Post: #401

Arrival City - The story of Mankind's greatest migration.

Katherine Boo - Behind the beautiful forevers.

William Dalrymple - Return of a King, the battle for Afghanistan

Post: #402

Just finished "Trust Me, I'm Lying: Confessions of a Media Manipulator" by Ryan Holiday. Well written. Solid media analysis and criticism. But the book was overly repetitive and in my opinion could have standed to lose 40 pages.

Now reading "The 50th Law" by Robert Greene.

Post: #403

Currently reading "The Sun Also Rises" by Hemingway.

Post: #404

(12-10-2014 01:24 PM)Chivas989 Wrote:  Currently reading "The Sun Also Rises" by Hemingway.

Good pick. "For whom the bell tolls" is great too.

Post: #405

Just finished "How to Win Friends and Influence People", it's a "timeless classic" that gets recommended on here a bunch, but to be honest I thought it was very disappointing and overrated. A lot of people say that it's because the updated edited version is a lot different from the original and not as good, but whatever version I read was unimpressive.

It may be good for a young guy in college or anyone not familiar with other works on social dynamics and influence, but I found it to be very rudimentary, redundant, and often times common sense. A lot of it's stuff that I wouldn't recommend in a lot of situations, a lot of "brown nosing" and be very supplicating and overly complimenting people, and stroking their ego.

The best way to sum up the book would be the old saying, "it easier to catch flies with honey than vinegar". I think someone would get a lot more out of reading Robert Greene's various books, "Influence" by Cialdini, or something Tony Robbins-ish like "Awaken the Giant Within".

Just moved on to Rollo's book "The Rational Male", only 10 pages in, but the red pill is already coming through heavy.

Post: #406

No Easy Day
Just finished reading How to Get Rich

Post: #407

(12-11-2014 06:49 PM)CaptainChardonnay Wrote:  No Easy Day
Just finished reading How to Get Rich

So how do you do it?

Post: #408

Every time I see this thread, I just want to jump in and say, "RVF." So there it is out of my system.

Post: #409

(12-10-2014 01:24 PM)Chivas989 Wrote:  Currently reading "The Sun Also Rises" by Hemingway.

I recently read 'A Farewell to Arms' and was pretty dissapointed. Perhaps his other works are more redeeming. Let me know how you like it!

Currently reading 'Theodore Rex'. It's a little dry,but not enough for me to give up reading it.

I also am reading a little bit of Marcus Aurelias' 'Meditations'. I read some of it a while back, but stopped reading because the content seemed so hackneyed. Then I realized that he obviously didn't copy anyone, but self-help gurus are constantly reiterating advice like his which makes his work seem so familiar.

However, since I've been reading it again Ive been pleasantly surprised. He seems to have a fiery, sincere passion for life which can't easily be replicated.

Post: #410

(12-11-2014 08:40 PM)Krusyos Wrote:  

(12-11-2014 06:49 PM)CaptainChardonnay Wrote:  No Easy Day
Just finished reading How to Get Rich

So how do you do it?

By publishing a book called "The Real Way to Get Rich in 90 Days"

Post: #411

All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy

If any of you are unfamiliar with his writing, I would recommend starting off with The Road or Blood Meridian, and then tackle the border trilogy.

Post: #412

haha no How to Get Rich was written by Felix Dennis, the guy who created Maxim magazine and PC World or something. Was easy and entertaining to read while being informative. Recommended

No Easy Day was written by one of the SEALs who took down Bin Laden or UBL as they called him.

Post: #413

Just finished Fall of Giants by Ken Follett. Pretty good book that outlines the period of time leading up to, and including, the first world war.

Stylistically very much like a Michener which uses fictional characters from a variety of circumstances/locales and integrates them into historical events. I am a fan of this style and am looking forward to the second in the trilogy.

Biggest things I learned were: trench warfare was horrible, the Germans propped up the Bolsheviks, the exodus of working aged men to fight in the war essentially led to a successful suffragette movement in Great Britain, and that everyone hates France.

Starting up Paradise Lost now, should be an interesting change of pace.

Post: #414

Just finished reading Thinking, Fast and Slow, by Daniel Kahneman. It is a fascinating read.

The book's thesis is that there is a contrast between two ways of thinking: "System 1" is fast, automatic, and emotional, while "System 2" is slower, calculating, and logical. In other words, System 1 is the body's instinctive mental processes and System 2 is the body's conscious self. One of Kahneman's points is that, generally, humans behave as if they think they have control over their actions, when in reality, System 1 often takes over, to our detriment. Another interesting point Kahneman makes is that people generally use System 1, when they think they are using System 2. For example, people place greater value on a change from 90% to 100%, than from 45% to 55%, although the increase (10%) is the same. Most interestingly, people place the greatest value of all on a change from 0% to 10% (going to a chance of winning from no chance), even over an increase from 90% to 100% (high probability to certainty).

Post: #415

Going to be starting this book in the next week or 2. Pretty excited about it.

Post: #416

Does anyone know a book similar to Shantaram ?

Post: #417

(12-10-2014 01:11 PM)Ringo Wrote:  Just finished "Trust Me, I'm Lying: Confessions of a Media Manipulator" by Ryan Holiday. Well written. Solid media analysis and criticism. But the book was overly repetitive and in my opinion could have standed to lose 40 pages.

Now reading "The 50th Law" by Robert Greene.

Great book . I'd recommend it to anyone

Post: #418

"A Fighter's Heart" by Sam Sheridan. This was an amazing read. It's about a guy who trained different martial arts all over the world in-between working different unique jobs. He does Muay Thai in Thailand, boxing in the US, and BJJ in Brazil. Made me want to drop everything and head to Thailand to train, and I've never even done Muay Thai before.

I've also just finished "Redeployment" by Phil Klay. Klay's an Iraq War veteran and incredible writer. His book is a collection of amazing short stories about the Iraq and Afghanistan wars all loosely based in his own experience. Hopefully it becomes a hit, it's some of the best I've read on the war.

Post: #419

(12-14-2014 12:14 PM)Mac Chicken Wrote:  Does anyone know a book similar to Shantaram ?

Not exactly similar, but you would probably like Papillon or An American in the Gulag.

Post: #420

I just finished reading High Price. The book is written by a Dr. Carl Hart, a Neuroscientist with dreads, which was enough for me to give a it a second glance. He challenges popular misconceptions about drugs, it’s users and law makers. Through research he conducted on ‘addicts’ he found that more often not the these people were abused as children, had some form of metal illness and came from an impoverished neighbourhood.

A popular misconception is one hit and your hooked for life for the likes of crack, heroin and meth. He goes about dispelling this myth as a biologically impossibility, there is no known chemical compound that upon ingestion the human body will react to that strongly.

A big thing he goes about discussing is how none of these drugs have any special addictive properties. 'Hard drugs' such as heroin and cocaine hold no more power than legal ones such as nicotine and sugar. The reality is the vast majority of people who use hard drugs will never get addicted and the vast majority of drug users are not addicts.

My criticism of the book is that it only focuses on actual research and lab results for the last few chapters. Overall it’s a memoir of a young mans struggle growing up in a harsh urban environment and how parts of his environment both helped and hindered him on his journey.

I think a lot of people from this forum will enjoy it because the man is very charismatic and showed great determination to get to a position that was never held by a black man from the urban slums of Miami.

Also the man was fucking slinging dick, throughout his whole life he was wrecking shop and consistently talks about game throughout the book (although he doesn't reference it that way). Overall a good read with a bit too much emphasis on style over substance. But any man who opened for Run DMC and has a PhD gets my respect.

Post: #421

(12-13-2014 12:13 PM)TheWisdomOfMyFather Wrote:  Just finished reading Thinking, Fast and Slow, by Daniel Kahneman. It is a fascinating read.

The book's thesis is that there is a contrast between two ways of thinking: "System 1" is fast, automatic, and emotional, while "System 2" is slower, calculating, and logical. In other words, System 1 is the body's instinctive mental processes and System 2 is the body's conscious self. One of Kahneman's points is that, generally, humans behave as if they think they have control over their actions, when in reality, System 1 often takes over, to our detriment. Another interesting point Kahneman makes is that people generally use System 1, when they think they are using System 2. For example, people place greater value on a change from 90% to 100%, than from 45% to 55%, although the increase (10%) is the same. Most interestingly, people place the greatest value of all on a change from 0% to 10% (going to a chance of winning from no chance), even over an increase from 90% to 100% (high probability to certainty).

I tried to listen to listen to it on audio book and decided it was pointless as it was constantly referencing pictures in the book I don't have. I might pick it up most people that have read it seem to recommend it

Post: #422

(12-18-2014 08:13 PM)Seanchaí Wrote:  

(12-13-2014 12:13 PM)TheWisdomOfMyFather Wrote:  Just finished reading Thinking, Fast and Slow, by Daniel Kahneman. It is a fascinating read.

The book's thesis is that there is a contrast between two ways of thinking: "System 1" is fast, automatic, and emotional, while "System 2" is slower, calculating, and logical. In other words, System 1 is the body's instinctive mental processes and System 2 is the body's conscious self. One of Kahneman's points is that, generally, humans behave as if they think they have control over their actions, when in reality, System 1 often takes over, to our detriment. Another interesting point Kahneman makes is that people generally use System 1, when they think they are using System 2. For example, people place greater value on a change from 90% to 100%, than from 45% to 55%, although the increase (10%) is the same. Most interestingly, people place the greatest value of all on a change from 0% to 10% (going to a chance of winning from no chance), even over an increase from 90% to 100% (high probability to certainty).

I tried to listen to listen to it on audio book and decided it was pointless as it was constantly referencing pictures in the book I don't have. I might pick it up most people that have read it seem to recommend it

I would definitely read it; do not listen to it on audio. There are a number of charts that he uses to express his ideas. Also, I would recommend you have a writing utensil with you to take notes. Enjoy!

Post: #423

Currently reading 'Alexander Dolgun's Story: An American in the Gulag'. The shit the guy had to put up with for 8 years in some of the must brutal camps in Russia is pretty sobering. He writes it well though and manages to relate some of the fonder memories he managed to forge during that time.

Post: #424

Post: #425

I just finished reading The Evolutionary Psychology Behind Politics by The Anonymous Conservative. It is a great about the liberal/conservative divide in politics and how it may be related to evopsych and genetics.

I am in the middle of reading Meditations by Marcus Aurelius (started it months back but have been concentrating on the book I just finished). I am also reading Liberty or Equality by Erik von Kuenhedlt-Leddihn which goes into how liberty and equality are mutually exclusive ideas and critiques of democracy and egalitarianism.

I also think I am going to start HL Mencken's book In Defense of Women.