Ross Loved Books... He Read a Book Each Week...

My classroom was on the third floor... and whenever Ross* was on the third floor for dealing with a kid or visiting a teacher... he made a point of looking for me and chatting...maybe a sentence... or maybe two... I always halted my discussion with the students and greeted him... Sometimes I insisted that he has to address the kids... and he did... about math without numbers and without borders too... It was always a welcome break for us and the students appreciated the break too...
One day I noticed Ross rushing furtively in front of my the math workroom... I came out and called after him... He smiled; "I am in a rush..."
I noticed that he was carrying a book... "Did you read it...?" I checked with him... "Yes... I finished it yesterday late into the night... It is a great book..."
It was the first novel written by an Asian physician... It won a first novel prize that year...
"I am taking it to the English teachers...," he said.
"They know enough English... Let me read it first and then I pas it to them...," I continued the conversation...
Ross did not have much choice... he gave the book to me... and returned back to the Chapel to prepare the morning opening ceremonies...
Ross was a greedy reader... he read a book every week... and sometimes more... But he never kept the books to himself... He did not have a library at home... He passed the completed books to others to benefit... That was at least his hope... I read the book... The physician was narrating his student years at the med school... The anatomy lesson... Just a bit morbid... and his first love and how he lost her... and other things that students do... a bit of drinking and a bit of marijuana and the rest... It was a good book... I completed it on the weekend and instead of taking it to the English teachers, I passed it to one of my students... He appreciated it... and asked for other books later on...
The book accomplished its mission... and Ross was a bit annoyed but appreciative too...

*Note: Ross was the Chaplain at my last school... I was teaching math and he was the Chaplain... We were close friends... He was not married and in need of friends... We became close... and he visited me at my home... to meet my wife... and the rest...

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Last week I came across two books... and wanted to draw your attention to them... Both were fun to read... I hope your read them too...

Whenever I read a book I remember Ross... and after I complete the book I pour a glass of wine and play classical music and think about my experience reading the book... and sharing that with Ross... 

A profound and moving journey into the heart of Christianity that explores the mysterious and often paradoxical lives and legacies of the Twelve Apostles—a book both for those of the faith and for others who seek to understand Christianity from the outside in.
Peter, Matthew, Thomas, John: Who were these men? What was their relationship to Jesus? Tom Bissell provides rich and surprising answers to these ancient, elusive questions. He examines not just who these men were (and weren’t), but also how their identities have taken shape over the course of two millennia.
I am a spiritual person... and I read about religion whenever I come across a good book... I enjoyed reading Jesus by Depak Chopra... I enjoyed that too...
I hope you'll read both... 
Both are good reading...

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This one is a social parable which is entertaining and worth reading... The Black guy one day wakes up and notices that he has become white... but only his ass has remained black...
It is very much like the Metamorphosis of Kafka...

   

As in Kafka, the facts of the case are presented in straightforward, deadpan terms. Furo wakes up and discovers that all his skin — save that on his backside — has turned white. The immediate effects of his metamorphosis are alienating. He avoids his family and leaves home for a job interview. On the way, old friends refuse to speak to him. Taxi drivers try to rip him off. He suffers — for the first time in his life — from sunburn. “He learnt how it felt to be seen as a freak,” writes Barrett, “exposed to wonder, invisible to comprehension.”
Very funny and good reading...
I hope you'll find the time to read this one too... and along with it Kafka's Metamorphosis  also...  A must read classic... And if you have the chance visit Prague too... a lovely city... and home for Kafka...

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I love etymology... and played word games with Ross... 

"Do you know the history of..." or "Do you know the origin of..." this or that word... When I was in high school I read the dictionary... whenever I was bored from the nonsense of the teacher... At times they admonished me... But most of the time I got away with it... Because they could not find an excuse to yell at me... I always said, "I am looking for a word that I could not understand..." and the teacher will be off my back...

Today while reading the morning news and enjoying my first cup of coffee of the day I came across a word which fascinated me... It was the first time I came across to it...

The word is commentariat ... It looks like a newly coined word... and it is great... So I wanted to share it with you... It means the collective of the people who make commentaries and analyze the news on the TV usually...

It parallels: Secretary and secretariat.

Words fascinate me... and each word opens up a new world for us...