Re: The Official Book Thread

[Nishankly]

I come from a book reading family, my grandmother had a separate room always for all the prime English books even in old times in newly formed India. My mom and sister did the same. I tried but I could never get into it.

Me, I was always into sports, I chose 4-5 hours of play after school rather than books and the only influence on me was me finishing the Famous 5, LOTR and a bit of HP (of course influenced by my age), I did do a bit of Dan Brown, Poirot as well.

That said, I would love to come into this, but I just don't/can't have the concentration span, any help?

[Blue]

We live in an increasingly visually stimulant world, where our faculty to visualize is diminishing. Reading books requires active visualization, and it may take some time get into the groove. But I do believe we are all capable of it, so two things.

1. Stay patient, know that at first it will be difficult Since visualization is like a muscle and for many of us this is rarely used on a regular basis.

2. Read what interests you. If it is fantasy, sci fi, historical, etc.

[elitedam]

Anyone has Kindle unlimited? I wonder if it is worth it, want to know if virtually every book is available through its subscription.

Do you want it legally? The books?

Either way, I do find books through torrents. Could be time consuming honestly. Downloading then transfer to my device.

If you know an app or website with huge collection and reliability I would like to hear it.

https://libgen.is/

[MJ]

Do you want it legally? The books?

Either way, I do find books through torrents. Could be time consuming honestly. Downloading then transfer to my device.

If you know an app or website with huge collection and reliability I would like to hear it.

https://libgen.is/

good alternative if it's not on libgen:

https://z-lib.org/

[Firenze]

5 days until The Trouble With Peace, the second book in the new First Law trilogy

[Firenze]

Finished The Trouble With Peace, the second book in Abercrombie's Age of Madness trilogy.

Thought it was pretty well written, well paced. Good read. Though it's very much a stretch to really classify it as fantasy these days, even compared to the original trilogy, it feels more like historical fiction.

I'm also struggling to get invested into the new POV's compared to the original trilogy. Characters have more depth to them here, though, I reckon.

3.5/5 for me, the only concerning thing is that I don't have much hype going into the third and final book that releases a year from now, but I'm sure it'll deliver.

[BarrileteCosmico]

Just finished it too. Honestly I thought it was great: the crisp dialogue, pacing, character development for most arcs and earned plot twists. Definitely had a hard time putting it down.

I agree it seemed to wrap too many loose ends for a 2nd entry, but there's plenty of ground to cover with the Breakers.

[BarrileteCosmico]

@kaladin reading RoW yet?

[Robespierre]

[BarrileteCosmico]

Great read, brings me back to my teenage years

[Myesyats]

The new Barack Obama book seems interesting....I heard he is as great a writer as he is an orator.

[Warrior]

I should have read Philip K Dick much earlier in my life. Great author i knew only by name. I've read the Man in high castle and i'll finish very soon Do android dream of electric sheep (basically Blade Runner)

Any recommendations about the next book ?

[Robespierre]

I should have read Philip K Dick much earlier in my life. Great author i knew only by name. I've read the Man in high castle and i'll finish very soon Do android dream of electric sheep (basically Blade Runner)

Any recommendations about the next book ?

I've heard to talk good about Ohio (written by Stephen Markley), but  I've not read it

[Warrior]

Never heard of. But as i check on Google it seems a melodrama about social problems since september 11th. Not really my mood

In fact, it was not clear, but i meant another book by Philip K Dick or more so discuss his work if there are other fans. Great author he combines SF/dystopia with some metaphysical questioning. Anyways i searched by myself and supposedly Ubik is his masterpiece so it's my next buy

[El Gunner]

He believed in simulation theory and i see him more as philosopher-artist.
He was one of those artist's caked up on 20th century amphetamines so you just know he lived some wild life of fragmented realities

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwUIr37sLAw

[Warrior]

Thanks for sharing

I did not know he was that prolific he wrote like 40 books lol

Never been remotely interested by strong drugs, i only took shrooms once it was a funny experience. But i smoke weed daily and sometimes it does enhance the philosophy in me. Open my mind to the real questions my subconscious wants answers to

So i totally understand his need for sharing his own philosophical torments, which are shared by many it explains his success, although for majority of people it remains an abstract until reading the book. His digital world theory is probably a result of him being paranoid at some point of his life.

[Warrior]

The man in high castle must be a great series

Dick created this very interesting setup (an alternate reality where axis won the war) and he could have made it about politics, a story on this alternate cold war between Japan empire and 3rd reich set in USA. Those are suggested in the book but he does not dig deep into it, more a facade for philosophy about aesthetics of objects, the truth vs the false, the possibility of a multiverse

From what i understand the series is more political

[El Gunner]

can't tell because i haven't seen that series or read that book
you should check out both Blade Runner films, Minority Report and A Scanner Darkly though

i wouldn't go by the assumption that his paranoia caused him to believe in simulation theory, it's a completely relevant and thoroughly researched, pondered and debated theory these days

[Warrior]

I have not seen Blade Runner 2049 but the original is a masterpiece imo. I shared the soundtrack recently in the music thread.

I don't discard the skepticism philosophy in general it is essential to have open mind. The simulation theory pushes the skepticism too far, the arguments i found is stuff for dreamers. I don't mean this in a negative way. Maybe paranoia is unrelated to developing such beliefs.

[El Gunner]

hmm, what do you mean by skepticism philosophy as it relates to simulation theory?

[Warrior]

Skepticism = questioning things around you

Simulation theory is a belief. A product of skepticism. But i think fear of technology is also a root. The prime example for me is Matrix.

[El Gunner]

so one shouldn't question the nature of one's reality is that what you're saying?
i think questioning comes natural to the human mind, hence science and God and faith etc etc

personally speaking, what are your beliefs or schools of thought that you find most appealing?

[Warrior]

I'm saying what i said lol. You SHOULD question everything you have doubts about. But when it comes to the simulated world theory i believe it's not true. Pure speculations and zero proof of anything

Example do i believe in god ? I am not sure yet, a superior entity might exist
But religions are scam based on fables, so spirituality as presented by religions, i discard

I honestly don't know where to classify myself. Never thought about it that way. I notice to have taoism influence on my ideals. How do i evaluate the world... scientism maybe ? idk ? i am satisfied by how science explains mysteries of life (as of now)
Politically... i guess cynism is my thing
Also i confront my own perception with how it can be argued against, then i adjust based on what makes the most sense

[El Gunner]

oh i see, i may have misread/misunderstood your post above lol
you're a fairly open-minded individual such as myself

Example do i believe in god ? I am not sure yet, a superior entity might exist. But religions are scam based on fables, so spirituality as presented by religions, i discard

based on this, you'd be classified as an agnostic

Schools of thought that interest me the most:
- Psychology (more specifically psychoanalysis and Jungian psychology - introspection, the study of self... everything outside of the self always relates back to the self as observer, so the study of self just means the study of all/everything imo)
- Buddhism and Taoism

i've come to realise my theism comes and goes in phases... there's been stuff in my life that happened that would be classified as "paranormal", "spiritual" or out of the ordinary... so there's a side of me that does believe there is something more out there, greater forces outside of ourselves that we cannot fully pick up on and comprehend. And then other times, i just feel like consciousness is a fugayzi, as in a dream, and that life is meaningless rendering me as an absurdist.

as for Simulation theory, i find it compelling

i suppose all of this is just a result of my general open-mindedness

[Warrior]

Didn't you suffer a near-death experience after nearly drowning ? How was it ? It's a perspective i do not have. My spiritual (never paranormal) experiences, although not intense, i found logical reasons behind them.

In fact i am well convinced of a higher form of energy that human mind cannot even conceive. My mind cannot process it's purely material chaos. Because how can life be created out of nothing ?? The very first thing that existed occured why and how ? The most difficult part is to give it a name.

God is the name by default. But one thing i definitely don't believe in: is the superior entity has emotions that will give you karma and jinx. Also after my death i expect to cease to exist, we must enjoy our life which is a by-product of a greater thing, allow it

What bugs my mind about simulation theory, it assumes our reality is not real, i believe it's real just undiscovered. But those are great thoughts, i rate Matrix a lot for example. You would think Philip K Dick wrote the scenario.

[Warrior]

Also psychology is a fascinating subject. Wish i had better knowledge.

What you describe is true about how we see things based on our life experience. But empathy comes into bias. It's a form of intelligence not distributed equally.

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