Just finished.....

....reading "Sumer and the Sumerians"  by Harriet Crawford, a professor at Camebridge University.  It was rather a dull recitation of archaelogical digs in Iraq, where the findings seem to have been sparse because of conditions there.  Sumeria was the ancient civilization that grew up in southern Iraq, one of the earliest known civilizations.  I found that Mosul in the north is the ancient city of Ninevah.  She describes the geography of the region, what is known of craftsmen and trade, language and writing.  Early tokens were used to record business transactions, and as they became more frequent, tokens were drawn on pots and tablets, other designs were drawn which came to signify sounds, and more abstract ideas were then expressed in writing.  The final chapter ties everything together, and she comments how digs became impossible after sanctions were imposed on Iraq and then the two wars.  Archeologists from around the world gave support to Iraqi archaelogists since their ability to connect with outside research was stopped.  Many artifacts were stolen from museums during the wars and though some have been returned many thousands are still missing.

Entertainment

Watching "The Pallisers", a 1974 BBC drama.  I'm not sure how we missed it when it was on TV, but it's very enjoyable, following the story of three generations of an aristocratic family in Victorian times.  The acting is superb, and the plot involves arranged marriages, doomed love affairs, and affairs of a political nature as several characters are members of her Majesty's Government.  I get so caught up in it that I forget I'm watching a show.  There are 26 episodes and we're up to episode 13.  New characters are introduced as the story unfolds so there's never a dull moment.

Another good book......

.....reading "A Journey" by Tony Blair.  An account of his political life.  I was a bit disappointed in the first few chapters, he seems to be speaking in generalities and cliches and the text is a bit disjointed and rather like a women's magazine style at times.  But later as he continues to where his party is elected and he becomes Prime Minister and is writing about actual events, then the story picks up and becomes really interesting.  He speaks about the political background of events like the Northern Ireland peace treaty, Kosovo, and the war in Iraq, and his reasons for the decisions that he made.  He made me rethink my views on the war in Iraq, the decision to go to war wasn't made hastily and his reasons were good ones.  We don't know what would have happened if Saddam Hussein had been left in power, he was responsible for many deaths.  His view that the desire for freedom is not only a western value but in the heart of every human being is one that I share.

Gripping story......

of Jewish refugees from Moslem lands.  The book is "In Ishmael's House" by Sir Martin Gilbert.  It tells the history of the Jews in Moslem, mostly Arab lands and how they were treated.  Sometimes they thrived but often they were persecuted.  It's no wonder they wanted a country of their own where they wouldn't be treated as second class citizens and at the mercy of others.  He ends by saying that peace in the Middle East while recognizing the rights of Palestinian refugees must also recognize the rights of Jewish refugees from Arab lands....some 850,000 of them in the years after the 1948 Israeli war.  It's a sad story.

The book I always......

wanted to read but didn't know existed until recently..."The Great Ideas (how to think about), by Mortimer Adler.  He tackles all the big questions of society and starts with the difference between knowledge and opinion and goes on to discuss democracy:  "When the majority tries to settle controversial issues by using pressures and propoganda instead of resorting to rational persuasion, then the weight of numbers is as bad as the force of guns and bombs."   That answers a question I had:  "How is majority rule different from dictatorship, especially when the majority is wrong?"  I'm looking forward to the rest where he discusses among other things:  the different kinds of love, art, beauty, how to read a book!, work, leisure, law.  He has the ability to clear the confusion and explain things simply.  Excellent.

A sobering read....

I've just finished reading "The Golden Spruce"  by John Vaillant.  It's a story of the Pacific northwest forests, Haida Gwai - the Queen Charlotte Islands - the native people and the logging industry.  The first chapter is a description of the mysterious, mist shrouded forests of the BC and Alaska coastlines.  We saw these first hand on our cruise in September 2009, how beautiful they are.  Vaillancourt's book speaks of the devastation the logging industry has caused to this region and across North America, though he's not unsympathetic to the loggers.  He speaks about the impact of the industry and the results of contact with Europeans on the Haida people of the Queen Charlottes, and he writes well.  This book is a national bestseller and has won the Governer General's Award for non fiction.  It's not an easy read, I was tempted to give up half way through but I'm glad I persevered.

Delighting in......

.....Shakespeare.  Loving "A Midsummer Night's Dream".  It's a charming tale full of Elizabethan fun, it must have taken the minds of the people off of the events happening at the time.  Is Shakespeare making a mock of how romantic love can make fools of us all?  the plot is cleverly woven and the dialogue delightful.  Why have I waited all this time to re read it??  On Saturday I'm going to watch the DVD... a BBC production with Helen Mirren and other actors that I recognize....looking forward to it.