Books - Page 21

CashmoneyDrew · 08-30-2012, 02:35 PM

Read all 7 Harry Potter books in a day.

Cigaro · 08-30-2012, 05:09 PM

Picked up Brave New World and On the Road today. Might not start reading them today though because COLLEGE FOOTBALL.

hobbes2053 · 08-30-2012, 06:13 PM

Just finished. Vonnegut is the man.

JoeJoeBrown · 08-31-2012, 12:56 AM

Then figured I'd get around to this one, right here:

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One of the greatest concept books ever written. One of my favorites of all time.

Just love love love the ideas in the book. I'm also a huge Heinlein fan in general.

ph90702 · 09-01-2012, 02:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CashmoneyDrew

Read all 7 Harry Potter books in a day.

How fast do you read?

CashmoneyDrew · 09-01-2012, 03:32 PM

I read like Matthew Gray Gubler's character in Criminal Minds.

Cigaro · 09-02-2012, 12:24 AM

Brave New World was weird. Huxley is trying to make a case against tyranny, yet for me he made a case for tyranny. All things considered, citizens of that world were both very happy with themselves, and very happy with their government. The only exceptions were either complete anomalies like Bernard Marx, or those who weren't born into the system like the Savage. The system was designed to function based on control beginning at very conception, so of course someone born and raised outside of it will be unhappy within it. As for people like Bernard Marx, should the unhappiness of an extremely select few be seen as legitimate reason to fault or change the system? It seems sending them off to islands just like they did, while the system itself remains unchanged, is the best option for those sort of people. Huxley's world only seems horrific when transplanting our contemporary moral and political views into it, but if you judge Huxley's future earth solely by the values he has given that world, it truly is a utopia.

Perhaps this post will be seen as too political, but I would like to stress this is simply my interpretation of a completely fictional world and not representative of any of my real world political beliefs.

vidae · 09-02-2012, 02:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CashmoneyDrew

I read like Matthew Gray Gubler's character in Criminal Minds.

You wish you were as awesome as Dr. Spencer Reid.

Brent · 09-02-2012, 09:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cigaro

Brave New World was weird. Huxley is trying to make a case against tyranny, yet for me he made a case for tyranny. All things considered, citizens of that world were both very happy with themselves, and very happy with their government. The only exceptions were either complete anomalies like Bernard Marx, or those who weren't born into the system like the Savage. The system was designed to function based on control beginning at very conception, so of course someone born and raised outside of it will be unhappy within it. As for people like Bernard Marx, should the unhappiness of an extremely select few be seen as legitimate reason to fault or change the system? It seems sending them off to islands just like they did, while the system itself remains unchanged, is the best option for those sort of people. Huxley's world only seems horrific when transplanting our contemporary moral and political views into it, but if you judge Huxley's future earth solely by the values he has given that world, it truly is a utopia.

One of his points is that those born into tyranny will think it's great because they know nothing else through systemic brainwashing.

That said, I am reading this:

Matthew Jones · 09-02-2012, 09:47 AM

What I'm reading right now for my courses:

SuperMcGee · 09-02-2012, 11:55 AM

Didn't really care for Invisible Monsters, myself. The reading experience you'd expect from something like that just wasn't there. I don't know, it just didn't do it for me. He just released that altered version of the novel, but I doubt I end up checking it out.

Brent · 09-02-2012, 12:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SuperMcgee

Didn't really care for Invisible Monsters, myself. The reading experience you'd expect from something like that just wasn't there. I don't know, it just didn't do it for me. He just released that altered version of the novel, but I doubt I end up checking it out.

It's not his best. I am about half way through. I've only got a couple Chuck P books left to read before I've finished them all. There is going to be a sequel to Damned which will be his next novel, and I'm pretty excited to read it.

vidae · 09-02-2012, 01:47 PM

You guys think you'd be interested in starting a DC book club? One book a month, maybe starting after the season ends? We could vote on a book, read it, and then discuss it here. Could be kind of fun.

Cigaro · 09-02-2012, 02:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brent

One of his points is that those born into tyranny will think it's great because they know nothing else through systemic brainwashing.

Yes, but given Huxley's world where we know the people are indeed legitimately happy and not perhaps pretending to be to avoid severe punishment(outside of anomalies like Bernard Marx), that for me isn't necessarily a fault against the system. I probably won't say anything more on the subject to avoid getting too political, but Huxley's point seems too dependent on the notion of universal values, and that those universal values were the values of the society he lived in, yet he himself created a world where those values simply did not exist, and that world was viewed as practically utopian by its inhabitants.

Quote:

Originally Posted by vidae

You guys think you'd be interested in starting a DC book club? One book a month, maybe starting after the season ends? We could vote on a book, read it, and then discuss it here. Could be kind of fun.

I would probably be down.

Brent · 09-02-2012, 02:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vidae

You guys think you'd be interested in starting a DC book club? One book a month, maybe starting after the season ends? We could vote on a book, read it, and then discuss it here. Could be kind of fun.

I'd be down

Dr. Gonzo · 09-02-2012, 02:28 PM

I am up for a ************* book club.

CashmoneyDrew · 09-02-2012, 02:44 PM

Oprah lookin' muh fuggas.

vidae · 09-02-2012, 02:50 PM

I'll send out some PMs to you guys when the season is winding down and we'll get a prelim list to vote on. It could be fun!

Rob S · 09-02-2012, 02:55 PM

Keep me in the loop with this book club business. I'm not sure I have the time, but I'd like to stay in the loop.

SuperMcGee · 09-02-2012, 02:57 PM

People don't read during football season? I guess school could make it more difficult, but whenever.

A Perfect Score · 09-02-2012, 03:03 PM

I'm absolutely down for a book club.

Rob S · 09-02-2012, 04:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SuperMcgee

People don't read during football season? I guess school could make it more difficult, but whenever.

I've read during football season & school in the past without any issues, it's a bit harder with work though.

yodapoop · 09-02-2012, 04:16 PM

I know this comes to a shock to some of u, but the last book I read was Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

CashmoneyDrew · 09-02-2012, 04:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yodapoop

I know this comes to a shock to some of u, but the last book I read was Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

You read a book years after you were forced to read Bernstein Bears?

vidae · 09-02-2012, 05:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SuperMcgee

People don't read during football season? I guess school could make it more difficult, but whenever.

I'm sure they do, but with football being on multiple nights now and work/school/etc I figured it'd be better to start it after the season, when there is less going on.