The best Christmas Gift for an active JW!

by LDH 6 Replies latest jw friends

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  LDH

  Friends, (in the true sense, not the JW sense) we all know that the publishing company known as the WBTS churns out crap like there's no tomorrow.

  Part of their motive is to keep JWs feeling as though they are not keeping up with God's Celestial Chariot (tm) if they are not current on ALL JW literature.

  Perhaps someone could quote where JW are discouraged from reading 'worldly' literature because surely Jehoober has provided the most important reading material through his Faithful and Discreet Slave!

  So what I'm thinking is, get a JW a Christmas gift. You can even placate them by giving it to them this week or next week and telling them condescendingly, you know they don't celebrate, but this 'really isn't a Christmas gift.' Don't worry, they will accept it.

  I suggest a GOOD BOOK, not a novel, but something that will give them a different perspective on their world. It should not mention God other than in the abstract to minimize objections to reading it.

  My choice for this Christmas season is "Guns, Germs & Steel" which is a Pulitzer prize winning historical perspective of how our world ended up like it is today.

  What's your choice?

  Lisa

  Borders Frequent Buyer Class
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  gaiagirl

  I read that one, and enjoyed it. Others which I also enjoyed include "Cosmos" (and many others) by Carl Sagan, "Seven Daughters of Eve" by Bryan Sykes, "Atlantis" by Charles Pellegrino, "Noahs Flood" by Ryan and Pitman, "Wonderful Life" by Stephen Jay Gould, "The Red Chair" by Anita Diamant, and "The Chalice and the Blade" by Riane Eisler. Any of these titles will greatly expand the readers perspective of the world.
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  Jankyn

  Might want to try a book about some incredible natural thing they'd find interesting--but that uses scientific fact instead of "look how wonderful God made the world" magical thinking.

  Maybe Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded, by Simon Winchester. I agree, Guns, Germs and Steel is a great choice; so is Diamond's new book, Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed (although that one may be too obvious, because it makes clear that cultures can end for reasons other than because God decided they should).

  But I like this idea. It's got a nice touch of subtlety to it.

  Jankyn
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  RichieRich

  im going to suggest my current read: 1984 by george orwell
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  skyman

  Orwells book 1984, this book opened my eyes wide open.
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  LDH

  Jankyn and Gaia are on the right track. Scientific discovery or something that could change your perspective of the world is the way to go.

  Richie, don't you think 1984 would be too obvious of a choice? After all, the animals are talking and we all know the only animal that ever talked was Baalam's Ass.

  Krakatoa sounds about right, and so does The Red Chair.

  As a matter of fact, I'll have to get both of those for myself!
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  LDH

  a book about some incredible natural thing they'd find interesting--but that uses scientific fact instead of "look how wonderful God made the world" magical thinking.

  EXACTLY!

  Jank check your PM, I'm going to be in Sacto tomorrow.