From the Library...

I went to the library today and checked out some books.

I love going to the library. I have plenty of books at home, but there is something magical about going to the library and being surprised by what I'll find. What book will grab me? What new area of knowledge will I pursue? It's quite an adventure!

Well, today, I checked out four books. It seemed that everywhere I turned, there was a book that looked interesting. Some days, nothing seems to pique my interest. But, today, I had a hard time making a choice on what to check out.

I settled on four books:

1. Michael John Carley, Asperger's from the Inside Out (New York: Penguin, 2008). Michael John Carley is the executive director of GRASP, The Global and Regional Asperger Syndrome Partnership. I attended GRASP meetings when I was in New York. To be honest, my experience was rather mixed. I liked some of the people there, but I felt that the meetings were somewhat of a whine-fest: they focused more on the problems of Asperger's rather than what to do about them. But this book actually does offer solutions and recommendations, and that is why I want to read it.

It helps to get Michael John Carley's overall perspective. At the meetings, there were things he said that offended me. As I read his book, I get to place those comments within a broader context, and that corrects some misunderstandings I may have had. I also like his account of why he is involved in Asperger's issues. He said that he wants to create an inclusive society for his son, who also has Asperger's Syndrome. And he recognizes in retrospect that he has dodged a lot of social bullets, so he wants to help those who are not so fortunate.

I only read the first chapter, and I see that GRASP has changed somewhat since I went there. It's been four years! Some of the stories are familiar to me, but others are not. For example, GRASP no longer uses the phrase "high-functioning autism," for we don't know exactly how well the "low-functioning" people function. Maybe they can understand the world around them, so why take the chance of offending them if that is the case? I like this one quote: "But too often, more challenged individuals are thought of as useless when it is we who so far have been unable to tap into what's there" (24).

2. Jeane Kirkpatrick, Making War to Keep Peace (New York: HarperCollins, 2007). Jeane Kirkpatrick was Reagan's UN ambassador. Her contribution to Reaganite thought was that she advocating America siding with anti-Communist regimes that weren't exactly democratic (e.g., El Salvador, the Philippines, South Africa, etc.). In her mind, these countries could become democracies if we worked with them, plus their help would be useful in the Cold War. So why write them off?

Kirkpatrick is usually labeled a neo-con. My understanding of neo-cons is that they think America should spread democracy throughout the world, through war, if necessary. But I just read her chapter on Haiti, and that doesn't seem to be what she believes. She thinks that Clinton's invasion of Haiti was a waste. Haiti wasn't hurting other countries. It wasn't exactly suited for democracy at the time, since it had economic troubles and a tradition of authoritarian leaders. Heck, propping up Aristide wasn't exactly a pro-democratic move, for he was a dictator. I don't think that she dismisses the possibility of democracy in that country, for she advocates helping Haiti improve its economy and literacy rate as a necessary step in that direction. But she's not exactly a trigger-happy warmonger, contrary to most stereotypes of neo-cons.

I've heard that she was critical of Bush II's war in Iraq, so I'm curious to read what she has to say about Saddam Hussein and the best way to deal with him.

3. Bill Kauffman, Ain't My America: The Long, Noble History of Antiwar Conservatism and Middle-American Anti-Imperialism (New York: Metropolitan, 2008). There's always been a soft spot in my heart for anti-war conservatism. You'll notice that Lew Rockwell is one of the links under my list of web sites! I became a conservative by reading about FDR. Here was a man who expanded the power of the federal government, in terms of both the welfare state and also the national security state. And conservatives during the 1930's called him on it. Overall, I support the Iraq War, though I question whether Bush has fought it in the right way. But I can sympathize with those who see war as incompatible with freedom, and who simply do not think a loss of life is absolutely necessary.

4. John Townsend, Loving People: How to Love and be Loved (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2007). Christians continually tell me to love people, but I don't know how. Maybe this book can help. I used to listen to Dr. Townsend on the radio, and, to be honest, I didn't care much for his program. I thought that he put people down. Evangelicals tend to like the idea of rebuke. They consider it tough love--telling people what they need to hear rather than what they want to hear. But there is a certain practicality to that approach, which I may find useful (even if it's painful at first). As I thumbed through the book, this quote stood out to me: "We cannot change anything about ourselves simply by trying harder or by will power. If we could, we would not have needed God's grace in the first place" (119). That sounds pastoral. Plus, heaven knows I've been frustrated in my attempts to change! This book also looks like it has stories and anecdotes, and that makes any book entertaining, even if it may have the same banal evangelical cliches. So I'll give this book a shot!

I'm reading a chapter a day. First, I'm reading Carley and Kirkpatrick. Then, I'll read Kauffman and Townsend. And anything I find interesting, I'll be sure to pass on to you. Stay tuned!