BOOKS: What are you reading?

[mygaybuffet]

^
yes, if they contain enriching pleasures to be experienced over and over.

I have seen some Dawkins on TV, and I have assumed that the book is a simple argument against worshipping gods.

I was raised as agnostic so I'm assuming that his arguments are essentially negative. I assume he says positive things about science.

The book is an all out attack on the very premise that believing in a god regardless of what religion or creed that said god comes from.

His arguments are not negative. Rather he uses logic and reasoning to prove his points. He doesn't condescend or resort to name calling. The book is written like you're having a conversation with him. I absolutely love the book!

Now if you want to read a book that annihilates religion itself, read

You will never look at religion ever the same way. That much I can promise you.

 

[Puckzilla]

"Wide Sargasso Sea" by Jean Rhys

It was one of the assigned books for one of my courses before I dropped out of college. In an effort to prove to myself that it was circumstances and not stupidity that caused me to leave, I'm making my way through all of the course material.

So far, I'm enjoying it, but it's probably not something I would have thought to read if I had just heard about it.

 

[ashonfire]

"Wide Sargasso Sea" by Jean Rhys

It was one of the assigned books for one of my courses before I dropped out of college. In an effort to prove to myself that it was circumstances and not stupidity that caused me to leave, I'm making my way through all of the course material.

So far, I'm enjoying it, but it's probably not something I would have thought to read if I had just heard about it.

Holy shit, me too! Also University assigned so I guess it must currently be a standard University English Literature text.

I'm enjoying it so far, though perhaps "enjoying" is not the right word... it's not exactly a fun read.

 

[RRUGER]

anything on current affairs politics? not mainstream but real truth social science? please i like a read n that area

 

[uslad7]

I'm in-between three books now (not counting books for uni though):

Yes, I know they're complete opposites. You gotta view both sides!

 

[pat grimshaw]

It's hard to read fiction.
I like to skim and just don't have the time to get into authors' heads

 

[Puckzilla]

Holy shit, me too! Also University assigned so I guess it must currently be a standard University English Literature text.

I'm enjoying it so far, though perhaps "enjoying" is not the right word... it's not exactly a fun read.

Good luck writing an essay on it
Are you doing Jane Eyre as well? It totally confuses me how they go together lol.

 

[barnbuddy]

Just finished Feast for Crows in the Song of Fire and Ice/Game of Thrones series by Martin

a great plotter, lost of twists

I think someone in another thread made an apt point:

"the war of the roses with Magic"

but unlike LOTR. bloody and certainly not shy about sex

and I very much doubt any happy endings

 

[pat grimshaw]

J…unlike LOTR. bloody and certainly not shy about sex …

I don't have the time for LOTR; but is true there's only one female and that it's utterly sexless?

 

[justsimon]

I've only been reading thesis-related material and pieces of manuscripts at my internship.

I probably won't have time to read for pleasure until next summer. However, I may have to cheat and read Jeffrey Eugenides' newest novel over the winter break.

 

[mygaybuffet]

but unlike LOTR. bloody and certainly not shy about sex

I don't know why that book gets so much praise. It's boring and too detailed for my tastes.

 

[glasvegas]

 

[ashonfire]

Good luck writing an essay on it
Are you doing Jane Eyre as well? It totally confuses me how they go together lol.

Yep, read Jane Eyre on my holidays. I laughed, I cried, I was incredulous!

What's confusing you about Wide Sargasso Sea. It's a "prequel" to Jane Eyre and the main character from WSS is Bertha from JE but Rhys changed the name.

There's an essay question about how the two texts enrich each other but I'm doing mine on Hamlet as I'm not very good at "compare and contrast" style essays.

 

[Puckzilla]

Yep, read Jane Eyre on my holidays. I laughed, I cried, I was incredulous!

What's confusing you about Wide Sargasso Sea. It's a "prequel" to Jane Eyre and the main character from WSS is Bertha from JE but Rhys changed the name.

I'm emotionally confused by it, I can't decide to to like, hate and feel sorry for

 

[ashonfire]

I'm emotionally confused by it, I can't decide to to like, hate and feel sorry for

Aha. I can't help you there- I feel similarly. Some say that the presence of characters who are capable of eliciting such responses is a sign of a good book.

That last sentence souns weird to me but I don't have the brain-skillz to re-write it as I just spent fours drinking beer with lesbians and I'm exhausted- don't hold it against me. :/

 

[barnbuddy]

I don't know why that book gets so much praise. It's boring and too detailed for my tastes.

well, it's not Dune or The Fountainhead so I won't be picking them off the shelf a few years down the line,


but its a good yarn

anyway, just swung back to non-fic Alexander Hamilton by Chernow

read McCollouch's John Adams last summer and I'm looking for another perspective

 

[canesnbeach]

I'm surprised so many people are reading The God Delusion. It kinda makes sense, atheism seems really trendy lately. Gotta have something to talk about over fat free soy lattes, right?

I just finished The Fabric of the Cosmos, by Brian Greene. Solid book imo.

 

[maxpowr9]

Song of Ice and Fire series

- it's boring me also. reminds me of the super detailed, long-winded stuff in the LOTR books. i think i'm going to quit and I'm only on book 2.

I'm having a crappy book reading period, tbh. Need to find some more interesting things.

Yeah I'm struggling through Clash of Kings also. The first one was quite good but the second one just drones on FOREVER. I read it in spurts when I have the downtime to actually sit and read. I can follow the 5 simultaneous plots going on at once but it doesn't make it any better. Friends who have read the series said to me that the second one is the "worst" [meaning least amount of action] of the series.

 

[mygaybuffet]

I'm surprised so many people are reading The God Delusion. It kinda makes sense, atheism seems really trendy lately. Gotta have something to talk about over fat free soy lattes, right?

I just finished The Fabric of the Cosmos, by Brian Greene. Solid book imo.

Don't be surprised! Revel in its glorious factual revelations!!

I wouldn't call atheism a trend, but the fact that more people are catching onto it is promising. Richard Dawkins breaks down the points informatively yet with class. If logic and rationale are your friends, then of course this book will make sense!

"A world without God is a utopia of peace and humanity."

 

[canesnbeach]

Don't be surprised! Revel in its glorious factual revelations!!

I wouldn't call atheism a trend, but the fact that more people are catching onto it is promising. Richard Dawkins breaks down the points informatively yet with class. If logic and rationale are your friends, then of course this book will make sense!

"A world without God is a utopia of peace and humanity."

So to paraphrase, all logical people should find that Dawkins's book makes sense, and if it doesn't make sense, then you're not logical?

By that same vein, I suppose Darwin, Lemaitre, Hubble, Einstein, Koch, Kuiper, Bohr, Maxwell, or even Galileo himself would not be considered logical, since they were all advocates of some form of theism.

You can argue that these men only believed in God because it was socially convenient to do so (please don't, it's a cop out). Maybe it is the case that the dichotomy between science and religion is wholly artificial. When deployed properly, they answer different questions, and go about it in different ways.

On a personal note, I've never understood the hysteria surrounding religion and science. A lot of people treat them as if they were mutually exclusive. The truth is that Dawkins cannot say God is an illusion any more than I can say He isn't.

And in the spirit of including fortune-cookie quotes at the end of posts, here's one:

'Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind.' -Albert Einstein.