Every month we show what is on our reading table.

This month we added seven new books. Four are about the history of downtown Phoenix. We are reading these because of our purchase of the historic Gold Spot building. Another is a kids’ Bible to read with the grandchildren. The “Meditations” of Marcus Aurelius is a birthday gift (see video below). And “One Rental At A Time” is a TMP like story. One of the best by my reading.

I reached a milestone 70th birthday last week:

We finished reading many; ‘As Time Goes By”, “Ireland…”, “Ark”, “It’s Elemental”, and “The Medieval Cannon”.  Video reviews will follow.

NEW

  1. “Meditations” (211 pages, paperback, 2016, but really 2,000 years ago) by Marcus Aurelius: This is a birthday gift (see above) from my good friend and bee partner, Gene. Let’s see if it works: Psalm 19:14 “May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.” From the Amazon description: “Meditations is a series of personal writings by Marcus Aurelius, Roman Emperor from 161 to 180 AD, recording his private notes to himself and ideas on Stoic philosophy.”
  2. “One Rental At A Time: The Journey to Financial Independence through Real Estate” (168 pages, paperback, 2019) by Michael Zuber: This is my favorite book in the ‘get rich in real estate’ genre. Yes, I finished it already. It is my favorite not because it is ‘better’ than the others, but because it is relatable.
  3. “The Jesus Storybook Bible: Every Story Whispers His Name” (352 pages, hardback, 2007) by Sally Lloyd-Jones: From the Amazon description: “What makes The Jesus Storybook Bible different from every other kids’ Bible? While other kids’ Bibles contain stories from the Old and New Testaments, The Jesus Storybook Bible tells the Story beneath all the stories in the Bible, pointing to Jesus as our Savior. From the Old Testament through the New Testament, as the Story unfolds, children will clearly see that Jesus is at the center of God’s great story of salvation—and at the center of their story too.”
  4. “Midcentury Phoenix: Photographs From the ‘40s, ‘50s and ‘60s” (160 pages, hardback, 2007) edited by Jeff Kida and Robert Stieve; Photography by Bob Markow: This is a picture book from the world famous “Arizona Highways” magazine. It features Phoenix photos from the legendary Bob Markow. No mention of the Gold Spot though. And the Gold Spot shares a 100th year anniversary with the ‘Arizona Highways’ magazine. We will contact them to see if their archive contains any Gold Spot photos. From the Arizona Highways description: “In Midcentury Phoenix, Arizona Highways celebrates the growth and glamour of Arizona’s capital city during the mid-20th century, as seen through the lens of legendary photographer Bob Markow.”
  1. “Phoenix’s Roosevelt Row (Images of Modern America)” (96 pages, hardback, 2016) by Greg Esser and Nicole Underwood: We found this in our local CVS pharmacy. We leafed through it and immediately bought it. Like above, no Gold Spot mention but a couple of photos of our new friend and legendary Roosevelt Row resident, Kimber Lanning. From the Amazon description: “The nationally recognized Roosevelt Row Artists’ District in downtown Phoenix originated during the platting of the Churchill Addition in 1888, when fewer than 4,000 people called the city home. The Evans and Churchill Additions enjoyed vibrant, walkable mixed-use growth until the suburban sprawl of the 1950s pulled people and resources away from the downtown city core. Significant decline fell upon the area for decades, until artists began to imagine new possibilities in the 1990s. Few urban areas in the United States have undergone such rapid and dramatic revitalization as Roosevelt Row. … USA Today recently named Roosevelt Row “one of the ten best city arts districts” in the country.”
  2. “Phoenix: Then and Now” (144 pages, paperback, 2009) by Paul Scharbach and John H. Akers: Another picture book on Phoenix for our Gold Spot researches. From the Amazon description: “From the moment it became Arizona’s capital in 1912, Phoenix has enjoyed steady population growth and commercial expansion. Today, Phoenix still continues to expand, due to mass migration, and it has the distinction of being one of the fastest-growing areas in the country. Phoenix Then and Now looks at the development of the city, with historical photographs placed side-by-side with contemporary views of the same locations that reveal a vibrant city, benefiting from wave upon wave of Easterners seeking sunshine in a culturally rich, urban setting. Amazing pictorial history of Phoenix, and the surrounding areas, filled with archival photographs of key locations paired with specially commissioned photographs of the same scenes as they are today.”
  3. “Phoenix: Past and Present” (176 pages, hardback, 2017) by Paul Scharbach and Robert A. Melikian: Another picture book on Phoenix for our Gold Spot researches. From the Amazon description: “Full-color, highly researched coffee-table book features stunning collection of vintage and contemporary photographs” Phoenix Past and Present, a full-color, highly researched book, tells the story of Phoenix through 84 pairs of side-by- side images, one historical and one contemporary.”

 

OLD

 

  1. “Stand” (114 pages, paperback, 2022) by Pastor Jon Benzinger: From a local church we visited: “You are in the midst of the greatest attack on Christianity in your life. Make no mistake, the war is coming for you. The question is, will you be ready for it and will you fight or fold? This easy-to-understand book clarifies the change you’re sensing in our culture, at your church, your job, or your school, and gives you tools to stand faithfully against this aggressive and heretical attack on the gospel. Jon Benzinger is the Lead Pastor of Redeemer Bible Church in Gilbert, Arizona, contributor to the Redeeming Truth podcast, founder of helpingpastors.org, and President of the Redeemer Center for Church Leadership.”
  2. “As Time Goes By” (432 pages, paperback, 1998) by Michael Walsh: The Amazon description is: “You know what happens right after Casablanca‘s Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) walks off with Capt. Louis Renault (Claude Rains) into the mist? This novel. Walsh, a former crime reporter and Timemagazine music critic, can’t equal the beautiful relationships in the classic film, but he does give us a clever takeoff on the tale, with less romance but much more action. As Time Goes By is both a prequel and a sequel, fleshing out Rick’s mysterious life by flashing back to his 1930s New York gangland past and taking us with him, Ilsa, and Sam the piano man as they plot to kill Reinhard Heydrich, the Hangman of Prague. Rick Blaine started out as Yitzik Baline, who learned to shoot in the booze-fueled underworld of Tick-Tock Shapiro and Dion O’Hanlon. A fracas that made Walter Winchell’s column explains why Rick wound up in the Casablanca gin joint.” We will have an extensive Floating Book Review on this including an alternate plot.
  3. “It’s Elemental: The Hidden Chemistry in Everything” (304 pages, paperback, 2022) by Kate Biberdorf: I picked this up at a Barnes and Noble visit along with the previous book. The Amazon description is: “Have you ever wondered what makes dough rise? Or how your morning coffee gives you that energy boost? Or why your shampoo is making your hair look greasy? The answer is chemistry. From the moment we wake up until the time we go to sleep (and even while we sleep), chemistry is at work—and it doesn’t take a PhD in science to understand it.”
  4. “The Laws of Human Nature” (624 pages, paperback, 2018) by Robert Greene. I came across this book at Barnes and Nobel and passed it in favor of “Memory’s Legion” and “It’s Elemental” above. But it intrigued me, so I searched on Greene and ended up buying this book and the next, “Mastery”. The Amazon description is: “Robert Greene is a master guide for millions of readers, distilling ancient wisdom and philosophy into essential texts for seekers of power, understanding and mastery. Now he turns to the most important subject of all – understanding people’s drives and motivations, even when they are unconscious of them themselves. We are social animals. Our very lives depend on our relationships with people. Knowing why people do what they do is the most important tool we can possess, without which our other talents can only take us so far.”
  5. “Mastery” (368 pages, paperback, 20113) by Robert Greene. I came across this book at Barnes and Nobel and passed it in favor of “Memory’s Legion” and “It’s Elemental” above. But it intrigued me, so I searched on Greene and ended up buying this book and the previous one. The Amazon description is: “Each one of us has within us the potential to be a Master. Learn the secrets of the field you have chosen, submit to a rigorous apprenticeship, absorb the hidden knowledge possessed by those with years of experience, surge past competitors to surpass them in brilliance, and explode established patterns from within. Study the behaviors of Albert Einstein, Charles Darwin, Leonardo da Vinci and the nine contemporary Masters interviewed for this book.”
  6. “Just Kids” (320 pages, paperback, 2010) by Patty Smith: I stumbled across my copy of Patti Smith’s song, “Because the Night”. I went down the rabbit hole and looked up the history of the song and Smith. I’m glad I did. She is an amazing writer. “Just Kids begins as a love story and ends as an elegy. It serves as a salute to New York City during the late sixties and seventies and to its rich and poor, its hustlers and hellions. A true fable, it is a portrait of two young artists’ ascent, a prelude to fame.”

The song was started by Bruce Springsteen and finished by Patti Smith. ‘Just Kids’ is the story about her relationship with Robert Mapplethorpe. But her completion of the song was inspired by Fred ‘Sonic’ Smith, lead singer for the MC5 (Motor City 5) with whom she had two children.

  1. “The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry” (304 pages, paperback, 2019) by John Mark Comer: This book was recommended by DCE Maddie. Anxiety is a big problem in today’s world. From the Amazon description “Corrie ten Boom once said that if the devil can’t make you sin, he’ll make you busy. There’s truth in that. Both sin and busyness have the exact same effect—they cut off your connection to God, to other people, and even to your own soul.” From An Amazon review is: “Hurry to this, hurry to do that, hurry hurry hurry. The things I do and fill my life with aren’t even bad things. They’re, mostly, good things. This book isn’t about stopping doing those things but how to slow down, let my soul catch up with my body…”
  2. “Ark (A Novel of the Flood)” (544 pages, paperback, 2010) by Stephen Baxter: I found this when I was looking at “Memory’s Legion” above. It’s supposed to be another hard science fiction novel, actually a series of novels. We will see. From the Amazon description: “As the waters rose in FLOOD, high in the Colorado mountains the US government was building an ark. Not an ark to ride the waves but an ark that would take a select few thousand people out into space to start a new future for mankind. Sent out into deep space on a journey lasting years, generations of crew members carry the hope of a new beginning on a new, incredibly distant, planet. But as time passes knowledge and purpose is lost and division and madness grows.”
  3. “The Medieval Cannon 1326–1494” (48 pages, paperback, 2019) by Jonathan Davies: I ran across a description of this book and had to buy it. The great thing about the book is that they don’t just look at the historical records, they also test out recreations of the cannon. An Amazon review is: “The author has drawn heavily on period manuscripts and art touching cannons in their variety and use. Of note, he has also included data on the performance of such weapons as indicated by modern reproductions and re-enactors. The narrative includes fascinating data on ranges, rates of fire, potential effectiveness, and battlefield hazard. His conclusions are brief but to the point. The text is very nicely supported by period and modern illustrations, and photographs. Well recommended to the interested student of Medieval warfare.”
  4. “Ireland: A Concise History from the Twelfth Century to the Present Day” (272 pages, paperback, 2005) by Paul Johnson. Paul Johnson passed away this month. He was a historian, a GIANT. I’ve read some of his other books and came across this ‘small’ book on the history of Ireland. Since Michelle’s father’s father emigrated from Ireland and in memory of Johnson, I bought this book. Outstanding. The very first sentence states the thesis and is both interesting and provocative “The English presence in Ireland arose from the failure of Irish society to develop the institution of monarchy.” The Amazon description is: “Drawing from a wealth of historical and scholarly sources, Johnson traces the important social, religious and political development of Ireland’s struggle to become a unified, settled country. Johnson describes with accurate detail Ireland’s barbarous beginnings, Oliver Cromwell’s religious “crusade,” the tragic Irish potato famine, the Ulster resistance and the outstanding fact of the constant British-Irish connection and the fearful toll of life it exacted. Among the anonymous multitude are famous names such as “Silken Thom” Kildare, Thomas Wentworth, Archbishop Plunkett and Lord Frederick Cavendish. And yet many great men marshaled their energies and wits to settle Ireland: Sir Henry Sidney, Sire Walter Raleigh, Edmund Spenser, Churchill and others.”

Not pictured:

  1. “The One Year Bible” with help from the “Lutheran Study Bible“.