The Intellectual Devotional: Revive Your Mind, Complete Your Education, and Roam Confidently with the Cultured Class

by David S. Kidder, Noah D. Oppenheim

Overview

Now updated to reflect current events, this daily digest of intellectual challenge and learning will arouse curiosity, refresh knowledge, expand horizons, and keep the mind sharp.

Millions of Americans keep bedside books of prayer and meditative reflection—collections of daily passages to stimulate spiritual thought and advancement. The Intellectual Devotional is a secular version of the same—a collection of 365 short lessons to inspire and invigorate every day of the year. Each daily digest of wisdom is drawn from one of seven fields of knowledge: history, literature, philosophy, mathematics and science, religion, fine arts, and music.

Impress your friends by explaining Plato's Cave Allegory, memorize Sonnet 18, and unlock the mystery of how batteries work. Daily readings range from important passages in literature to basic principles of physics, from pivotal events in history to images of famous paintings with accompanying analysis. The book's goal is to refresh knowledge we've forgotten, make new discoveries, and exercise modes of thinking that are ordinarily neglected once our school days are behind us. Offering an escape from the daily grind to contemplate higher things, The Intellectual Devotional is a great way to awaken in the morning or to revitalize the mind before retiring in the evening.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780593231746
Publisher:	Harmony/Rodale/Convergent
Publication date:	01/19/2021
Series:	The Intellectual Devotional Series
Pages:	384
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 7.90(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

David S. Kidder is an entrepreneur, angel investor, and author with a wide range of technology, product and services experience. He is the co-founder and CEO of Bionic, received Ernst and Young's Entrepreneur of the Year Award, and is the author of The Startup Playbook and New to Big. David lives in New York, with his wife and three sons.

Noah D. Oppenheim, a writer and journalist, is currently president of NBC News.  He is also a screenwriter and wrote the critically acclaimed film "Jackie."

Read an Excerpt

Introduction


Daily Devotionals have long been a favored tool of those looking for a regular dose of spiritual growth. Bedside volumes, read upon waking in the morning or before retiring at night, Devotionals consist of 365 exercises in learning and reflection. One easily digestible entry is tackled each day.

The Intellectual Devotional is a secular compendium in the same tradition. It is one year’s worth of daily readings that will refresh your spirit, stimulate your mind, and help complete your education. Each entry is drawn from a different field of knowledge: History, Literature, Visual Arts, Science, Music, Philosophy, and Religion. Read one passage a day and you will explore each subject once a week.

These readings offer the kind of regular exercise the brain requires to stay fresh, especially as we age. They represent an escape from the day-to-day grind into the rarefied realm of human wisdom. And, they will open new horizons of intellectual discovery.

A brief summary of the journey ahead . . . 


MONDAY—HISTORY 

A survey of people and events that shaped the development of Western civilization.

TUESDAY—LITERATURE

A look at great writers and a synopsis of their most important works—poems and novels that continue to inspire readers today.

WEDNESDAY—VISUAL ARTS

An introduction to the artists and artistic movements that yielded the world’s most influential paintings, sculptures, and works of architecture.

THURSDAY—SCIENCE

From the origin of black holes to a description of how batteries work, the wonders of science are simplified and revealed.

FRIDAY—MUSIC

What inspired our greatest composers, how to read a sheet of notes, and why Mozart is so revered—a comprehensive review of our musical heritage.

SATURDAY—PHILOSOPHY

From ancient Greece to the twentieth century, the efforts of humankind’s greatest thinkers to explain the meaning of life and the universe.

SUNDAY—RELIGION

An overview of the world’s major religions and their beliefs.


We hope your progress through this collection of knowledge inspires your curiosity and opens new areas of exploration in your life.

—David S. Kidder and Noah D. Oppenheim

Editorial Reviews

We all realize that we should know more and remember better. The Intellectual Devotional is designed as a secular version of the daily devotionals that are used for religious purposes. Like them, it contains 365 short lessons: in this case, daily supplements on history, literature, philosophy, mathematics, science, religion, fine arts, and music. Each one-page digest contains detailed information on a single topic; additional facts; and recommended readings.

If ever a book were meant for listening, this is it. Previously available from Macmillan only as a digital download, this 2006 national best seller by Kidder and Oppenheim (Intellectual Devotional: American History) is now available for the first time on CD. The 365 daily lessons span the seven fields of knowledge: history, literature, philosophy, mathematics and science, religion, fine arts, and music. Narrators Oliver Wyman (www.oliverwyman.com) and Helen Litchfield, who also read for the American History entry in this series, assist listeners' efforts at retention with well-enunciated, cogent, and steadily paced readings. Absolutely essential for libraries serving populations gravitating more to CDs than digital downloads. [Audio clip available through audible.com; the next recording in this series, The Intellectual Devotional: Modern Culture, will be available on CD from Macmillan and Sound Library next month, in retail and library editions, respectively.-Ed.]
—Raya Kuzyk

Library Journal

Two voices—one male, one female—read short essays on 365 topics in seven fields of learning. Both narrators are competent, but the contrast between them is too great. Helen Litchfield's voice is sharper and louder than Oliver Wyman's. Further, the information is superficial and untrustworthy; there are frequent errors of fact and interpretation. The book's "daily" format is an uncomfortable match for audio. Audiobook consumers rarely listen for just a few minutes, the length of one of these entries. As a result, this is like listening to a substandard encyclopedia. Like the writers, the narrators can't be experts on every subject—as their pronunciation of many foreign and classical terms, or even "difficult" words, shows—they are off, or simply wrong, often enough to chafe. Both book and recording exhibit a lack of seriousness and care. W.M. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine

JANUARY 2009 - AudioFile