Book Summaries

The Babylonian Genesis

the story of a violent creation by the god Marduk, who defeats teh chaos goddess Tiamat in battle. He splits her body in two to create the heavens and the earth. Finally, he forms humans from the blood of Tiamat’s defeated advisor, Qingu, to serve the gods

Genesis 1-18

This covers creation, humanity’s fall, and early patriarchs.

God created the universe in six days (light, sky, land and sea, plants, the sun, moon, and stars, sea and air creatures, and land animals and humans, placing humanity in Eden to tend it. Humans disobey God by eating forbidden fruit, leading to expulsion, shame, and suffering.

The narrative then follows Cain and Abel, Noah’s flood, and the Towel of Babel, concluding with God calling Abram, promising him land, descendants, and blessing, establishing a covenant despite human failure and setting the stage for Israel.

Exodus 1-15

God rescued the enslaved Israelites from Egypt, starting with Pharaoh oppressing them through hard labor and infanticide. Moses is saved and raised in Pharaoh’s house, then flees after killing an Egyptian. God calls Moses to lead the people out, culminating in the Ten Plagues, the Passover, and the miraculous parting of the Red Sea, which destroys the Egyptian army.

Then, the people journey to Mount Sinai, where God gives Moses the Ten Commandments, establishing His covenant with Israel as he leads them toward their promised land.

1 Samuel 1-1

This introduces Hannah, a barren woman deeply grieved by her rival wife Peninnah, who prays fervently to God for a son at the tabernacle, vowing to dedicate him to the Lord. God answers her prayer, she gives birth to Samuel, and true to her vow, presents him to High Priest Eli to serve God, followed by Hannah’s beautiful song of praise celebrating God’s power to reverse fortunes, exalt the humble, and provide for the needy.

Luke 1-3

This introduces Jesus as the promised Messiah, detailing the miraculous births of His forerunner, John the Baptist, and Jesus himself, emphasizing divine fulfillment of prophecy and hope for the poor and marginalized, culminating with John’s call to repentance and Jesus’s baptism and genealogy, establishing his identity as God’s Son and savior for all people, not just Israel.

Paradise Lost

Book 9 details the fall of humanity, as Satan, disguised as a serpent, tempts Eve to eat the forbidden fruit. Eve succumbs, and then convinces Adam to eat it too, leading them to feel shame and blame each other. The book shifts to a tragic tone, depicting the first disobedience that separates Adam and Eve from God and each other, ultimately leading to their banishment from the Garden of Eden.

Eve’s Apology

This argues that Eve was not solely responsible for the fall of mankind, shifting blame to both Adam and God. The poem suggests Eve’s action was motivated by a desire for knowledge and love for Adam, while Adam, created as a perfect being, was more culpable for dismally failing his divine command. Lanier’s work defends Eve by asserting that both genders share responsibility and criticizes the societal blame unfairly placed on women, making it an early feminist text.

The Tempest

This is a Shakespearean play about the magician Prospero, who was the rightful Duke of Milan but was usurped by his brother, Antonio. To regain his power, Prospero conjures a storm to shipwreck his enemies on a magical island where he and his daughter, Miranda, have lived in exile for 12 years. While there, Prospero uses his magic to manipulate the events, including orchestrating his daughter’s romance with the king’s son, Ferdinand, and plotting revenge against those who wronged him. Ultimately, Prospero chooses forgiveness, gives up his magic, and returns to Italy with his daughter, while his spirit servant, Ariel, is set free.

The Second Discourse

Rousseau argues that private property is the origin of human inequality and suffering, corrupting humanity from a naturally free, solitary, and peaceful “noble savage” state into dependent, competitive beings driven by vanity and vice, ultimately leading to unjust political societies where the rich exploit the poor through laws designed to protect their ill-gotten gain. He contrasts the simple, self-preserving self love, and pity of natural man with the artificial vanity born in society, showing how civilization’s “progress” actually degrades humanity.

Hayy Ibn Yaqzan

This tells the story of a boy raised in isolation on a deserted island, who achieves profound spiritual and philosophical understanding of God and the universe purely through reason, observation, and self-discovery, without societal or religious instruction, highlighting the power of innate intellect and natural religion before meeting another human and ultimately finding that innate wisdom aligns with revealed truth.

Suffrage Speeches

These speeches are pivotal events in American civil rights, especially for women and marginalized groups, focusing on equality, human dignity, and self-determination, fighting for suffrage, land/cultural rights, and against racial/gender discrimination, using powerful oratory, writing, and organizing to challenge systemic injustice and demand inclusion in the American promise.

Communist Manifesto

This is a political text that critiques capitalism and advocates for communism. It argues that history is a class struggle, and that capitalism, with its concentration of wealth in the hand of the bourgeoisie, will be overthrown by the proletariat through a revolution. The ultimate goal is a classless, communist society where private property is abolished and the means of production are owned communally, leading to the phrase “Workers of the world, unite!”

Song of Solomon

This is a coming of age story of Milkman Dead, who journeys from a privileged but unfulfilled life in Michigan to his family’s ancestral home in the South to find his identity and heritage. The novel explores themes of race, identity, and family legacy as Milkman uncovers his family history, which includes the mythical flying ancestor, Solomon, through a quest for a legendary buried treasure. He ultimately discovers that his true inheritance is not wealth, but the stories and history of his ancestors, leading him to a newfound sense of self and freedom.