Classics

This book will make you smarter. Regardless of evolution’s implications in biology, its implications for politics and economics make this book worth reading, even if Darwin never details his thoughts. Truly a glimpse of genius.

Hits like a hammer, but jumps the shark on the 3rd generation.

Last week was at my college alma mater, and I was surprised at the memories that came back to me. The campus was permeated with fear and self criticism, bad memories of asking for a loan, opening a bank account with a $50 paycheck, or thinking about how to spend the last $4. What I forgot was the wild ambitions, of foundj a club, gettingperfectgrades, the compulsive gap to live in a fantasy world since incremental progress was itself depressing. Of mice and men nails this reality of being poor. Thinly sirprisj g part is how hard it is to see the reality when you are in it. ...

A book about the culture. How it is created, the meaning we give it, the supposed truths that such culture creates. There is definitely meat on the bones here, just gotta think some more about what that meat really is. Much better than I expected, glad I read the unabridged version.

aka: the dangers of attending a masquerade ball and credulity of accusations of adultery.

A great American novel I missed when too busy reading Dragonlance growing up, now it’s time to catch up. For the first 2/3 of the book, I wasn’t sure what made this book special, as the plot, characters, and setting all felt mundane. I can see, however, why teachers and parents would recommend it as a must read for American students, as this felt like me the sort of story that affluent parents would want to tell themselves and convince their kids about their own interactions with children and society. ...

A book more of ideas than plot, I liked the premise and enjoyed Le Guin’s curious explorations of gender (akin to Ancillary Mercy) rather than exhibitionist sexual deviance that seems to be common in modern Sci-Fi (Too Like The Lightning, Raven Stratagem).

A masterclass in equanimity. This was never meant to be a book, so I read it as series of ’notes to self’ on how to live life, and strive for happiness. Perhaps because I was rather stressed out while reading it, I appreciated the cosmic perspective and happiness based purely on our own actions, stripped away from considerations of events outside our control. I’ll read this again.

Seriously, Ayn Rand needed an editor. We get to watch an interesting struggle take place in the first 300 pages, only to watch it repeated three more times in the next 900. Like being forced to watch Chronicles of Narnia 4 time in a row or read state of fear cover to cover to cover to cover again.