| Last Updated: May 10th, 2008 - 18:14:40
The Intellectual Devotional - ClassBrain Networthy Award
By Cynthia Kirkeby
Jan 20, 2008, 07:04 PST
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From time to time a book arrives that surprises and delights. Such was the case when I received my copy of the Intellectual Devotional. The name was a little odd. After all, a devotional is a daily prayer book, and the connection between that and American history was tenuous but intriguing. Once I opened the book and browsed through the pages the connection was clear, each page was devoted to a different person, place, or event from the annals American history.
Being a nonlinear reader, at least of nonfiction, I find that I will frequently start in the middle of a magazine or book and skip my way forward and backwards. The Intellectual Devotional is my kind of book. For the past couple of weeks, I have kept it handy for those times of day when I have a minutes or two to fill. Waiting at the doctor's office, waiting to pick up my kids, waiting for my tea to boil... all of those in between moments became fascinating glimpses into American History.
Each page has an interesting, concisely written piece on American history, some were predictable like Thomas Jefferson and the Underground Railroad, while others were a surprise, like the New York City Subways and the Wizard of Oz. If I had the Intellectual Devotional as my textbook in high school or college, I probably would have found that I had an interest in American history, as well as world history.
One of the surprises I found was the article on "Five Points." This reference has pretty much completely disappeared today. In the mid 1800s New York City's Five Points district was the worst of the city's slums.
Visiting in 1842, Dickens was disgusted by the neighborhood's filthy alleys and seedy buildings. "Debauchery has made the very houses prematurely old," he wrote. "See how the rotten beams are tumbling down, andhow the patched and broken windows seem to scowl dimly, like eyes that have been hurt in drunken frays."
Compare that description developments popping up all over the US which are taking on the name of "Five Points" as a designation of an elite shipping, business, or living area. It's amazing how things change, and how some moments of history fade into obscurity. If any of those developers were students of American History, it's extremely doubtful that they would have used "Five Points" as their moniker.
The Intellectual Devotional is a highly recommended book. Everyone should have a copy of this readily available in their home or classroom. It's great as a quick reference as well as a great pick up book. Pick it up for 2 minutes or 2 hours, you won't be disappointed.
© Copyright 2008 by Classbrain.com
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