I reached one of my reading-related goals of the year... 24 books! For the mathematically challenged, that's 2 a month (and I think I can eke out #25 before the new year rolls in)! So a little bit of personal accomplishment... especially since I rarely set "goals" (let alone, meet them!). I have already thought up what my 2007 reading challenge (more on that in a future post).
So, as you can see this time up it's Madeleine Albright's The Mighty & The Almighty... and I already had the .jpg ready to go from my post all about the book-signing a couple of months ago.
Even though I have become a huge fan of Ms. Albright, I was still a little hesitant going into this one. My last attempt at reading a book about Islam was a mixed bag ... it was good, but just a tad too overwhelming and "scholarly" for me to fully digest.
No fear... Madame Secretary is a straight-shooter in print as well. The book is quite readable and engaging. And while she certainly doesn't mince words about the current administration, she states "Critics have an obligation to be fair and to offer constructive ideas. That is the purpose of this book." I believe she accomplishes that.
However, in the current political climate, any words or advice will likely fall on deaf ears to your counterparts on the other side of the aisle. Of a White House gathering of former Secretaries of State and Defense, Albright called it "a polite meeting but not, I fear a productive one". That is really unfortunate, because throughout this book, it is clear that Albright is an "American" first (dare I say, "a patriot") with "Democrat" falling much lower on the list.
There is a lot one can learn from this book regarding world religions, Iraq, Israel, Palestine, Saudia Arabia (heck, the whole Middle East), Africa... as well as some things right here in the good 'ole USA. I won't embarrass myself listing all the "I did not know that" moments, but believe me there were many (too many!).
Albright urges a much greater focus/education on religion as it relates to world affairs. Now this is not "separation of church and state" (somewhat comically, Albright notes the original intention of the Founding Fathers was to keep government out of religion, not the other way around)... which Albright states "does not insist the state be ignorant of the church, mosque, synagogue, pagoda, and temple."
Now granted some of this may be Monday morning quarterbacking, but just reading some very basic things about Iraq's history and religious make-up it is fairly easy to understand why things are the way they are. Good intentioned (what do they say about that proverbial "road to Hell") or not, the odds were heavily stacked against us from the get-go.
If you are interested in, but feel a bit inadequate about religion and the current state of the world, I can not recommend this book enough. While not an encyclopedia, I guarantee you will walk away with some new-found knowledge. Though, at this point, I would probably wait until the spring when it is scheduled to be released in paperback (with more than likely with a updated/new introduction).
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