Unnecissary Blog

Why? Because it won't change your opinion.

I like Donald Miller's writing. I was handed Blue Like Jazz on a Friday afternoon and closed the back cover before Saturday's 2pm frisbee at Harding Park. It's mezmorizing.

I especially like his not-better-than-you style of writing. Its a breath of fresh air when I'm submerged 2000ft in a book ocean. (What was that <- ?) Is he a Tolstoy- no, that's not his style. There are a lot of smart people out there that like to write like they're smart people. Lots of times they write books about history and I get wrangled into reading them. Even some on the side link do so. There's nothing wrong with it, It's just not my prefered method. (Mine's "elementary") In my mind the true mark of a great teacher, book, whatever, is the ability to take a complicated subject and make it accessible to everybody. It's why I love Peter F. Drucker's books on Economics, Stephen Hawkings A Brief History of Time, and Donald Miller's writing style. They simplify something complicated to where anybody could read and understand it.

Donald Miller deals with some complicated stuff. In BLJ its religion and its place within our relationships with God. In Through the Painted Desert its about solidifying who you are and what you believe. Its about finding God somewhere other than in pages of a Bible or in the pews of a church building.

He jumps around and is crazy. Yes, ok, I concede that. Miller will use a train of thought internal discussion and will (spaghetti) take a detour during a chapter for a while. But it all comes back around. And I like that he's crazy- but we all are- he just write about it and the rest of us keep it inside. Maybe you aren't and that's why you don't like it. But I think some crazy stuff, and its nice to know that somebody else does too- it makes it real.

Sunday I was finishing up TPDesert just completely submerged in the book. It was a great chapter about life, fun, girls, and camping in the yard. I was so completely into the chapter that at the end I looked up and had forgotten completely what day it was. Now that's some good writing. Maybe its just his Bohemian view and lifestyle that so attracts me. I dunno.

Paul "Confused about why Japanese science experiments wind up on the grocery store shelf" Murphy

Whaling for science? That seems........ wrong. Especially when it winds up as food.