Post: #476

Reading Ayn Rand-The fountainhead, impressive book so far, really puts your mind at work.

Post: #477

(01-08-2015 10:02 AM)Ringo Wrote:  Now reading "Island", by Aldous Huxley.

Finally done. Far from my favorite book. The island of Pala is a very interesting creation, but the book is waaay too long.

I'm ready to go back to non-fiction.

Post: #478

I am currently reading my first fiction novel of the year; I have kept to non-fiction books (and particularly those related to history, politics, philosophy) since late October. It's certainly refreshing although I doubt I'll go more than a month without grabbing a book on history. Let's get to the point shall we? I'm reading the Anglo-Polish novelist Joseph Conrad's Nostromo. I will attempt to finish it in two weeks although I may read ahead.

Oh yes, I'm so privileged you literally can't even.
Interested in joining the FFL? I tried (and failed).

Post: #479

(02-08-2015 08:45 PM)Ringo Wrote:  I'm ready to go back to non-fiction.

Actually changed my mind.

Now reading "American Psycho", by Bret Easton Ellis.

Post: #480

Quiet flows the Don, in Serbo-Croatian

I kind of found the book that i was looking for to read, historical, with rural setting, slow pace

Post: #481

I got two books going on:

1.) Pacific Crucible: War at Sea in the Pacific, 1941-1942 by Ian Toll: I love history, but am sorely lacking on military knowledge. I suppose the main reason being is that I find a lot of familiar history books inaccessible, because of the language and one the authors use. Pacific Crucible is definitely of a different breed.

I came across this book at the library and it seemed interesting. I'm about halfway through and while it has slowed down a bit, it is fantastically written and engaging.

2.) Bachelor Pad Economics by Aaron Clarey: For some reason I couldn't wait to get my hands on this book. I purchased just two days ago and am more than halfway done (of a 500 page book). Okay I skipped and skimmed here and there, but overall it's engaging.

It's also not intended to be read quickly, but I'll be going back to reference it at different times down the road.

Post: #482

How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie

Spanish for Beginners by Charles Duff

and I will be starting on 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene.

Post: #483

Currently reading "Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning"

Wish I would have read this during high school. Would have helped me greatly throughout university.

Post: #484

My current objectives to finish in the next few weeks:

Disinformation by Ion Mihai Pacepa and Ronald J. Rychlak
The Victims Revolution by Bruce Bawer
Freedom of Speech by Greg Lukianoff

Still working on:
Meditations for Warriors and
Rational Male.

I'll review the book when I'm done except for The rational Male, which has already been thoroughly reviewed.

Post: #485

Just started Tim Howard's autobiography The Keeper.

I'm always interested in sports biographies if there's something unique to the athlete. In Howard's case, he was diagnosed with Tourette's syndrome as a child. I'm also interested in his story of becoming the first MLS player to make the move to Manchester United.

Post: #486

Delete

Post: #487

SS-GB by Len Deighton. When I saw it in a local op shop, I thought it would be an interesting read.

Post: #488

Post: #489

(02-28-2015 03:42 AM)fokker Wrote:  SS-GB by Len Deighton. When I saw it in a local op shop, I thought it would be an interesting read.

All of Len Deighton's stuff is good. His Bernard Samson series (Berlin Game, Mexico Set, London Match, etc) is outstanding Cold War spy fiction.

I'm currently reading War of Extermination: The German Military in World War II

Post: #490

(03-01-2015 08:16 PM)LeeEnfield303 Wrote:  

(02-28-2015 03:42 AM)fokker Wrote:  SS-GB by Len Deighton. When I saw it in a local op shop, I thought it would be an interesting read.

All of Len Deighton's stuff is good. His Bernard Samson series (Berlin Game, Mexico Set, London Match, etc) is outstanding Cold War spy fiction.

I'm currently reading War of Extermination: The German Military in World War II

I might pick up some more Deightons if I see them.

Post: #491

Just finished reading "Aquarium" by Viktor Suvorov (A Soviet defector tells the story how he became a spy) and now I'm continuing "Curveball. Spies, Lies and the Con Man Who Caused a War" by Bob Drogin. (The story how vague reports become the intelligence that took the US to Iraq in 2003)

Post: #492

"Forbidden American English"

Post: #493

Post: #494

I am currently doing a self-study of American media and journalism. I have two books going right now.

Trust Me I'm Lying by Ryan Holiday and The Brass Check by Upton Sinclair.

I have been back reading consistently this year and it feels good.

Post: #495

It's probably been mentioned a million times here but I'm slowly going through 48 Laws of Power by Greene. I thought it would be a fey self help book but it's incredibly referenced with lots of historic anecdotes. You can do a second reading of just the red footnotes in the margins.

Also rereading Machiavelli's the Prince. My biggest take way from that book is that since your opponent may not respect laws of logic and codes of morality, it's foolish of you to respect those laws when dealing with these kinds of people. Most men have these codes ingrained, while most psychopaths and women don't. The trick is knowing when to turn higher guiding principles off in order to defeat an opponent, win an argument, deal with a crazy coworker, or conquer a country.

http://illimitablemen.com/2015/02/08/mac...nal-logic/

Post: #496

I recently started reading a book called
New Jim Crow : mass incarceration in the age of colorblindness

Post: #497

Bang Poland

Post: #498

I'm at the end of what is probably Houellebecq's most subversive novel yet: Soumission (submission being the translation of "Islam"). A scenario in which an islamic party takes the head of France in a democratic way.

Before the book was released, the french left intelligentsia had given its verdict: the book was islamophobic. Which means racist in french newspeak. The prime minister himself made a speech to say "My France is not Houellebecq's France". Less than a week later Houellebecq stopped the promotion of his book because one of his friends died in the Charlie Hebdo attack.

The interesting thing about this book is that the victory of an islamic party doesn't come directly from the growth of the muslim population, rather it is the crossing of several factors. In the final phase of the french presidential election, french people have the choice between Marine Lepen (leader of the FRONT NATIONAL) and Mohamed Ben Abbes (fictive character). The traditional right is dead and the whole left and center allies with the islamic party. Mohamed Ben Abbes's goal is to grow a kind of francophone islamic empire between France and north Africa, making him a kind of arab Degaulle, just softer. His islamic politic is pretty soft, the most controversial element being the authorisation of polygamy, he even is kinda popular among the french population.

I don't want to spoil, and I have read maybe 75% of the book yet, let's just say that Houellebecq is very good at depicting the moral defeat and the submissive nature of the modern western world. To illustrate this moral defeat he uses an academic teacher as the protagonist. A weird pre-insurrectionary atmosphere keeps the tension high throughout the novel. As usual with Houellebecq it is a lot about literature, philosophy and sex as well.

Not his best, but still a page turner to my opinion.

Post: #499

The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid.

I'm nearly finished with it-- a brief 160~ pages and quite good.

It relates the story of a young Pakistani man who immigrates to the U.S. and slowly changes his views on America after 9/11.

Post: #500

I am Charlotte Simmons by Tom Wolfe.

I'm going back to school soon and I wanted to read a book about typical college life--this book was recommended by a friend. Tom Wolfe is a good writer so I went ahead and bought a used edition.

Basic premise is an innocent girl from a small town is admitted into prestigious (and fictional) Dupont University. Along the way she is slowly corrupted. Lots of exposition concerning social status and sexual politics. It was written about ten years ago and I read that Tom Wolfe actually visited Stanford, Duke, and other selective schools to research modern student life.