book notes

The Last Town on Earth by Thomas Mullen

Awesome novel about the intersection of human conflicts in 1918 over WWI, the Great Flu, labor-capital, and utopianism.

The Shia Revival by Vali Nasr

• Whereas Sunnism took shape around the writ of majority, Shias do not put much stock in majority opinions.
• Sunni emphasize the message whereas Shia emphasize the messenger (Mohammad and Ali)
• Shia look to the mystical interpretation of the Koran's inner-meaning by special people with an esoteric understanding of the supernatural.
• Shia messianism bears traces of Zoroastrian and Judeo-Christian influence.
• The construciton of Bagdad in the 8th Centrury was suspended twice to put down Shia revolts.
• Ayatollah means sign of God