The first was The Great Bridge by David McCullough, about the building of the Brooklyn Bridge. It is not a short book, but very interesting. Although he does a bit more character development than I really care for, the details about how they constructed everything was worth the read. Especially fascinating was how they dug down into the ground below the river to provide a bedrock foundation for the towers. If you ever put a cup into water upside down so that the air in the cup kept the water out, that's basically how they did it! Except on a massively larger scale, and with means to lift the dirt and rocks out, change shifts of workers, and keep fresh air down there. I cannot wait to go to New York again and see the bridge with a whole new appreciation.
The second book I recently finished was The Immortal Nicholas by Glenn Beck. It was an okay book - just okay. I was expecting better. Beck wrote a fictional story to explain how St. Nicholas came to be. The story begins with the visit of the Wise Men to see Jesus and follows a man named Agios who went with them, becomes immortal, and after several centuries and meeting Nicholas of Myra, assumes the name of Nicholas and becomes the figure who is well-known today. There are some interesting tidbits in here - where Frankincense comes from, and the flight of Mary, Joseph, and Jesus to Egypt. There are also some historical inaccuracies. If you're interested, it's worth a read - but get it from the library, don't buy it.
What's next? Probably the first book of C.S. Lewis' Space Trilogy. I also got a couple of historical books for Christmas about the Founding Fathers and the Spies of the Revolution. I like reading history. But after the Lewis book, I'll probably go back to some theology for a while. I want to read some Sasse, finish a couple of Festschrifts I started before, and Lohe's The Pastor. I'll keep you posted.
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