Irregular Books

Parenthood is not a fit state for wallowing in self-pity. I’m now the father of three children, and my wife and I have been through some rough times as parents and partners, but whining never made it better. One thing I’ve learned as a parent is that it’s essential to make the conscious decision to see the positive in negative situations, and remain calm. Yes, dealing with children can be difficult, but more often than not the difficulty really lies in the limited patience of the parent, not in the child.

For those in doubt of your beliefs, convinced atheists and even the open-mindedly religious, Betrrand Russell’s ideas on the role of religion in Western society are sure to prove thought-provoking. He clearly and calmly describes the reasons for his ideas in a way that is rare in religious literature. Russell challenges readers to think for themselves, showing how history and the current events of his time contradict the fundamental assumption of the majority that religion is a positive social force.

Professor David Jones of the University of Central Florida exhibits a tediously narrow view of the cultural relevance of dragons in his book, An Instinct for Dragons.

It is a brave thing to try to write in a way that is not accepted in one’s field, as Robin Kimmerer does when writing about moss. Mixing science and purely emotional feelings about truth is commonly regarded as a bad idea, both by those who write in an emotional sphere and in by those who write as scientists.

Carville falls right into the trap of the Republicans, who love to “helpfully” say that the Democrats need to change what they believe in in order to win.

The Handbook of Practical Spying teaches us that spying is like what we do in everyday life. Everyday life is tedious, and so might spying be, if it doesn’t retain fictional flair. Fortunately, this book is about more than just spying, it brings intrigue and mystery to everyday life. It’s generously written and fun to read.

The Fairies in Tradition and Literature is step beyond coffee table books about fairies, for those who are ready to make a first move into the breadth of the old traditions of fairy

Not all readers want to be excited. Some want to be informed, and for them, The World of the Druids is going to be as good as it gets. When we are searching for the plain facts about the druids, we must content ourselves with the simple conclusion that for the most part, we just don’t know anything, and we probably never will.

One little picture in I Saw Esau provokes imprudently prude teachers and parents into a swirling fit of puritan rejection.

It’s not easy to fix family problems of the sort that lead to kids who are labeled ADD and ADHD. That’s exactly why there’s no reason to make it even more complicated by forcing families to fit into a behavioral therapy model. If Ritalin is a cop-out, so is the CSP Stein pushes as if it were a cure-all drug.