Your current reading list

[Penta]

Not so long ago, someone (can't remember who, the list of possibles is so long!) slagged me off for getting my ideas about Afghanistan from this supposedly crappy book, which I'd never even heard of at the time. I'd decided to give it a miss after that. But it is worth a read, is it?

You'd fuckin' love it.....if you had a penis, you'd get a boner.

Too late. Not going to have time to get it before i go back to Spain. Unless it's in the airport shop.

And I'm still struggling with Kant. ;)

[vagabond]

Unless it's in the airport shop.

I would bet a euro it will be

And I'm still struggling with Kant

Doesn't everyone. :(

[Penta]

And I'm still struggling with Kant

Doesn't everyone. :(

Apparently not. The Jaegermeister seems to think it's a doddle: read and reread and all will become as crystal. (But then he's too clever for mere mortals, that boy.)
You make me feel better about being such a Dummkopf as regards the dutiful one, vagabond. Thank you.

[vagabond]

Err, thank you for the compliment but not sure if I'm that deserving of it. I gave up on Kant like I gave up on Thoreau. I'd rather read a distillation of their ideas and, if feel compelled, go back and look at the original source to see it in context. I enjoyed my phil prof's lectures on Kant much more than I did reading it. If you really feel like you're getting something from it then go ahead but life's too short and full of too many other philosophies and, well, better things to read. Even for bragging rights purposes you're bound to only meet a minuscule percentage of people who would be able to argue with you over it if you did read and comprehend it thoroughly.

[lightstalker]

Evil requires the sanction of the victim.
......crazy bitch.

lol..
Ayn fucking Rand.....one of the worlds finest purveyors of high grade bullshit. All one can say is that she probably fucked like a penthouse cougar

[vagabond]

That's Ayn Rand? Wow.

[flipflop]

All one can say is that she probably fucked like a penthouse cougar

Someone should have asked her husband of fifty years, Frank O'Connor

Penta "reading" Kant

LOL

Good luck with that, I bet you're trying to read it like a novel - page and chapter, front to back. You're good for a laugh, I'll give you that. Dilettante.

If you really feel like you're getting something from it then go ahead but life's too short and full of too many other philosophies and, well, better things to read. Even for bragging rights purposes you're bound to only meet a minuscule percentage of people who would be able to argue with you over it if you did read and comprehend it thoroughly.

That's one of the most perceptive character sketches of the old fool I've read on here, uncanny.

Cheers

[Penta]

Even for bragging rights purposes you're bound to only meet a minuscule percentage of people who would be able to argue with you over it if you did read and comprehend it thoroughly.

Bragging rights? Not me. I said somewhere else I'm not in favour of false modesty: when I said struggling, struggling is what I meant (and it's a losing battle). I'm discussing Kant precisely with one of that "miniscule percentage of people". In my first train yesterday, there was a crowd of very loud and brash young men on their way back from a corporate day out sailing - in the quiet area, no less - and me sitting there trying (and failing, of course) to get my head round the subjective deduction.

[Aussie TJS]

Just getting into Vince Flynn at the moment. I've read one of his books and was impressed so i hopped down to the nearest book store and bought another as i got 2 train rides ahead of me both longer than 24 hours each....and waiting for Andy McNab to bring another one out too

[rickshaw92]

i got 2 train rides ahead of me both longer than 24 hours each....

From where to where to where?

[vagabond]

Sorry to disappoint both flip and you Penta, but I meant bragging rights for anyone. At least in university, you would find people reading something, or carrying it around, for purposes of perceived intellectual superiority vs 'the masses'. It's why I brought up Thoreau as well - as much as he's name-dropped, I would bet the majority who do bring him into conversation haven't read him or, like me, tried to, liked some of his thoughts but gave up out of boredom and his inability to actually write. Then again, I get bored easily which is probably why I've been on the here a lot lately.

If you want to drop the Kant and read someone who writes well, about travel, politics, gender, and the American West, I would highly recommend anything by Rebecca Solnit. A Field Guide To Getting Lost is an excellent starting point.

[Penta]

If you want to drop the Kant and read someone who writes well, about travel, politics, gender, and the American West, I would highly recommend anything by Rebecca Solnit. A Field Guide To Getting Lost is an excellent starting point.

Well, I got the cups of tea at the airport, which can alternate with Roger Scruton on Kant for now.
I've read some of Rebecca Solnit's essays on TomDispatch, but nothing full length: I agree, a very fine writer.

[kilroy]

Sorry to disappoint both flip and you Penta, but I meant bragging rights for anyone. At least in university, you would find people reading something, or carrying it around, for purposes of perceived intellectual superiority vs 'the masses'. It's why I brought up Thoreau as well - as much as he's name-dropped, I would bet the majority who do bring him into conversation haven't read him or, like me, tried to, liked some of his thoughts but gave up out of boredom and his inability to actually write. Then again, I get bored easily which is probably why I've been on the here a lot lately.

If you want to drop the Kant and read someone who writes well, about travel, politics, gender, and the American West, I would highly recommend anything by Rebecca Solnit. A Field Guide To Getting Lost is an excellent starting point.

don't know why anyone would use thoreau for bragging rights, other than that he's just well known. nothing particularly difficult about anything i've read of his. and 'walden' was tits.

[vagabond]

don't know why anyone would use thoreau for bragging rights, other than that he's just well known.

maybe I spent too much time around around wannabe hippies and backpackers in university.

Well, I got the cups of tea at the airport, which can alternate with Roger Scruton on Kant for now.

You owe me a euro

I've read some of Rebecca Solnit's essays on TomDispatch, but nothing full length: I agree, a very fine writer.

That she is. I just finished her Wanderlust: A History of Walking and, other than the parts of the Romantics dragging a little, it was quite good.

[Aussie TJS]

i got 2 train rides ahead of me both longer than 24 hours each....

From where to where to where?

I'm in Guangzhou (2 hours from Hong Kong) and about to catch a train to Qingdao tomorrow (north of Shanghai). Its only going to be one train now which will be better. Not sure how long but i'm presuming 48 hours or so. Last time they said 'train will take 24hours' it was 37 so who knows.