Mature Men. What are you reading at the moment?

[Warrior74]

I'm currently reading The Thoughts of The Emperor Marcus Aurelius Antoninus. I'm learning more about Stoicism. What are you reading and why?

 

[backbreaker]

Native Dancer: The Grey Ghost, Hero of a Golden Age

 

[synergy1]

securities analysis, but I'll be skipping some parts since its kind of long.

why? I'd like to understand what to look for better in undervalued companies for investment.

 

[Scaramouche]

Hi MDJ,
Well I am rather like my old mate B squared,I dip into several volumes at the same time....I am reading..."A Lad of Evesham Vale"(a Yarn about an English working class DJ in the early 1920's)...."Shallow graves in Siberia"(a chilling homily about the only Man who ever got away from the Gulag)...."Setting the East Ablaze"(about British Espionage in Western China during the Russian Civil War..."Town Gun" (Silly I suppose,but it is about a bloke in London who manages to shoot a variety of game quite close to the City Centre)....I suppose I am a bit eccentric!!!

 

[Colossus]

Current Medical Diagnosis and Treatment 2011. To learn stuff.

 

[5string]

I'm currently reading The Thoughts of The Emperor Marcus Aurelius Antoninus. I'm learning more about Stoicism. What are you reading and why?

Just read that. Now reading Killing Lincoln by Bill O'Reilly. Very well written. 5 stars.

 

[zekko]

The V For Vendetta graphic novel, because I wanted to see how it differed from the movie. The movie's better.

For "real" books, I'm reading The Boys of Summer, which is strange because I don't follow baseball anymore. For some reason, I've always thought the Dodgers belonged in Brooklyn, even though they moved to Los Angeles before I was born.

 

[samspade]

To End All Wars by Adam Hochschild - about WWI. Gruesome stuff.

Also, Nicholas & Alexandra by Robert Massie - about the last tsar of Russia.

Huge nonfiction buff....

 

[5string]

Another good one

http://www.amazon.com/Rise-Rebellion-Novel-American-Revolution/dp/0345427548/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1322582298&sr=1-1

 

[5string]

To End All Wars by Adam Hochschild - about WWI. Gruesome stuff.

Also, Nicholas & Alexandra by Robert Massie - about the last tsar of Russia.

Huge nonfiction buff....

Next on my list. Thanks. Nonfiction is the only way to go.

 

[samspade]

Next on my list. Thanks. Nonfiction is the only way to go.

Hothschild also wrote King Leopold's Ghost - about the Belgian Congo. Crazy stuff. If you can handle a journey into the heart of darkness....

 

[pdx1138]

Steve Jobs. I enjoy reading autobio's.

 

[Julius_Seizeher]

The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius is the seminal work on Stoicism, and I thought Aurelius captured a great deal of wisdom in that book. But I always warn about Stoicism, I like the masculine Rock of Gibraltar mentality it promotes but there is a nasty streak of (what would today be known as) nihilism in it. You know, "Nothing matters, nothing is real, knowledge is impossible, blah blah". If you can read Meditations while weeding the nihilism out of it, you'll take nothing but good away from it.

I've been on a big Ayn Rand kick for about the last year, I already read most of her fiction books and I'm getting into The Virtue of Selfishness right now.

 

[Warrior74]

The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius is the seminal work on Stoicism, and I thought Aurelius captured a great deal of wisdom in that book. But I always warn about Stoicism, I like the masculine Rock of Gibraltar mentality it promotes but there is a nasty streak of (what would today be known as) nihilism in it. You know, "Nothing matters, nothing is real, knowledge is impossible, blah blah". If you can read Meditations while weeding the nihilism out of it, you'll take nothing but good away from it.

I've been on a big Ayn Rand kick for about the last year, I already read most of her fiction books and I'm getting into The Virtue of Selfishness right now.

Yes, so I've heard. It's only fair that I warn you that Rand's objectivism has its downsides as well. It can lead to egoism and materialism.

 

[Julius_Seizeher]

Yes, so I've heard. It's only fair that I warn you that Rand's objectivism has its downsides as well. It can lead to egoism and materialism.

Objectively, the material world is the only one I care to live in. Rand characterized Objectivism as "A philosophy for living on earth." And she was exactly right.

Rational egoism, the supreme sovereignty of the individual mind, is the core tenet of Objectivist epistemology. The ego has always been characterized as the synonym of evil, but Rand (quite effectively) showed that the man who lives for himself, the man who values his life and his work above all else, is also the greatest benefactor of mankind. The parasites of collectivism, unwilling to bear responsibility for their own lives, dissolve their individuality into a herd and then blame the ego for the source of mankind's disasters.

We always talk about "alpha this" and "alpha that" on these boards, but I've never really bought into the prevailing definition of the alpha male, because he sounds alot like a bum I would never care to be. Nothing worth having (or being) is to be achieved as easily as the false prophets of game insinuate. Let me tell you, it was a little lady from Russia who defined the ideal man in the best, most explicit terms I have ever seen. I knew Objectivism was right because, when I first got into it, it seemed so hard to practice. But it's right, it's the only philosophy that doesn't let you have your cake and eat it too--which is metaphysically impossible.

 

[HalfAddict]

I was reading "The Universe in a Single Atom" by the Dalai Lama. But now I am reading the Book of Pook again lol.

 

[Warrior74]

Objectively, the material world is the only one I care to live in. Rand characterized Objectivism as "A philosophy for living on earth." And she was exactly right.

Rational egoism, the supreme sovereignty of the individual mind, is the core tenet of Objectivist epistemology. The ego has always been characterized as the synonym of evil, but Rand (quite effectively) showed that the man who lives for himself, the man who values his life and his work above all else, is also the greatest benefactor of mankind. The parasites of collectivism, unwilling to bear responsibility for their own lives, dissolve their individuality into a herd and then blame the ego for the source of mankind's disasters.

We always talk about "alpha this" and "alpha that" on these boards, but I've never really bought into the prevailing definition of the alpha male, because he sounds alot like a bum I would never care to be. Nothing worth having (or being) is to be achieved as easily as the false prophets of game insinuate. Let me tell you, it was a little lady from Russia who defined the ideal man in the best, most explicit terms I have ever seen. I knew Objectivism was right because, when I first got into it, it seemed so hard to practice. But it's right, it's the only philosophy that doesn't let you have your cake and eat it too--which is metaphysically impossible.

I'll not debate it, but I will say that I've met few people in real life who follow objectivism who I thought were good and worth while people. Usually the ones I've met have massive egos and very little ability or justification for their air of superiority. It's also been hilarious when said people fall on their faces and then come crawling for help only to lash out when denied by all the people they pissed off. This has been my experience. I'm thinking of about 4 people I know personally who have followed this same script.

 

[samspade]

In the middle of Eat, Pray, Love. OMG! Everyone should get divorced and travel the world!

 

[sinnerman]

The Great Game : The Struggle For Empire In Central Asia by Peter Hopkirk

 

[acw]

Succeeding Through Inner Strength....audio book.

(i enjoy audio books these days as i'm always in the car traveling)

This book is another thought culmination of N.Branden, famous psychologist known for his expertise in the area of self awareness and self esteem. He was the romantic interest of Ayn Ran when he was in his early 20's...and she was 25 yrs his senior (this might qualify as a GILF relationship).

...Branden is brilliant.