Great Books of the Western World

readers back and forth between the Chicago of today and the Chicago left behind. The book is a stunning piece of historical fiction intertwined with a timeless romance. The book ventures into the idea of reincarnation; a delicate topic for exploration, particularly in the western hemisphere. It was partly the curiosity to experience how the author delved into such a contentious topic that drew me to select this book. The story revolves around the undying love of an unlikely couple that has, in…

the Western World is a comedy written by J.M. Synge and performed in the Abbey Theatre in 1907. The play is set in the west of Ireland, in County Mayo and is set in a country public house or shebeen and the playwright attempted to write the way Irish people actually spoke English, the language is known as Hiberno-English, there is also a lyrical, poetic quality to the language of the play. The actors all speak in a colloquial dialect that would have been authentic at the time. In the book,…

Istanbul: Memories and the City (2006) is a tale of an artist’s struggle not only against the conventional codes of the society but also against his own dilemmas and doubts. Eminent English novelist David Mitchell (b.1969) calls the book “an additive childhood memoir, a museum-in-prose of a city with West in its head but East in its soul, and a study of the alchemy between place and self”. Pamuk wrote this memoir at the age of fifty two, compiling all those spots of time, memories, and feelings…

World War I was one of the deadliest wars in human history, killing sixteen million soldiers alone, with a total of thirty seven million casualties including civilians. Mankind has been shaped by war throughout its existence. War can vary with type such as guerrilla or nuclear warfare. However, one aspect of war that remains the same is its ability to lay waste to all in its path. War has killed, not only the promising young men and women, but it has killed their dreams and goals. The horror of…

In his book, King Leopold's Ghost: A Story of Greed, Terror and Heroism in Colonial Africa, Adam Hochschild explores how the 'civilized western society' is consumed with so much greed, envy and pride that they are unable to open the eyes and witness the brutal impact of their action. The book focuses on not only the course of colonizing a nation and exploiting it of all its humanity and wealth but also focuses on the impact of the deed. It highlights the legacy of the colonialization and how it…

become the Buddha, set out on a journey to find enlightenment. Siddhartha Gautama was born into a noble family and from an early age showed signs of being special. His father was told a prophecy that his son would either become a great ruler or a great philosopher or world changer. As a young boy Siddhartha saw a man plowing a field and saw what back breaking work the farmer did to sow seeds. This had a very profound effect on Siddhartha making him question why people suffer and this idea of…

There are only a few books that, upon reading them, have made me think, “Wow… every single person needs to read this book.” Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn is one of those compelling books. Authors Kristof and WuDunn, who both work in Asia as journalists and editors, are the first married couple to have received a Pulitzer Prize for their work as New York Times writers. Their book tells of the present-day oppression…

There were contributions to the evolution of western civilization. Aristotle influenced so much more than a few books and teachings. He was a coined a philosopher. The student turned teacher even after death. Today’s western civilizations were not possible if not for the many influential ancient scholars. Vital to the emergence of civilization was growth through either movements that involved: religion, education, greed, or technological advances. In ancient Greece, Aristotle surfaced and would…

a way that no one has ever seen before. There are a number of reasons why this should be a must watch for moviegoers of all kinds. From the beloved charters to its amazing hipster comedy. This film should be a blueprint of how to make a true comic book film. It starts off with an amazing credit intro that would even have made Quentin Tarantino blush. That reason would be because Tarantino and many other directors would help fellow director Edgar Wright with this movie. Scott Pilgrim’s life…

The Specter of Communism presents an exhilarating look into the foundations of the Cold War that took place between a Bolshevik Soviet Union and a Capitalist United States. During this time, much of the world was in total chaos stemming from World War One. In Russian, perhaps the most devastated of these countries, a revolution was taking place in 1917, that established a new government under the influence of Bolshevism. This new set of ideals placed the government in control of every aspect of…