What are you reading?

[Dr. Awkward]

Desert Solitaire by Edward Abbey

Very good book, lots to take away from it.

[baffler]

Quantum Reality by Nick Herbert. It sums up like all major (and some minor) beliefs about what the insane experiments the science of quanta mean, regarding reality, and the corresponding reasons for those beliefs. Fucking crazy. It's from like mid 80s but covers the important shit--a few more recent experiments obviously left out but a good foundation for those interested.

[FrY]

This thread.

[InspiredByMe]

Dune.

I want to finish the series by the end of this summer. Doubtful.

[constantinople]

Manufacturing Consent by Noam Chomsky

dry but informative.


how come no-one in this forum underlines the title of a book? its the book forum ffs. come on people. fix this shit.

[aaronbabaron]

World War Z was interesting. I finished it quite a while ago, however. I like how it was written in an interview format, made the characters seem more real.

[Shrike]

Just read Consider Phlebas by Iain M. Banks. I love the descriptions and concepts of stuff like the Orbitals and the General Systems Vehicles and the Minds and so on, it's great. The protagonist, Horza, is kind of an asshole/idiot, but the story clips along pretty well and there's some good action and so on. I think i'm going to go and buy a few more of the Culture novels on Amazon, it's a really interesting series.

I love that about SF, there's so much play and variation you can do with the societies and races and technologies in it. Even something ostensibly as simple as how advanced or what direction their space travel took makes a huge difference to the story; i.e do they have ftl travel, is it via ships or series of linked wormholes, is it dangerous or routine, is there a time-debt incurred; etc.

[General Butt.Naked]

Just started the game of thrones trilogy....or four-ogy. Whatever you call a trilogy but with four.

[Xlite]

Originally Posted by CASPER

Just started the game of thrones trilogy....or four-ogy. Whatever you call a trilogy but with four.

Quartet, or sometimes Quad.

[arleybob]

almost done infinite jest! what an awesome book.

[Bale]

Originally Posted by arleybob

almost done infinite jest! what an awesome book.

Wow, you got through it fast. Question! How much left? There is something I want to talk about relating to Hal, not entirely a spoiler but it changes the outlook on the whole novel. Eh

I'm reading the Recognitions by Gaddis. Amazing, amazing novel. One of the best I have ever read. It's just absolutely perfect, it has such cynicism it makes me blush and the writing is beyond perfect. Dionysus, check this out.

[arleybob]

I'm probably about 60% through. Nothing has happened with Hal, much, except for that story at the beginning where Hal freaked out on the outside but on the inside, was completely calm. I'm waiting for that to be fleshed out a bit, if it ever is.

Don't spoil anything yet, please. Unless it's really not too important.

[JC Denton]

Beggining to read HeartMath's book's like The appreciative heart, heart-brain neurodynamics, The central role of the heart in generating and sustaining positive emotions, and a few others

[General Butt.Naked]

Originally Posted by Xlite

Quartet, or sometimes Quad.

I didnt think quartet applied to something like books or movies. Seems more like a reference to a group of people. Hmmm...interesting.

[Dr. Awkward]

What is the What? by Dave Eggers

technically a novel but he wrote the life story of a real person with their help, oine of the Sudanese Lost Boys. Pretty moving stuff

[Sanzenbacher]

Originally Posted by arleybob

There's some passages from one of the Bibles I read on Zoklet once that were awesomely philosophical and almost nihilistic. I remember one about a man working on a farm being happy with what he had and knowing he was gonna die, something like that...

Anyone know what I'm talking about?

Originally Posted by Octovia

Don't know about that one but i found this one good:

Who Is The Rich Man?

One day a wealthy father took his son on a trip to the country so that the son could see how the poor lived. They spent a day and a night at the farm of a very poor family. When they got back from their trip, the father asked his son, "How was the trip?" "Very good, Dad!" "Did you see how poor people can be?" "Yeah!" "And what did you learn?" The son answered, "I saw that we have a dog at home, and they have four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of the garden; they have a creek that has no end. We have imported lamps in the house; they have the stars. Our patio reaches to the front yard; they have the whole horizon." When the little boy was finished, the father was speechless. His son then added, "Thanks Dad for showing me how poor we are!"

More of these.

[arleybob]

the passage I read involved a man being thankful for the sun and for living a simple life. ring any bells

[Sanzenbacher]

Originally Posted by arleybob

the passage I read involved a man being thankful for the sun and for living a simple life. ring any bells

I've been googling around and can't seem to find anything. I just ended up googling "unique bible stories". Found some okay ones. None are cited though, so I'm wondering if they're even real. Still interesting reads, I suppose.

Death was walking toward a city one morning and a man asked, “What are you going to do?”

“I’m going to take 100 people,” Death replied.

“That’s horrible!” the man said.

“That’s the way it is,” Death said. “That’s what I do.”

The man hurried to warn everyone he could about Death’s plan.

As evening fell, he met Death again. “You told me you were going to take 100 people,” the man said. “Why did 1,000 die?”

“I kept my word,” Death responded. “I only took 100 people. Worry took the others.”

Be controlled by your fears or control your fears

There is a legend which says that there was a mouse who was very afraid of cats. She wished she could become a cat, her wish came true and she turned into a cat. Then she saw a dog and became afraid again and wished she were a dog. Her wish was granted and she turned into a dog. Then she saw a lion and she was terrified by his power and strength and wished she could become a lion so that she would not have to be terrified of the lion. Her wish was granted and she became a lion. Then she saw a man with a gun about to shoot her with his gun. You can imagine what happened next. She wished she could become a human and she did. But when she was sitting in her house she saw a mouse and she was scared of the mouse. The little mouse frightened her.

[Travis Bickle]

Brave new world-Aldous Huxley

[SoulButter]

Well I downloaded The Power of Now by Ekhart Tolle a week or two ago. Haven't gotten past the intro yet..

Anybody read this?

[ArmsMerchant]

I did,and I recommend it.

[DJ Meaty Cheeks]

Mind of The Raven.

Spoiler: It's about Ravens.

[SoulButter]

Originally Posted by ArmsMerchant

I did,and I recommend it.

I haven had the time to dive into it quite yet, but the author really sets up a pretty interesting intro. I'm glad to hear that somebody else recommends it.

[JC Denton]

The official preppy handbook.

Also rereading treasure island as bathroom reading on my smartphone.

[aquabania]

Originally Posted by arleybob

almost done infinite jest! what an awesome book.

My favorite book of all time. Go back and read the first 20 pages or so after you finish it, it explains a lot.


Just finished The Picture of Dorian Gray, great book. Right now I'm reading Walden by Thoreau, not really sold on it.

[Dionysus]

Re-reading The Psychopaths Bible by Christopher Hyatt. Also started a Castaneda one on the magic of Mexican shamans. I think it is called Magical Passes, and the techniques that it recommends seem VERY potent, not to mention they will get you to your peak physical ability in theory. I am also halfway through Why Johnny Can't Think by Robert Whitaker.

[Haiti's Space Agency]

Fantastic Voyage

[moron]

Black Elk Speaks

[native american biography]

[broseph]

the white league, by thomas zigal.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-White-Le.../dp/B005Z23U0K

bio:

Blackmail, a secret organization hiding within the elite society of New Orleans, a white supremacist running for governor of Louisiana; these are the key ingredients in this fine Southern crawfish boil of a novel about guilt, privilege and racism in one of America's most exotic cities.

Coffee magnate Paul Blanchard's comfortable world is turned upside down when his old fraternity brother, Mark Morvant, threatens to expose the secret that Paul has been harboring for twenty years unless he bankrolls Morvant's bid for governor. More importantly, Morvant also demands that Paul secure the financial and political backing of a clandestine organization called The White League, a group that he maintains is the real power in New Orleans, and has been for more than a century. Despite Paul's avowed belief that the group no longer exists, he is given just three weeks to bring the League on board the campaign, or Morvant will destroy him.

Blanchard's desperate pursuit of the truth uncovers family secrets, historical intrigue, and the underworld machinations of a dangerous group that has no qualms about resorting to murder to maintain its power. As his well-ordered world begins to collapse around him, Paul struggles with the moral consequences of his own past. Now it is up to him to placate Morvant, outsmart The White League, and save his family, his reputation, and ultimately, his life.

it's hardly life-changing but the guy has a nice style and writes with pointed precision. i'm enjoying it at a slow pace.

[Haiti's Space Agency]

Originally Posted by broseph

the white league, by thomas zigal.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-White-Le.../dp/B005Z23U0K

bio:



it's hardly life-changing but the guy has a nice style and writes with pointed precision. i'm enjoying it at a slow pace.

What is Paul's secret?

[nshanin]

A while ago I finished Think and Grow Rich and decided I needed more development of my skills in manifesting. Hence, I picked up "Psychocybernetics" by M. Maltz which states that man is not a machine but rather, man has a machine called the unconscious, the inputs (and to a large extent, controls) to which are controlled by man. A psychological classic!

Originally Posted by SoulButter

Well I downloaded The Power of Now by Ekhart Tolle a week or two ago. Haven't gotten past the intro yet..

Anybody read this?

I picked it up intending to get to it after "Ask and it is Given", which is a lighter, somewhat more playful introduction to ecstasy. On the other hand, Tolle isn't manifesting the voice of a nonphysical entity with every page he puts to paper so I'd say that familiarity and ease of reading may very well go to him.

Currently reading about an old technical analysis method: Point-and-Figure Charts.

[Kanimi]

Alan Gibbons
Scared to Death

[Haiti's Space Agency]

I need a good book reccomend me some please

[arleybob]

Originally Posted by a224

I need a good book reccomend me some please

infinite jest

[JC Denton]

After a day of hard work, I am preparing to immerse myself once again, in a tale of 1001 Arabian nights.

Burning frankincense, myrrh, and jasmine incense to set the proper atmosphere. Casually smoking a bit of hashish and opium, and about to bring out the hookah.

[Dr. Awkward]

Just finished An American Dream by Norman Mailer. Really intense and written excellently.

[The Big LeBronowski]

everytime i go to shit i read ' uncle john's endlessly engrossing bathroom reader '' as I've been reading it fora bout 2 years here's what page I'm on

'' The proverbial truth "
(You know that "all that glitters isn't gold," but there are countless other proverbs that you may have never heard. Here are some of the BRI's favorites from around the world.

1. If everyone gave one thread, the poor man would have a shirt. - Russian
2. If begging should unfortunaely be thy lot, knock at the large gates only. - Arabian
3. No one is rich enough to do without a neighbor - Danish
4. Worry often gives a small thing a big shadow - Swedish
5. When you're thristy it's too late to thinka bout digging a well. - Japanese
6. To request timidly is to invite refusal - Latin
7. Slander slays three persons: the speaker, the spoken to, and the spoken of. - Hebrew
8. To take revenge is to sacrifice onself. - Congolese
9. Who does not discipline his child will later punish himself - Persian
10. A half-truth is a whole lie. Yiddish
11. He who marries might be sorry. He does not will be sorry. - Czech
12. Beware the man who does not talk and the dog that does not bark - Portuguese
13. To you your religion; to me my religion. - Muslim
14. Those who give have all things; those who withold have nothing - Hindu
15. Who gossips to you will gossip of you - Turkish
16. A wise man changes his mind, a fool never does - Spanish
17. Who accepts nothing has nothing to return - German
18. The tongue is but three inches long, yet it can injure a man six feet high - Japanese
19. He who has not yet reached the opposite shore should not make fun of him who is drowning - West African
20. What is true by lamplight is not alwasy true by sunlight - French
21. He who laughs, lasts. - Norwegian

random fact: Spit-shine: Art restorers often use saliva to clean old oil paintings.

[Hooky the Cripple]

Originally Posted by arleybob

There's some passages from one of the Bibles I read on Zoklet once that were awesomely philosophical and almost nihilistic. I remember one about a man working on a farm being happy with what he had and knowing he was gonna die, something like that...

Anyone know what I'm talking about?

Sounds like Ecclesiastes to me.

[The real slim spud]

random thread to post all that in

[winstoncaufield]

Originally Posted by The Big LeBronowski

everytime i go to shit i read ' uncle john's endlessly engrossing bathroom reader '' as I've been reading it fora bout 2 years here's what page I'm on

Haha I love these books. I've finished one and am like halfway through a second one. I think it's 25th anniversary or something.