Dr. William Pritchard, D.D.S.. M.S. - Specialist in orthodontics for children and adults with offices in Vancouver, WA and Battle Ground, WA

Dr. Pritchard’s 2006 Reading List

The following books are recommended by Dr. Pritchard for this year's reading:

The Case for a Creator: A Journalist Investigates Scientific Evidence That Points Toward God
by Lee Strobel
As we enter a new millennium, the theory of evolution is being questioned like never before. Proponents of "intelligent design" claim that the theory of evolution cannot account for the beginning of life from non-living matter, and that the diversity of life is such that unguided "blind" evolution cannot explain it adequately. Although the general public has not yet been informed of this, the theory of evolution is a theory in crisis, not only through those that criticize its faults and weaknesses, but also from scientists themselves that no longer find adequate explanation in the theory. Strobel's book takes up these issues and presents a logical discussion on the weaknesses of evolutionary theory and the case for intelligent design.

The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century
by Thomas L. Friedman
Thomas Friedman describes how modern technology and tele-communications advances, such at out sourcing, are configuring the world to be a flat battlefield for international company relations. Previous to this technological boom, American companies, large and small, were for the majority, stationed mainly on American soil. But, because of this world flatting described in the book, the world is quickly becoming a one-world commerce center, and that America's chances of being the wealthiest nation is becoming more competitive.

1776
by David McCullough
Disease, loss, and barely staying alive are three things often not associated with the United States' Revolutionary War. However, David McCullough demonstrates the truth of the war in 1776. He gives his readers the insight into what the war was like for a soldier or one of its leaders. Though this book only provides a vivid description of the first year of the war, it is clear that all the battles fought in the north far outweighed those of the south. 1776 conveys to the reader how truly close we were to not having a country at all and how without Washington the war would have never been possible.

Darwin's Black Box: The Biochemical Challenge to Evolution
by Michael J. Behe
It was once well known by mankind that the perfect motion of our solar system reflected the perfect celestial hand of its divine creator. But a wicked triumvirate of anti-religion zealots - Galileo, Copernicus, and Newton - foolishly attempted to remove God from the equation with "naturalistic" explanations of a Heliocentric universe and Newton's laws of motion and gravity. Much as evolutionists have pulled the wool over the eyes of decent men for the past century, so did these three "gravitationalists". That is, until the great Albert Einstein rebuked their false model. Einstein proved Newton's theory wrong with his new General Relativity explanation of gravity. I'm no expert in relativity, but believe it's best summed up by Einstein's famous quotation "God does not play dice with the Universe".

Finding Darwin's God: A Scientist's Search for Common Ground Between God and Evolution
by Kenneth R. Miller
Miller's book is a highly concise, readable, and timeless exploration of the evidential issues involved in the evolution/creationism debate. Unlike many others who try to rebut creationists, Miller does not let himself get caught up in the various theological and philosophical trivialities that usually obscure the debate. Instead, he provides a methodical case based on observational evidence. He is not vague and he does not pull punches.

Intellectuals
by Paul M. Johnson
This book is clearly an attack on liberal philosophy, voiced through Johnson's criticizing the hypocritical lives led by the 12 intellectuals he looks at. Those who generally adhere to the philosophies of some these "liberal" thinkers are likely to disappreciate this work as a conservative dogmatists desperate attempt to uproot liberal philosophy. However if you are more conservative, you might think Johnson has finally exposed all the lies and impracticabilities of liberal philosophy.

Blink : The Power of Thinking Without Thinking
by Malcolm Gladwell
Why are some of us good decision-makers and others very poor? What are the hidden skills and 'instincts' that let some folks excel at snap judgments. What are the key bits of information that go into a correct decision and how do they differ from popular misconceptions about how people really decide? With a wealth of real-world case studies, Gladwell takes us from food tasters to the insurance industry and the military. You will enjoy this book and may be unable to put it down.

The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference
by Malcolm Gladwell
Learn about how social movements become "epidemic" from Gladwell's observations. He isolates common threads in social movements, from Paul Revere's night ride to Blue's Clues, and extracts three simple elements:
1. The Law of the Few: To "catch on," social epidemics need a few people with special qualities. Gladwell calls them Connectors, Mavens and Salesmen. These are people who, respectively, are connected with a great many people, are regarded as sought-after experts or thought leaders, and who project great and compelling enthusiasm for the new thing.
2. The Stickiness Factor: with all the clamoring for our attention, only a few, rare messages will "stick." What qualities make a message stick?
3. The Power of Context: this is probably the most compelling dimension of Gladwell's work. It's akin to the old saying, "Timing is everything," but there is a lot more to it. Of the many examples he cites in the book, my favorite and clearest is cleaning graffiti from New York subways. When the context changed, the perceived tolerance for crime and social disorganization declined, and the NY crime rate dropped.

How to Ace Your Way Through College and Still Have a Life!
by David Kennedy
Where was this book when I was in college? After reading it, I have to say that this book rocks! Did anyone every teach you how to take test? The advice about preparing and taking exams, and the tricks for taking true/false and multiple choice tests is worth the price of the book. Kennedy's "memory dump" method works. It's refreshing and new, filled with very useful advice that I hadn't read in any of those other books. Advice like:
*How to get your professors to give you the benefit of the doubt when grades come due. Basically, you need to develop a dialog with your professor by going to officer hours every so often- the more they get to know you, the more they'll be willing to help you out.
*How to research and write A term papers. For example, there's a big difference between writing research papers and reports.
*How to add focus to your studying, so you're not wasting a lot of time studying the wrong stuff.
*And one of the best chapters was on nutrients to help improve cognitive functioning. It was very well researched and cited all the scientific studies. You won't find this info in any other college book.

Send this book to every person you care about who is in school!

Freakonomics : A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything
by Steven D. Levitt, Stephen J. Dubner
I was expecting this book to be a little more amazing/surprising than it was. It was more like, "Gee, that's a neat coincidence." I understand that the point of the book was to show unexpected connections proven through statistical and economical modes of analysis, but it just didn't hit home with me. This book is more for the lay-person than the critical reader used to dealing with scientific matters. A good read, nonetheless, bringing up some points to ponder. It will make you look twice at all the research journals as to how relative statistics are to you, a practicing dentist (“evidence based” sound familiar?)

The March : A Novel
by E.L. Doctorow
Read this book for fun and education. This is an amazing view of the march that changed history-- Sherman's march. The author gives us an in-depth, emotional understanding of what those in the march must have experienced. It was unlike any warfare to that point, an advanced technology in an agrarian society. To this day, the world feels the impact of this march. The south truly feels it. It shaped the southern culture, which can be understood in a book called The Greatest White Trash Love Story Ever Told.

The Da Vinci Code
by Dan Brown
O.K. I know everyone and his brother and sister have read this book. But I finally couldn’t resist it any longer. The historical writing is exquisite! As a thriller, Brown has composed a taut, compelling, proverbial page-turner! And, what a bonus, all that is accompanied by descriptive detail and character development that can stand proudly beside the output of any author that I'm familiar with. When I started to read, I didn’t put it down until I finished. Enough said.

East of Eden
by John Steinbeck
A true American classic. East of Eden is the story of three generations of the Trask family who live, love and farm in the Salinas valley in Northern California. What is amazing about this book is that the plot sequences progress like a daytime soap opera. It's got affairs, shootings, family betrayal and more. The writing is of such high quality the story never feels melodramatic. The weight and implications of people's actions will pull at your every emotion without ever felling over the top. The characters are complex in the sense that they grow over the course of the book and are surprisingly unpredictable if you are able to experience this book without much prior knowledge. This is one of those rare "classics" that could actually be considered a "beach book" as it can be a serious page-turner.

The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness
by Stephen R. Covey
The 8th Habit will take you from effectiveness to greatness. Stephen R. Covey creates the road map that will expand your mind to a higher level of thinking. Leaders will be challenged to "find their voice and inspire others to find theirs." Covey uses a mix of personal experiences, inspirational quotes, and short stories to get his points across.

Rich Dad, Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money--Which the Poor and Middle Class Do Not!
by Robert T. Kiyosaki, Sharon L. Lechter
Rich people make their money to work for them. Rich people build a portfolio of cash producing assets. You must be willing to take risks to be successful. You need to learn become financially independent. Learn about investing. That is the message in this book and it is very well said.

Your Best Life Now: 7 Steps to Living at Your Full Potential
By Joel Osteen
TV pastor Osteen offers an overblown and redundant self-help debut. Many Christian readers will undoubtedly be put off by the book’s shallow name-it-and-claim-it theology; although the first chapter claims that "we serve the God that created the universe," the book as a rule suggests the reverse: it’s a treatise on how to get God to serve the demands of self-centered individuals. Theologically, its materialism and superficial portrayal of God as the granter of earthly wishes will alienate many Christian readers who can imagine a much bigger God. I am proud to say that my spirituality and relationship with God is deeper than this book.

		Dr. Pritchard’s 2006 Reading List The following books are recommended by Dr. Pritchard for this year's reading: The Case for a Creator: A Journalist Investigates Scientific Evidence That Points Toward God by Lee Strobel As we enter a new millennium, the theory of evolution is being questioned like never before. Proponents of "intelligent design" claim that the theory of evolution cannot account for the beginning of life from non-living matter, and that the diversity of life is such that unguided "blind" evolution cannot explain it adequately. Although the general public has not yet been informed of this, the theory of evolution is a theory in crisis, not only through those that criticize its faults and weaknesses, but also from scientists themselves that no longer find adequate explanation in the theory. Strobel's book takes up these issues and presents a logical discussion on the weaknesses of evolutionary theory and the case for intelligent design. The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century by Thomas L. Friedman Thomas Friedman describes how modern technology and tele-communications advances, such at out sourcing, are configuring the world to be a flat battlefield for international company relations. Previous to this technological boom, American companies, large and small, were for the majority, stationed mainly on American soil. But, because of this world flatting described in the book, the world is quickly becoming a one-world commerce center, and that America's chances of being the wealthiest nation is becoming more competitive. 1776 by David McCullough Disease, loss, and barely staying alive are three things often not associated with the United States' Revolutionary War. However, David McCullough demonstrates the truth of the war in 1776. He gives his readers the insight into what the war was like for a soldier or one of its leaders. Though this book only provides a vivid description of the first year of the war, it is clear that all the battles fought in the north far outweighed those of the south. 1776 conveys to the reader how truly close we were to not having a country at all and how without Washington the war would have never been possible. Darwin's Black Box: The Biochemical Challenge to Evolution by Michael J. Behe It was once well known by mankind that the perfect motion of our solar system reflected the perfect celestial hand of its divine creator. But a wicked triumvirate of anti-religion zealots - Galileo, Copernicus, and Newton - foolishly attempted to remove God from the equation with "naturalistic" explanations of a Heliocentric universe and Newton's laws of motion and gravity. Much as evolutionists have pulled the wool over the eyes of decent men for the past century, so did these three "gravitationalists". That is, until the great Albert Einstein rebuked their false model. Einstein proved Newton's theory wrong with his new General Relativity explanation of gravity. I'm no expert in relativity, but believe it's best summed up by Einstein's famous quotation "God does not play dice with the Universe". Finding Darwin's God: A Scientist's Search for Common Ground Between God and Evolution by Kenneth R. Miller Miller's book is a highly concise, readable, and timeless exploration of the evidential issues involved in the evolution/creationism debate. Unlike many others who try to rebut creationists, Miller does not let himself get caught up in the various theological and philosophical trivialities that usually obscure the debate. Instead, he provides a methodical case based on observational evidence. He is not vague and he does not pull punches. Intellectuals by Paul M. Johnson This book is clearly an attack on liberal philosophy, voiced through Johnson's criticizing the hypocritical lives led by the 12 intellectuals he looks at. Those who generally adhere to the philosophies of some these "liberal" thinkers are likely to disappreciate this work as a conservative dogmatists desperate attempt to uproot liberal philosophy. However if you are more conservative, you might think Johnson has finally exposed all the lies and impracticabilities of liberal philosophy. Blink : The Power of Thinking Without Thinking by Malcolm Gladwell Why are some of us good decision-makers and others very poor? What are the hidden skills and 'instincts' that let some folks excel at snap judgments. What are the key bits of information that go into a correct decision and how do they differ from popular misconceptions about how people really decide? With a wealth of real-world case studies, Gladwell takes us from food tasters to the insurance industry and the military. You will enjoy this book and may be unable to put it down. The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell Learn about how social movements become "epidemic" from Gladwell's observations. He isolates common threads in social movements, from Paul Revere's night ride to Blue's Clues, and extracts three simple elements: 1. The Law of the Few: To "catch on," social epidemics need a few people with special qualities. Gladwell calls them Connectors, Mavens and Salesmen. These are people who, respectively, are connected with a great many people, are regarded as sought-after experts or thought leaders, and who project great and compelling enthusiasm for the new thing. 2. The Stickiness Factor: with all the clamoring for our attention, only a few, rare messages will "stick." What qualities make a message stick? 3. The Power of Context: this is probably the most compelling dimension of Gladwell's work. It's akin to the old saying, "Timing is everything," but there is a lot more to it. Of the many examples he cites in the book, my favorite and clearest is cleaning graffiti from New York subways. When the context changed, the perceived tolerance for crime and social disorganization declined, and the NY crime rate dropped. How to Ace Your Way Through College and Still Have a Life! by David Kennedy Where was this book when I was in college? After reading it, I have to say that this book rocks! Did anyone every teach you how to take test? The advice about preparing and taking exams, and the tricks for taking true/false and multiple choice tests is worth the price of the book. Kennedy's "memory dump" method works. It's refreshing and new, filled with very useful advice that I hadn't read in any of those other books. Advice like: How to get your professors to give you the benefit of the doubt when grades come due. Basically, you need to develop a dialog with your professor by going to officer hours every so often- the more they get to know you, the more they'll be willing to help you out. How to research and write A term papers. For example, there's a big difference between writing research papers and reports. How to add focus to your studying, so you're not wasting a lot of time studying the wrong stuff. And one of the best chapters was on nutrients to help improve cognitive functioning. It was very well researched and cited all the scientific studies. You won't find this info in any other college book. Send this book to every person you care about who is in school! Freakonomics : A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything by Steven D. Levitt, Stephen J. Dubner I was expecting this book to be a little more amazing/surprising than it was. It was more like, "Gee, that's a neat coincidence." I understand that the point of the book was to show unexpected connections proven through statistical and economical modes of analysis, but it just didn't hit home with me. This book is more for the lay-person than the critical reader used to dealing with scientific matters. A good read, nonetheless, bringing up some points to ponder. It will make you look twice at all the research journals as to how relative statistics are to you, a practicing dentist (“evidence based” sound familiar?) The March : A Novel by E.L. Doctorow Read this book for fun and education. This is an amazing view of the march that changed history-- Sherman's march. The author gives us an in-depth, emotional understanding of what those in the march must have experienced. It was unlike any warfare to that point, an advanced technology in an agrarian society. To this day, the world feels the impact of this march. The south truly feels it. It shaped the southern culture, which can be understood in a book called The Greatest White Trash Love Story Ever Told. The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown O.K. I know everyone and his brother and sister have read this book. But I finally couldn’t resist it any longer. The historical writing is exquisite! As a thriller, Brown has composed a taut, compelling, proverbial page-turner! And, what a bonus, all that is accompanied by descriptive detail and character development that can stand proudly beside the output of any author that I'm familiar with. When I started to read, I didn’t put it down until I finished. Enough said. East of Eden by John Steinbeck A true American classic. East of Eden is the story of three generations of the Trask family who live, love and farm in the Salinas valley in Northern California. What is amazing about this book is that the plot sequences progress like a daytime soap opera. It's got affairs, shootings, family betrayal and more. The writing is of such high quality the story never feels melodramatic. The weight and implications of people's actions will pull at your every emotion without ever felling over the top. The characters are complex in the sense that they grow over the course of the book and are surprisingly unpredictable if you are able to experience this book without much prior knowledge. This is one of those rare "classics" that could actually be considered a "beach book" as it can be a serious page-turner. The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness by Stephen R. Covey The 8th Habit will take you from effectiveness to greatness. Stephen R. Covey creates the road map that will expand your mind to a higher level of thinking. Leaders will be challenged to "find their voice and inspire others to find theirs." Covey uses a mix of personal experiences, inspirational quotes, and short stories to get his points across. Rich Dad, Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money--Which the Poor and Middle Class Do Not! by Robert T. Kiyosaki, Sharon L. Lechter Rich people make their money to work for them. Rich people build a portfolio of cash producing assets. You must be willing to take risks to be successful. You need to learn become financially independent. Learn about investing. That is the message in this book and it is very well said. Your Best Life Now: 7 Steps to Living at Your Full Potential By Joel Osteen TV pastor Osteen offers an overblown and redundant self-help debut. Many Christian readers will undoubtedly be put off by the book’s shallow name-it-and-claim-it theology; although the first chapter claims that "we serve the God that created the universe," the book as a rule suggests the reverse: it’s a treatise on how to get God to serve the demands of self-centered individuals. Theologically, its materialism and superficial portrayal of God as the granter of earthly wishes will alienate many Christian readers who can imagine a much bigger God. I am proud to say that my spirituality and relationship with God is deeper than this book.