Random The Book Club

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Awareness by Anthony De Mello
A Short history of nearly everything by Bill Bryson
The game by Neil Strauss
The power of now by Eckhart Tolle
Big **** and ghetto booties vol 134
 
Sundowners by Lesley Lokko

-20th century novel.. its a story that it based around the politics of the 20th century like all the mandela stuf.. pretty much the spoilt beautiful white brat whos got everything falls in love with the guy from the wrong race.

7/10

Six Wives (re-read) - David Starkey.

history on henry viii

6/10
 

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Weeeeell, if you could provide a short summary if anyone hasn't read them they could?

I've been reading my own Major Work for quite a while, that's pretty much it except the hour in total on the bus :eek:

Need to massively catch up on reading!
 
CAS79 said:
Damn you malfan youve been hacking my computer :p

No but it is set 400 0dd years ago. And it does have a Eurasian prostitute in the Portuguese colony at Goa... will that do.
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It's going to have to. I can just imagine the time travel parts into it myself. Send me a copy when you're done.
 
It talks about humans' need to acquire status in the eyes of others, in other words to "keep up with the Joneses". He examines this by going through different social set-ups throughout history, and how we can overcome this instinctive urge by offering some solutions.

It's brilliantly written (as always) by De Botton, he has a real talent in shaping his thoughts into beautiful flowing sentences. It's not his best book but I still found it an enjoyable read. He may not be everyone's cup of tea, some may find him too pretentious, but I am a big fan.

There's also a doco, I haven't seen that, but the man speaks as eloquently well as he write and is probably worth a look too.
 

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I will look up Sundowners.. sounds like just my type of thing (vry interested in the apartheid and post-apartheid Safrica).

What's Awareness like, BH?

*Oh, anyone who likes Brown, his new novel is out in 2 weeks or so. "The Lost Symbol" about the Freemasons in DC :)
 
ssfc0203 said:
I will look up Sundowners.. sounds like just my type of thing (vry interested in the apartheid and post-apartheid Safrica).

What's Awareness like, BH?

*Oh, anyone who likes Brown, his new novel is out in 2 weeks or so. "The Lost Symbol" about the Freemasons in DC :)
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Urgh.
 
Reading about the masons is fun. They've been involved in everything that has ever happened, apparently.

& Digital Fortress was a decent book!

I've been reading Persuasion & Northanger Abbey by Austen and Wuthering Heights by Bronte.

Northanger is probably one of my favourite books now. Wuthering still bothers me a little, although I absolutely love Bronte's writing.

Note to anyone who hasn't read it: Read Byron's Manfred. He was a seriously awesome man.
 
ssfc0203 said:
What's Awareness like, BH?
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Awesome. One of the best books I've read.

It's written by a jesuit priest who talks about how the human mind has evolved beyond practical use to become to a hindrance. It discusses the value of self awareness and how to de program all the bullshit society feeds in to us.

It won't be most peoples cup of tea but I love books like that. I find even if I don't agree with most of what I read I can always find at least 3 or 4 gems of knowledge to integrate into my way of thinking. This book has probably changed my outlook on life more than any other that I've read so far. I just finished reading it for the 2nd time and will go back for a 3rd eventually.
 
J_Moore said:
How's that working for you?
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LOL. Again... something I was able to pick up some great gems of knowledge from;)

Seriously though, brilliant read.

Neil Strauss, the author of the book, was a skinny, balding, middle aged nerd who lived with a group of "pick up artists" (basically a group of men who make a science out of picking up women). He travelled everywhere learning from the masters and transformed himself into the best pick up artist in the world. There's tons of entertaining stories about him picking up celebrities and models. Britney Spears and Courtney Love make both make interesting appearances.

The book is 70% true stories 30% actually theory on the art of picking up women. I never realised how big the "PUA" scence was until I read this book, there's forums and material all over the internet. Unfortunately I was only single for a matter of a couple of months after reading it but I know of a couple of people who used the book as a starting point to get into the "venusian arts" and have had great success. To a lot of people it would probably sound like a load of crap but when you start reading and learning the theory behind it all you can see how it works. (I may have done a little field testing).

Highly recommended for single blokes like Stat and Bonza:thumbsu:
 
ssfc0203 said:
Weeeeell, if you could provide a short summary if anyone hasn't read them they could?

I've been reading my own Major Work for quite a while, that's pretty much it except the hour in total on the bus :eek:

Need to massively catch up on reading!
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I did that once, was actually an interesting experience.

I really recommend Shadow of the Wind to anyone who hasn't read it, it's a GREAT book.
 
The other day I decided I wanted to read more of the Penguin $10 classics. I'm about a third of the way through One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey. It's good so far...not much has happened really. I've never seen the movie or anything.
 
I want to buy the Jane Austen and Bronte sets in the $10 vintage books (or $14 penguins.. I like my books to have covers).

I'm thinking of getting some books secondhand. I love old books.
 
J_Moore said:
Those Penguin $10 classics are the best thing in the history of the world.

Grab A Confederacy of Dunces if you see it. One of the funniest books you'll ever read.
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I cannot agree more, this is a classic and has a cult following.

I wish the author who also wrote The Neon Bible didn't feel the need to desert the planet so young.... this is fantastic.
 
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