Dean's Suggested Books
Reading List
Here's a set of books that I've read both inside and outside of class over the
years that I highly recommend:
(grouped roughly by subject, but not meticulously so)
- Early Christian Writings published by Penguin
Classics, translated by Maxwell Staniforth -
This is a collection of writings from the pre-Nicene Church
Fathers, including St. Ignatius, St. Clement, and the Didache. It gives some
great insight into the culture of the early Church in the late first and
early second centuries.
- History of the Church by Eusebius - A history
of the Christian church from its founding by Christ and the
Apostles to the conversion of Constantine by Eusebius, the bishop
of Caesarea in the 4th century. He straddles the pre-Nicene and post-Nicene
eras and closely chronicles the history of persecutions under the Romans along
with numerous apologetics for the Christian faith. It should be required
reading for anyone interested in the origins and history of Christianity.
- Coptic Egypt by Barbara Watterson - A concise history
of the Christian Church in Egypt, from its origins to the present day. I
was especially interested in the period of Roman rule between the
Fourth Ecumenical Council in 451 A.D. and the Arab invasion in 641 A.D. It's
an interesting introduction to a culture that has managed to persist to
this day.
- Imperial Unity and Christian Divisions
by John Myendorff -
The history of the various theological controversies of the Christian Church
between 325 A.D. and the reign of Justinian. It looks at the various
Christian communities
that developed from Spain and Ireland in the west to Persia and India in the
east. It has interesting information on the ecumenical councils and
especially the Monophysite controversies in Syria and Egypt.
- The Russian Question by Alexander Solzhenitsyn - The
Nobel prize-winning author discusses the need to preserve the soul of
the Russian people and criticizes the movement since 1600 A.D. that turned
Russia towards western expansionism and away from the focus on the needs
of the Russian people. Also included are essays and speeches discussing
the breakup of the Soviet Union and how Russia should respond to these
new realities.
- Russia 2010 by Daniel Yergin and Thane Gustafson - A
well-researched book that examines the prospects for the Russian future and
what it may look like in 15 years. Though written with a definite pro-Western
slant, it certainly brings up many interesting questions and gives the
reader an interesting picture of Russia's possible future directions.
- China Wakes by Nicholas Kristoff and Cheryl WuDunn -
This husband-and-wife duo were the New York Times correspondents in Beijing
from 1988 to 1992. Their recently published book describes their experiences
in China during that period and the rapidly changing economy. There are many
interesting anecdotes and commentary about China's present-day situation
and its prospects for the future.
- Balkan Ghosts by Robert D. Kaplan - Mr. Kaplan
travels through the former Yugoslavia, Albania, Greece, Romania, and Bulgaria
and comments on their history and people. It is an interesting examination of
the origins of nationalism and the origins of the varied cultures of these
areas. It was written right after the conflict in the former Yugoslavia
broke out, and he wisely mentions the situation only in passing, as anything
he talked about would have been rendered obsolete by the time of the
book's publishing. He does discuss some historical origins of the conflict
dating from WWII.
- The Closing of the American Mind by Alan Bloom -
These days any college freshman with a Macintosh computer can get a
grant from the Heritage Foundation and write about "the evils of the
PC movement" in a crabby sensationalistic style. But Alan Bloom's
book, published in 1987, was the first, and the finest, book that brought
to light the decline of American intellectualism in Universities and the
problems with the modern American student, and its origins. He provides
enlightening commentary on academia both in the humanities and sciences. Those
well-versed in western philosophy of the Enlightenment will find this
especially interesting, but most everyone will find it accessible.
- Steve Jobs: The Journey is the Reward by Jeffrey S.
Young - A biography of Apple Computer Co-founder Steve Jobs. It traces the
history of Apple Computer and Steve Jobs's upbringing. It gives an interesting
character insight to Jobs, who emerges as not a technician, but rather a
charismatic man of ideas.
- The Clothes have no Emperor: A Chronicle of the American 80s
by Paul Slansky - Mr. Slanksy closely traces the foibles of
the Reagan years and 80s culture. I read it again and again and again.
His wry commentary is quite entertaining. A great source of Reagan quotes.
- What Really Happened to the Class of '65? by
Michael Medved and David Wallechinsky - This is the story of
a high school class in California that was profiled by Time Magazine. It
was supposed to be the most well-informed group of youth with the
brightest future. But Medved and Wallechinsky discover that their futures
were not as bright as they were made out to be when they revisted their
high-school classmates 10 years later.
- The Byzantine Revival by William Treadgold - A
history of the Byzantine Empire from 780 to 842 A.D. This looks at the
how the Byzantine Empire recovered from the Arab invasions of the 7th century
to hold its own against Arabs, Franks, Bulgars, and iconoclasts. This was
a period of reinforcement and expansion which preceded the
golden age of the empire in the 10th and 11th centuries.
- The Great Betrayal by Ernle Bradford - The history
of the capture of Constantinople by the Venetians in 1204. Bradford is a
strong admirer of the Byzantine empire and argues that the capture
and sack of Constantinople was responsible for ruining what was a
strong bulwark against the Muslim onslaught into Europe and thus
resulted in the destruction of eastern Europe 200 years later.
- Zorba the Greek by Nikos Kazantzakis - Not only
an interesting character study, but also a portrayal of Greek life from
the early 20th century that most people are unwilling to talk about.
Very much of a classic that people should read if only for "cultural literacy"
purposes.
- The Three Musketteers by Andre Dumas - Certainly one
of the best works of historical fiction. The complexity of the plot,
the romance, and the excitement make it better than most any fiction of
the adventure variety from any era.
- The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert Heinlein -
This is a great story of rebellion and self-reliance in the 21st
century. The plot is meticulously well thought-out in this story of
seeking independence for the Moon colony.
- The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams -
This is a classic of science fiction humor which follows Arthur Dent's
travels through the increasingly strange universe after earth is destroyed
to make way for an intergalactic highway.
- The Adventures of the Stainless Steel Rat
by Harry Harrison -
A collection of three short books about the inter-stellar thief and
wise-guy Jim DiGriz, The Stainless Steel Rat. It has a lot of
sarcastic humor and adventurous excitement.
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Constantine K. (Dean) Christakos (dean@pdos.lcs.mit.edu)