Required reading: To Mouzer with Love
The New Testament.
Not for the reasons you would normally think however. If you want to argue with Christians, you have to steal their thunder. Know exactly what it was that Christ said and try to understand why. Christ rocked. Also know that most Christians justify their bigotry, misogyny, and homophobia by what Paul of Tarsus said. Remember that Paul was not Christ. At his core, despite the fact that he had grasped the nature of love, he was still a Pharisee. One of the group who had maneuvered the Romans into having Christ executed.
Also the Book of Ecclesiastes, Old Testament.
Ordinarily grim reading, but try to read it with the following formula in mind. If sorrow is the price of wisdom, then sorrow is its down payment. Wisdom ameliorates pain. Pain comes whether or not you are trying to learn something. I go into that some in Valentine for Nihilists.
Tao te Ching - by Lao Tzu
The original book of Taoism. It may seem difficult to grasp initially, but much of what it says parallels what Christ himself had said, which to my mind validates both. It is one of the "three paths, one way" of Chinese philosophy.The others being Confuscism and Buddhism.
Catch-22 - by Joseph Heller
Already discussed. Explicates well some of the problems re capitalism, bureaucracy, the military, etc. It is a bible of mine in its own right.
The Grapes of Wrath - By John Steinbeck
I originally wanted to read this book as a proto-post-Apocalypse novel, as it was written during the Great Depression. Before the Nuclear Age. What struck me most was how incredibly CURRENT it was. The BP Disaster parallels the Dust Bowl for fishermen in the Gulf.The migrant farm worker motif speaks directly to the immigration debate and Az1070. And the key thing to remember is that what happened to these people is what happened to white people at this time, in those circumstances. Knowing that DOES make a difference, knowing just how little difference it made.
As an Okie, it was a really odd homecoming for me. If you want to help fix social problems, own this book and study it.
Lastly...and with great joy and fan-fare
The Cartoon History of the Universe Series - by Larry Gonick
World history has never been more fun! It is entertaining, clever, engrossing, and above all INFORMATIVE. A far better read than any Cliff Notes or any "World History for Dummies." I promise you, you will love this.
And as an also mentions...
The Dune series - first by Frank Herbert, prequels and other associated novel by his son Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson.
While not necessarily as informative as others on this list, it is still a terrific as explorations of ecology, politics, war, religion, prophecy, resource control and manipulation, as well as unintended social consequences of actions. Also one of the first of all genres revolving around a prophesied "promised one" who's latest incarnation was The Matrix series...though if you want to split hairs, the Old Testament was the first.
For Historical Novels its hard to do better than Roger Clavell for Asia (Shogun, Noble House, Tai-Pan, Whirlwind.)
For Africa, Wilbur Smith.
The Art of War - by Sun Tzu
To understand Warfare Tactics and Strategy. Written before the Chinese were using mounted horses in warfare, several thousand years ago. Its is AWESOME.
The Tao of Jeet Kune Do - by Bruce Lee
Martial Arts, personal combat. But most importantly, philosophy and self-help. The man is one of my heroes.
Primitive Mythology - Joseph Campbell
Self-explanatory, and so much more. Discusses in depth early man, the myths of cultures and civilizations long buried under the concrete of Western Civilisation. Topics covered: The fall from prominence of women since the time of earth mothers and the Venus of Willendorf (Campbell says that it is a mystery, but as you will discover from Cartoon History of the Universe...the cause was a consequence of the advent of animal husbandry, when herders discovered that sex is tied to reproduction and that men father children. Until then it was a mystical secret known only to women. Women have been chattel ever since.) Favorite stories. One about toothed vaginas from the Apache Indians. Another from Polynesia about a woman who cheated on her giant eel monster husband Te Tuna with the hero of the story. The hero and the monster eel attempt to settle matters by seeing who has the more impressive penis.
The Prince - Niccolo Machiavelli
Regarded as diabolical in its insight into human nature and power politics, it is to the mechanics of politics what Sun Tzu's Art of War was to warfare (written before there was such a thing as mounted cavalry!) and Bruce Lee's Tao of Jeet Kune Do for martial arts, and Joseph Heller's Catch-22
was to understanding bureaucracy especially military bureaucracy
All in all a very extensive list, but I hope these books will help arm and defend you, help insure your survival and provide you with what you need to accomplish what you want in the future.
Very good stuff.
Not for the reasons you would normally think however. If you want to argue with Christians, you have to steal their thunder. Know exactly what it was that Christ said and try to understand why. Christ rocked. Also know that most Christians justify their bigotry, misogyny, and homophobia by what Paul of Tarsus said. Remember that Paul was not Christ. At his core, despite the fact that he had grasped the nature of love, he was still a Pharisee. One of the group who had maneuvered the Romans into having Christ executed.
Also the Book of Ecclesiastes, Old Testament.
Ordinarily grim reading, but try to read it with the following formula in mind. If sorrow is the price of wisdom, then sorrow is its down payment. Wisdom ameliorates pain. Pain comes whether or not you are trying to learn something. I go into that some in Valentine for Nihilists.
Tao te Ching - by Lao Tzu
The original book of Taoism. It may seem difficult to grasp initially, but much of what it says parallels what Christ himself had said, which to my mind validates both. It is one of the "three paths, one way" of Chinese philosophy.The others being Confuscism and Buddhism.
Catch-22 - by Joseph Heller
Already discussed. Explicates well some of the problems re capitalism, bureaucracy, the military, etc. It is a bible of mine in its own right.
The Grapes of Wrath - By John Steinbeck
I originally wanted to read this book as a proto-post-Apocalypse novel, as it was written during the Great Depression. Before the Nuclear Age. What struck me most was how incredibly CURRENT it was. The BP Disaster parallels the Dust Bowl for fishermen in the Gulf.The migrant farm worker motif speaks directly to the immigration debate and Az1070. And the key thing to remember is that what happened to these people is what happened to white people at this time, in those circumstances. Knowing that DOES make a difference, knowing just how little difference it made.
As an Okie, it was a really odd homecoming for me. If you want to help fix social problems, own this book and study it.
Lastly...and with great joy and fan-fare
The Cartoon History of the Universe Series - by Larry Gonick
World history has never been more fun! It is entertaining, clever, engrossing, and above all INFORMATIVE. A far better read than any Cliff Notes or any "World History for Dummies." I promise you, you will love this.
And as an also mentions...
The Dune series - first by Frank Herbert, prequels and other associated novel by his son Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson.
While not necessarily as informative as others on this list, it is still a terrific as explorations of ecology, politics, war, religion, prophecy, resource control and manipulation, as well as unintended social consequences of actions. Also one of the first of all genres revolving around a prophesied "promised one" who's latest incarnation was The Matrix series...though if you want to split hairs, the Old Testament was the first.
For Historical Novels its hard to do better than Roger Clavell for Asia (Shogun, Noble House, Tai-Pan, Whirlwind.)
For Africa, Wilbur Smith.
The Art of War - by Sun Tzu
To understand Warfare Tactics and Strategy. Written before the Chinese were using mounted horses in warfare, several thousand years ago. Its is AWESOME.
The Tao of Jeet Kune Do - by Bruce Lee
Martial Arts, personal combat. But most importantly, philosophy and self-help. The man is one of my heroes.
Primitive Mythology - Joseph Campbell
Self-explanatory, and so much more. Discusses in depth early man, the myths of cultures and civilizations long buried under the concrete of Western Civilisation. Topics covered: The fall from prominence of women since the time of earth mothers and the Venus of Willendorf (Campbell says that it is a mystery, but as you will discover from Cartoon History of the Universe...the cause was a consequence of the advent of animal husbandry, when herders discovered that sex is tied to reproduction and that men father children. Until then it was a mystical secret known only to women. Women have been chattel ever since.) Favorite stories. One about toothed vaginas from the Apache Indians. Another from Polynesia about a woman who cheated on her giant eel monster husband Te Tuna with the hero of the story. The hero and the monster eel attempt to settle matters by seeing who has the more impressive penis.
The Prince - Niccolo Machiavelli
Regarded as diabolical in its insight into human nature and power politics, it is to the mechanics of politics what Sun Tzu's Art of War was to warfare (written before there was such a thing as mounted cavalry!) and Bruce Lee's Tao of Jeet Kune Do for martial arts, and Joseph Heller's Catch-22
was to understanding bureaucracy especially military bureaucracy
All in all a very extensive list, but I hope these books will help arm and defend you, help insure your survival and provide you with what you need to accomplish what you want in the future.
Very good stuff.
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