Project Gutenberg

Project Gutenberg is a really cool resource. It allows you to read books online for free. They are able to do this legally because all the books they provide have expired copywriters. Obviously they don't have the more recent books but they have many of the classics. Some books are even offered in the audio format. The down side is that you have to read them from a computer screen (which is not so great on the eyes) unless you have a Kindle or Nook. In my opinion a good old paper book is the best -- this site however is still worth a look.

The Way to Wealth

In reading for my American lit class I came across some interesting quotes from Benjamin Franklin.

"the taxes are indeed very heavy, and if those laid on by the government were the only ones we had to pay, we might more easily discharge them; but we have many others, and much more grievous to some of us. We are taxed twice as much by our idleness, three times as much by our prid, and four times as much by our folly"

"early to bed, and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise."

" 'tis easier to suppress the first desire, than to satisfy all that follow it."

" 'tis hard for an empty bag to stand upright"

Quotes taken from "The Way to Wealth" aka "Poor Richard Improved" aka "Father Abraham's Speech"
Anyways  I found them interesting.

Book Review: "The Pilgrims Regress"

Well I finished reading The Pilgrim's Regress by C.S. Lewis. This was an awesome book an I recommend it to all. It is allot like John Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress, in the fact that it is an allegory and that the story in the book is the author's dream. But the "The Pilgrim's Regress" is different because the main character does not become a christian until the end of the book (whereas Bunyan's main character becomes a Christan at the beginning). This gives Lewis an interesting opportunity to present "An Allegorical Apology for Christianity Reason and Romanticism" (the books subtitle) or in other words "An Allegorical Argument for Christianity Logic and Desire."

The book suggests that to get to a correct (ie. Christian) worldview one must keep a careful balance between desire and self discipline/the law. The following quote from the afterword is a good summary.

"We must not 'hearken to the over-wise or to the over-foolish giant'. We were made to be neither cerebral men nor visceral men, but Men. Not beasts nor angels but Men- Things at once rational and animal. " 207

The Regress is partly autobiographical explaining some of the main philosophies and ways of thought that lead Lewis to conversion.

But to get what I'm talking about you should read the book for yourself. I guarantee that you won't be disappointed the book is very interesting and well written.