The Intellectual Devotional
Noah Oppenheim and co-author, David S. Kidder have conceived of the perfect design with which to envelop and entertain a world of history, ideas, historical figures, schools of thought, and art. Their co-authored book The Intellectual Devotional has renewed if not renovated the genre of the daily devotional with a such a creative force that one can anticipate a wide group of Americans will begin each day with more than a cup of coffee or newspaper in hand. 365 entries, each covering the better part of a page, suggest that the reader pursue or revive their education day by day, studying a subject with the focus and deliberation with which one might consider a daily Bible reading.
The book treats a wide range of topics — some of them unexpected (well, that's part of the point!)--that range from the school of Modernism to the "Harlem Renaissance" all the way to Egypt where a 3,400 year old bust of Nefertiti was discovered about a century ago. Rest assured that even when The Intellectual Devotional takes up the subjects of mathematics or philosophy, the pages remain eminently delightful. And to break up the journal entry "Surface Tension and Hydrogen Bonding" (the reading for Thursday, Day 4), on Wednesday you will read about Sandro Botticelli's The Birth of Venus , followed by a fine finish to the workweek in the mood to enjoy a relaxed and refined weekend contemplating Friday's discussion of Vivaldi's masterwork. Even if Saturday introduces the topic of stoicism, one's mood will hardly suffer with the accompanying strains of primavera playing in the background that are sure to continue throughout 'The Four Seasons' of the year.