What We're Reading, Hearing, Watching - Pt. 2

READING

Jason is juggling a couple of books this week. He's still reading The Next 100 Years: A Forecast for the 21st Century. He also just started I is an Other

This is how the Wall Street Journal's review begins:

"Metaphors are dangerous—or so we've been told of late, as various rhetorical tropes have been called "hate speech" and blamed for a dangerous climate of incivility. But politics has never been beanbag. Candidates wage campaigns; they fight for supremacy in battleground states . Strategy and tactics do much to decide who will be the victor and who will suffer defeat. And when an opportunity arises, the bold seize the initiative — which is what any number of commentators did within hours of last month's Tucson rampage. They accused their political foes of trafficking in metaphors that primed the gunman's mind to mayhem."

"There proved to be no evidence for the accusation, but it did reflect a general suspicion that language— figurative language in particular—can move us and manipulate us in harmful ways. Which makes James Geary's "I Is an Other" especially timely. Mr. Geary proposes to show that metaphors are a key to how we think and may often determine our thinking without our knowing it."

Tanya is slowly making her way through Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor's My Stroke of Insight.

Bolte Taylor is a brain scientist who, in her mid 30's, experienced a stroke that changed her life. The book explains the basics of brain science and then documents what Bolte Taylor went through the day she had her stroke and during the recovery process afterwards.

It's been a slow read because, quite honestly, the book is rather simplistically organized and written and it doesn't really capture the imagination. BUT, Bolte Taylor's appearance at a TED event is absolutely captivating. Watch the video -- You won't be disappointed!



Her interview with Terry Gross on NPR's Fresh Air is also quite interesting.

HEARING

Lucinda Williams 10th album Blessed comes out March 1st, but we're taking a first listen at NPR.org.

While Jason is actually doing yoga...

Tanya is listening to author Claire Dederer talk about Learning to Embrace Mess and Chaos Through Yoga.

WATCHING

There's only one thing we'll be watching today -- and if you're anywhere near Birmingham we hope you'll join us. It's the final performance of Children of Eden at the Virginia Samford Theatre.

Freely based on the story of Genesis, Children of Eden is a frank, heartfelt and often humorous examination of the age-old conflict between parents and children. Adam, Eve, Noah and the "Father" who created them deal with the headstrong, cataclysmic actions of their respective children. The show ultimately delivers a bittersweet but inspiring message: that "the hardest part of love... is letting go."

The kids have been working really hard on this production, as you can see in this dressing room shot (Miranda's the one who's passed out. Juggling two shows in one month really zapped her!)

Now that you know what we're Reading, Hearing, Watching .... tell us what's capturing your attention this week! Have you seen a great movie? Read a good book? Let us know!