What are you reading?

@Theaetetus,

About to finish up Thing Fall Apart by Achebe. I've enjoyed it so far. The book definitely demolishes any notions that pre-colonial African society was somehow backwards and simple.

After that, it's time for finals and then the semester is up. I'll probably reread some Huxley and Thompson before hitting Brothers Karamazov.

@zefloid13,

The Probable Universe: An Owner's Guide to Quantum Physics by M. Y. Han

Was at the library and looking for something short and about science and I came across this one. I have no idea if it's any good, but it's short and about science. And I've had a lot of questions about QP for awhile so maybe this will help me understand a bit better.

Amazon.com: The Probable Universe: An Owner's Guide to Quantum Physics: M. Y. Han: Books

God's Problem: How the Bible Fails to Answer Our Most Important Question - Why we suffer by Bart D. Ehrman

Quote:

Ehrman began studying the Bible and its original languages at the Moody Bible Institute and is a 1978 graduate of Wheaton College in Illinois. He received his Ph.D and M.Div. from Princeton Theological Seminary, where he studied under Bruce Metzger. He currently serves as the chairman of the Department of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He was the President of the Southeast Region of the Society of Biblical Literature, and worked closely as an editor on a number of the Society's publications.

Bart D. Ehrman - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I saw this was a new book in at my local library, and since I had been discussing the Problem of Evil recently, I decided to go ahead and pick it up.

God's Problem: How the Bible Fails to Answer Our Most Important Question--Why We Suffer by Bart D. Ehrman

@Deftil,

Still having an uneasy feeling here, like if I'm missing some point. What you're telling about the books you're reading is interesting. But don't you need some common ground if that wants to be useful, and isn't it assumed here that this common ground is "anglo-saxon culture"? There are so many good books in icelandic, or finnish, or servo-croatian, even in dutch. Different languages, different cultures, different accents and preoccupations. But when I would talk about these, wouldn't some feel like "who cares"? I have been browsing lately through "Geschiedenis van de Vlaamse Gedachte" by H.J. Elias, and it's really very interesting. I guess it will never be translated in english, so is there some point in mentioning it? I have the utmost difficulty of translating even its title, considering its many local connotations. Yet that's my reading. What do you think?

@RDanneskjld,

R.Danneskjöld;36871 wrote:

I'm currently reading The Open Society And Its Enemies Vol 1: Plato and shal read Vol 2 once im through with the first volume.

Oh, this is Popper, yes? What do you think of it?

New book I'm reading:
The Future of Unbelief
by Gerhard Szczesny
1961

It seem Szczesny was a German philosopher following in the tradition of Nietzsche in questioning the utility of the religious based ideologies.

From the cover:

Quote:

Are we living in a "post-Christian era" yet adhering to a theology that can no longer sustain us? Calling for a new and dynamic philsophy, this inquiry into the "remarkable incapacity of the Christian today to lead a Christian life" created a storm of controversy in Europe, where it was first published.

and also:
Boogers Are My Beat
by Dave Barry

Amazon.com: Boogers Are My Beat: More Lies, but Some Actual Journalism: Dave Barry: Books

Barry is a humor columnist I enjoy that has published a number of books. I often read in bed before going to sleep, and I realized that I probably wasn't practicing good sleep hygiene by reading all these intense and heavy works of science and philosophy then, so I picked up a humorous book to read before dozing off.

Also, looking back a the thread here, I think I totally made the same post twice about reading God's Problem and The Probable Universe. Whoops, sorry about that.

@zefloid13,

The Mind
by Richard M. Restak, M.D.

It takes a pretty scientific approach to the mind, but there's still a certain amount of philosophy in just about any discussion of the mind.

Quote:

Although written as a corollary to a new nine-part PBS series being aired this fall, The Mind stands independently as a good source of information for the layperson. Following the same pattern he used in The Brain ( LJ 10/15/84), also an earlier PBS series, Restaka scientist, physicist, neurologist, and author of several medical science booksexplores the development of the mind from conception through old age, emphasizing thinking processes and language development. He also explains mental processes and the new research on depression, pain, addiction, and violence. Much technical information is presented, but Restak's lucid explanations, interspersed with human interest stories, photographs, and diagrams, make the material appealing and easy to digest.

Amazon.com: The Mind: Richard M. Restak: Books

@Didymos Thomas,

Didymos Thomas wrote:

My experience of reading Rand has been very similar to your own. Still wish I'd never wasted the time, though...

I decided to read "The Fountainhead" because of a thread on this forum and find her writing so far so good. There's a character named Roark who is most like me. I'm interested to see what happens to me.
Don't tell me if anyone knows, but I'm sure it will be positive.:shifty:

=
MJA

@MJA,

Yes, I've read the book. I thought it was almost as bad as Atlas.

I guess I hope you enjoy the book, MJA, but I'd recommend reading something else. If you like Rand's philosophy, I'd pick up some Nietzsche.

@Didymos Thomas,

Didymos Thomas wrote:

Yes, I've read the book. I thought it was almost as bad as Atlas.

I guess I hope you enjoy the book, MJA, but I'd recommend reading something else. If you like Rand's philosophy, I'd pick up some Nietzsche.

...or John Locke and Aristotle. Her good ideas are pretty much lifted from those three and then taken to the extreme and thus, out of context.

@Theaetetus,

What am I reading at the moment?...

Actually, being in the middle of winter break, I'm taking a break from serious reading. I just finished Witches Abroad and Interesting Times, both satires, both by Terry Pratchett, and am about to start on Jingo (ibid.) What philosophy he makes is of course philosophy subjected to the joke, but he raises some rather interesting points.

I've also been reading anthologies of Zits, FoxTrot, Calvin and Hobbes, and Krazy Kat.

When I decide to return to serious reading, I want to look at A Pattern Language (not for philosophy) and whatever my professors assign me.

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