Mark Rizk Farag > Recent Status Updates

he realpolitik remains amazing. However, the book supercedes the former inasmuch as it manages to centralise its characters in the wider grand narrative.

The old lady chuckled, "When you have lived for as long as I have, you realise that the greatest pleasures in life are not impressive at all. It's better to have at least one true friend who can understand the voice in your heart when you pluck out a hesitant tune on the zither than to have the unthinking adoration of millions."

Abba Poemen said, “If a man appears silent in speech but is condemning other people in his heart, he is really talking incessantly. Another man may seem to talk all day, but he is keeping silence since he always speaks in a way that is right with his heart.”

Liu seemingly wanted to write a treatise on political science/philosophy and instead wrote in the form of a novel, and I am so here for it! A spectacular book so far!

'Being in God’s presence during the whole day, while we work, eat, and move around, makes it easier to be in his presence when we stand and raise our hands in prayer. Praying without ceasing prepares us for prayer. For the desert fathers and mothers, the transition from one mode of prayer to the other was seamless. They were in the constant presence of God.'

A spectular read for Lent

Sensational story telling and almost Tolkien level mythos

Interesting, potentially helpful, and definitely shaped by systemic family therapy

Me too, I get lost at work, do you see me writing a novel about it???

Kind of Lovecraftian so far?

'The spiritual journey is the continuous struggle between the mind (nous), which is able to com- prehend and contemplate God, and the senses, which want to be satisfied with earthly pleasures. Immersion in the pleasures of the world and the senses results in fear of death. The purer our life is, the purer our thoughts will be, and the more the senses will find pleasure in God rather than earthly pleasures. '

'The profit drive may have resulted in dynamic technological improvements, but this also helped cause colonialism, imperialism, and some of the most destructive wars in human history. It now even threatens our ecological survival. The profit motive yields, at best, mixed results. To imagine that profit magically guides economies to optimal goodness, growth, and prosperity is above all capitalists wishful thinking. '

Oooooh the little reference to the other Kadare book right at the beginning of the book *chef's kiss*

'I think I wield power, but perhaps it is power that wields me.'

Loving the book so far, but this seemingly pro cheating arc is very deeply bizarre to me.

'The reader has to experience and to reason within him/herself about what is really necessary and important in life. This requires deep thinking and honest examination of the heart and the soul. Facing oneself is the most difficult thing that we can do in our lives, which is why most people avoid it, dread it, and do not know how to do it Indulging in shopping, eating, working, or other forms of self indulgence... '

'So, the message for dads is this: if you want your child to achieve all they can at school, you do need to try to ensure your relationship with them is the warmest and most supportive it can be. So, take the time you have to nurture their self-esteem, involve yourself in their daily school life, teach them the value of having the right learning mindset and emphasize that academic achievement alone is of little use'

A good book, but it's dragging 😭

Lord Jesus, this book would not have survived peer review....

'No matter how large a man grows in the eyes of the world, in the eyes of his wife he will always be life-size, or maybe even smaller-than-life.'

'"The soft invasion of your traders and preachers may do far more damage to us than your arms ever would. The lure of your wealth and novel ways and your fantastical possessions may prove irresistible to those who are too young to understand their danger. If your men poison and corrupt the hearts of our young then we are doomed, as you say, the young often want that which is harmful because they lack experience... '

The use of role play examples instead of practice examples or research evidence is a little strange...

So we'll written! It is making me want to play a Total War game 🔥

Let us give thanks to God who has clothed Himself in the names of the body's various parts;
Scrtipture refers to His 'ears', to teach us that He listens to us;
it speaks of His 'eyes' to show that He sees us.
It was just the names of such things that He put on,
and - although in His true Being there is no wrath or regret
Yet He put on these terms because of our weakness.

Loving the realpolitik in this book, and the subtle insertion of philosophy.

'Therapists who successfully engage clients marginalised by traditional therapeutic approaches such as (some) men, First Nation peoples, working class people, rural people, and adolescents, to name only a few, commonly emphasise the importance, if not centrality, of authenticity, if therapeutic work is to have any chance of being successful.'

A refreshingly different perspective, seeking to tell the story of an empire and a rebellion rather than focusing on individual characters and their small parts of the world

A really unique story telling style! I already love Kuni and Jia 😁

Ooooft that was a gut punch - it appears the author can write scenes with emotional depth!

I'm hoping some of these side characters we are seeing get some shine as they're very compelling!