A few days ago I was on the Son Rise Morning Radio Show discussing some summer reading picks. This is a popular segment on the show where regular guests share some good books that would be worthwhile reading this summer.

My picks were:

Better Off: Flipping the Switch on Technology by Eric Brende
This is the story of an M.I.T. graduate who decides (along with his wife of 10 days) to live among a strict Amish community for 18 months with no electricity and no telephones. It is a fascinating read and quite thought-provoking. Brende is not anti-technology, but he instead is trying to remind us that we should evaluate new technologies before blindly embracing them.

The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis
This is my all-time favorite C.S. Lewis book. It is a fable of a man who finds himself among denizens of Hell making a day-trip to the outskirts of heaven. The key insight of Lewis here is that Heaven has an “open-door” policy, but those in Hell choose not to go there. This may sound like heresy, but it is in keeping with the insights of some past Saints (such as St. Catherine of Genoa).

Saint Among Savages: The Life of Saint Isaac Jogues by Francis Talbot
I just finished this in anticipation for a recent pilgrimage to the Shrine of the North American Martyrs (I should have some reflections on this trip in the near future). The book is a bit dated (it was written in the 1930′s) and a bit long (over 400 pages), but it is worth the read. The story of this great saint and his companions who gave their lives for the conversion of the Native Americans is quite inspiring.