This I Believe

"This I Believe® is an exciting national project that invites you to write about the core beliefs that guide your daily life. ... In reviving This I Believe, Allison and Gediman say their goal is not to persuade Americans to agree on the same beliefs. Rather, they hope to encourage people to begin the much more difficult task of developing respect for beliefs different from their own."

Yesterday, I bought a book.  That, in itself, is not noteworthy since I collect books from everywhere:  from the library, from bookstores, from friends, from sales tables, on my Kindle.  But it appears I have bought a book I already own.  I was with my friend Donna and said, "I've had this book in my hands before, but don't remember if I ever read it."  Yep, I searched my blog and found it twice.

What I remembered is the cover, and having perused parts of it last night, I'm pretty sure I haven't read the whole book.  But ... but ... but it was only $2.00 on sale.  It had been marked down the day before from $7.99, and the original price of this hardback was $23.00.  A bargain, right?  Since I haven't seen it in years, probably not since I bought it in 2010, I'm sure it's in one of my many boxes of books.  This first one is what I bought yesterday, but I've also had my hands on the second book.

This I Believe: Personal Philosophies of Remarkable Men and Women ~ edited by Jay Allison and Dan Gediman, 2006

This I Believe (2006) is an inspirational book based on the NPR series of the same name. Studs Terkel wrote the Foreword, and the book was edited by Jay Allison and Dan Gediman. I mentioned this book three weeks ago, when I found This I Believe II (2008) at my library. ... This last book is mine and will definitely have to wait.

https://bonniesbooks.blogspot.com/2010/09/six-more-books-today.html

This I Believe II: More Personal Philosophies of Remarkable Men and Women ~ edited by Jay Allison and Dan Gediman, 2008

I have requested a copy of This I Believe, which I have obviously not yet read. But seeing this at the library, I got it to read while waiting for the first collection of essays. These books are based on the NPR series of the same name. From the three or four essays I've already read this afternoon (yes, I had to force myself to put down two out of two books that quickly pulled me in), I can see that I'll really enjoy these short pieces by such varied people.

http://bonniesbooks.blogspot.com/2010/09/latest-books-reading-ruminations.html

From the dust jacket of the first book:

Based on the NPR series of the same name, This I Believe features eighty Americans ― from the famous to the unknown ― completing the thought that the book's title begins.  Each piece compels readers to rethink not only how they have arrived at their own personal beliefs but also the extent to which they share them with others.

Featuring many renowned contributors ― including Isabel Allende, Colin Powell, Gloria Steinem, William F. Buckley Jr., Penn Jillette, Bill Gates, and John Updike ― the collection also contains essays by a Brooklyn lawyer; a part-time hospital clerk in Rehoboth, Massachusetts; a woman who sells yellow pages advertising in Fort Worth, Texas; and a man who serves on Rhode Island's parole board.

The result is a stirring and provocative trip inside the minds and hearts of a diverse group of people whose beliefs ― and the incredibly varied ways in which they choose to express them ― reveal the American spirit at its best.