Weekly Reading: Leaping Lines, Revolutionary Baby Jesus, Repo Men at Sea and Great! Post Offices

I read a lot over the holidays so I am still catching up with my summaries of all my December reading.

Reading Is About the Lines That Leap Off the Pages
Much of what you read in the Times you read without giving a thought to who the author is.  I couldn't make that mistake after reading this year-end gem by Dwight Garner, literary critic extraordinaire.  In it he deftly leaps through about twenty different book recommendations, lifting delicious quotes from each of them.

The Christmas Revolution
Smart, well-written article on just how revolutionary Jesus was.  "He saw the inestimable worth of human life, regardless of social status, wealth and worldly achievements, intelligence or national origin. So should we."

ISIS’ War on Christmas
Interesting and thoughtful article on how Salafists think about Christmas theologically.  The author also draws parallels between Islamists' "origin' state and that of the far right en France.


MARITIME ‘REPO MEN’: A LAST RESORT FOR STOLEN SHIPS
Wow, fascinating report on the gritty underbelly of maritime repossessors.  This has to get made into a movie.

What’s Your Favorite Poem?
A round table of authors discuss their favorite poems--what's not to like!

How I Escaped Vietnam
Incredible untold story of the flood of children that escaped Vietnam in the midst of escalating violence and mayhem.

In Chile, Where Pablo Neruda Lived and Loved
Beautiful writing about the homes of Neruda in Chile.  Essential reading for any Pablophile.

The Deported
I feel like it's all too easy for both sides of the immigration debate to make sweeping statements one way or the other.  Articles like these should hopefully give one pause to consider the actual human lives behind whatever the policies enacted are.

Why the Post Office Makes America Great
Having lived overseas for more than two years in a third-world country I appreciate the author's sentiment.  As Americans we take things like being able to send a letter that arrives where it is supposed to for granted.  

Weekly Reading: the Fugees, ISIS, Happiness and the Death of a Diplomatic Legend

Killing the Islamic State Softly Military power will win battles in Syria and Iraq, but only soft power can win the war
The prolific Stavridis makes his argument for soft power against ISIS--bottom line--it won't be cheap.

What makes a good life? Lessons from the longest study on happiness
A decent (albeit long-winded) TED-ish speech on an INCREDIBLE and fascinating 75 year study on happiness.  Short answer: the most valuable thing you can do is invest in close relationships with family and friends.  Loneliness kills...literally.

YOUR HOLIDAY READING LIST: 58 BOOKS RECOMMENDED BY TED SPEAKERS
It's a good and interesting list to consider.

The Arts and the Military
Great deep thoughts from a Naval Academy classmate on civil-military relations.  He's got a great website/blog that he writes at--check it out.

What Would Cool Jesus Do? Inside Hillsong Church NYC
I never expect GQ to be so even-handed in an article about a Protestant movement/church but the author was--a fascinating look into the leadership of the Hillsong church..and Justin Bieber.

The 20 Habits of Eventual Millionaires
Really this is just a depressing article...10 ideas a day?  Who has time for that?  Who even has 10 ideas a month or a year?  ...I guess millionaires?

Call to battle’: Catholic bishop challenges men to be ‘men’ in awesome new video
Great call for men to be leaders in loving their families.

The CNO Puts it to Paper
The Navy's top admiral makes his pitch for the United States to maintain maritime superiority.  It's a quick read worthy of some thought.

The U.S. diplomatic corps loses a legend just when it needs him the most
A fitting requiem for diplomatic great Ambassador Bosworth.  A worthwhile read and summary of his myriad accomplishments.

Weekly Reading: Pastor Santa, Christmas Focus, Shipwrecked Malagasy Slaves, and a Year Long Haul Trucking

With the feast of epiphany today, this week's readings are Christmas heavy to close out the season.

How Do We Know The Christmas Story Is Really True?
A great anecdote (from Donald Miller's Storyline blog) on the power and potency of indirect evidence.  The article has a great quote from C.S. Lewis on the subject: “I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it but because by it I see everything else.”

SANTA WAS A PASTOR
So Santa was actually Pastor Nicholas, of a church in Myrna (modern day Kale, Turkey).  Every parent (Christian or not) addresses Santa Claus in their own way but all in all, a good post on refocusing the scope of your thoughts around Christmas time.

BreakPoint This Week: Advent and Christmas Habits
On the subject of refocusing, this post poses a good question: What do your Christmas traditions communicate to the world about your stance and focus regarding the birth of Jesus?  Some good food for thought.

Lèse humanité What happened when slaves and free men were shipwrecked together
A fairly incredible story that could be a movie.  In the late 18th century, a French merchant who picked up some illicit slaves from Madagascar ends up shipwrecked on what is know today as Tromelin Island--a third of a square mile patch of sand some 500 nm east of Madagascar.  What followed was a 15 year journey before the last slave was rescued.

Island where shipwrecked souls spent 15 years

Middle East Time Bomb: The Real Aim of ISIS Is to Replace the Saud Family as the New Emirs of Arabia
A lot of good middle east and Saudi history that you probably had no clue about.

THE LONG HAUL: ONE YEAR OF SOLITUDE ON AMERICA'S HIGHWAYS
Wow.  An eye-opening look into the long-haul trucking industry and one young man's yearlong sojourn there in an attempt to pay off his college debt.

Weekly Reading: A Trek Across Madagascar, to Hijab or not to Hijab, Naval Strategy?, Aviation Black Lists in Africa and a FAO Reading List

The land grabs in Africa you don’t hear about
Fascinating article...you likely won't guess the largest constituency buying up land in Africa--you will have to click to find out.  While you are clicking, check out two great books below.
 

L'aviation africaine s'organise pour sortir de la liste noire
I've been on quite a few flights out here where I've spent most of the time praying...that the plane wouldn't fall apart.

Madness in Madagascar: Brit defies crocs and cops in bid to be first to cross island
Brit Ash Dyke is attempting to become the first person to traverse the world's 4th largest island on foot.
ashdykes.com/madagascar/
https://twitter.com/Ash_Dykes
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ash-Dykes/736642026399924

As Muslim women, we actually ask you not to wear the ‘hijab’ in the name of interfaith solidarity
These are the types of articles every American should read.  Islam, the Koran and Islamism are too often simplified and then misunderstood by our society at large.  On its face, the idea of wearing the 'hijab' in solidarity seems to be a praiseworthy idea but as the author demonstrates running through the Koran, the 'hijab' is used in many muslim cultures to denigrate and control women.  And on the other side of the argument, in some cultures wearing the 'hijab' is nearly devoid of any religious connotation.

FROM READERS: MU faculty member shares stories of racism
A beautifully written piece that should be mandatory reading for everyone--especially anyone with a knee-jerk reaction in either direction.

THE BRUTAL REALITIES OF NAVAL STRATEGY
Great book review by BJ Armstrong that completely sold me on the need for this book to be on every naval officer's bookshelf...filled with highlights.


WAR ON THE ROCKS 2015 HOLIDAY READING LIST
This is the reading list you wish you were smart enough to tackle.  That said, I did find a few books (that I may or may not understand) to add to my wish list (below)

Past Weekly Reads
What I Read Last Week: Pro-life means pro-gun control, a missile's aftermath, Yakuza photos, Contempt in Marriage and Politics in Madagascar

Weekly Reading List: Mosquito nets and fishermen, Papa's Letters, A Century of Immigration and Italy in Africa

Weekly Reading List: African Borders, A Cure for Blindness, Family, Wine, Fish and a Muslim State

Weekly Reading List: Ivory-Terrorism myths, People Hangovers, Shoeboxes and Lawrence in Syria

Weekly Reading: Writing in Italian, the Weirdness of English, Wu-Tang and the Mona Lisa, the Sainthood of Mister Rogers and Prepping for the Next Ebola in West Africa

Weekly Reading List: ISIS, ISIS baby, Running Free, Squanto, Advent Habits, Running Free and African borders

There Is Only One Way to Defeat ISIS
Short explanation: crack down on the financial flow from Qatar, UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait.

What ISIS Really Wants
Published this past March, this is THE definitive 'scenesetter' on ISIS and its origins--a terrifying read.

The origins of ISIS, explained in 3 minutes
Ezra Klein breaks it down a very complex subject in a digestible manner.

You Can't Understand ISIS If You Don't Know the History of Wahhabism in Saudi Arabia
A good historical background on Saudi.

The Islamist Tantrum People are dead in Paris because Europe decided to make a fetish of its tolerance for intolerance.
A great read and a challenging article about the dangers of unguided tolerance.

Infographic: The Screening Process for Entry to the United States for Syrian Refugees
21 Steps is quite thorough BUT not one of them involves checking their facebook/twitter accounts.

The Miracle of Squanto’s Path to Plymouth
This story will blow your mind!  I never had any idea about Squanto's incredible path.

BreakPoint This Week: Advent and Christmas Habits
A good reminder about preparing ours hearts for Christmas

Run Free - The True Story of Caballo Blanco
Born to Run is one of my favorite books and made me fall in love with running.

The "Real" Map of Africa: Redrawing Colonial Borders
Fascinating look at what makes a state a state and the wide disparity in Africa.