3 X 5's: Index Card Wisdom from Best of Books

AWESOME Neil Pasricha (2010). The Book of Awesome. Pasricha claims to be a "regular guy" who works an "office job." He started a website after work some time ago called 1000 awesome things. His mom forwarded the site to his dad and soon people started emailing him with their own "awesome things." This book is a collection of those awesome things. The format of the book is a one sentence description of the awesome thing followed by a short (1-2 page) narration, often stories from the author's life that elaborate on the awesome thing. I appreciate how ordinary, simple, fun, and somewhat profound these little "awesome things" are.  Feeling the wonder and beauty of the tiny joys in life is AWESOME! Some of my favorite awesome things from the book: high 5 babies fixing electronics by smaking them hitting a bunch of green lights in a row smell of new crayons licking the batter off the beaters of a cake mixer popping bubble wrap       

  SILENT PLANET C.S. Lewis (1938).  Out of the Silent Planet. Lewis was a professor of literature at Oxford and Cambridge. He wrote 30 books. This is the 1st of 3 books in his space trilogy. Ransom (a professor of philology) is kidnapped by two men and taken to Malacandra (Mars) where he escapes and comes to know the hnau who live in harmony with nature and are guided by the elida (spirit beings). He learns that earth is the "silent planet" and ruled by the "bent one" (evil one). He returns to earth a changed man. We are not the center of the universe and need to live in harmony with nature and others. Practice nurturing harmony with nature: find a plant outside (or if you live in a place without access to nature outside, a plant in a windowsill will do), and do one thing for on behalf of the plant's well being (water, fertilizer, prune, reposition so it get more--or less--sun), place your hand near the heart of the plant and offer a blessing...

PERELANDRA C.S. Lewis (1943). Perelandra . Lewis was a professor at Oxford and Cambridge Colleges specializing in English Literature. This is the 2nd book in his space trilogy. Ransom, a professor and the main character, is sent to Perelandra (the planet Venus), where a new world is beginning. Weston (a rogue scientist) arrives, possessed by a demon, who tempts the Green Lady of Perelandra (symbolizing Eve's temptation in the garden of Eden in the Genesis story)...Ransom defeats the demon after a long struggle and is rewarded with a divine vision. Most of the book is spent in Ransom's head with his thoughts...he's orienting to the topography of the new world, discovering his mission, trying to understand the encounters with the Green Lady, and fighting against the demon (mentally and then physically at the end) we are all tempted in daily life...it takes mindfulness to recognize the temptation, and courage to resist, especially in the small compromises we make...why is it s...

HONOR Mary Balogh (2019). Someone to Honor. This is the 6th book in Balogh's Wescott series. Abigail Wescott (6 years after her father died, she discovers she is an illegitimate daughter) meets Gilbert Bennington (lieutenant colonel raised by a washerwoman mom who rejected the help of his biological wealthy father, whom Gil later reconciles with). After Gil's wife dies in an accident and he returns from battle, he has to fight for the custody of his young daughter Katie. Through extraordinary circumstances, Gil and Abbey are married and obtain custody of Katie. Favorite quotes: I will not give up the treasure I have [Gil to Abbey] because I may not get the one I want. p.272 We will do this together, this living, no matter what the future holds in store for us. The future is the one that we can never plan for, even though we are always trying...We will deal with it... p.272 It was their own piece of heaven...Let's go home. p.324 Who in your life can you do things with...be t...

TIMELESS BUILDING Christopher Alexander (1979). The Timeless Way of Building. Alexander earned the first PhD in architecture from Harvard University, has written several books...his magnus opus being the four-volume set called, Nature of Order...this Timeless building book is the first in a series of three books that were written before the Nature of Order series. The detailed table of contents provides essential principles and a summary of the book...the writing is personal with stories and examples among the 552 pages. the quality without a name brings order from within us, and from that place that is ALIVE in us, we intentionally create the building/space/place, and then sit in the place/space and ask ouselves if it "feels good" (up to 95% agreement is found when people sit in a space and describe if it FEELS good or not)...there are forces within us that seek to be in harmony with the external world around us, and when there is this alignment, we feel alive and at peace w...

NICE Kurt Vonnegut (2015). If This Isn't Nice, What Is? Vonegut never graduated college, yet he took graduate coursework in anthropology...the book is a series of graduation speeches edited by Dan Wakefield. overall, i was disappointed...there is so  much negativity about the world among the few bits of wisdom that shine through...among the bits of wisdom: the code of Hammurabi (king of Babylon 4k years ago) became the rule of societies justifying war, prision, and the death penalty as in an "eye for an eye"...the Hammurabi rules were broken by the love and forgiveness of Jesus of Nazareth, showing that there is another way...unfortunately, most of the world has yet to embrace this "new way" and are still living by the old Hammurabi code.  "Practicing an art...is a way to make your soul grow." p.181   for practice, notice when your life is "going good" and say, "if this isn't nice, what is" (this is a phrase one of Vonnegut'...

  ROMANCE Mary Balogh (2020). Someone to Romance. This is the 8th book in Balogh's Westcott series set in the Regency era of England. The relationship between Lady Jesscia Archer and Gabriel Thorne, who returns from a successful business venture of 10 years in America to claim his rightful place as Earl of Lyndale, is central focus. Gabriel learns to see Jessica as a person in addition to her role as an aristocrat. some of my favorite parts: "...not music that has been frozen onto a sheet of parchement but music that is living and breathing inside you....It all came from some unknown somewhere inside him, yet it seemed too vast to fit within his frame." 313, 119 when music comes from the heart and not the page, some unique place inside oneself, perhaps one has tapped into the univeral consciousness of which we are all a part. "It is not the rose that makes me happy....It is the fact that you give them to me. That you care..." 322 ideally, in gift giving, our car...