Below
are four books I want to read in 2017. One is a new book and other three are
classic books I haven’t gotten around to reading yet.
1. “The Confessions” by St. Augustine. This book is
often called the first autobiography in Western civilization, but it seems more
like a personal journal. St. Augustine traces his life from infancy to his
famous conversion at age 33. It goes without saying that “Confessions” is foundational
to western thought and Christianity. I just started studying this book with a
group at my church. Why have I not read this book before? I vaguely recall
having to read a couple of chapters of this book when I was in college; I feel
like I’m long overdue to read the entire book. My group is reading the translation by Maria Boulding.
2. “Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the creator of Nike” by Phil Knight. The co-founder of Nike,
Knight traces the growth of Nike from its beginnings in 1964 (the company was
initially called “Blue Ribbon Sports”) to the multi-billion dollar enterprise
Nike is today. A very candid, vulnerable, and endearing book.
3. “Orthodoxy”
by G. K. Chesterton. Something of a “spiritual autobiography,” this indispensable Chesterton book explains how Chesterton came to embrace orthodox Christianity. I
want to read a lot of Chesterton’s books, and “Orthodoxy” will be the first.
4. “Moby-Dick”
by Herman Melville. This book, one of the great American novels, is another
book I should have read by now but haven't. The plot of Moby-Dick – the epic
struggle between a man and the whale he becomes obsessed with – is well known.
The opening sentence - “Call me Ishmael” - is haunting.
