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CommunistMojo posted:So after an unsuccessful trip to the library I'm still looking for a book detailing how other cultures/religions have influenced christianity. It's embarrassing being able to think of things off the top of my head but I can't find a book on it for the life of me. There's always Sir James Frazier's The Golden Bough, but it's more than a bit outdated by now, not to mention being a bit long.
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Apr 3, 2010 16:11
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CommunistMojo posted:So after an unsuccessful trip to the library I'm still looking for a book detailing how other cultures/religions have influenced christianity. It's embarrassing being able to think of things off the top of my head but I can't find a book on it for the life of me. I really recommend Return to Sodom and Gomorrah from Charles Pellegrino. It has a huge amount of work on these subjects. I also really recommend Asimov's Guide to the Bible. It is quite excellent for this stuff.
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Apr 3, 2010 21:55
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CommunistMojo posted:So after an unsuccessful trip to the library I'm still looking for a book detailing how other cultures/religions have influenced christianity. It's embarrassing being able to think of things off the top of my head but I can't find a book on it for the life of me. Not a book, but the rotten library has tons of stuff on that iirc. (Look under Religion>Bible>The Historical Construction of The Bible)
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Apr 3, 2010 22:15
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If one wanted to begin reading Jung where would be a good place to start?
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Apr 4, 2010 00:59
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Thanks for the recommendations guys.Frog Strips posted:If one wanted to begin reading Jung where would be a good place to start? A Primer of Jungian Psychology was my intro to him.
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Apr 4, 2010 02:36
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CommunistMojo posted:Thanks for the recommendations guys. Thank you very much, sir.
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Apr 4, 2010 02:42
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I'm not sure if it was in this thread or another but someone recommended a book containing anonymous suicide letters and I wanted to read it but I can't remember the name and an Amazon search didn't bring anything up but a book with celebrity suicide letters which I really don't give a poo poo about, anyone remember/know the name of that book?
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Apr 4, 2010 07:04
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quote:I'm not sure if it was in this thread or another but someone recommended a book containing anonymous suicide letters and I wanted to read it but I can't remember the name and an Amazon search didn't bring anything up but a book with celebrity suicide letters which I really don't give a poo poo about, anyone remember/know the name of that book? Is this it? I bought this book by accident  . Still haven't read it.
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Apr 5, 2010 11:20
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Patrovsky posted:Is this it? Yes it is! I couldn't for the life of me remember what the title was and I knew it didn't have the word suicide in it. Thank you kindly.
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Apr 5, 2010 17:04
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I just finished reading Dante's Inferno for the first time, the Robert Pinsky translation. Really enjoyed it and I'm thinking of picking up the Purgatorio and Paradiso but it looks like Pinsky hasn't translated those (yet?). If it's worth my time to read the rest of the Commedia, which translations should I go with for these books? It would also be great if someone could recommend editions with copious foot/endnotes, I would never have recognized more than 1/4th of the people mentioned in the Inferno without this.
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Apr 5, 2010 21:57
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I just ordered off Barns and Nobel and "House of Leaves", should be here in a few days. I looked up what it was about and it seemed like something I would enjoy, A sort of mystery, not a lot of answers, metafiction. Is it actually a fun read or did I just piss away $30? And while I’m waiting for it, can you guys recommend anything similar? Preferably something I can buy on my nook. BigRed0427 fucked around with this message at 22:56 on Apr 5, 2010 |
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Apr 5, 2010 22:47
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BigRed0427 posted:I just ordered off Barns and Nobel and "House of Leaves", should be here in a few days. I looked up what it was about and it seemed like something I would enjoy, A sort of mystery, not a lot of answers, metafiction. Is it actually a fun read or did I just piss away $30? It's based around a fictional literary analysis of a fictional non-fiction documentary of a non-fictional photographer. The editor of the essay/narrator uses notation to tell his own related horror story. It can get kind of slow but it's a great loving read.
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Apr 6, 2010 02:10
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I'm looking for a good fantasy/sci-fi novel/series, whether it be mideivel fantasy/sci-fi etc doesn't matter as long as it fits the general category. I have read all the Warcraft novels (None of the "World of Warcraft") and I have read more Star Wars novels than I can count and I think it's time to try a new universe. I was browsing the shelves at Borders and realized I read too many JUST Star Wars books when the fantasy/sci-fi section is SO large. I'm a fan of D&D and I was looking at the forgotten realms, dragonlance, eberron books but I have no idea where to get my start in that universe. Or are things like the Diablo, Starcraft, Warhammer novels enjoyable? I guess I'm wondering what I should pick up and if I should stray away from all of those well known universes and read something more obscure? I'm looking for something with a good balance of adventure, character relationships/development and plot. I've always liked good character interaction and development, probably because I'm lonely haha. Sorry for the wall of text, don't be fooled I'm actually pretty easy to please, this is my first time here so I thought I'd be specific. cmurphy50 fucked around with this message at 05:27 on Apr 6, 2010 |
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Apr 6, 2010 05:17
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cmurphy50 posted:I'm looking for a good fantasy/sci-fi novel/series, whether it be mideivel fantasy/sci-fi etc doesn't matter as long as it fits the general category. I have read all the Warcraft novels (None of the "World of Warcraft") and I have read more Star Wars novels than I can count and I think it's time to try a new universe. I was browsing the shelves at Borders and realized I read too many JUST Star Wars books when the fantasy/sci-fi section is SO large. Sounds like you like action novels. Can't go wrong with Drizzt! If you want to read them chronologically start with the dark elf trilogy, I think Homeland is the first book. If you want to read them in order of publication (I recommend this), start with the Crystal Shard. Author is R.A. Salvatore.
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Apr 6, 2010 07:00
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Did That on Television posted:Does anyone know of a good, comprehensive book on Alan Lomax? At its best, it would cover both his folklorist and ethnomusicological pursuits as well as biographical details. Or alternatively, two separate books -- one on his musicological pursuits and one for biography -- that are detailed would be fine too. Not that I imagine anyone cares, but it appears a biography of Lomax -- apparently the first ever -- was published yesterday! It's called The Man The Recorded The World by John Zwed, a professor of anthropology, music and African-American studies who had worked with Lomax himself for ten years. That should be an interesting read... too bad it does not appear available anywhere yet. 
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Apr 6, 2010 14:42
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cmurphy50 posted:I'm looking for a good fantasy/sci-fi novel/series, whether it be mideivel fantasy/sci-fi etc doesn't matter as long as it fits the general category. I have read all the Warcraft novels (None of the "World of Warcraft") and I have read more Star Wars novels than I can count and I think it's time to try a new universe. I was browsing the shelves at Borders and realized I read too many JUST Star Wars books when the fantasy/sci-fi section is SO large. I'll second Soft Money's recommendation; the Drizzt books sound right up your alley. If you want to branch out a bit, Tigana is a good place to start.
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Apr 6, 2010 19:50
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After seeing it mentioned several times in this thread, I picked up The Lies of Locke Lamora for a 26-hour train ride and absolutely devoured it. Right after I got back I nabbed the second book, Red Seas Under Red Skies, which I only just finished. I didn't enjoy it as much since the book seemed all over the place, but it was still readable. After poking my nose around online, I discovered the author had suffered a nervous breakdown earlier this year and it's pushed back the release of the third book in the series to who the gently caress knows. Sonofabitch. I'm a total sucker for the trickster hero and smarmy dialogue. Does anyone have any recommendations for books I can use to pass the time while Scott Lynch puts his brain back together? I'm partial to low-magic fantasy settings, but I'm open for any fantasy/scifi/historical fiction/whatever that has the same wit and humor. My only bias is that I'm burnt out on nautical/pirate fare, which is why the second book was a tough read. The only nautical series I've ever enjoyed is the Hornblower series by C.S. Forester. Amazon is recommending Acacia: The War with the Mein by David Anthony Durham and the Psalms of Isaak series to me. Has anyone read these?
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Apr 7, 2010 03:29
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I just finished reading the Song of Ice and Fire series again, and am about to finish the First Law Trilogy. Can anyone recommend a good sci-fi or fantasy series with a few qualifiers: 1. It is finished. Martin has made me leery of starting to read anything unfinished. 2. Isn't the Wheel of time/sword of truth series. 3. Isn't a clichéd ball of crap
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Apr 7, 2010 04:05
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Rocketfish posted:After seeing it mentioned several times in this thread, I picked up The Lies of Locke Lamora for a 26-hour train ride and absolutely devoured it. Right after I got back I nabbed the second book, Red Seas Under Red Skies, which I only just finished. I didn't enjoy it as much since the book seemed all over the place, but it was still readable. After poking my nose around online, I discovered the author had suffered a nervous breakdown earlier this year and it's pushed back the release of the third book in the series to who the gently caress knows. Sonofabitch. A guy in this thread http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3256498&userid=0&perpage=40&pagenumber=2#post371647670 says that the third book is coming out sometime this year. No clue if he actually has the insider information he says he has, but it would be nice
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Apr 7, 2010 07:19
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Huh, it appears Shonagon is an editorial manager, and I have no reason to believe/disbelieve him either way, but I'll give him the benefit of the doubt. I'm not familiar with the publishing process. How long does it usually take to edit a 600+ page book? Also, pretty excited about the 7 book deal instead of just 3. As long as the series doesn't completely go to hell I'll be picking up all the other books. The reason for my preemptive pessimism is that Scott stopped updating his twitter in November and about a month ago he posted in his livejournal that he was in therapy for depression/anxiety attacks. I'm still not so sure he'll be able to complete the series, but here's hoping.
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Apr 7, 2010 15:48
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I really hope he does. I've almost finished TLOLL and it's one of my new favourite books. Red seas hopefully came in the post today. So thanks for the recommendations guys! 
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Apr 8, 2010 13:04
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Last recommendations I asked you guys for turned out really good so I figured I would try it again. I am looking for a book that gives a basic rundown of evolution and lists the evidence that supports it. I would like one that is written for anyone not just people with a science background. I know the gist of it, but I want to know more about it to both satisfy my own interest in the subject matter, as well as to have a bit more ammunition for the "hurr durr it is just a theory" crowd, though I recognize) debating them is an exercise in futility. I have read Origin of The Species, and some Biology text books for school but not much else.
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Apr 8, 2010 19:52
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Cap. Monocle posted:I am looking for a book that gives a basic rundown of evolution and lists the evidence that supports it. There are lots of these books. Jerry Coyne's Why Evolution Is True is a terrible title but a good recent example of the genre. I also liked The Triumph of Evolution: And the Failure of Creationism by Niles Eldredge. Both of these authors are players in the field, and bring a lot of personal credibility to the discussion of evolution.
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Apr 8, 2010 20:19
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Cap. Monocle posted:Last recommendations I asked you guys for turned out really good so I figured I would try it again. Why don't you just skim the juicy bits of Dawkins like pretty much everyone else who cultivates Atheism in place of growing an actual personality?
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Apr 8, 2010 21:34
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XBurritoXLogicX posted:I just finished reading the Song of Ice and Fire series again, and am about to finish the First Law Trilogy. If you haven't already it might be worth checking out Bakker's Prince of Nothing trilogy, there is a second trilogy in the works but I think this can be read independently.
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Apr 9, 2010 00:12
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I read "Don't Sleep, there are Snakes" and loved it. Anyone have any recommendations for books on linguistics? I'd prefer something that tells a story, as opposed to academic material. I really enjoyed getting to know the Piraha culture and how the language was intertwined with it, and the relate-ability of a westerner figuring it out. Bonus points for an Ebook recommendation....
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Apr 9, 2010 19:23
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Facial Fracture posted:Why don't you just skim the Yeah, the The Selfish Gene was a pretty good rundown of how evolution works. It didn't really have much in the way of "ammunition against the it's only a theory" folks (in that it wasn't written specifically for that purpose), but it helps you understand how genes can drive evolution.
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Apr 9, 2010 20:12
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I agree. Read the Bible.Lockback posted:Anyone have any recommendations for books on linguistics? I knew nothing about linguistics and I enjoyed Burgess's A Mouthful of Air. No idea whether it's well thought of by linguists or whether it's available in ebook format.
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Apr 9, 2010 22:32
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I'm looking for a psychological thriller with good twists like Shutter Island.
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Apr 10, 2010 03:59
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Private Snowball posted:I'm looking for a psychological thriller with good twists like Shutter Island. I asked basically this same thing and I was referred to "The Magus" by John Fowles. Very good, I think it will hit the spot you're looking for.
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Apr 10, 2010 04:43
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Lockback posted:I read "Don't Sleep, there are Snakes" and loved it. http://books.google.com/books?id=vU...epage&q&f=false That was my intro to linguistics, along with Plato. You could always just read Saussure if you want the actual, original intro to linguistics, but it's such a huge field. Austin is also a big big name, and his speech-act theory provides something like a narrative, ie. it narrativizes language. So does Wittgenstein. But really, if you really want to learn about linguistics, don't settle for easily digestible material because it will 100% certainly be simplified and misread, if sympathetically. But as you can tell, I know a lot more about philosophy of language than I do linguistics, so this stuff isn't science-geared.
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Apr 10, 2010 09:30
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ONE TWO THREE TIMES TWO TO THE SIX/JONESING FOR YOUR FIX OF THAT LIMP BIZKIT MIX
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Soft Money 1M posted:Sounds like you like action novels. Can't go wrong with Drizzt! If you want to read them chronologically start with the dark elf trilogy, I think Homeland is the first book. If you want to read them in order of publication (I recommend this), start with the Crystal Shard. Author is R.A. Salvatore. I read chronologically and it was awesome.  But seriously, read these books. Salvatore writes an awesome damned sword fight. If you love dystopia novels, read Homeland first, and if you want to know what the Lord of the Rings would be like if Tolkien put a lot of detail into the fight scenes, read The Crystal Shard first. I will also be a huge nerd, now, and recommend Lorwyn and Morningtide by Scott McGough and Cory J. Herndon. They are Magic: The Gathering novels, but involve a cool fantasy setting with no humans at all, and a take on elves that's just as sinister as the Drow, but in a different way.
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Apr 11, 2010 03:18
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I just finished Pictures at a Revolution by Mark Harris and am looking for some other great books about film. Any suggestions?
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Apr 11, 2010 19:00
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meanmikhail posted:I just finished Pictures at a Revolution by Mark Harris and am looking for some other great books about film. Any suggestions? I really enjoyed William Goldman's Adventures in the Screen Trade. You can't go wrong with either of Roger Ebert's The Great Movies books either.
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Apr 11, 2010 21:36
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So I just finished American Psycho and found it to be an awesome, unsettling book. Can anyone recommend me other books that meander in and out of utter insanity so casually? I especially loved poo poo like Bateman hallucinating the devil at the Bono concert or the eerie snowy owl stare-off in the zoo scene. Wouldn't hurt if there was a lot of commentary on the human condition, as well.
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Apr 12, 2010 00:36
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Edged Hymn posted:So I just finished American Psycho and found it to be an awesome, unsettling book. Can anyone recommend me other books that meander in and out of utter insanity so casually? I especially loved poo poo like Bateman hallucinating the devil at the Bono concert or the eerie snowy owl stare-off in the zoo scene. Wouldn't hurt if there was a lot of commentary on the human condition, as well. I'm sure it's been mentioned countless times in this thread alone but you can't go wrong with House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski. Hard to read and it can feel like a trudge at times but it sounds like exactly what you want.
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Apr 12, 2010 00:59
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I'm looking for interesting scary novels, but on the other hand I wanted to avoid genre fiction; I find Lovecraft boring but loved the whole concept that was introduced to me by other media, reason why I even started reading his works on the first placeCommunistMojo posted:So after an unsuccessful trip to the library I'm still looking for a book detailing how other cultures/religions have influenced christianity. It's embarrassing being able to think of things off the top of my head but I can't find a book on it for the life of me. Honest Thief fucked around with this message at 02:18 on Apr 12, 2010 |
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Apr 12, 2010 02:16
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Have you tried reading mountains of madness? I found that to be a pretty easy Lovecraft novel, and stuff, you know, actually happens. If you haven't gotten around to it yet, I'd give that one a try.
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Apr 12, 2010 02:22
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Honest Thief posted:I'm looking for interesting scary novels, but on the other hand I wanted to avoid genre fiction; I find Lovecraft boring but loved the whole concept that was introduced to me by other media, reason why I even started reading his works on the first place Cyclonopedia might be just what you're looking for. The premise is that oil is the lifeblood of the middle east and that the land itself is a living horror causing all the violence and terror in the world. Unfortunately the vast majority of novels that deal with Lovecraftian horror are solid genre fiction. This one avoids it by mixing the old-dead-god stuff with real world events and politics. Hate to throw the same suggestion out twice on one page but House of Leaves might be right up your alley too, but as I said above it can be a tough read. If you're looking for literary horror though this might be by far the creepiest piece of proper literature I've ever read. Soft Money 1M fucked around with this message at 19:52 on Apr 12, 2010 |
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Apr 12, 2010 19:49
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I'm looking to read up on some classics and understand American politics (early or otherwise). People get overly emotional when this topic comes up. As a result, Amazon reviews or other websites like that are not very helpful. I've been reading Churchill's "The Great Republic" for some US history. I was thinking of Alexis De Tocquiville's "Democracy in America" but I can't get any good opinions on it. I had a lovely high school "Government/US History" education and I'm wishing to remedy that. I was wondering if someone could point me to some quality works in this area with all the above in mind. Anamnesis fucked around with this message at 05:29 on Apr 14, 2010 |
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Apr 14, 2010 03:27
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