BF2S Forums BF3s Book Club

KEN-JENNINGS wrote:

So you have or haven't read his book?  How is he instigating racial and class warfare?

'Going the opposite direction' would mean that you view 'standard' history books as equally skewed, no?  Where's the insipid hatred for those?

Commercially bought history books don't generally try to force you to have an opinion either way. Granted, the old saying "history is written by the conquerer" definitely applies but usually no conflict is that cut and dry. "Victory" doesn't usually end with the extermination of the losing race.

If I pick up a standard history book on the Civil War, WWII, the Middle Ages or whatever other time period I can usually find dry accounts written objectively. Will the writer have his or her own prejudices? Sure, but most tell the story for the love of history rather than trying to get you to change your opinion on a matter.

Text books written for schools are an entirely different matter.

I'm reading a book about classical Greek and Roman myths and how they inspired a lot of classic literature and art.  A lot better than Steppenwolf by Herman Hesse, which I just finished.  I haven't read any Hesse before but Steppenwolf reads like it's the author exorcising his demons in literary form, kind of him explaining to himself all his character flaws as some sort of dealing process and rationalization.  It was an interesting read, light-hearted at some points and dark at others, but it was a pain in the ass to read.

Anyway, the current book I'm reading is an enjoyable one.  Can't for the life of me remember the title right now.

Finished Atomic Lobster & Nuclear Jellyfish -Both Tim Dorsey novels.  That dude loves FL history.  Did you know that Skinnard was a FL band?  That song 'gimmie three steps' is a true story that happened at a bar in FL to one of the members.

Iphone -kindle app. -thumbs up.

Last edited by DBBrinson1 (2010-01-29 12:43:18)

DBBrinson1 wrote:

Finished Atomic Lobster & Nuclear Jellyfish -Both Tim Dorsey novels.  That dude loves FL history.  Did you know that Skinnard was a FL band?  That song 'gimmie three steps' is a true story that happened at a bar in FL to one of the members.

Iphone -kindle app. -thumbs up.

kindle kindle thumbs up. But I can't find me charger It took them long enough to release kindle for the pc..

It's very comfortable to read on. I don't get the eye fatigue you get with lcd's.

DBBrinson1 wrote:

Kmarion wrote:

It's very comfortable to read on. I don't get the eye fatigue you get with lcd's.

Which one do you have?  Do you have a subscription to any news papers?

Not the big one. I demoed some newspapers but I never kept them. I also have some blogs delivered to it. It's 90% books though.

Jenspm wrote:

Does the Kindle support PDF files (via USB), or only files downloaded from Amazon?

It does now. I used to have to fight with it and use third party programs to get pdf's on there.

and

Flaming_Maniac wrote:

and

Just started. Delivered 2 minutes ago.

Greg Iles - Devil's Punchbowl

Anything written by this guy is fucking gold.

Last edited by FEOS (2010-02-18 14:25:40)

Recommend: Rules for Radicals by Saul D. Alinsky



Alinsky writes "What follows is for those who want to change the world from what it is to what they believe it should be. The Prince was written by Machiavelli for the Haves on how to hold power. Rules for Radicals is written for the Have-Nots on how to take it away". I would say it is much closer to to The Prince than that - it is more like a handbook of how to gain power in the present day. Power isn't a matter of a throne anymore, it's fragmented across the populace. The only reason a seat of power exists today is not because of bloodline, it is because of the apathy of the middle class. The book is about how to spur the people into motion, and then harness that power to your own ends.

It is a good book, very well written. You really get the feeling the author is a pragmatic intellectual, with a series of interesting and often amusing personal examples along with the pertinent historical examples one would expect from an academic. He is more than a little bit of a douchey 60s hippy, but how he talks about tailoring his situations to his subjectively "good" ends is still very respectable. In many respects the book is quite depressing, showing how little progress has been made since his time. On the last page he writes "Any timetable would be speculation but the writing of middle-class organization had better be on the walls by 1972"...obviously largely living in the lap of luxury up until recently and arguably up to today did little for the mobilization of the middle class.

In any case it's a fun, short read, in paperback and therefore cheap. Worth the time and money even if you're a middle-aged white collar worker with a wife, kids, two cars and a mortgage, with no intention of changing anything except perhaps the color of the living room.

Kmarion wrote:

DBBrinson1 wrote:

Finished Atomic Lobster & Nuclear Jellyfish -Both Tim Dorsey novels.  That dude loves FL history.  Did you know that Skinnard was a FL band?  That song 'gimmie three steps' is a true story that happened at a bar in FL to one of the members.

Iphone -kindle app. -thumbs up.

kindle kindle thumbs up. But I can't find me charger It took them long enough to release kindle for the pc..

Skiff Reader > Kindle.

jay_courage wrote:

1980's print of Das Boot in german

I have a very basic grasp of German so it may take some time

it's worth it. it's a great book