2 posts tagged “non fiction”
Legend has it that centuries ago (Sanford pinpoints it around the 9th century), a woman achieved the unachievable by disguising herself as a man and winning over clerics and Catholic thinkers. She became Pope John VIII. Her secret was only revealed once she gave birth to a child on a procession in a narrow steep alley in Rome.
Sanford takes us from his accidental discovery of the legend during a lazy vacation overlooking Joan's alley, the "Vicus Papissa", through a fascinating investigation in various Church libraries, cities across Europe and various historic sites.
He explores the historical, philosophical and even psychological aspects of Pope Joan, thoughtfully turning each angle to the light, making her both credible historically and relevant to modern readers. I must say that his research is extensive which at times feels like a laundry list of source snippets, but Sanford weaves these in with his own personal journey, creating a tale that is both educational and amusing. This journey is, in itself, as interesting as the potential truth he searches for along the way.
Book: Show us a great non-fiction book.
Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert is perhaps one of the best non-fiction books I've read in a long time. Gilbert details her adventures in Italy, India and Indonesia in search of pleasure and peace. She spends four months in each place pursuing the healing aspects of food, prayer and pleasure after a difficult and dark personal time. I found myself charting her trip to Italy and dreaming of every bite that she took (how many different kinds of gelato are in heaven?). Pleasure from food and aesthetic beauty (even though a bit gluttonous) is one that I know quite well and generally search out in my small urban world.
The next two parts of her journey - an ashram in India and a small town in Bali - brought out other forms of pleasure and peace that were somewhat new to me. Gilbert is a devout woman with a broad personal concept of God and through this trip she was working with and on her devotion and relationship with God. I am not a traditionally devout person. Certainly not religious in any way. But I do believe in spirituality. And I do believe in the very personal nature of finding your peace with something bigger than our little human banal world. Gilbert's experiences really inspired me to look further into what peace means, how badly I want it, and what I am willing to do to achieve it. I have had many of her problems with meditation (my mind just WON'T shut up!), but none of her patience or tenacity. Persistence, patience, and dedication are really important, but Elizabeth Gilbert shows the true answer --> You have to want it. And when you want it, the rest falls into place.
Even having devoted however many words to this description, I cannot explain the power of this book. I connected very personally with her pursuit, with a lot of her ideas, and absolutely with her personality. It's a book that gives its reader exactly what the reader needs. The reading experience will stick with you. When I finished reading this book, I couldn't let it go. Having promised a friend a copy, I sent her one in the mail instead. Rather than place it in my general book shelf in the living room, I smashed it into the book shelf reserved for unread books, because it was closest to my bed and to me.
I recommend this book highly for anyone who is curious about passion, pleasure, and peace.
