have a penpal! As for your sons, I believe it is wonderful worldwide trend and the ones setting this stage? Our kids! YES!
Books? So many great ones! The Correspondent, Remarkably Bright Creatures ( I think about this book all the time and it has been over two years since I read it), and Braiding Sweetgrass. Absolutely an exquisite book! Joseph Campbell is one of my favorite humans of all time!
I'm glad to see your sons are reading history books. I have been a World War II history enthusiast since I was in the second grade about 50 years ago. I've been thinking I should get into reading again, even if it is only 30 minutes per night just to get away from my phone and computer. One of my favorite WWII history books is The Fall of Berlin by Anthony Read and David Fisher that I first read in the 1990s and again about 10 years ago. I was thinking about it again after seeing something on the news. A good history book will read like a novel and this one does and some of the things described almost sound like fiction. I'm also a fan of Kurt Vonnegut that my father turned me onto circa 1985 when I was a junior in high school. My favorite is Slaughterhouse Five, some of which is based upon his experiences as a prisoner of war when he was captured during the Ardennes offensive (Battle of the Bulge) in 1944 and later sent to Dresden along with about 100 other POWs, who survived the bombing of the city in 1945 by taking shelter in an underground meat locker named Slaughterhouse Five. I visited Dresden and Slaughterhouse Five in 2015. If your sons want to read about World War II history, have them check out the Stephen Ambrose books such as Band of Brothers and Citizen soldiers. I've also been thinking of getting out comic books I bought in the 1970s and early 1980s and reading them again. There are a couple in particular that have been the subject of my daydreams for more than 40 years.
First, as far as your sons and reading -- I hope that becomes a viral trend. Almost 2 decades ago (2007??), in late November I had a revelation: "read more and watch less." In late December, watching NFL football on Sunday morning (SoCal time) I concluded the only way to read more was to ditch cable and my TV. Best thing I ever did... And my policy is only FAT books (real/paper books).
All three books seem very books seem very powerful. But I haven't read them. The "Sacred Therapy" book interests me the most. I believe life really is a "sacred narrative." I've lived most of my life without understanding that, which is a tragedy.
Influential books??? There are so many. "Ecclesiastes and Proverbs. Another, "The Odyssey" -- Odysseus is the greatest character ever created in all of literature. As an adventure book "Sailing Around the World Alone" is a trip! And Slocum's command of the English language is impressive for a ship builder without advanced education. American Novels: "East of Eden" and "The Scarlett Letter" -- the latter because I know what it is to be shamed in New England Puritan style. For Non-Fiction: "The Portable Atheist" by Hitchens and Rabbi Heschel's book about "The Sabbath" and the art of rest. I'm a person of faith but among the Nones. Mark Twain stated " don't let your education interfere with your learning. The latter two are some serious "learning..."
That book from Min Kym sounds lovely. I'm not sure but I think you've talked about it on the past. Such a beautiful story, and of course bittersweet.
A book that I read recently and I really, really liked was Range from David Epstein. The stories, the takeaways. And a book that is so well written. I'm looking forward to his next book on creativity and constraints that will be released on May.
I'm more of a polyamorous reader so I'm reading several books at a time, but one thing I've noticed is how doom scrolling has affected my concentration. On the past I could read for long hours, these days it's hard even to read a few pages at a time. The phone has truly become "My Precious" in Gollum fashion.
I love books and always have more than 4 on my bedside table! I believe it corrects our brain waves after too much screen time. Also, love Joseph Campbell. His work is timeless; as well, informs the complicated script of our spiritual awakening journey.
The Neapolitan (4 books) series by Elena Ferrante!! Set in Naples Italy it follows the lives of 2 girls/women from their childhood to adults. It’s a beautiful exploration of the deep bond between 2 childhood friends whose lives take different paths but cross and stay connected too.
I have noticed how my focus for reading has diminished with our dependence on technology and laziness for lengthy reads. I want to improve my endurance.
Love Joseph Campbell and NYC public library (was there once).
I’ve missed books so much! As a child I was a voracious reader and got out of the habit as an adult, except for the occasional non-nonfiction selection (often focused on bettering myself). But a couple of weeks ago I picked up Player Piano by Kurt Vonnegut and it’s absolutely prescient and hilarious! Just amazed by how he nails the shift towards automation/AI while mocking corporate culture. This is my bridge back to what used to be my passion.
Yes, I need to start reading books more. My husband loves reading books from the library. I need to do the same. Seems like since I retired, I don’t have time to read books. I know that sounds crazy! The last book I read was the Radium Girls. Very good book but sad. Based on a true story of women hired by a company to paint radium on the dials of watches. Many died from cancer. This took place in Ottawa, Illinois. The company knew the hazards of the paint but didn’t tell the woman hired to do this job.
And thank you Susan for sharing.
By the way, the phone for me unfortunately to say but it is the reality is the strongest tool empowering me to learn English without it, I would not have been able right now to write in English and being on social media particularly Substack.
“But when her violin was stolen one day, her world collapsed. She stopped playing for years, fell into a deep depression”.
So touching, but why?
I think she feels so sad because she nobody knows the value of its moral and spiritual violin only her. It is not about a material tool she lost but it is about a catalyst grows in her inner self the power and energy to connect her own world the way she believes.
I love reading books, made of paper, that smell good, no screen, no batteries needed. Usually I am reading more than one at a time, which one I pick up depends on time of day, my mood, how long I can spend reading.
These days I am reading "The Sound That Perceives The World" by Kosho Uchiyama Roshi, where he explores the role of chanting in Zen practice, and how chanting and zazen are actually the same thing. This devotional side of the practice is something I had longed to find somewhere, it is so usually overlooked, so I am enjoying reading it, and chanting too.
I am also reading "Bittersweet", and yesterday it gave me a beautiful glimpse of something beautiful, peaceful, profound... my son goes to a Ninja warrior class, and his time there is my reading time of the week, it's the only 1 hour period I have that I know will not be interrupted. As I sat in the parent viewing area, in the back of my mind I knew that the clock was ticking and time was running out for the latest deadline of the crazy war that has engulfed the world, so I was nervous when I opened the book. I read the chapter about Leonard Cohen and LVL and I was transported back to the light side of life, it left me feeling that there is good in the world, no matter what happens next. Thank you Susan for that, that chapter reminded me that there's beauty even in dark times.
The last book I am reading is "Keeper of The Lost Cities" by Shannon Messenger, this one at the request of my daughter who has read the whole series twice and loves them. She is 11 and has finally discovered the love of reading thanks to this series, and now is reading whole books in a few days, I am so thrilled about this, she used to refuse to even try to read and now is enjoying and asking to go to the library. I hope it is a trend and all kids let go of the phones and choose books instead, and we grown ups can stop doomscrolling and start building a better world for them.
I've recently been reminded by listening to a Michael Meade "Living Myth" podcast episode, that the hero's journey is definitely NOT the only myth out there, yet in the modern world it seems to be the only one ever portrayed in tv & film and talked about generally. I really enjoyed Maureen Murdock's "The Heroine's Journey" which is quite different from the hero's journey. I recently read "Pandora's Jar" by Natalie Haynes, which was fun. She investigates and writes wryly about various women in the ancient Greek stories, pointing out where their importance to the original authors' versions were lessened or deleted in later versions. Another really good and VERY LONG read is "The Indigenous Paleolithic of the Western Hemisphere" by Paulette Steeves. It's fascinating to learn of the many, many sites that are dated much, much older than the previously-emphasized "arrival" through the Bering land bridge during the most recent ice age. Turns out that's not at all the origin of humans in the Western Hemisphere...only one of multiple waves over tens of thousands of years.
I have read Pandoras Jar, it was great to read about the Greek women from a female perspective rather than the misogynistic male accounts. You may be interested in David Reich's "Who we are and how we got here". He used ancient DNA to determine how early humans populated the world, and proved that previous research had been completely wrong.
Oh, thanks. That reminds me, another good and very long read is "The Alphabet and The Goddess" ~ all about the author's theory that as writing came to a culture, especially abstract alphabet rather than hieroglyphics, things shifted toward patriarchy.
Susan, I want to thank you for this post and I hope it is the kick in the butt I needed. I've been telling myself for more than a year that I should read more and get away from the damn computer/phone and as you said, any amount of minutes reading is better than zero minutes.
I read a lot, and I have just started moving my reading from Kindle to paperbacks and hardcovers again. I even bought myself a reading light that I can clip to my book. I am in a privileged position to read several hours a day, a goal I hope to approach at some point. Reading Anne-Laure Le Cunff's tiny experiments, I will try to make this an experiment rather than a goal. Goals are lofty, big, smart, and feel like failure if you do not achieve them. Experiments are short, easy to handle, and can change habits.
So rather than "read 26 books within 2026" (because I love symmetry), I start with reading 30 minutes a day from a physical book for 30 days. Then, I decide whether I liked it, should make it more challenging for the next experiment, or shift to something totally different, like writing a Substack post every other day for 50 days.
Speaking of writing. I have just written the Further Reading section of my next book and will gladly share some of the mentions here, as these are among my absolute favorites. Avid readers here might recognize some of them, as they have accompanied me for years. The comments are about what I have drawn from them for my upcoming book, "The God Who Becomes."
Iain McGilchrist, The Master and His Emissary (2009) and The Matter with Things (2021)
Essential for understanding how attention shapes reality and why left-hemisphere thinking struggles with genuine becoming.
Kazimierz Dabrowski, Theory of Positive Disintegra- tion (1964) and Multilevelness of Emotional and Instinctual Functions (1977)
The psychological counterpart to the theological third factor I write about in my book. Especially helpful for understanding neurodivergent pioneers.
Don Beck & Christopher Cowan, Spiral Dynamics (1996)
The map of how the “we” expands. Practical, non- judgmental, and directly useful for understanding different sizes of care.
Alfred North Whitehead, Process and Reality (1929)
The philosophical bedrock. Dense, but the chapters on prehension, the initial aim and the two natures of God are worth the effort.
M. Scott Peck The Different Drum: Community Making and Peace. Simon & Schuster, 1987.
The source of the pseudo-community concept used in Chapter 2.
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin The Human Phenomenon. Translated by Sarah Appleton-Weber. Sussex Academic Press, 1999. The Divine Milieu. Harper & Row, 1960.
Teilhard's evolutionary vision of consciousness and the Omega Point is a back- ground presence in the book's understanding of God developing alongside creation.
I have never given up the habit of book reading but I notice that, when I am scanning my phone too much, my feeling of immersion in book reading is diminished. I stay ‘outside’ the experience. The way to fix this is to turn off the phone for a weekend, stay in bed and read a large paper book.
Anything book related, I am in! I have been in an “analog” mindset for many months now. I am writing letters, I have a penpal! As for your sons, I believe it is wonderful worldwide trend and the ones setting this stage? Our kids! YES!
Books? So many great ones! The Correspondent, Remarkably Bright Creatures ( I think about this book all the time and it has been over two years since I read it), and Braiding Sweetgrass. Absolutely an exquisite book! Joseph Campbell is one of my favorite humans of all time!
I'm glad to see your sons are reading history books. I have been a World War II history enthusiast since I was in the second grade about 50 years ago. I've been thinking I should get into reading again, even if it is only 30 minutes per night just to get away from my phone and computer. One of my favorite WWII history books is The Fall of Berlin by Anthony Read and David Fisher that I first read in the 1990s and again about 10 years ago. I was thinking about it again after seeing something on the news. A good history book will read like a novel and this one does and some of the things described almost sound like fiction. I'm also a fan of Kurt Vonnegut that my father turned me onto circa 1985 when I was a junior in high school. My favorite is Slaughterhouse Five, some of which is based upon his experiences as a prisoner of war when he was captured during the Ardennes offensive (Battle of the Bulge) in 1944 and later sent to Dresden along with about 100 other POWs, who survived the bombing of the city in 1945 by taking shelter in an underground meat locker named Slaughterhouse Five. I visited Dresden and Slaughterhouse Five in 2015. If your sons want to read about World War II history, have them check out the Stephen Ambrose books such as Band of Brothers and Citizen soldiers. I've also been thinking of getting out comic books I bought in the 1970s and early 1980s and reading them again. There are a couple in particular that have been the subject of my daydreams for more than 40 years.
First, as far as your sons and reading -- I hope that becomes a viral trend. Almost 2 decades ago (2007??), in late November I had a revelation: "read more and watch less." In late December, watching NFL football on Sunday morning (SoCal time) I concluded the only way to read more was to ditch cable and my TV. Best thing I ever did... And my policy is only FAT books (real/paper books).
All three books seem very books seem very powerful. But I haven't read them. The "Sacred Therapy" book interests me the most. I believe life really is a "sacred narrative." I've lived most of my life without understanding that, which is a tragedy.
Influential books??? There are so many. "Ecclesiastes and Proverbs. Another, "The Odyssey" -- Odysseus is the greatest character ever created in all of literature. As an adventure book "Sailing Around the World Alone" is a trip! And Slocum's command of the English language is impressive for a ship builder without advanced education. American Novels: "East of Eden" and "The Scarlett Letter" -- the latter because I know what it is to be shamed in New England Puritan style. For Non-Fiction: "The Portable Atheist" by Hitchens and Rabbi Heschel's book about "The Sabbath" and the art of rest. I'm a person of faith but among the Nones. Mark Twain stated " don't let your education interfere with your learning. The latter two are some serious "learning..."
I'm a voracious reader of physical books, since the 1960! I love Fredrick Backman, his writing gives me all the feels
That book from Min Kym sounds lovely. I'm not sure but I think you've talked about it on the past. Such a beautiful story, and of course bittersweet.
A book that I read recently and I really, really liked was Range from David Epstein. The stories, the takeaways. And a book that is so well written. I'm looking forward to his next book on creativity and constraints that will be released on May.
I'm more of a polyamorous reader so I'm reading several books at a time, but one thing I've noticed is how doom scrolling has affected my concentration. On the past I could read for long hours, these days it's hard even to read a few pages at a time. The phone has truly become "My Precious" in Gollum fashion.
I love books and always have more than 4 on my bedside table! I believe it corrects our brain waves after too much screen time. Also, love Joseph Campbell. His work is timeless; as well, informs the complicated script of our spiritual awakening journey.
The Neapolitan (4 books) series by Elena Ferrante!! Set in Naples Italy it follows the lives of 2 girls/women from their childhood to adults. It’s a beautiful exploration of the deep bond between 2 childhood friends whose lives take different paths but cross and stay connected too.
I have noticed how my focus for reading has diminished with our dependence on technology and laziness for lengthy reads. I want to improve my endurance.
Love Joseph Campbell and NYC public library (was there once).
I’ve missed books so much! As a child I was a voracious reader and got out of the habit as an adult, except for the occasional non-nonfiction selection (often focused on bettering myself). But a couple of weeks ago I picked up Player Piano by Kurt Vonnegut and it’s absolutely prescient and hilarious! Just amazed by how he nails the shift towards automation/AI while mocking corporate culture. This is my bridge back to what used to be my passion.