Reading like it's my job #19 - The Golden Compass; New books on my list
What a week! I was swept up in the epic fantasy world of Philip Pullman’s The Golden Compass (right up until the end…womp womp). I also started putting a list together of leadership and business books that are considered “essential” for a library that I'd like to build at my work. I listed a few below, but let me know what you would recommend.
Special thanks to those who sent ideas for books on parenting and spirituality – they are on my to-read list and I've listed them at the bottom for anyone else interested.
The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman (Fantasy, 399 pages)
I read this with my book club at work and went into it knowing very little about the actual story. I knew it had stirred controversy in certain religious circles, was adapted into a big budget movie in 2007 that performed poorly at the box office, and was recently re-adapted by HBO into a more faithful, darker mini-series. But what is it about and why read it?
The book starts out with excellent character introductions. We meet 11-year-old Lyra: She is brave, curious, and a bit rebellious. She lives at Oxford's Jordan College and the book opens with her sneaking around an area forbidden to her. We are introduced to her dæmon sidekick Pantalaimon (Pan for short) and simultaneously introduced to the concept of what a dæmon is: “an external physical manifestation of a person’s inner self that takes the form of an animal.” In other words, a spirit animal (something I’ve always wanted!) Pan can change animal forms and is almost like a Jiminy Cricket to Lyra. Finally, we meet Lord Asriel, the intrepid explorer who has come to present an important discovery to the scholars of Jordan College. What he has discovered and the impact that discovery has on Lyra and her world are what set the story in motion.
This book is an adventure. For the first several chapters I was propelled along by all the questions that kept coming up, such as what Dust is, why children were disappearing, what was happening to them, what is Mrs. Coulter up to, and what makes Lyra special. I enjoyed all the new information about dæmons that was sprinkled here and there. With every reveal, the importance and almost sanctity of the bond between human and dæmon gained so much thematical weight that when the answers to my questions started pouring in, it was an emotional gut punch.
That being said, not all the answers to my questions satisfied me and the ending was weird. It was clearly a jumping off point for the next book. I prefer fantasy that closely mirrors real life, which this book did for the first half, but the second half introduced even more fantasy elements and it all became a bit much.
Thematically, I like what it said about innocence versus experience and the importance of uncovering the truth. I realized that the religious controversy was much ado about nothing. As a religious person, I took zero offense to this book. I feel the same way Jane Tranter, the Executive Producer of the show, feels when she said:
"Philip Pullman isn’t attacking belief or faith or the church per se, he’s attacking a particular form of control where there’s a deliberate attempt to withhold information and keep people in the dark and not allow ideas to be free. It’s not personified by an autocratic government or church, it’s personified by the Magisterium (in the books and series), it’s not personified by any church in our world."
If you consider a fantasy book for children offensive or dangerous, that says more about your insecurities than Philip Pullman's intentions. Overall, I am glad I read it and I do want to finish the trilogy (I hear it gets better). I'm also interested in watching the miniseries. Lyra is a heroine worth rooting for and I expect she will have to face even more challenges in the next two books.
What do you think of The Golden Compass/His Dark Materials?
Business Essentials
I'm putting together a library at work and I've asked co-workers to send me titles that they'd like to see. So far, these are the ones that keep popping up. What else should be on here?
How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
Good to Great by Jim Collins
The Toyota Way by Jeffery Liker
Getting Things Done by David Allen
Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey
The Innovator's Dilemma by Clayton M. Christensen
Parenting and Spirituality Lists
My good friend Emily is living with her husband and young son in Budapest and she sent me a solid list of titles that I can't wait to check out. Emily is well-read and does her research so I trust anything she recommends. (Plus, these titles are like click bait, but in a good way!)
Peaceful Parent, Happy Kids: How to Stop Yelling and Start Connecting by Dr. Laura Markham
Simplicity Parenting: Using the Extraordinary Power of Less to Raise Calmer, Happier, and More Secure Kids by Kim John Payne and Lisa M. Ross
Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder by Richard Louv
How to Raise a Wild Child: The Art and Science of Falling in Love with Nature by Scott Sampson
Raising Boys: Why Boys are Different -- and How to Help Them Become Happy and Well-Balanced Men by Steve Biddulph
My mother sent me some ideas as well and after reading the first few chapters of Isaiah for Airheads, it's already making more sense!
The Turning: Why the State of the Family Matters, and What the World Can Do About It by Richard and Linda Eyre
The God Seed: Probing the Mystery of Spiritual Development by M. Catherine Thomas
Christ and the New Covenant: The Messianic Message of the Book of Mormon by Jeffrey R. Holland
Isaiah for Airheads by John Bytheway
Finally, my buddy Jared is someone I can talk to about anything and he keeps me on track when it comes to spiritual development. He sent me the following list:
Inspired by Rachel Evans
Faith is not Blind by Bruce C. Hafen and Marie K. Hafen
By the Hand of Mormon: The American Scripture that Launched a New World Religion by Terryl L. Givens
A Documentary History of the Book of Mormon by Larry E. Morris
If you've made it this far, I sincerely thank you and hope to hear from you soon.
Kyle