What Book Are You Reading at the Moment?

[Kazmyr]

Starting the GoT books because I live under a rock.

[heydaralon]

re-Reading the book of Ecclesiastes. One of my favorite books of the Bible along with Job.

[Speaker to Animals]

re-Reading the book of Ecclesiastes. One of my favorite books of the Bible along with Job.

“A nation is born stoic, and dies epicurean. At its cradle (to repeat a thoughtful adage) religion stands, and philosophy accompanies it to the grave.
In the beginning of all cultures a strong religious faith conceals and softens the nature of things, and gives men courage to bear pain and hardship patiently; at every step the gods are with them, and will not let them perish, until they do. Even then a firm faith will explain that it was the sins of the people that turned their gods to an avenging wrath; evil does not destroy faith, but strengthens it. If victory comes, if war is forgotten in security and peace, then wealth grows; the life of the body gives way, in the dominant classes, to the life of the senses and the mind; toil and suffering are replaced by pleasure and ease; science weakens faith even while thought and comfort weaken virility and fortitude. At last men begin to doubt the gods; they mourn the tragedy of knowledge, and seek refuge in every passing delight.

Achilles is at the beginning, Epicurus at the end. After David comes Job, and after Job, Ecclesiastes.”


― Will Durant, Our Oriental Heritage

[heydaralon]

One of the best Bible verses is Ecc 9:11
I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.

Very humbling when you think about the role that randomness and chance plays in everyone's life.

[heydaralon]

re-Reading the book of Ecclesiastes. One of my favorite books of the Bible along with Job.

“A nation is born stoic, and dies epicurean. At its cradle (to repeat a thoughtful adage) religion stands, and philosophy accompanies it to the grave.
In the beginning of all cultures a strong religious faith conceals and softens the nature of things, and gives men courage to bear pain and hardship patiently; at every step the gods are with them, and will not let them perish, until they do. Even then a firm faith will explain that it was the sins of the people that turned their gods to an avenging wrath; evil does not destroy faith, but strengthens it. If victory comes, if war is forgotten in security and peace, then wealth grows; the life of the body gives way, in the dominant classes, to the life of the senses and the mind; toil and suffering are replaced by pleasure and ease; science weakens faith even while thought and comfort weaken virility and fortitude. At last men begin to doubt the gods; they mourn the tragedy of knowledge, and seek refuge in every passing delight.

Achilles is at the beginning, Epicurus at the end. After David comes Job, and after Job, Ecclesiastes.”


― Will Durant, Our Oriental Heritage

Durant is a poet. His quote about civilization decay was at the beginning of Apocalypto. From the last page of Caesar and Christ.

[apeman]

Finished Crime and Punishment, my favorite fiction I've ever read, think about it every day.

Almost done with The Road to Wigan Pier, and 30 pages into Beyond Good and Evil, which is surprisingly readable and enjoyable so far.

[heydaralon]

Finished Crime and Punishment, my favorite fiction I've ever read, think about it every day.

Almost done with The Road to Wigan Pier, and 30 pages into Beyond Good and Evil, which is surprisingly readable and enjoyable so far.

Damn Apeman, you are reading some heavy hitters! You should check out Schopenhauer after you get done with Nietzsche.

[Hanarchy Montanarchy]

Schopenhauer's philosophy:

1. Everyone shut up, you are giving me a headache.

2. While you certainly have a good reason to kill yourself, probably don't... or maybe do.

One of my favorites.

[heydaralon]

Schopenhauer's philosophy:

1. Everyone shut up, you are giving me a headache.

2. While you certainly have a good reason to kill yourself, probably don't... or maybe do.

One of my favorites.

His insight that humans are driven by unconscious irrational desires more so than rationality is spot on imo. That grumpy old bastard had a lot of interesting stuff to say about the human condition. Freud was heavily influenced by Arthur.

[Ex-California]

Finished Crime and Punishment, my favorite fiction I've ever read, think about it every day.

Almost done with The Road to Wigan Pier, and 30 pages into Beyond Good and Evil, which is surprisingly readable and enjoyable so far.

I think I'm going to have to do it soon