Topic: My Reading List

[Sirgod]

Anytime Bro. I still have a copy of that book, that Raven sent me Or maybe it was Scipio along long time ago. Good novel indeed.

Stephen

[Nemesis]

Now I just have to wait for the time to be right to buy a "net book" so I have something to carry with me that is convenient to read these E-Books on.  I've read a few on my Palm Pilot but the screen isn't really good enough nor is the battery life/power management.

[Bonk]

Once I get back online at home I'll definitely be taking another look at project Gutenberg, but there is something about the feel of a physical book, the cover, the binding, the stains, the smell...

***

70 years ago, in 1938, there was a man who foresaw the current financial crisis, and neatly solved it.

His name: Robert A. Heinlein

His thesis: The Law of Capital Investment
"A production cycle creates exactly enough purchasing power for its consumption cycle. If any part of this potential purchasing is not used for consumption but instead is invested in new production, it appears as a cost charge in the new items of production, before it re-appears as new purchasing power. Therefore, it causes a net loss of purchasing power in the earlier cycle. Therefore, an equal amount of new money is required by the country." (created "in fiat" by the government itself rather than by the banks)

The text (not actually a novel, but rather a series of lectures written after abandoning his political aspirations):
For Us, The Living

Read it, all of you, NOW!


I got goosebumps reading the last third of this work last night, it is incredible to watch it happening now, exactly as he described 70 years ago.

The ghost of Heinlein has been awoken.

[Sirgod]

Bonk, Nemesis, and others, HEre's a site with Free Audiobooks in mp3 format. Have quite a few authors there.

http://www.oculture.com/2006/10/audio_book_podc.html

Stephen

[Dracho]

Bonk, Nemesis, and others, HEre's a site with Free Audiobooks in mp3 format. Have quite a few authors there.

http://www.oculture.com/2006/10/audio_book_podc.html

Stephen

Here you go Stephen..

http://www.tropicislemusic.com/hula/hula_books.htm

[Sirgod]

LOL, Ok you got me Dracho.

Stephen

[Dracho]

Thank you.. thank you.. not often you get to make a joke about hula, mp3, and books on tape!

[Bonk]

Just finished the Thousand and One Nights (Arabian Nights). Wow, just wow... The children's version leaves out all the good stuff!

Interesting to know that the word Genie is derived from the singluar for a member of the Jinn (Jinni). Also, I finally get what an old Neil Diamond song was about... (Suleyman, Suley, Suley, Suleyman...); Suleyman, son of Da'ud: Solomon, son of David.

They are structured as a tale within a tale within a tale (like unto Russian dolls), I suppose this is a mnemonic device for the oral history of these ancient tales. They really offer quite an interesting perspective.

My favorite quote most applicable to me: "Speak not of that which doth not concern thee, lest thou hear that which will not please thee." Sage words my friends, sage words.

I'm now ploughing through McCarthy's "No Country For Old Men", a very dark tale, but an excellent read thus far.

Oh yeah, that bit about Heinliein and economics... taken from C.H. Douglas' Social Credit theory, almost implemented in Alberta in 1935; stopped by the courts.

[toasty0]

Please add The Brass Verdict to my list.

[Sirgod]

Just finished the Thousand and One Nights (Arabian Nights). Wow, just wow... The children's version leaves out all the good stuff!

Interesting to know that the word Genie is derived from the singluar for a member of the Jinn (Jinni). Also, I finally get what an old Neil Diamond song was about... (Suleyman, Suley, Suley, Suleyman...); Suleyman, son of Da'ud: Solomon, son of David.

They are structured as a tale within a tale within a tale (like unto Russian dolls), I suppose this is a mnemonic device for the oral history of these ancient tales. They really offer quite an interesting perspective.

My favorite quote most applicable to me: "Speak not of that which doth not concern thee, lest thou hear that which will not please thee." Sage words my friends, sage words.

I'm now ploughing through McCarthy's "No Country For Old Men", a very dark tale, but an excellent read thus far.

Oh yeah, that bit about Heinliein and economics... taken from C.H. Douglas' Social Credit theory, almost implemented in Alberta in 1935; stopped by the courts.

You know, I never read No Country for old men, But my wife and I saw no point whatsoever in the movie. It just seemed to go nowhere, and had no point whatsoever.

I hope the book is better for you Bonk. Arabian nights is awesome, and the original was not for kids indeed. IF you like that, and get a chance, Do a search for "Sarah Brightman Arabian Nights"

She has the best voice ever, and the music for that opera is outstanding.

Stephen

[Bonk]

You know, I never read No Country for old men, But my wife and I saw no point whatsoever in the movie. It just seemed to go nowhere, and had no point whatsoever.

I should finish it tonight, I'll let you know what I think tomorrow.

I have a bunch of new stuff to add to my list now too! 

[Dracho]

I hate to admit it to people I might meet again.. but I like all of the old Sherlock Holmes novels.

[Bonk]

You know, I never read No Country for old men, But my wife and I saw no point whatsoever in the movie. It just seemed to go nowhere, and had no point whatsoever.

I finished it last night and I see why you may have been disappointed in it as a feature film, as it is a vignette that only works because of McCarthy's writing style. As a feature film there is little to distinguish it from plenty of other violent flicks.

It might be better titled "No Country For Old-Fashioned Men", but that is not quite it, the characters just don't "get it" (save Chigur), and I'm left wondering if McCarthy himself "gets it" or whether he has "buried the dog".

I enjoyed "All The Pretty Horses" much more, it is a traditional story. I currently reading Heinlein's "A Door Into Summer" and plan to finish McCarthy's "Border Trilogy" after that.

I also intend to join the Heinlein Society.

[Dracho]

Bonk,

You'd LOVE David Brin's "Earth".  You'd also either love or hate Heinlein's "Number of the Beast".

[toasty0]

Bonk,

You'd LOVE David Brin's "Earth".  You'd also either love or hate Heinlein's "Number of the Beast".

That on my top ten list for years after I read it.

[Bonk]

Bonk,

You'd LOVE David Brin's "Earth".  You'd also either love or hate Heinlein's "Number of the Beast".

That on my top ten list for years after I read it.

Which one? 

I'll put "Number of the Beast" on my list in with a re-read of "Stranger in a Strange Land".

I just finished "The Door Into Summer". It was a very enjoyable read, I highly recommend it. I'm beginning to see and understand Heinlein's influence on Spider Robinson. Heinlein is a cat person too, understands them very well...

[toasty0]

Bonk,

You'd LOVE David Brin's "Earth".  You'd also either love or hate Heinlein's "Number of the Beast".

That on my top ten list for years after I read it.

Which one? 

I'll put "Number of the Beast" on my list in with a re-read of "Stranger in a Strange Land".

I just finished "The Door Into Summer". It was a very enjoyable read, I highly recommend it. I'm beginning to see and understand Heinlein's influence on Spider Robinson. Heinlein is a cat person too, understands them very well...

Number of the Beast.

[Bonk]

I finished McCarthy's Border Trilogy earlier this week, a good read, somewhat dark but overall enjoyable. I found the preponderance of Spanish somewhat tiresome, if not pretentious, but I suppose he might be making the point that Spanish/Mexican history is integral with that of the United States of America.

I'm now reading Heinlein's "Citizen Of The Galaxy", while a "young adult" novel, I find it quite enjoyable and all Heinlein's writings seem to read easy.

I just picked up a copy of "The Old Man Told Us : excerpts from Micmac history, 1500-1950" by Ruth Holmes Whitehead; it was on display at the library and I seem to recall my mother having a copy of it around at one point, I'm looking forward to reading it, as I feel a connection with the Mi'kmaq having made acquaintance with one of their last old fashioned medicine men, Noel Knockwood, who lifted the curse on the building of a bridge over Halifax Harbour, after which the first bridge to stand for any length of time was built.

[Bonk]

I just finished Philip K. Dick's (PKD) "Time Out Of Joint".  Wow, just wow.    Ever see "The Truman Show"? Well, it is the pablum version of "Time Out Of Joint". Of course Philip's reason for the pretense is much more serious, but "The Truman Show" is almost certainly based on someone's remembrance of Dick's novel. I'd say the wikipedia entry is due for an edit.

The more I read of PKD the more I am impressed and hooked. I'm not surprised he was considered a security risk by the gov. I just love his paranoia, it is so real.

I'm re-reading "Stranger In A Strange Land Now", I have a big stack of Heinlein to read.    I'll take a break from it midway with that Mi'kmaq history I picked up.

Happiness is a big stack of SciFi! 

[Bonk]

I'm two thirds of the way through "Stranger In A Strange Land", I am "grokking" it much better than I did when I read it at the tender age of 14, 22 years ago.

I am focused most on "Fosterism", it seems a combination of the televangelism of the 1980's ("You are loooved!"), Amway Global / Quixtar, and Scientology. Heinlein seems to have prophesied, back in 1961, 20 years early, what has almost come to pass: the doctrines of Scientology being released in stages of induction to the "faith", the charisma of Billy Graham's televangelism and the exclusive "prosumerism" of Amway's current incarnation.

Should we ever see these doctrines merge (as I expect they will) I can only hope that a saviour such as Michael Valentine Smith will come to deliver us.

May you always drink deep, Dynaverse water brothers.