Tuesday, May 20, 2014

June 2014 Book: Ten Great Souls by S. Michael Wilcox

(Note: overview for last month's meeting can be found in the post below.)

The book we will be discussing in June will be Ten Great Souls I Want to Meet in Heaven by S. Michael Wilcox.

10greatsoulswilcox



Book Description:

Mormon's teaching to "lay hold upon every good thing" and the Doctrine and Covenant's injunction to "seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom" serve as an invitation to study truth from all cultures and all people. From great individuals of the past we gain valuable insights and cultural perspectives, and we are inspired by their triumphs over life's challenges.
In 10 Great Souls I Want to Meet in Heaven, author S. Michael Wilcox profiles the lives of his "best friends history," ten individuals who have tutored his soul as well as his mind and whom he wants to meet in the hereafter.
The list includes Saint Patrick, the slave who was not Irish; Saint Francis of Assisi, the son of a wealthy Italian merchant who became a Catholic friar; Joan of Arc, a French peasant who became a national heroine; Mencius, a Chinese philosopher; Khadija and Aisha, wives of and helpmeets to the prophet Mohammad; Siddhartha, who became the Buddha; Charles Darwin, the English scientist and naturalist; Sir Ernest Shackleton, who spend much of his life as a polar explorer; George MacDonald, the Scottish author, poet, and Christian minister who inspired, among others, C.S. Lewis; and Elizabeth Barrett Browning, the prominent English poet, whose love for her husband, Robert Browning, and its reciprocation, are the stuff of Legend.
(This book can be purchased from Amazon or Deseret Book. The American Fork library currently has only one copy of the book.)
Author Bio:
S. Michael Wilcox received his PhD from the University of Colorado and taught for many years at the LDS Institute of Religion adjacent to the University of Utah. He has spoken to packed crowds at BYU Education Week and has hosted tours to the Holy Land and to Church history sites. He has served in a variety of callings, including as bishop and counselor in a stake presidency. He has written many articles and books, including House of Glory, Sunset, 10 Great Souls I Want to Meet in Heaven, and Finding Hope. He and his late wife, Laurie, are the parents of five children.

May 2014: Meeting Overview

The books we will be reading for each month have been planned out for the next 8 months. (Yay!) You can find them on the side of this blog. We are in need of discussion leaders for all books / months besides June's book. If you'd like the opportunity to be the discussion leader for one (or more) of those books please email the group.

Here are other topics that were discussed:

Fun Summer Adventure Books:


Brian's Winter & The River (alternate endings to The Hatchet)
The Thief by Meglen Turner
The Cat of Bubastes (G.A. Henty book)
Enchanted by Kontis
Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins

Other Recommended Book / Books Mentioned:

The Boys Guide to Historical Adventures (G.A. Henty books guide)
Animal Farm (one of the books The Hunger Games author used to help her write her book)

The Lottery (short story) (not sure on author or exact book, anyone?)

Cooked (not sure on author or exact book - anyone?)

Other Things Mentioned:

learnliberty.org (had video classes that taught about the lessons that can be learned from the book The Hunger Games)

Also Mentioned (homeschool groups, co-ops / organizations:

FLA
RISEUP
George Mueller
ESP & MAP: Harmony Programs