Five Essays on Philosophy - by Mao Tsetung

So, this morning I woke up thinking how I wanted to go to the airport. Not really to fly away anywhere, but I miss that solid block of reading time I get before boarding. So, I went to have maintenance done on my truck - nearly as good for a long block of time - and I got at least superficially through Mao.

Hm. Great translation was my first thought (by Foreign Languages Press in Peking) - very accessible text. I'd be curious how its style is in the original Chinese.

Info here on Mao - http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/cold.war/kbank/profiles/mao/ - I don't recall reading his philosophy before. He has some really great ideas here - such as the relationship between practice and knowledge (rational and perceptive knowledge), the value of contradiction (and the differentiation from antagonism), and the nature of change and essence. But there were some very troubling ideas - such as his justification for persecuting his enemies, the reeducation of all, and the fact that his predictions for the Soviet Union were clearly invalidated over the past 20 years.

So, what does this mean? Because I was all with him in the beginning with his reasoning - his application is where I get hung up. I think Falun Dafa/Gong, I think Tiananmen Square, etc. Can somebody's ideas be so right and yet the manifestations often wrong? Fundamentally I disagree with him because I believe that if a system is correct and sound, one need not persecute its opposition.

Perhaps the way I'm able to be a Marxist is because he didn't manifest his ideas himself. Or because I read the texts too long ago, but now I'd find them more contentious. I still believe that socialism is a natural successor to capitalism - a more evolved state. So, I'm sometimes baffled by current affairs - perhaps the different market systems flow back and forth. Perhaps people aren't ready? Shrug. I'm still holding my breath for the real revolution, hoping I get to take part.

Towing Jehovah - James Morrow

So, I went to my friend's house last week and sat on the floor of his library and said (well, maybe whined), "Lend me a book that is entirely different than anything I would choose to read. But something I would enjoy." He caught my attention with Towing Jehovah, and what a great choice it was.

What if God had a physical male body and died? What if he were two miles long and beginning to decay? What would the angels do, the Vatican, a disgraced oil tanker captain seeking redemption, a Jesuit and a Carmelite, an atheist biologist/playwright? And what would happen to all those in the know about the death?

I like these kind of questions that make me go, "hm." But mostly what I like about the book is the characterization - these people act plausibly in the most absurd of situations. I liked them, I felt for them.

And trust me, after reading this book, Communion will never be quite the same.

Reading Lolita in Tehran - Azar Nafisi - September meeting

All summer long I'd walk past Kramerbooks and see this in the window so wanted to read it - thanks for bookclub for agreeing to it. I believe our meeting is scheduled for September 30 (Thursday) at 6:30 at Sheila's house (though that may change due to Back to School night that week). I just checked it out from the library and like the beginning ...

Who We Are - Purpose

Welcome to blogging! I know that this is new to many of you, and I'll be happy to help (though Gail is the real pro).

First, I'll send this out to our bookclub. I see the blog as having three purposes:

1. To post about meetings (which book, whose house, date, time, etc.).

2. To discuss the book of the month while it's in progress (I miss walking into the attendance office and beginning my day talking to Jeffrie, then running into Lynda and Linda and Gail and Sheila and Julie and everybody to talk about the book we're currently reading!).

3. To post about other books that we read - I love to know what people are reading, and I always have to talk about great books I just finished!

For etiquette purposes, let's make each post about one book - if you want to continue about the same book, please add comments rather than a new post. Same with meetings.

I'd like also if we want to invite other friends to participate in the blog - the more the merrier!