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15 | <body> |
1509746a |
16 | <h1>A Not So Fancy Listing of Books</h1> |
023ad63c |
17 | <div class="contents"> |
18 | <dl> |
1509746a |
19 | <dt> |
20 | <a href="#sec1">Douglas Adams</a> |
21 | </dt> |
22 | <dd> |
23 | <dl> |
24 | <dt> |
25 | <a href="#sec2">Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy (collected)</a> |
26 | </dt> |
27 | <dt> |
28 | <a href="#sec3">The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul</a> |
29 | </dt> |
30 | </dl> |
31 | </dd> |
32 | <dt> |
33 | <a href="#sec4">Aeschylus</a> |
34 | </dt> |
35 | <dd> |
36 | <dl> |
37 | <dt> |
38 | <a href="#sec5">Oresteia</a> |
39 | </dt> |
40 | <dt> |
41 | <a href="#sec6">Prometheus Bound</a> |
42 | </dt> |
43 | <dt> |
44 | <a href="#sec7">The Persians</a> |
45 | </dt> |
46 | </dl> |
47 | </dd> |
48 | <dt> |
49 | <a href="#sec8">John Allison</a> |
50 | </dt> |
51 | <dd> |
52 | <dl> |
53 | <dt> |
54 | <a href="#sec9">Looks, Brains and Everything</a> |
55 | </dt> |
56 | <dt> |
57 | <a href="#sec10">Blame the Sky</a> |
58 | </dt> |
59 | <dt> |
60 | <a href="#sec11">Skellington</a> |
61 | </dt> |
62 | <dt> |
63 | <a href="#sec12">The Retribution Index</a> |
64 | </dt> |
65 | <dt> |
66 | <a href="#sec13">Great Aches</a> |
67 | </dt> |
68 | <dt> |
69 | <a href="#sec14">Ahoy Hoy!</a> |
70 | </dt> |
71 | <dt> |
72 | <a href="#sec15">Heavy Metal Hearts and Flowers</a> |
73 | </dt> |
74 | <dt> |
75 | <a href="#sec16">Ghosts</a> |
76 | </dt> |
77 | </dl> |
78 | </dd> |
79 | <dt> |
5f1212da |
80 | <a href="#sec17">Anonymous</a> |
1509746a |
81 | </dt> |
82 | <dd> |
83 | <dl> |
84 | <dt> |
5f1212da |
85 | <a href="#sec18">Chymical Wedding of Christian Rosenkreutz</a> |
1509746a |
86 | </dt> |
5f1212da |
87 | </dl> |
88 | </dd> |
89 | <dt> |
90 | <a href="#sec19">Aristophanes</a> |
91 | </dt> |
92 | <dd> |
93 | <dl> |
1509746a |
94 | <dt> |
5f1212da |
95 | <a href="#sec20">The Frogs</a> |
1509746a |
96 | </dt> |
97 | <dt> |
5f1212da |
98 | <a href="#sec21">The Clouds</a> |
99 | </dt> |
100 | <dt> |
101 | <a href="#sec22">Ecclesiazusae</a> |
1509746a |
102 | </dt> |
103 | </dl> |
104 | </dd> |
105 | <dt> |
5f1212da |
106 | <a href="#sec23">Aristotle</a> |
1509746a |
107 | </dt> |
108 | <dd> |
109 | <dl> |
110 | <dt> |
5f1212da |
111 | <a href="#sec24">Ethics</a> |
1509746a |
112 | </dt> |
113 | <dt> |
5f1212da |
114 | <a href="#sec25">Categories</a> |
1509746a |
115 | </dt> |
116 | <dt> |
5f1212da |
117 | <a href="#sec26">Poetics</a> |
1509746a |
118 | </dt> |
119 | <dt> |
5f1212da |
120 | <a href="#sec27">Rhetoric</a> |
1509746a |
121 | </dt> |
122 | </dl> |
123 | </dd> |
124 | <dt> |
5f1212da |
125 | <a href="#sec28">Marcus Aurelius</a> |
1509746a |
126 | </dt> |
127 | <dd> |
128 | <dl> |
129 | <dt> |
5f1212da |
130 | <a href="#sec29">Meditations</a> |
1509746a |
131 | </dt> |
132 | </dl> |
133 | </dd> |
134 | <dt> |
5f1212da |
135 | <a href="#sec30">William Blake</a> |
1509746a |
136 | </dt> |
137 | <dd> |
138 | <dl> |
139 | <dt> |
5f1212da |
140 | <a href="#sec31">The Four Zoas</a> |
1509746a |
141 | </dt> |
142 | <dt> |
5f1212da |
143 | <a href="#sec32">Jerusalem</a> |
1509746a |
144 | </dt> |
145 | </dl> |
146 | </dd> |
147 | <dt> |
5f1212da |
148 | <a href="#sec33">Mike Carey</a> |
1509746a |
149 | </dt> |
150 | <dd> |
151 | <dl> |
152 | <dt> |
5f1212da |
153 | <a href="#sec34">Lucifer (series)</a> |
1509746a |
154 | </dt> |
155 | </dl> |
156 | </dd> |
157 | <dt> |
5f1212da |
158 | <a href="#sec35">Confucius</a> |
1509746a |
159 | </dt> |
160 | <dd> |
161 | <dl> |
162 | <dt> |
5f1212da |
163 | <a href="#sec36">Analects</a> |
1509746a |
164 | </dt> |
165 | </dl> |
166 | </dd> |
167 | <dt> |
5f1212da |
168 | <a href="#sec37">Neil Gaiman</a> |
1509746a |
169 | </dt> |
170 | <dd> |
171 | <dl> |
172 | <dt> |
5f1212da |
173 | <a href="#sec38">The Sandman (series)</a> |
1509746a |
174 | </dt> |
175 | </dl> |
176 | </dd> |
177 | <dt> |
5f1212da |
178 | <a href="#sec39">John Taylor Gatto</a> |
1509746a |
179 | </dt> |
180 | <dd> |
181 | <dl> |
182 | <dt> |
5f1212da |
183 | <a href="#sec40">Underground History of American Education</a> |
1509746a |
184 | </dt> |
5f1212da |
185 | </dl> |
186 | </dd> |
1509746a |
187 | <dt> |
5f1212da |
188 | <a href="#sec41">Kahlil Gibran</a> |
189 | </dt> |
190 | <dd> |
191 | <dl> |
192 | <dt> |
193 | <a href="#sec42">A Tear and a Smile</a> |
194 | </dt> |
195 | <dt> |
196 | <a href="#sec43">The Prophet</a> |
1509746a |
197 | </dt> |
198 | <dt> |
5f1212da |
199 | <a href="#sec44">Sand and Foam</a> |
1509746a |
200 | </dt> |
201 | <dt> |
5f1212da |
202 | <a href="#sec45">The Madman</a> |
1509746a |
203 | </dt> |
204 | </dl> |
205 | </dd> |
206 | <dt> |
5f1212da |
207 | <a href="#sec46">Homer</a> |
1509746a |
208 | </dt> |
209 | <dd> |
210 | <dl> |
211 | <dt> |
5f1212da |
212 | <a href="#sec47">The Odyssey</a> |
1509746a |
213 | </dt> |
214 | </dl> |
215 | </dd> |
216 | <dt> |
5f1212da |
217 | <a href="#sec48">Aldous Huxley</a> |
1509746a |
218 | </dt> |
219 | <dd> |
220 | <dl> |
221 | <dt> |
5f1212da |
222 | <a href="#sec49">The Doors of Perception</a> |
1509746a |
223 | </dt> |
224 | <dt> |
5f1212da |
225 | <a href="#sec50">Heaven and Hell</a> |
1509746a |
226 | </dt> |
227 | </dl> |
228 | </dd> |
229 | <dt> |
5f1212da |
230 | <a href="#sec51">William James</a> |
1509746a |
231 | </dt> |
232 | <dd> |
233 | <dl> |
234 | <dt> |
5f1212da |
235 | <a href="#sec52">The Varieties of Religious Experience</a> |
1509746a |
236 | </dt> |
237 | <dt> |
5f1212da |
238 | <a href="#sec53">The PhD Octopus</a> |
1509746a |
239 | </dt> |
240 | </dl> |
241 | </dd> |
242 | <dt> |
5f1212da |
243 | <a href="#sec54">Henry James</a> |
1509746a |
244 | </dt> |
245 | <dd> |
246 | <dl> |
247 | <dt> |
5f1212da |
248 | <a href="#sec55">The Altar of the Dead</a> |
1509746a |
249 | </dt> |
250 | </dl> |
251 | </dd> |
252 | <dt> |
5f1212da |
253 | <a href="#sec56">Gregor Kiczales</a> |
1509746a |
254 | </dt> |
255 | <dd> |
256 | <dl> |
257 | <dt> |
5f1212da |
258 | <a href="#sec57">The Art of the Metaobject Protocol</a> |
1509746a |
259 | </dt> |
260 | </dl> |
261 | </dd> |
262 | <dt> |
5f1212da |
263 | <a href="#sec58">Søren Kierkegaard</a> |
1509746a |
264 | </dt> |
265 | <dd> |
266 | <dl> |
267 | <dt> |
5f1212da |
268 | <a href="#sec59">Sickness Unto Death</a> |
1509746a |
269 | </dt> |
270 | <dt> |
5f1212da |
271 | <a href="#sec60">Either/Or</a> |
1509746a |
272 | </dt> |
273 | <dt> |
5f1212da |
274 | <a href="#sec61">Fear and Trembling</a> |
1509746a |
275 | </dt> |
276 | <dt> |
5f1212da |
277 | <a href="#sec62">Repetition</a> |
1509746a |
278 | </dt> |
279 | </dl> |
280 | </dd> |
281 | <dt> |
5f1212da |
282 | <a href="#sec63">Alisa Kwitney</a> |
1509746a |
283 | </dt> |
5f1212da |
284 | <dd> |
285 | <dl> |
1509746a |
286 | <dt> |
5f1212da |
287 | <a href="#sec64">Destiny: A Chronicle of Deaths Foretold</a> |
288 | </dt> |
289 | </dl> |
290 | </dd> |
291 | <dt> |
292 | <a href="#sec65">David Lamkins</a> |
293 | </dt> |
294 | <dd> |
295 | <dl> |
296 | <dt> |
297 | <a href="#sec66">Successful Lisp</a> |
298 | </dt> |
299 | </dl> |
300 | </dd> |
301 | <dt> |
302 | <a href="#sec67">Mencius</a> |
1509746a |
303 | </dt> |
304 | <dd> |
305 | <dl> |
306 | <dt> |
5f1212da |
307 | <a href="#sec68">Mencius</a> |
1509746a |
308 | </dt> |
309 | </dl> |
310 | </dd> |
311 | <dt> |
5f1212da |
312 | <a href="#sec69">Walter Miller</a> |
1509746a |
313 | </dt> |
314 | <dd> |
315 | <dl> |
316 | <dt> |
5f1212da |
317 | <a href="#sec70">A Canticle for Leibowitz</a> |
1509746a |
318 | </dt> |
319 | </dl> |
320 | </dd> |
321 | <dt> |
5f1212da |
322 | <a href="#sec71">Alan Moore</a> |
1509746a |
323 | </dt> |
324 | <dd> |
325 | <dl> |
326 | <dt> |
5f1212da |
327 | <a href="#sec72">Watchmen</a> |
1509746a |
328 | </dt> |
329 | <dt> |
5f1212da |
330 | <a href="#sec73">V for Vendetta</a> |
1509746a |
331 | </dt> |
332 | </dl> |
333 | </dd> |
334 | <dt> |
5f1212da |
335 | <a href="#sec74">Thomas More</a> |
1509746a |
336 | </dt> |
337 | <dd> |
338 | <dl> |
339 | <dt> |
5f1212da |
340 | <a href="#sec75">Utopia</a> |
1509746a |
341 | </dt> |
342 | </dl> |
343 | </dd> |
344 | <dt> |
5f1212da |
345 | <a href="#sec76">Friedrich Nietzsche</a> |
1509746a |
346 | </dt> |
347 | <dd> |
348 | <dl> |
349 | <dt> |
5f1212da |
350 | <a href="#sec77">Beyond Good and Evil</a> |
1509746a |
351 | </dt> |
352 | <dt> |
5f1212da |
353 | <a href="#sec78">On the Geneaology of Morals</a> |
1509746a |
354 | </dt> |
355 | <dt> |
5f1212da |
356 | <a href="#sec79">Ecce Homo</a> |
1509746a |
357 | </dt> |
358 | </dl> |
359 | </dd> |
360 | <dt> |
5f1212da |
361 | <a href="#sec80">George Orwell</a> |
1509746a |
362 | </dt> |
363 | <dd> |
364 | <dl> |
365 | <dt> |
5f1212da |
366 | <a href="#sec81">1984</a> |
1509746a |
367 | </dt> |
368 | <dt> |
5f1212da |
369 | <a href="#sec82">Animal Farm</a> |
1509746a |
370 | </dt> |
371 | </dl> |
372 | </dd> |
373 | <dt> |
5f1212da |
374 | <a href="#sec83">Plato</a> |
1509746a |
375 | </dt> |
376 | <dd> |
377 | <dl> |
378 | <dt> |
5f1212da |
379 | <a href="#sec84">Symposium</a> |
1509746a |
380 | </dt> |
381 | <dt> |
5f1212da |
382 | <a href="#sec85">Euthyphro</a> |
1509746a |
383 | </dt> |
384 | <dt> |
5f1212da |
385 | <a href="#sec86">Apology</a> |
1509746a |
386 | </dt> |
387 | <dt> |
5f1212da |
388 | <a href="#sec87">Crito</a> |
1509746a |
389 | </dt> |
390 | <dt> |
5f1212da |
391 | <a href="#sec88">Phaedo</a> |
1509746a |
392 | </dt> |
393 | <dt> |
5f1212da |
394 | <a href="#sec89">Protagoras</a> |
1509746a |
395 | </dt> |
396 | </dl> |
397 | </dd> |
398 | <dt> |
5f1212da |
399 | <a href="#sec90">Luke Rhinehardt</a> |
1509746a |
400 | </dt> |
401 | <dd> |
402 | <dl> |
403 | <dt> |
5f1212da |
404 | <a href="#sec91">The Dice Man</a> |
1509746a |
405 | </dt> |
406 | </dl> |
407 | </dd> |
408 | <dt> |
5f1212da |
409 | <a href="#sec92">Neal Stephenson</a> |
1509746a |
410 | </dt> |
411 | <dd> |
412 | <dl> |
413 | <dt> |
5f1212da |
414 | <a href="#sec93">Snow Crash</a> |
1509746a |
415 | </dt> |
416 | <dt> |
5f1212da |
417 | <a href="#sec94">Cryptonomicon</a> |
1509746a |
418 | </dt> |
419 | </dl> |
420 | </dd> |
421 | <dt> |
5f1212da |
422 | <a href="#sec95">Bjarne Stroustrup</a> |
1509746a |
423 | </dt> |
424 | <dd> |
425 | <dl> |
426 | <dt> |
5f1212da |
427 | <a href="#sec96">The C++ Programming Language (3rd edition)</a> |
1509746a |
428 | </dt> |
429 | </dl> |
430 | </dd> |
431 | <dt> |
5f1212da |
432 | <a href="#sec97">JRR Tolkien</a> |
1509746a |
433 | </dt> |
434 | <dd> |
435 | <dl> |
436 | <dt> |
5f1212da |
437 | <a href="#sec98">The Lord of the Rings</a> |
1509746a |
438 | </dt> |
439 | <dt> |
5f1212da |
440 | <a href="#sec99">The Silmarillion</a> |
1509746a |
441 | </dt> |
442 | <dt> |
5f1212da |
443 | <a href="#sec100">The Lost Tales</a> |
1509746a |
444 | </dt> |
445 | </dl> |
446 | </dd> |
447 | <dt> |
5f1212da |
448 | <a href="#sec101">H.G. Wells</a> |
1509746a |
449 | </dt> |
450 | <dd> |
451 | <dl> |
452 | <dt> |
5f1212da |
453 | <a href="#sec102">The Island of Dr Moreau</a> |
1509746a |
454 | </dt> |
455 | </dl> |
456 | </dd> |
023ad63c |
457 | </dl> |
458 | </div> |
459 | |
460 | |
1509746a |
461 | <!-- Page published by Emacs Muse begins here --><h2><a name="sec1" id="sec1"></a> |
462 | Douglas Adams</h2> |
463 | |
464 | |
465 | |
466 | <h3><a name="sec2" id="sec2"></a> |
467 | Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy (collected)</h3> |
468 | |
469 | <p><em>Rating:</em> <span class="rating-good"> ••••••••</span><span class="rating-bad">•• </span> (8) / <em>Fiction</em></p> |
470 | |
471 | |
472 | |
473 | |
474 | |
475 | <h3><a name="sec3" id="sec3"></a> |
476 | The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul</h3> |
477 | |
478 | <p><em>Rating:</em> <span class="rating-good"> ••••••</span><span class="rating-bad">•••• </span> (6) / <em>Fiction</em></p> |
479 | |
480 | |
481 | |
482 | |
483 | |
484 | |
485 | <h2><a name="sec4" id="sec4"></a> |
486 | Aeschylus</h2> |
487 | |
488 | |
489 | |
490 | <h3><a name="sec5" id="sec5"></a> |
491 | Oresteia</h3> |
492 | |
493 | <p><em>Rating:</em> <span class="rating-good"> ••••••••••</span><span class="rating-bad"> </span> (10) / <em>Fiction</em></p> |
494 | |
495 | |
496 | |
497 | |
498 | |
499 | <h3><a name="sec6" id="sec6"></a> |
500 | Prometheus Bound</h3> |
501 | |
502 | <p><em>Rating:</em> <span class="rating-good"> •••••••••</span><span class="rating-bad">• </span> (9) / <em>Fiction</em></p> |
503 | |
504 | |
505 | |
506 | |
507 | |
508 | <h3><a name="sec7" id="sec7"></a> |
509 | The Persians</h3> |
510 | |
511 | <p><em>Rating:</em> <span class="rating-good"> ••••••••</span><span class="rating-bad">•• </span> (8) / <em>Fiction</em></p> |
512 | |
513 | |
514 | |
515 | |
516 | |
517 | |
518 | <h2><a name="sec8" id="sec8"></a> |
519 | John Allison</h2> |
520 | |
5f1212da |
521 | <p class="first">The author of the rather amazing <a href="http://scarygoround.com">Scary Go Round</a>. |
1509746a |
522 | I highly recommend procuring the printed collections; the printing |
523 | quality is superb (full color on glossy paper), and the long story |
524 | arcs are much easier to read.</p> |
525 | |
526 | <h3><a name="sec9" id="sec9"></a> |
527 | Looks, Brains and Everything</h3> |
528 | |
529 | <p><em>Fiction</em></p> |
530 | |
531 | |
532 | |
533 | |
534 | |
535 | <h3><a name="sec10" id="sec10"></a> |
536 | Blame the Sky</h3> |
537 | |
538 | <p><em>Fiction</em></p> |
539 | |
540 | |
541 | |
542 | |
543 | |
544 | <h3><a name="sec11" id="sec11"></a> |
545 | Skellington</h3> |
546 | |
547 | <p><em>Fiction</em></p> |
548 | |
549 | |
550 | |
551 | |
552 | |
553 | <h3><a name="sec12" id="sec12"></a> |
554 | The Retribution Index</h3> |
555 | |
556 | <p><em>Fiction</em></p> |
557 | |
558 | |
559 | |
560 | |
561 | |
562 | <h3><a name="sec13" id="sec13"></a> |
563 | Great Aches</h3> |
564 | |
565 | <p><em>Fiction</em></p> |
566 | |
567 | |
568 | |
569 | |
570 | |
571 | <h3><a name="sec14" id="sec14"></a> |
572 | Ahoy Hoy!</h3> |
573 | |
574 | <p><em>Fiction</em></p> |
575 | |
576 | |
577 | |
578 | |
579 | |
580 | <h3><a name="sec15" id="sec15"></a> |
581 | Heavy Metal Hearts and Flowers</h3> |
582 | |
583 | <p><em>Fiction</em></p> |
584 | |
585 | |
586 | |
587 | |
588 | |
589 | <h3><a name="sec16" id="sec16"></a> |
590 | Ghosts</h3> |
591 | |
592 | <p><em>Fiction</em></p> |
593 | |
594 | |
595 | |
596 | |
597 | |
598 | |
599 | <h2><a name="sec17" id="sec17"></a> |
5f1212da |
600 | Anonymous</h2> |
1509746a |
601 | |
602 | |
603 | |
604 | <h3><a name="sec18" id="sec18"></a> |
5f1212da |
605 | Chymical Wedding of Christian Rosenkreutz</h3> |
606 | |
607 | <p><em>Fiction</em></p> |
608 | |
609 | |
610 | |
611 | |
612 | |
613 | |
614 | <h2><a name="sec19" id="sec19"></a> |
615 | Aristophanes</h2> |
616 | |
617 | |
618 | |
619 | <h3><a name="sec20" id="sec20"></a> |
1509746a |
620 | The Frogs</h3> |
621 | |
622 | <p><em>Fiction</em></p> |
623 | |
624 | |
625 | |
626 | |
627 | |
5f1212da |
628 | <h3><a name="sec21" id="sec21"></a> |
1509746a |
629 | The Clouds</h3> |
630 | |
631 | <p><em>Fiction</em></p> |
632 | |
633 | |
634 | |
635 | |
636 | |
5f1212da |
637 | <h3><a name="sec22" id="sec22"></a> |
1509746a |
638 | Ecclesiazusae</h3> |
639 | |
640 | <p><em>Fiction</em></p> |
641 | |
642 | |
643 | |
644 | |
645 | |
646 | |
5f1212da |
647 | <h2><a name="sec23" id="sec23"></a> |
1509746a |
648 | Aristotle</h2> |
649 | |
650 | |
651 | |
5f1212da |
652 | <h3><a name="sec24" id="sec24"></a> |
1509746a |
653 | Ethics</h3> |
654 | |
655 | <p><em>Nonfiction</em></p> |
656 | |
657 | |
658 | |
659 | |
660 | |
5f1212da |
661 | <h3><a name="sec25" id="sec25"></a> |
1509746a |
662 | Categories</h3> |
663 | |
664 | <p><em>Nonfiction</em></p> |
665 | |
666 | |
667 | |
668 | |
669 | |
5f1212da |
670 | <h3><a name="sec26" id="sec26"></a> |
1509746a |
671 | Poetics</h3> |
672 | |
673 | <p><em>Nonfiction</em></p> |
674 | |
675 | |
676 | |
677 | |
678 | |
5f1212da |
679 | <h3><a name="sec27" id="sec27"></a> |
1509746a |
680 | Rhetoric</h3> |
681 | |
682 | <p><em>Nonfiction</em></p> |
683 | |
684 | |
685 | |
686 | |
687 | |
688 | |
5f1212da |
689 | <h2><a name="sec28" id="sec28"></a> |
1509746a |
690 | Marcus Aurelius</h2> |
691 | |
692 | |
693 | |
5f1212da |
694 | <h3><a name="sec29" id="sec29"></a> |
1509746a |
695 | Meditations</h3> |
696 | |
697 | <p><em>Rating:</em> <span class="rating-good"> ••••</span><span class="rating-bad">•••••• </span> (4) / <em>Nonfiction</em></p> |
698 | |
699 | <p>At the time, I enjoyed reading this collection of meditations on |
700 | Stoic philosophy, and it was a fairly quick read (fifteen minutes a |
701 | day over the course of two weeks for me). Nowadays I've read |
702 | Epictetus, and I suggest reading his <em>Discourses</em> instead.</p> |
703 | |
704 | |
705 | |
706 | |
5f1212da |
707 | <h2><a name="sec30" id="sec30"></a> |
1509746a |
708 | William Blake</h2> |
709 | |
710 | <p class="first">Blake is my <a href="William%20Blake.html">favorite</a> of the English poets. His |
711 | unique use of relief etching and watercoloring makes for very |
712 | interesting Illuminated works. There is a very high quality |
713 | <a href="http://blakearchive.org">complete archive of Blake's works</a> online |
714 | with high resolution plate scans and full transcriptions among other |
715 | things.</p> |
716 | |
5f1212da |
717 | <h3><a name="sec31" id="sec31"></a> |
1509746a |
718 | The Four Zoas</h3> |
719 | |
720 | <p><em>Rating:</em> <span class="rating-good"> ••••••••••</span><span class="rating-bad"> </span> (10) / <em>Fiction</em></p> |
721 | |
722 | <p>The unfinished manuscript of Blake's longest apocalypse. The |
723 | Four Zoas divide from Albion and rage through the ages of dismal woe |
724 | to bring about the end of the cycle of Ulro and restore the cycle of |
725 | Beulah.</p> |
726 | |
727 | |
728 | |
5f1212da |
729 | <h3><a name="sec32" id="sec32"></a> |
1509746a |
730 | Jerusalem</h3> |
731 | |
732 | <p><em>Rating:</em> <span class="rating-good"> ••••••••••</span><span class="rating-bad"> </span> (10) / <em>Fiction</em></p> |
733 | |
734 | <p>The finest of Blake's Illuminated works.</p> |
735 | |
736 | |
737 | |
738 | |
5f1212da |
739 | <h2><a name="sec33" id="sec33"></a> |
740 | Mike Carey</h2> |
741 | |
742 | |
743 | |
744 | <h3><a name="sec34" id="sec34"></a> |
745 | Lucifer (series)</h3> |
746 | |
747 | <p><em>Rating:</em> <span class="rating-good"> ••••••</span><span class="rating-bad">•••• </span> (6) / <em>Fiction</em></p> |
748 | |
749 | <p>Of the <em>Sandman</em> spinoffs, <em>Lucifer</em> stands out as the best for |
750 | the first half, but then the writer appears to take on far too great a |
751 | task, and, with the introduction of some disagreeable character |
752 | relations, fails to execute the story as well as it could have |
753 | been. Still, it was worth reading to the end even though most of the |
754 | stories after issue 35 or so were merely ok. If you like Kierkegaard I |
755 | suggest issues 2, 3, and 62—they show the form of the incommensurable |
756 | relation of the single individual to the absolute perfectly.</p> |
757 | |
758 | |
759 | |
760 | |
761 | <h2><a name="sec35" id="sec35"></a> |
1509746a |
762 | Confucius</h2> |
763 | |
764 | |
765 | |
5f1212da |
766 | <h3><a name="sec36" id="sec36"></a> |
1509746a |
767 | Analects</h3> |
768 | |
769 | <p><em>Nonfiction</em></p> |
770 | |
771 | |
772 | |
773 | |
774 | |
775 | |
5f1212da |
776 | <h2><a name="sec37" id="sec37"></a> |
1509746a |
777 | Neil Gaiman</h2> |
778 | |
779 | |
780 | |
5f1212da |
781 | <h3><a name="sec38" id="sec38"></a> |
1509746a |
782 | The Sandman (series)</h3> |
783 | |
784 | <p><em>Rating:</em> <span class="rating-good"> ••••••••••</span><span class="rating-bad"> </span> (10) / <em>Fiction</em></p> |
785 | |
786 | <p>Perhaps the best comic book series of all time; I would say <em>The |
787 | Sandman</em> as a whole ranks higher than anything even Alan Moore has |
788 | written.</p> |
789 | |
790 | |
791 | |
792 | |
5f1212da |
793 | <h2><a name="sec39" id="sec39"></a> |
1509746a |
794 | John Taylor Gatto</h2> |
795 | |
796 | <p class="first">Former teacher and now author-activist.</p> |
797 | |
5f1212da |
798 | <h3><a name="sec40" id="sec40"></a> |
1509746a |
799 | Underground History of American Education</h3> |
800 | |
801 | <p><em>Rating:</em> <span class="rating-good"> •••••••••</span><span class="rating-bad">• </span> (9) / <em>Nonfiction</em></p> |
802 | |
803 | <p>An interesting <em>underground</em> history of the American education |
804 | system. Available |
805 | <a href="http://www.johntaylorgatto.com/underground/">online for free</a>.</p> |
806 | |
807 | |
808 | |
809 | |
5f1212da |
810 | <h2><a name="sec41" id="sec41"></a> |
1509746a |
811 | Kahlil Gibran</h2> |
812 | |
813 | <p class="first">Kahlil Gibran is fairly interesting; his earlier works do not |
814 | agree with my æsthetic sense (blah blah), but <em>The Madman</em> onward are |
815 | all rather nice. A few of his works are |
816 | <a href="http://leb.net/~mira/">online</a>, but I recommend scouting used book |
817 | stores for old hardcover editions. The (late 90s onward at least) |
818 | <em>hardcover</em> versions from <em>Alfred A. Knopf</em> are in fact permabound |
819 | paperbacks with a hardcasing, and are of seriously inferior quality to |
820 | the editions from the 50s and 60s (and cost quite a bit more, |
821 | naturally).</p> |
822 | |
5f1212da |
823 | <h3><a name="sec42" id="sec42"></a> |
1509746a |
824 | A Tear and a Smile</h3> |
825 | |
826 | <p><em>Rating:</em> <span class="rating-good"> •••</span><span class="rating-bad">••••••• </span> (3) / <em>Fiction</em></p> |
827 | |
828 | <p>One of Kahlil Gibran's earlier works, I did not much like <em>A |
829 | Tear and a Smile</em> excepting the last poem ("A Poet's Voice").</p> |
830 | |
831 | |
832 | |
5f1212da |
833 | <h3><a name="sec43" id="sec43"></a> |
1509746a |
834 | The Prophet</h3> |
835 | |
836 | <p><em>Rating:</em> <span class="rating-good"> •••••••••</span><span class="rating-bad">• </span> (9) / <em>Fiction</em></p> |
837 | |
838 | |
839 | |
840 | |
841 | |
5f1212da |
842 | <h3><a name="sec44" id="sec44"></a> |
1509746a |
843 | Sand and Foam</h3> |
844 | |
845 | <p><em>Rating:</em> <span class="rating-good"> •••••••</span><span class="rating-bad">••• </span> (7) / <em>Fiction</em></p> |
846 | |
847 | <p>An interesting little book of aphorisms.</p> |
848 | |
849 | |
850 | |
5f1212da |
851 | <h3><a name="sec45" id="sec45"></a> |
1509746a |
852 | The Madman</h3> |
853 | |
854 | <p><em>Rating:</em> <span class="rating-good"> ••••••••</span><span class="rating-bad">•• </span> (8) / <em>Fiction</em></p> |
855 | |
856 | |
857 | |
858 | |
859 | |
860 | |
5f1212da |
861 | <h2><a name="sec46" id="sec46"></a> |
1509746a |
862 | Homer</h2> |
863 | |
864 | |
865 | |
5f1212da |
866 | <h3><a name="sec47" id="sec47"></a> |
1509746a |
867 | The Odyssey</h3> |
868 | |
869 | <p><em>Rating:</em> <span class="rating-good"> ••••••••••</span><span class="rating-bad"> </span> (10) / <em>Fiction</em></p> |
870 | |
871 | |
872 | |
873 | |
874 | |
875 | |
5f1212da |
876 | <h2><a name="sec48" id="sec48"></a> |
1509746a |
877 | Aldous Huxley</h2> |
878 | |
879 | <p class="first">Perhaps the most overrated modern writer. Other people have written |
880 | everything he has to write better and many years before he got around |
881 | to it.</p> |
882 | |
5f1212da |
883 | <h3><a name="sec49" id="sec49"></a> |
1509746a |
884 | The Doors of Perception</h3> |
885 | |
886 | <p><em>Rating:</em> <span class="rating-good"> </span><span class="rating-bad">•••••••••• </span> (0) / <em>Nonfiction</em></p> |
887 | |
888 | <p>Huxley stains the name of Blake by naming this horrible |
889 | pseudo-scientific and pseudo-poetic essay after a line from <em>The |
890 | Marriage of Heaven and Hell</em>. Subjectivity and objectivity are |
891 | incommensurable; his attempt and being subjectively objective is |
892 | utterly worthless.</p> |
893 | |
894 | |
895 | |
5f1212da |
896 | <h3><a name="sec50" id="sec50"></a> |
1509746a |
897 | Heaven and Hell</h3> |
898 | |
899 | <p><em>Rating:</em> <span class="rating-good"> </span><span class="rating-bad">•••••••••• </span> (0) / <em>Nonfiction</em></p> |
900 | |
901 | <p>Blah blah LSD blah blah Mushrooms blah blah Peytoe blah blah I'm |
902 | Aldous Huxley I'm a pretentious jerk. Don't bother.</p> |
903 | |
904 | |
905 | |
906 | |
5f1212da |
907 | <h2><a name="sec51" id="sec51"></a> |
1509746a |
908 | William James</h2> |
909 | |
910 | |
911 | |
5f1212da |
912 | <h3><a name="sec52" id="sec52"></a> |
1509746a |
913 | The Varieties of Religious Experience</h3> |
914 | |
915 | <p><em>Rating:</em> <span class="rating-good"> •••••••</span><span class="rating-bad">••• </span> (7) / <em>Nonfiction</em></p> |
916 | |
917 | <p><a href="William%20James%20-%20The%20Varieties%20of%20Religious%20Experience.html">A partially finished extended summary</a></p> |
918 | |
919 | |
920 | |
5f1212da |
921 | <h3><a name="sec53" id="sec53"></a> |
1509746a |
922 | The PhD Octopus</h3> |
923 | |
924 | <p><em>Nonfiction</em></p> |
925 | |
926 | <blockquote> |
927 | <p class="quoted"> |
928 | America is thus as a nation rapidly drifting towards a state of things |
929 | in which no man of science or letters will be accounted respectable |
930 | unless some kind of badge or diploma is stamped upon him, and in which |
931 | bare personality will be a mark of outcast estate. It seems to me high |
932 | time to rouse ourselves to consciousness, and to cast a critical eye |
933 | upon this decidedly grotesque tendency. Other nations suffer terribly |
934 | from the Mandarin disease. Are we doomed to suffer like the rest?</p> |
935 | |
936 | </blockquote> |
937 | |
938 | <p><a href="William%20James%20-%20The%20PhD%20Octopus.html">Full Text</a></p> |
939 | |
940 | |
941 | |
942 | |
5f1212da |
943 | <h2><a name="sec54" id="sec54"></a> |
1509746a |
944 | Henry James</h2> |
945 | |
946 | <p class="first">The novelist brother of William James; I've not read many (read: |
947 | one) of his books, but what I did was decent.</p> |
948 | |
5f1212da |
949 | <h3><a name="sec55" id="sec55"></a> |
1509746a |
950 | The Altar of the Dead</h3> |
951 | |
952 | <p><em>Rating:</em> <span class="rating-good"> •••••••</span><span class="rating-bad">••• </span> (7) / <em>Fiction</em></p> |
953 | |
954 | <p>A short novella about a man who maintained an altar in a church |
955 | for all of his lost loved ones on the surface, but something a bit |
956 | more beneath.</p> |
957 | |
958 | |
959 | |
960 | |
5f1212da |
961 | <h2><a name="sec56" id="sec56"></a> |
1509746a |
962 | Gregor Kiczales</h2> |
963 | |
964 | |
965 | |
5f1212da |
966 | <h3><a name="sec57" id="sec57"></a> |
1509746a |
967 | The Art of the Metaobject Protocol</h3> |
968 | |
969 | <p><em>Rating:</em> <span class="rating-good"> ••••••••••</span><span class="rating-bad"> </span> (10) / <em>Nonfiction</em></p> |
970 | |
971 | <p>AMOP is useful as a reference to the CLOS MOP (although less so with |
972 | the online MOP spec), but the true value of the book lies in the first |
973 | half of the book. It presents the design of the CLOS MOP through a |
974 | series of revisions that fix limitations of earlier implementations |
975 | and gradually work toward a generic and well designed MOP for |
976 | CLOS. Through that process one is made more aware of a few general |
977 | object protocol design skills, and gains insight into how to cleanly |
978 | make mapping decisions customizable.</p> |
979 | |
980 | |
981 | |
982 | |
5f1212da |
983 | <h2><a name="sec58" id="sec58"></a> |
1509746a |
984 | Søren Kierkegaard</h2> |
985 | |
986 | <p class="first">Kierkegaard was a master of style and philosophy; his writing is |
987 | interesting even if one finds the theistic extentialism espoused |
988 | disagreeable.</p> |
989 | |
5f1212da |
990 | <h3><a name="sec59" id="sec59"></a> |
1509746a |
991 | Sickness Unto Death</h3> |
992 | |
993 | <p><em>Rating:</em> <span class="rating-good"> ••••••••••</span><span class="rating-bad"> </span> (10) / <em>Nonfiction</em></p> |
994 | |
995 | <p>I purchased this when I was looking through books at a store after |
996 | being unable to find the book I really wanted, and I must say that it |
997 | was better for me to have found this one.</p> |
998 | |
999 | <p>Contained within is a beautiful analysis of despair in the context of |
1000 | Christianity (really theism in general). Even if the argument offends, |
1001 | the presentation cannot. The dialectical nature of despair is |
1002 | reflected in every aspect of the work, and the method of presentation |
1003 | forces reflection.</p> |
1004 | |
1005 | |
1006 | |
5f1212da |
1007 | <h3><a name="sec60" id="sec60"></a> |
1509746a |
1008 | Either/Or</h3> |
1009 | |
1010 | <p><em>Rating:</em> <span class="rating-good"> ••••••••••</span><span class="rating-bad"> </span> (10) / <em>Nonfiction</em></p> |
1011 | |
1012 | <p>Composed of two portions, <em>Either/Or</em> is a rather lengthy but |
1013 | rewarding read. The first book is a series of essays and a diary of a |
1014 | young esthetician; the second is a pair of long letters from an older |
1015 | ethicist friend to this esthetician. You are then left to resolve the |
1016 | conflict between the views.</p> |
1017 | |
1018 | |
1019 | |
5f1212da |
1020 | <h3><a name="sec61" id="sec61"></a> |
1509746a |
1021 | Fear and Trembling</h3> |
1022 | |
1023 | <p><em>Nonfiction</em></p> |
1024 | |
1025 | <p>An interesting dialectical lyric contrasting Despair and Faith.</p> |
1026 | |
1027 | |
1028 | |
5f1212da |
1029 | <h3><a name="sec62" id="sec62"></a> |
1509746a |
1030 | Repetition</h3> |
1031 | |
1032 | <p><em>Rating:</em> <span class="rating-good"> ••••••••••</span><span class="rating-bad"> </span> (10) / <em>Nonfiction</em></p> |
1033 | |
1034 | <p>He who despairs of esthetic repetition gets none; he who despairs |
1035 | of ethical repetition receieves the esthetic. Is it true then that no |
1036 | repetition exists? Is transition all one can hope for?</p> |
1037 | |
1038 | |
1039 | |
1040 | |
5f1212da |
1041 | <h2><a name="sec63" id="sec63"></a> |
1042 | Alisa Kwitney</h2> |
1043 | |
1044 | |
1045 | |
1046 | <h3><a name="sec64" id="sec64"></a> |
1047 | Destiny: A Chronicle of Deaths Foretold</h3> |
1048 | |
1049 | <p><em>Rating:</em> <span class="rating-good"> ••••••••</span><span class="rating-bad">•• </span> (8) / <em>Fiction</em></p> |
1050 | |
1051 | |
1052 | |
1053 | |
1054 | |
1055 | |
1056 | <h2><a name="sec65" id="sec65"></a> |
1509746a |
1057 | David Lamkins</h2> |
1058 | |
1509746a |
1059 | |
1060 | |
5f1212da |
1061 | <h3><a name="sec66" id="sec66"></a> |
1062 | Successful Lisp</h3> |
1063 | |
1064 | <p><em>Rating:</em> <span class="rating-good"> ••••••••</span><span class="rating-bad">•• </span> (8) / <em>Nonfiction</em></p> |
1065 | |
1066 | <p>After learning Scheme, I read <em>Successful Lisp</em> and was able to |
1067 | pick up Common Lisp fairly easily.</p> |
1068 | |
1069 | |
1070 | |
1071 | |
1072 | <h2><a name="sec67" id="sec67"></a> |
1509746a |
1073 | Mencius</h2> |
1074 | |
1075 | |
1076 | |
5f1212da |
1077 | <h3><a name="sec68" id="sec68"></a> |
1509746a |
1078 | Mencius</h3> |
1079 | |
1080 | <p><em>Nonfiction</em></p> |
1081 | |
1082 | |
1083 | |
1084 | |
1085 | |
1086 | |
5f1212da |
1087 | <h2><a name="sec69" id="sec69"></a> |
1509746a |
1088 | Walter Miller</h2> |
1089 | |
1090 | |
1091 | |
5f1212da |
1092 | <h3><a name="sec70" id="sec70"></a> |
1509746a |
1093 | A Canticle for Leibowitz</h3> |
1094 | |
1095 | <p><em>Rating:</em> <span class="rating-good"> ••••••••••</span><span class="rating-bad"> </span> (10) / <em>Fiction</em></p> |
1096 | |
1097 | |
1098 | |
1099 | |
1100 | |
1101 | |
5f1212da |
1102 | <h2><a name="sec71" id="sec71"></a> |
1509746a |
1103 | Alan Moore</h2> |
1104 | |
1105 | |
1106 | |
5f1212da |
1107 | <h3><a name="sec72" id="sec72"></a> |
1509746a |
1108 | Watchmen</h3> |
1109 | |
1110 | <p><em>Rating:</em> <span class="rating-good"> ••••••••</span><span class="rating-bad">•• </span> (8) / <em>Fiction</em></p> |
1111 | |
1112 | |
1113 | |
1114 | |
1115 | |
5f1212da |
1116 | <h3><a name="sec73" id="sec73"></a> |
1509746a |
1117 | V for Vendetta</h3> |
1118 | |
1119 | <p><em>Rating:</em> <span class="rating-good"> ••••••••••</span><span class="rating-bad"> </span> (10) / <em>Fiction</em></p> |
1120 | |
1121 | |
1122 | |
1123 | |
1124 | |
1125 | |
5f1212da |
1126 | <h2><a name="sec74" id="sec74"></a> |
1509746a |
1127 | Thomas More</h2> |
1128 | |
1129 | |
1130 | |
5f1212da |
1131 | <h3><a name="sec75" id="sec75"></a> |
1509746a |
1132 | Utopia</h3> |
1133 | |
1134 | <p><em>Rating:</em> <span class="rating-good"> •••••••</span><span class="rating-bad">••• </span> (7) / <em>Fiction</em></p> |
1135 | |
1136 | <p>I read most of Utopia in high school with the TI-89 ebook reader, but |
1137 | the way the book was split up made it a bit difficult to grasp the |
1138 | overall structure. I found a copy at a used book store one day, and so |
1139 | I read it again, and found it much more comprehensible. It is a quick |
1140 | read, and decent piece of literature. The interesting social system |
1141 | espoused resembles resembles state communism (even if perhaps as a |
1142 | negative ideal), but with an strange blend of 14th century European |
1143 | social customs.</p> |
1144 | |
1145 | |
1146 | |
1147 | |
5f1212da |
1148 | <h2><a name="sec76" id="sec76"></a> |
1509746a |
1149 | Friedrich Nietzsche</h2> |
1150 | |
1151 | <p class="first">A bit acerbic and esoteric, Nietzsche is for me a good <em>secular</em> |
1152 | counterpart to Kierkegaard's theistic philosophy. Nietzsche's |
1153 | polemical works raise important questions for anyone who reads works |
1154 | on ethics. As such it is a shame that he has gotten a bad reputation |
1155 | by being read by far too many angsty teenagers who see (and relay) |
1156 | only Nietzsche the asshole rather than Nietzsche the master of the |
1157 | polemic.</p> |
1158 | |
5f1212da |
1159 | <h3><a name="sec77" id="sec77"></a> |
1509746a |
1160 | Beyond Good and Evil</h3> |
1161 | |
1162 | <p><em>Rating:</em> <span class="rating-good"> ••••••••</span><span class="rating-bad">•• </span> (8) / <em>Nonfiction</em></p> |
1163 | |
1164 | <p>A somewhat more comprehensible, if a bit less aesthetically |
1165 | pleasing, presentation of much of the philosophy found in <em>Thus Spoke |
1166 | Zarathustra</em> in the negative form. The final chapters are very |
1167 | important (not to detract from the value of the rest of the work) if |
1168 | one wishes to understand <em>On the Genealogy of Morals</em>.</p> |
1169 | |
1170 | |
1171 | |
5f1212da |
1172 | <h3><a name="sec78" id="sec78"></a> |
1509746a |
1173 | On the Geneaology of Morals</h3> |
1174 | |
1175 | <p><em>Rating:</em> <span class="rating-good"> •••••••••</span><span class="rating-bad">• </span> (9) / <em>Nonfiction</em></p> |
1176 | |
1177 | <p><em>On the Geneaology of Morals</em> is a wonderful book of three |
1178 | polemical essays on the origin of moral/ethic valuations, and the |
1179 | blindness of modern philosphers whose very thinking is tainted by |
1180 | these valuations unknowingly.</p> |
1181 | |
1182 | |
1183 | |
5f1212da |
1184 | <h3><a name="sec79" id="sec79"></a> |
1509746a |
1185 | Ecce Homo</h3> |
1186 | |
1187 | <p><em>Rating:</em> <span class="rating-good"> •••••••</span><span class="rating-bad">••• </span> (7) / <em>Nonfiction</em></p> |
1188 | |
1189 | <p><em>Ecce Homo</em> is Nietzsche's very strange autobiography and |
1190 | explanation of his own works. At points it is clear that it could have |
1191 | used a bit more editing (prevented by Nietzsche ... falling into a |
1192 | catatonic state and all), but is still a very useful book to read as |
1193 | Nietzsche explains the overall structure of his works.</p> |
1194 | |
1195 | |
1196 | |
1197 | |
5f1212da |
1198 | <h2><a name="sec80" id="sec80"></a> |
1509746a |
1199 | George Orwell</h2> |
1200 | |
1201 | |
1202 | |
5f1212da |
1203 | <h3><a name="sec81" id="sec81"></a> |
1509746a |
1204 | 1984</h3> |
1205 | |
1206 | <p><em>Rating:</em> <span class="rating-good"> ••••••••••</span><span class="rating-bad"> </span> (10) / <em>Fiction</em></p> |
1207 | |
1208 | |
1209 | |
1210 | |
1211 | |
5f1212da |
1212 | <h3><a name="sec82" id="sec82"></a> |
1509746a |
1213 | Animal Farm</h3> |
1214 | |
1215 | <p><em>Fiction</em></p> |
1216 | |
1217 | |
1218 | |
1219 | |
1220 | |
1221 | |
5f1212da |
1222 | <h2><a name="sec83" id="sec83"></a> |
1509746a |
1223 | Plato</h2> |
1224 | |
1225 | |
1226 | |
5f1212da |
1227 | <h3><a name="sec84" id="sec84"></a> |
1509746a |
1228 | Symposium</h3> |
1229 | |
1230 | <p><em>Fiction</em></p> |
1231 | |
1232 | |
1233 | |
1234 | |
1235 | |
5f1212da |
1236 | <h3><a name="sec85" id="sec85"></a> |
1509746a |
1237 | Euthyphro</h3> |
1238 | |
1239 | <p><em>Fiction</em></p> |
1240 | |
1241 | |
1242 | |
1243 | |
1244 | |
5f1212da |
1245 | <h3><a name="sec86" id="sec86"></a> |
1509746a |
1246 | Apology</h3> |
1247 | |
1248 | <p><em>Nonfiction</em></p> |
1249 | |
1250 | |
1251 | |
1252 | |
1253 | |
5f1212da |
1254 | <h3><a name="sec87" id="sec87"></a> |
1509746a |
1255 | Crito</h3> |
1256 | |
1257 | <p><em>Fiction</em></p> |
1258 | |
1259 | |
1260 | |
1261 | |
1262 | |
5f1212da |
1263 | <h3><a name="sec88" id="sec88"></a> |
1509746a |
1264 | Phaedo</h3> |
1265 | |
1266 | <p><em>Rating:</em> <span class="rating-good"> ••••••••••</span><span class="rating-bad"> </span> (10) / <em>Nonfiction</em></p> |
1267 | |
1268 | |
1269 | |
1270 | |
1271 | |
5f1212da |
1272 | <h3><a name="sec89" id="sec89"></a> |
1509746a |
1273 | Protagoras</h3> |
1274 | |
1275 | <p><em>Fiction</em></p> |
1276 | |
1277 | |
1278 | |
1279 | |
1280 | |
1281 | |
5f1212da |
1282 | <h2><a name="sec90" id="sec90"></a> |
1509746a |
1283 | Luke Rhinehardt</h2> |
1284 | |
1285 | |
1286 | |
5f1212da |
1287 | <h3><a name="sec91" id="sec91"></a> |
1509746a |
1288 | The Dice Man</h3> |
1289 | |
1290 | <p><em>Rating:</em> <span class="rating-good"> •••••••</span><span class="rating-bad">••• </span> (7) / <em>Fiction</em></p> |
1291 | |
1292 | <blockquote> |
1293 | <p class="quoted"> |
1294 | And it's his illusions about what |
1295 | constitutes the real world which are |
1296 | inhibiting him... |
1297 | His reality, his reason, his society |
1298 | ...these are what must be destroyed</p> |
1299 | |
1300 | </blockquote> |
1301 | |
1302 | <p>A quotation from one of my <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slaughter_of_the_Soul">favorite metal songs</a> inspired me to grab |
1303 | this book; at worst it would be a waste of time. Much reward was found |
1304 | in this random stab in the dark. The book is framed as an |
1305 | autobiography of the author as a psychoanalyst, and his progression |
1306 | through life as a Dice Man after deciding to live his life through |
1307 | random chance.</p> |
1308 | |
1309 | <p>The style, plot, and content are equally neurotic; part comedy, part |
1310 | attack on psychoanalysis, and part deep philosophy. It was often |
1311 | difficult to put down, and was read in under a week of spare time.</p> |
1312 | |
1313 | |
1314 | |
1315 | |
5f1212da |
1316 | <h2><a name="sec92" id="sec92"></a> |
1509746a |
1317 | Neal Stephenson</h2> |
1318 | |
1319 | |
1320 | |
5f1212da |
1321 | <h3><a name="sec93" id="sec93"></a> |
1509746a |
1322 | Snow Crash</h3> |
1323 | |
1324 | <p><em>Rating:</em> <span class="rating-good"> •••••••••</span><span class="rating-bad">• </span> (9) / <em>Fiction</em></p> |
1325 | |
1326 | <p>As one must read the <em>Bible</em> to understand English literature, so one |
1327 | must read <em>Snow Crash</em> today to be a nerd. In the realm of modern pop |
1328 | fiction this is one of the better books I've read; it was devoured in |
1329 | a mere four nights. Neal Stepheson may not be Milton, but he does come |
1330 | up with enganging tales. <em>Snow Crash</em> has a nice undertone of (quite |
1331 | accurate) political and social commentary that makes it worth reading |
1332 | as more than mere cyberpunk fiction.</p> |
1333 | |
1334 | |
1335 | |
5f1212da |
1336 | <h3><a name="sec94" id="sec94"></a> |
1509746a |
1337 | Cryptonomicon</h3> |
1338 | |
1339 | <p><em>Rating:</em> <span class="rating-good"> ••••••••</span><span class="rating-bad">•• </span> (8) / <em>Fiction</em></p> |
1340 | |
1341 | <p>I read <em>Cryptonomicon</em> when it was new, and at the time I thought it was |
1342 | good. It could have lost a hundred or so pages without detracting from |
1343 | the plot, but it was easy reading and didn't take very long to |
1344 | finish. The story was enganging, and the continual switching between |
1345 | the 1940s and present day slowly unravelled the tale in a nice way.</p> |
1346 | |
1347 | <p>I'd still have to recommend <em>Snow Crash</em> if one wished to read only one |
1348 | Stephenson novel.</p> |
1349 | |
1350 | |
1351 | |
1352 | |
5f1212da |
1353 | <h2><a name="sec95" id="sec95"></a> |
1509746a |
1354 | Bjarne Stroustrup</h2> |
1355 | |
1356 | |
1357 | |
5f1212da |
1358 | <h3><a name="sec96" id="sec96"></a> |
1509746a |
1359 | The C++ Programming Language (3rd edition)</h3> |
1360 | |
1361 | <p><em>Nonfiction</em></p> |
1362 | |
1363 | <p>Once upon a time I was fifteen and I read this book. It was more |
1364 | or less what taught me how to write programs just large enough to do |
1365 | useful things, and so shall forever be remembered by me. A year and a |
1366 | half later I stumbled upon a little language called Scheme and fell |
1367 | down the rabbit hole.</p> |
1368 | |
1369 | |
1370 | |
1371 | |
5f1212da |
1372 | <h2><a name="sec97" id="sec97"></a> |
1509746a |
1373 | JRR Tolkien</h2> |
1374 | |
1375 | |
1376 | |
5f1212da |
1377 | <h3><a name="sec98" id="sec98"></a> |
1509746a |
1378 | The Lord of the Rings</h3> |
1379 | |
1380 | <p><em>Rating:</em> <span class="rating-good"> •••••••••</span><span class="rating-bad">• </span> (9) / <em>Fiction</em></p> |
1381 | |
1382 | |
1383 | |
1384 | |
1385 | |
5f1212da |
1386 | <h3><a name="sec99" id="sec99"></a> |
1509746a |
1387 | The Silmarillion</h3> |
1388 | |
1389 | <p><em>Rating:</em> <span class="rating-good"> ••••••••••</span><span class="rating-bad"> </span> (10) / <em>Fiction</em></p> |
1390 | |
1391 | |
1392 | |
1393 | |
1394 | |
5f1212da |
1395 | <h3><a name="sec100" id="sec100"></a> |
1509746a |
1396 | The Lost Tales</h3> |
1397 | |
1398 | <p><em>Rating:</em> <span class="rating-good"> •••••••</span><span class="rating-bad">••• </span> (7) / <em>Fiction</em></p> |
1399 | |
1400 | |
1401 | |
1402 | |
1403 | |
1404 | |
5f1212da |
1405 | <h2><a name="sec101" id="sec101"></a> |
1509746a |
1406 | H.G. Wells</h2> |
1407 | |
1408 | |
1409 | |
5f1212da |
1410 | <h3><a name="sec102" id="sec102"></a> |
1509746a |
1411 | The Island of Dr Moreau</h3> |
1412 | |
1413 | <p><em>Rating:</em> <span class="rating-good"> •••••••</span><span class="rating-bad">••• </span> (7) / <em>Fiction</em></p> |
1414 | |
1415 | |
1416 | |
1417 | <!-- Page published by Emacs Muse ends here --> |
023ad63c |
1418 | |
1419 | <p class="cke-buttons"> |
1420 | <!-- validating badges, any browser, etc --> |
1421 | <a href="http://validator.w3.org/check/referer"><img |
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1427 | ]" /></a> |
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1430 | src="img/buttons/debian.png" alt="[ Powered by Debian ]" /></a> |
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1432 | <a href="http://hcoop.net/"> |
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1435 | </a> |
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1438 | <img src="img/buttons/fsf_member.png" |
1439 | alt="[ FSF Associate Member ]" /> |
1440 | </a> |
1441 | </p> |
1442 | |
5f1212da |
1443 | <p class="cke-footer"> How can you accept social supression |
1444 | This weak state of mind in our time |
1445 | I demand release from hypocrisy |
1446 | I'd rather die than be held down, forced down |
1447 | |
023ad63c |
1448 | </p> |
1449 | <p class="cke-timestamp">Last Modified: |
5f1212da |
1450 | January 9, 2009</p> |
023ad63c |
1451 | </body> |
1452 | </html> |