The Seven Faith Tribes by George Barna - Another DNF

The Seven Faith Tribes: Who They Are, What They Believe, and Why They Matter
by George Barna
Published April, 2009
BarnaBooks - Nonfiction/Religion
DNF (272 pages)

When we create a burgeoning industry of assisted living for our elderly relatives we don't have the time or inclination to care for, we redefine family and negate a fundamental strength of our society. When we donate less than 3 percent of our income to causes that enhance the quality and sustainability of life, our lack of generosity affects the future of our society. When we permit the blogosphere to become a rathole of deceit, rudeness, and visual garbage, we forfeit part of the soul of our culture. When we allow "no fault" divorce to become the law of the land, as if nobody had any responsibilities in the demise of a marriage, we foster the demise of our society. When we choose to place our children in day care and prekindergarten programs for more hours than we share with them, we have made a definitive statement about what matters in our world.

I highlighted the sentence that made my jaw drop. Interesting that the author of this book referred to the blogosphere as a "rathole of deceit, rudeness and visual garbage" and then chose to promote his book through blogs, don't you think? I have to admit, that sentence put me off so thoroughly that I only lasted about 3 more pages (up to page 12, in the first chapter).

From the cover of The Seven Faith Tribes:
In this groundbreaking work, acclaimed researcher and best-selling author George Barna identifies, describes, and analyzes the seven major "faith tribes" in America--documenting who they are, what they believe, how they vote, and what they are passionate about.

I managed to read about one "tribe" and that was quite some time ago, when the book arrived at my house. The Seven Faith Tribes arrived on my doorstep just after I finished reading The Blood of Lambs in April. I referred to the section on Muslim beliefs at that time, hoping that I would find some additional information that would help illuminate the Muslim faith. I found the chapter unrevealing and, in some ways, innacurate -- at least in comparison to what the author of The Blood of Lambs said about his Muslim beliefs.

I would suggest that you read the sneak peek chapter, posted just prior to this blog entry, if you're interested in the book. I can't think of anyone to whom I'd recommend The Seven Faith Tribes, but I didn't get far enough to say, "Don't read it," so I'll just leave it at that -- no recommendation, no warning to avoid the book.

Up next: No idea, although I finished The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven by Sherman Alexie, a few days ago. Maybe I'll review it. But perhaps I'll just babble. We'll burn that bridge when we get to it.

Just walked in:

The Girl Who Stopped Swimming by Joshilyn Jackson
The King's Legacy: A Story of Wisdom for the Ages by Jim Stovall

Yesterday's surprisingly embarrassing windfall:

In the Kitchen - Monica Ali
The French Gardener - Santa Montefiore
East of the Sun - Julia Gregson
The Love of Her Life - Harriet Evans
(all from Simon & Schuster)

First Comes Love, Then Comes Malaria - Eve Brown-Waite
Love in Bloom - Sheila Roberts
In the Sanctuary of Outcasts - Neil White
Life's That Way - Jim Beaver
A Wall of White - Jennifer Woodlief
(all 5 won during the BEATwittyParty and sent directly by Folio Literary Management)

The mailman tottered halfway across my yard, balancing those two big boxes (I met him in the middle) and I recall declaring to someone (either my online book group or those wildly fun people I hang out with on Twitter) that if the UPS or FedEx trucks came anywhere near my house I'd have no choice but to throw myself beneath their wheels. Fortunately, that was it for the day. Only 9 books. Hahaha. Only.

Because this post needs some color, a peek at last weekend's swim meet:


We were very fortunate. Today, the heat index crept up to 98 degrees (88 degrees, 63% humidity the last time I looked) but it was quite pleasant during the swim meet.

And, one last thing:

Does anyone know what the heck Ed means by "assumptive coverage" in his comment to this post? I looked it up online. Ed has used the two words together repeatedly, but Google tells me he's quite unique in his wording. I avoid jumping into controversy in much the same way that most people avoid individuals with the plague, so I'm not leaping into the middle of this issue. But, boy, Ed sure has a few bloggers and book tour coordinators riled up with his recent comments.

Now, I shall fold my technical T-shirts as the homemakers do and quietly go read a book (because I'm writing this late at night, although it won't show up until morning -- it's like time travel, cooool). Nighty-night!

Bookfool in bare feet with air conditioner and ceiling fan

Weekend Reading and If The Fire Ants Are Biting, You Feed Them Grits

There are weekends during which you accomplish a great deal and there are those that are a total loss. Occasionally, some fall in between on the spectrum, but I'd go way west on this weekend. Not much of anything accomplished. So, when I went outdoors to work on removing the monkey grass in my front garden and discovered that the fire ants have built a home right where I planned to stick my gloved hands, I was irritable. When I got a bit too close to them and they bit me (even though I gave them plenty of room, the little space hogs), my mood was foul. I had to take a nap to recover.

But, I've fed the fire ants some American Cheese-flavored grits (presumably, the ants will eat them and explode -- hoping that's not what happens to humans because I just ate some of the Three Cheese variety) and now my mood has improved. I can now share my weekend reading with you.

On Saturday, I finished reading The Boy Who Loved Anne Frank by Ellen Feldman.

6-word synopsis: What if Anne's friend Peter survived?

Peter, of course, refers to the Peter whose family shared hiding space with Anne Frank's family in their hidden Annex for two years, during WWII. The Boy Who Loved Anne Frank is a novel concerning what might have happened to Peter van Pels (referred to as Peter van Daan in The Diary of Anne Frank) had he survived the concentration camp where his life ended. After time in a Displaced Persons camp and a new beginning in the United States, where he does not admit to being a Jew, the fictional Peter settles into a mildly neurotic and fairly prosperous life. But, Peter is haunted by his past, a past he prefers to keep buried even from his wife and children. When The Diary of Anne Frank is published and then turned into a play and, later, a film, his tenuous facade begins to crack.

This book really caught me off-guard. I found it was much more compelling, emotional and believable than I'd dreamed possible. I'll read just about anything, but I tend to give a wide berth to books that place a reader firmly in the head of a real person. My thought process is something to the effect of, "How can one possibly presume to guess at the thoughts of another human being -- one who truly lived and breathed and was not, in fact, fictional?" That bugs me.

But for some reason this particular story appealed to me. I think Susan's review might have been one of the reviews that sparked my interest. And, Tammy mentioned it as a favorite read in 2005 (her review is currently the third featured review at Amazon). It's a pretty depressing story, but I found it plausible, particularly concerning the emotional upheaval Peter might have experienced when the horror of his past came back to haunt him. Definitely recommended, but be prepared for an onslaught of emotion. The ending, I should add, is pretty upbeat.

In other reading, I'm about halfway through Susan Grant's latest novel, Moonstruck. Moonstruck is the story of Admiral Brit Bandar, a woman who has made it her mission to fight the Drakken Horde and dedicated years of her life trying not only trying to wipe out as many of the Horde as possible, but also to capturing rogue warleader and pirate Finn Rorkken. When the Coalition and the Horde draft a peace accord and become part of the new Triad, Bandar and Rorkken are thrown together, where they must share command of a new space ship and fight their unexpected attraction to each other. Or, not. It's a romance, after all.

Moonstruck is much darker than Your Planet or Mine?, a book that made my list of favorites in 2006. See my review of Your Planet or Mine?, here. I'm enjoying it, particularly for the change of scenery. I do prefer romantic comedy to a darker tale, but I also happen to really like Susan Grant's writing. More on Moonstruck, when I finish the book.

On Sunday, I planned to read a few short stories but only managed to squeeze in one: "Star Light, Star Bright" from Virtual Unrealities by Alfred Bester. How can you not love a story that begins like this:

The man in the car was thirty-eight years old. He was tall, slender, and not strong. His cropped hair was prematurely gray. He was afflicted with an education and a sense of humor. He was inspired by a purpose. He was armed with a phone book. He was doomed.

Well, that's a grabber, isn't it? I'm afraid anything at all that I say about this story might give too much away because it unfolds in just the right way. But, I can tell you that the 38-year-old man is in search of something small but important and that his search does, indeed, lead to his doom. Maybe that's what makes it so suspenseful, just knowing that something bad is coming but not exactly how or when or why it will happen. In fact, the story bears some resemblance to Richard Matheson's horror stories -- such as "The Incredible Shrinking Man"-- which are straightforward and suspenseful but seldom in any way gruesome or repellent. It's the fact that you know things are never going to improve that gives them the classification "horror".

So, now, I've just proven that the new little blurb I wrote for my profile is inaccurate. Sometimes, I actually do read horror -- just not the gory stuff that induces nightmares. And I hate true crime. Shiver.

Off to fetch the kiddo. Happy Monday!

Bookfool, on a Positive Mood Swing