My Bob the Builder reference above relates to the fact that I have actually finished a book from beginning to end.   For some this may not be a big deal, but for me it is.  I typically start a book, then another, and another, etc. etc. until I'm up to my neck in "half-reads" and "damn near finished(s)", but never seem to actually get all the way through them.  It must be an ADD thing, or the fact that I see books as orphans and have to bring them home from garage sales, library sales, auctions, and the like.  Anyway, the book I finished is "The Lessons of St. Francis" by J.M. Talbot.   I've blogged about several of the chapters here, but as some of you may have notices, sort of drifted off the topic and never came back to it.  I'll save the details of the last few chapters, but you absolutely must read this if you're looking for a great self-reflective read that will help to recenter your life on what's truly important.  

I'd love to cut and paste the entire chapter on Service, but I fear that would infringe on someone's copyright and land me somewhere I probably don't want to be prom queen...

Next on the list is "The Secret House" by David Bodanis.  I'm currently about 60% through this one, so if I buckle down I can hopefully add another completer to my list by memorial day.  It too is an interesting read on the science behind the world we take for granted.  Cool in a geeky sort of way...

If you'd like either of these when I'm finished, shoot me an email and we'll make arrangements to get them in the mail. 

Others books on my "started" list include:

"The Return of Depression Economics" by Paul Krugman - 40% complete

"The End of Poverty - Economic Possibilities for Our Time " by Jeffrey D. Sachs - maybe 2% in as I've been waiting to finish Krugman's book before tackling another econ read.

"The Cloister Walk" by Kathleen Norris - unsure of where I'm at in this one as I've started and stopped it several times over the past months.

Books not started but in the que are:

"Camp" by Michael Eisner

"Between You and Me" by Mike Wallace (comes with an 82 minute DVD of his best interviews)

I'll end this post with couple of notes about the kids in Haiti...   They return from their trip on Sunday and will be presenting on their relief work Tuesday night at the Olean Public Library.  More details to follow, but you should definitely plan to attend.

-Nate