currently reading? (5 Viewers)

[Alan Remorse]

Book at my bedside right now : The Republic, by Plato.
Heavy, heavy going. I may have to keep a notebook. The 'democracy' described here isn't much like the modern concept, it's more of a mob rule and isn't much concerned with any inalienable rights. The philosophical aspects are much more timeless than the politics. Partly a study in the difference between good and evil; whether these are absolutes or defined by society.

yeah read that a few years ago... one of those things you'd never read more than once cos its such a test of endurance. pretty interesting tho.

 

[jane]

currently reading "The Master and Margarita" by Mikhail Bulgakov- possibly one of my favourite books ever. read it years ago when i was in school. it's very funny.
if you like The Third Police Man by Flann O'Brien you'll like this.

Oooh, sounds tempting. Any chance of a loan when you're done? I promise I'll give it back.

 

[Pantone247]

I'm re-reading P J O Rourkes 'Holidays in Hell' and 'Eat the Rich'

 

[egg_]

Gould says these "happy accidents" are far more influential than the more directed genotype-phenotype-natural selection relationship

Praps he's right and yeah, I remember his sexual selection thing
Can't see how that contradicts Dawkins, though. Maybe they just had some bad interpersonal vibes

 

[Cormcolash]

Jack Vance - Cugel's Saga (for the second time)

Brilliant.

 

[One of us]

Read that Pinker one "How the Mind Works". Thought it was fantastic when he was presenting the research, but hectoring and boorish when he got stuck into politics. He has that conservative academic's paranoia that the post-modernists are taking over the world, when they're only actually a force in university arts departments- no-one in the outside world gives a shit about them. But Pinker really thinks he's on a crusade. The fellah would run a mile over rough terrain to beat up on a liberal. And once he takes the white coat off, he's the worst kind of demagogue- distorting opponents' arguments, massaging statistics, pretending he's a lone voice crying out against a consensus, when things are obviously a lot more fractured. He's just like a smarmier, bigger brained Kevin Myers, which is pretty much the last thing the world needs.

Not saying he's not right. The basic facts are hard to argue with, however much I dislike them. I'm just saying he should present his findings and let more nuanced people develop them in the real world.

The only one of those Neo-Darwinists I'd actually like to spend time with is Daniel C Dennett, the guy who wrote consciousness explained. Partly cause of the way he constructs his arguments- all thought experiments and brilliant intuitive leaps- partly cause he just seems like a nicer, more laid back guy than all these thrusting alpha males. Also, his robot dog is very cool.

 

[needtokill]

currently reading:

"Waiting Period" by Hughbert Selby Jnr (pretty disappointing actually)
"Women" by Bukowski (for the 4th time, cos its so fucked)

You're fucking kidding?Dissapointing?
Selby is the MAN!Waiting Period is one of my favourites of his,the level of desperation in there is amazing,it's almost like following someone through a nervous breakdown..Read it again.Seriously.If you can manage it,like if you have time, try reading it all in one sitting, that'll make sense.

 

[michael]

reading lord of the rings again, for the craic i suppose

 

[Rimbaud]

currently reading "The Master and Margarita" by Mikhail Bulgakov- possibly one of my favourite books ever. read it years ago when i was in school. it's very funny.

I`m reading the same book at the moment - i`m around a 2 thirds of the way through it.
Been slow in finishing it though - lazy.
If you like this - and why would`nt you?Its excellant - try "The Black Monk" by Anton Checkov - its a surreal(before surealism was a thing on its own) short story.I think its available online - print it off.

Just bought "The Banshee" by some Irish lady(lecterur in UCD) - its a study on the Banshee in Irish Folkloreasa well as discriptions of manifestations and all that.
Also got Osamu Dazia - "No longer Human" which i can`t wait to read.
He was considered to be Arthur Rimbaud`s Asian counterpart, due to style and subject.

 

[Richie]

Currently hooked on Iain Banks (Complicity, at the moment) and also reading John Banville - 'Birchwood'.

 

[One of us]

Reading "Mardi" by Melville, the one he wrote just before moby dick.

So far, it's deadly.

 

[THRILLHO]

Selby is the MAN!

Was

 

[Latex lizzie]

The secret agent-Joseph Conrad. A book that is very current even though it was written nearly 100 years ago. Very funny too in a dark way.Some of the idealistic "fight the system" types round here should read it for a reality check.

 

[sarah]

Just finished American Pastoral, which was a boring overly detailed slog
of a book, going to try one more Philip Roth book and that better blow me away...
About to start a confederacy of Dunces looking forward to that one.
Anyone got some more science fictiony short stories recommend?
Read 'We can remember it for you Wholesale', phillip K. dick a while ago
and loved that book, the sudden end to the stories where I felt cheated but then
the realisation that any thing that could have happened in the plot after the main
story would have been mondane wrapping it up neatly.
A good few of those have been made into films, i could see the rough plot of total
recall in one, and of course Blade Runner!

 

[spiritualtramp]

Anyone got some more science fictiony short stories recommend?
Read 'We can remember it for you Wholesale', phillip K. dick a while ago
and loved that book, the sudden end to the stories where I felt cheated but then
the realisation that any thing that could have happened in the plot after the main
story would have been mondane wrapping it up neatly.
A good few of those have been made into films, i could see the rough plot of total
recall in one, and of course Blade Runner!

do androids dream of electric sheep ? by phillip k dick is deadly . it is the book Bladerunner was based on .

in other news , I read billie holidays autobiography after you recommended it , I was very impressed with it .

I just finished reading the virgin suicides - a very nice book indeed .

 

[billygannon]

Just picked up Tristram Shandy.

It's kind of like picking up syphilis.

 

[Cormcolash]

Just finished American Pastoral, which was a boring overly detailed slog
of a book, going to try one more Philip Roth book and that better blow me away...
About to start a confederacy of Dunces looking forward to that one.
Anyone got some more science fictiony short stories recommend?
Read 'We can remember it for you Wholesale', phillip K. dick a while ago
and loved that book, the sudden end to the stories where I felt cheated but then
the realisation that any thing that could have happened in the plot after the main
story would have been mondane wrapping it up neatly.
A good few of those have been made into films, i could see the rough plot of total
recall in one, and of course Blade Runner!

Benny, Sccccccreeeeewwwwww yooooooouuuuuuu!!!!!!!!

 

[bandit]

Last call of mourning- Charles L grant
Night of the Hunter- Davis Grubb


and I got half way through (this time) The physics of Star Trek, last week. its been here for about two years but someday Ill read and understand it all.

 

[nlgbbbblth]

in the past two weeks I have read

Jonathan Tulloch - The Lottery
Ed McBain - Big Bad City
Agatha Christie - Five Little Pigs
Hunter Davies - The Fan
David Conn - The Football Business
Harlan Coban - Drop Shot
Paul Williams - Bob Dylan Performing Artist 1974-86
Colin Dexter - The Remorseful Day
James Ellroy - LA Confidential

 

[Super Dexta]

the last few weeks have been
sylvia plath's journals (ok, i stopped about halfway through, but the first third or so was good)
steven pinker - words and rules
philip roth - the human stain
the dude who wrote the exorcist - the exorcist
marian keyes - angels (leave me alone! i've 2/3 of a degree in english, i'm allowed read chick-lit in my spare time!)

and am currently reading
steve jones - almost like a whale: the origin of species updated