Book of the Month February 2012

The Tao Speaks: Whispers of Wisdom is one of the most thought-provoking "comic-book style" books you will ever read.  Written and illustrated by Tsai Chih Chung & translated by Brian Bruya, it collects the wise writings of Lao Tzu....considered the "founder" of Taoism.

Although I'm a Christian & not a Taoist (pronounced Dow-ist), I love reading books on other cultures and religions....and this one was fun, enlightening, and thought-provoking.  The artwork is entertaining  and illustrates fully the wisdom and simplicity of one of history's most mysterious and popular figures.

Book of the Month January 2012

Entering into 2012, I can think of no other book to recommend for a new year than Larry Gonick's Cartoon History of The Universe!  "Those who don't know history are doomed to repeat it"; a quote of Irish Statesman Edmund Burke, rings true from the beginning of time until now and until humanity ceases to exist.  This book; the first in a 3 volume series, explores history from the Big Bang to Alexander The Great's conquests.....and is the most informative, most entertaining, most easy-to-learn-&-remember  history book I've ever read!! 

Larry Gonick is a Doctor of Math from Harvard University who loved history, so read...and read....and read....and read some more, and put together volumes of history written on a middle-school/high-school level, and drawn in a way that is factual and entertaining at the same time.  With a sense of humor; and sometimes irony, Gonick has provided mankind with what may be one of it's greatest works.....rivaling Plutarch, Josephus, or any other historian that has existed down through the ages.

Tsai Chih Chung's "....Speaks" Books (Review)

Citizen's Grade: Impressive.

Much in the same mold as Larry Gonick's "Cartoon History" series, Tsai Chih Chung's "...Speaks" series is entertaining, informative, and fun to read. Written and drawn by Chung, with Brian Bruya translating the text to English. The six books I own include (in order by publication date):

Larry Gonick's Cartoon History series (Review)

Citizen’s Grade: Awesome.

I found it nearly impossible to review just one of Larry Gonick’s Cartoon History of the …… without connecting it to the rest. So I’m putting together the entire series into one review….

It starts in The Cartoon History of the Universe vol. 1 at the dawn of time, it continues through the dinosaurs to the dawn of man, then to the beginning of recorded history. The beginnings aside (mostly speculation based on science and discoveries, evolution….which by the way makes it very difficult to recommend this to Christian friends), once you get into recorded history this becomes the best historical book for adults or kids ever created.