Listening to Books

Just got back from throwing batting practice to the freshman team.  The infield was soft, so I threw in the shed, and it was HOT!  But it was fun to throw.

On the trip to Indiana I got to listen to two more audio books: "Team of Rivals" by Doris Kearns Goodwin and "Night" by Elie Wiesel.  Both were excellent books.  "Team of Rivals" details the administration of President Lincoln and how he drew together his rivals for the presidency to become his cabinet.  Lincoln's wisdom and leadership intelligence were outstanding.  It was fascinating to look behind the scenes during the Civil War to see the heart and head of one of the greatest presidents our nation has had.

"Night" was heart-wrenching.  It's the "autobiographical fictional" account of a teenage Jew (Wiesel?) experiencing the horrors of the Nazi concentration camps.  It is a powerful, gripping account of the horrors of evil and raises the question of God's presence (or absence) in the middle of the atrocities.  Haunting.

Together with the earlier read (listening) of "The River of Doubt" about Teddy Roosevelt's expedition in South America, these books have provided a rich experience while driving across the upper Midwest.