# Favorite Book



## immanuelrx (Dec 7, 2013)

Since there has been a few thread about favorite movies and music, I figured I would start one about favorite books. It would also be good to know what books fellow forum members view as favorites to help myself and others build a future reading list. I would prefer these books to be of the non-religous nature. I respect those that view the Bible, the Qur'an, the Torah, the book of Morman, and other religious literature as very important or favorite books. We all know how passionate people are about religion and I would like to avoid those types of discussions. But of course, you all can do as you please as it is only a request. So I will get started!

Favorite books:

1. Les Miserables by Victor Hugo
This was such a wonderful book! The story of Jean Valjean is such a vivid and exciting story that makes Les Miserables a difficult book to put down. One thing I loved about Victor was how he set up each character or timeframe of the book with a great and extensive back story. It was funny, but when I started reading the book the recent movie had just been released. So as I read the book, I pictured Hugh Jackman as Jean Valjean throughout. Even more so as Jean Valjean's superhuman abilities started to surface. At that point I started picturing Jean Valjean as Hugh Jackman in his Wolverine character.  I couldn't make it through more than 15 minutes of the current Les Mis movie because of the book though. 

2. Che Guevara: A Revolutionary Life by Jon Lee Anderson
This book was picked up as I was going through a phase of random book purchasing. I knew nothing about Che at the time so you can imagine how fun it was to read this book. Che's life was so interesting. Many may not agree with everything he did, but one thing you can't deny was his passion for what he believed in. I love reading about history, so to go through this book without prior knowledge made this my favorite book at the time. I ended up reading it twice.

Books I plan on reading:

1. The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings trilogy: I love the movies. Since books are usually better than their cinema counterpart, I want to find the time to make it through the 4 books.

2. Any book by Gabriel Garcia Marquez: After I conversation with a colleague regarding favorite books, Marquez was suggested to me. I did a little research on him have decided to give some of his books a try. Probably Love in the Time of Cholera or One Hundred Years of Solitude.

Books I started to read, didn't finish, but wish I had:

Simón Bolivar: A Life by John Lynch: I started reading this book at the wrong time. It didn't help that it started out very dry, but I was starting to get to the part of his life that he was known for. I just had too much going on at the time and have yet to pick the book back up.

Emperor of Japan: Meiji and His World by Donald Keene: This was a great part of Japanese history to read starting from right before Japan opened up it's borders all the way through the Meiji Era. I started reading this book before I was serious about reading (1000+ page book) and only made it 600 or so pages. It was great history to read, but I wasn't ready to take on such a challenge.

So this is what I was thinking for this thread, I am excited to hear from my fellow AAAC member on their favorite books.


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## sbdivemaster (Nov 13, 2011)

Not sure if it's my "favorite", but it is the first book I recommend when someone asks due to the fact so few have ever heard of it. A true laugh out loud winner:

Confederacy of Dunces


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## mfs (Mar 1, 2009)

Catch 22


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## 32rollandrock (May 1, 2008)

Huckleberry Finn. The quintessential American novel.


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## SG_67 (Mar 22, 2014)

Fiction: 
1) Crime and Punishment
2) Lord of the Flies
3) The Great Gatsby

Non-Fiction:
1) Citizens by Simon Schama
2) The Constitution of Liberty by Friedrich Hayek 
3) American Caesar by William Manchester


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## Chouan (Nov 11, 2009)

sbdivemaster said:


> Not sure if it's my "favorite", but it is the first book I recommend when someone asks due to the fact so few have ever heard of it. A true laugh out loud winner:
> 
> Confederacy of Dunces


Strangely, given that it is so often recommended as a "good book", I couldn't get on with it at all, finding it really irritating, and I gave up on it. 
As a favourite, I'd be very hard pressed to choose, however, for easily accessible and enjoyable reads I would suggest "Clochemerle", "The Leopard" and "Three Men in a Boat".


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## Hitch (Apr 25, 2012)

The Grapes of Wrath

Of Mice and Men

The Blackford Oaks series

All of P McManus 78-91


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## shadoman (Jun 8, 2014)

William Gibson's *Sprawl trilogy . It consists of Neuromancer (1984), Count Zero (1986), and Mona Lisa Overdrive (1988).*


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## vpkozel (May 2, 2014)

immanuelrx said:


> Books I plan on reading:
> 
> 1. The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings trilogy: I love the movies. Since books are usually better than their cinema counterpart, I want to find the time to make it through the 4 books.


You will not regret this. The movies were great and I own them all, but they are not nearly as good as the books.

I am a history geek, so my most of my favorites are in that realm

- Strong Men Armed by Robert Lecke (he was a character in the Pacific miniseries on HBO and the book is about the Marines on Gualdalcanal)

- The Civil War trilogy by Shelby Foote

- The Influence of Seapower Upon History - by Alfred T. Mahan (the quintessential study of seapower as illustrated by Britain's rise to a world power)

- Fighting For The Confederacy - EP Alexander (Lee's best artillery officer's account of the Civil War in Virginia. In the mad scramble to assign blame after the losing, most Confederate generals rushed to blame others in order to save their own reputations. Alexander stays away from that and just gives a very good first hand account).

- Red Storm Rising by Tom Clancy and Larry Bond (a fictional account of a war between the US and USSR, no Jack Ryan in this one although I love that series too)

- Unbearable Lightness of Being - Milan Kundera ( I love this book even more after living in Prague for 3 years)


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## sbdivemaster (Nov 13, 2011)

Chouan said:


> Strangely, given that it is so often recommended as a "good book", I couldn't get on with it at all, finding it really irritating, and I gave up on it.


Give it another whirl; I recall it took me a bit to finally figure out what was going on, but it's really funny once you get oriented.


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## Monocle (Oct 24, 2012)

I've liked D.H. Lawrence, and appreciate his style. I recently read "Mornings in Mexico and other essays." - a collection of travel essays from the 1920's. Lawrence's conveys a lot of substance, but with astounding economy, and without at all being stilted. Totally engaging, if you like that era.


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## phyrpowr (Aug 30, 2009)

Can't really call a favorite, but three always come to mind: for a thriller/espionage, _The Talbot Odyssey_ (Nelson DeMille); general "serious" fiction, _V_. (Thomas Pynchon); and _The Wind in the Willows _for just pure pleasure


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## 32rollandrock (May 1, 2008)

I neglected non-fiction: In Cold Blood. Every word in that book is just exactly perfect.


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## Chouan (Nov 11, 2009)

phyrpowr said:


> Can't really call a favorite, but three always come to mind: for a thriller/espionage, _The Talbot Odyssey_ (Nelson DeMille); general "serious" fiction, _V_. (Thomas Pynchon); and _The Wind in the Willows _for just pure pleasure


Yes, "The Wind in the Willows" never palls. Neither does "The House at Pooh Corner".


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## justonemore (Jul 2, 2009)

While there are many texts from the following 2 philosophers that I enjoy, here are a few texts that are quite enjoyable (best in the original languages for those that are capable in German and French [same with Les Misérables for those that don't consider secondary languages as being anti-american])...

F Nietzsche
"The Will To Power" 
"Human, All-too-Human"
"Beyond Good And Evil"

E Cioran
"On The Heights Of Despair"
"The Trouble With Being Born"
"Tears And Saints"


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## justonemore (Jul 2, 2009)

For humour, I find many of the Terry Prachett "Discworld" novels well worth a read before bed.


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## justonemore (Jul 2, 2009)

General "waiting for nothing" books (i.e. airports, waiting rooms, etc)...

Many (but not all) from Crichton, Clancey, Grisham.


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## justonemore (Jul 2, 2009)

General Amusement mysteries... Lecarre, Christie, Conan Doyle.


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## justonemore (Jul 2, 2009)

Sorry for the multiple posts but a few newbies claim that editing isn't allowed...


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## justonemore (Jul 2, 2009)

Spiritual texts....


"The God Delusion"...Richard Dawkins

Atheist Univers: The Thinking Person's Answer to Christian Fundmenalism" ...Davis Mills

"God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything"... Christopher Hitchens

"The End Of Faith: Religion, Terror, and The Future Of Reason"... Sam Harris

"Atheism: The Case Against God"... George Smith

Letter To A Christian Nation"... Sam Harris 

"Thousands of people have written to tell me that I am wrong not to believe in God. The most hostile of these communications have come from Christians. This is ironic, as Christians generally imagine that no faith imparts the virtues of love and forgiveness more effectively than their own. The truth is that many who claim to be transformed by Christ's love are deeply, even murderously, intolerant of criticism. While we may want to ascribe this to human nature, it is clear that such hatred draws considerable support from the Bible. How do I know this? The most disturbed of my correspondents always cite chapter and verse."


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## Shaver (May 2, 2012)

justonemore said:


> Spiritual texts....
> 
> "The God Delusion"...Richard Dawkins
> 
> ...


Ever since Dawkins decided he had nothing more to write about than the pointless bashing of God I have completely lost patience with him. That such a lovely mind could be side-tracked into a intellectual cul-de-sac was a cause of much dismay in the Shaver library.

Try this, the first populist book from a truly great American scientist (he would have beat the living daylights out of Dawkins in a fist-fight) who said "Why nature is mathematical is a mystery...The fact that there are rules at all is a kind of miracle."

EDIT (allowable for me - by special dispensation!)


Try this tome also. Whilst it in no way seeks to advocate God (it does not even mention Him) but instead lists the incredible chain of scientific happenstance, accident and coincidence required for us to be here at all, clowning and raging across the surface of this delightful sphere. Still, once you have read it you may have some little cause to reconsider your position:


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## Earl of Ormonde (Sep 5, 2008)

Shaver said:


> Ever since Dawkins decided he had nothing more to write about than the pointless bashing of God I have completely lost patience with him.


Dawkins is what many atheists now refer to as a militant atheist or fundamentlaist atheist. Him and Hitchens both!


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## Earl of Ormonde (Sep 5, 2008)

justonemore said:


> Spiritual texts....
> 
> "The God Delusion"...Richard Dawkins
> 
> ...


'

Spirituality? You are joking of course.
There is nothing remotely spiritual about anything Dawkins, Hitchens or Harris write. On the contrary they are fundamentalist atheists with cold, scientific hearts and closed minds who don't even accept that spirituality exists. I can't speak for Smith or Mills as I haven't read anything by them. But considering the others you have listed them with I can only assume they write much the same type of cold, terrifying, hate filled atheism.


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## justonemore (Jul 2, 2009)

Earl of Ormonde said:


> '
> 
> Spirituality? You are joking of course.
> There is nothing remotely spiritual about anything Dawkins, Hitchens or Harris write. On the contrary they are fundamentalist atheists with cold, scientific hearts and closed minds who don't even accept that spirituality exists. I can't speak for Smith or Mills as I haven't read anything by them. But considering the others you have listed them with I can only assume they write much the same type of cold, terrifying, hate filled atheism.


There is nothing hate filled about science (although it may be considered as cold & terrifying to some). I have no problem with those that "believe" but there are many here that seem to have a problem with the fact that I don't (I have never directly insulted religion versus "religious politics" and have been called an "Anti-Semite" and a "god hater" by those that claim religious values)


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## SG_67 (Mar 22, 2014)

^ unless of course Atheism IS one's religion.


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## justonemore (Jul 2, 2009)

SG_67 said:


> ^ unless of course Atheism IS one's religion.


Lack of religion does not equal religion. Your arguement is rather odd in my thoughts (unless you want to make some religious arguement againt the idea).


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## Shaver (May 2, 2012)

justonemore said:


> Lack of religion does not equal religion......


It seems to be something of a Holy War for Richard D.......

Anyone remember when Dawkins, whilst being questioned in a radio interview, failed to accurately name Darwin's "_On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life"?

_Then, to top that - as he stuttered and stammered he exclaimed 'Oh God!

You couldn't make it up.


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## justonemore (Jul 2, 2009)

Shaver said:


> It seems to be something of a Holy War for Richard D.......
> 
> Anyone remember when Dawkins, whilst being questioned in a radio interview, failed to accurately name Darwin's "_On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life"?
> 
> ...


Out of the many texts I mentioned, you seem a little caught up on Dawkins... There are better, but Dawkins has at least caught the public eye (for better or worse). Can you state better options than the bible, the quran, the torah, etc? Perhaps the book of Morman is better suited for the modern age?


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## Shaver (May 2, 2012)

justonemore said:


> Out of the many texts I mentioned, you seem a little caught up on Dawkins... There are better, but Dawkins has at least caught the public eye (for better or worse). Can you state better options than the bible, the quran, the torah, etc?


I cannot comment upon the other books for they are ones that I have not read.

However, no amount of sterile pseudo-intellectual drivel will distract me from the truth I feel in my heart and the evidence all around me.

Dawkins is a heretic! Prepare the auto-da-fé, baptism by fire.


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## SG_67 (Mar 22, 2014)

I've listened to Dawkins being interviewed and he's quite obsessed and, at least in my view, somewhat juvenile in his rantings.

He, like other Atheists, like to reference Darwin but it become quickly apparent he's never even read it.

Darwin's thesis was the origin of SPECIES not the origin of life. 

Darwin, along with Machiavelli, are among the most misunderstood and ill referenced philosophers in history.


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## MaxBuck (Apr 4, 2013)

justonemore said:


> Lack of religion does not equal religion. Your arguement is rather odd in my thoughts (unless you want to make some religious arguement againt the idea).


Atheism, to most atheists, is indeed a religion, however much they protest to the contrary.

I'm struggling with the whole concept of listing one single favorite book, as I've received so much pleasure from so many different books. The Gospel According to John would rank pretty high, though, along with a whole host of books by Thomas Hardy, Sinclair Lewis, Dashiell Hammett and James M. Cain.


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## justonemore (Jul 2, 2009)

Shaver said:


> I cannot comment upon the other books for they are ones that I have not read.
> 
> However, no amount of sterile pseudo-intellectual drivel will distract me from the truth I feel in my heart and the evidence all around me.
> 
> Dawkins is a heretic! Prepare the auto-da-fé, baptism by fire.


In the true American spirit, I allow each to their own when it comes to such topics. As you have a decade on me, perhaps you'll do me a favour in the sense of Dicken's and come correct me when you discover the truth?


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## justonemore (Jul 2, 2009)

MaxBuck said:


> Atheism, to most atheists, is indeed a religion, however much they protest to the contrary.
> 
> I'm struggling with the whole concept of listing one single favorite book, as I've received so much pleasure from so many different books. The Gospel According to John would rank pretty high, though, along with a whole host of books by Thomas Hardy, Sinclair Lewis, Dashiell Hammett and James M. Cain.


Ahhh... And can we speak as to "most jews" "most christians" most muslims"? How many Atheists do you know? Have read about etc? As someone born and bred in the Christian areas of Chicago (and having lived next to the main Jewish communities of the area), I can certainaly speak as to "the other side".


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## Shaver (May 2, 2012)

justonemore said:


> In the true American spirit, I allow each to their own when it comes to such topics. As you have a decade on me, perhaps you'll do me a favour in the sense of Dicken's and come correct me when you discover the truth?


I am afraid that Valhalla awaits me beyond that final veil - I shall be enjoying myself rather too much to bother with the remnants of this 'blink of an eye' mortal coil.

Here is another quote from Feynman (looked him up yet? He really is a genius of the highest order) "To every man is given the key to the gates of heaven - the same key opens the gates of hell".

.
.

.
.


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## justonemore (Jul 2, 2009)

SG_67 said:


> I've listened to Dawkins being interviewed and he's quite obsessed and, at least in my view, somewhat juvenile in his rantings.
> 
> He, like other Atheists, like to reference Darwin but it become quickly apparent he's never even read it.
> 
> ...


Ah. Well.. Once again it comes down to referencing a single person (even the bible & torah allow that there are several "witnesses"). It seems the same arguement that some of the murdeous societies were anti-religion versus being true atheists-


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## justonemore (Jul 2, 2009)

Shaver said:


> I am afraid that Valhalla awaits me beyond that final veil - I shall be enjoying myself rather too much to bother with the remnants of this 'blink of an eye' mortal coil.
> 
> Here is another quote from Feynman (looked him up yet? He really is a genius of the highest order) "To every man is given the key to the gates of heaven - the same key opens the gates of hell".
> 
> ...


While I'm guessing that you're quoting something I'm not overly familiar with, I do hope that a Christian isn't confusing heaven with Valhalla. 2 different theories that come from different times and different societies...

Perhpas a bit of Wagner will calm your nerves?


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## vpkozel (May 2, 2014)

Oh, for the love of all that is holy, just stick to the freaking topic. The OP specifically asked to stay away from this topic as he pretty much knew - and I agree with him - that it would devolve into a monkey throwing feces fight.

If you want to have a religious debate where you pull out snippets of posts, then extrapolate them in an effort to impugn everything the poster has ever said on a topic, or take the snippet of the Bible that talks about stoning an adulterer or someone who eats shellfish to "prove" that all Jews and Christians are silly and religion does not apply to a modern world* then by all means start a thread to do so. 

Religious arguments have always seemed totally pointless to me as the chances of anyone actually thoughtfully discussing something is pretty close to zero as this is the topic where, more than any other, people talk AT each other instead of to each other.

* - this is used as a representative example only and in no way denotes my approval or lack thereof of said passage or religion.


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## SG_67 (Mar 22, 2014)

^ I pray to Crom! 

I curse Crom, but I will pray to him!


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## justonemore (Jul 2, 2009)

vpkozel said:


> Oh, for the love of all that is holy, just stick to the freaking topic. The OP specifically asked to stay away from this topic as he pretty much knew - and I agree with him - that it would devolve into a monkey throwing feces fight.
> 
> If you want to have a religious debate where you pull out snippets of posts, then extrapolate them in an effort to impugn everything the poster has ever said on a topic, or take the snippet of the Bible that talks about stoning an adulterer or someone who eats shellfish to "prove" that all Jews and Christians are silly and religion does not apply to a modern world* then by all means start a thread to do so.
> 
> ...


I only quoted the books that I enjoy. None are religious texts (no matter what anyone here wants to make of them). Science is real, if anyone shoulkd disagree they are more than welcome to sit at home and ignore the facts that have been proven over and over. Should anyone desire to provide me with a text proving some Superior being (as Shaver provided), I will be more than willing to check it out.


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## Shaver (May 2, 2012)

justonemore said:


> While I'm guessing that you're quoting something I'm not overly familiar with, I do hope that a Christian isn't confusing heaven with Valhalla. 2 different theories that come from different times and different societies...
> 
> Perhpas a bit of Wagner will calm your nerves?


I cannot currently listen to that youtube clip but I pray to God that it is not one of the many ghastly truncated versions of the 'Ride' that seem so common these days. :mad2:

Valhalla is my Heaven, the two theories are not so different really. Not to a Panentheist at any rate. :thumbs-up:


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## Tilton (Nov 27, 2011)

I like Marquez a lot. One Hundred Years of Solitude, to me, was far more enjoyable than Love in a Time of Cholera, though. I would highly recommend it.

Personally, I most enjoy the following authors: Thomas Pynchon, Don Delillo, David Foster Wallace, Dave Eggers, Junot Diaz, Jonathan Franzen, Cormac McCarthy. 

I have read but never enjoyed the likes of Steinbeck and Fitzgerald.


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## justonemore (Jul 2, 2009)

Shaver said:


> I cannot currently listen to that youtube clip but I pray to God that it is not one of the many ghastly truncated versions of the 'Ride' that seem so common these days. :mad2:
> 
> Valhalla is my Heaven, the two theories are not so different really. Not to a Panentheist at any rate. :thumbs-up:


Ummm. I admit that I wasn't going for the classic version of Wagner versus the first one I noticed on youtube. Again, should your version of life consist of Valkries and Valhalla, that is up to you (keep in mind that that according to the classic version, only warriors were brought there) but should I be forced to take a religion, I will go with the Greek or Roman variety while claiming Mt. Olympus as my territorial religious right.


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## Shaver (May 2, 2012)

vpkozel said:


> Oh, for the love of all that is holy, just stick to the freaking topic. The OP specifically asked to stay away from this topic as he pretty much knew - and I agree with him - that it *would devolve into a monkey throwing feces fight.
> *
> If you want to have a religious debate where you pull out snippets of posts, then extrapolate them in an effort to impugn everything the poster has ever said on a topic, or take the snippet of the Bible that talks about stoning an adulterer or someone who eats shellfish to "prove" that all Jews and Christians are silly and religion does not apply to a modern world* then by all means start a thread to do so.
> 
> ...


You say that like it's a bad thing. :rolleyes2:


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## justonemore (Jul 2, 2009)

Shaver said:


> You say that like it's a bad thing. :rolleyes2:


Odd that to some, a realistic conversation equals such. Other than ancient religions and lack of religion, nothing concerning "real" religion as actually been discussed.


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## Shaver (May 2, 2012)

justonemore said:


> Ummm. I admit that I wasn't going for the classic version of Wagner versus the first one I noticed on youtube. Again, should your version of life consist of Valkries and Valhalla, that is up to you (*keep in mind that that according to the classic version, only warriors were brought there*) but should I be forced to take a religion, I will go with the Greek or Roman variety while claiming Mt. Olympus as my territorial religious right.


Your point being?


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## justonemore (Jul 2, 2009)

Shaver said:


> Your point being?


Really? To me, such a thought seems to exclude 99.99% of modern society. Are you a warrior? Who in modern society can be considered as such? We have those that are certain tey know about the Bergdal guy but have never served. We have those that live in a society that have never seen a moment of violence. Are all these folks refused from being admitted into Valhalla? Do you plan on dying as a warrior? While my past stated otherwise, I sure don't?


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## vpkozel (May 2, 2014)

justonemore said:


> Odd that to some, a realistic conversation equals such. Other than ancient religions and lack of religion, nothing concerning "real" religion as actually been discussed.


But that wasn't the point of the thread. It was started with a specific request to stay away from the topic so people did not run it off the rails by turning it into a religious debate. I'll even start the thread if you like.


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## SG_67 (Mar 22, 2014)

vpkozel said:


> - The Civil War trilogy by Shelby Foote
> 
> - The Influence of Seapower Upon History - by Alfred T. Mahan (the quintessential study of seapower as illustrated by Britain's rise to a world power


I've wanted to read the Shelby Foote trilogy for some time but it's quite a commitment. I may still tackle it before year's end but I want to clear out a few other things on my list.

The Civil War is hard because there's so much out there but from what I've read about Foote's work, it's the most comprehensive compendium of the Civil War story out there.

As for Mahan, I read that years ago and it's interesting. Some of it is dry as it was intended for a Naval audience so there's some technical stuff in there. It is interesting, though, putting oneself in the mind of a 19th Century Navalist reared on sail tactics. Mahan's thinking was revolutionary and if you keep in mind that not many were thinking as he was, it's very illuminating.


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## Shaver (May 2, 2012)

immanuelrx said:


> Books I plan on reading:
> 
> 1. The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings trilogy: I love the movies. Since books are usually better than their cinema counterpart, I want to find the time to make it through the 4 books.


Might I urge you to reconsider? Tolkein is a dreadful writer, these books are appalling trash. They are a self-perpetuating lie - people who don't actually read tend to name them as their favourite books and so they always figure on 'greatest ever' book lists. If you fancy some intelligent fantasy may I direct you toward this exemplary series:


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## vpkozel (May 2, 2014)

SG_67 said:


> I've wanted to read the Shelby Foote trilogy for some time but it's quite a commitment. I may still tackle it before year's end but I want to clear out a few other things on my list.
> 
> The Civil War is hard because there's so much out there but from what I've read about Foote's work, it's the most comprehensive compendium of the Civil War story out there.


It is extremely comprehensive and actually an easy read because he intersperses the history so well with personal stories. He is also very reasoned in his assessments of leaders both Union and Confederate.



> As for Mahan, I read that years ago and it's interesting. Some of it is dry as it was intended for a Naval audience so there's some technical stuff in there. It is interesting, though, putting oneself in the mind of a 19th Century Navalist reared on sail tactics. Mahan's thinking was revolutionary and if you keep in mind that not many were thinking as he was, it's very illuminating.


It can certainly be dry, but as I said I am a geek for history, so this type of thing is like manna to me. I actually enjoy the study of naval battles that took place long before his book and see how those admirals intuitively did the same things that Mahan proposed.


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## SG_67 (Mar 22, 2014)

vpkozel said:


> It can certainly be dry, but as I said I am a geek for history, so this type of thing is like manna to me.* I actually enjoy the study of naval battles that took place long before his book and see how those admirals intuitively did the same things that Mahan proposed*.


Then you would very much enjoy this:

https://www.amazon.com/The-Rules-Game-Jutland-British/dp/0719561310

I read this earlier this year and was thoroughly engrossed. I thought it would be a dry, technical recounting of maneuvers during the battle (by the way, I'm a geek for that sort of stuff as well). It was that to some degree, but it was also a real character study into the minds and attitudes of Her Majesty's Navy during the Victorian era. It's a great read and I would highly recommend it.


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## Earl of Ormonde (Sep 5, 2008)

Sorry, just noticed I was on the wrong thread. All my future responses will be on the other thread, and I will move those 2 over there as well. I'm not going to answer any more repsosne here regadring theology etc. so as to honour the OP's request.


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## Shaver (May 2, 2012)

Earl of Ormonde said:


> Exactly, because if he had read it and if he in fact actually knew anything about Darwin he would have known the one fact that many atheists either don't know in their eagerness to name drop Darwin or suppress is that Darwin was very much a believing and practising Christian.


Gents - let's not go too far. Dawkins will certainly have read 'Origin' - he speaks of the nuance of the theory expounded within Origins' pages at some length in his own book 'Blind Watchmaker'.


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## justonemore (Jul 2, 2009)

Earl of Ormonde said:


> I never said there was. Read my post again. I wrote about their books, "I can only assume they write much the same type of cold, terrifying, hate filled *atheism*."
> 
> *Atheism and Science are not synonymous*, which is what you just did - used them as synonyms. What they do, in their rabid scribblings about atheism and the ridiculousness of religion and the mental illnesses suffered by Theists has absolutely bugger all to do with science. It is atheist vitriol of the worst kind aimed at Theists of all kinds.


My apologies. I assumed you were refering to my posts as being the same as pro-Israelis refering to Anti-Israeli postings as being "anti-semitic". Just as I can be critical of Israel as a "state", I can be critical of religion as an "ideology". I doubt any religion allows much freedom of thought to the "other religions" as does the scientific thought of atheism. Darwin is not a god or a replacement as such to any atheist.


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## Earl of Ormonde (Sep 5, 2008)

Other thread guys.


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## eagle2250 (Mar 24, 2006)

If I were to base my choice of a favorite tome on the number of times I have read a book from cover to cover or on the total amount of time I've spent reading/reading portions of the text, as corny or unsophisticated as some of our members might find it, my favorite would be the Bible. I find it to be a comforting as well as an instructional read and one that offers hope in so many instances in which all else in life offers very little hope! It inspires me to at least attempt to be better than suspect that I am.


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## vpkozel (May 2, 2014)

Shaver said:


> Might I urge you to reconsider? Tolkein is a dreadful writer, these books are appalling trash. They are a self-perpetuating lie - people who don't actually read tend to name them as their favourite books and so they always figure on 'greatest ever' book lists. If you fancy some intelligent fantasy may I direct you toward this exemplary series:


What is the premise? I may have to pick that up.

Oh, BTW, the queen called - she has revoked your English citizenship....


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## Earl of Ormonde (Sep 5, 2008)

vpkozel said:


> Oh, BTW, the queen called - she has revoked your English citizenship....


That is impossible, as there is no such thing as English citizenship.


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## vpkozel (May 2, 2014)

Earl of Ormonde said:


> That is impossible, as there is no such thing as English citizenship.


Tell that to their soccer teams....

But, it was meant as tongue in cheek.


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## Shaver (May 2, 2012)

vpkozel said:


> What is the premise? I may have to pick that up.
> 
> Oh, BTW, the queen called - she has revoked your English citizenship....


What for *this *time...? :mad2:


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## Shaver (May 2, 2012)

vpkozel said:


> What is the premise? I may have to pick that up.


The story to end all stories, the very last story.... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dancers_at_the_End_of_Time


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## Earl of Ormonde (Sep 5, 2008)

vpkozel said:


> Tell that to their soccer teams....


Whose soccer teams? England is one country with one football team for men and one for women?

UNITED KINGDOM of Great Britain and Northern Ireland - citizenship = British
England is a country within a state it is not a state. Only states can grant citizenship.
Ireland (country & state) citizenship = Irish


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## vpkozel (May 2, 2014)

Earl of Ormonde said:


> Whose soccer teams? England is one country with one football team for men and one for women?
> 
> UNITED KINGDOM of Great Britain and Northern Ireland - citizenship = British
> England is a country within a state it is not a state. Only states can grant citizenship.
> Ireland (country & state) citizenship = Irish


It was a joke, Earl.

I am aware of all that.


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## Earl of Ormonde (Sep 5, 2008)

Oh right, sorry! My bad!


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## immanuelrx (Dec 7, 2013)

Shaver said:


> Might I urge you to reconsider? Tolkein is a dreadful writer, these books are appalling trash. They are a self-perpetuating lie - people who don't actually read tend to name them as their favourite books and so they always figure on 'greatest ever' book lists. If you fancy some intelligent fantasy may I direct you toward this exemplary series:


Thank you Shaver. I was particularly interested in your favorite books as you seem like the type of person to have read a few classics in your days. I will have to check this book out. Despite some people's attempts to purposefully derail this thread, I have seen some suggestions I am looking forward to. Your suggestion is one of them. I will still have to read the LOTR books as well though. Even if they are as bad as you say they are, (and I do this with movies as well) sometimes you just have to turn off your mind and enjoy mindless entertainment. I like to anyways.


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## immanuelrx (Dec 7, 2013)

As I have caught on, J1M is only posting this stuff to get people angry. He knows these are not spiritual text. If you look at what he posts, it mostly is to agitate people, specifically Americans. Just don't feed him anymore. Notice what followed after this post. J1M is an intelligent man who does provide intelligent conversation when he is not provoking for pure enjoyment. If we collectively ignore his provoking comments, maybe we can only get the intelligent conversations.



justonemore said:


> Spiritual texts....
> 
> "The God Delusion"...Richard Dawkins
> 
> ...


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## Jae iLL (Nov 14, 2009)

My favorite fiction author is Louis L'Amour. I read a lot of his novels growing up. I also enjoyed fantasy/sci-fi such as The Hobbit, LOTR series, The Warlock series, and The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant. 

I also enjoy history specifically regarding my heritage, and as such I enjoyed reading Samguk Sagi and Samguk Yusa, which are history of the Three Kingdoms and Tales of the Three Kingdoms period in Korea. I also enjoyed the Poetic and Prose Edda and have yet to start The Sagas of Ragnar Lodbrok, but I'm looking forward to reading it. 

For modern nonfiction some of my favorite books are The World America Made by Robert Kagan, American Spartan by Ann Scott Tyson, and Only Beautiful Please by former UK ambassador to the DPRK Everard.


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## immanuelrx (Dec 7, 2013)

Tilton said:


> I like Marquez a lot. One Hundred Years of Solitude, to me, was far more enjoyable than Love in a Time of Cholera, though. I would highly recommend it.
> 
> Personally, I most enjoy the following authors: Thomas Pynchon, Don Delillo, David Foster Wallace, Dave Eggers, Junot Diaz, Jonathan Franzen, Cormac McCarthy.
> 
> I have read but never enjoyed the likes of Steinbeck and Fitzgerald.


Thanks for the insight. I will have to give One hundred years of solitude a read first.


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## Shaver (May 2, 2012)

immanuelrx said:


> Thank you Shaver. I was particularly interested in your favorite books as you seem like the type of person to have read a few classics in your days. I will have to check this book out. Despite some people's attempts to purposefully derail this thread, I have seen some suggestions I am looking forward to. Your suggestion is one of them. I will still have to read the LOTR books as well though. Even if they are as bad as you say they are, (and I do this with movies as well) sometimes you just have to turn off your mind and enjoy mindless entertainment. I like to anyways.


This is one of my favourite books, not only for its charming content but also for its dazzling modernity, despite having been published in 1890 .










You must read this (originally pub 1927) whilst you are still a young man - do not leave it too late I implore you:










One of the best works of non-fiction, published 1872, a tour-de-force overview of the entire history of Mankind - with much startling insight and prescience.

I could go on like this all day. I have read the occasional book in my time. :thumbs-up:


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## justonemore (Jul 2, 2009)

immanuelrx said:


> As I have caught on, J1M is only posting this stuff to get people angry. He knows these are not spiritual text. If you look at what he posts, it mostly is to agitate people, specifically Americans. Just don't feed him anymore. Notice what followed after this post. J1M is an intelligent man who does provide intelligent conversation when he is not provoking for pure enjoyment. If we collectively ignore his provoking comments, maybe we can only get the intelligent conversations.


I find it a bit odd that you have chosen to concentrate on these 6 titles over the others that I posted. In several categories, I mentioned only authors (over individual titles), so the numbers most likely reach the thousands. While I had no porblem with Eagle stating the bible as his favorite, it seems that my choices aren't to your liking? I also fail to see how anything in this post had anything to do with "Americans" ( last time I checked my passport and tax staus I am still considered as an American myself), versus spirituality/religion (which is of course a major factor in many peoples lives to include those of us that consider ourselves as atheists).


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## Chouan (Nov 11, 2009)

immanuelrx said:


> Thanks for the insight. I will have to give One hundred years of solitude a read first.


It is good, but desperately depressing, to me at any rate.


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## Earl of Ormonde (Sep 5, 2008)

All fiction

H.G.Wells - War of the Worlds
Magnus Mills - absolutely anything you can get your hands on, start with his 1st if possible The Restraint of Beasts
Robert E. Howard - series of books about Cormac Mac Art
Sebastian Barry - A Long Long Way
Andrew Martin -The Necropolis Railway (& the subsequent 7 Jim Stringer, steam railway detective novels) 
Ben Elton - The First Casualty
Elizabeth Kostova - The Historian
Gail Carriger - Soulless (& her subsequent steampunk novels about Alexia Tarabotti, a preternatural advisor to Queen Victoria, married to a large Scottish werewolf) 
Caleb Carr - The Alienist
Caled Carr- The Italian Secretary 
Laurie R King - series of novels about Mary Russell, an American who marries Sherlock Holmes & solves crimes with him in the early 20th C.


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## Shaver (May 2, 2012)

^ Absolutely H. G. Wells, and not just his masterpiece WOTW but anything he ever wrote - a remarkable imagination.


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## SG_67 (Mar 22, 2014)

Shaver said:


> ^ Absolutely H. G. Wells, and not just his masterpiece WOTW but anything he ever wrote - a remarkable imagination.


Agreed! It's safe to say that he created an entire genre; science fiction. At it's best, offering lessons and criticism to and of society and entertaining as well.


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## Shaver (May 2, 2012)

SG_67 said:


> Agreed! It's safe to say that he created an entire genre; science fiction. At it's best, offering lessons and criticism to and of society and entertaining as well.












Would it be churlish of me to suggest that this novel (written circa 200AD) was the first proper example of Science Fiction?


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