Summer Conference Books

Yay Summer Conference! We all had so much fun, it was great to be on the beach. However, since Laguna is a good sixteen hours, I had a lot of time to read.

Kristin Lavransdatter by Sigrid Undset, translated by Tiina Nunnally
As a girl in thirteen-hundred Finland, Kristin loves her father dearly, and does all she can to please him. But while at a convent school away from home she meets the dashing Erlend Nikulausson, and in sweeping defiance she marries him. They have seven sons, and try to be faithful to each other as the world tumbles into uncertainty.

This book won the Nobel Prize in Literature, and for good reason. It is justifiably regarded as super-slow and -long. But while most stories focus on the winning of the prince, most of Kristin Lavransdatter takes place after her marriage as she lives out her life with Erlend. This book makes you think about the consequences of the smallest actions, the shortest words, and how quickly our lives can become tangled and splintered. Read this book.
NOTE: The paperback 2005 edition's cover is much cooler, enough to tip the balance!
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Christianity's Dangerous Idea by Alister McGrath
From medieval Lutheranism to modern Pentecostalism, all Protestant churches are based on the same idea: that one can interpret the Bible for oneself. This has caused arguments, denomination splits, wars, and is the core of the Post-Reformation Protestant Church. McGrath explores the people and ideas that still cause debate across the worldwide Church today.

Basically a history of the church after 1500, plus theological arguments.
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A Beautiful Mind by Sylvia Nasar
Great things were in store for John Nash. A brilliant and pioneering mathematician who developed the game theory, algebraic geometry, and nonlinear theory, fields as wide-ranging as imaginary spaces, prime numbers, economics, and computer science all fascinated him. But when he was thirty he began slipping, eventually descending into schizophrenia that would give him a divorce, lovers, an illegitimate son and a mad one, and make him an outcast to many of his peers. Yet, through his ex-wife and the loyalty of friends, he rose from the ashes and won world fame. This is his story.

The person who stood out to me most was his ex-wife, Alicia. She had no obligation to him, was in fact often frightened of him, but she was the one who was most devoted supporter. She helped pay for his treatments, the damages, and his everyday needs. It is a great thing to have a devoted friend in the first place, but Alicia Nash surpasses most.