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14 | </head> |
15 | <body> |
16 | <h1>A Not So Fancy Listing of Books</h1> |
17 | <div class="contents"> |
18 | <dl> |
19 | <dt> |
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20 | <a href="#sec1">Douglas Adams</a> |
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21 | </dt> |
22 | <dd> |
23 | <dl> |
24 | <dt> |
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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> |
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29 | </dt> |
30 | </dl> |
31 | </dd> |
32 | <dt> |
5d446cbd |
33 | <a href="#sec4">Aeschylus</a> |
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34 | </dt> |
35 | <dd> |
36 | <dl> |
37 | <dt> |
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38 | <a href="#sec5">Oresteia</a> |
39 | </dt> |
40 | <dt> |
41 | <a href="#sec6">Prometheus Bound</a> |
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42 | </dt> |
43 | <dt> |
5d446cbd |
44 | <a href="#sec7">The Persians</a> |
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45 | </dt> |
46 | </dl> |
47 | </dd> |
48 | <dt> |
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49 | <a href="#sec8">Aristophanes</a> |
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50 | </dt> |
51 | <dd> |
52 | <dl> |
53 | <dt> |
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54 | <a href="#sec9">The Frogs</a> |
55 | </dt> |
56 | <dt> |
57 | <a href="#sec10">The Clouds</a> |
58 | </dt> |
59 | <dt> |
60 | <a href="#sec11">Ecclesiazusae</a> |
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61 | </dt> |
62 | </dl> |
63 | </dd> |
64 | <dt> |
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65 | <a href="#sec12">Aristotle</a> |
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66 | </dt> |
67 | <dd> |
68 | <dl> |
69 | <dt> |
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70 | <a href="#sec13">Ethics</a> |
71 | </dt> |
72 | <dt> |
73 | <a href="#sec14">Categories</a> |
74 | </dt> |
75 | <dt> |
76 | <a href="#sec15">Poetics</a> |
77 | </dt> |
78 | <dt> |
79 | <a href="#sec16">Rhetoric</a> |
5e4e370e |
80 | </dt> |
bb5fc18a |
81 | </dl> |
82 | </dd> |
83 | <dt> |
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84 | <a href="#sec17">Marcus Aurelius</a> |
bb5fc18a |
85 | </dt> |
86 | <dd> |
87 | <dl> |
5e4e370e |
88 | <dt> |
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89 | <a href="#sec18">Meditations</a> |
5e4e370e |
90 | </dt> |
5d446cbd |
91 | </dl> |
92 | </dd> |
5e4e370e |
93 | <dt> |
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94 | <a href="#sec19">William Blake</a> |
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95 | </dt> |
5d446cbd |
96 | <dd> |
97 | <dl> |
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98 | <dt> |
5d446cbd |
99 | <a href="#sec20">The Four Zoas</a> |
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100 | </dt> |
101 | <dt> |
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102 | <a href="#sec21">Jerusalem</a> |
5e4e370e |
103 | </dt> |
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104 | </dl> |
105 | </dd> |
106 | <dt> |
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107 | <a href="#sec22">Neil Gaiman</a> |
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108 | </dt> |
109 | <dd> |
110 | <dl> |
111 | <dt> |
5d446cbd |
112 | <a href="#sec23">The Sandman (series)</a> |
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113 | </dt> |
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114 | </dl> |
115 | </dd> |
bb5fc18a |
116 | <dt> |
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117 | <a href="#sec24">John Taylor Gatto</a> |
118 | </dt> |
119 | <dd> |
120 | <dl> |
121 | <dt> |
122 | <a href="#sec25">Underground History of American Education</a> |
123 | </dt> |
124 | </dl> |
125 | </dd> |
126 | <dt> |
127 | <a href="#sec26">Kahlil Gibran</a> |
128 | </dt> |
129 | <dd> |
130 | <dl> |
131 | <dt> |
132 | <a href="#sec27">A Tear and a Smile</a> |
133 | </dt> |
134 | <dt> |
135 | <a href="#sec28">The Prophet</a> |
136 | </dt> |
137 | <dt> |
138 | <a href="#sec29">Sand and Foam</a> |
139 | </dt> |
140 | <dt> |
141 | <a href="#sec30">The Madman</a> |
bb5fc18a |
142 | </dt> |
143 | </dl> |
144 | </dd> |
145 | <dt> |
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146 | <a href="#sec31">Homer</a> |
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147 | </dt> |
bb5fc18a |
148 | <dd> |
149 | <dl> |
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150 | <dt> |
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151 | <a href="#sec32">The Odyssey</a> |
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152 | </dt> |
153 | </dl> |
154 | </dd> |
155 | <dt> |
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156 | <a href="#sec33">Aldous Huxley</a> |
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157 | </dt> |
158 | <dd> |
159 | <dl> |
160 | <dt> |
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161 | <a href="#sec34">The Doors of Perception</a> |
162 | </dt> |
163 | <dt> |
164 | <a href="#sec35">Heaven and Hell</a> |
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165 | </dt> |
166 | </dl> |
167 | </dd> |
168 | <dt> |
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169 | <a href="#sec36">William James</a> |
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170 | </dt> |
171 | <dd> |
172 | <dl> |
173 | <dt> |
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174 | <a href="#sec37">The Varieties of Religious Experience</a> |
bb5fc18a |
175 | </dt> |
176 | <dt> |
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177 | <a href="#sec38">The PhD Octopus</a> |
178 | </dt> |
179 | </dl> |
180 | </dd> |
181 | <dt> |
182 | <a href="#sec39">Henry James</a> |
183 | </dt> |
184 | <dd> |
185 | <dl> |
186 | <dt> |
187 | <a href="#sec40">The Altar of the Dead</a> |
188 | </dt> |
189 | </dl> |
190 | </dd> |
191 | <dt> |
192 | <a href="#sec41">Gregor Kiczales</a> |
193 | </dt> |
194 | <dd> |
195 | <dl> |
196 | <dt> |
197 | <a href="#sec42">The Art of the Metaobject Protocol</a> |
198 | </dt> |
199 | </dl> |
200 | </dd> |
201 | <dt> |
202 | <a href="#sec43">Søren Kierkegaard</a> |
203 | </dt> |
204 | <dd> |
205 | <dl> |
206 | <dt> |
207 | <a href="#sec44">Sickness Unto Death</a> |
208 | </dt> |
209 | <dt> |
210 | <a href="#sec45">Either/Or</a> |
211 | </dt> |
212 | <dt> |
213 | <a href="#sec46">Fear and Trembling</a> |
214 | </dt> |
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215 | <dt> |
216 | <a href="#sec47">Repetition</a> |
217 | </dt> |
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218 | </dl> |
219 | </dd> |
220 | <dt> |
6780a60d |
221 | <a href="#sec48">Alan Moore</a> |
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222 | </dt> |
223 | <dd> |
224 | <dl> |
225 | <dt> |
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226 | <a href="#sec49">Watchmen</a> |
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227 | </dt> |
228 | <dt> |
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229 | <a href="#sec50">V for Vendetta</a> |
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230 | </dt> |
231 | </dl> |
232 | </dd> |
233 | <dt> |
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234 | <a href="#sec51">Thomas More</a> |
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235 | </dt> |
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236 | <dd> |
237 | <dl> |
bb5fc18a |
238 | <dt> |
6780a60d |
239 | <a href="#sec52">Utopia</a> |
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240 | </dt> |
241 | </dl> |
242 | </dd> |
243 | <dt> |
6780a60d |
244 | <a href="#sec53">Friedrich Nietzsche</a> |
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245 | </dt> |
246 | <dd> |
247 | <dl> |
248 | <dt> |
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249 | <a href="#sec54">Beyond Good and Evil</a> |
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250 | </dt> |
251 | <dt> |
6780a60d |
252 | <a href="#sec55">On the Geneaology of Morals</a> |
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253 | </dt> |
254 | <dt> |
6780a60d |
255 | <a href="#sec56">Ecce Homo</a> |
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256 | </dt> |
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257 | </dl> |
258 | </dd> |
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259 | <dt> |
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260 | <a href="#sec57">George Orwell</a> |
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261 | </dt> |
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262 | <dd> |
263 | <dl> |
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264 | <dt> |
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265 | <a href="#sec58">1984</a> |
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266 | </dt> |
267 | <dt> |
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268 | <a href="#sec59">Animal Farm</a> |
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269 | </dt> |
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270 | </dl> |
271 | </dd> |
272 | <dt> |
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273 | <a href="#sec60">Plato</a> |
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274 | </dt> |
275 | <dd> |
276 | <dl> |
277 | <dt> |
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278 | <a href="#sec61">Symposium</a> |
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279 | </dt> |
280 | <dt> |
6780a60d |
281 | <a href="#sec62">Euthyphro</a> |
5d446cbd |
282 | </dt> |
283 | <dt> |
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284 | <a href="#sec63">Apology</a> |
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285 | </dt> |
286 | <dt> |
6780a60d |
287 | <a href="#sec64">Crito</a> |
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288 | </dt> |
289 | <dt> |
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290 | <a href="#sec65">Protagoras</a> |
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291 | </dt> |
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292 | </dl> |
293 | </dd> |
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294 | <dt> |
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295 | <a href="#sec66">Luke Rhinehardt</a> |
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296 | </dt> |
297 | <dd> |
298 | <dl> |
299 | <dt> |
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300 | <a href="#sec67">The Dice Man</a> |
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301 | </dt> |
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302 | </dl> |
303 | </dd> |
54a817d4 |
304 | <dt> |
6780a60d |
305 | <a href="#sec68">Neal Stephenson</a> |
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306 | </dt> |
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307 | <dd> |
308 | <dl> |
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309 | <dt> |
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310 | <a href="#sec69">Snow Crash</a> |
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311 | </dt> |
312 | <dt> |
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313 | <a href="#sec70">Cryptonomicon</a> |
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314 | </dt> |
315 | </dl> |
316 | </dd> |
317 | <dt> |
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318 | <a href="#sec71">H.G. Wells</a> |
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319 | </dt> |
320 | <dd> |
321 | <dl> |
322 | <dt> |
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323 | <a href="#sec72">The Island of Dr Moreau</a> |
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324 | </dt> |
325 | </dl> |
326 | </dd> |
327 | </dl> |
328 | </div> |
329 | |
330 | |
331 | <!-- Page published by Emacs Muse begins here --><h2><a name="sec1" id="sec1"></a> |
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332 | Douglas Adams</h2> |
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333 | |
334 | |
335 | |
336 | <h3><a name="sec2" id="sec2"></a> |
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337 | Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy (collected)</h3> |
338 | |
339 | <p><em>Rating:</em> <span class="rating-good"> ••••••••</span><span class="rating-bad">•• </span> (8) / <em>Fiction</em></p> |
340 | |
341 | |
342 | |
343 | |
344 | |
345 | <h3><a name="sec3" id="sec3"></a> |
346 | The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul</h3> |
347 | |
348 | <p><em>Rating:</em> <span class="rating-good"> ••••••</span><span class="rating-bad">•••• </span> (6) / <em>Fiction</em></p> |
349 | |
350 | |
351 | |
352 | |
353 | |
354 | |
355 | <h2><a name="sec4" id="sec4"></a> |
356 | Aeschylus</h2> |
357 | |
358 | |
359 | |
360 | <h3><a name="sec5" id="sec5"></a> |
361 | Oresteia</h3> |
362 | |
363 | <p><em>Rating:</em> <span class="rating-good"> ••••••••••</span><span class="rating-bad"> </span> (10) / <em>Fiction</em></p> |
364 | |
365 | |
366 | |
367 | |
368 | |
369 | <h3><a name="sec6" id="sec6"></a> |
370 | Prometheus Bound</h3> |
371 | |
372 | <p><em>Rating:</em> <span class="rating-good"> •••••••••</span><span class="rating-bad">• </span> (9) / <em>Fiction</em></p> |
373 | |
374 | |
375 | |
376 | |
377 | |
378 | <h3><a name="sec7" id="sec7"></a> |
379 | The Persians</h3> |
380 | |
381 | <p><em>Rating:</em> <span class="rating-good"> ••••••••</span><span class="rating-bad">•• </span> (8) / <em>Fiction</em></p> |
382 | |
383 | |
384 | |
385 | |
386 | |
387 | |
388 | <h2><a name="sec8" id="sec8"></a> |
389 | Aristophanes</h2> |
390 | |
391 | |
392 | |
393 | <h3><a name="sec9" id="sec9"></a> |
394 | The Frogs</h3> |
395 | |
396 | <p><em>Fiction</em></p> |
397 | |
398 | |
399 | |
400 | |
401 | |
402 | <h3><a name="sec10" id="sec10"></a> |
403 | The Clouds</h3> |
404 | |
405 | <p><em>Fiction</em></p> |
406 | |
407 | |
408 | |
409 | |
410 | |
411 | <h3><a name="sec11" id="sec11"></a> |
412 | Ecclesiazusae</h3> |
413 | |
414 | <p><em>Fiction</em></p> |
415 | |
416 | |
417 | |
418 | |
419 | |
420 | |
421 | <h2><a name="sec12" id="sec12"></a> |
422 | Aristotle</h2> |
423 | |
424 | |
425 | |
426 | <h3><a name="sec13" id="sec13"></a> |
427 | Ethics</h3> |
428 | |
429 | <p><em>Nonfiction</em></p> |
430 | |
431 | |
432 | |
433 | |
434 | |
435 | <h3><a name="sec14" id="sec14"></a> |
436 | Categories</h3> |
437 | |
438 | <p><em>Nonfiction</em></p> |
439 | |
440 | |
441 | |
442 | |
443 | |
444 | <h3><a name="sec15" id="sec15"></a> |
445 | Poetics</h3> |
446 | |
447 | <p><em>Nonfiction</em></p> |
448 | |
449 | |
450 | |
451 | |
452 | |
453 | <h3><a name="sec16" id="sec16"></a> |
454 | Rhetoric</h3> |
455 | |
456 | <p><em>Nonfiction</em></p> |
457 | |
458 | |
459 | |
460 | |
461 | |
462 | |
463 | <h2><a name="sec17" id="sec17"></a> |
464 | Marcus Aurelius</h2> |
465 | |
466 | |
467 | |
468 | <h3><a name="sec18" id="sec18"></a> |
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469 | Meditations</h3> |
470 | |
471 | <p><em>Rating:</em> <span class="rating-good"> ••••••</span><span class="rating-bad">•••• </span> (6) / <em>Nonfiction</em></p> |
472 | |
473 | <p>I enjoyed reading this collection of meditations on Stoic |
474 | philosophy. It is a fairly quick read; I read each of the twelve books |
475 | before sleeping over the course of two weeks. Toward the end of the |
476 | collection things get a bit topically repetetive (e.g. acting |
477 | according to the nature of man is reflected upon over and over), but |
478 | each repetition looks at the topic in a slightly different light. A |
479 | number of passages I found quite inspiring, and scratched them down in |
480 | my notebook to ponder further.</p> |
481 | |
482 | |
483 | |
484 | |
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485 | <h2><a name="sec19" id="sec19"></a> |
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486 | William Blake</h2> |
487 | |
92ffc65b |
488 | <p class="first">Blake is my <a href="William%20Blake.html">favorite</a> of the English poets. His |
489 | unique use of relief etching and watercoloring makes for very |
490 | interesting Illuminated works. There is a very high quality |
b57daac1 |
491 | <a href="http://blakearchive.org">complete archive of Blake's works</a> online |
023ad63c |
492 | with high resolution plate scans and full transcriptions among other |
493 | things.</p> |
494 | |
5d446cbd |
495 | <h3><a name="sec20" id="sec20"></a> |
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496 | The Four Zoas</h3> |
497 | |
b57daac1 |
498 | <p><em>Rating:</em> <span class="rating-good"> ••••••••••</span><span class="rating-bad"> </span> (10) / <em>Fiction</em></p> |
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499 | |
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500 | <p>The unfinished manuscript of Blake's longest apocalypse. The |
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501 | Four Zoas divide from Albion and rage through the ages of dismal woe |
502 | to bring about the end of the cycle of Ulro and restore the cycle of |
503 | Beulah.</p> |
504 | |
505 | |
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506 | |
5d446cbd |
507 | <h3><a name="sec21" id="sec21"></a> |
54a817d4 |
508 | Jerusalem</h3> |
023ad63c |
509 | |
b57daac1 |
510 | <p><em>Rating:</em> <span class="rating-good"> ••••••••••</span><span class="rating-bad"> </span> (10) / <em>Fiction</em></p> |
511 | |
512 | <p>The finest of Blake's Illuminated works.</p> |
513 | |
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514 | |
515 | |
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516 | |
5d446cbd |
517 | <h2><a name="sec22" id="sec22"></a> |
bb5fc18a |
518 | Neil Gaiman</h2> |
519 | |
520 | |
521 | |
5d446cbd |
522 | <h3><a name="sec23" id="sec23"></a> |
bb5fc18a |
523 | The Sandman (series)</h3> |
524 | |
525 | <p><em>Rating:</em> <span class="rating-good"> ••••••••••</span><span class="rating-bad"> </span> (10) / <em>Fiction</em></p> |
526 | |
527 | <p>Perhaps the best comic book series of all time; I would say <em>The |
aa72714c |
528 | Sandman</em> as a whole ranks higher than anything even Alan Moore has |
bb5fc18a |
529 | written.</p> |
bb5fc18a |
530 | |
531 | |
532 | |
533 | |
5d446cbd |
534 | <h2><a name="sec24" id="sec24"></a> |
b57daac1 |
535 | John Taylor Gatto</h2> |
536 | |
537 | <p class="first">Former teacher and now author-activist.</p> |
538 | |
5d446cbd |
539 | <h3><a name="sec25" id="sec25"></a> |
b57daac1 |
540 | Underground History of American Education</h3> |
023ad63c |
541 | |
b57daac1 |
542 | <p><em>Rating:</em> <span class="rating-good"> •••••••••</span><span class="rating-bad">• </span> (9) / <em>Nonfiction</em></p> |
023ad63c |
543 | |
b57daac1 |
544 | <p>An interesting <em>underground</em> history of the American education |
545 | system. Available |
546 | <a href="http://www.johntaylorgatto.com/underground/">online for free</a>.</p> |
547 | |
548 | |
549 | |
550 | |
5d446cbd |
551 | <h2><a name="sec26" id="sec26"></a> |
023ad63c |
552 | Kahlil Gibran</h2> |
553 | |
554 | <p class="first">Kahlil Gibran is fairly interesting; his earlier works do not |
555 | agree with my æsthetic sense (blah blah), but <em>The Madman</em> onward are |
556 | all rather nice. A few of his works are |
557 | <a href="http://leb.net/~mira/">online</a>, but I recommend scouting used book |
558 | stores for old hardcover editions. The (late 90s onward at least) |
559 | <em>hardcover</em> versions from <em>Alfred A. Knopf</em> are in fact permabound |
560 | paperbacks with a hardcasing, and are of seriously inferior quality to |
561 | the editions from the 50s and 60s (and cost quite a bit more, |
562 | naturally).</p> |
563 | |
5d446cbd |
564 | <h3><a name="sec27" id="sec27"></a> |
023ad63c |
565 | A Tear and a Smile</h3> |
566 | |
b57daac1 |
567 | <p><em>Rating:</em> <span class="rating-good"> •••</span><span class="rating-bad">••••••• </span> (3) / <em>Fiction</em></p> |
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568 | |
b57daac1 |
569 | <p>One of Kahlil Gibran's earlier works, I did not much like <em>A |
570 | Tear and a Smile</em> excepting the last poem ("A Poet's Voice").</p> |
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571 | |
572 | |
54a817d4 |
573 | |
5d446cbd |
574 | <h3><a name="sec28" id="sec28"></a> |
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575 | The Prophet</h3> |
576 | |
b57daac1 |
577 | <p><em>Rating:</em> <span class="rating-good"> •••••••••</span><span class="rating-bad">• </span> (9) / <em>Fiction</em></p> |
54a817d4 |
578 | |
023ad63c |
579 | |
580 | |
581 | |
582 | |
5d446cbd |
583 | <h3><a name="sec29" id="sec29"></a> |
023ad63c |
584 | Sand and Foam</h3> |
585 | |
b57daac1 |
586 | <p><em>Rating:</em> <span class="rating-good"> •••••••</span><span class="rating-bad">••• </span> (7) / <em>Fiction</em></p> |
023ad63c |
587 | |
588 | <p>An interesting little book of aphorisms.</p> |
589 | |
590 | |
54a817d4 |
591 | |
5d446cbd |
592 | <h3><a name="sec30" id="sec30"></a> |
023ad63c |
593 | The Madman</h3> |
594 | |
b57daac1 |
595 | <p><em>Rating:</em> <span class="rating-good"> ••••••••</span><span class="rating-bad">•• </span> (8) / <em>Fiction</em></p> |
023ad63c |
596 | |
597 | |
5e4e370e |
598 | |
5e4e370e |
599 | |
5e4e370e |
600 | |
b61362db |
601 | |
5d446cbd |
602 | <h2><a name="sec31" id="sec31"></a> |
603 | Homer</h2> |
604 | |
605 | |
606 | |
607 | <h3><a name="sec32" id="sec32"></a> |
608 | The Odyssey</h3> |
609 | |
610 | <p><em>Rating:</em> <span class="rating-good"> ••••••••••</span><span class="rating-bad"> </span> (10) / <em>Fiction</em></p> |
611 | |
612 | |
613 | |
614 | |
615 | |
616 | |
617 | <h2><a name="sec33" id="sec33"></a> |
618 | Aldous Huxley</h2> |
619 | |
620 | <p class="first">Perhaps the most overrated modern writer. Other people have written |
621 | everything he has to write better and many years before he got around |
622 | to it.</p> |
623 | |
624 | <h3><a name="sec34" id="sec34"></a> |
625 | The Doors of Perception</h3> |
626 | |
627 | <p><em>Rating:</em> <span class="rating-good"> </span><span class="rating-bad">•••••••••• </span> (0) / <em>Nonfiction</em></p> |
628 | |
629 | <p>Huxley stains the name of Blake by naming this horrible |
630 | pseudo-scientific and pseudo-poetic essay after a line from <em>The |
631 | Marriage of Heaven and Hell</em>. Subjectivity and objectivity are |
632 | incommensurable; his attempt and being subjectively objective is |
633 | utterly worthless.</p> |
634 | |
635 | |
636 | |
637 | <h3><a name="sec35" id="sec35"></a> |
638 | Heaven and Hell</h3> |
639 | |
640 | <p><em>Rating:</em> <span class="rating-good"> </span><span class="rating-bad">•••••••••• </span> (0) / <em>Nonfiction</em></p> |
641 | |
642 | <p>Blah blah LSD blah blah Mushrooms blah blah Peytoe blah blah I'm |
643 | Aldous Huxley I'm a pretentious jerk. Don't bother.</p> |
644 | |
645 | |
646 | |
647 | |
648 | <h2><a name="sec36" id="sec36"></a> |
b57daac1 |
649 | William James</h2> |
5e4e370e |
650 | |
651 | |
652 | |
5d446cbd |
653 | <h3><a name="sec37" id="sec37"></a> |
b57daac1 |
654 | The Varieties of Religious Experience</h3> |
5e4e370e |
655 | |
b57daac1 |
656 | <p><em>Rating:</em> <span class="rating-good"> •••••••</span><span class="rating-bad">••• </span> (7) / <em>Nonfiction</em></p> |
023ad63c |
657 | |
b57daac1 |
658 | <p><a href="William%20James%20-%20The%20Varieties%20of%20Religious%20Experience.html">A partially finished extended summary</a></p> |
5e4e370e |
659 | |
5e4e370e |
660 | |
5e4e370e |
661 | |
5d446cbd |
662 | <h3><a name="sec38" id="sec38"></a> |
b57daac1 |
663 | The PhD Octopus</h3> |
5e4e370e |
664 | |
b57daac1 |
665 | <p><em>Nonfiction</em></p> |
5e4e370e |
666 | |
b57daac1 |
667 | <blockquote> |
668 | <p class="quoted"> |
669 | America is thus as a nation rapidly drifting towards a state of things |
670 | in which no man of science or letters will be accounted respectable |
671 | unless some kind of badge or diploma is stamped upon him, and in which |
672 | bare personality will be a mark of outcast estate. It seems to me high |
673 | time to rouse ourselves to consciousness, and to cast a critical eye |
674 | upon this decidedly grotesque tendency. Other nations suffer terribly |
675 | from the Mandarin disease. Are we doomed to suffer like the rest?</p> |
023ad63c |
676 | |
b57daac1 |
677 | </blockquote> |
023ad63c |
678 | |
b57daac1 |
679 | <p><a href="William%20James%20-%20The%20PhD%20Octopus.html">Full Text</a></p> |
023ad63c |
680 | |
023ad63c |
681 | |
023ad63c |
682 | |
023ad63c |
683 | |
5d446cbd |
684 | <h2><a name="sec39" id="sec39"></a> |
b57daac1 |
685 | Henry James</h2> |
023ad63c |
686 | |
b57daac1 |
687 | <p class="first">The novelist brother of William James; I've not read many (read: |
688 | one) of his books, but what I did was decent.</p> |
54a817d4 |
689 | |
5d446cbd |
690 | <h3><a name="sec40" id="sec40"></a> |
b57daac1 |
691 | The Altar of the Dead</h3> |
54a817d4 |
692 | |
b57daac1 |
693 | <p><em>Rating:</em> <span class="rating-good"> •••••••</span><span class="rating-bad">••• </span> (7) / <em>Fiction</em></p> |
54a817d4 |
694 | |
b57daac1 |
695 | <p>A short novella about a man who maintained an altar in a church |
696 | for all of his lost loved ones on the surface, but something a bit |
697 | more beneath.</p> |
54a817d4 |
698 | |
023ad63c |
699 | |
54a817d4 |
700 | |
701 | |
5d446cbd |
702 | <h2><a name="sec41" id="sec41"></a> |
b57daac1 |
703 | Gregor Kiczales</h2> |
54a817d4 |
704 | |
705 | |
706 | |
5d446cbd |
707 | <h3><a name="sec42" id="sec42"></a> |
b57daac1 |
708 | The Art of the Metaobject Protocol</h3> |
54a817d4 |
709 | |
b57daac1 |
710 | <p><em>Rating:</em> <span class="rating-good"> ••••••••••</span><span class="rating-bad"> </span> (10) / <em>Nonfiction</em></p> |
54a817d4 |
711 | |
b57daac1 |
712 | <p>AMOP is useful as a reference to the CLOS MOP (although less so with |
713 | the online MOP spec), but the true value of the book lies in the first |
714 | half of the book. It presents the design of the CLOS MOP through a |
715 | series of revisions that fix limitations of earlier implementations |
716 | and gradually work toward a generic and well designed MOP for |
717 | CLOS. Through that process one is made more aware of a few general |
718 | object protocol design skills, and gains insight into how to cleanly |
719 | make mapping decisions customizable.</p> |
54a817d4 |
720 | |
721 | |
722 | |
723 | |
5d446cbd |
724 | <h2><a name="sec43" id="sec43"></a> |
023ad63c |
725 | Søren Kierkegaard</h2> |
726 | |
727 | <p class="first">Kierkegaard was a master of style and philosophy; his writing is |
728 | interesting even if one finds the theistic extentialism espoused |
729 | disagreeable.</p> |
730 | |
5d446cbd |
731 | <h3><a name="sec44" id="sec44"></a> |
023ad63c |
732 | Sickness Unto Death</h3> |
733 | |
b57daac1 |
734 | <p><em>Rating:</em> <span class="rating-good"> ••••••••••</span><span class="rating-bad"> </span> (10) / <em>Nonfiction</em></p> |
023ad63c |
735 | |
736 | <p>I purchased this when I was looking through books at a store after |
737 | being unable to find the book I really wanted, and I must say that it |
738 | was better for me to have found this one.</p> |
739 | |
740 | <p>Contained within is a beautiful analysis of despair in the context of |
741 | Christianity (really theism in general). Even if the argument offends, |
742 | the presentation cannot. The dialectical nature of despair is |
743 | reflected in every aspect of the work, and the method of presentation |
744 | forces reflection.</p> |
745 | |
746 | |
54a817d4 |
747 | |
5d446cbd |
748 | <h3><a name="sec45" id="sec45"></a> |
023ad63c |
749 | Either/Or</h3> |
750 | |
b57daac1 |
751 | <p><em>Rating:</em> <span class="rating-good"> ••••••••••</span><span class="rating-bad"> </span> (10) / <em>Nonfiction</em></p> |
023ad63c |
752 | |
753 | <p>Composed of two portions, <em>Either/Or</em> is a rather lengthy but |
754 | rewarding read. The first book is a series of essays and a diary of a |
755 | young esthetician; the second is a pair of long letters from an older |
756 | ethicist friend to this esthetician. You are then left to resolve the |
757 | conflict between the views.</p> |
758 | |
759 | |
760 | |
5d446cbd |
761 | <h3><a name="sec46" id="sec46"></a> |
bb5fc18a |
762 | Fear and Trembling</h3> |
763 | |
764 | <p><em>Nonfiction</em></p> |
765 | |
766 | <p>An interesting dialectical lyric contrasting Despair and Faith.</p> |
767 | |
768 | |
769 | |
6780a60d |
770 | <h3><a name="sec47" id="sec47"></a> |
771 | Repetition</h3> |
772 | |
773 | <p><em>Rating:</em> <span class="rating-good"> ••••••••••</span><span class="rating-bad"> </span> (10) / <em>Nonfiction</em></p> |
774 | |
775 | <p>He who despairs of esthetic repetition gets none; he who despairs |
776 | of ethical repetition receieves the esthetic. Is it true then that no |
777 | repetition exists? Is transition all one can hope for?</p> |
778 | |
779 | |
bb5fc18a |
780 | |
6780a60d |
781 | |
782 | <h2><a name="sec48" id="sec48"></a> |
bb5fc18a |
783 | Alan Moore</h2> |
784 | |
785 | |
786 | |
6780a60d |
787 | <h3><a name="sec49" id="sec49"></a> |
bb5fc18a |
788 | Watchmen</h3> |
789 | |
790 | <p><em>Rating:</em> <span class="rating-good"> ••••••••</span><span class="rating-bad">•• </span> (8) / <em>Fiction</em></p> |
791 | |
792 | |
793 | |
54a817d4 |
794 | |
bb5fc18a |
795 | |
6780a60d |
796 | <h3><a name="sec50" id="sec50"></a> |
bb5fc18a |
797 | V for Vendetta</h3> |
798 | |
799 | <p><em>Rating:</em> <span class="rating-good"> ••••••••••</span><span class="rating-bad"> </span> (10) / <em>Fiction</em></p> |
800 | |
801 | |
802 | |
803 | |
804 | |
805 | |
6780a60d |
806 | <h2><a name="sec51" id="sec51"></a> |
023ad63c |
807 | Thomas More</h2> |
808 | |
809 | |
810 | |
6780a60d |
811 | <h3><a name="sec52" id="sec52"></a> |
023ad63c |
812 | Utopia</h3> |
813 | |
b57daac1 |
814 | <p><em>Rating:</em> <span class="rating-good"> •••••••</span><span class="rating-bad">••• </span> (7) / <em>Fiction</em></p> |
023ad63c |
815 | |
816 | <p>I read most of Utopia in high school with the TI-89 ebook reader, but |
817 | the way the book was split up made it a bit difficult to grasp the |
818 | overall structure. I found a copy at a used book store one day, and so |
819 | I read it again, and found it much more comprehensible. It is a quick |
820 | read, and decent piece of literature. The interesting social system |
821 | espoused resembles resembles state communism (even if perhaps as a |
822 | negative ideal), but with an strange blend of 14th century European |
823 | social customs.</p> |
824 | |
825 | |
826 | |
04cda6d1 |
827 | |
6780a60d |
828 | <h2><a name="sec53" id="sec53"></a> |
b57daac1 |
829 | Friedrich Nietzsche</h2> |
04cda6d1 |
830 | |
b57daac1 |
831 | <p class="first">A bit acerbic and esoteric, Nietzsche is for me a good <em>secular</em> |
832 | counterpart to Kierkegaard's theistic philosophy. Nietzsche's |
833 | polemical works raise important questions for anyone who reads works |
834 | on ethics. As such it is a shame that he has gotten a bad reputation |
835 | by being read by far too many angsty teenagers who see (and relay) |
836 | only Nietzsche the asshole rather than Nietzsche the master of the |
837 | polemic.</p> |
04cda6d1 |
838 | |
6780a60d |
839 | <h3><a name="sec54" id="sec54"></a> |
b57daac1 |
840 | Beyond Good and Evil</h3> |
04cda6d1 |
841 | |
b57daac1 |
842 | <p><em>Rating:</em> <span class="rating-good"> ••••••••</span><span class="rating-bad">•• </span> (8) / <em>Nonfiction</em></p> |
b61362db |
843 | |
b57daac1 |
844 | <p>A somewhat more comprehensible, if a bit less aesthetically |
845 | pleasing, presentation of much of the philosophy found in <em>Thus Spoke |
846 | Zarathustra</em> in the negative form. The final chapters are very |
847 | important (not to detract from the value of the rest of the work) if |
848 | one wishes to understand <em>On the Genealogy of Morals</em>.</p> |
b61362db |
849 | |
b61362db |
850 | |
851 | |
6780a60d |
852 | <h3><a name="sec55" id="sec55"></a> |
b57daac1 |
853 | On the Geneaology of Morals</h3> |
04cda6d1 |
854 | |
b57daac1 |
855 | <p><em>Rating:</em> <span class="rating-good"> •••••••••</span><span class="rating-bad">• </span> (9) / <em>Nonfiction</em></p> |
023ad63c |
856 | |
b57daac1 |
857 | <p><em>On the Geneaology of Morals</em> is a wonderful book of three |
858 | polemical essays on the origin of moral/ethic valuations, and the |
859 | blindness of modern philosphers whose very thinking is tainted by |
860 | these valuations unknowingly.</p> |
023ad63c |
861 | |
862 | |
023ad63c |
863 | |
6780a60d |
864 | <h3><a name="sec56" id="sec56"></a> |
b57daac1 |
865 | Ecce Homo</h3> |
023ad63c |
866 | |
b57daac1 |
867 | <p><em>Rating:</em> <span class="rating-good"> •••••••</span><span class="rating-bad">••• </span> (7) / <em>Nonfiction</em></p> |
023ad63c |
868 | |
b57daac1 |
869 | <p><em>Ecce Homo</em> is Nietzsche's very strange autobiography and |
870 | explanation of his own works. At points it is clear that it could have |
871 | used a bit more editing (prevented by Nietzsche ... falling into a |
872 | catatonic state and all), but is still a very useful book to read as |
873 | Nietzsche explains the overall structure of his works.</p> |
023ad63c |
874 | |
023ad63c |
875 | |
023ad63c |
876 | |
877 | |
6780a60d |
878 | <h2><a name="sec57" id="sec57"></a> |
5d446cbd |
879 | George Orwell</h2> |
880 | |
881 | |
882 | |
6780a60d |
883 | <h3><a name="sec58" id="sec58"></a> |
5d446cbd |
884 | 1984</h3> |
885 | |
886 | <p><em>Rating:</em> <span class="rating-good"> ••••••••••</span><span class="rating-bad"> </span> (10) / <em>Fiction</em></p> |
887 | |
888 | |
889 | |
890 | |
891 | |
6780a60d |
892 | <h3><a name="sec59" id="sec59"></a> |
5d446cbd |
893 | Animal Farm</h3> |
894 | |
895 | <p><em>Fiction</em></p> |
896 | |
897 | |
898 | |
899 | |
900 | |
901 | |
6780a60d |
902 | <h2><a name="sec60" id="sec60"></a> |
5d446cbd |
903 | Plato</h2> |
904 | |
905 | |
906 | |
6780a60d |
907 | <h3><a name="sec61" id="sec61"></a> |
5d446cbd |
908 | Symposium</h3> |
909 | |
910 | <p><em>Fiction</em></p> |
911 | |
912 | |
913 | |
914 | |
915 | |
6780a60d |
916 | <h3><a name="sec62" id="sec62"></a> |
5d446cbd |
917 | Euthyphro</h3> |
918 | |
919 | <p><em>Fiction</em></p> |
920 | |
921 | |
922 | |
923 | |
924 | |
6780a60d |
925 | <h3><a name="sec63" id="sec63"></a> |
5d446cbd |
926 | Apology</h3> |
927 | |
928 | <p><em>Nonfiction</em></p> |
929 | |
930 | |
931 | |
932 | |
933 | |
6780a60d |
934 | <h3><a name="sec64" id="sec64"></a> |
5d446cbd |
935 | Crito</h3> |
936 | |
937 | <p><em>Fiction</em></p> |
938 | |
939 | |
940 | |
941 | |
942 | |
6780a60d |
943 | <h3><a name="sec65" id="sec65"></a> |
5d446cbd |
944 | Protagoras</h3> |
945 | |
946 | <p><em>Fiction</em></p> |
947 | |
948 | |
949 | |
950 | |
951 | |
952 | |
6780a60d |
953 | <h2><a name="sec66" id="sec66"></a> |
b57daac1 |
954 | Luke Rhinehardt</h2> |
023ad63c |
955 | |
54a817d4 |
956 | |
54a817d4 |
957 | |
6780a60d |
958 | <h3><a name="sec67" id="sec67"></a> |
b57daac1 |
959 | The Dice Man</h3> |
54a817d4 |
960 | |
b57daac1 |
961 | <p><em>Rating:</em> <span class="rating-good"> •••••••</span><span class="rating-bad">••• </span> (7) / <em>Fiction</em></p> |
54a817d4 |
962 | |
b57daac1 |
963 | <blockquote> |
964 | <p class="quoted"> |
965 | And it's his illusions about what |
966 | constitutes the real world which are |
967 | inhibiting him... |
968 | His reality, his reason, his society |
969 | ...these are what must be destroyed</p> |
54a817d4 |
970 | |
b57daac1 |
971 | </blockquote> |
54a817d4 |
972 | |
b57daac1 |
973 | <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 |
974 | this book; at worst it would be a waste of time. Much reward was found |
975 | in this random stab in the dark. The book is framed as an |
976 | autobiography of the author as a psychoanalyst, and his progression |
977 | through life as a Dice Man after deciding to live his life through |
978 | random chance.</p> |
54a817d4 |
979 | |
b57daac1 |
980 | <p>The style, plot, and content are equally neurotic; part comedy, part |
981 | attack on psychoanalysis, and part deep philosophy. It was often |
982 | difficult to put down, and was read in under a week of spare time.</p> |
54a817d4 |
983 | |
54a817d4 |
984 | |
54a817d4 |
985 | |
54a817d4 |
986 | |
6780a60d |
987 | <h2><a name="sec68" id="sec68"></a> |
b57daac1 |
988 | Neal Stephenson</h2> |
023ad63c |
989 | |
990 | |
991 | |
6780a60d |
992 | <h3><a name="sec69" id="sec69"></a> |
b57daac1 |
993 | Snow Crash</h3> |
023ad63c |
994 | |
b57daac1 |
995 | <p><em>Rating:</em> <span class="rating-good"> •••••••••</span><span class="rating-bad">• </span> (9) / <em>Fiction</em></p> |
023ad63c |
996 | |
b57daac1 |
997 | <p>As one must read the <em>Bible</em> to understand English literature, so one |
998 | must read <em>Snow Crash</em> today to be a nerd. In the realm of modern pop |
999 | fiction this is one of the better books I've read; it was devoured in |
1000 | a mere four nights. Neal Stepheson may not be Milton, but he does come |
1001 | up with enganging tales. <em>Snow Crash</em> has a nice undertone of (quite |
1002 | accurate) political and social commentary that makes it worth reading |
1003 | as more than mere cyberpunk fiction.</p> |
023ad63c |
1004 | |
1005 | |
023ad63c |
1006 | |
6780a60d |
1007 | <h3><a name="sec70" id="sec70"></a> |
b57daac1 |
1008 | Cryptonomicon</h3> |
023ad63c |
1009 | |
b57daac1 |
1010 | <p><em>Rating:</em> <span class="rating-good"> ••••••••</span><span class="rating-bad">•• </span> (8) / <em>Fiction</em></p> |
023ad63c |
1011 | |
b57daac1 |
1012 | <p>I read <em>Cryptonomicon</em> when it was new, and at the time I thought it was |
1013 | good. It could have lost a hundred or so pages without detracting from |
1014 | the plot, but it was easy reading and didn't take very long to |
1015 | finish. The story was enganging, and the continual switching between |
1016 | the 1940s and present day slowly unravelled the tale in a nice way.</p> |
1017 | |
1018 | <p>I'd still have to recommend <em>Snow Crash</em> if one wished to read only one |
1019 | Stephenson novel.</p> |
023ad63c |
1020 | |
1021 | |
1022 | |
5d446cbd |
1023 | |
6780a60d |
1024 | <h2><a name="sec71" id="sec71"></a> |
5d446cbd |
1025 | H.G. Wells</h2> |
1026 | |
1027 | |
1028 | |
6780a60d |
1029 | <h3><a name="sec72" id="sec72"></a> |
5d446cbd |
1030 | The Island of Dr Moreau</h3> |
1031 | |
1032 | <p><em>Rating:</em> <span class="rating-good"> •••••••</span><span class="rating-bad">••• </span> (7) / <em>Fiction</em></p> |
1033 | |
1034 | |
1035 | |
023ad63c |
1036 | <!-- Page published by Emacs Muse ends here --> |
1037 | |
1038 | <p class="cke-buttons"> |
1039 | <!-- validating badges, any browser, etc --> |
1040 | <a href="http://validator.w3.org/check/referer"><img |
1041 | src="http://www.w3.org/Icons/valid-xhtml10" |
1042 | alt="Valid XHTML 1.0!" /></a> |
1043 | |
1044 | <a href="http://www.anybrowser.org/campaign/"><img |
1045 | src="img/buttons/w3c_ab.png" alt="[ Viewable With Any Browser |
1046 | ]" /></a> |
1047 | |
1048 | <a href="http://www.debian.org/"><img |
1049 | src="img/buttons/debian.png" alt="[ Powered by Debian ]" /></a> |
1050 | |
1051 | <a href="http://hcoop.net/"> |
1052 | <img src="img/buttons/hcoop.png" |
1053 | alt="[ Hosted by HCoop]" /> |
1054 | </a> |
1055 | |
1056 | <a href="http://www.fsf.org/register_form?referrer=114"> |
1057 | <img src="img/buttons/fsf_member.png" |
1058 | alt="[ FSF Associate Member ]" /> |
1059 | </a> |
1060 | </p> |
1061 | |
6780a60d |
1062 | <p class="cke-footer">Corinne: this is why we should have designated bath buddies |
1063 | Corinne: to get places you cant reach because youre slippery and in |
1064 | case you get a lil tooo slippery and crack your head open |
1065 | someone can call the coast guard and save you |
023ad63c |
1066 | </p> |
1067 | <p class="cke-timestamp">Last Modified: |
6780a60d |
1068 | December 30, 2008</p> |
023ad63c |
1069 | </body> |
1070 | </html> |