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BOOK REVIEW The Intellectual Devotional: American History: Revive Your Mind, Complete Your Education, and Converse Confidently about Our Nation's Past by David S. Kidder and Noah D. Oppenheim Modern Times - October 2007
Reviewed by Dr. Jonathan Dolhenty A little over a year ago, I was given the opportunity to review The Intellectual Devotional: Revive Your Mind, Complete Your Education, and Roam Confidently with the Cultured Class. I said in my review that I did not intend to read the entire book before writing my review. The reason was because it was not that sort of book; it was meant to be read one page each day for 365 days. The book was a year's worth of learning about seven topics (a different one for each day of the week): history, literature, visual arts, science, music, philosophy, and religion. The book was designed to be similar to the popular religious or spiritual devotionals used every day by millions of people. I have just completed the year's worth of reading (I actually started the book before the first of this year so, of course, I finished it before the start of next year). The Intellectual Devotional was everything I expected it to be and I repeat my high recommendation of it. Now the authors, David S. Kidder and Noah D. Oppenheim, present to us a second volume of what I suppose will become a "devotional" series. This one is titled The Intellectual Devotional: American History: Revive Your Mind, Complete Your Education, and Converse Confidently about Our Nation's Past. It is set up with the same format as the first one, except that the seven topics (all related to American history) are: politics & leadership, war & peace, rights & reform, business, building America, literature, and arts. Again, one general topic for each day of the week with 365 learning pages. As with the first volume, I have not read the entire book before writing this review. I have perused the text, reading here and there, and am impressed with the scope of the subject matter. Think of it! If you read just one page each day and actually learn one fact each day, you should have 365 facts about American history at your fingertips for the next cocktail party or bull session, enabling you to "converse confidently about our nation's past." And you will have done it effortlessly without any heavy brainwork or cramming. For many readers, much of the information may be a review of long-forgotten items. For others, it will be a new intellectual journey into our country's heritage. I might submit here that this would be an excellent gift for a high school or middle school student since the material is easily read and does not require any special knowledge beyond the common and no vocabulary beyond the ordinary. There are two things that I didn't mention in my review of the first volume which became important to me over the course of the past year. I will mention them in regard to this second volume because, while minor and often considered secondary, they are important to me personally. First, these editions are solid hardbacks and the first volume maintained its physical structure despite the daily use; in other words, it is rugged and does not fall apart as so many heavily-used modern hardbacks tend to do. My first volume looks as good as it did the first day. I presume this new volume (whose physical structure appears to be the same) will also maintain its integrity. Secondly, and following a common tradition among many devotionals, a ribbon bookmark is actually built into the book itself, making it easy to keep your place from day to day. I hate it when a regular bookmark falls out of a book and I have to find my place again (of course, that's just one of life's little irritants but . . .). Anyone who purchases The Intellectual Devotional or receives it as a gift will not be disappointed. It is a great way to keep one's mind active and learn something new each day which adds some cultural capital to one's intellectual bank account. The only thing I am disturbed about is that I didn't think of this idea myself. I think it's a clever project and my congratulations go to the authors. I do intend to begin reading again the first volume, probably this time as a bedtime practice. As for this new volume, it will now become my morning coffee companion. The first volume did an excellent job at that the first time around. I have no reason to believe that the new one will not do the same. Highly recommended! 
Order at Amazon.com Order at Powell's Books |
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Enrich your life with a book about politics and current events... Enrich your political & social life with a politics or news magazine... |
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