Read any good books lately?

[Intrepid Homoludens]

The People are dumb, man. I get depressed every time I try to talk philosophy with The People.

Maybe it's HOW you try to talk to them about it that's not working. If I'm right, you probably talk over them instead of WITH them. Most people can't comprehend the complicated terminology of philosophies (what I'd refer to as 'highminded bullshit'), but that doesn't necessarily mean they don't understand the ESSENCE of those philosophies, the basic thinking behind them.

You really should listen to this news story:

The Philosophy Of Socrates Cafe

Author Christopher Phillips, Raising Some Basic Questions

Author Chistopher Phillips travels the world to lead discussion groups he calls Socrates Cafes, engaging groups of people in the manner of the ancient Greek philosopher.

But Phillips is concerned that the conversations he seeks usually take place only among elites in contemporary society, so he has tried to broaden the dialogue.

In his travels he has visited prisons, Indian reservations and nursing homes in addition to bookstores and coffee houses. It's a search for "anyone whose questioning nature has ever been cut off." And it emphasizes Phillips' own philosophy:

"What you say and think and do generally matters and counts... it is vital and incumbent for you to take an important role in society during your mortal moment."

Listening to him discuss fundamental ideas and questions with, say, poor single mothers at a homeless shelter, Native Americans at a reservation, Muslim American women, or prison convicts, it's just jawdropping how these ordinary people's own values and insights are actually the same as those who live in ivory towers. The difference is that these ordinary people actually apply these ideas (or at least are aware of them) in their everyday lives.

[manny_c44]

Bulgakov's Master and Margarita, just read it the first time. Not life shaking but it was well translated and overall pretty great.

One Day in the Life... everybody's read this book, but I never got around to it until recently. Obviously pretty good.

Babel's Red Cavalry: Pretty meh. I was really mesmerized by the cover art for some reason though.

There's this one short story by Sholokov (or is it Shalamov, or Shamalov, who knows) called Lend-Lease I kind of liked more than any of the works above.

Hunter S. Thompsons':

Kingdom of Fear: Just a collection of rants and some interesting stories but not compelling reading.

Fear and Loathing: Just a collection of rants and interesting stories, very compelling reading.

The Rum Diary: Probably should've have stayed long lost.

Hell's Angels: Only read the first twenty pages at a book store, looked promising.

[terabin]

The difference is that these ordinary people actually apply these ideas (or at least are aware of them) in their everyday lives.

You mean, people actually apply philosophies to their lives? Hmm, that's a new concept I think. I'm used to be talking in circles about every possible issue and doing absolutely NOTHING with their thoughts. Yay for COLLEGE.

[Intrepid Homoludens]

Yep. Right or wrong. What are the most important things in one's life. The death of a loved one and what that means. Giving money to a charitable organizaion as opposed to giving it to a homeless person who just might use it for drugs. Things like that.

And I'm still waiting for Kingz to recount his experience with talking to 'The People' and how it came about that he thinks that 'The People' are too stupid to discuss philosophy.

[Ninja Dodo]

I've been reading a collection of short stories on marriage by Chekhov. Good fun.

[Ryam BaCo]

i read irvine welsh's trainspotting. excellent book. and now i'm into the follow-up porno, which is...well...porno, yeah.

and i finished alex garland's the coma a few weeks ago and i pretty much hated it, because of the lack of suspense.

[Trithemius]

You mean, people actually apply philosophies to their lives? Hmm, that's a new concept I think. I'm used to be talking in circles about every possible issue and doing absolutely NOTHING with their thoughts. Yay for COLLEGE.

I try to apply philosophy to my life, and I believe it strongly effects the way I look at things. I also studied it in college. Is this supposed to be rare or something?

[Trithemius]

Which of the three did you like best then? I liked them all immensly. but if I had to choose it's got the be the WW2 shaftoe line

BTW. Did any of you read the 3 prequels, quicksilver, confusion and system of the world?

Yes.

They are, as the kids say, "the shit" (i.e. "rather excellent").

They do deal with people who are almost certainly the ancestors of characters in Cryptonomicon, but I am a bit nervous about saying "prequel"; you could certainly read The Baroque Cycle (i.e. Quicksilver, The Confusion, and The System of the World and derive immense enjoyment of them without having read Cryptonomicon and without reading it subsequently (although, you fucking should because it is damn fine as well).

[Trithemius]

:tup: The first three (all?) Earthsea books by Ursula LeGuin (or somesuch) -- really good, light but complex at the same time.

There is also Tehanu and The Other Wind, which were published a lot later. They are also quite good, in my opinion.

[Trithemius]

Most people capable of discussing philosophy are afraid of the real world, much like most real people are afraid of philosophy.

Sup, this is bullshit.

Are you going for your anti-Intellectualism Merit Badge or something?

Every-fucking-body can talk about philosophy, and being able to discuss philosophy doesn't magically make you unable or unwilling to deal with the world.

P.S. If this was a test of philosopher-flamebait then: congratulations, it worked!

[MrHoatzin]

Sup, this is bullshit.

Are you going for your anti-Intellectualism Merit Badge or something?

Every-fucking-body can talk about philosophy, and being able to discuss philosophy doesn't magically make you unable or unwilling to deal with the world.

P.S. If this was a test of philosopher-flamebait then: congratulations, it worked!

I have a relatively small group of friends who are capable of withstanding my spontaneous ventures into abstract thought, while the people who firmly inhabit the real world constantly stare at me as if my very existence is something lewd and improbable.

This is not because of any kind of condescending vocabulary on my part – which is what Trep would theatrically and self-righteously accuse me of. I try to use normal words (and feel like this dumbing down ought to be insulting), but every feedback is rife with new-age platitudes, boring truisms and religion so literal that it might as well be medieval. Invariably, the most retarded normal people I try to share an abstract thought with think I am having trouble speaking English and start yelling at me, so that I could understand them better.

Anybody whom I meet in this accidental context and proves to have a rather interesting inner life I automatically promote from the 'most people' category.

I realized recently (all over again) that I was on a completely different wavelength than the real world, that I cannot relax among the real people, that I would gladly stay in the university indefinitely.

:ponycrap:

[Chris]

I realized recently (all over again) that I was on a completely different wavelength than the real world, that I cannot relax among the real people, that I would gladly stay in the university indefinitely.

All hail the Kingz' Jester!

[lailoken]

Yeah I was totally with you on that one Kingz untill you mentioned staying in University... you should consider that though... why not

[MrHoatzin]

All hail the Kingz' Jester!

Bah! Screw you!