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The Intellectual Devotional: Revive Your Mind, Complete Your Education, and Roam Confidently with the Cultured Class Hardcover – October 3, 2006

by David S. Kidder (Author), Noah D. Oppenheim (Author)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 806 ratings
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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.
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  1. Part of series
    The Intellectual Devotional
  2. Print length
    375 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Rodale Books
  5. Publication date
    October 3, 2006
  6. Dimensions
    5.44 x 1.2 x 8.28 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    1594865132
  8. ISBN-13
    978-1594865138
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

DAVID S. KIDDER is an entrepreneur with a wide range of technology and marketing experience. Kidder and his companies have appeared in articles in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and other publications. He lives in Westchester, New York, with his wife Johanna, their new baby, Jack, and Bella, their charismatic dog.

NOAH D. OPPENHEIM, a producer of NBC's Today show, has extensive experience in television and print journalism. He has produced and reported for Scarborough Country and Hardball with Chris Matthews, and his writing has appeared in Esquire, the Wall Street Journal, Men's Health, and the Weekly Standard. He lives in New York City with his wife Allison.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Introduction


Daily Devotionals have long been a favored tool of those looking for a regular dose of spiritual growth. Bedside volumes, read upon waking in the morning or before retiring at night, Devotionals consist of 365 exercises in learning and reflection. One easily digestible entry is tackled each day.

The Intellectual Devotional is a secular compendium in the same tradition. It is one year’s worth of daily readings that will refresh your spirit, stimulate your mind, and help complete your education. Each entry is drawn from a different field of knowledge: History, Literature, Visual Arts, Science, Music, Philosophy, and Religion. Read one passage a day and you will explore each subject once a week.

These readings offer the kind of regular exercise the brain requires to stay fresh, especially as we age. They represent an escape from the day-to-day grind into the rarefied realm of human wisdom. And, they will open new horizons of intellectual discovery.

A brief summary of the journey ahead . . . 


MONDAY—HISTORY 

A survey of people and events that shaped the development of Western civilization.

TUESDAY—LITERATURE

A look at great writers and a synopsis of their most important works—poems and novels that continue to inspire readers today.

WEDNESDAY—VISUAL ARTS

An introduction to the artists and artistic movements that yielded the world’s most influential paintings, sculptures, and works of architecture.

THURSDAY—SCIENCE

From the origin of black holes to a description of how batteries work, the wonders of science are simplified and revealed.

FRIDAY—MUSIC

What inspired our greatest composers, how to read a sheet of notes, and why Mozart is so revered—a comprehensive review of our musical heritage.

SATURDAY—PHILOSOPHY

From ancient Greece to the twentieth century, the efforts of humankind’s greatest thinkers to explain the meaning of life and the universe.

SUNDAY—RELIGION

An overview of the world’s major religions and their beliefs.


We hope your progress through this collection of knowledge inspires your curiosity and opens new areas of exploration in your life.

—David S. Kidder and Noah D. Oppenheim

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Rodale Books; Edition Unstated (October 3, 2006)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 375 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1594865132
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1594865138
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.01 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.44 x 1.2 x 8.28 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 806 ratings

About the authors

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  1. David S. Kidder

    David S. Kidder

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    David Kidder

    www.davidskidder.com

    Co-Author, New to Big

    www.NewToBig.com

    Co-Founder, CEO, Bionic

    www.OnBionic.com

    Author, The Startup Playbook

    www.TheStartupPlaybook.com

    Creator + Co-Author, The Intellectual Devotional Series

    Two Time New York Times Bestseller

    Printed 10+ Languages Worldwide

    www.TheIntellectualDevotional.com

    David S. Kidder is an entrepreneur and an angel investor in more than thirty companies. He is the cofounder and CEO of Bionic, which unlocks new growth and competitiveness for the world’s largest enterprises based on the models, methods, and tools of venture capital and entrepreneurship. Previously, Kidder served as the cofounder and CEO of Clickable and cofounded SmartRay Network. A graduate of the Rochester Institute of Technology, he received Ernst and Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2008. He is the creator and coauthor of the New York Times bestselling series The Intellectual Devotional and the author of The Startup Playbook. He lives in Westchester County, New York, with his wife and three sons.

    See more on the author's page
  2. Noah D. Oppenheim

    Noah D. Oppenheim

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    MARION BATAILLE is a graphic and book designer who has never before been published in this country. She lives in Paris, France.

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Top reviews from the United States

Camber
5.0 out of 5 stars Surprisingly good
Reviewed in the United States on April 18, 2009
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This book covers a very broad range of topics with only page per topic, so I didn't expect much and prepared myself for a superficial treatment. But being the generalist that I am, I was obligated to give the book a try anyway.

I'm pleasantly surprised by how the good this book is. Having only one page per topic is of course still a serious limitation, but the authors make efficient use of each page and do about as good a job as anyone could. The range of topics is broad and interesting, the information is (almost always) accurate, the insights are useful and sometimes impressive, and the overall writing quality is consistently high.

As other reviewers have noted, one flaw of the book is that the font size is too small, and I'm surprised that the editors let that go through. It wasn't really a problem for me, but it may be a fatal flaw for readers with vision problems.

Another semi-criticism is that it's not clear that this book is ideally suited for any particular audience. For readers who aren't already well read, the fragmented and jumping-around format of the book may inhibit understanding and retention (but of course the book can be read more than once to help remedy that). And for readers who are already well read, the book will be more of a review, so they may not learn much, although I did manage to pick up some useful new tidbits despite extensive prior reading on many topics.

Even with the caveats noted above, I still definitely recommend this book to readers who are oriented towards broad generalist learning. The book is a quality resource for that purpose, and there aren't many alternatives to choose from ( The Bedside Baccalaureate: A Handy Daily Cerebral Primer to Fill in the Gaps, Refresh Your Knowledge & Impress Yourself & Other Intellectuals  is another good choice).
5 people found this helpful
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"V" on the beach
5.0 out of 5 stars Read about the people who shaped today's world
Reviewed in the United States on March 13, 2017
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There were not as many reviews of this volume of the Intellectual Devotional series but I got it because I liked the Culture and American History volumes so much. I read one a morning and am now approaching the Middles Ages of famous people from around the world. I think I like this volume best since there are so many biographies of people I knew nothing or very little about. I would not say I now know everything about these people but it is fun to look for more information about them. Unless you know everything about every region of the world's history, you can find new areas to explore reading these pages. There are a number of bios of Asian and Middle Eastern philosophers, scientists, mathematicians, writers, etc and a good number of female bios. As I said, I am up to the Middle Ages and enjoyed reading about the people from many countries and careers (scientific and religious) who preserved learning during the Dark Ages and early Middle Ages.
2 people found this helpful
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Chrijeff
4.0 out of 5 stars A year's worth of important figures
Reviewed in the United States on August 17, 2015
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The final volume in the Intellectual Devotional series offers 365 capsule biographies--one for each day, except Leap Day--of "the world's most celebrated, brilliant, despicable, and memorable characters." There are leaders, philosophers, innovators, villains, authors and artists, rebels and reformers, preachers and prophets, beginning with the Pharaoh Khufu (aka Cheops) and going on to Benazir Bhutto. The bios are arranged in roughly chronological order (if it had been me, I'd have sorted by birthdate), and each includes the subject's dates and major accomplishments (although I noticed a couple of omissions in that of Theodore Roosevelt, hardly surprising in a man who wore such an assortment of hats in his busy life), plus two or three "additional facts" at the bottom of the page.

Of the 365, only eight were still living at the time of publication: Desmond Tutu, the Dalai Lama, the Unabomber, Mikhail Gorbachev, Margaret Thatcher, Radovan Karadzic, Gunter Grass, and Vaclav Havel. Of course, as in all such lists, your mileage may vary; personally I'd have ignored these and included instead Christopher Columbus, Beethoven, Robert E. Lee, Martin Luther King, Jr., John F. Kennedy (for getting a man on the moon, facing down Russia in the Cuban Missile Crisis, and establishing the Peace Corps), Lyndon B. Johnson (for Vietnam and the Great Society, though the latter was something of a bust), Hitler (who almost singlehandedly caused World War II), and Jawaharlal Nehru. The print is a bit small, which may cause problems for some readers, and the index would have been improved by bolding the page number on which each bio actually appears. But it's still an interesting assemblage of influential people, and longer than many.
5 people found this helpful
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Great gift idea for someone who thinks they know everything
Reviewed in the United States on January 26, 2022
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Chock full of information, this daily read is interesting and informative. Even people who know a lot about many subjects will find new facts about one of the many topics. Each daily read is only one or two pages long so it is easy to get your daily fix of information on either religion, the arts, philosophy and other topics.
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D. Buxman
5.0 out of 5 stars Knowledge...A Mile Wide and a Foot Deep
Reviewed in the United States on November 4, 2006
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I'm giving this book 5 stars for delivering on its premise. Basically, you get the topical benefits of an expansive, liberal arts education in easily digestible bits. As a springboard into further study, I think it is excellent. As a reference into the topics covered, think of it as Cliff Notes for an encyclopedia.

Although organized into daily readings, the material is so interesting that there is a strong temptation to read ahead, which is what I did. The selections are well written and entertaining, although I did find the entries on Music somewhat difficult to follow, since reading about musical concepts seems to be a poor substitute for listening to them.

My favorite topics were in History, Science and Philosophy. I'd also like to point out that the publishers did a great job in designing the physical aspects of the book. Given the fact that it is to intended to be read over the course of the year, you would expect the cover to be durable and stain resistant, which it is. The book also has a book mark ribbon, to help avoid the prospect of losing your place. If you're looking for comprehensive information on the subjects covered, you will be disappointed, but if your expectations are in line with the intent of the authors, you will be very pleased.
17 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Karol K
5.0 out of 5 stars Great condensed book of wisdom
Reviewed in Canada on July 2, 2020
Verified Purchase
Very nice read.
Like the 7 categories (1 page topic for each week day), to expand the knowledge and learn new things every day.
Many wow moments and “now it make sense” :)
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CARMEN G.
5.0 out of 5 stars Libro que todos debemos leer y tener en casa
Reviewed in Mexico on July 11, 2018
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Lo recomiendo para todas las personas: Es un Libro que con su lectura adquirimos interesantes conocimientos,y nos dará otros puntos de vista ya que conoceremos costumbres cultura de otros mundos.
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Sarah Hapgood
5.0 out of 5 stars enjoyable
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 11, 2019
Verified Purchase
There's not really much to say about this, other than that I highly recommend it if you love General Knowledge & random nuggets of information. Presented very simply, with a different fact for every 365 days of the year. The bonus is that you don't have to wait until 1st January to start, as the book instead starts on Monday Day 1 of week 1, so you can begin any week you like. There is a full page for each day, and each day has its own subject. So, Mondays are for History, Tuesday = Literature, Wednesday = Visual Arts, Thursday = Science, Friday = Music, Saturday = Philosophy, & Sunday = Religion (all religions). It's a fun, painless way to learn. I also ordered the Biographies version, which features a different historical figure for each day (under the same subjects), from Ancient Egypt up to the modern era. It's a shame they are not available on Kindle, but hey-ho.
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ｍｍｍｍ
5.0 out of 5 stars １ページずつ読んでいます。
Reviewed in Japan on April 12, 2019
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I've been reading this book page by page everyday for six months. It's convenient for me to renew my knowledge of historical people I studied in school days and also to increase English vocabulary. I think the evaluations of non-Europians are relatively fair.

・１ぺージずつ６か月間続けて読んでいます。学校で勉強した歴史上の人物たちについての知識を更新できて便利です。それから英語の語彙も増やせます。非ヨーロッパ人への評価は、比較的公平であると思います。
7 people found this helpful
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Jesus Malo Aznar
5.0 out of 5 stars Muy chulo
Reviewed in Spain on December 29, 2012
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Muy chulo para refrescar conocimientos y a su vez leer en inglés. Para disfrutarlo sin correr, poco a poco, aunque te cueste incluso más de 1 año el leerlo.
One person found this helpful
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