The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.
Read it over your Holiday break.
We will meet Tuesday, January 12, 2010 for lunch and discussion
F.D. Bluford Library's seminar room 256-258
12:30-1:30pm
Bring your lunch, Bring a friend , Bring a student
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Winter 2010
Our next adventure in our Across the Pond series is..
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
In 1988 Paulo offered The Alchemist to a small Brazilian publishing house. It only sold 900 copies and the publishers drop it. The Alchemist is nowadays one of the most read books in the world.
Coelho is a Brazilian writer with four books to his credit. Following Diary of a Magus (1992--not reviewed) came this book, published in Brazil in 1988: it's an interdenominational, transcendental, inspirational fable--in other words, a bag of wind. The story is about a youth empowered to follow his dream. Santiago is an Andalusian shepherd boy who learns through a dream of a treasure in the Egyptian pyramids. An old man, the king of Salem, the first of various spiritual guides, tells the boy that he has discovered his destiny: ``to realize one's destiny is a person's only real obligation.'' So Santiago sells his sheep, sails to Tangier, is tricked out of his money, regains it through hard work, crosses the desert with a caravan, stops at an oasis long enough to fall in love, escapes from warring tribesmen by performing a miracle, reaches the pyramids, and eventually gets both the gold and the girl. Along the way he meets an Englishman who describes the Soul of the World; the desert woman Fatima, who teaches him the Language of the World; and an alchemist who says, ``Listen to your heart.'' A message clings like ivy to every encounter; everyone, but everyone, has to put in their two cents' worth, from the crystal merchant to the camel driver (``concentrate always on the present, you'll be a happy man''). The absence of characterization and overall blandness suggest authorship by a committee of self-improvement pundits--a far cry from Saint- Exup‚ry's The Little Prince: that flagship of the genre was a genuine charmer because it clearly derived from a quirky, individual sensibility. Coelho's placebo has racked up impressive sales in Brazil and Europe. Americans should flock to it like gulls. -- Kirkus Reviews Copyright ©1993, Kirkus Associates, LP.
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
In 1988 Paulo offered The Alchemist to a small Brazilian publishing house. It only sold 900 copies and the publishers drop it. The Alchemist is nowadays one of the most read books in the world.
Coelho is a Brazilian writer with four books to his credit. Following Diary of a Magus (1992--not reviewed) came this book, published in Brazil in 1988: it's an interdenominational, transcendental, inspirational fable--in other words, a bag of wind. The story is about a youth empowered to follow his dream. Santiago is an Andalusian shepherd boy who learns through a dream of a treasure in the Egyptian pyramids. An old man, the king of Salem, the first of various spiritual guides, tells the boy that he has discovered his destiny: ``to realize one's destiny is a person's only real obligation.'' So Santiago sells his sheep, sails to Tangier, is tricked out of his money, regains it through hard work, crosses the desert with a caravan, stops at an oasis long enough to fall in love, escapes from warring tribesmen by performing a miracle, reaches the pyramids, and eventually gets both the gold and the girl. Along the way he meets an Englishman who describes the Soul of the World; the desert woman Fatima, who teaches him the Language of the World; and an alchemist who says, ``Listen to your heart.'' A message clings like ivy to every encounter; everyone, but everyone, has to put in their two cents' worth, from the crystal merchant to the camel driver (``concentrate always on the present, you'll be a happy man''). The absence of characterization and overall blandness suggest authorship by a committee of self-improvement pundits--a far cry from Saint- Exup‚ry's The Little Prince: that flagship of the genre was a genuine charmer because it clearly derived from a quirky, individual sensibility. Coelho's placebo has racked up impressive sales in Brazil and Europe. Americans should flock to it like gulls. -- Kirkus Reviews Copyright ©1993, Kirkus Associates, LP.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Fall Conversations...
Thank you for the lively and informative conversations about Presidents Barack Obama's Dreams from My Father. It is always a pleasure and encouraging to see students join in on the discussion and walk away with several new perspectives.
From the Inside Flap
Dreams From My Father
"In this lyrical, unsentimental, and compelling memoir, the son of a black African father and a white American mother searches for a workable meaning to his life as a black American. It begins in New York, where Barack Obama learns that his father—a figure he knows more as a myth than as a man—has been killed in a car accident. This sudden death inspires an emotional odyssey—first to a small town in Kansas, from which he retraces the migration of his mother's family to Hawaii, and then to Kenya, where he meets the African side of his family, confronts the bitter truth of his father's life, and at last reconciles his divided [cultural] inheritance." School Library Journal
"In this lyrical, unsentimental, and compelling memoir, the son of a black African father and a white American mother searches for a workable meaning to his life as a black American. It begins in New York, where Barack Obama learns that his father—a figure he knows more as a myth than as a man—has been killed in a car accident. This sudden death inspires an emotional odyssey—first to a small town in Kansas, from which he retraces the migration of his mother's family to Hawaii, and then to Kenya, where he meets the African side of his family, confronts the bitter truth of his father's life, and at last reconciles his divided [cultural] inheritance." School Library Journal
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
FALL is here
Save the date.....
Wednesday, November 18, 2009 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm
Seminar Room 256-258
Our first title of the year, up for discussion is NC A & T's Text in Community
You can find this title in Bluford Library at the Access Service Desk
Call number ... Reserve E185.97.O23 A3 2004
I will know soon if I have extra copies to borrow.
so keep in touch
Bring your lunch... bring a friend... bring a student...
Wednesday, November 18, 2009 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm
Seminar Room 256-258
Our first title of the year, up for discussion is NC A & T's Text in Community
Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance
by Barack Obama
by Barack Obama
Call number ... Reserve E185.97.O23 A3 2004
I will know soon if I have extra copies to borrow.
so keep in touch
Bring your lunch... bring a friend... bring a student...
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
ACROSS THE POND
This year's theme is .....Across the Pond
Our readings will take us across the Altanlic to adventures from our friends to the East.
We will start with our Text in Community and then venture through Liberia , Morrocco, Spain , Afganistan and Pakistan .
Titles for this upcoming year 2009-2010
Our readings will take us across the Altanlic to adventures from our friends to the East.
We will start with our Text in Community and then venture through Liberia , Morrocco, Spain , Afganistan and Pakistan .
Titles for this upcoming year 2009-2010
Dreams From My Father - A Story of Race and Inheritance by Barack Obama
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
The House at Sugar Beach: In Search of a Lost African Childhood by Helene Cooper
Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time by Greg Mortensen
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
The Shack... discussion continues
Next gathering we will continue our lively discussion of The Shack by William P. Young.
Wednesday, June 10, 12:30pm F.D. Bluford Library, seminar room 256-258.
Wednesday, June 10, 12:30pm F.D. Bluford Library, seminar room 256-258.
Friday, May 15, 2009
Thought provoking questions for "The Shack"
What elements of The Shack did you like (accept)?
What elements of The Shack did you find objectionable or not well presented?
What three words would you use to describe as a reason to read The Shack?
Who is Mack (Pre-Shack)?
Who is Mack (Post-Shack)?
What elements of The Shack did you find objectionable or not well presented?
What three words would you use to describe as a reason to read The Shack?
Who is Mack (Pre-Shack)?
Who is Mack (Post-Shack)?
Notes for "The Shack"
Here is a list of the main talking points and page numbers for each chapter ...provided by John Teleha
1. Ice Storm 14-23
2. Camping Trip 24-32
3. Tipping Point 33-42
4. The Great Sadness 43-66
5. Mack accepts the Invitation / Mack Meets God 67-87 (80-87)
6. Mack Talks with Papa in the Kitchen 88-103
7. Supper / Mack & Jesus on the dock 104-114
8. Breakfast of Champions 117-127
9. Mack & Sarayu in the Garden 128-138
10. Jesus & Mack Cross the Lake 139-150
11. Da Judge –Mack & Sophia in the Cave 151-169
12. Mack & Jesus return across the Lake 170-182
13. Mack & Papa talking on the Porch 183-193
14. Mack & Sarayu on the Lake / Dinner with Papa, Sarayu & Jesus 194-208
15. Sarayu & Mack / Gift under the Stars 207-217
16. Papa & Mack take a Hike 220-230
17. Mack Makes a Choice 231-238
18. Outbound Ripples 239-248
1. Ice Storm 14-23
2. Camping Trip 24-32
3. Tipping Point 33-42
4. The Great Sadness 43-66
5. Mack accepts the Invitation / Mack Meets God 67-87 (80-87)
6. Mack Talks with Papa in the Kitchen 88-103
7. Supper / Mack & Jesus on the dock 104-114
8. Breakfast of Champions 117-127
9. Mack & Sarayu in the Garden 128-138
10. Jesus & Mack Cross the Lake 139-150
11. Da Judge –Mack & Sophia in the Cave 151-169
12. Mack & Jesus return across the Lake 170-182
13. Mack & Papa talking on the Porch 183-193
14. Mack & Sarayu on the Lake / Dinner with Papa, Sarayu & Jesus 194-208
15. Sarayu & Mack / Gift under the Stars 207-217
16. Papa & Mack take a Hike 220-230
17. Mack Makes a Choice 231-238
18. Outbound Ripples 239-248
Thursday, May 14, 2009
The Shack Part II
WOW!!!
If you missed the lively and insightful discussion of The Shack by William P. Young at our May 13 gathering, mark your calendar.
We have decide to meet again to continue our conversations and debates.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.
Bluford Library seminar room 256-258.
Many thanks to our two discussion leaders:
Martina Chavis, Senior Development Officer, Division of Development and University Relations
and
John Teleha, Head of Reference, F. D. Bluford Library
Who brought activites, thought provoking questions and insight to the table.
We discovered a bountiful number of discussion points and responses to
The Shack with their help and encouragement.
If you missed the lively and insightful discussion of The Shack by William P. Young at our May 13 gathering, mark your calendar.
We have decide to meet again to continue our conversations and debates.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.
Bluford Library seminar room 256-258.
Many thanks to our two discussion leaders:
Martina Chavis, Senior Development Officer, Division of Development and University Relations
and
John Teleha, Head of Reference, F. D. Bluford Library
Who brought activites, thought provoking questions and insight to the table.
We discovered a bountiful number of discussion points and responses to
The Shack with their help and encouragement.
Friday, May 1, 2009
Title Suggestions
Sag Harbor by Colson Whitehead
Anytime I hear about a interesting book or someone suggest a good read... I will post it.
Anytime I hear about a interesting book or someone suggest a good read... I will post it.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Late Spring Read
We have selected our next read
The Shack by William P. Young
Mark your calendar...
Wednesday, May 13, 2009 12:30pm -1:30pm
I am in the process of getting a club set to loan.
So.....stay tuned for my update
The Shack by William P. Young
Mark your calendar...
Wednesday, May 13, 2009 12:30pm -1:30pm
I am in the process of getting a club set to loan.
So.....stay tuned for my update
Friday, March 27, 2009
What do you think
These are some of the suggestions for future reads
The Shack by William P. Young
Early in the novel the young daughter of the protagonist, Mack, is abducted. Four years later he visits the shack where evidence of the girl’s murder was discovered. He spends a weekend there in a kind of spiritual therapy session with God, who calls herself “Papa”; Jesus, who appears as a Jewish workman; and Sarayu, an indeterminately Asian woman who incarnates the Holy Spirit.
....NewYork Times
Good is not Enough by Keith Wyche
After being passed over twice for advancement, Wyche—now president of U.S. operations for Pitney Bowes Management Services—took a hard look at himself and began to consciously develop his approach, performance and image to better position himself for success. Aimed primarily at helping minorities advance their careers, his book highlights the 12 key lessons he learned—including the importance of personal branding, visibility and staying current as well as identifying potential career killers. Each chapter elaborates on a different skill while relating how Wyche and others managed to overcame specific obstacles. ... Publishers Weekly
The Shack by William P. Young
Early in the novel the young daughter of the protagonist, Mack, is abducted. Four years later he visits the shack where evidence of the girl’s murder was discovered. He spends a weekend there in a kind of spiritual therapy session with God, who calls herself “Papa”; Jesus, who appears as a Jewish workman; and Sarayu, an indeterminately Asian woman who incarnates the Holy Spirit.
....NewYork Times
Good is not Enough by Keith Wyche
After being passed over twice for advancement, Wyche—now president of U.S. operations for Pitney Bowes Management Services—took a hard look at himself and began to consciously develop his approach, performance and image to better position himself for success. Aimed primarily at helping minorities advance their careers, his book highlights the 12 key lessons he learned—including the importance of personal branding, visibility and staying current as well as identifying potential career killers. Each chapter elaborates on a different skill while relating how Wyche and others managed to overcame specific obstacles. ... Publishers Weekly
Mr. Wyche was the 2008-2009 Closing Bell Speaker for the School of Business and Economics at North Carolina A&T .
The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch
"We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand."--Randy Pausch
Carnegie Mellon Professor Randy Pausch (Oct. 23, 1960 - July 25, 2008) gave his last lecture at the university Sept. 18, 2007, before a packed McConomy Auditorium on CMU campus.
Here is a link to his one hour lecture on You Tube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji5_MqicxSo&feature=related
We took a short winter break …
Ok… it was longer then expected.
But, we are back in gear and ready to take on the next year.
Starting with a discussion about movies and books. Books we have already read.
This is a really late notice however, let’s get together
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Bluford Library seminar room, 12:30-1:30pm.
Bring your lunch and let’s have our lively conversations about the differences and similarities between Book vs. Movie
The Secret Life of Bees …
This was our feature book in Fall 2006
And bring a friend.
The DVD is available at:
Bluford Library… A&T Reserve PS3611.I44 S382 2008
Red Box at Harris Teeter
WalMart and many other retailers.
Also, if you have HBO don’t forget to watch The No 1 Ladies' Detective Agency ,
Sunday, March 29, 8pm . Staring Jill Scott
Remember…. we read the first three books of Alexander McCall Smith’s series in Fall 2007
But, we are back in gear and ready to take on the next year.
Starting with a discussion about movies and books. Books we have already read.
This is a really late notice however, let’s get together
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Bluford Library seminar room, 12:30-1:30pm.
Bring your lunch and let’s have our lively conversations about the differences and similarities between Book vs. Movie
The Secret Life of Bees …
This was our feature book in Fall 2006
And bring a friend.
The DVD is available at:
Bluford Library… A&T Reserve PS3611.I44 S382 2008
Red Box at Harris Teeter
WalMart and many other retailers.
Also, if you have HBO don’t forget to watch The No 1 Ladies' Detective Agency ,
Sunday, March 29, 8pm . Staring Jill Scott
Remember…. we read the first three books of Alexander McCall Smith’s series in Fall 2007
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
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