| More Reviews... Some updated 10/4/05 |
| Television Shows Same subjective A+ to F- scale. |
| House A A new medical show, just on about a year. I must admit to mainly really liking the main character, even though his aggressive medical treatments often lead to negative results before they lead to (usually) more positive outcomes. I think the show does a great job of showing how doctors often just "guess" a diagnosis, treat you for that problem, then change tacts if that doesn't work. (At least on this show they change their treatments, some real world docs stay stuck on their original diagnosis.) Full Metal Alchemist A+ One of my favorite Cartoon Network anime shows. It's about two alchemists--two brothers--who try to regain their full natural bodies after an alchemy experiment gone wrong (trying to resurrect their mom--which is a definite no-no in alchemy). Definitely gets under your skin if you let it...but in a good way! Inuyasha A Another Cartoon Network anime show...this one about a girl from the "modern era" who can go back in time, where she meets and falls in love with a half demon (Inuyasha). They are trying to rejoin a sacred jewel (which was shattered) and destroy an evil demon (Nuraku) along with some friends she made along the way. Really romantic and action-packed adventure from the creator of Ranma 1/2 (which I don't like as much). |
| The China Study by T. Colin Campbell A+ A nutritional book by a renowned nutrition scientist with extensive research experience. He details the reasons/research that caused him to realize that a whole-food, plant-based diet is the best way to go to avoid debilitating diseases common in Western societies. Not only does he discuss his findings (and those of others in the field), but also the reason that most Americans don't know about all the findings: scientific reductionism, industry power, governmental collusion with industry, etc. A must-read for anyone hoping to better understand the truth about diet and health! Stealing Jesus by Bruce Bawer A This book is about how fundamentalism/legalism has altered and misrepresented christianity. The author does a wonderful job of pointing out the errors in legalistic thinking and how it is far from being the "fundamentals" (so he doesn't call them fundamentalists) of christianity's message and early years. He discusses many people and denominations that skew christianity's methods and meticulously discusses how they are wrong. An excellent discussion for anyone who has (like him) been betrayed by their religious upbringing without knowing how wrong they really are. The reasons I don't give it an A+ is because I don't totally agree with his beliefs (though he doesn't seem to expect that) and he doesn't discuss the "positive" side enough. It really is nice to see someone intellectually point out the errors with legalism and how christianity's true message is about love--even to those who "sin." If Grace is True: Why God Will Save Every Person by Gulley and Mulholland A+ Another religious book (that's what I'm reading right now) that discusses their views on how God will save EVERY person, not just "christians" or those who act in certain ways. They point out that the loving God they have experienced, Jesus discussed, and they believe in could not possibly sentence anyone to permanent damnation. They use scripture, especially from the New Testament, to point out the problems with people who believe that a loving father would ever damn ANY of his children to hell permanently. An uplifting and engaging read if you too believe in a completely loving and merciful God. Again, I don't totally agree with them--especially one big belief--but this time the message resonated so strongly that I can't help but give it an A+. If not obvious, the two previous books' authors do not believe in fundamentalist/legalist thought such as the scripture being the direct and completely inerrant word of God and point out how contradictory the Bible is--even in "timetables" given in various scriptures (especially of Jesus' ministry--when certain things happen is different in the different gospels). I would still recommend them to fundamentalists, but I think that would just tick you off if you are dead-set in belieiving such ideas. |
| Books Same A+ to F- scale... |