On the Nightstand
I have in the past on occasion posted a note about what I am currently reading. To be honest, I have not done one in a while. Also, since Christmas when I received my wonderful Kindle I have been kicking the reading I do into high gear. As stated before, some of that is because of the easy access to lots of historical documents that no one owns copyright to anymore – which of course I find extremely interesting. There is also the extreme ease of making notes, even right there on the couch or even in bed about the passage I am currently reading without even putting the book down and always knowing my place marker is still going to be there. On the other hand, maybe it is just the ease at which I can support my habit of reading three and four books at one time without having to keep track of the books as would have been the case in the past. Anyway, what am I reading these days?
Age of Chivalry – Bullfinch’s work by title to be most specific. Yes, this is clearly a re-read for me and something that I enjoyed much the first time. It begins with some overview of just what chivalry is about and launches right into a number of the great stories and myth of the chivalric age. It touches on Charlemagne to be sure, but the primary focus is of course Author, Camelot, and the Round Table. A bit of advice, this is just one to read for enjoyment. Bullfinch does draw on several sources and makes a compilation of the stories. Because of this, there are the occasion contradictions present, but they really do not interfere with the general story line most of the time. Really, it is best to think of it as a series of short stories that sometimes have the same characters and really that is almost the way it is presented. Oh, and you do have to get past the open bit where the argument is made the British Isles are originally founded by offshoots of either Greece or more likely Rome and then rediscovered by Rome at a later date.
Common Sense – This was one of the first things I started reading on my Kindle – partly because I had been planning on reading for some time. I think, as I have just recently finished it, in the past I had only read excerpts from it prior to this point. It really is a good read and gives some very good insight about why our founding fathers felt such an extreme need to revolt against the mother kingdom of England at the time. Strange to me, Glen Beck aside, there really are a lot of things that one could point to from that work just over two hundred years ago that we could point out as flaws our federal government has adopted today that would clearly be against what founding fathers would have supported. What I find even more fascinating personally though is that this work, call a pamphlet at time despite being over one hundred pages, was a bold, unhidden call to open rebellion against the status quo and the government of the day. Can you imagine such a call going out today? The ATF, FBI, CIA, and several other alphabet agencies would mow you and anyone who knew you down so quickly you probably would not get a blink in sideways.
Jefferson Davis, American - Unfortunately, I have not very far with this one I have to admit. It is a physical book and rather long one, being a biographical work about Jefferson Davis of Confederate President fame. Truly a man of uncompromising principles, even if by standing to his principles meant the most certain destruction of the goals and ideals for which those principles stood. I am fairly interested in this read from my years of reading various other viewpoints about the man with my extensive reading about the Civil War, most of which find him disagreeable at best and well, we will skip the more general worst thoughts about him. I personally feel a faint connection beyond the historical figure, as he also attended that Athens of the West, known as Transylvania University, where I also attended. My one lament is that I figured I was getting this book and I have let it lay, only reading a chapter or so because I have been so absorbed by the Kindle books.
The Belly Fat Cure Sugar & Carb Counter - Jorge Cruise wrote this book, where he really calls it a different style of living but fundamentally it is a new diet guide. I am actually impressed with this work though. He is not focused on calorie counting which I find a bit odd, as calories are the thing that if reduced will ensure a weight loss. Simply put calories are a measure of energy. If energy consumed is less than energy absorbed, you will by definition lose weight. Ask anyone that has ever been on a deserted island, Survivor (the TV Show), or stranded out in a sparse winter woodland (the Donner party comes to mind). That being said, his focus is on limiting carbohydrates (C) and even more so with sugars (S). Of course, the rest is eating reasonable in general. But guess what? If you limit those two components in your diet, you’re going to limit calories by definition. Take it one step further from his standpoint, which at least some science tends to support. Limiting sugars will also alter your bodies system to store less and burn more of what is stored already as a consequence based on lower insulin in the blood stream. It differs from the Adkins diet primarily because it never cuts them out totally, but rather focuses on eating fewer of them and also having the ones that are better for your body.
** – Image from online-literature.com/bulfinch/.
