What are you all reading?

[MissBadHabits]

Harry Potter series! again. for the 35th time

 

[mainiac]

It is what I am not reading that annoys me! That would be most of the written material documentary and otherwise that the general public is denied acces to. Only the privalaged few may enter and read the most extrordinary tomes on all possible subjects. These are kept hidden by ones whos job is to spread knowledge to the populace, not conceal it and lie. That this is done there is no doubt. When cornered on the subject they will just say they are preserving the works and must be carefu; with them knowing full well they have made digital copies long since and when asked deny this alo.

So believ it or not only a very small amount of material gets to be seen by the general public. They will pick and choose what you will be allowed to read. These scholars suck up tax dollars and deny you the work everyone has baught and paid for. There are many institutions that keep the public in the dark or out right lie or use half truths. This is done to dumb down the american public and deny them useful knowledge that might upset the status quo.

So they are false teachers and false places of (learning) where in ancient past all whpo could read were welcome in the great library. Now could that reason have ben they were so secure in their power that they did care what knowledge was learned? Or maybe they were just too stupid? Unlikely. The truth of the matter was this place of learning was sacred and thus none were barred. We think a common ibrary gives you all the info you want? Just find out what the scholars are reading and ask for a copy of that and see what happens with out the official pass that says you paid the large fee..all of it you now get to read what is barred from the general public as long as it furthers the false doctrin of science methodology.

Why do I need to pay tens of thousands for a (degree) and be denied the chnace to tke one of their own equivalancy tests to see indeed if i have done my homework. But no, not here. The only way that is going to happen is a rich patron to sponsor you and bribe a university with A large cash donation to do what they should be doing for any who ask.

They hate to admit self taught scholars who might be beyond them. You have to be indoctrinated into their way of doing things to be legit. In the past it was possible to be self taught and respected, though grudingly by universities and other college. But now you canot even open certain bussnes ventures with out first having a masters degree so that you may be allowed to take a certification test that in no way requires a masters to learn the material. So its legal extortion, saying if you dont pay us for a peice of paper that has no revelancy on your certification you may not take it at all.

Why doesnt any one see anything wrong with this. This applies to all kinds of other things also. If you can prove competency...or self taught...why cant you proceed? well, they will never let you, they feel they are geting cheated out of their dues and all must pay if they want to play.

So they do things like. For one thing we will decide if we even want to leyt you outof the country to say study abroad. When an important artifact sight is discovered even the land owner is barred until they document and seize every last bit. Now how come a self taught proffesor cannot come in and be part of it with his reputation in that community? Does not work that way.

Look at the way a university teaches its courses and all the other things they think you need to know claiming its nessasary for a rounded education. You didnt come and pay there for a rounded education you came theree to learn a certian disipline that unless you show otherwise have no need to take maths and other related science unless you feel you need them to help you through.

I f I come in and know the sunbject like a founding father and prove it in short order, why must i suffer through it? Bad enough to have to pay so much. When the degree is issued who is to say many who are on the outside know much more than the degree represented. Sit me down and give me a booklet at a reasonable fee to take this test and they will have to admit that to many there is no need of this mass expense. However like jails and hosbitals they are the shot callers supported by the wealthy few who like things just the way that they are.

So you are denied legitimacy because everyone beleives in this standard that says if not by us then this man knows nothing!

 

[Minuend]

Just read Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep. I liked it, but it wasn't mind blowing in any way. I can see how it was an excellent book in its time.

Microbiology an introduction:. In the second chapter, not too impressed yet.
Hyperion: Ohhhhhhh, a page turner. I like it so far, I'm only like a 100 pages into it, so I don't think I'm starting to see the plot yet.

Still reading

Human physiology (kinda on hold)
A Treatise of Human Nature (not currently prioritized)
Molecular Biology of the Cell: This book is very good. Explains well, not too elaborate, not too short. Just perfect.

 

[digital angel]

A Beautiful Math by Tom Siegfried; its a story about John Nash and game theory. I'm going through a GRE book leisurely.

 

[kantor1003]

In addition to about 10+ half read books I need to finish I'm currently reading the complete works of Edgar Allan Poe and Godel, Escher, Bach.

 

[xbox]

Textbook. "Astronomy" A beginner's guide to the universe.

 

[digital angel]

At this precise moment, I hope to read Principia by Newton next.

 

[snafupants]

Raymond Carver's Collected Stories.

 

[Minuend]

Ender's game
Life; the Science of Biology

 

[Minuend]

Ender's Game was interesting, but I heard the other books ain't that great so I think I'll stop there. The conclusion was good enough for me.

Sherlock Holmes; The Complete Stories

 

[Dr. Freeman]

The Making of the Atomic Bomb.

The back story it gives on Rutherford and some of the other physicists is amazing.

 

[snafupants]

Rose Madder - Stephen King. The abusive cop in the story, Norman Daniels, reminds me of a cop my dad told me about when I was a kid. This particular cop, in a major Midwestern city back in the idyllic 1950's, would go down to the local beach, in the middle of the day, and kill winos by shooting them in the head with his drop gun. Charming guy; he had his own interpretation of the credo to serve and protect.

 

[A22]

Just read The Metamorphosis. Will start The Castle tomorrow.

Kafka looks awesome.

 

[grey matters]

I'm reading "The Closing of the Western Mind" by Charles freeman. It starts with the ancient Greek philosophers and follows the progression of western thought through the dark age to Thomas Aquinas. The book is about 350 pages and I am only on page 60 so I'm interested in how they are going to follow this story. It is a well written book that does a fair job of making it's logical arguments complete.

I am getting a bit hung up on Plato. I interpret his writings through the lens of modern psychology (most notably Carl Jung) and neuroscience. Whilst this is useful for our day and age it makes following the book a bit difficult. Being that it's mostly a history book what matters is only how people in that time bracket interpreted Plato.

 

[Minuend]

Thus spoke Zarathustra and The Internet is a Playground.

Haven't been reading much this week tho.

 

[Melllvar]

The Making of the Atomic Bomb.

The back story it gives on Rutherford and some of the other physicists is amazing.

One of my favorite books, fwiw.

 

[MidnightMarauder]

Just started The Art of Scientific Investigation by W.I.B. Beveridge...Pretty interesting so far. I'll always get half through a book and end up losing interest or just getting sidetracked. The last book I read was The Stranger by Camus, it being the second time reading it. I love that book so much.

 

[Zionoxis]

Just finished Kite Runner and Handmaid's Tale (not by choice). I am also reading Rescued by C++ in my freetime and practicing accordingly.

I am hoping to get into some books about applicative psychology and possibly NLP (yes, I know, if you don't like it, give me something which I can equally use another individual's mind as my own personal playground). I am current focusing a lot of my interests on chess, human manipulation, lockpicking, and hacking (programming, networking, exploitation, security, ect.)

Believe it or not, I have no intention of blowing something up, becoming a sociopath, or crushing the CIA's databases. I like rare knowledge and respected knowledge. I can work my way backwards to not as...deadly knowledge later. Just like in Harry Potter...the most powerful spells were the ones in a forbidden book. I would learn those first.

 

[Peeps999]

I just started reading American Psycho yesterday. This better end up scarring me forever.

 

[puer curiosus]

The Beginning of Infinity by David Deutsch. Only halfway through the book and it has been pretty exhilarating. A lot of material, plenty of ideas you possibly wouldn't see anywhere else.

Rereading Geeks by Jon Katz. My third time. It's the sort of book which perks you up when your self-confidence has been totally shattered for whatever reason.

 

[Oedipus]

A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess.

 

[Puffy]

Re-reading Kafka's short stories - gone through The Metamorphosis, The Burrow, Hunger Artist, In the Penal Colony and the Judgment so far in the last week - I know enough gets said about him, but I love Kafka so much. It's hilarious that he gets treated as book club la-de-dah reading, as really his style is so playful and funny, it's never read to me like he took himself too seriously or anything. While the allegories are interesting to reflect on, I've always loved how fun it is more than anything.

Also, Alan Moore's run on The Swamp Thing (comic). I used to enjoy the 50s EC runs on horror comics as a kid (my Grandad had them) the style is really interesting as a kind of serious, literary revamp of them.

 

[downsowf]

While the allegories are interesting to reflect on, I've always loved how fun it is more than anything.

Agreed. There's always some "laugh out loud" moments for me when I read Kafka. I find some of his stuff absurdly funny.

Right now I am reading the Autobiography of Gandhi and The Beak of the Finch by Jonathan Weiner.

 

[Dr. Freeman]

The Prince.

 

[keekins]

Well aside from the fact that I'm in the middle of about five books, the only one I'm really focused on finishing right now is Invisible Monsters by Chuck Palaniuk. If I finish it then it'll be the first book I've finished in about a year.

I also just started reading the Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka, it's.. interesting.

 

[Puffy]

^ I'm reading Haunted by Chuck Palahniuk at the moment.

Has anyone read this? Apparantly - according to wikipedia - the short story "Guts" has led to 73 faintings at his book readings. I find this difficult to believe. For one I would expect fans of Palahniuk to be accustomed to quite dark material anyway, but how sensitive do you need to be to faint at hearing a short story?

I guess I should give a warning in that case, it's about some disgusting accidents revolving around "experimental" masturbation, but you can read it here, it's only about 3000 words: http://chuckpalahniuk.net/features/shorts/guts

I'm not sure if it's just that I have a dark sense of humour or not, but I was actually laughing my ass off at this. And yes, the pun was most certainly intended.

I'm a high-brow guy, I'll be honest.

edit: It opens with "take in a deep breath", maybe he challenged people to hold their breath throughout the reading and that led to fainting (?)

 

[AkaruiRain]

1984 by George Orwell!

Spoiler

Pretty awesome so far. The part when they finally get caught in their little secret hideout pretty much tore up my heart. -wonders what might happen next-

I love books that can get under the skin and mindfuck a person!!

 

[BridgeOfSighs]

^1984 is by far one of my favorites.

Trying to get through 'On the Origin of Stories: Evolution, Cognition, and Fiction" by Brian Boyd. It being 600ish pages, I'm not moving quickly.

 

[MizKodomo]

Just finished the Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner
That was incredibly entertaining. Faulkner is always a fun trip xD

Just started The Plague by Albert Camus.
Taking a break from On the Road by Jack Kerouac (There is only so much stream of consciousness I can handle at one time)

 

[snafupants]

Essays and Aphorisms - Schopenhauer
Infinite Jest - Wallace
Essays - Wilde
Nutrition and Physical Degeneration - Price
Complete Works - Montaigne

 

[Spirit]

The Tipping Point

 

[duke of new york]

Shogun - James Clavell
It's a lot longer than I realized when I started--about 1100 pages in print, I think, but I'm reading it on the Kindle--but it's an enjoyable read. I was interested in learning a little about feudal Japan, but I didn't feel like poring over a dense nonfiction work. Historical accuracy is limited to the general ideas, but it gives an interesting glimpse into life and the political and social structure of that time and place.

 

[Dr. Freeman]

Psychological Types.

 

[speiss]

The Mayor of Casterbridge, by Thomas Hardy.
And finishing up Down and Out in Paris and London by Orwell.
Last night I re-watched an episode of Sherlock, which led me to pick up the copy I have of the complete works. Since it was the last episode, I turned to the couple of last pages to look at the similarities. I really do love literature written from about 1895-1955. The language is my favourite.

 

[Pizzabeak]

The Tipping Point

How is that? I had to read Outliers for school, enjoyed it, thought about checking out his other works.

 

[MizKodomo]

Just finished The Plague- it was good. I feel like I would enjoy The Stranger.
Now, on to On the road, then the Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie. *0*

 

[kantor1003]

Strangely enough, I'm only reading one book these days, The brothers karamazov, and I'm reaching the end. Not sure what I'll continue with afterwards, but I feel like reading some good, classic, adventure type books. I have never read any Charles Dickens for instance (yeah, I know). Do anyone have any recommendations? Would be nice with a list of classics "everyone should have read". Also, if you could read only one, just one, Shakespeare work, what would it be?

Any recommendations on schopenhauer would be great as well. Thus far I've only read "on human nature", I believe. I like his way of writing. Very colorful

 

[snafupants]

Strangely enough, I'm only reading one book these days, The brothers karamazov, and I'm reaching the end. Not sure what I'll continue with afterwards, but I feel like reading some good, classic, adventure type books. I have never read any Charles Dickens for instance (yeah, I know). Do anyone have any recommendations? Would be nice with a list of classics "everyone should have read". Also, if you could read only one, just one, Shakespeare work, what would it be?

Any recommendations on schopenhauer would be great as well. Thus far I've only read "on human nature", I believe. I like his way of writing. Very colorful

I command you to read Hamlet, The World as Will and Representation and David Copperfield/Great Expectations/Our Mutual Friend! I would just buy a cheap compendium of Schopenhauer essays and savor that for about a month. To the extent to which you consider the Brother's K an adventure book, I have more latitude in my other recommendations. Perhaps, on the Classics side, you would enjoy some sillier Faulkner like Sanctuary, and, on the postmodern front, you might do worse than William Burroughs, Kurt Vonnegut, William Gaddis, Thomas Phynchon, Vladimir Nabokov and even Stephen King. I would read The Dark Half, The Stand, Pet Sematary, The Dark Tower series, The Shining and It if you want to get into King's darker and more entertaining stuff. Rage, The Long Walk and The Running Man are great, but definitely flawed and pessimistic, King books written under the pseudonym Richard Bachman. This is sounding fanboyish but I feel King is an exceptional storyteller, a competent enough writer and entertaining as hell. Your mileage may vary. My verdict: read the Dark Tower series first!

 

[EyeSeeCold]

Anton LaVey's writings. I have no interest in following or practicing any of his doctrines, though I find the philosophies and witticisms enjoyable.

 

[duke of new york]

I just started Dune. I've wanted to read it for years, but never got around to it. I've never seen the movie or TV series, either, because I wanted to read the book first.

All I can think of while I read it is that old Sega game.

 

[EyeSeeCold]

To oversimplify (though I do not advocate such action): If you want money and cannot get it and you create an approximation of money -- sometimes called counterfeiting -- the material rewards received could well equal those you would get had you acquired real money. You need for the real thing no longer matters.

Epicurean masturbation is a perfect example of this theory. Once one's ego flaws have been overcome, it may be realized that an artificial fantasy is infinitely superior to a lousy lay. Yet how often we observe the eternal sexual chase temporarily cease with an "any, old port in a storm" partner. Further frustration ensues.

Them that has gets. Until one has he'll never get. And you don't get it by taking someone else's either. You create your own.​

— Anton LaVey, The Devil's Notebook

I have to say I agree with this outlook.

Confidence, charisma, and (the feeling of)capability are what allow and assure success, but at the same time, these qualities are lacking in those who are unsuccessful.

If you are able to simulate the state of being successful, the feeling of being deprived of what you want is extinguished, and you will then be able to attract objects that come with being successful.

 

[Amagi82]

I read the Dresden Files again recently. They're bloody amazing.

Right now I'm reading some Shadowrun books, in particular the Secrets of Power series by Robert Charrette. The author is terrible, and has absolutely no understanding of human emotion (this coming from an INTP), but the plots are interesting and the books are easy to read.

 

[Sanctum]

I just finished Hunger games for my school book club im about to read Dante's Inferno then The Prince by Machiavelli

 

[professorblack]

Due to some polling, I'm starting The Hunger Games next. Also, I've already started The Turn of the Screw. I knew the type of story, but I didn't know it was such a ghost story. I'm excited.

 

[MizKodomo]

Just finished On The Road. I don't think I hate it, but I thing I solidly prefer Ginsberg and Faulkner. I need to process this book more, but I think my main problem was how Dean Moriarty was the whole expedition, and you don't figure that out until the end of the book. Sal is not as stoic as his compatriots would like to think, and is far too empathetic.

 

[snafupants]

Just finished On The Road. I don't think I hate it, but I thing I solidly prefer Ginsberg and Faulkner. I need to process this book more, but I think my main problem was how Dean Moriarty was the whole expedition, and you don't figure that out until the end of the book. Sal is not as stoic as his compatriots would like to think, and is far too empathetic.

Faulkner has more aesthetic sense than Shakespeare.

 

[Lot]

Bioschock: Rapture. It started out great, but has slowed down a bit. I hope it picks back up.

I'm also reading Modern Man in Search of a Soul by Carl Jung. It's a thick read. There's a lot to digest.

 

[MizKodomo]

Just finished On The Road. I don't think I hate it, but I thing I solidly prefer Ginsberg and Faulkner. I need to process this book more, but I think my main problem was how Dean Moriarty was the whole expedition, and you don't figure that out until the end of the book. Sal is not as stoic as his compatriots would like to think, and is far too empathetic.

Eraboration Edeet:
Dean Moriarty was, in my opinion, the whole expedition; It was pretty much HIS story with Sal breaking away at some points to be more introspective, and sometimes, going off on his own with others. The main bulk of the story however, was Dean- f*king the system or women. I didn't figure that out until the end of the book.
Sal was trying to understand his own demons through other people. Sal also, it seemed to this reader, attempted to live vicariously through Dean, and as such presented his time "On The Road" in a very impersonal Journal, giving drug, alcohol, and near starvation fueled facts, interspersed with Dean's musings. He seemed more of an omniscient narrator, rather than an active participant.
If Dean liked to have a captive and attentive audience, he certainly had one in Sal, and subsequently me. So no, I don't think I hated this book. I just wish I hadn't been so slow on the uptake; I kept waiting with baited breath for Sal to come to an incredible epiphany along the way; all I seemed to get for my diligence was the realization that I was entirely too focused on the wrong character the entire time.

 

[snafupants]

Bioschock: Rapture. It started out great, but has slowed down a bit. I hope it picks back up.

I'm also reading Modern Man in Search of a Soul by Carl Jung. It's a thick read. There's a lot to digest.

Let me know how that Jung book turns out. That was on my reading list last year but I somehow failed to scratch her off. I wish I could employ The Matrix strategy of uploading information...

More to the overarching topic, right now I'm reading some Bukowski, Wittgenstein, Nietzsche and Schopenhauer. I was German in a past life apparently.

I have a rather disordered way of selecting books from my respectable though diffuse library. I sort of go with my passion and then let my brain be the final arbiter of taste.

 

[Odyne]