learning

Uppity Women of Medieval Times (Book Review)

Vicki Leon wrote a very enjoyable and informative book labeled humorously Uppity Women of Medieval Times. The book contains brief biographies of perhaps several hundred women from Medieval Times who achieved renown for all sorts of positive and negative reasons. The tone of Leon’s book is well captured in this brief quote from the introduction: …

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What Are the Most Popular Books of All Time? (Infographic)

Here is a nifty infographic courtesy of Lovereading that shows visually the most popular books of all time. The titles of these most popular books of all time are: Odyssey (Homer) Quran (or Koran) Romeo and Juliet (William Shakespeare) Don Quixote (Miguel de Cervantes) King James Bible Robinson Crusoe (Daniel Defoe) Dream of the Red …

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The New Concise History of the Crusades by Thomas F. Madden (Book Review)

I just completed Thomas F. Madden’s The New Concise History of the Crusades, a nice hardcover edition published by Barnes & Noble in 2007. The main text clocks in a little over 200 pages and it covers the earlier crusades in some detail with attention also given to various crusades within Europe and a brief …

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The Lady in Red by Hallie Rubenhold (Book Review)

Due to a bout with insomnia I completed Hallie Rubenhold’s The Lady in Red: An Eighteenth-Century Tale of Sex, Scandal, and Divorce in the wee hours of this morning. The work is non-fiction though written with a narrative style that reads like a novel. The dustjacket includes the following brief summary of the work’s subject: “She …

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Gaining a Little Perspective Through History

I am skeptical of the idea, popular especially among evangelical Christians, that society is in a sharp downward spiral – particularly American society. This has resulted not from reading one or two specific volumes but from reading a wide variety of historical literature…and it comes not from volumes attempting to make such an argument but …

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I Want More Sugar?

Stumbled (literally) upon this infographic about sugar consumption…pretty fascinating and scary. HT to Tom McKay at PolicyMic. Check below the infographic for links to a few interesting articles I found. Further Reading Cheryl Wischhover. “Sugar Addiction is a Real Thing–And Yes, There’s A Cure.” Elle, Jan. 8, 2014. Dr. Nicole Avena. “Hidden Sugars: 10 Unlikely …

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J.B. Phillips’ The New Testament in Modern English Revised Edition: Book Review

A Little Background My Studies I am preparing for a new series of sermons and leading a small group through the Gospel of Luke. Right now I’m refreshing my big picture understanding – so I’ve just finished reading through the entirety of Luke in J.B. Phillips’ translation. It occurred to me that this translation is …

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