"Former Trump Secretary of Defense, Marine General James Mattis, has famously said... "if you haven't read hundreds of books, you're functionally illiterate."
So share with us a couple of books you've read lately or are reading now.
I'll go first.
One, "Anarchy and Christianity" by Jacques Ellul is a reread.
The other is "Caste" by Isabelle Wilkerson.
***********************
Shaw:
I'm currently reading "The Robber Bride" by Margaret Atwood.
Previously, I read "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari
My next book: "On Tyranny" by Timothy Snyder
26 comments:
I'm currently reading Dan Brown's "Origin". I suppose for this survey, the quality of the book is unimportant... it's all about quantity.
...either THAT or being "seen" reading the right/ politically correct books that all surplus salaried globalist elites are required to enjoy.
Indestructible Truth by Reginald Ray
Secret of the Vajra World by Reginald Ray
Up next: Creation and Completion -Essential Points of Tantric Meditation by Jamgon Kongtrul
With a list that is never ending.
Your supposition; not a fact.
Couldn’t you’ve just given us a book title without your sour political opinions? We’re exchanging book titles, not polemics.
Alaska - the Bold Land, The Journals of Lewis & Clark, Age of American Unreason. Got my own big library in the study - nothing by noted author
Donald J. Trump.
Since I'm traveling next week, I'll have a Jack Reacher and a Lucas Davenport novel ready for my flights.
Currently re-reading The Greatest Show on Earth by Richard Dawkins (evolutionary biology). Previously The Invisible Man by HG Wells.
Most recent before that:
The European Seaborne Empires by Gabriel Paquette
Alexander the Great by Philip Freeman
Estonia: Return to Independence by Rein Taagepera
The First Word by Christine Kenneally (origins of language)
Titles? How about "philosophies". After reading Will Durant's "History of Civilization" series, I picked up his "Story of Philosophy". It was that book that convinced me that I would always be ignorant if I relied on book "interpreters" and secondary sources like Durant (the Wikipedias of "history) for my information. So I committed to reading the primary sources, Greek, Roman, Italian, British, American, etc. Today I try and read primary sources whenever possible, especially when it comes to history. And I'm currently stuck between reading Foucault and his rivals, Deleuze & Guattari. Foucault's "The Order of Things" and "Archeology of Knowledge" have me questioning our contemporary understanding of the past, and D&G's "Anti-Oedipus" and "1000 Plateaus" have me questioning the entire systemic understanding of psychology. So I'm watching a lot of videos on Joyce's "Finnegans Wake" trying to wrap my head around these concepts (as Joyce wrote his wake in the style of Deleuze and Guattari's schizo-analysis as his daughter was being treated by Jung for Schizophrenia).
So there are some titles, but as I said, it's more of a reading "philosophy".
If you enjoy "The Greatest Show on Earth", you might enjoy "Life as No One Knows It: The Physics of Life's Emergence" by Sara Imari Walker. She's the theorist behind a lot of Lee Cronin's amazing work
-FJ... you are correct. It's always better to go to the source, rather than rely on the commentaries or "secondary" sources.
Too few ppl today seek out the OGs of literature, be it pop, philosophy, theology or most anything else.
Any idea of the books Trump has been reading?
Trump? Reading books? I assume you're joking. As Bill Maher said, "he gets bored halfway through a fortune cookie".
On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder
On Freedom by Timothy Snyder
I've not commented only because of embarrassment. I used to read. Every minute that was free my head was in a book. Philosophy, science, music, history. I read the journals of the people who lived through history. I read the takes on the history I'd just read and gleaned another layer of nuance because yes, every telling of every tale is modified by the teller and how could it not when what we see, how we describe what we saw is influenced by our life's experiences?
And then I became homeless. I wear glasses which is not a priority when you are the poorest of poor. Anyway the level of optometry offered to those at that end of the monetary scale is less than. So reading fell by the wayside.
Now I have glasses again but reading isn't the joy it used to be. When I was homeless yeah, glasses, but also, losing oneself in a book isn't exactly safe in places where predators are just waiting for you to drop your guard. So, again, reading isn't a joy.
Sorry, just thinking too much. I wanted to join in but, well, embarrassment. And I couldn't not say what I've said because to a person I'm not sure y'all understand the level of privilege you enjoy in your ability to read without worry that you'll be jumped, or your eyesight will fail. I used to be there. Now I'm not and that is a sorrow because when I was younger I never traveled without a book.
The Art of the Deal is his personal choice. And he is a pro at that if at nothing else. Lets call a Spade as Spade. you really can't beat the guy at making Deals, and at them the Best.
...and even when they do, how few people can still understand them in the epistemes and paradigms under which they were written. Books are man kinds external "memory bank", or cybernetic brain... something we're always deconstructing and re-applying... much as catepillars who undergo a metamorphosis which liquifies our brain and rewires it for 3-D flying with new body parts for "flying". The books we are writing today will be re-interpretted as an altered externally stored "memory" to be used in novel ways tomorrow.
I'm so sorry to read this. It depresses me. Most of what I read every day is such a downer, but your situation is soul crushing.
You're more than welcome to publish what you've read in the past. I'm sure there are hundreds of titles.
Are books on tape available to you?
100 days into his second term, and he hasn't made any deals. He touted 90 days, 90 deals. So far, zip.
It would appear that you're in a better place now GOts. I'm happy for you. But being homeless isn't much different than living in a 3rd world country today. There are predators all around 24/7. There's always a good chance that if you have something "desirable" on your person, you'll be 'mugged' and it will be taken away. I lost, or gave many things away, on the street of Caracas '66-70. And that was, at the time, more a 2nd world country. I saw many other 3rd world nations during my Sea Year at the Academy, South America and the Far East.
My eyesight also doesn't do "books" very well anymore. I rely on computers so that I can increase the font sizes. It's a pain, and I get it, why reading is no longer a joy. Glad you can still enjoy some 1st world comforts, though. You should try YouTube, where I spend a lot of my time now. There are some great Novel and Short Story reading sites that are a lot like audiobooks. the best part, is that you can just close your eyes and imagine... with no eyestrain.
Here's on of my subscribed/ free sites.
Books on tape is on the list of goals to achieve, part of my plan to ensure I keep my mental health on the up and up. I've explored access through the local library. Seems promising.
Shaw, my friend, I didn't say that to depress you. Poop. Although I can see how my reality is totally depressing. Add to the fact that I'm not alone and what WeThePeople are about to go through seems daunting.
That said, I've learned it's not my situation which counts the most but my attitude towards it. I couldn't have achieved what I've achieved if I didn't practice on the daily Radical Acceptance, Distress Tolerance, and Mindfulness. Emotional Regulation, and Interpersonal Effectiveness (I'm a novice on this skill).
I'll put together my thoughts on the books which opened my mind the most and put together a post. Right now? Gotta take care of the cat - he's about to become bitey mcbitey face because he pooped in his box and it must be cleaned MeNOWWWWW!!
Shaw Kenawe, you know as well as I know it, that what you said above is not true, I know that you hate trump as well as some of the others here do, but I like to stay impartial, and neutral, and to say what I feel. And I truly feel that Trump is very good at Dealing with other Nations. And Thus a big benefit to us Americans.
So lets not be petty.
What are you referring to? What I said about "The Art of the Deal?" Trump did NOT write it.
Trump's ghostwriter says writing "The Art of the Deal" is the greatest regret of his life
If you or anyone examines Trump's social media posts, you'd understand that Trump is writing at a 4th grade level, and he's barely literate.
If you actually think Trump is good at dealing with other nations, then I think you do not read or listen to anything but pro-Trump propaganda.
The fact is that Trump has insulted our Canadian neighbors, calling the former Prime Minister "Governor Trudeau," and threatening to make Canada the 51st state when Canada wants no part of that. He's insulted and threatened Denmark and Greenland and their governments, and he's abandoned our ally, Zelenskyy in favor of the dictator and butcher of children, Putin. He admires Kim Jong Un and other authoritarians and murderers.
IMO, you are naive and ill informed. IOW, you are like most Trump supporters.
To be a MAGAt is to be very tribalistic and a member of the tribe of the ill informed or easily duped.
Since reading is difficult I'm listening, mostly to Black voices. Listening to their anger, to their hurt. Did you know how they felt when there was minimal to no armed SWAT police presence at that first big march? I didn't. I thought they stayed home so the police wouldn't harm them but I was wrong. But this story ties into your new post so I'll carry it there.
Also listening to the Sheldrick Elephant rescue in Africa. I'm sure I spelled their name incorrectly but watching their elephant family and the orphans they rescue turn into wild adults who have their own wild kids? I admire their work. A lot. Anyway, during routine patrols for poachers the scouting teams find critters in distress wherein they call in the vet teams. Poisoned arrows, snares, each issue is handled with the least stress to the critter as possible. Before release the vets spray both the wound and their butt with blue paint - sure it's more than that but still, the blue is distinctive. Brilliant work. I'm learning a bit of elephant speak but I'd have to get up close and personal to be fluent. Not having a trunk might be problematic. Maybe not.
Watching the videos from the Skydog Horse Sanctuary. Trying to learn horse - figure elephants and horses are kind of related so maybe they share some traits? So far I just like to watch the horses run. Seems to be what they were born to do. Brings me peace to be honest. Also knowing each horse came from horrible circumstances and yet landed in sanctuary where they have companionship and food and some of the biggest sky and beautiful views.
And politics. I read everything I can get online: economics, theory, science, theology, and the law. Because I'm up to date I totally need the rest of what my listening list.
Right now my attention span is not enough for even my favorite movies so I'm practicing "If it's stupid but it works, it ain't stupid" and watching the stuff that doesn't make my heart get weird. Lots of old TV.
Midterms. We can make it.
Post a Comment