The Intellectual Devotional
Encyclopedia
The Intellectual Devotional is a series of books by David S. Kidder dedicated to higher learning. 365 easy to read passages, one for each day of the year broken down into seven fields of knowledge, one for each day of the week. It is published by Rodale Books.
Entries cover a broad range of topics from important passages in literature to basic principles of physics, from pivotal events in history to images of famous paintings with accompanying analysis. Each entry is accompanied by "Additional Facts" -two or three pieces of trivia that enlighten and entertain.
The Modern Culture Edition:
MONDAY-PERSONALITIES: Larger-than-life characters from the front pages and the tabloids.
TUESDAY-LITERATURE: Authors and works that transformed hearts and minds.
WEDNESDAY-MUSIC: From timeless works of genius to the Top 40.
THURSDAY-FILM: The directors, actors, and blockbusters that leapt off the silver screen and into our consciousness.
FRIDAY-IDEAS & TRENDS: Ideologies, movements, and innovations that changed the world.
SATURDAY-SPORTS: Athletes and events that transcended the playing field.
SUNDAY-POP: The fizzy fun that had water coolers buzzing for the past 100 years.
The American History Edition:
MONDAY-POLITICS & LEADERSHIP: A survey of the people and events that shaped our nation’s history.
TUESDAY-WAR & PEACE: From conflicts with Native Americans to the battles of the Cold War, the great struggles the United States has undertaken from European settlement until today.
WEDNESDAY-RIGHTS & REFORM: The march of freedom, from the dark days of slavery to the flowering of the Civil Rights movement.
THURSDAY-BUSINESS: American industry, from colonial plantations to Silicon Valley.
FRIDAY-BUILDING AMERICA: The expansion of American infrastructure, from the earliest trails to the latest pipelines.
SATURDAY-LITERATURE: Explore the literary heritage of the United States.
SUNDAY-ART: The major artists and artistic movements of American history, beginning before the colonialists and continuing through 60’s Pop.
The General Edition:
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 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 20th 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.
The Health Edition:
MONDAY-CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENT HEALTH: Health issues particularly relevant to young people, from measles and mumps to growth spurts and zits.
TUESDAY-DISEASES: Starting with a summary of the body’s immune system, this section explores diseases both commonplace and deadly.
WEDNESDAY-DRUGS: A look at conventional stand-bys like Tylenol, homeopathic alternatives like St. John’s Wort, and everything in between.
THURSDAY-MIND: Human mental machinery — from cerebral cortex to medulla oblongata — and the afflictions that threaten it.
FRIDAY-SEXUALITY AND REPRODUCTION: Conception, pregnancy, birth, and an answer to the eternal question: What role does the stork play in everything?
SATURDAY-LIFESTYLE / PREVENTATIVE MEDICINE: Staying healthy day-to-day.
SUNDAY-MEDICAL MILESTONES: Great moments in medical history, from the day Hippocrates took his oath to the first robotic surgery.
Overview
The Intellectual Devotional is a bedside volume designed to be read on a nightly basis. Each entry covers a fundamental piece of knowledge from one of seven fields. The goal is to stimulate the brain, refresh the spirit and complete the reader's education. The idea is to read one article a day for a year (although in a leap year there would be one day spare).Entries cover a broad range of topics from important passages in literature to basic principles of physics, from pivotal events in history to images of famous paintings with accompanying analysis. Each entry is accompanied by "Additional Facts" -two or three pieces of trivia that enlighten and entertain.
The Modern Culture Edition:
MONDAY-PERSONALITIES: Larger-than-life characters from the front pages and the tabloids.
TUESDAY-LITERATURE: Authors and works that transformed hearts and minds.
WEDNESDAY-MUSIC: From timeless works of genius to the Top 40.
THURSDAY-FILM: The directors, actors, and blockbusters that leapt off the silver screen and into our consciousness.
FRIDAY-IDEAS & TRENDS: Ideologies, movements, and innovations that changed the world.
SATURDAY-SPORTS: Athletes and events that transcended the playing field.
SUNDAY-POP: The fizzy fun that had water coolers buzzing for the past 100 years.
The American History Edition:
MONDAY-POLITICS & LEADERSHIP: A survey of the people and events that shaped our nation’s history.
TUESDAY-WAR & PEACE: From conflicts with Native Americans to the battles of the Cold War, the great struggles the United States has undertaken from European settlement until today.
WEDNESDAY-RIGHTS & REFORM: The march of freedom, from the dark days of slavery to the flowering of the Civil Rights movement.
THURSDAY-BUSINESS: American industry, from colonial plantations to Silicon Valley.
FRIDAY-BUILDING AMERICA: The expansion of American infrastructure, from the earliest trails to the latest pipelines.
SATURDAY-LITERATURE: Explore the literary heritage of the United States.
SUNDAY-ART: The major artists and artistic movements of American history, beginning before the colonialists and continuing through 60’s Pop.
The General Edition:
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 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 20th 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.
The Health Edition:
MONDAY-CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENT HEALTH: Health issues particularly relevant to young people, from measles and mumps to growth spurts and zits.
TUESDAY-DISEASES: Starting with a summary of the body’s immune system, this section explores diseases both commonplace and deadly.
WEDNESDAY-DRUGS: A look at conventional stand-bys like Tylenol, homeopathic alternatives like St. John’s Wort, and everything in between.
THURSDAY-MIND: Human mental machinery — from cerebral cortex to medulla oblongata — and the afflictions that threaten it.
FRIDAY-SEXUALITY AND REPRODUCTION: Conception, pregnancy, birth, and an answer to the eternal question: What role does the stork play in everything?
SATURDAY-LIFESTYLE / PREVENTATIVE MEDICINE: Staying healthy day-to-day.
SUNDAY-MEDICAL MILESTONES: Great moments in medical history, from the day Hippocrates took his oath to the first robotic surgery.