Books Read?

Samnmax221 · 05-02-2006, 10:57 PM

Read anything new lately? Recently I've read Anthem by Ayn Rand, reread Animal Farm by George Orwell, and read The Closer's by Michael Connelly.

*VampireNaomi* · 05-03-2006, 01:20 AM

The only books I've read lately are for my university entrence exams. Right now I'm in the middle of The Study of Language by George Yule. It's quite entertaining, actually.

Shuz · 05-03-2006, 09:50 AM

I've recentyl read The Long Emergency by J H Kunstler and Power Down by soemone I can't remember. They're basically about what life will be like when the human race runs out of oil in the next 10 years. Scary stuff.

**Samuel Dravis** · 05-03-2006, 05:46 PM

I was reading a book on logic by Aristotle... show's I'm a true geek.

Samnmax221 · 05-03-2006, 07:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Samuel Dravis

I was reading a book on logic by Aristotle... show's I'm a true geek.

What's the title? I'm currently off on a philosophical kick so I might be interested.

Tall Guy · 05-04-2006, 04:48 PM

Recently bought 'Lost Horizon' by James Hilton. A story based around the legend of Shangri La. Highly recommended although I've yet to watch the film by the same name. Looking forward to that actually...

**Samuel Dravis** · 05-04-2006, 08:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Samnmax221

What's the title? I'm currently off on a philosophical kick so I might be interested.

It's this one.

*James Isaac* · 05-06-2006, 04:30 PM

I just finished reading 'State of Fear' by Michael Crichton... and now I don't know whether I should believe in global warming or not

SteveBB · 05-07-2006, 08:34 AM

"Animal farm", "The Da Vinci Code" and I'm reading "The Hobbit" at the moment

JofaGuht · 05-10-2006, 12:56 PM

The Archaic Revival by Terence McKenna. Highly recommended.

Scorpicus · 05-10-2006, 04:42 PM

Currently re-reading lord of the flies. Sehr gut.

Ramsey721 · 05-11-2006, 08:35 PM

I was thinking about buying 'The Warriors' novel from Amazon by Sol Yurick. I've been reading in and out of my magazine though so.. yeah.

Samnmax221 · 05-11-2006, 08:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scorpicus

Currently re-reading lord of the flies. Sehr gut.

I hate the way LOrd of the Flies is written, now the 1990 movie, that is funny.

JofaGuht · 05-11-2006, 11:02 PM

Hate Lord of the Flies. The message behind it, in my opinion, is bullsh*t. People call me an optimist, but humanity in no way is inherently evil. I find people who think that way to be strange, and people who write books about it are just plain unlikable.

Samnmax221 · 05-11-2006, 11:08 PM

You want a bad book, try A seperate peace by John Knowls, scool administrators require us to read it luckily our english teacher is a good guy and just made us watch the movie. The highlight of the whole movie is a song about Hitlers testicles

Scorpicus · 05-12-2006, 01:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JofaGuht

Hate Lord of the Flies. The message behind it, in my opinion, is bullsh*t. People call me an optimist, but humanity in no way is inherently evil. I find people who think that way to be strange, and people who write books about it are just plain unlikable.

So what do you think a pack of boys would do left alone on an island? Do you really think they'd be able to keep a society together? I don't think so. As soon as they figure out that there is nothing stopping them doing whatever they want, then it would descend into chaos.

And you can see that in the real world to. When a government collapses in a country, law and order dissapear and the people start to act on their worst instincts and will loot, pillage etc. Everything goes out of control.

By no means is the message bullsh*t.

Samnmax221 · 05-12-2006, 02:27 AM

The metaphores in LOTF are harder to nail down then in most literature

Scorpicus · 05-12-2006, 11:42 AM

Makes for lots of irrating exam questions.

JofaGuht · 05-12-2006, 07:44 PM

Quote:

So what do you think a pack of boys would do left alone on an island? Do you really think they'd be able to keep a society together? I don't think so. As soon as they figure out that there is nothing stopping them doing whatever they want, then it would descend into chaos.

And you can see that in the real world to. When a government collapses in a country, law and order dissapear and the people start to act on their worst instincts and will loot, pillage etc. Everything goes out of control.

You see, though, I don't think that's the point the book is trying to make.

No, a group of young boys can't hold a society together. Yes, people go crazy when their government falls. But what the book seems to be emphatically stating is that if you go to year zero, to human's natural instincts where society is judging nothing, then humans would be naturally savage, hateful, selfish, etc. I feel that is bullsh*t, personally. I feel that we'd be a kinder people at year zero. I feel society made us selfish. People are addicted to their cultures, that's why people flip out when a government falls.

Samnmax221 · 05-12-2006, 07:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SteveBB

"Animal farm", "The Da Vinci Code" and I'm reading "The Hobbit" at the moment

Animal Farm is a reat book, I'v got to get around to reading 1984

Scorpicus · 05-13-2006, 02:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JofaGuht

You see, though, I don't think that's the point the book is trying to make.

No, a group of young boys can't hold a society together. Yes, people go crazy when their government falls. But what the book seems to be emphatically stating is that if you go to year zero, to human's natural instincts where society is judging nothing, then humans would be naturally savage, hateful, selfish, etc. I feel that is bullsh*t, personally. I feel that we'd be a kinder people at year zero. I feel society made us selfish. People are addicted to their cultures, that's why people flip out when a government falls.

Dude, society and rules are whatstop people from giving in to thier more evil instincts. People grow up with the training that certain things are off limits e.g. no killing, no stealing etc. When they lose the boundries of rules and society people beckon to their darkest instincts, these darkest instincts that in the end everyone has - mans hunter instincts. At year zero it's all about survival of the fittest.

Samnmax221 · 05-13-2006, 08:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scorpicus

Dude, society and rules are whatstop people from giving in to thier more evil instincts. People grow up with the training that certain things are off limits e.g. no killing, no stealing etc. When they lose the boundries of rules and society people beckon to their darkest instincts, these darkest instincts that in the end everyone has - mans hunter instincts. At year zero it's all about survival of the fittest.

Now we're talking Nature vs. Nurture, one of the ugliest discusion points around

elbiolin · 05-14-2006, 02:34 AM

Just going back to books I would like to mention some of them that most people can find:

Flywheel, Shyster & Flywheel, transcriptions from Groucho and Chico Marx radio shows;

Without Feathers and Side Effects, short stories by Woody Allen;

and Martian Chronicles, by Ray Bradbury - talking about year zero ...

For spanish and italian readers I would recomend Il superuomo di massa or El Superhombre De Masas - Mass Superman - by Umbert Eco, western hero development on novels since XVII century until nowadays.

Samnmax221 · 05-14-2006, 02:41 AM

Liked the Martian chronicles, and had plenty of time to read it in "ISS"

elbiolin · 05-15-2006, 12:33 AM

I was delighted with that book back on college. He's not talking about Mars but Earth instead, and in such a blue and poetic manner.
In the end WE are the martians, he says.
Also, I always liked those small chapters between the bigger ones. Like The Taxpayer, for example.

Some trivia: The spanish version of the book is forworded by Jorge Luis Borges.

elbiolin · 05-15-2006, 12:41 AM

I almost forgot. I've even done a few comic pages taken from the Night Meeting chapter. So crazy about it back then.

JofaGuht · 05-20-2006, 10:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scorpicus

Dude, society and rules are whatstop people from giving in to thier more evil instincts.

Well, I guess it's a belief thing, because that sounds completely wrong to me. That's like saying doing cocaine keeps you from having cocaine withdrawals.

Samnmax221 · 05-20-2006, 09:58 PM

I personally believe people are born evil

JofaGuht · 05-21-2006, 03:32 PM

I'll step out now. It's really not something one can necessarily argue with. But I will be honest. I'm not trying to insult you guys or anything, I just want to purely state how that mindset appears through my eyes: very, very ignorant. Again, I'm just being honest, I'm not dissing on your intellegence. I just think you guys need to look around at various antique shops and specialty stores to see if they're selling any open minds. I think I saw one on ebay the other day.

::sigh:: I miss Virus.

Samnmax221 · 05-21-2006, 03:43 PM

I have a plenty open mind its just my opinion from what I've seen in my own life, I've considered your ideas but it wasn't enough to change my mind

Shuz · 05-22-2006, 09:01 AM

Roger Scruton is a philosopher who dealt with the issue of society and morality. If you read his book Modern Philosophy there's a chapter on it. Illuminating, yes.

Scorpicus · 05-22-2006, 10:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JofaGuht

I'll step out now. It's really not something one can necessarily argue with. But I will be honest. I'm not trying to insult you guys or anything, I just want to purely state how that mindset appears through my eyes: very, very ignorant. Again, I'm just being honest, I'm not dissing on your intellegence. I just think you guys need to look around at various antique shops and specialty stores to see if they're selling any open minds. I think I saw one on ebay the other day.

::sigh:: I miss Virus.

I could easily accuse you of the same thing!

I just have a different opinion on the whole "what causes evil" arguement- it doesn't mean I have a closed mind.

P.S you can't call someone ignorant without insulting their intelligence!

Samnmax221 · 06-04-2006, 05:03 PM

I'm currently reading The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand, hopefully this will be as good as Anthem

I say, I say · 06-05-2006, 03:46 PM

I've recently finished The GodFather by Mario Puzo, a great thriller and interesting read. I'm hoping to read his other book The Sicilian and Omerta. I've also finished Dune by Frank Herbert and Ninteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell.

Shuz · 06-10-2006, 06:56 AM

I read A long way down by Nick Hornby. It's about a group of strangers who coincidently meet at the top of a building with the intention of killing themselves but instead, end up as a group bickering, depressed friends. It's a black comedy with some really funny parts, but it wasn't as dark or morbid as I thought it would be. Still recommended though.

*VampireNaomi* · 06-10-2006, 08:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by I say, I say

I've recently finished The GodFather by Mario Puzo, a great thriller and interesting read. I'm hoping to read his other book The Sicilian and Omerta. I've also finished Dune by Frank Herbert and Ninteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell.

The Sicilian is quite an interesting read. It also has a cameo by one member of the Corleone family.