Here are fourteen fine books that reside in my personal library:
14. Why Nations go to War - John. G. Stoessinger
Stoessinger attempts to explore the question of why nations go to war. He details wars in the twentieth century and explains what led these nations down the road to war.
13. Feynman's Rainbow - Leonard Mlodinow
Mlodinow is a physicist who takes the reader on a personal journey of how he arrived at a blissful place in the life. Indeed the subtitle is A Search for Beauty in Physics and in Life. He shares insights about physics and what he feels is important in life.
12. By the Hand of Mormon - Teryl L. Givens
Givens explores historically the coming forth of the Book of Mormon and what impact it has had on the world and in particular upon Latter-day Saint perspective.
11. When Jesus Became God - Richard E. Rubenstein
The author describes the long, violent, and political process of how the view of Jesus evolved within Christianity. He begins in Alexandria a little after 300 A.D. works his way through the council of Nicea in 325 and the subsequent fall-out. He gives some interesting perspectives.
10. Guns, Germs, and Steel - Jared Diamond
The history of the world is a fascinating thing. History itself is hard to grasp, and its hard to be certain from what we know all that has happened in the history of this world. Diamond describes how the introduction of Guns, Germs, and Steel, essentially, when introduced into new societies often prove the downfall of these cultures, societies and often people.
9. A History of Western Philosophy - Bertrand Russell
It's a tome if ever there was one. He begins in ancient Greece and works, chronologically, through the 19th century and into the 20th describing all the impacts on philosophy certain philosophers have had. Its great because it shows just what affect philosophy has had on the developing societies in the world as well.
8. Joseph Smith Rough Stone Rolling - Richard L. Bushman
Ahhh...very informative. Bushman takes a "daring" and new look at the history of Joseph Smith. He wrote this in regards to the 200 year anniversary of his birth. I say daring because he presents ideas, very convincingly, about Joseph Smith, his world, and what drove his efforts.
7. How Wide the Divide - Craig L. Blomberg and Stephen E. Robinson
Its been called a Landmark book. Blomberg, an Evangelical Christian, and Robinson, an LDS Christian, tackle main themes in each religion and how they relate to each other and also how they differ. The book is written well and is made simple for a quick an interesting read.
6. Lost Christianities - Bart D. Ehrman
This book gave me some information about the coming forth of the New Testament and the history of the era of the years after the books in the NT were written. He speaks of the different groups of Christians who lived in that era, how they disagreed, and ultimately how the "proto-orthodox" group, whom today's Christians generally champion, attempted to shout out the rest of the groups, and how the other groups attempted to defeat what many assume to be the dominate group of the era.
5. Aristotle's Children - Richard E. Rubenstein
Great book. He describes how the era commonly referred to as the dark ages weren't all that dark thanks to the great minds which helped civilization as they were inspired, mainly, by the ideas of Aristotle.
4. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance - Robert Pirsig
Its just a journey of a man and his son across the northwest of the US--from Minnesota to the pacific. He muses on life and philosophy and why is his life is where it is. An unexpected and touching ending caused me to weep a little.
3. Temples of the Ancient World - Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies (multiple authors)
Love it. Some of the essays in this book have brought me closer to an understanding of the temple, no doubt. And many of their ideas have fascinated me giving me more reason to love and appreciate the gospel and the restoration.
2. Revelation, Reason, and Faith Essays in Honor of Truman G. Madsen - Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies (multiple authors)
Great ideas are presented in this work. Many of the essays give reasoned explanations as to why the LDS faith is true and divinely inspired.
1. The Worlds of Joseph Smith - A Bicentennial Conference at the Library of Congress
All the papers in this book were presented at the Library of Congress commemorating the life of Joseph Smith. Each gives excellent information about the man and excellent ideas are exchanged in regards to the restoration he claimed and the truths he forwarded.
Love,
David
