So after an intermission (while I move back to Manitoba mainly), I will be planning a second series of Our Crazy World. I am open to suggestions for what books to do in this one. Expect to see it after July. Also considering a philosophy series and a theology series... Maybe.
Let me know.
-Horace
Thursday 26 June 2014
Monday 23 June 2014
Long Walk To Freedom
At midnight 24th of June, 2014, I read the 625th page of Long Walk To Freedom (Nelson Mandela's autobiography)... Well roughly midnight... and I have to be up at six...
Anyways, Long Walk To Freedom (LWTF) chronicles the life of Nelson Mandela as he remembers it. Mandela's life is one of struggle, having come to age in the oppressive, racist apartheid system. From early adulthood Mandela fought for the freedom of not only his fellow Africans but all non-white peoples of South Africa.
Anyways, Long Walk To Freedom (LWTF) chronicles the life of Nelson Mandela as he remembers it. Mandela's life is one of struggle, having come to age in the oppressive, racist apartheid system. From early adulthood Mandela fought for the freedom of not only his fellow Africans but all non-white peoples of South Africa.
The life of Nelson Mandela is an inspiring one. Having studied and become a lawyer he and his longtime friend and fellow freedom fighter Oliver Tambo opened the first black-owned law firm in South Africa. Mandela got into politics via the Africanist National Congress, although the government was white-only. The ANC fought for equality of all races in South Africa, which came with fierce retaliation from the federal government which wound up imprisoning Mandela for 27 years!
Mandela left prison in his seventies in the mid early 1990s, emerging into a different, yet far too similar South Africa than the one he left prior to his incarceration. Mandela's life was filled with struggle and tragedy but he did eventually end apartheid and the white minority's rule of the nation (no spoilers there).
Although at times it does feel like Mandela's memory of his life was rose tinted and favored him, it is not as bad as it could have been in those respects and it is obvious that people had kept this book from sounding too dreamy that in regards to Mandela. Overall the book is great and it would be impossible to shorten it from its 625 page format without omitting valuable details of Mandela's life. The final few pages of the book are also a fantastic, poetic and resonant end to an amazing story. This book is definitely a must read and hopefully you don't have to read it in two weeks like I just did.
This concludes my first mini-series: Our Crazy World. Although I didn't plan on it there is an underlying theme to this whole series and I would encourage you to figure it out, I will reveal the answer next Monday (a holiday for me), after which I will take an intermission to read some of the books I have and travel back to Manitoba where I normally reside before I start any more mini series. There will be a second 'Our Crazy World' and I am open to suggestions for it.
Thank you for reading.
-Horace
Tuesday 17 June 2014
Long Walk To Freedom: halfway there
I know it's Tuesday and I normally post on Mondays, but I was super busy last night. So now I am roughly halfway through Long Walk To Freedom (about p.312). Long Walk To Freedom (LWTF) is Nelson Mandela' autobiography.
So far in LWTF, Nelson Mandela has grown up, gotten a law degree, and started fighting the oppressive South African apartheid system. He's been to jail a bit and divorced from his first wife. So far his life has been inspirational, he co-founded with Oliver Tambo the first african-owned law firm in South Africa.
I'm sure this sounds a bit dry as a review, but it's really an update, since I'm only midway in this book. So far it is good, although my hand does get tired from holding it. Something I don't like is that the next chapter begins immediately after the previous one ends, just my own peeves.
If you're a skilled reader I dare you to pick this one up and finish it by monday when I finish off the book and begin my intermission.
-Horace
So far in LWTF, Nelson Mandela has grown up, gotten a law degree, and started fighting the oppressive South African apartheid system. He's been to jail a bit and divorced from his first wife. So far his life has been inspirational, he co-founded with Oliver Tambo the first african-owned law firm in South Africa.
I'm sure this sounds a bit dry as a review, but it's really an update, since I'm only midway in this book. So far it is good, although my hand does get tired from holding it. Something I don't like is that the next chapter begins immediately after the previous one ends, just my own peeves.
If you're a skilled reader I dare you to pick this one up and finish it by monday when I finish off the book and begin my intermission.
-Horace
Monday 9 June 2014
Radio Congo
When someone mentions 'Congo' what do you immediately think? For most of us the first thing that springs to mind is an image of war and child soldiers. In his book Radio Congo, author Ben Rawlence paints a much different picture.
Author Ben Rawlence had heard of a tin mining city in central Belgian-Congo which was a model european city in the heart of a jungle and is compelled to find it on foot starting at Goma on the border to Rwanda. Rawlence's journey brings him into contact with many locals of Congo including Pygmies, Banyamulenge (Congolese Hutus), Muntu (Congomen), various aid workers and armed forces. There is still some conflict in Congo, there are still Rwandan soldiers who have settled in Congo and the Congolese national army which is trying to rout them back to Rwanda. The Muntu and Banyamulenge do not get along and sometimes clash. Aswell there are also militias-turned-warlord called Mai Mai militias which terrorize sections of Congo, but from Rawlence's journey from Goma to Manono he was not once shot at despite being a white Brit in central Africa. He wasn't even mugged or robbed.
Rawlence adequately portrays Congo as a country with an uneasy peace, trying to make the best of the situation they live in. The most surprising face of the people of Congo are their incredible hospitality. Do not get the impression that everything is fine and dandy in the Democratic Republic of Congo, there is still hunger problems, poverty, exploitation and the occasional violent clash. Congo is a nation recovering from devastating wars, but it is recovering and it's people are making the best of a bad situation.
The radio stations in Congo are a valuable asset to the nation's recovery. Entire towns and villages will tune into a broadcast to hear news from their country or from abroad. Television is rare in Congo, Rawlence encountered maybe three in his whole journey. Electricity is scarce but a battery powered radio requires little juice to power. The radio broadcasters, most of which volunteers, spread the news of the world to their people and the people cling to their radios to hear the news.
Radio Congo was an inspiring novel, as I read it I felt a need to participate in assisting in Congo's recovery, even if I don't know how I could. Personally I find most relief efforts short-sighted. Often relief means handing out some food and money, but to me I think a relief effort should set people up to become self sufficient so that no more relief will be needed and the wealthy relievers can move on to help another group in need. To me what is needed in places like Congo is teachers, to teach primary schools, set up education systems and teach new teachers to replace them. I this the natives of a country could protect themselves from exploitation and develop a future free of internal war.
Next up in Our Crazy World is Long Walk to Freedom, Nelson Mandela's autobiography. Due to the sheer size of this book, part 1 will be next Monday (16th) and part 2 will be the Monday after that (23rd).
-Horace
Author Ben Rawlence had heard of a tin mining city in central Belgian-Congo which was a model european city in the heart of a jungle and is compelled to find it on foot starting at Goma on the border to Rwanda. Rawlence's journey brings him into contact with many locals of Congo including Pygmies, Banyamulenge (Congolese Hutus), Muntu (Congomen), various aid workers and armed forces. There is still some conflict in Congo, there are still Rwandan soldiers who have settled in Congo and the Congolese national army which is trying to rout them back to Rwanda. The Muntu and Banyamulenge do not get along and sometimes clash. Aswell there are also militias-turned-warlord called Mai Mai militias which terrorize sections of Congo, but from Rawlence's journey from Goma to Manono he was not once shot at despite being a white Brit in central Africa. He wasn't even mugged or robbed.
Rawlence adequately portrays Congo as a country with an uneasy peace, trying to make the best of the situation they live in. The most surprising face of the people of Congo are their incredible hospitality. Do not get the impression that everything is fine and dandy in the Democratic Republic of Congo, there is still hunger problems, poverty, exploitation and the occasional violent clash. Congo is a nation recovering from devastating wars, but it is recovering and it's people are making the best of a bad situation.
The radio stations in Congo are a valuable asset to the nation's recovery. Entire towns and villages will tune into a broadcast to hear news from their country or from abroad. Television is rare in Congo, Rawlence encountered maybe three in his whole journey. Electricity is scarce but a battery powered radio requires little juice to power. The radio broadcasters, most of which volunteers, spread the news of the world to their people and the people cling to their radios to hear the news.
Radio Congo was an inspiring novel, as I read it I felt a need to participate in assisting in Congo's recovery, even if I don't know how I could. Personally I find most relief efforts short-sighted. Often relief means handing out some food and money, but to me I think a relief effort should set people up to become self sufficient so that no more relief will be needed and the wealthy relievers can move on to help another group in need. To me what is needed in places like Congo is teachers, to teach primary schools, set up education systems and teach new teachers to replace them. I this the natives of a country could protect themselves from exploitation and develop a future free of internal war.
Next up in Our Crazy World is Long Walk to Freedom, Nelson Mandela's autobiography. Due to the sheer size of this book, part 1 will be next Monday (16th) and part 2 will be the Monday after that (23rd).
-Horace
Sunday 8 June 2014
Our Crazy World #2
I've been thinking of doing this mini-series again. This time I intend to focus on leaders of nations/empires. I have a few books in mind but I am still open to suggestions to include if anybody out there has any ideas.
If you know a good book, or one for Africa or South America as I haven't any covering those regions yet please do suggest them in comments
If you know a good book, or one for Africa or South America as I haven't any covering those regions yet please do suggest them in comments
Monday 2 June 2014
Our Crazy World pt2: The story of Che Guevara
Alrighty, part 2 of Our Crazy World is The Story Of Che Guevara. I was actually a little hard pressed to finish this book in time for today's post but at midnight I only had a dozen pages to go and finished it off earlier today.
The Story of Che Guevara is accredited as the most comprehensive biography to date of Che Guevara. It is written by a lady named Lucia Alvarez de Toledo, who was born about the same time as Che and in the same region.
Her book chronicles in depth the life and death of Che Guevara. Ernesto Guevara de la Serna, later nicknamed Che in Cuba based on his accent, was born in Argentina and grew up to become a doctor before he wound up becoming a marxist revolutionary. Originially a fan of Ghandi and staunchly against violence he eventually decided the way to throw off USA oppression and exploitation was via armed revolution.
Overall this book is a good read, especially the second half. The first half of the book isn't that great, which caused me to lose interest at first and put it on the back burner until I came up with the idea for this mini series. The first half really focuses on Ernesto growing up in Argentina and living with asthma (yes the man who led armies for Castro had asthma) and then getting his education as a doctor. Once Ernesto starts his travels of Latin America the book starts to get better and once the Cuban revolution starts it is gripping, I never thought a communist bureaucracy could be so exciting!
I'm sure you can see some trends starting in this series, I actually didn't intend most of them but I won't ignore them either. One seeming trend is that of communism, although many would argue that North Korea isnt really as much a communist state as it is a hereditary dictatorship/prison. Another more likely one is oppression: Shin was oppressed because he was born in the worst country in the world, Latin America was/is oppressed by USA imperialism. Both stories occured because of oppression.
The only factor that really underlies this series is these are stories that show us where our world has gotten and where it is now... and how we still ave a long way to go before this place gets anywhere close to normal.
-Horace
The Story of Che Guevara is accredited as the most comprehensive biography to date of Che Guevara. It is written by a lady named Lucia Alvarez de Toledo, who was born about the same time as Che and in the same region.
Her book chronicles in depth the life and death of Che Guevara. Ernesto Guevara de la Serna, later nicknamed Che in Cuba based on his accent, was born in Argentina and grew up to become a doctor before he wound up becoming a marxist revolutionary. Originially a fan of Ghandi and staunchly against violence he eventually decided the way to throw off USA oppression and exploitation was via armed revolution.
Overall this book is a good read, especially the second half. The first half of the book isn't that great, which caused me to lose interest at first and put it on the back burner until I came up with the idea for this mini series. The first half really focuses on Ernesto growing up in Argentina and living with asthma (yes the man who led armies for Castro had asthma) and then getting his education as a doctor. Once Ernesto starts his travels of Latin America the book starts to get better and once the Cuban revolution starts it is gripping, I never thought a communist bureaucracy could be so exciting!
I'm sure you can see some trends starting in this series, I actually didn't intend most of them but I won't ignore them either. One seeming trend is that of communism, although many would argue that North Korea isnt really as much a communist state as it is a hereditary dictatorship/prison. Another more likely one is oppression: Shin was oppressed because he was born in the worst country in the world, Latin America was/is oppressed by USA imperialism. Both stories occured because of oppression.
The only factor that really underlies this series is these are stories that show us where our world has gotten and where it is now... and how we still ave a long way to go before this place gets anywhere close to normal.
-Horace
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