Showing posts with label Books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Books. Show all posts

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

The Five Thousand Year Leap




I feel compelled to recommend a book I have just recently finished.
Without exaggeration, I would call it essential reading for every American.
Have you ever wondered what sudden phenomenon caused the giant leap in civilization?


~~Epiphany~~


:epiph-a-ny/ sudden manifestation or perception of
the essential nature or meaning of something.
~~~~
As I began reading this book I realized almost immediately that it would cause a huge leap forward
in my understanding and comprehension of the foundations and underpinnings of our amazing country
and why we have been able to prosper in freedom. (Also, perhaps, the reasons why we may be close to losing it all.)
But most importantly, in these pages, I found hope.




In 'The Five Thousand Year Leap', W. Cleon Skousen has done a masterful job
of outlining the basic principles -
or, as he calls them - '28 Great Ideas That Changed the World'.
America's exceptionalism and uniqueness are outlined and
its Founders quoted extensively throughout the book. Not only are its
Founders quoted, ( Jefferson, Madison, Franklin, Adams, etc.)
but also the great thinkers whom they actually considered as their pattern
while crafting our Founding documents : men like
Polybius, Cicero, Thomas Hooker, Coke, Montesquieu, Blackstone,
John Locke, and Adam Smith.
The framers were also careful students of the Bible.
Amazingly, though they came from widely divergent backgrounds,
they shared the experience of having read and studied
the same great books.


Skousen says~

Their historical readings included a broad perspective of Greek,
Roman, Anglo-Saxon, European, and English history.
To this writer, nothing is more remarkable about the early American leaders
than their breadth of reading and depth of knowledge
concerning the essential elements of sound nation building.


This, he feels, explains their remarkable unanimity in fundamental beliefs.

On particulars, of course, they quarreled,
but when discussing fundamental precepts
and ultimate objectives they seemed practically unanimous. [ ]

From all of these valuable sources they sorted out what they considered
to be the best and most enduring for the prosperity and peace
of a free people under a republican system of self-government.



Get a copy of this book~read it for yourself~pass it on to someone you know!

Friday, April 24, 2009

Living Lovely~Global Perspective~Part 2

This is a follow up and continuation of yesterdays post. I mention that the books we chose for our home library were often set in other countries.
Here is a short list of our absolute favorites!

Heidi
~ Johanna Spyri~
set in Switzerland

Hans Brinker
~ Mary Mapes Dodge~
set in Holland

The Wheel On The School &
Dirk's Dog, Bello
~Meindert DeJong~
both set in Holland

The House Of Sixty Fathers
~Meindert DeJong~
set in China

I Am David
~ Anne Holm~
set in Europe

Island Of The Blue Dolphins
~ Scott O'Dell~
set in an island of the Pacific

Cricket In Times Square
~ George Selden~
set in New York

Star of Light
~ Patricia M. St. John~
set in Morocco

Treasures Of The Snow
~ Patricia M. St John~
set in Switzerland

Where The River Begins
Rainbow Garden
Tanglewoods Secret
The Secret Of Pheasant Cottage
~ Patricia M. St John~
set in England


These books by Patricia St. John were particularly fun for me read to our girls because the author was an acquaintance of ours in Morocco and I read these books as a child in the 50's. I can't say enough good things about them and I'm pretty sure they are still available.

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Rainy Day

RAIN
Rain has returned to the garden so Leif, who is with me today, and I are going to curl up with a good book.




~BOOKS~

I love Old books to read and also to decorate with.

~

I will be adding more ideas for books in decorating in my next post.

Also a favorites book list.