What I am Reading Right Now...
This is both a wonderful and painful book. Frank is the founder of the Zen Hospice Project and has helped over 1000 people gracefully and peacefully manage their passing. The lessons he has learned are shared with eloquence. Read this book.
2. "Free Will", by Sam Harris.
A brief essay on Sam's philosophy as it pertains to the free will/determinism debate. I can't seem to stop thinking about this question. Even though his point view can be a little discouraging it is clearly written and easy to understand which is more than I can say for a most other philosophical books on this topic.
3. "Why Buddhism is True", by Robert Wright.
This is a really funny book actually. Robert's writing is witty but he takes a very scientific approach to the philosophy of Buddhism. This book is for the sceptics out there who struggle with this particular form of spirituality. Robert combines the disciplined approach of neuroscience with the essential teachings of Buddhism to give the reader some real, actionable information they can use to lead a slightly happier life.
4. "Indian Givers", by Jack Weatherford.
Despite the unwoke title, this book celebrates everything our modern society owes to the cultures and teachings of the indigenous people of North America and South America. It is a stunner. Our modern monetary system (courtesy of the plundering of Incan silver mines in the 15th-17th centuries), food, medicines, liberal democratic values, and even elements of the Enlightenment, can all be drawn back to what European explorers learned (and stole) from the first peoples of the Americas.