The Humanities Festival and the Art Institute of Chicago hosted a lecture with historian David Levering Lewis Saturday. I felt I needed to invigorate my gray cells with intellectual pursuit. The discussion, moderated by Leslie Stahl (I love her on "60 Minutes"), focused on his book, God's Crucible: Islam and the Making of Europe, 570-1215.
The mark of a compelling book is its beginning ... "Islam rose when Rome fell," he writes in his first line. Here's a blurb from Publisher's Weekly on the book ... on Amazon. http://www.amazon.com/Gods-Crucible-Making-Europe-570-1215/dp/0393333566/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1225602865&sr=8-1
On unemployment ... ran into a highly educated woman at the lecture who's now among those of us looking for work. She told me of those who complain about their jobs and found it disconcerting. We agreed ... be grateful if you have a job and it's honest.
I spent my three hours at the unemployment office in mid-October, and she and I both agreed it's a humbling experience. We were among those with no skills and no options. We know one world where education and career converge.
Another guest mentioned The Secret, which I just read. A friend, who had been laid off years ago and was motivated to start her own business, gave it to me as a gift. Positive energy and thinking keeps me from going "in the dark corner."
How are others coping during this economic downturn? Please share ...
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