The Road is Cormac McCarthy’s tale of a father and son’s trek through a post-apocalyptic American wasteland.  The bleakness of the landscapes and cityscapes are overwhelming. The despair of nearly every situation is relentless to the point that you’re surprised when things somehow keep getting worse.
But somehow McCarthy’s world seems so alive. The psychological relationship between the father and boy is screaming at you from the negative space of the dialogue. The universality of irrational hope in the face of hopelessness makes the dirty and downtrodden protagonists real. The severe brutality of the road, the loneliness of a boy who’s never seen another child, and the physical, emotional and mental decomposition of a father doing the best he can more than earns any bits of light and redemption that leak through our shiny world into their gray one.
I read this book right before I started working at Lemuria, and it has been one of my favorite reads this year. I finished it in two sittings and have been chewing on it for a few weeks now. McCarthy was so good that I decided my next read would be The Border Trilogy, which starts with All the Pretty Horses. I am close to the end, and it has been wonderful.
There is an upcoming movie adaptation of The Road starring Viggo Mortensen and I just wanted to leave you all with some fun facts about the book and the movie, from wildaboutmovies.com:

Cormac McCarthy won the 2006 Pulitzer Prize for his gripping, stunning and shocking post-apocalyptic novel, “The Road.”

“The Road” was also picked as an “Oprah Book Of The Month.” In addition, Cormac McCarthy granted only his third ever interview to Oprah in 2006 for his novel, “The Road.”

“The Road” hits movie theaters, from the same studio that brought you “No Country For Old Men,” The Weinstein Company – well, who knows when?

In the movie “The Road” father is played by Oscar nominee Viggo Mortensen, (“Eastern Promises”), and son by newcomer Kodi Smit-McPhee. Oscar winners Robert Duvall and Charlize Theron make brief but resonating appearances.

-Hunter

This book is not about Buddhism as a religion or a way of life. The Dalai Lama is not interested in converting readers of this book to Buddhism. However, The Leader’s Way is about the application of some fundamental concepts of Buddhism into business decisions.

Good decision making and mental exercises improve the performance of the mind. Leader’s Way gives helpful ideas about how to recognize negative emotions as they begin to influence your mind. Being aware of constant change at an early stage can help to avoid negative cycles of thought. Every circumstance and every decision create change, providing the opportunity to change the direction of one’s thoughts. Right view followed by right conduct should lead to correct decisions and more success.

Leader’s Way is a discussion about integrating capitalism and Buddhism. The Dalali Lama seems to migrate from his pro-socialistic viewpoint into another place of pro-capitalism, developing an understanding that investments are necessary to create prosperity. Investments require capital, and thereby satisfying the need for capital is important. He promotes capital as a means, not an end, fostering responsible capitalism or a responsible free market economy. Leader’s Way is a fresh, light read, an enjoyable business book. The Dalai Lama provides alternative business concepts for small and large businesses which lead to conscientious yet profitable business decisions.

Other Dalai Lama Business-reading titles:

The Art of Happiness at Work (2003)

Ethics for the New Millenium(1999)

Yes, I have jumped on the bandwagon.  With the rest of the world I too am reading The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown.  In fact I had my book in my “hot little hand” by 8:10 am on Tuesday ( I did get the store opened before I made my purchase) and then went straight home after work and started reading.  So far so good.

Robert Langdon is again caught up in some diabolical plan that could change the world as we know it!!!  He has been “tricked” into coming to Washington DC under the guise of giving a lecture at the US Capitol Building but his night soon takes a turn when an ‘object’  decorated with 5 symbols shows up in the rotunda.  Langdon realizes the object as an invitation “into a long-lost world of esoteric wisdom”.  Peter Solomon, Langdon’s mentor, has been kidnapped and Langdon knows the only way to save his friend, who is  also a prominent Mason, is to accept the invitation and delve into the secret world of the Masons, mysterious history and hidden locations in our nation’s capitol, Washington DC.  This is the only way to find the truth.

I’m sure when I finish The Lost Symbol I will have many questions regarding the Masons and our Founding Fathers(who were all Masons) and the Freemasonic roots of the United States of America.  So I have a list of books that I think will help me and you (if interested) with further research to unanswered questions.

Freemasonry: Symbols, Secrets, Significance by W. Kirk MacNulty

American Gospel by Jon Meacham

Occult America: The Secret History of how Mysticism Shaped our Nation by Mitch Horowitz

This is one of the most refreshing books I have read in a long time. I do not believe the catchy title and charming cover will let you down. I read these stories over a weekend . . . one story after another, one sweet after another. The last story is the title story and it is a true story as I understand it. “The Most Beautiful Book in the World” is the story of a group of women in a Soviet gulag who have been imprisoned for their political beliefs and now have one chance to get their thoughts and feelings sent out to the their husbands and children.

Upon finishing The Most Beautiful Book I immediately looked for more translated work of Schmitt’s. At the moment, his other works have not been translated. However, it seems that The Most Beautiful Book has been a very successful publication of Europa Editions. Perhaps Europa will see to it that others of Schmitt’s work will be translated soon! (Kelly wrote a great entry on translated works not long ago, citing such works as The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo . . . which spawned some interesting comments.)

Read below from the jacket:

One of Europe’s most popular and best-loved authors, Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt captivates the reader with his spirited, buoyant style and enchanting stories that move effortlessly from the everyday to the fantastical. The eight stories in this collection, his first to be published in English, represent some of his best writing and most imaginative storylines: from the love story between Balthazar, wealthy and successful author, and Odette, cashier at a supermarket, to the tale of a barefooted princess; from the moving story of a group of female prisoners in a Soviet gulag to the entertaining portrait of a perennially disgruntled perfectionist. Here are eight contemporary fables, populated by a cast of extravagant and affecting characters, about people in search of happiness. Behind each story lies a simple, if elusive, truth: happiness is often right in front of our eyes, though we may frequently be blind to it.

Annie Leibovitz is an accomplished photographer with galleries all over the world. Some of her most famous works are portraits, like the ones in American Music, which focuses on musicians.  She covers a wide range of artists that everyone can enjoy, including The North Mississippi Allstars, Blondie, Johnny Cash, The White Stripes and Beck.  For anyone who likes photography, Annie Leibovitz is an excellent artist, and anyone who likes music will definitely enjoy this wonderful collection of photographs.

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Vanity Fair Portraits is a collection of  photographs that were first featured in the magazine.  Photographers include Herb Ritts, Chuck Close, and Annie Leibovitz, just to name a few, while the subjects include presidents, movie stars, fashion designers, and many more.

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The Travel Book is another great coffee table book.  Along with the intriguing photography from all over the world, there is also information about the best times to visit, what you should eat and drink, the trademarks of the locations, and even interesting bits of info that you may want to know while there.

-Sarah Clinton