Catholic Social Teaching and Businesses: Force for Good

A Force for Good

by Brian Engelland

I found this book while looking for something about Catholic principles in business for our economics course next year. Last year, First Son read half of Economics: The User's Guide by Ha-Joon Chang. He also read You Need a Budget by Jesse Mecham along with some other articles for personal finance. The two streams together were half an economics credit.

This coming year, he'll finish Economics: The User's Guide. I'm going to create a second stream to read that will focus on Catholic and moral aspects of economics. It's very much still in flux, but I imagine it will include some chapters of Small Is Still Beautiful, some essays from Wendell Berry, and possibly an encyclical. Force for Good is a good option I'm considering for Catholic business principles.

The book is a relatively easy read, providing introductions to Catholic teachings of natural law and Catholic Social Doctrine (or Catholic social teaching) and their relationship to policies and decisions in a business. The author draws on business articles, encyclicals, Scripture, and the Catechism. He also draws on his own experiences as a manager, owner, and university professor.

While not all of the business-related information is directly applicable to all students, thinking about these ideas is beneficial to everyone. We all buy products and choose which companies to support with our purchases. This is also an excellent book for any student considering a career in business or entrepreneurship. 

I am a radical Catholic in terms of my economic ideas, so reading this book was sometimes difficult for me. I think Professor Engelland is much more idealistic in his beliefs about how easy it is to run a large successful business based on Catholic social teaching. He claims such practices are actually better for a company and allow it to flourish in the competitive market environment. I think the number of international and conglomerate companies that do not adhere to such principles belies his assertion, but such principles can be and should be the bedrock of Catholic businesses. I want to share these kinds of ideas (and ideals) with my students as we think about economics.

I have received nothing in exchange for this post. Links to Bookshop are affiliate links. I purchased this book used.

Milton and Free Will: Paradise Lost (Schedule and Test Questions for Level 5 Year 2)

Paradise Lost

by John Milton

Mater Amabilis™ recommends Paradise Lost for Level 5 Year 2, tenth grade, in the epics portion of English. I read this ahead of First Son on the Dartmouth College John Milton Reading Room website. The website had some helpful explanations of phrases and references. I have a very old copy picked up at a library sale, but First Son and I found it difficult to read. I haven't tried the Penguin one linked here, but I have found other Penguin books well-edited, so it's probably a decent choice if you want a hard copy rather than one online.

I tried to read Paradise Lost when I was in high school and gave up when I got bogged down in all the mythological references and denigrating references to women. After ten years of Mater Amabilis™ reading and enough experience to accept Milton for who he is, I muddled through all the way to the end this time. First Son read it quite happily and enjoyed it, too.

I finished the poem in the midst of a shelter-at-home order when our bishop has stopped all public masses. Though our situation is a little different than Adam's banishment from Eden, Michael's words to Adam as he realizes the drastic change in his situation were profoundly comforting.

Yet doubt not but in Vallie and in Plaine
God is as here, and will be found alike
Present, and of his presence many a signe
Still following thee, still compassing thee round
With goodness and paternal Love, his Face
Express, and of his steps the track Divine.
Book 11, lines 349-354

I decided First Son would read just two epics this year: Song of Roland and Paradise Lost. That gave us some extra time in the schedule to include some of the lectures from The Life and Writings of John Milton by Seth Lerer, especially since we finished Song of Roland in only seven or eight weeks.

In my review of the Milton audiobook, I included our anticipated schedule for the year. I ended up splitting the Paradise Lost readings a bit more. Some of them were rather long, and reading them was even harder online than they would have been in a book. The updated line numbers also work better with the Dartmouth site because they match up with the breaks they've formatted into the poem.

Here's our updated schedule (twice a week):

1. The Life and Writings of John Milton Lecture 5: Paradise Lost--An Introduction - listen and narrate (Note: we skipped lectures 1-4)

2. Book 1 lines 1-330 - narrate.

3. Book 1 lines 331-798 - narrate.

4. The Life and Writings of John Milton Lecture 6: Paradise Lost, Book 1 - listen and narrate

5. Book 2 lines 1-283 - narrate.

6. Book 2 lines 284-628 - narrate.

7. Book 2 lines 629-870 - narrate.

8. Book 2 lines 871-1055 - narrate.

9. The Life and Writings of John Milton Lecture 7: Paradise Lost, Book II - listen and narrate.

10. Book 3 lines 1-371 - narrate.

11. Book 3 lines 372-742 - narrate.

12. The Life and Writings of John Milton Lecture 8: Paradise Lost, Book III - listen and narrate.

13. Book 4 lines 1-357 - narrate.

14. Book 4 lines 358-719 - narrate.

15. Book 4 lines 720-1015 - narrate.

17. The Life and Writings of John Milton Lecture 9: Book IV—Theatrical Milton - listen and narrate

18. Book 5 lines 1-307 - narrate.

19. Book 5 lines 308-576 - narrate.

20. Book 5 lines 577-907 - narrate.

21. Book 6 lines 1-295 - narrate.

22. Book 6 lines 296-608 - narrate.

23. Book 6 lines 609-912 - narrate.

24. Book 7 lines 1-338 - narrate.

25. Book 7 lines 339-640 - narrate.

26. Book 8 lines 1-356 - narrate.

27. Book 8 lines 357-640 - narrate.

28. Book 9 lines 1-375 - narrate.

29. Book 9 lines 376-833 - narrate.

30. Book 9 lines 834-1189 - narrate.

31. The Life and Writings of John Milton Lecture 10: Book IX—The Fall - listen and narrate

32. Book 10 lines 1-382 - narrate.

33. Book 10 lines 383-866 - narrate.

34. Book 10 lines 867-1104 - narrate.

35. Book 11 lines 1-555 - narrate.

36. Book 11 lines 556-901 - narrate.

37. Book 12 lines 1-371 - narrate.

38. Book 12 lines 372-649 - narrate.

39. The Life and Writings of John Milton Lecture 12: Milton's Living Influence - listen and narrate (Note: we skipped lecture 11)

40. Part I of the test on Paradise Lost.

41. Part II of the test on Paradise Lost.

42. Final essay (Composition assignment for the week)


You could choose to do a test or an essay, rather than both, but because we're only reading two epics this year, we did both.  I also count the tenth grade English class (which also includes poetry, daily writing and grammar, and three Shakespeare plays) as an honors level course. The essay will count as his rough draft composition for the week and probably a final draft composition the following week.

I think these test questions would work even if you didn't listen to the audio lectures.


Test
You may not use your text, notes, or narrations for the test. Exact quotations and book/line numbers are not required.

Part I

1. What similarities do you see between Milton’s Paradise Lost and the ancient epics you read last year?
2. Tell what you know about the great battle between the armies of angels.
3. How does Raphael interact with Adam and what do they discuss? 
4. Tell what you know about Eve’s encounter with Satan in Paradise. 
5. How does Paradise Lost show free will or a lack of it in the actions of each of these characters?
1. Satan
2. Eve
3. Adam

Part II

1. How do Adam and Eve differ before and after the Fall?
2. How does Michael interact with Adam and what do they discuss?
3. Do you think Milton is sexist? Explain.
4. Who do you think is the hero of Paradise Lost? Explain.
5. Defend each of the following positions using examples from the poem:
1. Adam should not have eaten of the fruit offered by Eve.
2. Adam was right to eat the fruit offered by Eve.

Final Essay

Choose one of the questions from your exam. Write an extended essay using quotations and evidence from the poem. You should express an opinion and give at least three reasons you believe your opinion is correct.

I have received nothing in exchange for this post. Links to Bookshop.org are affiliate links.

Finally - Actual Crystals!

One of the activities in the Mater Amabilis™ Mountains and Volcanoes study in Level 1A Year 2 (third grade) is to grow a crystal. We tried some different kits and methods with First Son, First Daughter, and Second Daughter, with varying degrees of success.

This year, I purchased the 4M Crystal Growing Experimental Kit and it was far and away the best kit we've ever used. Second Son (the third grader) used it to grow enormous crystals. It actually got away from us. Then later in the year, First Son (the tenth grader) used it to grow a second set of crystals for his geology term.

There's enough left for another set but I don't know if it'll still be around in three years when First Daughter is ready for tenth grade geology. We may have to use them up just for fun before then.

I have received nothing in exchange for this post. Links to Amazon are affiliate links.

Africa from Above: West with the Night

West with the Night

by Beryl Markham

Beryl Markharm moved to Africa with her father when she was very young. Her memoir, West with the Night, is centered on her experiences as a pilot, one of the first in Africa, let alone one of the first female ones. The book is episodic, sharing memories of flying as a young woman, hunting as a young girl, training horses at the racetrack. Hers was an unconventional life.

The writing is magnificent. Of Africa, she wrote:

It is still the host of all my darkest fears, the cradle of all mysteries always intriguing, but never wholly solved. It is the remembrance of sunlight and green hills, cool water and the yellow warmth of bright mornings. It is as ruthless as any sea, more uncompromising than its own deserts. It is without temperance in its harshness or in its favours. It yields nothing, offering much to men of all races.

While once visiting a neighbor, she was attacked by their pet lion.

The sound of Paddy's roar in my ears will only be duplicated, I think, when the doors of hell slip their wobbly hinges, one day, and give voice and authenticity to the whole panorama of Dante's poetic nightmares. It was an immense roar that encompassed the world and dissolved me in it.

While some readers may be disturbed by the story, Beryl seems to have forgiven the lion.

Beryl speaks eloquently and, compared to many of her British contemporaries in Africa, respectfully of the Africans. She describes a Kikuyu dance:

They sang in voices that were so much a part of Africa, so quick to blend with the night and the tranquil veldt and the labyrinths of forest that made their background, that the music seemed without sound. It was like a voice upon another voice, each of the same timbre.

She scouted for elephants by plane for people who wanted to hunt them. In the book, she never directly addresses the morality of elephant hunting, which of course was legal in her time. She does hint at it's foolishness.

The essence of elephant-hunting is discomfort in such lavish proportions that only the wealthy can afford it. 

The writing blends humor amongst the beauty. For example, she relates how she and a friend were waylaid by Italian officials on a flight from East Africa to England, back at a time when frequent stops were required and you couldn't just avoid troublesome areas.

Minutes had begun to accumulate into an hour before still another machine arrived, complete with side-car, and out of which popped an officer draped in a long blue cloak that bore enough medals to afford about the same protection, during the heat of battle, as a bullet-proof vest. 

The book isn't a biography; it's a meandering memoir that touches only on the aspects Beryl wanted to share. The lack of personal details is an advantage for those of us who might be interested in a book set in Africa for high schoolers as her personal life was...let's say a bit shocking. It's rambling nature centers mostly on Africa and flying in Africa, but her transatlantic flight is the culmination though without a strong connection to the rest of the book.

For our Africa study in tenth grade (Level 5 Year 2 in the Mater Amabilis™ curriculum), I assigned Four Years in Paradise as our travel/adventure book. Then I gave First Son some options for his supplemental geography reading. For the first time, he could choose between:

• The Flame Trees of Thika
• Out of Africa
• In Ethiopia with a Mule

I will add West with the Night to that list for First Daughter. I think she'd find this book more adventurous than the first two and more light-hearted than the third. (Second term reading is Things Fall Apart; third term is Cry, the Beloved Country.)

I have received nothing in exchange for this honest post. The Amazon links are affiliate links. I first checked this book out from the library and then requested a copy of our own from PaperBackSwap.com (affiliate link).

For the Seeker: The Confessions by Saint Augustine

The Confessions

by Saint Augustine

translated by Maria Boulding

This is the edition and translation used by Kansas Dad in his Catholic Studies courses.

First Son will read this in tenth grade, near the end of the year. I've only asked him to read the first ten chapters. The last four, while interesting and worthwhile, are more philosophical than autobiographical. I believe he won't find them compelling at sixteen, though I hope he will return to them when he is older.

Saint Augustine read himself into the Church. He explored nearly every other philosophy available to him before ending up exactly where he had begun as an infant in his mother's arms. In conversation after conversation, he asked the philosophers and leaders in every movement about the core of their beliefs and found each lacking. His Confessions, therefore, contain many ideas that continue to resurface throughout history and in our own times as well as his responses to them. I hope a high school or college student today would be able to make the connections between St. Augustine's revelations and what our own culture says. As one example, St. Augustine acknowledges how much truth there is in the "philosophers" of his day, as we might those of scientists today, while still understanding that they are incapable of connecting their scientific discoveries with a God they do not know.

They do not know him who is the Way, your Word through whom you made those very things they are reckoning, together with themselves who do the reckoning, and the sense with which they perceive the things they reckon, and the mind with which they reckon; yet your wisdom is beyond reckoning.

In all his explorations, he was always attracted to the truths each philosophy had discovered in the world. In the end, though, he was able to discern how each was incomplete. Only Christianity was able to provide a thorough philosophy, encompassing all of Creation.

I had come to understand that just as wholesome and rubbishy food may both be served equally well in sophisticated dishes or in others of rustic quality, so too can wisdom and foolishness be proffered in language elegant or plain.

As a mother, I was particularly drawn to the parts of the book in which St. Augustine shared his mother's hopes, dreams, and prayers for him.

And what was she begging of you, my God, with such abundant tears? Surely, that you would not allow me to sail away. But in your deep wisdom you acted in her truest interests: you listened to the real nub of her longing and took no heed of what she was asking at this particular moment, for you meant to make me into what she was asking for all the time.

So while St. Monica's immediate prayers were not answered (as St. Augustine left her protection and wandered even farther from his Christian childhood), God answered the prayer of her heart, that Augustine would become a true Christian. This journey would eventually lead him back to God and her more completely than he would ever have done so if he had stayed by her side.

All the while, Lord, as I pondered these things you stood by me; I sighed and you heard me; I was tossed to and fro and you steered me aright. I wandered down the wide road of the world, but you did not desert me.

In Book IX, St. Augustine discusses his mother's relationship with his father. I was a little shocked to see the descriptions of the common abuses between husbands and wives in Augustine's times and his mother's meek acceptance of the situation, which he defends because she was able to convert her husband before his death. I think it would be important to remind a student that such behavior is unacceptable. A man should never be physically or verbally abusive to a woman and a women suffering such abuse should not accept it but should seek immediate escape and assistance.

If anyone were to give you an account of his real merits, what else would that be but a list of your gifts?

I don't know other translations, but this one was both lovely and relatively easy to follow. I thin First Son should manage without any difficulties. The ten autobiographical books provide amazing insight into St. Augustine's life and the kind of searching so many students do in high school and college. It's an excellent choice.

I have received nothing in exchange for this honest post. Our copy of this book was provided to Kansas Dad for use with his class. Links to Amazon are affiliate links.

Life at Sea in the Time of Lord Nelson: Master and Commander

Master and Commander

by Patrick O'Brian

This exciting book takes place during the Napoleonic Wars and is a realistic depiction of naval life, strategy, and warfare during that time.

In the front of the book is a drawing of a sailing ship with the sail labeled, for those that are interested. I mainly just read past the more detailed sailing terms. I loved this description of Lord Nelson, found early in the book.

"Never mind manoeuvres, always go at them." I shall never forget it: never mind manoeuvres -- always go at 'em. And at the same dinner he was telling us all how someone had offered him a boat-cloak on a cold night and he had said no, he was quite warm -- his zeal for his King and country kept him warm. It sounds absurd, as I tell it, does it not? And was it another man, any other man, you would cry out "oh, what pitiful stuff" and dismiss it as mere enthusiasm; but with him you feel your bosom glow...

It is realistic in descriptions of the more sordid details of naval life like swearing, crimes (many of a perverted nature), floggings, infidelity and mistresses (and the diseases that often follow such activities), as well as the violent and bloody battles.

One character is Catholic. He struggles with balancing his commitment to his faith, his country (Britain), and his homeland (Ireland).

The book jumps, sometimes jarringly, from scene to scene. There were a few times when I had to stop and think about what had been happening and draw the lines between those actions and the consequences described.

Overall, this book was absolutely enthralling. I enjoyed it so thoroughly, I immediately requested the second Aubrey book from PaperBackSwap.com. Kansas Dad kept picking up the book and reading bits and pieces, finally declaring he would just have to read it in its entirety

I've added it to First Son's list of optional historical fiction for Level 5 Year 1 (the second half of Churchill's A History of the English-Speaking Peoples: A One-Volume Abridgment.

Just remember it may not be the best choice for the young or easily scandalized.

I have received nothing in exchange for this post. I purchased the book used. Links to Amazon and PaperBackSwap are affiliate links.

Modern Medicine: Ten Drugs

Ten Drugs: How Plants, Powders, and Pills Have Shaped the History of Medicine

by Thomas Hager

This book was an audiobook of the day, I think, and caught my eye. I thought it might be a good choice for a high school level supplemental book for chemistry or biology.

Mr. Hager is a journalist and therefore often emphasizes the most awful and sensational aspects of his stories including suicide and violent attacks like the first recorded murder due to a date-rape drug. The chapter on the discovery of the birth control pill assumes the vast benefits of the discovery, though it was not a surprising or unexpected portrayal. Part of the same chapter covers the development of Viagra and an almost raunchy description of a conference presentation.

The book is almost unbiased. It attacks the pharmaceutical industry a bit, though not as much as others might and qualified with commendations for brilliant discoveries. He repeatedly emphasizes that the pharmaceutical companies are very good at doing what they are supposed to do: discover and successfully market medications. They are in the business to make a profit and many of them do it very well.

The best chapters are those on opioids and statins. Writing about opioids, Mr. Hager provides a historical context for the current crisis. He explains the chemical interactions of the drugs and emphasizes their inherent and massive propensity for addiction, exploring how those characteristics within our current societal and medical structures are leading to the current epidemic in modern America.

The chapter on statins discusses how to study and assess medical information as it applies to risks and benefits in our own lives.

Put simply, today's large drug companies are great at finding evidence for therapies that promise profits, pretty good at downplaying evidence that gets in the way, and grand masters at promoting their products to physicians and the public.

Mr. Hager's deep interest in statins started with a letter he received from his insurance company, suggesting he contact his doctor about a prescription.

It was all numbers being crunched and form letters being pumped out. It was health care by algorithm. The result: a physician I've never met recommending that I consider taking a new prescription drug, potentially for the rest of my life. 

He shares the research he did and conversations he had with his doctor about the risks and benefits of statins, not just in theory, but as applied directly to his own life.

The book doesn't really have enough science to add to our chemistry studies. As for biology, it isn't compelling enough to be better than Microbe Hunters or Flu. I did find the two chapters on opioids and statins excellent options for our health course, which First Son is completing now, in tenth grade. (I have scheduled it to coincide with an anatomy course for biology.)

• Chapter 8: The Enchanted Ring - I particularly want my children to read this chapter because it makes the addictive potential of opioids obvious. They are much better off if they never take them at all, and certainly never in a non-medical setting.
• Chapter 9: Statins: A Personal Story - on assessing risks and benefits in modern medicine, which I think will be more and more valuable as we are faced with increasing numbers of medication available for non-curable conditions.

I have received nothing in exchange for this honest review. Links to Amazon are affiliate links.

Medieval Christian Warfare in Poem: The Song of Roland (Schedule and Exam Questions for Level 5 Year 2)

The Song of Roland

translated by Glyn Burgess

The Mater Amabilis™ high school plans recommend The Song of Roland for the first term's epic in Level 5 Year 2 (tenth grade).

This Penguin Classics translation had reasonably good reviews online and was available from PaperBackSwap.com. I haven't read any other translations, but this one was enjoyable and reasonably easy to follow while still reflecting some of the anachronisms of the medieval French. There's also an appendix of much of the French for the ambitious few.

You can find many excellent summaries of the poem online. What you'll find here is our schedule for the poem and a list of the questions from our exam. I'm not an expert on medieval literature or the writing of exam questions, but they may be at least a place to start for any other Mater Amabilis™ families.

The portion of the introduction assigned on the first day gives an overview of the action of the poem, which I thought would help First Son follow the events. The readings here seem of a reasonable length and are meant to be narrated each day. Finishing in seven weeks allows more time for Paradise Lost, which I anticipate being a more difficult read for First Son.

Week 1
1. Introduction pp 10 (start with last paragraph) - 13 (end of page) AND stanzas 1-26

2. stanzas 27-52

Week 2
1. stanzas 53-78

2. stanzas 79-92

Week 3
1. stanzas 93-116

2. stanzas 117-140

Week 4
1. stanzas 141-161

2. stanzas 162-182

Week 5
1. stanzas 183-203

2. stanzas 204-227

Week 6
1. stanzas 228-268

2. stanzas 269-298 (end of poem)

Week 7

Test on The Song of Roland

Exam Questions

1. Who is Ganelon? What does he do and what happens to him?

2. Who is Roland? What does he do in the poem?

3. Who is Charlemagne? What does he do in the poem?

4. Does Turpin fit your image of a Catholic archbishop? Explain.

5. Describe how the will of God is seen by the poet in the events of the poem.

6. What does The Song of Roland tell you about how medieval Christians thought about Muslims and Islam?

7. Compare and contrast the battles in The Song of Roland with those in The Iliad.

8. Describe your favorite part of The Song of Roland.

I have received nothing in exchange for this post. Links to Amazon and PaperBackSwap are affiliate links. 

Preparing for a Teen Driver: Not So Fast

Not So Fast: Parenting Your Teen Through the Dangers of Driving

by Tim Hollister and Pam Shadel Fischer

One of the other mothers in the Mater Amabilis™ for High School Facebook group mentioned this book in a thread where I asked about books I could include in a health course to address things like alcohol and the opioid crisis. It's a relatively short and easy read, probably worth the time of anyone with a teenage driver (or an almost teen driver).

Tim Hollister is writing out of personal experience. After his son died in a single car accident, he started to wonder what he could have done differently. After some research, he decided our cultural approach to teaching driving should change based on evidence of what actions by parents and teens can decrease crashes and deaths.

Driving requires the continuous evaluation of hundreds of ever-changing factors and circumstances, and thus experts say that it takes three to five years of experience to become familiar and comfortable with the myriad situations that drivers encounter, not the twenty to one hundred hours that most states require for a teen to obtain a license.

Basically, teens are inherently terrible drivers. We can take some actions to mitigate that risk like requiring a plan (like a flight plan) before driving, eliminating "joy riding" (riding around for fun without a specific place to be at a specific time), and providing vastly more supervised driving practice than is required by law. It is also important to discuss the factors that increase teen crashes like drugs, alcohol, and cell phones.

The authors are strongly against allowing your children to ride with teen drivers. They recommend you not send your younger children with teen drivers and that your teens should not ride when other teens are driving. This is a tough sell to parents who are anxious to share those time-consuming carpool responsibilities.

Parents who conclude that it is safe for their child to ride with a teen driver because that driver is a "sensible kid" who has taken driver's ed are playing with fire. The best advice about riding with a teen drive is don't.

They suggested, if your son or daughter is riding with another teen, that they have a strategy for getting out of the vehicle if they feel unsafe.

[The] most popular is "I feel like I am going to throw up."

I have discussed a code my son could text us if he finds himself in a dangerous or uncomfortable situation and wants out. We promised to come and get him, no matter where he is, and ask no questions as long as he promises to tell us if someone else is in danger. (The code word also means we can provide a "cover story" so he doesn't have to tell his friends he asked us to come and get him.) A code word like this won't get him out of a car, but it will get him picked up if he's standing on the side of the road where they let him out.

I have found myself driving more carefully after reading this book. Even though it seems like my fifteen-year-old is not paying attention, I want him to have a good example.

I intend to have my son read this book as part of his health class in tenth grade. It's not written to teens, but I'm hoping having him read the book may give him a deeper understanding of why we ask him to follow our rules when it is time for him to drive.

The authors of the book do not suggest we don't let our teenagers drive at all...at least, I don't think they do. After all, the only way to become a better driver is to practice driving. There's nothing wrong with taking your time, though, and in considering making the process more thorough than state law requires. All state laws are compromises. After all, we could decrease traffic fatalities dramatically if we lowered the speed limit to 30 mph on all roads, but as a society we've decided we're willing to take on the additional risk. Teenage driving requirements are a compromise as well, and as parents, we have the ability to consider whether we want to make those compromises.

On a related note, I have heard excellent reviews from parents for this driving course, available to teens that already have a driver's permit or driver's license.

I have received nothing in exchange for this review, which contains only my honest opinions. Links to Amazon are affiliate links.

Paradise Lost and Milton in Tenth Grade: The Life and Writings of John Milton

The Life and Writings of John Milton

by Seth Lerer

I selected this audiobook as a supplement to First Son's tenth grade English course. The Mater Amabilis™ beta high school plans recommend Paradise Lost as the second of three epics for English. I tried to read Paradise Lost when I was in college and failed. I was hoping to find something that would help put Milton in context for First Son (and myself) without putting too much strain on our schedule with a bunch of lectures.

This is a reasonably short series of lectures, six hours in total. There are a few that cover Milton in general but most focus on one or more of his works, or part of a work in the case of Paradise Lost. I listened to the whole series without reading any of Milton's works and was able to follow along, though I think it would be better to read the work in question and then listen. Milton is still not my favorite writer, but I think I will be able to grapple better with Paradise Lost after listening to these lectures.

I do think these will be helpful for First Son, so I included some of them in his assignments. I have decided to use the online edition of Paradise Lost found at the Dartmouth College website, The John Milton Reading Room. I appreciate being able to click on words for additional information.

Our schedule takes more than twelve weeks, so we will have to move through The Song of Roland and Idylls of the King a little faster. I have a sense that Paradise Lost might be the most difficult of the three and therefore worth the additional time, but I haven't read any of these three epics so we'll have to see how it goes. Here's what we have scheduled for the second term of epics.

Week 1

1. The Life and Writings of John Milton Lecture 5: Paradise Lost--An Introduction - listen and narrate (Note: we skipped lectures 1-4)

2. Book 1 lines 1-399 - narrate.


Week 2

1. Book 1 lines 400-798 - narrate.

2. The Life and Writings of John Milton Lecture 6: Paradise Lost, Book 1 - listen and narrate


Week 3

1. Book 2 lines 1-527 - narrate.

2. Book 2 lines 528-1055 - narrate.


Week 4

1. The Life and Writings of John Milton Lecture 7: Paradise Lost, Book II - listen and narrate.

2. Book 3 lines 1-371 - narrate.


Week 5

1. Book 3 lines 372-742 - narrate.

2. The Life and Writings of John Milton Lecture 8: Paradise Lost, Book III - listen and narrate


Week 6

1. Book 4 lines 1-504 - narrate.

2. Book 4 lines 505-1015 - narrate.


Week 7

1. The Life and Writings of John Milton Lecture 9: Book IV—Theatrical Milton - listen and narrate

2. Book 5 lines 1-460 - narrate.


Week 8

1. Book 5 lines 461-907 - narrate.

2. Book 6 lines 1-445 - narrate.


Week 9

1. Book 6 lines 446-912 - narrate.

2. Book 7 lines 1-338 - narrate.


Week 10

1. Book 7 lines 339-640 - narrate.

2. Book 8 lines 1-337 - narrate.


Week 11

1. Book 8 lines 338-640 - narrate.

2. Book 9 lines 1-612 - narrate.


Week 12

1. Book 9 lines 613-1189 - narrate.

2. The Life and Writings of John Milton Lecture 10: Book IX—The Fall - listen and narrate


Week 13

1. Book 10 lines 1-590 - narrate.

2. Book 10 lines 591-1104 - narrate.


Week 14

1. Book 11 lines 1-452 - narrate.

2. Book 11 lines 453-901 - narrate.


Week 15

1. Book 12 lines 1-334 - narrate.

2. Book 12 lines 335-649 - narrate.


Week 16

1. The Life and Writings of John Milton Lecture 12: Milton's Living Influence - listen and narrate (Note: we skipped lecture 11)

2. Test on Paradise Lost (not yet written)



I purchased this audiobook. I have received nothing for this post which only shares my honest opinions. I did attend Dartmouth College but had nothing to do with the creation of the website devoted to John Milton. The links to Amazon are affiliate links.

Change Is Possible and Some Places to Start: The Power of Habit

The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business

by Charles Duhigg

This is a book we're probably going to use in our tenth grade health course. It does a good job of explaining how habits work in real life and the steps that may help you identify cues and rewards if you are trying to modify your habits. It shares stories of difficulties in changing habits which will hopefully encourage the kids to develop good habits from the beginning. There are also examples of how people succeed because they spent time anticipating difficult situations, planning a response, and roll-playing it.

"Willpower isn't just a skill. It's a muscle, like the muscles in your arms or legs, and it gets tired as it works harder, so there's less power left over for other things."

It can also be strengthened, like a muscle, when it is exercised.

There's a chapter on data collection by Target. (They all collect data; Target just made for a good story.) It's very disturbing how much companies know about us and how we seem to happily hand it over to them in exchange for a few coupons: thought-provoking for a teen.

A later chapter on gambling is similarly eye-opening. Between the information in this book and what I read in  The World Beyond Your Head (post coming on this excellent book...eventually), I'm starting to view the gambling industry as a curse on all mankind, so I'm glad First Son will have a chance to read a bit about it.

This is not a book by a man of faith, or at least, not a believer willing to admit it. For example, when writing about Alcoholics Anonymous, Mr, Duhigg explains how those who believe in a higher power are more likely to remain sober.

It wasn't God that mattered, the researches figured out. It was belief itself that made a difference. Once people learned how to believe in something, that skill started spilling over to other parts of their lives, until they started believing they could make a change.

Or maybe it's God.

He also reports on gay rights organizations in a laudatory manner. We have been discussing this sort of thing for a few years now, so my tenth grader will be surprised.

I also felt like he might be pushing the habit argument a little in the chapter on the civil rights movement. He qualifies the whole thing by saying there were other factors involved, but even so I think he oversteps. As always, I think Rosa Parks deserves a larger role. I don't think she was  just a tired woman who let the lawyers use her case; she was an active participant and decision-maker in the whole process. But I haven't actually read enough about her to be certain.

Finally, the chapter on Saddleback Church is odd. Perhaps I'm just uncomfortable with the idea (the author's not the church's) that being a part of a community of faith is nothing more than a series of habits. I thought about skipping this chapter in our lesson plans but have decided it might be interesting for First Son to consider how people outside a church think about what's happening inside it.

Overall, a fairly quick and interesting read that brings up skills I want First Son to realize exist and topics I'd like him to consider. I'm fairly certain I'll include it in our health course.

I have received nothing in exchange for this post. All opinions are my own. Links to Amazon are affiliate links.

Charlotte Mason's Geographical Reader for High School Geography: Africa

Great Sand Dunes in Colorado, but just imagine it's the Sahara

I wrote earlier this week on how we fared using Charlotte Mason's Geographical Readers for Elementary Schools Book 5 for ninth grade geography, following the recommendation on the
Mater Amabilis™ beta high school plans, available in the high school Facebook group and linked from the Mater Amabilis™ website (scroll down to Levels 5 and 6).

Today I'm going to share what I've planned for next year in tenth grade: Africa.

I did find an alternate book that at least attempted to cover the entire continent: Africa by John Reader. (He has two books with the same name. This one is the companion to the PBS series published by National Geographic.) This book is lavishly illustrated, of course. It divides Africa into chapters based on environment: Savanna, Desert, Rain Forest, Mountains, Sahel, Great Lakes, Coast, and Southern Africa. It covers not just the ecological regions, but history, economics, and current events. Published in 2001, it includes quite a lot on the HIV crisis, the Rwanda genocide, and the end of apartheid in South Africa. All of these lend themselves to updated information using something like the curated articles I gathered for our study of Asia. With only eight sections, even if a student only read half a chapter each week, the study would be a little short. Finally, the writing is just what you might expect from a National Geographic magazine: often quite good but not universally lovely.

So I decided to use Charlotte Mason's Geographical Reader again, but this time I created a study guide that includes excerpts of the text I found most interesting and least offensive. (There's still plenty of room for discussions of parochialism and racism.) There are some marvelous first person accounts of exploration in the first few chapters. If you are following the recommended course of study for Level 5 Year 2 in British History (the second half of Churchill's History of the English-Speaking Peoples), the last few weeks of the year will create an interesting conjunction of the British involvement in South Africa from Churchill and Mason at slightly different points in time.

Because there are only sixteen chapters on Africa in the Mason text and I'm a little crazy, I decided we could use both books.

The study guide I created for Mason's book includes a list of places and locations to mark on maps I printed from D-Maps.com. (Someone posted about this site in our Facebook group; it's a fantastic source for maps.) There are a few notes, then the text of her book (the parts I liked) with annotations on place names, people mentioned, and other things I wanted to qualify. These readings will be narrated. For those that are interested, I have shared this study guide in the Mater Amabilis™ high school Facebook group.

After reading from Mason's book, my son will go to the list of curated articles in his Google drive. I've tried to be very selective, but there are often quite a few required ones as the Mason text is usually shorter. For each required article or site, I've asked him to write a sentence or two in his geography notebook. Then he should select one of them for a more substantial narration (oral or written, his preference). Again, I've shared this list with the Mater Amabilis™ high school Facebook group and will continue to edit and add to it for the next eight years (until my youngest finishes tenth grade).

The study guide I wrote for Reader's book includes a similar mapping activity for each chapter. In addition, I've included definitions for quite a few words I thought might be unfamiliar to a high school student (at least my tenth grader). To integrate this book with Mason, we'll be reading the chapters out of order. I think you could skip some of them, too. Because these chapters are substantially longer, I have not assigned any curated articles on these weeks. I did include some in appropriate places that cover topics surfaced by this book like HIV and De Beers mining activities. This book will be narrated, but we'll see how it goes. Each chapter covers quite a lot of material and it might work best to focus on just one part for a narration. I will share this study guide in the Facebook group as well.

When labeling maps, my son will use our atlas, which is an older version of the National Geographic Concise Atlas of the World.

I also intend to have First Son read a travel/adventure book on Africa once each week. I'm still deciding what that will be.

Finally, First Son will choose one book each term to read as supplemental African geography. These will not be narrated, merely enjoyed. There might be some conversations about them arising naturally, but no exams or anything. For the most part, these are pulled from the optional list included in the Mater Amabilis™ beta high school plans and rely heavily on books I already owned or could get easily.

I think if you were looking to simplify, you could use either Mason's text or Reader's text. With either one, I'd encourage including map work and contemporary articles. The chapters in Reader's book could easily be divided in half to spread the study out a bit. We're doing this year of study in tenth grade, but there's no reason it couldn't also be done in one of the other high school years. There are some topics best for mature readers like genocide, horrors of the slave trade, terrorism, and HIV.

Just in case anyone is interested in following our schedule, I'm including it below.

Week 1

Reading Assignment (narrate) - Introduction (Mason Study Guide) and Introduction (John Reader's Africa Study Guide)

Curated Articles (write 1-2 sentences for each link; choose one for a narration) - Introduction

Week 2

Reading Assignment (narrate) - Africa (Mason Study Guide)

Curated Articles (write 1-2 sentences for each link; choose one for a narration) - Africa

Week 3

Reading Assignment (narrate) - Dr. Livingstone’s Discoveries in South Africa (Mason Study Guide)

Curated Articles (write 1-2 sentences for each link; choose one for a narration) - Dr. Livingstone’s Discoveries in South Africa

Week 4

Reading Assignment (narrate) - African Village Life (Mason Study Guide)

Curated Articles (write 1-2 sentences for each link; choose one for a narration) - African Village Life

Week 5

Reading Assignment (narrate) - Dr. Livingstone on the Condition of South Africa (Mason Study Guide)

Curated Articles (write 1-2 sentences for each link; choose one for a narration) - Dr. Livingstone on the Condition of South Africa

Week 6

Reading Assignment (narrate) - The Discoveries of Captains Burton, Speke, Grant &c. (Mason Study Guide)

Curated Articles (write 1-2 sentences for each link; choose one for a narration) - off week

Week 7

Reading Assignment (narrate) - off week

Curated Articles (write 1-2 sentences for each link; choose one for a narration) - The Discoveries of Captains Burton, Speke, Grant &c.

Week 8

Reading Assignment (narrate) - Abyssinia (Mason Study Guide)

Curated Articles (write 1-2 sentences for each link; choose one for a narration) - Abyssinia

Week 9

Reading Assignment (narrate) - Mountain (John Reader's Africa Study Guide)

Week 10

Selections from Christian History issue 105 (linked in the Mater Amabilis™ plans). Write a brief paragraph on two. Choose one for a longer written narration.
- A tour of ancient Africa pp 9-13
- From Abba Salama to King Lalibela pp 18-21
- See how these Christians love one another pp 29-33

Week 11

Reading Assignment (narrate) - Savanna (John Reader's Africa Study Guide)

quiz next week on what you've covered so far: Mason (through Abyssinia), Reader (Mountain, Savanna), Christian History articles

Week 12

Quiz #1:
- Mason: Introduction, Africa, Dr. Livingstone's Discoveries, African Village Life, Condition of South Africa, Discoveries of Captains Burton etc., Abyssinia  (and related curated articles)
- Reader: Moutain, Savanna

- Christian History articles

Week 13

Reading Assignment (narrate) - Egypt Part I (Mason Study Guide)

Curated Articles (write 1-2 sentences for each link; choose one for a narration) - Egypt Part I

Week 14

Reading Assignment (narrate) - Egypt Part II and Egypt Part III (Mason Study Guide)

Curated Articles (write 1-2 sentences for each link; choose one for a narration) - Egypt Part II and Egypt Part III

Week 15

Reading Assignment (narrate) - Up the Nile (Mason Study Guide)

Curated Articles (write 1-2 sentences for each link; choose one for a narration) - Up the Nile

Week 16

Reading Assignment (narrate) - The Soudan (Mason Study Guide)

Curated Articles (write 1-2 sentences for each link; choose one for a narration) - The Soudan

Week 17

Reading Assignment (narrate) - The Soudan (continued) (Mason Study Guide)

Curated Articles (write 1-2 sentences for each link; choose one for a narration) - The Soudan (continued)

Week 18

Reading Assignment (narrate) - Sahel (John Reader's Africa Study Guide)

Week 19

Letters from Niger (These are prayer letters written by friends of ours who are missionaries in Niger. If you're not lucky enough to know these amazing people or others serving God in Africa, just skip it.)

You don’t have to read every letter, but read a handful from different times and consider what life is like in southern Niger. Tell what you've learned (oral or written narration).

Week 20

Reading Assignment (narrate) - Rainforest (John Reader's Africa Study Guide)

Week 21

Reading Assignment (narrate) - Sahara (Mason Study Guide)

Curated Articles (write 1-2 sentences for each link; choose one for a narration) - Sahara

Week 22

Reading Assignment (narrate) - Desert (John Reader's Africa Study Guide)

Week 23

Reading Assignment (narrate) - The Barbary States (Mason Study Guide

Curated Articles (write 1-2 sentences for each link; choose one for a narration) - off week

Week 24

Reading Assignment (narrate) - off week

Curated Articles (write 1-2 sentences for each link; choose one for a narration) - The Barbary States

Quiz next week on Mason (Egypt through Barbary States), Reader (Sahel, Rainforest, Desert), and Christians in Niger

Week 25

Quiz #2:
- Mason: Egypt Parts I, II, and III, Up the Nile, The Soudan, Sahara, Barbary Statess (and related curated articles)
- Reader: Sahel, Rainforest, Desert

- Christians in Niger (prayer letters)

Week 26

Reading Assignment (narrate) - Great Lakes (John Reader's Africa Study Guide)

Week 27

Reading Assignment (narrate) - Coast (John Reader's Africa Study Guide)

Week 28

Reading Assignment (narrate) - South Africa (Mason Study Guide)

Curated Articles (write 1-2 sentences for each link; choose one for a narration) - South Africa

Week 29

Reading Assignment (narrate) - Cape Colony (Mason Study Guide)

Curated Articles (write 1-2 sentences for each link; choose one for a narration) - Cape Colony

Week 30

Reading Assignment (narrate) - Southern Africa (John Reader's Africa Study Guide)

Week 31

Reading Assignment (narrate) - The Islands Round Africa (Mason Study Guide)

Curated Articles (write 1-2 sentences for each link; choose one for a narration) - The Islands Round Africa

Quiz next week: Mason (South Africa through Islands Round Africa), Reader (Great Lakes, Coast, Southern Africa)

Week 32

Quiz #3:
- Mason: South Africa, Cape Colony, The Islands Round Africa (and related curated articles)

- Reader: Great Lakes, Coast, Southern Africa


This post contains my own opinions. I have received nothing in exchange for writing it. Links to Amazon are affiliate links.

A Child in Kenya: The Flame Trees of Thika

The Flame Trees of Thika

by Elspeth Huxley

The Flame Trees of Thika is the suggested travel or adventure book for Africa in Level 5 Year 2 (tenth grade) in the Mater Amabilis™ high school beta plans (available in the high school Facebook group).

It's a memoir of the brief time the author lived in Kenya with her parents as colonial settlers from Britain in the early 1900s, until life was interrupted by World War I. Her youth and naivety allow her to unabashedly share the vibrant wildlife and tribal life. Beautifully written, it evokes a past era, one we may be able to appreciate as we also learn to recognize its mistakes and prejudices.

For until you actually saw it and travelled across it on foot or on horseback or in a wagon, you could not possibly grasp the enormous vastness of Africa.

Because it is a memoir of colonial times, many of the relationships between the white settlers and the Africans may be unsettling for modern readers. There are also a few instances of language we would consider exceptionally insulting and degrading. High schoolers, especially homeschooled students, who may be unfamiliar with this kind of language, may need to be explicitly taught about these kinds of words and their meaning in today's world.

The writing is beautiful:

The sunset was, indeed, spectacular. The whole western sky was aflame with the crimson of the heart of a rose. Deep-violet clouds were stained and streaked with red, and arcs of lime-green and saffron-yellow swept across the heavens. It was all on such a scale that the whole world might have been burning.

Though a young child, she was allowed to wander quite a lot. Her memories of the natural world of her youth perfectly suit a Charlotte Mason homeschooler comparing life in Africa with his or her own life.

One morning I surprised two dikdik in the glade, standing among grass that countless quivering cobwebs had silvered all over, each one -- and each strand of every cobweb -- beaded with dew. It was amazing to think of all the untold millions of cobwebs in all the forest glades, and all across the bush and plains of Africa, and of the number of spiders, more numerous even than the stars, patiently weaving their tents of filament to satisfy their appetites, and of all the even greater millions of flies and bees and butterflies that must go to nourish them; and for what end, no one could say. 

There is little excitement in the book. She's too young to participate in many of the big adventures like a lion hunt. The book records a child's daily life and her views of the farm and African people. There's not much plot or even much closure at the ending, just the wistful hope of a young girl to return to Africa after the war. She does return; her memoir continues in The Mottled Lizard, which I haven't read.

This was a lovely book to read. I haven't decided yet if it's going to be assigned reading for tenth grade. The plans recommend this as a travel or adventure book that would be read and narrated once a week. I'm more inclined to assign it as independent reading without narration (though we do use a reading journal, so there would be a few words jotted down...First Son uses the fewest words he possibly can...with abbreviations). I think I'd like to find something more "adventurous" but so far the few options I've skimmed from our library are a bit too adventurous - violent adventures and survival stories.

This post contains my own opinions. I have received nothing in exchange for writing it, though the links to Amazon above are affiliate links. I requested my copy through PaperBackSwap.com (another affiliate link).

May 2019 Book Reports

Stuff Matters: Exploring the Marvelous Materials that Shape Our Man-Made World by Mark Miodownik - link to my post. (library copy)

Economics: The User's Guide by Ha-Joon Chang - link to my post. (library copy)

The Odyssey by Homer and Elizabeth Vandiver's The Odyssey of Homer - link to my post. (purchased copies)

A Man for All Seasons by Robert Bolt - link to my post. (PaperBackSwap)

Elemental: How the Periodic Table Can Now Explain (Nearly) Everything by Tim James - This is another book I pre-read in the search of a chemistry free read for my high school son. It's a light breezy book perfect for a high school reading level that includes some great explanations of chemical principles. It's also full of the kind of humor a 15-year-old boy would appreciate (lots of death and destruction). Its greatest defect is the lack of a periodic table anywhere in the text. To really follow the reasoning, you would need to dig one up to keep alongside you as you read. For a Christian, there are also numerous side comments intended to be humorous but I think go just a little too far and are therefore flippant or dismissive toward the faith (any faith). Weirdly enough, the author bio specifically mentions how he grew up in Africa because his parents were missionaries. He also casually mentions a non-traditional living arrangement for a scientist and assumes people who found it scandalous were clearly mistaken. While I wouldn't mind if my high-schooler read this book, I'm not going to assign it. (library copy)

The Omnivore's Dilemma: Young Readers Edition by Michael Pollan - This book is an adaptation I'm going to have my high-schooler read as part of a health course alongside anatomy next year (tenth grade). It's far below his reading level, but that will work well as I'd like to include a handful of other books in addition and the original (which we own) would simply take him too long. It covers all four of the meals (industrial, industrial organic, local sustainable, and hunter-gatherer) plus a new preface and an afterword. Pollan's food rules are included as well. Despite the easy text, I'd hesitate to give it to a really young reader as some of the scenes described, especially in the course of the industrial meal, are quite distressing. I discouraged my twelve-year-old from reading it yet. (library copy)

You Need a Budget by Jesse Mecham - link to my post. (library copy)

Brother Astronomer: Adventures of a Vatican Scientist by Brother Guy Consolmagno - link to my post. (library copy)

I have received nothing in exchange for these posts. All opinions are my own. Links to Amazon, RC History, and PaperBackSwap are affiliate links.

Level 5 European History with Norman Davies

The Mater Amabilis™ beta high school plans (which can be found in the Mater Amabilis™ for High School Facebook group) recommend Europe: A History by Norman Davies for the European History textbook. The book has twelve parts, which divides nicely into three parts each for four years. (Or, for those who want to finish in a shorter time, four parts each for three years.)

This is a dense and meaty text. It begins with a description of Europe's geography and a discussion on how its geographical features lend themselves to the development of a civilization. Part II covers Ancient Greece and Part III is Ancient Rome. These are the three parts we read in ninth grade (Level 5 Year 1).

I have recently prepared a study guide and mapping activities for the second three parts through the Middle Ages and up to 1493 (The Birth of Europe, The Middle Age, and Christendom in Crisis) for Level 5 Year 2.

Sally Thomas, one of the developers of the beta high school plans and a moderator in the Mater Amabilis™ Facebook groups began a study guide to provide definitions and guided questions. I started with her wonderful work and added mapping activities and finished it through Part VI. I will post those in the Facebook group.

The mapping activities ask my student to label a blank map with locations mentioned in the text. Personally I find that kind of preparatory work invaluable as I read a text because I am able to place events within a geographical space. My daughter has been doing these kinds of activities as she reads A Book of Discovery and has mentioned how beneficial she finds them as well.

I originally wrote the ninth grade study guide asking my son only to find the locations in our atlas, but I found throughout the year that he still couldn't remember even the most common locations from the text. So I wrote the tenth grade study guide to be more active as he labels a blank map, using our atlas to guide him. (I also went back and quickly revised the ninth grade one so it's ready for First Daughter.) I'm hopeful this additional engagement will help him form an internal map of Europe he'll be able to use throughout his life.

I have the third edition of the National Geographic Concise Atlas of the World which I have found sufficient though its more manageable size is possible by including fewer features and locations. There were a couple of things I just added myself (Nicaea, Mt. Athos, and Corinth, for example).

There are some maps within the text, but most tables and maps are relegated to the Appendix and most of those present multiple layers of information in a single page. My current high school student is the kind to immediately dismiss any thought of turning to the back of the book for additional information, so if I wanted him to look at something in the Appendix, I specifically required it in the study guide I wrote. I also supplemented the text with just a few maps in the study guide.

Because this text is so very dense, in the first year I often assigned only three or four pages. In the second year, I've increased that to an average of five pages. I think this will be acceptable as even my son agreed Davies was easier to digest after some practice. I also think the first chapter was the most difficult; it was much more abstract than the later ones. Part IV on the Birth of Europe is also more abstract than the following two parts.

While this book is used as a text in some college courses, it is an unusual choice for high school, partly because of its difficulty but also it's not a "textbook." Davies presents his own views alongside what others have said but without always identifying the "right" theory. Because it has only one author, it is easy to begin discussions by asking whether Davies is right: Does he present persuasive arguments? Have you learned something from another course or author that counters what he is saying?

Davies comments on everything. By the end of the book, a student will have encountered innumerable ideas and interrelationships between them. I know some other families in the Facebook group have opted for other history curricula, but I think this is a solid choice and I'm pleased with it.

If you have multiple students who will be using this text, I recommend a hardcover version. It's a large book and I think the hardcover will handle multiple years of use by multiple children better than paperback. It's relatively inexpensive used. (I accidentally ended up with two copies so if you're local and want one, let me know.)

I have receiving nothing in exchange for this post. I purchased this book used (and discovered Kansas Dad had purchased it new decades ago). All opinions are my own. Links above to Amazon are affiliate links.

Chemistry and Politics: Antoine Lavoisier

Antoine Lavoisier: Scientist and Citizen

by Sarah R. Riedman

I posted recently about Stuff Matters, which I was considering for our chemistry supplemental reading in tenth grade. One of the comments suggested a biography of Antoine Lavoisier instead. I searched our library catalog and came up with a few options. This book was the best and an excellent choice.

It's a little easier to read than a high schooler would probably need, but the discussions of the phlogiston theory are sophisticated enough for high school. It includes extensive descriptions of Lavoisier's political and philanthropic work, as well as a detailed chapter on the French Revolution.

First Son will read this book in tenth grade as a supplement to Sabbath Mood Homeschool's Chemistry Part 2. In the future, I think I'll assign this book in ninth grade with part 1 and move Uncle Tungsten to tenth grade. It's a little more mature.

I have received nothing for this post; all opinions are my own. Links to Amazon are affiliate links. I borrowed this book from our library, but purchased a used copy for our use in school next year.

Update on Personal Finance for High School: You Need a Budget

You Need a Budget: The Proven System for Breaking the Paycheck-to-Paycheck Cycle, Getting Out of Debt, and Living the Life You Want

by Jesse Mecham

I wrote a few weeks about about a book I thought First Son might use for Personal Finance (in tenth grade, though I might move it to ninth grade for later students). The more I thought about it, the more I wondered if it was really want I wanted. Frankly I was uncomfortable with aspects of the book that focus on maximizing profit in investing in our current economic system and with its defense of wealth accumulation. There were a few chapters that just seemed unnecessary for a high schooler. (Not unexpected as it wasn't written for high schoolers.) So I was keeping my eyes open for an alternative and found this on the library shelf of new books.

You Need a Budget focuses on how to budget with the money you have for the expenses you know you will have. It's the outgrowth of a budgeting website and app available on a subscription basis, but the book itself is beneficial independent of the service. Though not written for high school students, I think it gives a good idea of how to handle personal finances. First Son already does this sort of thing for his finances now, but this book will push him to think ahead to budgeting when he is responsible for more expenses.

There is a chapter on talking with your "partner" about managing household finances and goals. The information is reasonably good, but as the book is written for the millennial generation, it does not assume marriage (and frankly gives many examples of couples who are not married). I talked to Kansas Dad about it and we decided our high school students could still read the book, but it's good to be aware in case you prefer to choose a different option for your family.

I intend to pair this book with other resources like an article on investing showing how compound interest builds if you begin investing early. Retirement accounts of investments in stocks seem inevitable for at least the near future, so I want him to understand about investing when he's young. I am also, however, planning for him to read a number of essays by Wendell Berry and parts of Small Is Still Beautiful to help him question the status quo and consider what role economics might play in a society that strives to build the Kingdom of God. All of this will be in addition to the economics book he'll use as a text over the next two years but the personal finance part should be fairly easy so I think he won't be overwhelmed.

A Man of Conscience: A Man for All Seasons

A Man for All Seasons

by Robert Bolt

This is one of the suggested free reading books for literature in Mater Amabilis™ high school beta plans. It also follows closely after the chapter in A History of the English-Speaking Peoples that touches on St. Thomas More, though for us it will be divided by a summer.

Bolt portrays the events leading to the eventual execution of St. Thomas More, a man who meticulously avoids breaking the law of his country and his king but cannot agree acquiesce to the king's demands against his conscience.

Well...finally...it isn't a matter of reason; finally it's a matter of love.

There are plenty of places to learn more about the play and its literary value. I'm happy to include it with our reading for tenth grade. If I can find a copy of it, we'll also be reading William Roper's biography of St. Thomas More.

I received nothing for this post; the opinions are my own. I received a copy of this book through PaperBackSwap.com (affiliate link). Links above are Amazon affiliate links.