Recomended Reading

Hey dude, there's no need to go comparing the bible to dwarf porn!!!

 

oh yeah!?

dwarf porn...bible, you can make your own links!

 

I'm going to have to add "The German Ideology" by Marx and Engels. I've recently read it for my course, I think it's a world of genious. Even if you don't agree with the ideas communicated, there is a great ammount of original thinking and analysis involved in it. People read the "Communist Manifesto" and think, that's Marx, it isn't. He's far deeper than that....

 

Midnight Express by Billy Hayes is a good book, different in many ways and superior to the film.

Fierce Dancing by Cj Stone is an enjoyable book writing in in CJ's unique style, all about counter culture, free festivals and the road building protest movement.
Its really good.
CJ Stones writings in general are interesting and enjoyable.

To Your Scattered Bodies Go by Philip Jose Farmer is all about historical figures reborn in a strange place called Riverworld. Worth reading.

Be Here Now by Ram Dass is a great book about the spiritual journey of Dr Richard Alpert into Ram Dass through his experiances of LSD to travelling round India and meeting his Guru. Good stuff. Very well presented with lots of cool drawings and ideas.

 

I've read the Communist Manifesto, I must have a look for this the next day I go book shopping!

 

"How are We to Live-- Ethics in an age of Self-Interest" by Peter Singer

 

George R. R. Martin - A Game Of Thrones


One for fantasy fans.
The plot moves fast, unlike some other fantasy series' (*cough* wheel of time *cough*) and there's plenty of intruige to keep you interested. What's more, the author is pretty damn brutal with his characters, I kept reading back over some of the bigger shockers, thinking "nooo, surely that's not right". The scope of this novel is huge.

Why should you read this book?

It holds an inventive edge that many other fantasy series' simply don't

 

WADE DAVIS - SHADOWS IN THE SUN

'Nuff said

 

Kim Stanley-Robinson;



Mars Trilogy, the story of how a group of people form a whole new society from scratch when Mars is colonized.

Vinland the Dream, a collection of alternative history short stories. In particular 'Lucky Strike' and the short essay following it about what could have happened if the ENOLA GAY crashed on a training mission and was never sent to drop the first atomic bomb, very enlightening.

Richard Matheson;

I am legend, a fantastic novella upon which the film The Omega Man was based.

Douglas Adams;

Mostly Harmless, No. 5, and the best, in the trilogy.

Anything by Nietzche

 

enlightened book. I recited a kahlil gibran poem as part of man's speach at my brothers wedding.

You were born together, and together you shall be for evermore.

You shall be together when the white wings of death scatter your days.

Aye, you shall be together even in the silent memory of God.

But let there be spaces in your togetherness,

And let the winds of the heavens dance between you.



Love one another, but make not a bond of love.

Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls.

Fill each others cup but drink not from the one cup.

Give one another of your bread but not eat from the same loaf.

Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each one of you be alone,

Even as the strings of a lute are alone though they quiver with the same music.



Give your hearts. but not into each others keeping.

For only the hand of life can contain your hearts.

And stand together yet not too near together:

For the pillars of the temple stand apart,

And the Oak tree and the Cypress grow not in each others shadow.

Kahlil Gibran.
​

 

agreed. one of the few books that honestly made me change they way I think about certain things. Made me realise and face up to a few prejudices that I didn't previously think I had!


"Momo" by ???ARGH! mind won't supply the authour. Same authour of "the joy luck club". Was released in the UK for a limited time under this title, then was changed to "the grey gentlemen". Inspired.

"Johnathan Livingstone Seagul" by Richard Bach.
Both enlightened texts in the guise of childrens stories.

I did once happen across a list of books most commonly banned in American state schools and colleges. It included stupid censorship like "little red riding hood" on the grounds that she takes red wine to her granny, thereby encouraging alcohol abuse. Fecking yanks! Also Raold Dahl's "the witches" for encouraging witchcraft. Yeah right.
BUT - it also included titles like:
Why does the caged bird sing?
The colour purple. (To ban this is outright admission of institutional racism IMO)
Lord of the flies. (disturbing read, yeah, but the sort of read I will encourage my kids with non the less)
The catcher in the rye.

And other interesting reads....... in fact, it made an EXCELLENT reading list!


so, for your next reading list, just ask the yank authorities for a recomended list to avoid - they will do the vetting for you!

 

why does catcher in the rye always get banned...On every banned list through time I have seen catcher in the rye is on there....Is not that controversial is it??

 

My christmas present was:

Hegemony or Survival: America's Quest for Global Dominance by Noam Chomsky

 

Haruki Murakami - Norweigan Wood

 

Programming and Metaprogramming in THE HUMAN BIOCOMPUTER -JOHN C. LILLY, M. D

http://www.lycaeum.org/books/books/metaprogramming_with_lsd_25/full_text.html

 

Definately Norweigan Wood by Haruki Murakami...


This is such an emotional book by an incredibly talented author! He's not very well known in this country but the media are finally catching on to what he's all about and he has been recieving rave reviews on anything he writes.

But this was one of his earliest novels...and the only book of his i came across of which the blurb really appealed to me.

To say its a love story would be doing it a great injustice as it covers many other areas; its as much to do with coping with loss and tragedy of friends, and people we love for example.

Its setting is Japan in the 60's and is written very much in the beat style of kerouac for example, but it easily equals kerouacs best work in my opinion and has the benefit of giving us a look into the culture of Japan as it was becoming westernised. It is highly atmospheric and the phrases and words he uses to describe the places, the scenery, the seasons, the weather, people are breathtaking and completely realistic. He especially delves deeply into describing the characteristics and nuances of people.

Perhaps the greatest book I have ever read. Certainly on par with the Dharma Bums by Jack Kerouac, although the two books should not be compared to each other.

 

Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman

This is a 'young adult' book but I would recommend it to anyone! Its based on racism with a lil romance chucked in. Keep the tissues handy! Very sweet and an easy read. Cleverly written by giving you both characters outlook on things. Has 2 follow ups both very good.

 

four great socialists books to read here

1... ragged trousered philanthropists..
ROBERT TRESSELL.
BE PREPARED TO SEE HOW WORK FOR THE
WORKING CLASS HAS NOT CHANGED REALLY...

2...nickel and dimed
undercover in low-wage USA
BARBARA EHRENREICH.
GREAT IMAGES OF POVERTY IN THE USA
IN HER WORDS OF WORKING IN THE USA..

3...for the millions.not the millionaires...
no cuts no privatisations....
SOCIALIST PARTY MANIFESTO...
GOOD INSIGHT TO CHANGE AND HUMAN NEEDS.

4... empire defeated
PETER TAAFFE
VIETNAM WAR
THE LESSONS FOR TODAY
VERY INTERESTING AND FULL OF OPEN TRUTHS
ABOUT THIS WAR.....


JUST A FEW BOOKS
THERE ARE MANY MORE
lovenpeace
enjoy the reading
from saff

 

Just finished the "Da Vinci Code", thoroughly entertaining and thought provoking. Ideas on the Grail I've met before and some new.

Like to repeat, "Jonathen Livingston Seagull".

 

thhe outsider-Albert Camus
Things Fall Apart-Chinua Achebe