Members Ernest Buckley Posted July 5, 2014 Members Share Posted July 5, 2014 Just wondering what you guys are reading this summer or what you have read recently that you would like to share? Here are some books I`ve read recently… Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (Robert Pirsig)This is my 5th time reading this book and each time I understand it a bit more. The first 2 reads were more about getting past all the philosophical jargon, by the 3rd read I was starting to tinker with the abstract ideas. The 4th read got me into Philosophy enough that I took a 101 class and now on my 5th read, I am definitely understanding most of it but I still feel another reading or 2 is in order before I grasp it entirely. This book has also inspired some songs which I`ll be including on a record I`m calling "Exit"… which is the 3rd installment of my all original albums. Another topic for another thread... Mindset (Carol Dweck)The premise of the book is that there are two mindsets: the fixed mindset which thinks we all have limitations and the growth mindset which thinks we are always learning and can always improve. This is by far, the most interesting and insightful book I`ve read in the last 4-5 years. I`m getting more out of this book than I did in 3 years of studying psychology and I`m only 1/2 way through the book. I highly recommend everyone to read this. I have my wife reading excerpts from it because she is an Assistant Principal and its great for Educators, Administrators, Parents, Musicians, etc… Seriously, this book has me re-evaluating all of my current beliefs and I`m discovering that many of my beliefs are of the fixed mindset which is holding me back in certain areas. The book goes into detail about people and businesses who have hindered or hastened their progress because of their mindsets. The author discusses sports figures, business tycoons, relationships, parenting, etc…. cannot recommend it enough. The Light Between Oceans (M.L. Stedman)I picked up this book two years ago on vacation. It was a bit of a drag the first few chapters because of all the detailing the author uses but its a development of plot and it ends up picking up and before you know it, you are emotionally dragged into the story. Its a rewarding read and a bit too lengthy of plot to get into here but if you enjoy detail, development, and just a good story, its a good beach read. Give it a go. Thats all for now. Hope you share some books! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rjt Posted July 5, 2014 Members Share Posted July 5, 2014 I mostly read history so I am finishing The Crimean War:A History (Figes) to get some perspective on the current issues in the Ukraine. (Fascinating read by the way.) Between history reads I relax the brain with some older books (series) Legends; Short Novels by Masters of Modern Fantasy (ed by Silverberg.) I am also reading 2 books on India, one a history and one a tourist book on the "Golden Triangle" to prepare for my upcoming trip. As usual I am slowly, slowly plodding through some books on photography and photography software (they get pretty low priority.) Now that I am retired and planning to return to writing music, I will add a book on Cakewalk to the list when I am done one of the books on photography. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Lee Knight Posted July 6, 2014 Moderators Share Posted July 6, 2014 God Is Not Great - Christopher Hitchens I keep reading it over and over. He articulates thoughts I had as a boy in Catholic school. Mainly, WTF? Not for everyone, but for those not buying in, read it. I admire and respect those of faith. Truly. But for me? I couldn't look at myself in the mirror in the morning. Hitchens makes sense out of these well founded childhood (and adulthood) "hunches". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members nat whilk II Posted July 6, 2014 Members Share Posted July 6, 2014 *1000 on Pirsig's Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance - I read it 3-4 times back when it came out in the 2nd half of the 70s. I don't recommend it as a primer in the standard tradition of philosophy. Pirsig has his own definitions and interpretations of a host of philosophical terms and concepts which is a bit off the beaten path. But I still love what he thinks anyway - especially on things like patience, perception, problem solving, awareness and so on. He taught me that life is a very technical business, and there are very specific problems and solutions that you have to find the patience to observe and work your way through. He also helped me see how impatience and anti-analytical modes of living cause a lot of destructive frustration in life. If you don't take the time to observe, understand, adapt, and THEN create, you will beat your life bloody on the rocks of reality. If you value making the small stuff right, you get so much further in time, you always have something totally worthwhile to do, and you're not too proud to clean the toilet. nat whilk ii Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members nat whilk II Posted July 7, 2014 Members Share Posted July 7, 2014 God Is Not Great - Christopher Hitchens I keep reading it over and over. He articulates thoughts I had as a boy in Catholic school. Mainly, WTF? Not for everyone, but for those not buying in, read it. I admire and respect those of faith. Truly. But for me? I couldn't look at myself in the mirror in the morning. Hitchens makes sense out of these well founded childhood (and adulthood) "hunches". I'm doing it - I'm reading The God Delusion by Dawkins. Maybe I'll try Hitch. I must say, I wish they were in the room so I could debate with them... nat whilk ii Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Etienne Rambert Posted July 8, 2014 Members Share Posted July 8, 2014 I'm doing it - I'm reading The God Delusion by Dawkins. Maybe I'll try Hitch. I must say, I wish they were in the room so I could debate with them... nat whilk ii Prometheus Bound (Aeschylus), Evenings on a Farm Near Dikanka (Gogol), Ramayana (Valmiki), and re-reading the entire Bible (Catholic), first an Old Testament book and then a New Testament book. I find I'm becoming less religious each chapter I read. I believe I'll be cured by the time I'm done. And that was not my intention when I started. No need for Dawkins or Hitch. Just go to the source. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Ernest Buckley Posted July 8, 2014 Author Members Share Posted July 8, 2014 *1000 on Pirsig's Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance - I read it 3-4 times back when it came out in the 2nd half of the 70s. I don't recommend it as a primer in the standard tradition of philosophy. Pirsig has his own definitions and interpretations of a host of philosophical terms and concepts which is a bit off the beaten path. But I still love what he thinks anyway - especially on things like patience, perception, problem solving, awareness and so on. He taught me that life is a very technical business, and there are very specific problems and solutions that you have to find the patience to observe and work your way through. He also helped me see how impatience and anti-analytical modes of living cause a lot of destructive frustration in life. If you don't take the time to observe, understand, adapt, and THEN create, you will beat your life bloody on the rocks of reality. If you value making the small stuff right, you get so much further in time, you always have something totally worthwhile to do, and you're not too proud to clean the toilet. nat whilk ii Yes, yes… the book has so many practical lessons. Its really a classic in my opinion and should be mandatory reading for high school seniors but its really too deep for a kid that age… Its interesting because a friend of mine recommended ZAMM to me when I was in my mid 20s and I picked it up but soon put it down, its one of those books that you have to live a little before you can relate to it. By the time I picked it up again, I was 34 and had something to grasp onto when Pirsig started to get into it. Some of my favorite "lessons" from the book… Pirsig discusses how you can tell the inner workings of a mind by the surroundings of an individual. He uses the auto mechanic`s workshop as a metaphor for thought. He discusses how good mechanics work in quiet shops with no radio playing and if you try to talk to them you`re interrupting their problem solving. Pirsig also places importance on being comfortable when you work. I was thinking of this the other day while gardening… here I was doing something I enjoy but I found myself getting angry… I thought about it while I was gardening and realized, "Damn, I`m really uncomfortable!" Here I was bending over these tiny little plants but it was so uncomfortable doing something I usually enjoyed, I was getting angry over it. Pirsig talks about this when he is working on his bike… the need to be comfortable… placing his bike in the shade the night before and keeping it close to the curb so he can sit on the curb. He also mentions keeping a slow and steady pace when hiking with his son who is going all out to conquer the mountain but his son soon becomes exhausted and loses his gumption. Such a good metaphor for taking on projects! I could go on... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members nat whilk II Posted July 8, 2014 Members Share Posted July 8, 2014 There's really a tie-in between Pirsig's thoughts on patience and technology, and the going thread about DAWs and the steep learning curve that puts off so many otherwise-capable musical types from using them to advantage. And yeah, his story about his son "fighting" with the mountain instead of submitting to (and even relishing) the particularities of the mountain stuck with me in a big way, too. nat whilk ii Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mark L Posted July 8, 2014 Members Share Posted July 8, 2014 'The Scar' by China Mieville Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members UstadKhanAli Posted July 8, 2014 Members Share Posted July 8, 2014 Edward Abbey "Desert Solitaire" right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Notes_Norton Posted July 9, 2014 Members Share Posted July 9, 2014 I generally read non-fiction and lean towards scientific fare. Just finished "Spillover: Animal Infections and the Next Human Pandemic" by David Quammen (good read) My brother-in-law recommended "Why Read Moby Dick" by Nathaniel Philbrick - a delightful book. I'm glad I took his advice. I never would have even taken this book off the shelf, but my bro-in-law said it was the best read he's had all year, so I figured I'd give it a try. So one thing leads to another and next up will be "Call Me Ishmael" by Charles Olsen which explores the Shakespeare influence in "Moby Dick", and I'll follow that up with "Moby Dick" which I've never read (I did read "Billy Budd Foretopman" by Melville) That'll keep me busy for a while. Notes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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