What is everone reading ?

“Sorry if my attempt at a little levity upset you, arc. Seriously, can you please explain why Rand so despised altruism? She fled the Bolsheviks in the Soviet Union, but she seems at times (to me at least) to be almost hostile to democracy. Why? Does she see it as collectivism?”

“You must be a miserable person, lyra.

She was hostile to any dependance on other human beings, Kleetn. I didn't read that she was hostile to democracy but it sort of follows from her philosophy. Hmmm... She was also very hostile towards organized religion because she felt that it's main currency was guilt tripping people into compliance.

She didn't like altruism because she felt that it made people dependant on each other. She felt that the only way to have a truly just society was to have everyone be as good as they could be for themselves. She believed that the only true currency a person could offer another was their own excellence. If a person is altruistic, they are not living their own life but living for others. They are not living to the fullest potential that they are capable of, and that this diminishes any society.

I find those ideas to be very thought provoking.”

“only when i was reading her, LOL! ;-) i'm not saying anything against her ideas...i have no idea what they are, in fact, having not been able to stand her writing itself!”

“LOL on the Simpsons! Actually, my kids have learned a lot from trying to learn a little more about history, culture and literature in order to "get" the "in jokes" in the Simpsons.”

“kewl :-) it's the smartest TV show i can think of! i just love it when a joke dawns on me a few seconds later...subtlety counts for a lot.”

“Yah its an amazing show... I am amazed that my kids and I continue to find it so funny after so many years. You'd think they would have run out of ideas.

The musical version of the Planet of the apes was real genius.”

“yet another one i'm sure will be much funnier after i've read/watched the original! ;-)”

“;^) Lyra, I've had that experience a few times. I hated Catch 22 the first time I read it. I couldn't get past the first 50 pages. I couldn't stand Yossarian as a character. So I put it down and came back to it later with a fresh outlook. Now I love it!

What I haven't been able to do is make headway with Ulyssees by James Joyce. Ped, was it you who was trying to read that the last time we had a thread like this? Someone was, and I wonder how well they're doing. Dang thing just puts me to sleep.”

“Arc: I'd tried ole Ulysses once ages ago (in college)and planned to give it another try some day.

I'm not sure if someone was trying it at the time.”

“I really can only read non-fiction,biographies stuff.
I tried fiction novels and i fall asleep in seconds...Tried some shakespeare and eliad(greek stuff)recently at the library and just dozed off!”

“for periodicals, I read Time, the New York Review of Books, the Boston Globe, my local paper and the occasional academic journal.

I usta read Forbes a lot.”

“Maxim!! it's the breast.”

“WOO HOO! the next Harry Potter book comes out June 21! 500,000 words! It'll be longer than "Goblet" was!!!
This means it will actually last more than one day!”

“June 21, where have I heard that date before? Oh yeah, hiking naked day! We'll have to be at the bookstore naked in line for the Boy Wizard book!”

“Yeah, I saw that! I'll definitely be getting a copy the day it comes out, very exciting!

Reading now: Running with the Demon, Terry Brooks

Reading next: Imajica, Clive Barker”

“Im reading Creek Mary's Blood which was recommended by Pathman in the thread, before we went off to write our own TT book which was lost in the great Hard Drive Storm, Winter of 2003.”

“God Bless You Dr. Krevorkian by Kurt Vonnegut. Pretty funny stuff.”

“Another funny book is called "Good Omens" by Terry Pratchett. The premise is that the antichrist has been born, and is supposed to be raised by this particular family. But, he got misplaced at the hospital and is raised by a normal family. I thought it was a hoot.”

“I once saw a book called "Hunting Humans"

Don't remember who wrote it.

8)”

“Is it about the pursuit of humans or humans who hunt?”

“"Hiking the Appalachian Trail" by Larry Luxenberg

"The Dead Zone" by Stephen King
and
"In a Sunburned Country" by Bill Bryson

i like to get around, just depends on what kind of mood im in.

just got done with king's "Desperation" which i thoroughly enjoyed, will start of the "regulators" very soon.”

“pursuit of humans!

8)”

“"Fire" by Sebastian Junger. It's a compliation of some of his major articles.”

“"HUNTED" A true story of survival.
A story about an explorer who accidentally killed a griz cub and his mama is tracking him. Takes place in Alaska.”

“Ductape - have you read "Tommyknockers"? That's my favorite King book, by far. Really frickin' creepy!”

“Bongofreak, I was justed loaned a copy of "Fire" by a friend. How is it?

I am currently reading "To The Edge" by Kirk Johnson. Its a story of ultramarathoners and the search for endurance. An informative and entertaining read. Lots of tidbits on race prep and food.”

“birch-

If you like "a Perfect Storm" or other disaster type stuff, I think you'll like it. Junger is a good writer who often gets himself into interesting situations...most of the time it's pretty compelling stuff.”

“Dhalgren. Anybody read it?”

“Press releases.”

“to log Birch out and herself in:

Artex, Imajica is a pretty weird book. Enjoy it! My copy fell apart before I got to finish it. I ended up missing a hundred pages at least. Not a good way to read a book.”

“I have to wait until April until the new Laurell K Hamilton book Cerulean Sins is released.”

“I'm reading David Brill's book about his 1979 thru-hike of the AT - "As Far as the Eye Can See." Not a bad read so far.

Also working throuhg the first Potter book.

Just finished "The Man Who Walked Through Time" by Colin Fletcher. Honestly - I found some parts a little boring.”

“tango - you have interesting taste in books. I hadn't heard of a number of the books you have mentioned here and by the fire. It's always good to find out about new authors.”

“The National Enquirer”

“ductape, good to hear of another Stephen King fan. I avoided "Desperation" like the plague before a solo trip including some boonie stuff in Nevada.

Oh!! And HE autographed my copy of the "Dead Zone." I got to interview him in college. *conceited smile* LOL!”

“Pathman, I hope they're none of the ones I wrote. :-)”

“A couple favorite authors are:
John Grisham
Kathy Reichs

wish I had more time to read right now. Only two more weeks and my courses will be over, I'll be starting two new ones but I don't think they will be as intense.

Currently reading:
My Bible
Human Biology
Foundations of College Chemistry

Waiting on my bookshelf:
-"What's so amazing about Grace" by Philip Yancey
-"Women who Run with the Wolves" by Clarissa Pinkola Estes
-"Into thin Air" by Jon Krakauer”

“right now I am reading the home depot how-to book.”

“"Jack", bio of C.S. Lewis.

In the preface, the author mentions his encounter with "Tollers", outside Lewis' office when the author first met him. Tollers was waiting for Lewis, his friend to finish with student meetings. "Tollers" was none other than J.R. Tolkien.”

“Interesting crew, there.”

“misc. college engineering textbooks, "the fellowship of the ring" (an old copy from the 70's, ive had the trilogy for years and years, but never finished it), "a walk in the woods", and "an intimate look at the night sky" by chet raymo- its a book on stars, a friend got it for me for christmas...ive always wanted to really learn constelations and such, but never told anyone about it...im still wondering how she knew to get it for me, i suspect telepathy

later,
-nate”

“The Crucible by Arthur Miller.

Oh, and about 1,000 pages of student writing during exam weeks.”

“I just finished re-reading Yhe Girl That Loved Tom Gordon. I told someone they could borrow it and I figured I better read it now I probably won't ever see it again.
Next is The Two Towers or One Flew Over the Cookoo's Nest and for three weeks have been trying to get into The Illiad (may never finish)”

“"...it was Greek to me."

'Casca'
Act 1, Scene 2
"Julius Caesar"
Wm. Shakespeare
(or attributed to Shakespeare, if you prefer, <G>)”

“Just finished 'Black Hawk Down'. I saw the movie a couple months ago and had no idea what had happened in Mogadishu. Interesting read.”

“(fiction mostly)”

“Reading Artemis Fowl outloud to my sons...

Reading nothing for myself. :(”

“5 Contracts

"Green Eggs and Ham"

The Autobiography of Soupy Sales”

“*Falling Up* by Shel Silverstein

*Peter Camenzind* by Hermann Hesse”

“Still working on "Nothing Like It In The World" by Stephen Ambrose.”