Reset (David Murray)

Pace matters.  In today's American culture, that pace is frequently too fast.  We burn out, fall apart, wear down, and (ultimately) destroy ourselves in today's frenetic society.  In Reset, David Murray challenges us to change the way we think, and live "a grace-paced life in a burnout culture."

The point of the book: "by connecting God's grace more and more to our daily lives . . . we can learn how to live grace-paced lives in a burnout culture."  Murray points out five powers of grace:
- motivating ("in view of God's amazing grace to me in Christ, how can I serve God and others?")
- moderating (we're not perfect; we accept that both work and relationships are flawed, and therefore take them to God and don't seek human or divine approval)
- multiplying (we depend on God to give increase, not on our own effort)
- releasing (we release control to God's hands, which "humbly submits to setbacks and problems")
- receiving (we recognize and receive weekly Sabbaths, exercise, sleep, and fellowship as blessings)

He then takes the reader through chapters teaching to rest, re-create, relax, rethink, reduce, refuel, and relate, among other things.  His more cogent points:
- Physical and spiritual health are connected.  Ignore one, affect the other. 
- Sleep matters- a lot.  Some championship athletes (like LeBron James) sleep 12 hours a day!  Everyone's needs will vary, but 7-9 hours a night is a must for almost everyone.  Neglect this and everything else will suffer.
- "We must nurture our lives with regular recreation, especially physical exercise."  Doing so is imperative to think more clearly and be more effective in our vocations.
- "We need rest for the body and the mind."  We need to turn down the volume in our information-soaked life.  Minimizing screen time (in any form), breathing exercises, yoga, vacations, and regular Sabbath-keeping are some tips for increased inner peace.
-  We need to re-think the answer to a basic question: "who am I?"  How we answer that- often with a list of roles and responsibilities- reveals a good deal about our priorities, and it's the starting point to  recover our true identities.  Priorities must align with how we should be living.
- We do too much, and need to reduce.  Come up with a routine and prune activities accordingly.  Many good things will never get done- but as people with finite capacity, that will always be true.  Accept limits and stop pretending we're more than we are.
- Food matters- the fuel you consume has a marked impact on mood, energy levels, and more.  And everyone needs activities in their lives that "refuel" them.  For example, keeping a blog.  Seems like a good idea.
- "The joy of [our] journey depends so much on who's riding with us."  As it is not good to be alone, we need to prioritize our relationships with God, spouse, kids, and friends.

This book is good, if much seemed like common sense.  I can't say I learned a lot of new things, but I was reminded of things I need to improve.  In that sense, it was valuable.  It's so easy to go down rabbit holes of false gods and forget what matters in life. And living where I do- in a high-paced area- heightens the pressure to "go, go, go."  Slow down, plan & prioritize, remember what matters.

Rating: A-

It's All a Game (Tristan Donovan)

As the subtitle states, It's All a Game covers the long history of board games.  Tristan Donovan gives an overview of ancient games and explores the origins of chess, backgammon, Life, Monopoly, Risk, Clue, Scrabble, Mouse Trap, Operation, Trivial Pursuit, Settlers of Catan, and more.  Further, he provides a fascinating look at the significance of each of these games, and how culture influences games and vice-versa.

Historical Summary
"Senet," an ancient Egyptian game, was played from at least 3000 BC.  Game boards were found in Tutankhamen's burial chamber and depicted in paintings in Nefertari's tomb.  The royal game of Ur and Mancala also have ancient origins.

Evolving from an ancient game, chess got its start in India around the fifth century.  From there it would change incrementally as it spread through Persia and Arab lands and then into Europe (in 711), with each culture contributing an element recognizable to modern eyes that reflected regional politics and religion in these different eras and regions.  The standard chess set wouldn't be established until 1849.  "The folk game born in the Gupta Empire had traveled the world and back again for centuries.  Along the way it had been molded by religion, war, female monarchs, and neoclassical architecture, and turned into an international sport."

Backgammon, huge in the 1970s, was a possible descendant of the ancient royal game of Ur.  A early version was popular in Greece and Rome (Claudius "had a board affixed to his chariot to he could play on the move"), and remains huge in the Middle East- Crusaders brought the game home with them in Medieval times.

Games reflect culture, and their evolution does the same.  The Game of Life started in the 1860s "as a highly moral game . . . that encourages children to lead exemplary lives."  And it had to do so: "religious New Englanders viewed board games as gateway drugs that could lure children into a life of gambling and sin."  But later iterations would put the focus on money, reflecting American values a century later, and further tweaks would reflect the ever-shifting realities of American society.

Monopoly was first envisioned, in the 1880s, as a cautionary game showing the evils of monopolistic landlords of the age.  Little did its inventor know that the game ultimately became popular because, rather than admonished, players desired to be the cutthroat king of property.  Thankfully, some good would come of it: modified Monopoly boards were given to American POWs in Europe during WWII to aid their escape.  The modifications included hidden silk maps and small tools.

War games are not a new concept.  The Japanese ran game simulations before Pearl Harbor, using their conclusions to refine the attack plan against the USA.  But they were far from the first- Germans started in the 1550s to tinker with the concept, which would be refined over the centuries.  By 1824 "Kriegsspiel had become part of Prussian military training," by 1850s it was "a central tool" in so doing, as the world would discover in 1870 during the Franco-Prussian War.  A century later (1950s), Risk would burst on the scene and bring war gaming into the home.

Clue (1940s) grew out of a British love for detective stories (which themselves originated out of a public fascination with murder).

Scrabble (1930s) spawned a new concern for what a true word was- as the official Scrabble dictionary testifies.

Mouse Trap and Operation (1960s) brought games into the plastic age.

Twister (1960s) and Monogamy (2001) revealed societal attitudes towards sex and gaming.

Trivial Pursuit (mid 80s) helped make games for adults more acceptable and mainstream.

Germany became a board game powerhouse in the last 70 years.  After World War II, as West Germany rebuilt, "board games became associated with togetherness and wholeness."  It was (and is) a preferable alternative to television and similar pursuits. In the mid 90s, a new wave in German games changed the landscape.  In these games,
- the outcome is governed by player decisions rather than fate; it's about decision making and planning relative to others
- streamlined rules became more common, making games more accessible
- social activity was key, so all were involved to the end (no early player elimination)
- there are often concealed victory conditions (vague frontrunner) to keep all interested/involved

The Settlers of Catan illustrate these concepts well and is indicative of the mid 90s wave in Germany; the trend would follow suit in the US a decade later.  Today, games like Catan, Pandemic, and Ticket to Ride are common sites around the world.

Board games are exploding.  In 2014, game sales were up 20% (reaching $880M) in the US alone.  From 2009-15, Kickstarter saw $196M towards development of new games.  And now, "legacy" games (making permanent changes to the board through multiple plays) are the latest concept to gain traction.


Why Games Matter
Games help people.  People use chess and other games to explore brain activity.  We use them to encourage ourselves to open up about our feelings (like in Ungame).  Psychologist Jon Freeman created programs "to activate and develop particular parts of the brain through games that emphasize strategy of chance.  The approach is based on the concept of neuronal plasticity, the idea that the neuron connections in our brains are constantly rewiring themselves in response to stimuli. . ."  He and other people are using games to teach math, develop social skills, help those with special needs, and diagnose medical conditions.

Games help machines; they "powered the development" of artificial intelligence (remember "Deep Blue," the chess computer?).

Games teach.  They can refine views on topics through interactive and experiential learning- and grant empathy/understanding by encouraging players to step into another's shoes.  Pandemic "is a prime example of how board games can make the complexities of the world around us easier to comprehend."  Games like Twilight Struggle can re-create reality and make "geopolitics easier to understand."

Games reflect culture.  In America, "dog-eat-dog competition" is common.  In Europe, it's more about player cooperation, or at least indirect competition (where players focus on managing their own resources as much as possible rather than wiping out others).  In each case, they point to cultural values.

Games bring us together.  They're a counter-trend to digital.  People want to connect; games help them make the time, bring us together face-to-face, and "reflect our needs and desires and our outlook on life."

Review
This is a good read.  I enjoyed the interesting anecdotes Donovan includes, and the breadth of material is nice.  The stories can get repetitive- many games took years to take off, so you hear familiar (and decreasingly interesting) stories of determination to overcome initial setbacks- but it's valuable nonetheless.  Initially, I had hoped for a more cohesive history, with scholarly analysis showing linkages between games proving some sort of tidy evolution, but in hindsight, I don't think such a thing is feasible.  Board games arose at different times and cultures, and the author's "one game at a time" approach is probably the best way to present things.  Most of all, I appreciated his discussion of the way culture influences games, how games help us as a society, and why people are increasingly drawn to them.  If anything, reading this deepened and increased my appreciation of this wonderful hobby.

Rating: A

The Joys of CCG

And here is my second talk (see previous post for backstory).

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Most people know I love tabletop games. It’s an excellent hobby for many reasons: mental exercise, social interaction, teamwork, imagination, and just plain fun. But my very favorite type of game is called a collectible card game, or CCG. In a nutshell, this is a game where each player builds a deck of cards and uses it to battle opponents to the stated victory condition.

CCGs differ from typical games in two ways: distribution model and preparation.

Distribution: You can't pick up the complete game in a self-contained package.  Instead, players obtain cards by purchasing randomized packs, with varying rarities. New sets of cards (called expansions) are released regularly, adding to the available card pool.

Preparation: Players must build a deck before any play happens.  Often, they invest a considerable amount of time learning cards, testing interactions, and constructing their decks. Most players spend more time preparing for games than playing them.

CCGs burst on the scene in 1993, when mathematician Richard Garfield wanted a compact filler game to pass time between games at board game conventions. He invented Magic: the Gathering, and its phenomenal success would see a predictable boom in the industry by 1995. Anything and everything had a CCG. There were encyclopedias and magazines dedicated to the hobby. There were even three Christian-themed games. But the bubble burst as quickly as it had formed. There were later successes- like Pokemon and Yu-gi-oh, but the golden age had passed.

That said, the hobby enjoys a steady following today: there are over 20 million Magic: the Gathering players in the world today, with tournaments occasionally appearing on TV.

Sometimes, we’re drawn to hobbies- consciously or otherwise- because they point to truths greater than themselves. I believe CCGs have several unique characteristics that reflect our reality more than typical tabletop offerings. Just a few:

- (top left picture in above slide) The joy of creating: your deck is a personal creation you nurture to reach its potential, which echoes of the Genesis cultural mandate and our responsibilities to do the same for creation as stewards of the Earth

- (bottom right) Diversity & Vastness: with over 15,000 unique magic cards, the possibilities are nearly infinite. Like the world, it’s too big to experience it all- though maybe you can reach .002%.

- (bottom left) Progressive revelation: the games are a living, unfolding drama. You know there’s a plan, but never know what’s coming. Cards which seem to have no purpose can become valuable when paired with later releases.  We can experience this in our lives, at times being unsure where we fit.  But as life progresses, our purpose can become evident.  Additionally, as new expansions release, which cards are important changes, reflecting our changing roles in society as we age and pass the torch to the next generation.

- (top right) The need for synergy/community.  New players often make the mistake of packing their decks with expensive and powerful cards.  But the best decks are ones that synergize well, where each card plays a role and some of the most key cards can be the most common.  It reflects the Christian Church as a whole, as discussed in 1 Corinthians 12 and elsewhere.  There are many members, gifts, and functions the body requires- and the most important is not always visible.

- (also top right) Need to focus and develop.  Individual decks must have internal synergy, but even then, no deck does all things well or wins in all conditions.  This reflects our finite capacities and need to nurture specific gifts to fulfill our calling.  No community is perfect, and each is geared to thrive in certain scenarios.

For these and other reasons, CCGs have a special place in my heart. I’d be happy to demonstrate them sometime; see me if interested. And I encourage you to look at your hobbies and determine the greater truths behind them- for the Lord’s invisible attributes have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made (from Romans 1).

The Morasse of Materialism

Today, I gave two talks at our Church's annual men's event, called Ignite.  Similar to TEDD talks, the rules were no more than five minutes and five powerpoint slides.  What follows is the first presentation; I hope you enjoy.

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Hi, my name is John Mark, and I confess I like my stuff more than I like most of you. But the Lord is at work, and it starts with a story.

Four years ago, a family member (“Sue”) had a problem. She was a lifelong collector of stuff. Her house was packed and poorly tended. Years of this unchecked accumulation and neglect had produced decay and a remarkably unpleasant odor in all she owned. At the advice of professionals, we had to throw away nearly everything in the house. It was very difficult for her, and a stark example of the warning found in Matthew 6:19. It’s hard-but good- to be confronted with the futility of our false gods.

“People need dramatic examples to shake them out of apathy.” (Batman Begins, 2005). This was a wake-up call for me. Sue wasn’t alone in her addiction; I, too, love things far more than I ought. In fact, nearly all of us have too much. A recent study found that a typical British child owns 238 toys but consistently uses only 12. Despite fewer offspring, the average American home has tripled in size in the past 50 years and contains 300,000 items. And even popular slogans like “collect memories, not things,” have inherent in them this idea that accumulation is the goal. We have a problem. 

Sue’s situation sparked a personal struggle. Like Gollum/Smeagol, I felt conflict within me. Change was needed but I was resisting. Thankfully, help would soon arrive from an unexpected quarter.

As a voracious reader, one day I decided on a whim to calculate how many books I could read should I enjoy a standard lifespan. The answer- .002% of the 130 million books written in English- hit me like lightning. A lifetime of dedicated pursuit for .002%?! Finally, my heart was starting to see the asininity of accumulation. All human endeavors are bounded; our stuff should be too. At that point, a message popped into my head: “there are many good things you’ll never get to experience, and that’s okay.” That has stuck with me, and to this day I repeat that phrase during times of temptation.

My mindset shifting, I started looking at possessions differently. I took stock of what I owned. And rather than asking “do I like this?” the question became “do I use this?” The answers were humbling; the way forward clear.

“Let it go.” (Frozen, 2013). Finally convicted, I started purging. I sold or donated over 500 items: books, toys, games, clothes, DVDs. Though hard at first, I soon found it liberating. To my delight, I didn’t miss what I removed, nor did I need something after I jettisoned it. In fact, I enjoyed what remained more, because I had more time (and peace of mind) to appreciate it. And I made $4,000, which encouraged me further.

The Argonath in The Lord of the Rings were pillars to provoke pause in passersby. Through many trials and much error, I’ve learned a few principles to do the same in this area. First, maintain a “use it or lose it” mindset. If you have trouble with this, move every few years- it’s an impressive deterrent to accumulation. Second, develop criteria for ownership. Study your own usage patterns and use that knowledge to inform purchasing and retention decisions. Finally, set physical limits. This creates a tradeoff mindset and discourages irresponsible collecting.

I’m a work in progress. Though minimizing is now easier for me, I’m not better yet; I still love stuff and still buy too much. But this needs to happen; we cannot serve two masters, and “one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” (Luke 12:15) I’ll end with a challenge: get rid of 100 items in your home. Sell them, donate them, put them on a friend’s lawn. Perhaps you, too, will experience the “liberty of less,” for “where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” (Matthew 6:21)

Thor: Ragnarok

The latest Marvel Cinematic Universe offering, Thor: Ragnarok picks up where 2015's Avengers: Age of Ultron left off (though familiarity with other MCU movies is advantageous).  Here, we pick up Hulk and Thor's story (both disappeared at the end of Ultron).  While Thor tries to stop Hela (goddess of death) from destroying Asgard, Hulk chills out as a gladiator on mysterious world.  They'll need to join forces if they have any hope of saving Thor's homeworld . . . can they do so before all is lost?

This film has been well received, but I wasn't as enamored as the majority.  It was certainly better than Thor: The Dark World, and retained the stunning visuals common in the series.  It struck a markedly different tone- much more humorous and zany, with odd characters; it all was reminiscent of Guardians of the Galaxy 2.  I enjoyed the change, but uneven pacing and oscillation between offbeat and deadly serious wasn't done as well as in Guardians, character (and plot) development was poor in places, and it was light on meaning ("Asgard is a people, not a place," was about it).  It was pretty good, but not great. 

Rating: B+

Carrie

Carrie is the 1976 film based on the 1974 Stephen King book (just reviewed).  It follows the plot reasonably closely- an oft-wronged telekinetic girl goes bonkers at the prom and kills lots of people. 

As is typical, the movie fails to convey the power of the book.  The casting is reasonable (mostly fine, though John Travolta was a weak point), the characterizations accurate, but it's just too rushed.  At 90 minutes, the film fails to convey the depth of pain Carrie experiences, and the problems/sins of those around her.  You get the idea, but just a taste.  And, as the above poster implies, I think it misses the point that all involved are monsters.  It's not just about Carrie.  Finally, it's a product of its time- poor effects (by today's standards) and so on.  Read the book, skip the movie.

Rating: C

Carrie (Stephen King)

Carrie White is a sixteen-year-old telekinetic, able to control objects with her mind.  Raised by a mother practicing an extreme* interpretation of Christianity, Carrie is a sheltered outcast.  Relentlessly teased by kids at school, things seem to turn in her favor when her crush asks her to prom.  Things go well at first . . . but when her world comes tumbling down, she'll make sure everyone else's does, too.

I really liked this book.  A master of suspense and horror, renowned author Stephen King does an impressive job here, in his first published work.  The tale is told in nonlinear fashion and alternates between "standard" omniscient narrator, newspaper clippings, AP reports, book extracts, and various character points of view.  I loved that aspect, and was particularly impressed that the reader knows early on how the tale ends, but that foreknowledge heightens (rather than detracts from) the suspense.

Though Carrie is seen by many in the tale as a monster, I believe King's point is that we're all monsters.  Almost everyone in the book has a hand in the tragedy that occurs; such is life for our fallen race.  We use our powers (words and deeds) to torment and destroy others . . . at times to the ruin of all.

Rating: A

*and blatantly incorrect