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just started reading a new book as well, The Future of Freedom.
from what i read so far i think it about differentiating between democracy and liberty, how you can have bad democracies (like those electing arafat) and good monarchies (like that of jordan). i think he's going to argue that unregulated democracy underminess liberty and the rule of law. so far he has my attention, i already recommend it.

i'm reading 'Desert Flower' from Waris Dirie. She's a model and UN-ambassador for human rights. She tells about her childhood in the somalian desert, living as nomads with her family.
very remarkable and touching as well as uplifting .
truly a tip if you're in to somthing different...

-Glad

i wasn't sure where else to post this, but here is a link to a great short story.

http://www.theatlantic.com/issues/2002/06/barthelme.htm

Let's see... books to recommend...

Pooh and the Philosophers. I can't remember who the author is, but a very good book.

The Republic, by Plato. An essential read for anyone interested in philosophy. The allegory of the cave will blow you away.

Analects, by Confucius.

Meditations, by Descartes. Strange, and somewhat hard to grasp, but good nonetheless.

http://copvcia.com/

i was able to find "The Truth & Lies of 9-11" video on the net, try and check it out.

someone recommend me this book Arnold: An Unauthorized Biography by Wendy Leigh

quote:

Originally posted by TranceGiant Goedel, Escher, Bach (fucked up 800 pages monster packed with riddles and theories concerning logic, molecularbiology, arts philosophy and everything else our minds have created over the past ten thousand years looks like this book will be a challenge for my entire life-time )

i'm interested in hearing a little bit of a review, did you like it? do you recommend i get it?

come on! did u really think im gonna finish this monster like it was some science fiction novel? This book is like a huge fight that lasts 800 pages and until now I've not been ready to go to war Seriously I bought it to have it "in case". I did read a few pages (30, 40) to get the idea and decided to wait for the ultimate moment. It might come next week as well as in 16 years.

What I did read and would highly recommend to anyone are all of Murakami's books. Finished three of them and was literally blown away each time. I'd recommend "Wild sheep chase" first, the move on to "wind-up bird chronicle". So addictive, entertainting, mindfucking and fascinating

I'm readin a book right now called the "Essential Spiderman: Seasons 1-5". Such a great book. It teaches you a lot.

Stranger In A Strange Lan - Robert A. Heinlein

Dune - Frank Herbert

quote:

Originally posted by tathi Stranger In A Strange Lan - Robert A. Heinlein Dune - Frank Herbert

That is weird....I was reading through this thread and was going to put both of those in my list....since I am reading Stranger in a Strange Land again right now (4th time).

So here is a short list of what I consider "intellectually stimulating" reading (It is all novels or plays, I don't read much non-fiction).
Novels:
Robert A. Heinlein - Stranger in a Strange Land
Frank Herbert - The DUNE chronicles (all 6 of them)
David Eddings - The Losers
Michael Crichton - Sphere
Piers Anthony - Macroscope (out of print)

Plays:
Calderon de la Barca - La vida es Sueño (Life is Beautiful)
Sophie Treadwell - Machinal
Edward Albee - The Zoo Story
August Strindberg - The Ghost Sonata
Henrik Ibsen - An Enemy of the People
Eugene O'Neill - A Long Day's Journey Into Night <----Make sure you have a bottle of whiskey on hand, this one is rough
Bertholdt Brecht - Mother Courage and Her Children
Moliere - Le Misanthrope

That is the short list....I read a lot of books and I used to read a lot of plays (for my 7 semesters of Theatre History classes) so this is not by any means a total list. Just stuff that popped into my head.

MrS

on one hand, i could just tell you to read a modern translation of the bible, completely.

on the other hand, "the screwtape letter" CS LEWIS

quote:

Originally posted by MrSquirrel That is weird....I was reading through this thread and was going to put both of those in my list....since I am reading Stranger in a Strange Land again right now (4th time).

I am reading it for the second time at the moment

As for Dune i have only read the original, i have copies of God Emperor, Messiah and Children of Dune but they are towards the end of a long queue of books to be read

Are the prequels to dune worth getting?

quote:

David Eddings - The Losers

Is this anything like his earlier fantasy novels? I read the Belgariad and the Mallorean several years ago, i think i was about 11 at the time, and enjoyed them.

quote:

Originally posted by tathi Are the prequels to dune worth getting? Is this anything like his earlier fantasy novels? I read the Belgariad and the Mallorean several years ago, i think i was about 11 at the time, and enjoyed them.

I have not as of yet read any of the younger Herbert's novels...will probably get to those sometime later this year.

The Losers is a fiction book set in recent times. It is a very very interesting book....not at all like his fantasy books. High Hunt (his first novel) is also very good. I have a harcover anthology with both of them in it. I recommend both if you like his writing style.

MrS

hopefully the prequals written by Franks son arn't like the novels written by Christopher Tolkien, trying to cash in on a tired concept

quote:

Originally posted by tathi hopefully the prequals written by Franks son arn't like the novels written by Christopher Tolkien, trying to cash in on a tired concept

A friend of mine said he read House Harkonnen a couple years back and thought it was pretty good. We shall see....at the very least I am interested in reading the Butlerian Jihad for the added background it would give (provided it works with the original well)

MrS

the author of this book was interviewed for an hour on a local radio station. it was so intresting i think ill pick up the book

http://sextimepower.com/

The Alcoholic Republic: An American Tradition
By W. J. Rorabaugh

Added books to my list:

Robert A. Heinlein - J.O.B. A Comedy of Justice.
Richard Adams - Watership Down.
Douglas Adams - All Hitchhiker's Guide books, Dirk gentley's Holistic Detective Agency, and The Long, Dark, Tea Time of the Soul.
Raymond E. Feist - Faerie Tale


MrS

quote:

Originally posted by MrSquirrel Richard Adams - Watership Down.

wonderfully written, creative and original book with fantastic sociological observations. i learned a lot about rabbits too.

quote:

Originally posted by daffodil wonderfully written, creative and original book with fantastic sociological observations. i learned a lot about rabbits too.

What did you learn about rabbits? That they are a blood thirsty and maniacal lot?



I only picked up this book when I was in HS because I remembered vividly the cartoon movie of the book that I watched when I was a young child. And how it scared the bejeezus out of me because the animals could talk and were maiming each other. Kinda like the Secret of NIMH did when my parents took us to see it in the theatre (I was 5). For some reason I was more scared by mean animals than anything. Thus I picked up Watership Down and read it, and enjoyed it on a much less visceral level (the cartoon was rather graphic for 1980s network tv). It also put to rest the fighting bunny nightmares

Needless to say I need to pick up a copy of the book again and see what I get out of it some 10 years later. I have been re-reading many of the books I read in high school and am amazed at the different way they touch me now than they did then.

That is the miracle of books, every time you read them they are slightly different. They are living things :

Back to my ever expanding library of books I have already read.....

MrS

quote:

Originally posted by MrSquirrel What did you learn about rabbits? That they are a blood thirsty and maniacal lot? I only picked up this book when I was in HS because I remembered vividly the cartoon movie of the book that I watched when I was a young child. And how it scared the bejeezus out of me because the animals could talk and were maiming each other. Kinda like the Secret of NIMH did when my parents took us to see it in the theatre (I was 5). For some reason I was more scared by mean animals than anything. Thus I picked up Watership Down and read it, and enjoyed it on a much less visceral level (the cartoon was rather graphic for 1980s network tv). It also put to rest the fighting bunny nightmares Needless to say I need to pick up a copy of the book again and see what I get out of it some 10 years later. I have been re-reading many of the books I read in high school and am amazed at the different way they touch me now than they did then. That is the miracle of books, every time you read them they are slightly different. They are living things : Back to my ever expanding library of books I have already read..... MrS

Dude, I saw the cartoon of that book when I was a little kid too. Scared the crap out of me cuz all these rabbits were fighting in a war and one group of rabbits had red eyes ...

I couldn't think of the name for the longest time and a few weekends ago I accused my dad of subjecting me to that cartoon. But since I couldn't remember the name and vaguely remembered the plot, everyone thought I was crazy. Hmmm thinking about it makes me wanna see the cartoon again.

quote:

Originally posted by occrider Dude, I saw the cartoon of that book when I was a little kid too. Scared the crap out of me cuz all these rabbits were fighting in a war and one group of rabbits had red eyes ... I couldn't think of the name for the longest time and a few weekends ago I accused my dad of subjecting me to that cartoon. But since I couldn't remember the name and vaguely remembered the plot, everyone thought I was crazy. Hmmm thinking about it makes me wanna see the cartoon again.

Yeah it had to be a real cartoon. Unless of course we BOTH are totally off our rockers. Hmmm.

I was thinking I needed to see the cartoon again too.

Time to search for a copy on video methinks.....

MrS

i havn't read the book, but i watched the cartoon when i was a little kid

more literature influenced by Aesops Fables

A-HA! I have found it:

http://video.barnesandnoble.com/sea...393750121&itm=4

Time for me to go see if my local video store has a copy

MrS

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