Current Reads: What is Everyone Reading?

[amateurphilosophynerd]

Yeah I'm just getting loadsa money, tonnes of support, and naturally I would be awash with contacts from within the Academic Community!!

A fully equipped gym would be installed so folks can be healthy and fit to counter tendencies towards entropy in the body department.

[bus2bondi]

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[amateurphilosophynerd]

*Hotel California** has it about right, play as you enter and play as you try to leave with plenty of play amongst the bookshop and Library Areas in the designated Chill Zones.

[maryshelley]

*sigh* nobody took me up on my offer to save academic publishing from the capitalist mire....

Anyone read: 'The Green Mantle of Romnticism' by Christine Avery and Michael Colebrook?

Poetry and evolution belong together, in a nutshell; almost literally and very literary.

http://www.greenspirit.org.uk/books" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Rortabend]

Academic publishing doesn't need saving from the capitalist mire. Your suggestion that academic publishers sell their books to libraries is comical. Don't you realise that this is what already happens? When did you last see an academic book in an airport bookshop? Most of our books DO NOT compete in the 'capitalist pig dog market'. Most titles are published based on their scholarly value, not potential revenue.

Also, while I'm here I'd just like to say that I don't really understand why your replies are so sarcastic. Why the little rolling eyes man?

[amateurphilosophynerd]

I would rather access Scholarly works even if they are tough difficult to master and read. I get far more out of these Authors/various Theses in the Capitalist system than a world of un-monitored books.
( I need to take Philosophical tomes with hefty doses of novels in order to potentially up my numbers, to feel good and read good even in Novel form)
Scholars such as Rortabend and many hundreds thousands of others, deserve their books and monographs to be published, the secret is knowing which to pounce on. It doesn't have to have many sales as it's the QUALITY that matters. Research into books is what unlocks the potential treasures out there -unfortunately in cyberspace where one can acculmulate massive Wish Lists as I have, and be aware of many books of astoundingly high quality.
Academics, even in this columms can be subject to the lay persons reviews as much as professsionals and maybe be helped by even them.
If you can't explain it to an lay person who would need a philosophy degree to aid mastery, then what chance do you of teaching your students?
There is a COST involved: for me, it means I do without some things to make way for a growing Library. There is a COST in learning to read/master a Text but exposure to philosopher x or philosopher y who completely despises the other is good intellectual exercise. There is nothing like intellectual reading to plonk you right in the middle of the crossfire of various debates on various issues circulating round academe.
As i live on a very low fixed income I have to buy constantly with an eye to my future: what is FUTURE MAKING. Well proper academic books help!
I rest my case.
This thread is also about WHAT YOU ARE CURRENTLY READING not book suggestions which can easily be posted in another thread with justification for ie reason y reason x you will get c out of this etc etc.

[maryshelley]

Academic publishing doesn't need saving from the capitalist mire. Your suggestion that academic publishers sell their books to libraries is comical. Don't you realise that this is what already happens? When did you last see an academic book in an airport bookshop? Most of our books DO NOT compete in the 'capitalist pig dog market'. Most titles are published based on their scholarly value, not potential revenue.

Also, while I'm here I'd just like to say that I don't really understand why your replies are so sarcastic. Why the little rolling eyes man?

I am trying to inject a little humour and to offer a potential solution to the issue you raised about academic bookery barely covering costs.

You rortabend are scholarly and academic whereas I am comical, sarcastic and naive.

I hear you. Philosophy IS ONLY for the scholarly and academic and not for the dumb masses. You say it over and over again in albeit in slightly different ways.

Cost and value.

Carry on.

[maryshelley]

I would rather access Scholarly works even if they are tough difficult to master and read. I get far more out of these Authors/various Theses in the Capitalist system than a world of un-monitored books.

Is a free access library (real or online) a world of un-monitored books compared to a capitalist book shop?

Scholars such as Rortabend and many hundreds thousands of others, deserve their books and monographs to be published, the secret is knowing which to pounce on. It doesn't have to have many sales as it's the QUALITY that matters.

If you don't have enough sales to cover your publishing costs then you are in trouble as a publisher; academic or otherwise.

Research into books is what unlocks the potential treasures out there -unfortunately in cyberspace where one can acculmulate massive Wish Lists as I have, and be aware of many books of astoundingly high quality.
Academics, even in this columms can be subject to the lay persons reviews as much as professsionals and maybe be helped by even them.
If you can't explain it to an lay person who would need a philosophy degree to aid mastery, then what chance do you of teaching your students?

With the latter I agree.

Of all things that are or should be accessible to everyone including lay people, philosophy must be one of them. However, the learned in-groups often seem to want to keep out the interested amateurs. I wonder why; don't you?

There is a COST involved: for me, it means I do without some things to make way for a growing Library. There is a COST in learning to read/master a Text but exposure to philosopher x or philosopher y who completely despises the other is good intellectual exercise. There is nothing like intellectual reading to plonk you right in the middle of the crossfire of various debates on various issues circulating round academe.

Again I agree.

As i live on a very low fixed income I have to buy constantly with an eye to my future: what is FUTURE MAKING. Well proper academic books help!
I rest my case.

The fact that you and many others have to live on a very low fixed income is the VERY REASON why academic books, journals and articles SHOULD be available free at point of access in libraries otherwise what you will find is that only the rich elites have access to important books. I rest MY case.

This thread is also about WHAT YOU ARE CURRENTLY READING not book suggestions which can easily be posted in another thread with justification for ie reason y reason x you will get c out of this etc etc.

I have mentioned two books in this thread; two of which I am currently reading. I am currently reading seven others all of which bar one (The Underground Man- Dosteovsky) are academic titles and all accessed from my local, small but beautiful library.

I sense an air of 'get the fuck outta this thread' about books currently being read.

I'm obviously in the wrong box.

Point taken.

Carry on.

[Rortabend]

Philosophy IS ONLY for the scholarly and academic and not for the dumb masses. You say it over and over again in albeit in slightly different ways.

I don't recall saying this. If I thought philosophy was only for the scholarly and academic and not for the dumb masses, why would I participate in an internet philosophy forum or buy magazines like Philosophy Now? The fact that artisitcsolution and I are working our way through Hubert Dreyfus's existentialism course would also seem to refute your claims of elitism.

As for your claims about injecting humour, I'm not sure your sarcastic remarks achieve this.

[maryshelley]

Philosophy IS ONLY for the scholarly and academic and not for the dumb masses. You say it over and over again in albeit in slightly different ways.

I don't recall saying this. If I thought philosophy was only for the scholarly and academic and not for the dumb masses, why would I participate in an internet philosophy forum or buy magazines like Philosophy Now? The fact that artisitcsolution and I are working our way through Hubert Dreyfus's existentialism course would also seem to refute your claims of elitism.

As for your claims about injecting humour, I'm not sure your sarcastic remarks achieve this.

Wasn't it you who said that you hadn't been posting on this site recently because it was becoming gossipy and trite? Wasn't it you who started a thread about 'pop philosophy'? Perhaps you don't realise how haughty and sarcastic you sound. Anyway, why are you participating in a 'dumb' philosophy forum and buying the 'low brow' Philosophy Now?

I don't know what the fact that you and artisitcsolution are working your way through Hubert Dreyfus's existentialism course proves? Unless you are saying something rather condescending about artisticsolution.

I don't often use emoticons. Hate the pesky things. However, if someone I hardly 'know' calls me naive or my views as comical or claims to have access to what I do or don't know about something they shouldn't be surprised if I react in some way. Good humour was the intention but I do, of course, know what the road to hell is paved with....

BTW as we are on the subject of sarcasm. Is sarcasm not allowed here or is it only I that am not allowed to employ it? Are there certain rules for certain posters that are not applicable to others; because that would smack of hypocrisy wouldn't it? I mean if I were ever to come across a post/s where you had been sarcastic to another poster in order to make a point what would that then say about you?

[Rortabend]

Wasn't it you who said that you hadn't been posting on this site recently because it was becoming gossipy and trite? Wasn't it you who started a thread about 'pop philosophy'? Perhaps you don't realise how haughty and sarcastic you sound. Anyway, why are you participating in a 'dumb' philosophy forum and buying the 'low brow' Philosophy Now?

I did say that many of the threads on the site are gossipy and trite. I also started a thread on pop philosophy. I don't understand why you are pointing this out. Also, I have never said that the forum is 'dumb' or that Philosophy Now is 'low brow'. These are your words, not mine.

I don't know what the fact that you and artisitcsolution are working your way through Hubert Dreyfus's existentialism course proves? Unless you are saying something rather condescending about artisticsolution.

By her own admission, AS is a complete beginner when it comes existentialism. If I thought that philosophy was only for scholarly and academic then why would I be interested in setting up a podcast group?

BTW as we are on the subject of sarcasm. Is sarcasm not allowed here or is it only I that am not allowed to employ it? Are there certain rules for certain posters that are not applicable to others; because that would smack of hypocrisy wouldn't it? I mean if I were ever to come across a post/s where you had been sarcastic to another poster in order to make a point what would that then say about you?

Yer, I know

[bus2bondi]

my favorite read is the PN archive honestly i think its better than most books

[amateurphilosophynerd]

my favorite read is the PN archive honestly i think its better than most books

This is one of my gameplans as well, but finances prohibit it, perhaps i can resubcribe via local newsagent and still get access to Archive.

[artisticsolution]

Hi Rortabend!

You are my new best friend, Rort!!! Oh.....before I forget..Yes, I understood you meant no disrespect in your assessment of my intelligence. I know it is hard to understand my happiness when I seemingly put myself down. If people could only see how confident I am in the fact I am a babe in the woods. If they could only see how much joy,wonder and freedom it brings to my life. To find excitement around every corner because there is always so much to learn!!! So please, by all means...continue to see me as I am...It does not offend me! I hope to be this exposed intil the day I die. Above all else know...I am grateful.

Now Rort...I am struggling with my words as I type this because I want you to understand what you have done to me. You told me trembling and fear is hard to read but I was expecting it to be a drag....something I would not be able to understand in a million years...you never told me the reason it is hard is because I would want to savor every word and dissect it until I have squeezed every drop of intimacy that a human could possibly convey to another human. It was such a powerful experience that I had to stop every few pages to tell my friend what I had read! lol

Now, mind you...I am only on page 80 and have a way to go yet...I have many questions...they are all a blur right now because I just got home. I hope to have time tomorrow to make sense of my thoughts..

Anyway...Thank you...seriously...and please...by all means...never ever stop challenging me or the forum!

[Gareth]

Ive just finished reading cancer ward by Solzhenitsyn, brilliant book, really gets you thinking about questions of how far you take the idea of "saving" someone. Makes you think about people's different perceptions of a problem too. Anyone read it?

Also Im thinking of reading In Cold Blood next. Any philosophicalness in that?