O Jerusalem - Dominique Lapierre & Larry Collins, From Beirut to Jerusalem, Thomas, L. Friedman

A good thing about the current pandemic is that I’ve had plenty of time to read. I'm currently updating a list of the best books I’ve come across so far. Please see my home page for the previous entries.

16th item on the list.

The Arab-Israeli conflict, besides defining the personal histories of the millions of people directly involved in it, has had a strong impact on many aspects of the life of pretty much anyone living anywhere for the past 70 years.

Yet, although we are continuously targeted with loads of information about political tensions, uprisings, attacks, retaliations and diplomatic efforts, few - if any - of us have a clear idea of when, how and why it all started. In "O Jerusalem" Lapierre and Collins tried to condense years of research, documents and interviews to connect the dots and shed light on the first phase of the conflict: its background, events and main characters.

I first got to know about these two authors during a long trip to India, almost 20 years ago, when I read “Freedom at midnight”, a wonderful account of the dissolution of the British Raj and the ensuing India-Pakistan partition. Reading their books is more than learning: it’s feeling the events as if you were living them, except that once you stand up from your sofa you are still alive.

Bonus: if you are interested in the recent developments of the conflict you can read “From Beirut to Jerusalem”, another gem on the subject written by the American journalist Thomas L. Freedman.

 

Enlightenment now - Steven Pinker

A good thing about the current pandemic is that I’ve had plenty of time to read. I'm currently updating a list of the best books I’ve come across so far. Please see my home page for the previous entries.

This 15th item reminds me of Hans Rosling’s “Factfulness”, a book that we saw together a few weeks ago. The topics and the goals are similar, even though the former is somehow more challenging and philosophical than the latter.

Like Rosling, Pinker makes extensive use of facts, charts and data to prove that despite what progress critics might say, in the past two centuries the world has become a better place. Length and quality of life, health, welfare, safety, peace, knowledge and even happiness have all improved, not just in the west, but worldwide.

As the subtitle suggests this amazing progress has been achieved thanks to the three pillars of the Enlightenment movement: reason, science and humanism.

The enlightenment methods and achievements are not to be taken for granted, though. They must be continuously kept safe from various threats, including cultural pessimism, religious fundamentalism, postmodernism, tribalism, authoritarianism and all sorts of destructive romantic ideologies.

Read this book and join Steven Pinker in this noble endeavor.

The art of happiness - The Dalai Lama

A good thing about the current pandemic is that I’ve had plenty of time to read. I'm currently updating a list of the best books I’ve come across so far. Please see my home page for the previous entries.

#14. Few people will deny that Tenzin Gyatso, also known as the Dalai Lama, is one of the most charismatic and amazing people alive. He’s the political leader of Tibet, the most popular Buddhist spiritual guide and an inspiration to people from all walks al life.

He’s authored many books and although he’s extremely erudite, clever and wise, I happen to fancy his thinking style better than his writing one. I say this will all due respect. I just find his prose a bit weak, his explanations a little repetitive, verbose and not always easily accessible to non Buddhist readers. His teachings are extremely valuable though, and I find that they are best conveyed by this collection of interviews, written by the American psychiatrist Howard Cutler (together with the Dalai Lama himself, of course).

Through a series of beautifully written questions and answers the Dalai Lama and Cutler explain us why the path that leads to happiness is an inner rather than an external one.

This book might change they way you think, act and live. You should give it a try.