[pathogen]

Okay. Yesterday, I finished reading "The Shining" (Stephen King, duh), for my third time since I was a kid. I still got scared being alone in the house at night after I put it down.

So yesterday I also started "Firestarter", for my second time. I haven't read it for about 15 years. And a few chapters in I'm thinking I could be a bit disappointed. The whole "kid with psychic abilities", after Carrie, The Dead Zone, and The Shining, was starting to go a bit repetitive for Mr. King...

I'm reading these because.. well, let me tell you this way: since just before Christmas I've been going through a Stephen King spurt. That's concise enough. Oh, I think he uses Macs, you know. He mentions his Powerbook a few times in "Stephen King on Writing". Last week, I finished "Gerald's Game", and the end was really disturbed. So, naturally, I continued on with my spurt with even more gusto than before.

I'm also making my way slowly through Arthur Ransome's books, and right now I'm partly through "We Didn't Mean To Go To Sea". It could be a little less about sailing and more about the kids, but hey, that's Ransome's style.

For classes this week, I'm currently rereading "A Comedy of Errors" and "Henry V". I'm not going to list my bibliography books that go along with those here. You'd all die. And I'm going through "Settlers of the Marsh" by F.P. Grove for the first time... and hating it. Canadian Lit. just fills me with resentment.

Are these at all indicative of my reading taste? Maybe, but this is only between now and last Wednesday... believe me, it goes all over the place. I love to read.

[ 01-24-2002: Message edited by: pathogen ]

[nonhuman]

Right now I'm reading Tchaikovsky and his World, a collection of biographical writings on (duh) Tchaikovsky edited by Leslie Kearney. I have to prepare and give a 30 minute talk on Tchaikovky on Feb. 15 in Russian.

I'm also reading Rene Descartes Meditations on First Philosophy. I must say that, from what I've read, this guy has absolutely no idea of what logic is. He's trying to prove, through reason, that God and the soul exist. In order to do this he first assumes that nothing exists except his dis-embodied mind (the existence of which is necessary for pretty obvious reasons) which could just be hallucinating everything else or something. He makes a big deal of the fact that he is starting off with the assumption that there is no God, but pretty much ever step of his "logical" construction of the universe involved the fact that God makes his mind perceive things in the way he does... An example:

Moreover, in order to remove this doubt, I ought at the first opportunity to inquire if there is a God, and, if there is, whether or not he can be a deceiver. If I am ignorant of these matters, I do not think that I can ever be certain of anything else.

Maybe it's just me, but this assertion seems to completely invalidate the idea of proving the existence of God logically based on the existence of everything else...

[godzookie2k]

reading, Flash Deconstruction by juxt interactive and the Sentry trade paperback by Marvel Comics and Jae Lee. And Dark Night Returns 2 by Frank Miller and DC comics. Watching american pie 2...




Nick

[Jim Paradise]

I'm reading "Pooh And The Philosophers" by John Tyerman Williams.

("In Which It Is Shown That All of Western Philosophy Is merely a Preamble to Winnie-the-Pooh")

Hopefully I'll get around to reading No Exit and some of Sartre's other plays soon. Also would like to re-read A Clockwork Orange soon soon.

[ 01-24-2002: Message edited by: Jim Paradise ]

[rgoer]

At this moment I am most actively reading Hofstadter's G�del, Escher, Bach, but I am constantly re-reading my entire library, at all times. Right now it happens to be Gibson's Idoru, last week it was my absolute favorite, Stephenson's fscking awesome Snow Crash. Next week I'm thinking about David Brin's Earth. Or The Postman (I read it ages ago, and haven't had the heart to read it again since they made that awful movie. I'm so afraid that I won't be able to help but picture Costner as I read it *shudder*). I haven't decided yet. I kind of feel like reading some John Barth, but I've been in a real Sci-fi mood, lately. Or maybe John Okada's No No Boy. I can't decide. Ooh... how about some Tom Stoppard? Arcadia was always good. Damn it! Oh, fsck! I know; I haven't read this in ages: Parke Godwin's Waiting for the Galactic Bus. If you haven't read this, and you enjoy either science fiction or comedy at all, you'd get a kick out of this one. I think that's what I'll pick up next week.

[speirsfr]

Currently reading two Don Knuth books: 3:16 - Bible Texts Illuminated and Digital Typography.

Just finished reading All Families Are Psychotic by Douglas Coupland.

[Apfhex]

Last night I finished reading Mostly Harmless by Douglas Adams. Tonight I have no books to read. Friday I'm going to buy some more.

[- - e r i k - -]

The fellowship of the rings by John Ronald Reuel Tolkien

[Cellery]

Working on some oldies but goodies:

Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

The Bible (for class) <--- a snooze

[Face Ache]

MacNN forums.

You people read OTHER STUFF TOO???!!!

I'm always in front of my Mac.

[philzilla]

Franz Kafka - The Castle

Roger Penrose - The Emperor's New Mind

Friends of Ed - Rich Media: Video and Sound in Flash

Howard Marks - Mr Nice



i read at my desk, in bed, always when travelling and sometimes in the bath with a glass of wine. not that you need to know about my bath habits.

[edited to add image. i was bored]

[ 01-24-2002: Message edited by: philzilla ]

[nealconner]

Red Dwarf Omnibus - Grant/Naylor
Messianic Judaism - Carol Harris-Shapiro
Bluebeard - Kurt Vonnegut

3 issues of unread Sky and Telescopes
4 issues of unread Wired

[Captain Obvious]

A Matter of Interpretation:Federal Courts and the Law

<A HREF="http://hallbiographies.com/leaders/276.shtml" TARGET=_blank>Kennedy & Nixon: The Rivalry That Shaped Postwar America
</A>

[GRAFF]

Originally posted by nonhuman:
<STRONG>I'm also reading Rene Descartes Meditations on First Philosophy. I must say that, from what I've read, this guy has absolutely no idea of what logic is. He's trying to prove, through reason, that God and the soul exist. In order to do this he first assumes that nothing exists except his dis-embodied mind (the existence of which is necessary for pretty obvious reasons) which could just be hallucinating everything else or something. He makes a big deal of the fact that he is starting off with the assumption that there is no God, but pretty much ever step of his "logical" construction of the universe involved the fact that God makes his mind perceive things in the way he does...</STRONG>

What is so fascinating about the "Meditations" is not whether or not he can prove the existance of God (who ever could?), but rather the questions he poses along the way. How do we know if we are dreaming or if we are awake? How do we know that that chair is really there? Only because our limited senses tell us so., etc...

Don't treat it as a logical math problem, rather allow yourself to be taken along his lines of thinking and questioning. It is truly an amazing work. I think it's why the French are so proud of calling themselves "Cartesian".

[mattstoton]

The Lord of the Rings (all three: The Fellowship of The Ring, The Two Towers and The King Returns)

[m a d r a]

asian babes [well, more looking at the pictures than reading!]

[--Helen--]

The Day the Universe Changed - James Burke (ok rereading it)
Rise to Globalism - Stephen Ambrose
Cinefex #88(Is a perodical, but is extensive enough to be a novela) - Don Shay & Jody Duncan



[ 01-24-2002: Message edited by: --Helen-- ]

[xi_hyperon]

Snow Crash [again- it's one of my favorite books] by Neal Stephenson. Also Two Towers.

[gumby5647]

im in the slow process of reading Homer's Odyssey.....

[nonhuman]

Originally posted by GRAFF:
<STRONG>

What is so fascinating about the "Meditations" is not whether or not he can prove the existance of God (who ever could?), but rather the questions he poses along the way. How do we know if we are dreaming or if we are awake? How do we know that that chair is really there? Only because our limited senses tell us so., etc...

Don't treat it as a logical math problem, rather allow yourself to be taken along his lines of thinking and questioning. It is truly an amazing work. I think it's why the French are so proud of calling themselves "Cartesian".</STRONG>

Oh, I agree entirely. There are definitely many interesting/worthwhile/profound questions asked and some answered in the book. However, I would say that his logic is fundamentally flawed due to his utter restriction to the belief that everything exists the way it does because that's exactly the way that God wants it. So while most of his mental exercises are certainly a good read, I think whenever he employs induction to try and prove a point there's no way he can be entirely trusted because he's already proved his inability to separate himself from his faith and provide an objective analysis.

[Phanguye]

i am currently reading No Exit by Sartre

phang

ps. lord of the rings is technically one book, but the publishers made J.R.R. publish it in 3 installments

[MacGorilla]

I'm reading "Higher Than Everest" a book that guides up on hikes up the solar system's highest peaks. Ir's part travel guide, part science and 100% neat!

[osiris]

I'm reading Hunter S. Thompson's 'The Great Shark Hunt'.

Lotsa dark brooding political humor here. Freak power!

[Eloise]

Originally posted by Phanguye:
<STRONG>i am currently reading No Exit by Sartre
</STRONG>

I was going to ask you about a line in No Exit but don't want to give the ending away... if it's what I'm thinking of, it's a great play.

The best things I've read in ages are Ghost Soldiers by Hampton Sides, Flags of our Fathers by James Bradley (if you like WWII history), or One Day in September (I think it's Simon Reeve) about the Munich olympics in 1972. I can't seem to pick up anything right now that holds my attention for longer than a nanosecond. Can anyone recommend other really good nonfiction? Preferably dealing with 20th century history and not by Ambrose? (He's good but I've read alot of his stuff)
thanks!

[Phanguye]

i have already read it anyway... sartre is pretty much The Existentialist and this is his portrayal of hell... it is really good

[Eloise]

Originally posted by Phanguye:
<STRONG>i have already read it anyway... sartre is pretty much The Existentialist and this is his portrayal of hell... it is really good</STRONG>

hell is other people? Am I right? Now it's eating at me and it will until I can remember.

[Phanguye]

yea they dont know where they are until they figure out that they are all their to punish each other... if anyone has ever seen the taretino flick 'four rooms' that movie is based on this play (doesnt do it justice however it is funny)

phang

[Phanguye]

and why we are on the topics of good books some of my other favorites are

Dante - The Inferno
Huxley - Brave New World
Tolkien- Hobbit and Lord of the Rings
More - Utopia
Shakespeare - The Tempest
and the only good Stephen King novel ever - The Gunslinger
so yea

[M�lum]

Forbidden Colours by Mishima

[SirCastor]

I'm in the tail end of "Is Data Human?: The Metaphysics of Startrek"
good book, it discusses issues of personal survival, existence, etc etc.

I recommend it.

[malvolio]

Okay, bearing in mind that the this thread is supposed to be about what we are reading right now, rather than what our favorites are, I am in the middle of Jonathan Kellerman's Flesh and Blood. And simultaneously dipping into random sections of Jesse Feiler's Mac OS X Developer's Guide.
If we're talking favorites, I'd have to go with LOTR, Glen Cook's Black Company novels, and anything by Terry Pratchet.

[andi*pandi]

sigh.

I'm reading: William Sears, The Pregnancy Book; What to expect when you're expecting, and about 3 stupid baby name books. Sears is pretty informative, and not as patronizing as "expecting."

This weekend I got fedup with all these pregnancy books, and read Narcissus in Chains by Laurell K. Hamilton, a horror/vampire/ultraviolent book. Most refreshing, although not the best in the series.

[xenu]

Robert Jordan's "Wheel of Time" series.

Don't be fooled by the cover.

[JLFanboy]

Right now I'm reading Michael Chabon's "The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay." It kicks a lot of ass.

Pulitzer Prize-winning no less.

[Dogma]

Trite I know, but I'm halfway through "Return of the King" - paret three of thr LOTR trilogy.

Next I think I'll go back to a bit of Ballard, "Empire of the Sun" or "Crash", or I've got a non fiction book that I've been meaning to read for the past two months "Sexual politics in Cuba".

I'm pretty much read out - I've gotta find some more authors that I dig.

Might go get that new Red Dwarf omnibus, the first book and "Last Human", I lent my copy of "Last Human" to someone and never got it back. Or finally get round to reading the whole Dirk Gently series.

[anarkisst]

"We Got the Neutron Bomb, The Untold Story of L.A. Punk"
Marc Spitz and Brendan Mullen

I red "Please Kill Me" and this is by far the best history of punk rock on the west coast. I'm an old school punk...

Haven't had much time to read per say (besides manuals for Flash and other apps) but this is it right now. Great reading.

[daimoni]

.

[G Barnett]

Originally posted by andi*pandi:
<STRONG>This weekend I got fedup with all these pregnancy books, and read Narcissus in Chains by Laurell K. Hamilton, a horror/vampire/ultraviolent book. Most refreshing, although not the best in the series.</STRONG>

Wonderful series, and I'd agree that Narcissus isn't the best in the series, although it's close. Still, it's going to be VERY hard to top Obsidian Butterfly.

G Barnett

[v0id7]

Hamlet

A Tale of two Cities

Waiting for Godot

[andi*pandi]

yes, barnett, I am a big fan of edward. Butterfly was a good chance to change the scenery and get away from the love-hate triangle situation. I'm hoping narcissus was just her way of transitioning back...

daimoni, thanks for the lead on the book. I got "expecting" because it had such great reviews, but I think it's terribly patronizing, and the whole diet thing is stupid. In comparison, Sears is positively enlightened and useful. I did like your suggestion, especially as additional reading for my husband... whose theories are, "you read the books and tell me what parts are useful." Sheesh...

[GRAFF]

Originally posted by nonhuman:
<STRONG>Oh, I agree entirely. There are definitely many interesting/worthwhile/profound questions asked and some answered in the book. However, I would say that his logic is fundamentally flawed due to his utter restriction to the belief that everything exists the way it does because that's exactly the way that God wants it. So while most of his mental exercises are certainly a good read, I think whenever he employs induction to try and prove a point there's no way he can be entirely trusted because he's already proved his inability to separate himself from his faith and provide an objective analysis.</STRONG>

I think Voltaire skewers this kind of thinking nicely in Candide. God can't be wrong, so all is for the best in this best of all possible worlds!

[GRAFF]

Originally posted by Eloise:
<STRONG>

I was going to ask you about a line in No Exit but don't want to give the ending away... if it's what I'm thinking of, it's a great play.

</STRONG>

Are you talking about "Huit Clos"? (I didn't even know the title in English!) Yes, it really is a great little play.

"L'enfer, c'est les autres."

[chatwood2]

Normally my list looks more like the rest of you but right now I'm reading:

Cocoa Programming for Mac OS X
PostgreSQL Essential Reference
PostgreSQL Developer's Handbook
Object-Relation Database Development

Needless to say my brain is fried night now, too... many... words...


- Chris

[theolein]

Uhm, lemme see...

XML Pocket Reference
Practical C Programming
Programming in Cocoa
Java AWT Reference
Java Servlet Programming
Learning Java

F�cking boring, all this crap. Just like me. But I do have a TripleX porno mag for in between.

[fimwat]

Right now, I'm onto Fellowship of the Ring for the second time. Books I'd like to read soon are "Nada Brahma - The world is sound" by Joachim-ernst Berendt, "Nothing but the best - The struggle for perfection at the Juliard school" by Judith Kogan. This Mac/Internet addiction isn't helping me

[aleph_null]

I'm really bad about having 5 books going at once. First, though:

re: Descartes... Yeah, I was not all that impressed when I read some of his work. But it *was* a major stepping-stone in western philosophy, or so my philosophy profs told me. If I recall, the notion of taking nothing for granted -- no a priori first priciples or whatever -- was a big deal, even though he didn't really succeed at it.

re: Wheel of Time. Kick-ass. I'll have to start over again before the next one comes out.

re: Sartre. I recommend Existentialism and Human Emotion. Short, but dense, but still pretty straightforward. It's good stuff.

So, currently:
1. To Green Angel Tower part 2, by Tad Williams. Last in the Memory, Sorrow and Thorn series. Dark. Pretty good, but dark. Don't read if you're already depressed.

2. Natural Capitalism, by Paul Hawken, Amory and Hunter Lovins. I saw Amory Lovins speak a few months ago. Was the first time I felt optimistic about the future of we humans as we continue to consume and the population grows ... turns out it's maybe a little *too* rosy, as presented in the book, but it's still a really good read.

3. General Systems Theory I was moved to get this after reading The Web of Life (Fritjof Capra) and Gaia (James Lovelock). And, oddly, perhaps, Ethics for the New Millenium by the Dalai Lama.

4. Introduction to Tantra by Lama Yeshe. Despite the word "Tantra" in its title, it's not particularly titillating. Just another flavor of Buddhism.

5. Center, The Power of Aikido Ron Meyer and Mark Reeder. Certainly more on the metaphysical side of the "how does aikido work?" question.

Well, there are actually a couple of others, too... I have too many. Problem is, every time I go to a bookstore, I invariably find something new... sigh.

[Phanguye]

lord of the rings isnt a trilogy damn it

[ 01-25-2002: Message edited by: Phanguye ]

[ 01-25-2002: Message edited by: Phanguye ]

[Joshua]

I just finished reading Brian Jacques Taggerung. If you're a fan of his Redwall series, this is a great addition.

I've finally started reading The Lord of the Rings, and I'm certainly enjoying it.

As far as scholarly works go, I just finished reading Carlo Ginzburg's The Cheese and the Worms: The Cosmos of a Sixteenth-Century Miller. Now I've started reading through Domenico Scandella Known as Menocchio: His Trials Before the Inquisition (1583-1599) which is the primary source Ginzburg based his book off of. It's a full accounting of Menocchio's heresy trials.

I also dig into Ayn Rand's Introduction to Objectivist Epistemology whenever I have a free hour or two. It's well worth reading.

[maxelson]

OK, I know it is just silly, but here I am, 34 years old (in a week), a former English teacher and yes, dammit, I am reading LOTR. It is shameful that I never have. I have already chastised myself, no need to pummel me further. 2/3 through Fellowship and I plan on just chugging through all of them, including the Hobbit (which I will do after LOTR) and the Silm. Then I'll do a little break and chuck off to Unfinished Tales. If I am not JRRed out by then, I'll start in on the History of Middle Earth Collection my wife has started.
I am also reading See No Evil, by Richard Baer- a former CIA operative. All about the CIAs war (or lack thereof) on terrorism through the '90s.
I also have on the bedside table Moby Dick (as always), The Enduring Shore :A History of Cape Cod and the Islands and True and False: Heresy and Common Sense for the Actor by David Mamet, which, btw, is the single BEST book containing "methodology" for the actor. Heh. If you'd read it, you'd recognize that statement as irony. Heh. I made myself laugh.

[maxelson]

Originally posted by Eloise:
<STRONG>

hell is other people? Am I right? Now it's eating at me and it will until I can remember.</STRONG>

And never a truer thing was said. Ever. EXCELLENT play. For a philosopher. I think he should've handed the idea to Beckett, though. He really could've whipped it up. Or even Tom Stoppard. Maintain the existentialist bent, but do it with some absolutely KICK ASS dialogue.