Here’s a quick follow-up to last Sunday’s thoughts on the African-American culture. I recently read a book by Bertice Berry called “The Haunting of Hip Hop”. Ms. Berry is a black author and PhD in sociology who writes from a black perspective, or more accurately, from her own version of a black perspective. And hey, that’s fine by me. The “Hip Hop” story revolves around a successful rap music producer in Manhattan who becomes haunted by the ghosts of African-American history. As a rationalistic white guy, I found it all a bit over the top. Nevertheless, Berry was out to make some valid points. She doesn’t exactly give white folk much slack, but then again, what the heck. The book was not written for me, but for African American youth who need a stronger sense of their ethnic heritage and a greater pride in even the more eccentric features of it.

Even if this wasn’t the most edifying book I’ve ever read, there were still some pearls of wisdom to be found in it. For example: “by the time you know how to spend your years, you find that you done already wasted them.” So true. Another one: “what don’t work out for you in this life will have to work out in someone else’s”. Hmm, there’s something to ponder.

The book comes with a set of 15 discussion questions at the end. They are aimed at inquiring young minds, and that’s a good thing. Maybe this book ain’t exactly for me, but it will help a lot of others. More power to ya, Dr. Berry.

But next time, back to the un-real world: that recent article on the nature of time by Peter Lynds, a college drop-out from New Zealand who has the world of academic physics buzzing. Did this guy really say anything new? Stay tuned.