Reading/Viewing List

Turn Right at Machu Picchu: Rediscovering the Lost City One Step at a Time
Mark Adams
My parents gave me this book for Christmas in 2013 after I had returned from my first Peruvian adventure. I promptly lost it a few weeks later in JFK airport. I was so glad to see it on the bookshelf in the Mountain House. I've been to Machu Picchu twice already. Reading this book just made me want to go again.

Mark Adams worked for National Geographic Adventurer magazine as a writer and editor. But he wasn't an adventurer himself. Then he grew obsessed with Hiram Bingham, the man who is credited with the discovery of Machu Picchu. So he decided to follow in Bingham's footsteps. The result is this book. Adams deftly weaves three narratives - the fall of the Incas, Bingham's adventures, and Adams's own wild romp through the Peruvian highlands - into an illuminating and laugh out loud tapestry of Peru's history and culture. If you're toying with the dream of going to Machu Picchu someday, read this book. It will give you the push to buy those plane tickets. And if you you're planning on visiting your favorite gringo living in the Peruvian highlands next year and want to do some sightseeing along the way, read this book. It's easy, it's funny, and you'll be surprised how much you learn about Peruvian history and modern Peruvian culture.

Flow: The Psychology of the Optimal Experience (or Finding Flow)*
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, PhD
This is one a few books that I recommend to absolutely everyone. It's about how the mind works and how to use that knowledge to optimize your enjoyment in life. The state that Dr. Csikszentmihalyi calls "Flow" is something all of us can recognize, you might call it "being in the zone," or "tuned in." Dr. Csikszentmihalyi breaks down this mental state into its key components, and then outlines how to bring yourself into the flow zone regularly. His final aim is to help the reader live an autotelic (having within onelf the purpose of one's existence) life. Since my mother first gave me Flow in high school, it has been one of the most influential books I have read. Few books have made such an impact on how I approach life.

*Flow and Finding Flow are basically the same book. Flow is the original and is much thicker, including much of Dr. Csikszentmihalyi's research. Finding Flow is the more recent, and much leaner version. In Finding Flow Dr. Csikszentmihalyi simplifies his key concepts for readers less interested in the study of psychology.

The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything 
James Martin, S.J.
I'm a proud product of the Boston Public Schools. After I graduated I spent most of the next for years at Brandeis University. Neither of those are Jesuit institutions. So until this year I knew almost nothing about the Jesuits. Now I know just a little bit. Almost all I know about the Jesuit way of life comes from this book. It's a very easy read. Fr. Martin should be commended for his attempt to make the book available and relevant to readers of all faith and nonfaith backgrounds, but of course, the spirituality of the Society of Jesus is centered on...well, Jesus. This book really is a guide too. I first read it cover to cover, but since then have returned often to specific pages to review and reflect. If you want to understand the spirituality of the Jesuits and of the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, this is the book to read.


Jesus: A Pilgrimage
James Martin, S.J. 

I read this book before I left for JVC. Mostly because it was big and I didn't want to pack the weight. Depsite being a big book about a person who was a big deal, it isn't dense. Fr. Martin weaves travelogue, spiritual reflections, and his intimate knowledge of the Gospels to create a thought provoking and spiritually uplifting portrait of Jesus. The Gospel stories are familiar to any Catholic who goes to mass regularly. Yet I was astounded by Fr. Martin's ability to bring new light to these old stories. The amount of insight he can pull out of a few verses is incredible. I recommend it to anyone interested in deeping their faith and understanding of the Gospels.


The Mission (Film)
This is the movie that got me interested in the intersection of Catholicism, justice, and Latin America. It's one of the steps in the path that led to serve with JVC. It's set in the 1750s when some of the land of the New World (specifically present-day Paraguay) in Spanish control was set to pass into Portugese control. Portugese control meant slavery for the Native Americas (slavery was illegal in the Spanish empire). The Jesuits fought to protect the Native Americans (and were later expelled from all Spanish lands in 1767). It's based on a actual events.

This movie works on many levels. You can focus on the tale of forgiveness, or the differences between the two leads (one at heart a man of peace, the other a man of war). You can cry and rage at the grave injustices and smile and feel hope at the powerful kindness of humanity. Ignoring all that you can just enjoy the spectacular scenery. Or, if you're like me, listen entranced to Ennio Morricone's brilliant score.