The Abolition of Man by C. S. Lewis - This is a collection of three polemical essays against subjectivism. I do not have much of a background in postmodern thought, but Lewis really seemed to have some good arguments for absolutes (and not just moral absolutes). The last essay had a provocative argument concerning man conquering nature. A tree in its natural state can be lovely. It can serve a purpose apart from man. When it is cut down and turned into lumber, it is reduced to an object. The planets and stars can cause us to wonder, to dream, even dread. Once astronomy explains them, they too lose their mystery and become just objects moving in space. A dog can be a loyal and friendly pet. Once we breed and raise them to sell, they become an object that supplies us wealth. There is a continual pattern of man conquering and in so doing, turning that conquered part of nature into a tool - into an object. What happens if we conquer our own reproduction through genetic engineering? Does man turn into a tool, an object?

The Wealthy Barber by David Chilton - This was highly recommended to me. It is financial advice through the medium of a fictional story. The story is fairly contrived, but I can see how it appeals to people. The author has good advice (especially on life insurance), but is too conservative on credit card usage (as in don't have any). It also has a realistic discussion on the limited benefits of budgeting for personal finances.

Martin Bucer: Reforming Church and Community edited by D. F. Wright - Martin Bucer is currently my favorite reformer. When I purchased this book I thought it was a biography of Bucer, but it turned out to be a collection of essays. They provided some interesting insights such as Bucer not being as much of a softy as he is sometimes made out to be. He gets labelled this way because he often served as a mediator between various reformers and between reformers and the Catholic Church. I still feel like I need a big picture view of his life to appreciate many of the essays.