What are you reading?

[rousseau]

Just about satisfied my curiosity on Central Asia and a few religions.

Next up are histories of East and South-East Asia. Took out a history of China, Japan, Korea, Cambodia, and a catch-all history of South-East Asia.

Did I mention I have access to the libraries of a major Canadian university? The history section in the social science library is made up of about 20-30 rows of books. Lots of over-lap though, just today I found around 10 different over-views of Chinese history alone, some dating back 70 years.

 

[DBT]

Dark Matter by Blake Crouch.

The perils of messing with Quantum Superposition.

“Are you happy with your life?”

Those are the last words Jason Dessen hears before the masked abductor knocks him unconscious.

Before he awakens to find himself strapped to a gurney, surrounded by strangers in hazmat suits.

Before a man Jason’s never met smiles down at him and says, “Welcome back, my friend.”

In this world he’s woken up to, Jason’s life is not the one he knows''

 

[WAB]

The Burning Secret, Stefan Zweig.

 

[Angry Floof]

Just finished Coraline by Neil Gaiman. I see why it's so popular and acclaimed.

 

[rousseau]

Finally got myself a copy of this:

Interviews done with people in the jazz scene in NYC in the late 50s - early 60s. As an added bonus I just noticed that the foreward was done by Ted Gioia.

Looking forward to diving into it tonight.

 

[Horatio Parker]

I received a surprise gift: Chernow's biography of Grant.

Gonna start tonight...

 

[rousseau]

Finally got myself a copy of this:

Interviews done with people in the jazz scene in NYC in the late 50s - early 60s. As an added bonus I just noticed that the foreward was done by Ted Gioia.

Looking forward to diving into it tonight.

This book.. this book is very good.

It's one thing to hear Gioia talk about jazz from a third person perspective, but there's a lot more insight to be had hearing the musicians themselves speak.

So far I've read a bit of Coltrane and Evans, and the interviews are just fantastic. Might jump over to Ellington soon. Most of the others I don't know well, but will surely still be worthwhile checking them out while learning more about them.

 

[WAB]

The amazing Rabelais, Gargantua - it'll be a while before I get to Pentagruel.

 

[Underseer]

I'm currently reading Stamped from the Beginning by Ibram X. Kendi

https://www.amazon.com/Stamped-Beginning-Definitive-History-National/dp/1568584636
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2...ive-racist-ideas-america-ibram-x-kendi-review

Trigger Warning!
Conservatives, libertarians, and other readers of a more sensitive and fragile nature should be warned that this book acknowledges that racism exists, which could trigger crying fits and tantrums. Please click on the above links at your own risk. I take no responsibility for your ruined keyboards.

 

[Underseer]

Interesting tidbit from the above book: that stupid "curse of Ham" excuse for slavery/racism actually has origins with Muslim intellectuals who were fishing around for rationalizations for the Muslim enslavement of Africans and Slavs.

 

[braces_for_impact]

[h=1]Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Professor Yuval Noah Harari[/h]

 

[IanSYK]

Phineas Redux - Anthony Trollope.

Before that The Pickwick Papers - Charles Dickens

 

[Underseer]

[h=1]Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Professor Yuval Noah Harari[/h]

Why read a book about consciousness and free will by a historian rather than, say, a neuroscientist.

 

[rousseau]

[h=1]Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Professor Yuval Noah Harari[/h]

I'm curious about this one. Human history in it's entirety seems to be getting more popularized these days and it's interesting seeing the different approaches to the topic.

Could probably get by from the wikipedia page if you've already read similar.

Based on the synopsis it's probably a decent book but a bit sensational.

 

[braces_for_impact]

Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Professor Yuval Noah Harari

Why read a book about consciousness and free will by a historian rather than, say, a neuroscientist.

Sapiens is much more of a historical work than a writing about free will. There are some good observations about consciousness in there so far, specifically about the various mental constructs humans have created to benefit themselves. i.e. corporations, money, etc. It's an interesting read, albeit a long one. I have yet to read any of his works on free will. It is a subject that interests me, so I may check that out.

I have a habit of liking historians. They sometimes seem to have a mind that works differently than with many other disciplines; Dan Carlin (although he wouldn't call himself a historian) is in this category for me as well.

- - - Updated - - -

Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Professor Yuval Noah Harari

I'm curious about this one. Human history in it's entirety seems to be getting more popularized these days and it's interesting seeing the different approaches to the topic.

Could probably get by from the wikipedia page if you've already read similar.

Based on the synopsis it's probably a decent book but a bit sensational.

It doesn't strike me as sensational at all. I did find out I was in good company though in reading it.

 

[Wiploc]

Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Professor Yuval Noah Harari

I loved it. It was full of epiphanies and new ways of thinking.

 

[DrZoidberg]

[h=1]Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Professor Yuval Noah Harari[/h]

I'm curious about this one. Human history in it's entirety seems to be getting more popularized these days and it's interesting seeing the different approaches to the topic.

Could probably get by from the wikipedia page if you've already read similar.

Based on the synopsis it's probably a decent book but a bit sensational.

Yup. My take as well. I read it. I liked it a lot. Recommended it to people. Then I met people who didn't like it, and pointed out pretty blatant errors in it. There's quite a few of those. That throws doubt on the entire work as a whole. In these fake-news times I'm super sensitive to authors fucking up facts. So now I've stopped recommending it.

 

[DrZoidberg]

I'm currently reading Stamped from the Beginning by Ibram X. Kendi

https://www.amazon.com/Stamped-Beginning-Definitive-History-National/dp/1568584636
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2...ive-racist-ideas-america-ibram-x-kendi-review

Trigger Warning!
Conservatives, libertarians, and other readers of a more sensitive and fragile nature should be warned that this book acknowledges that racism exists, which could trigger crying fits and tantrums. Please click on the above links at your own risk. I take no responsibility for your ruined keyboards.

Is it any good? I wanted to read it, and have it at home. But I got a very preachy liberal bad-bad-whites vibe from it. Which made me hesitate. I don't need anybody to tell me that racism is bad or why it is bad. I just want the facts delivered without violins.

 

[rousseau]

[h=1]Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Professor Yuval Noah Harari[/h]

I'm curious about this one. Human history in it's entirety seems to be getting more popularized these days and it's interesting seeing the different approaches to the topic.

Could probably get by from the wikipedia page if you've already read similar.

Based on the synopsis it's probably a decent book but a bit sensational.

Yup. My take as well. I read it. I liked it a lot. Recommended it to people. Then I met people who didn't like it, and pointed out pretty blatant errors in it. There's quite a few of those. That throws doubt on the entire work as a whole. In these fake-news times I'm super sensitive to authors fucking up facts. So now I've stopped recommending it.

Yea that's the sense I got from the synopsis I posted above, decent work but the author is a bit liberal with his ideas and how he connects the dots. Which is unfortunate because it's stuff like this that gets read by a lot of people and they go around spouting it as gospel. Ah well.. same goes with everything else.

Seriously, though, in the same vein.. Maps of Time by David Christian. I've been reading history for about five or six years and nothing had me turning the pages faster. Incredible book.

 

[Underseer]

I'm currently reading Stamped from the Beginning by Ibram X. Kendi

https://www.amazon.com/Stamped-Beginning-Definitive-History-National/dp/1568584636
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2...ive-racist-ideas-america-ibram-x-kendi-review

Trigger Warning!
Conservatives, libertarians, and other readers of a more sensitive and fragile nature should be warned that this book acknowledges that racism exists, which could trigger crying fits and tantrums. Please click on the above links at your own risk. I take no responsibility for your ruined keyboards.

Is it any good? I wanted to read it, and have it at home. But I got a very preachy liberal bad-bad-whites vibe from it. Which made me hesitate. I don't need anybody to tell me that racism is bad or why it is bad. I just want the facts delivered without violins.

It discusses race.

It acknowledges that racism exists and discusses the history of racism.

It operates under the assumption that racism is a bad thing, and so people like you would probably find it "peachy."

Fuck.

I get why white fragility is a thing, but I can't say I fully understand it. Why do you get so defensive anytime someone wants to talk about racism?

Rousseau, you can assume that was also directed at you.

For fucks sake, African-Americans are being slaughtered in the streets for no reason other than racism, their killers go free even when the crime is recorded in video, and you two get your panties in a wad because someone wants to discuss racism in light of those murders? Really?

At what point would it be acceptable to you that people talk about racism? Under what circumstances can this topic be discussed without offending your delicate sensibilities? Because I'm really getting sick and tired of dancing on eggshells.

I even went out of my way to issue a trigger warning in big, bold letters, and it happened anyway. So much white fragility. I can't believe how delicate some people are.