Post: #701

I just started reading Seneca's Letters from a Stoic, after finishing Meditations. I appreciate the Stoic worldview: it's not surprising that people are becoming interested in it again when the internet and social media seem inescapable.

Post: #702

I'm working on "The Brothers Karamazov." I'm only about 350 pages in, but damn it's a slog; Lots of conversation, philosophizing for dozens of pages. I enjoy the richness of the language and the period it depicts, but I'm having some trouble getting into it. It's not one of those books that "you can't put down." I almost feel the opposite. But it seems to be universally acclaimed as a masterpiece. I think Houellebecq made a comment about how he cried at the ending. So I'll keep on plugging away. No spoilers, please!

Post: #703

(06-23-2016 04:05 PM)thirty-six Wrote:  I'm working on "The Brothers Karamazov." I'm only about 350 pages in, but damn it's a slog; Lots of conversation, philosophizing for dozens of pages. I enjoy the richness of the language and the period it depicts, but I'm having some trouble getting into it. It's not one of those books that "you can't put down." I almost feel the opposite. But it seems to be universally acclaimed as a masterpiece. I think Houellebecq made a comment about how he cried at the ending. So I'll keep on plugging away. No spoilers, please!

The play adaptation done by The Flying Karamazov Brothers was a lot more entertaining.

Post: #704

Just finished re-reading The way of Men by Jack Donovan. This book has really been on my mind since I first read it a few years ago, specially the part that the author talks about creating your own "tribe" and bringing value to people - if we were in an apocalypse, would you want YOU on your team?

Now halfway through Gorilla Mindset by Mike Cernovich - second try reading this book, started it in February but life got in the way and I forgot all about it. Should be done with it in one week tops.

Got so many books in line I don't even know where to got after this one.

- Empire of the Summer Moon: Quanah Parker and the Rise and Fall of the Comanches, the Most Powerful Indian Tribe in American History, by S.C. Gwynne
- Storm of Steel, by Ernst Junger
- War, by Sebastian Junger
- Becoming the Barbarian, by Jack Donovan (follow up to The way of Men)
- The Obstacle Is the Way, by Ryan Holiday
- Something on Ayurvedic Medicine, don't know yet but the subject is fascinating.

Any picks?

Post: #705

Free Speech Isn't Free (Kindle)
The Road to Serfdom (hardcopy)

Edit: Mailman just dropped off my copy of Crisis of Character, thats next on the docket.

Post: #706

I have been listening to Grant Cardone audio books for a few weeks non stop now (I first read 10x rule years ago). He is the modern day Ziglar, Hopkins, Tracy, etc for anyone who works in sales. Dude is high energy and built a fortune through sales, training, and real estate, offers lots of practical advice.

I recommend anyone who works in sales or is an entrepreneur to check him out.

The 10x Rule

Sell or Be Sold

If You're Not First You're Last

Post: #707

I'm currently reading Putin's biography, The New Tsar by Steven Lee Myers. It's a very interesting read. The author manages to keep a neutral, objective tone and avoids boring details and minutiae. I'd recommend it to anyone who wants to learn more about Vladimir Putin, his political ascent and why he acts the way he does.

Post: #708

Julius Evola "The Doctrine of Awakening: The Attainment of Self-Mastery According to the Earliest Buddhist Texts"

In this book, Italian philosopher Evola makes a lengthy analysis in which he argues that Buddhism in it's original form, is far away from a sentimental humanitarian religion as propagated in modernity, and instead argues that it offers the most simple, pristine method of virile, detached spiritual realization and self-mastery.

(06-30-2016 04:55 PM)Ringo Wrote:  Just finished re-reading The way of Men by Jack Donovan. This book has really been on my mind since I first read it a few years ago, specially the part that the author talks about creating your own "tribe" and bringing value to people - if we were in an apocalypse, would you want YOU on your team?

Now halfway through Gorilla Mindset by Mike Cernovich - second try reading this book, started it in February but life got in the way and I forgot all about it. Should be done with it in one week tops.

Got so many books in line I don't even know where to got after this one.

- Empire of the Summer Moon: Quanah Parker and the Rise and Fall of the Comanches, the Most Powerful Indian Tribe in American History, by S.C. Gwynne
- Storm of Steel, by Ernst Junger
- War, by Sebastian Junger
- Becoming the Barbarian, by Jack Donovan (follow up to The way of Men)
- The Obstacle Is the Way, by Ryan Holiday
- Something on Ayurvedic Medicine, don't know yet but the subject is fascinating.

Any picks?

I'm delaying reading Storm of Steel for almost 2 years, always making space for other books instead

Post: #709

The Circle by David Eggers.

A novel (which I don't usually read) about a young girl who gets a job at The Circle which is a corporation that has it's fingers in every facet of the lives of citizens. Think Google, Paypal, Facebook, Amazon, Ebay etc were all put under one roof.

A dream job for any young empowered women. High status and prestigious. Her first day she is blown away with all the gimmicky Google type modern working environment, free everything, bring your dog to work type shit.

I'm about 1/3 of the way through the book and she's just had a forth monitor put in her cubicle where all she does is answer questions from customers. Shes basically a human FAQ slave and shes starting to realize it.

Post: #710

^ I finished The Circle about a month ago. This is the new "1984" and scary as hell because it may very well be reality in 10 - 20 years, even if shaped differently. I'll post a short review in the other book thread in this subforum.

Currently I'm half way through Payback by Frank Schirrmacher. From what I can see the book is not available in English, but I'll give you a brief idea. Schirrmacher is a German author and worked for the FAZ, one of Germany's most popular newspapers. In "Payback", he talks about how modern media creates a bomb carpet of information constantly hitting us and subsequently changing the way we think and operate, making us forgetting things more frequently since we lose the ability to decide what's important and what isn't, and what we can do to weaken these negative impacts on us. The book is separated into two parts, with the first part arguing that people are trained to become more like computers, while computers are developed to behave more human, more intelligent - very thought provocative, and most of it made sense to me. I noticed some of the effects he described in my own life, despite the fact that I maintain almost no social media profiles and generally avoid automatic information updates on my devices (although there are exceptions to the rule).

Another book by the author called "Ego: The Game of Life" is available in English, and I'll probably read this too - it criticises how ethics and moral have to gradually step backwards in Western democracies to allow for seamless economics and the profit of single individuals.

Post: #711

Master and Margarita. It's not easy to read, but I really like the use of language and the richness of the characters. I'm not reading the English version though.

Before that I read "Disrupted: My Misadventure in the Start-Up Bubble". Totally red pill look at working at technology startups. For those that don't know, they are full of pussies, betas, bland losers and feminists. This guy sees through all of that bullshit. The other component is that he shows how these unicorn companies get investors and founders rich while employees get bread crumbs and the mom and pop investor is tricked into a money losing investment.

Post: #712

The Delicate Prey by Paul Bowles. Interesting collection of short stories.

Post: #713

On Duties by Quintus Curtius

Post: #714

I am reading an interesting book "The End of Alchemy" by Mervyn King, the former governor of the Bank of England. He gives a lucid description of money and banking and explains why banks are inherently unstable. It's a great read if you want to deepen your knowledge of finance.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00Y1F227O/ref...TF8&btkr=1

Post: #715

Generally, I prefer reading one book at a time, but sometimes find myself juggling a few books at once. Currently, I'm reading "The Art of the Deal" by Mr. Donald J. Trump, our next President. I've really enjoyed it so far, it's interesting to gain insight into Trump's life and how he operates. In fact, I've been taking notes on every bit of practical knowledge he shares. It's funny, I've watched so many Trump videos that when I read, I hear the words spoken in his voice rather than my own.

I've also been reading "Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion" by Robert Cialdini and am still working on "48 Laws of Power" by Robert Greene. I haven't had as much spare time recently to read as I would like.

Post: #716

(07-08-2016 11:29 PM)LeoneVolpe Wrote:  Generally, I prefer reading one book at a time, but sometimes find myself juggling a few books at once. Currently, I'm reading "The Art of the Deal" by Mr. Donald J. Trump, our next President. I've really enjoyed it so far, it's interesting to gain insight into Trump's life and how he operates. In fact, I've been taking notes on every bit of practical knowledge he shares. It's funny, I've watched so many Trump videos that when I read, I hear the words spoken in his voice rather than my own.

I've also been reading "Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion" by Robert Cialdini and am still working on "48 Laws of Power" by Robert Greene. I haven't had as much spare time recently to read as I would like.

I like how you've written Mr. Donald J. Trump.

Currently I'm reading On Duties by our very own Quintus. I've decided I'll read it twice. First to get a feel for the messages Cicero is trying to put across and the second time as a faithful student. It's a grand book - I really recommend it.

Post: #717

The House of God by Samuel Shem. Definitely recommend this book for anyone in the healthcare field. Insanely accurate with a comedic undertone. Good for those days when you want some easy brain relaxing reads.

-CD

Post: #718

I have a real treat for my fellow RVF'ers here who like to read and get deep with stuff.

I'm going to present to you a reading list from John Walker. A truly great American. He was the founder of AutoDesk who created AutoCAD. Anyone who has done any 3D programming will know his name and his software. John actually re-wrote all the original source code for AutoCAD, and he ended up selling the company a few years later for mega-bucks.

A proud American, and not happy with how the American experiment was going, he re-located to Switzerland. John is a polymath and his site covers many many different areas from computer programming to astronomy. His site is: http://fourmilab.ch/

This is his reading list: http://fourmilab.ch/documents/reading_list/

He's been giving a quick write-up of all the books he's read in the last couple of decades. He has broad scope and entertains views other than his own for the purpose of gaining greater knowledge. Like it should be.

He covers so many subjects and gives of his erudition so generously, that it is worth reading the list just to see if something will take your fancy. He's a no nonsense character, and I respect his viewpoint on things immensely.

This caught my eye -

Red Eagle, John and Vox Day [Theodore Beale]. Cuckservative. Kouvola, Finland: Castalia House, 2015. ASIN B018ZHHA52.

Yes, I have read it. So read me out of the polite genteel “conservative” movement. But then I am not a conservative. Further, I enjoyed it. The authors say things forthrightly that many people think and maybe express in confidence to their like-minded friends, but reflexively cringe upon even hearing in public. Even more damning, I found it enlightening on a number of topics, and I believe that anybody who reads it dispassionately is likely to find it the same. And finally, I am reviewing it. I have reviewed (or noted) every book I have read since January of 2001. Should I exclude this one because it makes some people uncomfortable? I exist to make people uncomfortable. And so, onward….
The authors have been called “racists”, which is rather odd since both are of Native American ancestry and Vox Day also has Mexican ancestors. Those who believe ancestry determines all will have to come to terms with the fact that these authors defend the values which largely English settlers brought to America, and were the foundation of American culture until it all began to come apart in the 1960s.


His summary is longer and I encourage you to read it all.

You can find it by clicking the 'Most Recent' tab in the left-hand pane, the Vox Day review is about 3/4 the way down the page. Just do a 'Ctrl-F' and enter "Vox" to find it, now or in the future, when it gets bumped.

I'd heard of Vox Day before, but not really internalised anything. Suffice it to say, John speaks very highly of this book, and as I've heard the name mentioned around here, I thought some of you might like to know about this work, or perhaps just see what John Walker has to say about it.

If nothing else, go to his site and have a look around. If you are of the 'deep' persuasion and like to just stick a finger into anything to have a quick 'look-see', I promise you will be enthralled and will find many treasures.

For example. He wrote the 'Hacker's Diet'. A large man, he decided to do something about it. He goes into deep detail and has helped many a man (coders especially) adopt a healthier lifestyle. I have noticed an abnormally high incidence of death among hard-core hackers, and this might go some way to mitigating things, if that is your lifestyle. He talks about dietary supplements and paleo. When John tackles a subject, he cuts it down to its meat and bones, like any good programmer would, then takes it from there. No nonsense. But in-depth!

The really great thing about his reading list, is the thoughts he shares on the subject, so you can really get a feel for a book before you read it. He points out spoilers.

This is his reading list again, this time the no-frames version. It's his entire reading list on one page!

http://fourmilab.ch/documents/reading_li...rames.html


The Vox Day review is just about at the very bottom of the page.

This is his summing up:

You may have to read this book being careful nobody looks over your shoulder to see what you're reading. You may have to never admit you've read it. You may have to hold your peace when somebody goes on a rant about the “alt-right”. But read it, and judge for yourself. If you believe the facts cited are wrong, do the research, refute them with evidence, and publish a response (under a pseudonym, if you must). But before you reject it based upon what you've heard, read it—it's only five bucks—and make up your own mind. That's what free citizens do.

I have no idea about this particular book, but I've wanted to share this reading list for a while. Something for everyone.

Post: #719

I'm reading Cuckservative right now and it has been brilliant so far. I didn't realise cuckservatism goes back so far. The brief history of American politics they gave was fascinating.

His other book SJW's Always Lie was also excellent.

Post: #720

I am reading "The 7 habits of highly effective people". Great book!

Post: #721

Im reading the Art of Peace by Morihei Ueshiba. Most books Ive read by Samurai/Japanese warriors have been warlike. This one on the other hand takes a different approach based on more taoist-esque principles. Super good read, very short. Would recommend.

Post: #722

I just finished reading "Letters from a Self-Made Merchant to His Son", and have several other books open:

The Black Swan by Taleb - a re-read, which I am happily enjoying and will probably follow up by a re-read of "Antifragility"
Seeking Wisdom by Peter Bevelin - Some of it very pop-sciencey, some of it much deeper on human interaction. Enjoyable, best taken in small chunks due to its organization
Statistics by Freedman - a subject area that I'm technically fully capable of but have lost sight of due to neglect. I feel like I'm missing a large branch of math/science by not being more fluent. Halfway through. Plan on getting a more technical/mathematical view afterwards
A few field-specific technical books - I'm not going to list them as they will make me too findable, but my ability to maturely make my way through a technical book, equations and all, is a leap beyond what it was when I was a graduate student. I have a strong desire to take this somewhere profitable.

Post: #723

Just read Free Speech isn't Free. Inspiring, informative, well-written.

Roosh has found and accepted his mission and his fate.

Post: #724

Get Serious by Brett Osborn, a neurosurgeon, anti-aging specialist and strength coach. Got in on recommendation by Cernovich in his outstanding book Gorilla Mindset.

Osborn ties together aging, disease, nutrition and exercise and how the two latter impact the two former. We get to see it from the perspective of a guy who's done 1000+ brain and spinal surgeries, so not only does he have vast theoretical knowledge, he's also seen first-hand what poor exercise and nutrition habits does to the body. Osborn is also a bodybuilder... So he's not the kind of doctor that chastises your habits and then goes for a smoke. He lives as he teaches.

Also very interesting how chronic inflammation is getting more recognized as a primary cause of many diseases. Did you know for example that Alzheimer's disease is known as "type III diabetes"? They have similar patophysiology.

Thoroughly recommended for anyone interested in exercise, nutrition, aging and general science on the human body.

Post: #725

For the guys who are into Ukrainian culture (and want to impress your Ukrainian dates) .... I'm an absolute fan of Andrei Kurkov .....some of his books:

- Death and the Penguin. With its sequel "Penguin Lost", two cult pieces of writing. As usual Kurkov combines modern political and social commentary with traditional russian absurdist satire. Viktor, a friendless guy in his 40's lives alone in Kiev in a dreary apartment with Misha, an emperor penguin.

http://www.amazon.com/Death-Penguin-Melv...1935554557

- Pengouin Lost. Wonderful, funny, tragic and brilliant, packed with intrigue and mordant humour ... Viktor tracks down his beloved Penguin, Misha, through Ukraine, Russia and even Chechnya (where he is kidnapped and works as a slave). A true gem.

http://www.amazon.com/Penguin-Lost-Melvi...pd_sim_b_1

- The Milkman in the Night. His new novel. In the tradition of Gogol and Bulgakov, blends folkloric characters, magical realism and political satire to reveal a ukrainian society riddled with greed, stupidity and corruption.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Milkman-Night-An...0099548860

- The President's Last Love. It's the story, told in the first person, of Sergei Pavlovich Bunin, born in the Soviet Union in 1960, who progresses from being an unemployed youth to becoming the President of the post-Soviet Ukraine. The absurdities of the life in Ukraine - corrupt politicians, incompetent officials, etc. Brilliant.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Presidents-Last-...1843432579

- Good Angel of Death. The hero, Kolya, leaves Kiev in a hurry. His destination is not random, but is related to Ukraine's national poet, Taras Shevchenko .....a fantastic journey set not just in Ukraine, but also in Astrakhan (Russia, on the Caspian Sea) and Kazakhstan.

http://www.amazon.com/Good-Angel-Death-A...721&sr=1-8

- The Gardener from Ochakov. The misadventures of Igor, who stumbles upon an old Soviet Police uniform which gives the wearer the ability to time travel. Igor then finds himself living a double life, shuttling between his depressing modern existence, in which he lives in the suburbs of Kiev with his mother, and the exciting world of Ochakov in 1957, full of gangsters, thieves and illicit relationships.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Gardener-Och...1846556155