A BETTER TEN COMMANDMENTS: A GUIDE TO LIVING LIFE WITH, AND ON PURPOSE by JAMES MILLER.
Do we know better than God?
Is it our duty rather than a deities to make the most of our lives?
For the millions of non-believers and the rapidly growing number of religiously disaffected, A Better Ten Commandments filters through the chaos and confusion of everyday life and provides a foundational framework for finding fulfilment without taking anything on faith.
It combines the best from history and philosophy, religion and science in a simple yet powerful framework that you can incorporate into your life.
A Better Ten Commandments is about who we are, what we want, and what truly matters in life. The only life you can count on.
Love and respect,
James Miller.
- Back cover Blurb
I vividly remember sitting in my parent's driveway, fondling my father's pistol and contemplating the best way to end my pain.
- First Sentence, The Birth Of A Book
The type of love I'm speaking of is platonic and given with no expectations. This type of love is selfless, not transactional. And the true wonder and beauty of this type of love is that if you expect nothing, then everything given will truly be a blessing.
- Memorable Moment, Page 17
SOURCE ... Received with thanks from the author.
READ FOR A CHALLENGE? ... No.
MY THOUGHTS ... Challenging us to ...
Grow mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually
(Page xxviii)
Using the wit and wisdom of sources as diverse as Mahatma Gandhi, Bill Gates, Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius and Ernest Hemingway (and that's only the first 'commandment'/chapter). Whilst, as he readily admits in his introduction, most of the ideas contained are not new ... or even his. However ...
Formulated in such a way as to offer an alternative perspective that isn't deity driven. Argue or disagree, if nothing else, the author's Better(?) Ten Commandments, as arguably provocative as it may be, provides some food for thought.
14 comments:
Greetings Tracy. Thanks for the review, it is appreciated. I'll try and read it as its sounds like a thought-provoking read. Blessings to you.
Thank you. Love love, Andrew.
Fantastic review. Hope you have a lovely weekend!
Despite my confirmed religious beliefs, I'm always open to what others think and this sounds like an interesting book. Has Mr. T read it? If so, what were his thoughts?
Likewise, blessings to you Andrew.
I hope you have a good weekend too Kimberly. Said to be a scorcher here tomorrow then back to rain Sunday.
No, he is yet to read it Kelly.
This sounds interesting. I tend to like it when writers ruminate about life and meaning and stuff. I also like the idea that the Miller takes a secular approach.
I think I might get shot down in flames here, but as an atheist myself, this definitely isn't one for me.
However, hubbie is more of an agnostic and is always open to new ideas about our existence, evolution and beliefs. He does however demand firm proof or examples to back up any statement, so he too might be just too critical of this book.
I read the opening pages over at Amazon and I do truly believe that you don't have to believe in God to be a good Christian. Surely I can be a good Christian, without needing to worship in a church, so perhaps I already have my own individual 'ten commandments' which I try to live by?
I do think that much of what is preached from the pulpit, or are words or wisdom written from a diversity of sources, is common sense, if we all just took some time to analyse our thoughts and actions, before we made that first move, or uttered those first words.
Thanks for sharing and enjoy your weekend :)
Yvonne
This sounds interesting, Tracy. I might like something like this, and will definitely have to give it a try.
Tracy,
This sounds like an interesting
and thought provoking book and
I will add it to my list.
Raven
Something to think on
Sounds like a very interesting book and one that encourages the reader to embrace a mindset of curiosity rather than mere (blind) acceptance, the memorable moment touched my heart. Thanks for another wonderful review as always and thanks for sharing this book, I would certainly like to pick this one!
You make this book sound interesting, Tracy. I agree with Arti--that this book may encourage a mindset of curiosity, and that your review is wonderful (once again).
Though I'm not keen on the idea, the concept behind it seems like something to at least spark conversation. Curious pick...thanks for sharing!
This sounds very thought provoking which I love when it come social/religious topics.
Karen @ For What It's Worth
Hello Kelly,
Mr. T. has now read the book or at least the preface and first couple of chapters. It was fairly clear that this is no philanthropic, altruistic gesture but an assault on religious belief. The author may well have read widely as he claims on the other hand his use of a broad range of quotes, they are not integrated into his text and feel like he's written his diatribe and then used a quote web-site to research a list of appropriate wisdom to stick onto it. He then uses a 'straw man' of religious belief to attack as his example of whats wrong with a belief in God. Again if read widely his use of biblical text displays cherry-picked examples from the bible. He criticises without any evidence of biblical study or understanding. Admittedly this sits well with his general critique of faith; that only the most unstudied biblical literalist would tout and yet this minority is portrayed as representative of all Christians. Oddly enough he doesn't have much to say about Muslims... His post-modern shift on the benefits of the enlightenment and insistence on science and economics as the only things that benefit human society jars oddly with the experience of Western cultures at the moment as they seem to be waking up to the idea that our politicians, economists and scientists seem to be incapable of resolving the worlds difficulties as the enlightenment promised AND despite his references to biblical atrocity seems to have conveniently forgotten that it is 20th century politics, economics and science mankind under the disappearing influence of religious belief that has uniquely created more death and bloodshed in the name of imperialism and money-making as well as bringing the whole planet to the brink of ecological collapse. No, it's all obviously God's fault. So it's a kind of Richard Dawkins 'lite' and not something I'll be recommending.
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