Book reviews

[mhoraine]

Hi again

What is 'pointless or lazy' about :

Discussing parts/ sentences/quotes in a book which are philosophically significant ? Exchanging points of view.

As I said before the quote you reproduced :

'a few of us talked about the philosophical points and our interpretation of a particular book eg Marcus Aurelius...It was kinda guided by a certain someone who had read it, sometimes picking out the exciting bits'.

This is to me a more active form of philosophical analysis than simply summarising a book with one's own thoughts on it.

I looked up ' Rousseau's Dog' on Amazon - your crit. would have fitted in well there.

M.

[Rortabend]

M.

The pointless or lazy comment was directed at people who cut and paste large parts of others work without comment. You must have seen this sort of thing before on the forum. It wasn't aimed at the sort of thing you were doing with Marcus Aurelius - this sounds more like an informal reading group which is cool.

The reason I suggested posting reviews here is that this is a forum, a collection of like-minded people interested in philosophy. The problem with Amazon is that you have absolutely no idea who has written the review or why. In some cases the reviews are written by mischievious publishers. Also, if you post a review on the forum and someone disagrees with it then this might develop into an interesting thread. This can't really happen on Amazon.

[amateurphilosophynerd]

learning to write crap academic book reviews is next project. i think it requires a certain amount of confidence, writing practice, opinion to pull something like it off but it is a skill we ALL NEED and can learn from when we see fabulous book reviews ie in Journals as I can when i go into Campus Library as Alumai.
there is a certain psychology to this so crap reviews as writing practice = good idea IMHO.

[Rortabend]

learning to write crap academic book reviews is next project.

Thanks for the ringing endorsement!

[amateurphilosophynerd]

Rotabend The CRAP pedagogy of learning to write even more crap on the academic book front. It is quite horrible to churn out vile wordage more fitting for the Vomitorium than the academic Sanitorium.

[amateurphilosophynerd]

you have NO idea what i have on my HDD and how big is my Amazon Wish List (1000 strong!!! not just books life beyond too!!) or Research Draft Bid Project which is making me wish i was less vulnerable than I already am.

[amateurphilosophynerd]

They are my model for How to Do it just need the Knowledge of My Discipline/s to go with it; otherwise it is shamelessly independent, anarchic trips on line to the academic stratsophere and see what I can get mits on in terms of book recomendations, research papers (qaulity is all important and how do i judge it??!!), actual books themselves, value of actual books themselves, inject more than a hefty bit of Blue Skies Thinking into me (!!!!) and any educational resources OF QAULITY that I can get my hands on.!!!

[amateurphilosophynerd]

I cannot think too highly of the Profession and of Academia itself and all that it does. my heart is with it. I only hope to steer my heart in the direction of the Academic Magnet be it Institution, academic/s etc as such desires are best formented in the lathe of happy honest desire.(and learning to be a human the rest of the time)
location: at swimming pool area with family experimenting with laptop and swimsuit scenario in a chateux in france.

[amateurphilosophynerd]

if people feel able to post up Reviews that are quite frankly crap and also learning efforts (that includes me of course) then people learn skills of writing reviews.
The Crap Method frees people up not be the Professor first time, let alone model themselves on their latest heroes.

[Rortabend]

APN,

You've completely lost me I'm afraid.

[amateurphilosophynerd]

if people don't have to worry too much about what they post up (so long as it is not cut and paste from amazon or elsewhere) then ok.
i imagine people will want to do a good job on them however. learning to write up book reviews is an art and science and folks will need practice and like students will make tonnes of mistakes. but at least learn in the process. hope i have found you again.
APN

[amateurphilosophynerd]

staff on Forum as is human nature. stumbling through ones own book review is one way one might do it. If persons are directed to books through one's reviews one has done ones job; academics or not!

[amateurphilosophynerd]

learning to write crap academic book reviews is next project.

Thanks for the ringing endorsement!

MY Book Reviews would be crap. Although I make a Policy of reviewing books even if one or two sentences after every read.
With people like you my confidence knows no end!

[Duncan Butlin]

Dear Amateur Philosopher,

What are you up to? It sounds very much like nonsense to me. You are quite wrong to write these reviews, if you despise them. You cannot truly value them if you keep calling them ‘crap’. So many people are doing things they do not believe in -- are you to be one of them too? If so, you are torturing your soul to no benefit. I suggest you stop doing it, and focus on other things instead.

[Arising_uk]

Now this is sound advice.
a_uk