rating: 4 of 5 stars
Mr. Hitchens illustrates in examples from his own life and career, as well as in views from historical religious, philosophical, and political figures, exactly why religious beliefs are not worthy of respect by default. Particular examples: why religious people should not be prima facie considered more moral or ethical than non-religious people; why claims such as “God outlawed the eating of ham because it made the ancients ill” are specious; why religious people’s need to prove their faith based on reality actually undermines their case; and why even Mother Teresa, Gandhi, and the Dalai Lama cannot be seen as stellar examples of goodness simply on the basis of their faith.

As with Harris’s Letter to a Christian Nation, the people who need to read it won’t. But it’ll keep a place on my bookshelf.

Tags: agnosticism, atheism, Christopher Hitchens, injustice, irreligion

A humble, touching tale of faith in the face of horror. Gilbert Tuhabonyemana (his original name, shortened because running announcers got tired of saying the whole thing) grew up in relative peace in Burundi, Africa. A member of the minority yet dominant Tutsi ethnic group, he tended his family’s livestock and dreamed of a career in running. His stories of his childhood in this turbulent country are enlightening. When most of us think of Africa, we think of war-torn, poverty-stricken, hungry, thirsty, backwards countries in which all the children are swollen and fly-blown. On the contrary, Tuhabonye and his family lived a modest but peaceful life only occasionally touched by ethnic violence; the children were happy and always had enough to eat. He does not sugarcoat the gender differences; he notes that his mother and sister were always the last to eat and always worked the hardest.

The story of how Tuhabonye came to be the only survivor of a brutal Hutu attack on his school when he was 19 years old is interspersed with the happy stories of his childhood, providing a stark contrast that breaks the reader’s heart.

He also provides insights into the “survivor’s guilt” phenomenon, discussing how over and over he wondered why he should be the sole survivor of the horrific attack, during which Hutus rounded up the students, herded them into a concrete building, and set the building alight. To survive, Tuhabonye had to hide beneath the burning bodies of his classmates, sustaining terrible burns himself.

Above all, this is a story of how someone who has seen such horror can not only retain but become stronger in his faith.

Tags: Africa, childhood, genocide, Gilbert Tuhabonye, injustice, poverty, war

I have never understood Communism. More to the point, I have never been interested in the history of any country after Communism took over–not Russia, and certainly not China. However, Chang’s account brings the successes of Communism and the subsequent horrors of Mao to life. Her writing is honest, sensitive, and heartbreaking. She begins with the story of her grandmother, who was a concubine to a warlord and later beloved wife to a Manchu doctor. Most of the rest of the book is the story of her mother, who became enthralled with Communist ideology and fought for its rise to power, and her father, a strict and morally upright Communist who was condemned when he finally spoke against Mao’s abuses and was driven mad by the subsequent persecution. The turbulence and the rapid changes, as well as the confusion and chaos they caused, are perfectly captured. I could sense Chang’s frustration every time she noted that even though she knew things were wrong, her indoctrination would not allow her to believe any wrong lay with Mao. Thanks to Wild Swans, I finally understand how 900 million people can come under the full control of one megalomaniacal madman and be unable to question him. It definitely isn’t a happy book, even though Chang and her siblings eventually are able to exercise their intellectual freedom by studying abroad, and her mother is once again accepted as a good Communist and a good person. It is, however, interesting and informative, and should be a must for any Asian scholar. Had I read this during my East Asia History class, I might actually have learned something!

Tags: China, injustice, Jung Chang, politics

rating: 5 of 5 stars
The First Peoples series is apparently a group of picture books discussing how we have dumped on a variety of native peoples. However, they address the problem in a sensitive way, preferring to educate young readers about the customs and lifeways of peoples rather than focusing on how we dumped on them (although they do bring that up at some points). The text is maybe not the easiest for a youngster to read, but should be easily understood if a parent reads it to them. The pictures are beautiful, full-color photos. It is fascinating how robes made of birchbark can have such rich color! Best of all, you get to see the Ainu women’s facial tattoos. A very good book to get kids started learning about cultural diversity.

Tags: Ainu, Barbara Aoki Poisson, children's, injustice, Japan, native peoples