Post: #151

(02-23-2014 03:50 PM)cardguy Wrote:  @2Wycked - Stephen King was living with his wife in a trailer when he wrote 'Carrie'. He had yet to publish a book - and he wasn't happy with his completed manuscript for 'Carrie'. He ended up throwing it in a wastepaper basket.

His wife fished it out, told him it was a great story and convinced him to send it to an agent to try and get it published.

The rest is history.

One of many personal stories he included in the first half of On Writing - solid book in my opinion, for learning about the man, and receiving some writing advice.

Post: #152

At the moment, I'm reading
*Steps to an Ecology of Mind: Collected Essays in Anthropology, Psychiatry, Evolution, and Epistemology by Gregory Bateson
*The Psychobiology of Gene Expression: Neuroscience and Neurogenesis in Hypnosis and the Healing Arts by Ernest L. Rossi
*Million Dollar Consulting by Alan Weiss

Post: #153

Might check out that Gregory Bateson book. Sounds interesting.

Post: #154

Millionaire fastlane, best book ever

Post: #155

Just started The Selfish Gene by Dawkins, Richard.

Post: #156

In the middle of reading Roosh's Day Bang, and The Tale of Genji by Shibiku Murusaki

Post: #157

Finished Stalingrad: The Fateful Siege based on Roosh's recommendation. Absolutely outstanding book. I dont think the men of today would last 10 seconds on the battlefields of that war.

Just picked up a copy of Peter the Great by Robert Massie.

Post: #158

One of the respected members gave me Motley Crue the dirt. Turned the first few pages last night while drinking and went to bed listening to Home Sweet Home. So far the book is great, and I've always respected Neil Strauss as an author.


   


Growing up watching MTV with the Girls Girls Girls video was epic. I think that video help define who I am. Ended up buying a Harley and running all over LA raising hell. Good times.

Post: #159

Tokyo Underword by Robert Whiting



Basic premise is about how an American became a popular icon in the Japanese underworld. So far, the book talks about how the Japanese government kowtows to the Yakuza since they own a substantial number of industries in the nation, the American dissolution of the major zaibatsu (which were the major Japanese companies at the time) in the country which led to a major loss of jobs and a disruption of the already weakened Japanese post-war economy, and how General MacArthur's endeavors in the country were mostly implemented to get him into the White House. And that's just Chapter 1.

Post: #160

Currently reading the "upright citizens Brigrade improv manual" because I am taking improv classes there.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0989387801

Post: #161

Started reading "Shop Class as Soulcraft" yesterday. The book has a solid premise, but the language is more flowery and ornate than necessary, especially considering it's a book about working with one's hands.

Post: #162

(02-15-2014 03:59 PM)Ringo Wrote:  Just finished this week:

Mastery, by Robert Greene
Good read, very assertive on the importante of practicing and honing your skills when reaching for the ultimate level of knowledge; talent is not as important as we tend to believe.

Ham on rye, by Bukowski
What a sad childhood this guy had. I went from bursts of laughter to misty eyes and back every two pages.

Currently reading Cypherpunks: Freedom and the Future of the Internet.

Very interesting if you are interested in surveillance, censorship and freedom in the web, written by the founder of Wikileaks and other activists. It's amazing how vulnerable we citizens are to the govt and hackers.

"[...] People put all their political ideas, their family communications, and their friendships on to the internet. So it's not just that there is increased surveillance of the communication. And it's not just an increase in the volume of communication; it's an increase in the types of communication. All these new types of communication that would previously have been private are now being mass intercepted." - Julian Assange

Post: #163

Just finished a quick re-read of Starship Troopers. It was a eye-opener for me when i was a teenager.

Post: #164

The War of Art by Pressfield. I am liking it so far. James Bond: The Man and His World just came in from England, so that's up next.

Post: #165

Right now, I'm almost finished with Philip Roth's "The Human Stain," which is fucking awesome so far. And I'm listening to "Moby Dick" on my phone, but I'm just about over it. Next on the list is "Catch 22," then "American Psycho."

Post: #166

1. Started reading this, I think Roosh recommended on a blog post.



This book above is holding my Interest, I think I will finish it.

2. Also started reading



had to put it back on shelf after about 100 pages, I just can't get absorbed in a Novel .........

Post: #167

Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut. Haven't read this great book since my freshman year in college.

Up next, probably "Emergency: This Book Will Save Your Life" by Neil Strauss.

Post: #168

Im a fan of Bill Bryson. A Short History of Nearly Everything is great. He had another book, Home, that I didn't rwally care for. Im currently working through a biography on Tesla. A little (very) tecjnical at tomes, but a grwat look into one of history's best minds

Post: #169

I am finishing:
   
and will most likely be done tomorrow.

Then I will start:
   

Post: #170

Have you seen the film for 'Whatever'? It is a very strange and interesting film.

You can watch it here:

/thread-9674-p...#pid526466

Post: #171

Quote:Have you seen the film for 'Whatever'? It is a very strange and interesting film.

I actually watched the film last night with the link provided in the Houellebecq thread. I thought the movie was quite interesting and I can't wait to read the book.

Thanks for the heads up, cardguy. And thanks for providing that link in the old thread, I would have never found the film otherwise.

Post: #172

The main actor in the film is also the director. Don't see that very often.

The film had a big impact on me. I watched it in 2003. And it was the first time I saw a film that said "You know how shit things are for you now? Well you won't meet the girl of your dreams and nothing will ever get better. And then you die."

After all the Hollywood bullshit it was like being woken from a deep sleep with a bucket of water to the face. It was a red pill moment of sorts since it was the first time I had seen some 'real talk' thrown my way. I found the message both exhillirating and terrifying. Back in my blue-pill/oneitis days it was a very powerful message.

The film came out in 1999. Which is the same year that Fight Club, Matrix and American Beauty came out. And for me - those films have red pill type messages as well.

In fact - I watched the film with a blue pill friend who was just as hopeless with the wimminz as me. And we both said we had never seen a film like it. We never discussed it further - but I sense we came away having similar feelings about the film. He ended up spending a couple of years in Japan and marrying a girl over there before moving back. Which was something I predicted would happen.

I mention this since that is what people do in this country when they cannot get laid. They go abroad and wife up. Since in some countries - being English seems to still have a cache of sorts. Particularly in Asia. I am guessing they all think we hang out with Harry Potter and drink tea with Prince William. lolllzzzz

Post: #173

Just finished Snakes in Suits: When Psychopaths Go to Work

Currently reading Nietzsche's - Will to power.

Good stuff, next up Roosh's day bang (yeah, gotta finally finish that one)

Post: #174

Here are some of the books I recently finished. I won't list all of them, just some of the more interesting ones.
Life at the Speed of Light- about bioengineering. Interesting. My first foray into this topic.

The Smartest kinds in the World and How they got that way- I enjoyed it. Shows my America is on the slide.

Race to the Pole- Ranulph Fiennes' telling of the exploration of Antarctica. Fascinating as he has actually done that stuff. I have developed a mild man-crush on Fiennes lately. His biography is on order.

The Psychopath Inside- A neuroscientist discovers he has the brain of a psychopath. Interesting stuff. Even more interesting seeing a list of traits for a psychopath and seeing that I have some of them. I just saw "Snakes in Suits" the other day. I put it on the wish list and will read it in the future.

Some books I am currently reading. I'm currently on a bit of an explorer kick amongst some of the other stuff I'm reading.

The World's most Dangerous Place- on Somalia. This pick inspired by Chaos's Pakistan story and and Aliblahba's post in the interesting places thread "I have no desire to go into the Africa interior. Its so bad in some places companies were actually paying MORE to go there than Baghdad in its prime. That's hard to comprehend. One of the baddest dudes I ever met was from N. Ireland and had spent his entire adult life fighting terrorist. His crew took a job some where on the dark continent, and left after 30 days due to the brutality. Absolute zero fucks given for human life. If a group of hardened merc's with dozens of kills under their belt can't handle it, fuck all if I'd go there unarmed on a fun run." I know Somalia isn't the African interior, but it sounds like it will be an exciting read.

Skeletons on the Zahara- 19th century American merchant ship gets stranded on the African coast and the crew gets sold into slavery and escapes.

The Unconquered:In Search of the Amazon's Last Uncontacted Tribe- Self explanatory

Post: #175

(03-05-2014 06:25 PM)cardguy Wrote:  The film came out in 1999. Which is the same year that Fight Club, Matrix and American Beauty came out. And for me - those films have red pill type messages as well.

Never thought about it, but that is when Office Space came out too. Sure, it's a comedy but it has a similar 'escape' theme.

Reading 'Antifragile' by Taleb. Once in a while it's good to read one of those trendy biz books.