Fire and Knowledge

Part of the The Reading Interviews series.

Could you tell us a little about yourself?

My name is Joshua Hynes and I’m married to my best friend, Cassie. We reside in the Harrisburg, PA area where I work at a marketing agency entitled andCulture. Officially my title states I am a "Web Technologist," but "Creative" would describe more what I do on a day-to-day basis. I run a blog, with a little help from my friends, over at FriendsWithManagers. I enjoy playing in competitive sports, watching the Boston Red Sox, and enjoying copious amounts of music.

What are your favorite books? What do you like about them and how have they influenced you?

Oh, a hard question. Well, running off the top of my head:

• The Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer – This would have to be one of the more formative books in my life. I read it at a point in my teenager years when I was truly struggling with translating knowing Christ intellectually and knowing God intimately. Tozer’s chapter entitled “The Blessedness of Possessing Nothing” was a tipping point in my spiritual life.
• Desiring God by John Piper – I was never a big Piper fan until after I graduated from college. After attending four years of chapel at a Christian college, I found that I still struggled with love of God and my own personal desire to develop a personal relationship with Him. Piper’s chapter on worship is a personal favorite.
• The Lord of The Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien – A book I discovered in college; this moving and sweeping epic from Tolkien completely blew me away.
• The Spirit of the Disciplines by Dallas Willard – The soul searching derived from this book helped me a lot as I struggled to discover the walk I was called to have.
• Amusing Ourselves To Death: Public Discourse In The Age of Show Business by Neil Postman – Want to read a book that’ll make you re-think your whole approach to life? Read this book.

Who are your favorite writers?

The teaching of John Piper has most definitely had a deep impact upon my life. Alistair Begg, Warren Wiersbe, and Joseph Stowell also had impact on me at key moments in my life. They all helped me understand more fully of how I am to be living my life for Him. The fictional writings of Tolkien, John Steinback, and—oddly enough—Orson Scott Card all have caused me to take pauses in my life to take stock of how precious and beautiful life truly is.

What is the best non-fiction and fiction book you have read recently?

Non-fiction: A Walk In The Woods: Rediscovering America On The Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson – I admit that it isn’t as “spiritual” as some of your previous interviewees, but I found the book incredibly enjoyable to read as well as informative.

Fiction: East of Eden by John Steinback – I finished the book last September, but already I’m thinking of when I might read it again. Steinback is an amazing writer and this is an amazing book.

Why do you think reading is important? What has led you to make it a priority in your life?

I read a lot in high school, but once I finished college I just got burned out from reading. I fell into some bad habits, which involved too much television, movies, video games and other forms of entertainment. It is my wife who should credited with helping me re-align priorities in my life. Her gentle influence in my life has helped me to rediscover the joy I once had for reading.

The importance of reading for me rests largely in the fact that it extends who I am. I was not called to waste my life satisfying myself, but learning more about my Lord. Sometimes this is accomplished directly through the study of His Word and the writings of fellow Christians; but this is also accomplished indirectly through the reading of history, science, cultural affairs, and literature.

Are there any other books you would like to recommend?

Moneyball by Michael Lewis and Feeding The Monster: How Money, Smarts, & Nerve Took A Team To The Top by Seth Mnookin – I’m a big baseball fan, and an even bigger Red Sox fan. I loved the former because it finally helped me understand further the sport I love and I enjoyed the latter because I’m Red Sox fan. That’s somewhat anti-climatic, but simple reasons sometimes are best.

How many books do you normally read at a time?

I try to keep it to one at a time, maybe two. I used to juggle more, but I’ve found that when I’m flipping back and forth between two books it becomes hard for me to focus on a book as well as I do when it’s only one book.

Do you mark and take notes while you read? If so, how?

For certain books, yes. Most notations involve helping call out key sentences, phrases, or paragraph blocks that I find rather insightful for later reference with simple pen underlines or “sidelines” in the margins. I try to jot down quick (hopefully complete) thoughts in the margins if a specific thought came to mind at the time. Sometimes when I am going back through a book that has already been notated once, a highlighter is employed to further emphasize passages.

Do you have any advice about reading that others might find helpful?

Allow yourself to be challenged.