Wednesday, January 02, 2008

Favorite Albums/Books of 2007


Here's a list of my favorite albums and books from the last year (they didn't necessarily come out in '07, but I first experienced them this year, OK?), in case you have similar tastes and some extra cash from all your Christmas returns.

Albums

1. Kings of Leon - Because of the Times (2007)
2. Radiohead - In Rainbows (2007)
3. Wilco - Sky Blue Sky (2007)
4. Arcade Fire - Neon Bible (2007)
5. Bright Eyes - Cassadaga (2007)

Books

1. The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald (1925) - maybe the best novel I've ever read.

2. Black Rednecks and White Liberals - Thomas Sowell (2005) - Six honest, decidedly un-PC essays on race: In "Black Rednecks and White Liberals" Sowell argues that much of urban "black" culture is actually based on the redneck values of southern slave owners and is now protected and promoted as something distinctly African-American even when self-destructive (Sowell is black). "Are Jews Generic" shows that the Jews have been hated around the world for their economic role as middle-men, along with other peoples that served the middle-man role. "The Real History of Slavery" gives a broader look (than we learned in school) at slavery throughout the world, showing that the U.S. and Great Britain were the first to reject slavery and led the charge in abolishing it throughout the world. "Germans and History" explores how the Nazis gained power in a country that was no more anti-Semitic than most other European countries. "Black Education: Achievements, Myths, and Tragedies" gives examples of successful inner-city schools and shows how their successful strategies have been trampled by trendier ideas. The final essay sums it all up.

3. The Language of God - Francis Collins (2006) - Dr. Collins is the head of the Human Genome Project and a Christian. He addresses the conflict between science and religion (written for laymen).

4. Black Hawk Down - Mark Bowden (1999) The moment-by-moment account of a 1993 operation in Mogadishu that went terribly wrong.

5. Sex God - Rob Bell (2007) - Not a how-to (sorry to disappoint), but an exploration of relationships, physical and spiritual.

1 comment:

Regan Elizabeth said...
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