The Intellectual Devotional: Revive Your Mind, Complete Your Education, and Roam Confidently with the Cultured Class by David S. Kidder and Noah D. Oppenheim
A book summary and a quick explanation of what a devotional is are below the review.
I have owned this book for easily 15 years. I think I liked the idea of it more than I wanted to read it. That is until last year.
In the mess of what has been going on in the world, I think I wanted something simple to turn to each day. Something that stretched me a little. Something that I was able to look at and say, “Well, at least I got that done today.”
As a person on a non-traditional spiritual path, daily devotionals were something I stayed away from. I’d read the bible once already and I didn’t want to focus on that, so my eyes just tripped right over them in every bookstore. So when I ran into this one, I think it captured my attention because of it being so different.
I enjoyed reading a page every day. Each day of the week was devoted to a specific topic. I do have to say that devoted Sundays to religion shows the lens of the authors, as does devoting the majority of the religion pages to Christian topics. I would have loved to learn more about the various religions of the world.
The rest of the topics were fun and fascinating. I did end up learning quite a bit I didn’t already know.
What is a daily devotional? A devotional typically refers to a booklet or publication that provides a specific reading for each day.
Book summary (per Goodreads):
This daily digest of intellectual challenge and learning will arouse curiosity, refresh knowledge, expand horizons, and keep the mind sharp
Millions of Americans keep bedside books of prayer and meditative reflection—collections of daily passages to stimulate spiritual thought and advancement. The Intellectual Devotional is a secular version of the same—a collection of 365 short lessons that will inspire and invigorate the reader every day of the year. Each daily digest of wisdom is drawn from one of seven fields of knowledge: history, literature, philosophy, mathematics and science, religion, fine arts, and music.
Impress your friends by explaining Plato’s Cave Allegory, pepper your cocktail party conversation with opera terms, and unlock the mystery of how batteries work. Daily readings range from important passages in literature to basic principles of physics, from pivotal events in history to images of famous paintings with accompanying analysis. The book’s goal is to refresh knowledge we’ve forgotten, make new discoveries, and exercise modes of thinking that are ordinarily neglected once our school days are behind us. Offering an escape from the daily grind to contemplate higher things, The Intellectual Devotional is a great way to awaken in the morning or to revitalize one’s mind before retiring in the evening.
Everyday Sisters 
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