Read in 2015In addition to what I list on Goodreads, I also read The Tin Drum (8/7/15).Read in 2013The Jungle by Upton Sinclair (It seems that I, once again, read the not-as-complete-as-possible version, something I always kick myself for afterward.) I loved this. Amazing, devestating story, very rapid pace, great descriptions (like Dickens in many places, but not so much humor). I was a little disappointed with the ending; Jurgis gets overshadowed by the socialism of the last little bit of the book, and the book basically ends without him. That's about the only thing I would have liked to have been different: go back to Jurgis' story for the last page or so. The Diary of Anais Nin: Volume One 1931-1934 by Anais Nin I've wanted to read some of Anais Nin's diaries for a long time. I picked this up over Christmas at Powell's in Portland. The diary is not quite what I expected, and I was surprised to find that a lot is left out of it. I think I might have to read the unexpurgated version (a great deal of significant details were left out of this), but then again, she didn't really interest me with this version. I do like this passage: "Dear diary, you have hampered me as an artist. But at the same time you have kept me alive as a human being. I created you because I needed a friend. And talking to this friend, I have, perhaps, wasted my life." This makes Ms. Nin seem more human to me than she did before I read the book. Vision and the Art of Drawing by Howard Hoffman A short modern description of our eye/brain system of vision with some connections to drawing. Just okay. The Nude: A Study in Ideal Form by Kenneth Clark A good, long history of the nude in art. The author definitely had opinions. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith A terrific novel, I enjoyed it immensely. Awakenings by Oliver Sacks Absolutely fantastic book. Wouldn't hurt to have a medical dictionary by one's side while reading it (the accompanying glossary is not very complete). Read in 2012
The Book of the Damned by Charles Fort Oh goodness, this was appalling. I love the idea of a collection of unexplained events and phenomena. But Mr. Fort spends huge amounts of space complaining about scientists being disingenuous in their scientific pursuits. His evidence for this is not the fact that the events remain unexplained; rather, his evidence is that they have not en-masse accepted his preposterous conclusions regarding these events. For example, he attributes all unusual events of falling things (e.g. ice, leaves, frogs, blood, fish) to extra-terrestrial vehicles, without a shred of evidence for such a conclusion. I feel embarrassed for Mr. Fort. Nightwood by Djuna Barnes
I'd hoped to like this book. Djuna Barnes seems to have been an interesting, and, from what little I've gathered, admirable person. The book has short bits of very nice writing, but reading it was not a good overall experience for me. I find I have a hard time relating to love described as a horrible, violent calamity. I believe I am lucky in this regard, but it leaves me out of a lot of conversations. Sunflower by Gyula Krudy class="subtext"> What did I just read? This book had a very strange feel to it: locally, it is well-written, with lots of beautiful phrases, but globally I have no idea why any of the characters are worth reading about. Shape and Flow: The Fluid Dynamics of Drag by Ascher H. Shapiro An excellent, short, heavily illustrated informal introduction to fluid dynamics Includes explanations of viscosity, laminar flow, boundary layer separation, Bernoulli's principle, Reynolds number, etc. Dombey and Son by Charles Dickens At this point, I've read all but four of the novels of Charles Dickens. This is definitely one of his lesser works. It starts really well, with excellent writing, characters and descriptions. But about halfway through, it plateaus, and then coasts for a long time -- hundreds of pages -- and then ends. Oh, there is a little excitement with Edith and Mr. Carker toward the end, but this is too little, too late. I think Dickens blew a chance to have a really exciting story by paying some attention to Walter after he sails. Walter could have had all sorts of interesting adventures, involving wild characters, as he sailed and then was shipwrecked, and rescued, etc. Similarly with Uncle Sol in his travels. But, no. Dickens just has them go away, disappear, be taken for lost, and then has them simply show up near the end of the book, safe and sound, and they don't even tell us their stories. Quite disappointing. The Practice and Science of Drawing, by Harold Speed Recommended by my figure drawing instructor. I found it quite old-fashioned, which is often my favorite thing, but here it just feels dated and narrow-minded. is book is in the public domain, if you are interested. Journey to the End of the Night, Louis-Ferdinand Celine Some great parts, but really dragged toward the end. Overall, just so-so. The Highest State of Consciousness, edited by John White Thirty three articles on consciousness, and particularly on the hihest" state sought by mystics, meditators, transcendentalist, etc. A little too unscientific in many places for my taste, but lots of interesting bits here and there. Trainspotting, by Irvine Welsh I read this very fast, and enjoyed it very much. It really fleshes out the film, with lots more detail and texture. Read in 2011Tender Buttons, by Gertrude Stein I love bits of this, but was a little disappointed. Still, I'm glad to have finally read some of her more poetic stuff. Selected Stories, by Robert Walser (translations by Christopher Middleton and others) I got a recommendation to read Robert Walser from a librarian, and this is the first I've read. I liked some of it, but much was muddy and left me cold. I liked bits of his writing enough to give him another try, though.
Picasso, by Gertrude Stein Okay, but not great. I had hoped for more insight into Picasso, as his work rarely speaks to me. Certainly very readable, and I like Stein's style very much. /> The Worst Hard Time, by Timothy Egan Very good, informative book on the 1930s Dust Bowl phenomena. Moravagine by Blaise Cendrars I was hoping to enjoy this more, and it starts well, but then it becomes a boring world-hopping traveloge. I would not recommend it. Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens I enjoyed this. More complex than some of his books, with considerable deception and crime. No really lovable characters, though Jenny Wren is adorable. The War of Art by Steven Pressfield I read this in one sitting. It has some useful ways to conceptualize some of the barriers to doing things one wants to do. Living More with Less by Doris Janzen Longacre A Mennonite book about living frugally. One reason I am interested in living simply is because I am a socialist, and I think simplification would be a huge part of the transition to socialism. If we all need less, then it is easier for all of us to help produce all that we need. Not a bad read, but not earth-shattering. Color: A Natural History of the Palette by Victoria Finlay I've been studying color this spring, and folks were raving about this book, and I found a used copy super cheap, so I thought I'd read it. It has lots of interesting tidbits, but it is written in a style that is not my favorite. It is rather drawn out, and lacks the density I would have liked. Really just okay. Mount Analogue: A Tale of Non-Euclidean and Symbolically Authentic Mountaineering Adventures by Rene Daumal I read this in late 2010 or early 2011, I neglected to record my finishing it. It is an unfinished book, and doesn't really talk about non-euclidean anything, and not much about mountaineering. An amusing read, though. A Short History of Astronomy, by Arthur Berry I read this a tiny bit at a time, and it is written well for that sort of reading, with 320 numbered sections. I noted to myself some time ago that there was a lot I did not know about atronomy, and this book has given me a lot of facts and things to think about. Iwas written in 1898, so some of it is a bit out-of-date, bt didn't find that detracted much. Orl, I think this would be a great read when paired with another book o mden astronomy. The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck Part of my continuing effort to read classics nobody forced me to read when I was younger. This was fantastic! Immedatly one of my favorite books. Great great great. One of the best sentences: when Ma sees Tom for the first time: "And her joy was nearly like sorrow." Shadows and Enlightenment, by Michael Baxandall With all the drawing I've been doing, I've been thinking a lot about vision and shadows. This book has a lot to say about both. I quite enjoyed it, though my weak knowledge of art history prevented me from really appreciating verything the author had to say. One Hundred Years of Solitude, by Gabriel Marcia Marquez I had seen this on so many lists of favorite books, I figured I had to read it some time. I really liked it, but it was not what I expected. I thought it would have a dreary, drawn-out tone, but instead it has a sense of constant excitement and is packed with dense descriptions and well-wrought characters. Read in 2010A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens, 1843 I read this every Christmas. Terrific as always. To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee An excellent book I'd not read until late 2010. Bleak House, by Charles Dickens Just OK. The story arc is unsatisfying, and the characters are not very interesting. Light, Shade and Shadow by E. L. Koller Not as helpful as I'd hoped. Primarily gives a little commentary on cast shdadow depiction, but otherwise is lacking. Very short. Point and Line to Plane, by Wassily Kandinsky Horrible. An attempt at scientific/mathematical writing gone completely wrong, with piles of undefined terms and vague generalizations. 100 Ways to Have Fun With an Alligator, and 100 Other Involving Art Projects, by Norman Laliberte and Richey Kehl An excellent little book of 100 interesting things to do. With lots of small asides, it reminds me of Buckminster Fuller's I am a Verb. The Function of Reason, by Alfred North Whitehead Meh. I got virtually nothing from this. Earth, Inc., by Buckminster Fuller A short compendium of some Fuller writings. Some good stuff. Pedagogical Sketchbook, by Paul Klee A rather silly little book. Although it is quite famous, I don't see how much can be learned from it. It borders on mathematics in places, but lacks clear statements. Foucalt For Beginners, by Lydia Alix Fillingham Another of these graphic "intro" books. This one is quite weak; I got very little out of it. Remarks On Colour, by Ludwig Wittgenstein I'm writing this now some weeks after reading the book, and I can't recall much except the feeling that Wittgenstein asked a bunch of questions that could be answered by modern, scientific color analysis. Introducing Wittgenstein, by John Eaton and Judy Groves A good, light overview of Wittgenstein's life and work. This Is Not a Pipe, by Michel Foucault A very short commentary on Magritte's painting, and paintings. The Autobiography of Bertrand Russell, Volume Three, by Bertrand Russell Not the most interesting of the three volumes, Mr. Russell gives a lot of information about his activism, and not so much of his personal thoughts, feelings, and experiences. Still, it is worth reading. A great, great man. Read in 2009:The Enormous Room, by E. E. Cummings A fine piece of writing by Mr. Cummings. Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck Somehow I avoided reading this until this September. It was great, very moving. Cancer Ward, by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn I'd been meaning to read this book for a long time. It held my interest, but wasn't terrific. I think I missed a lot of the Stalin-era symbolism. Existentialism and Human Emotions, by Jean-Paul Sartre A slim book. The first chapter ("Existentialism") is by far the best part of the book. It states, in the clearest way I've ever read, what existentialism is all about. The other chapters are less interesting, and much less clear. Birthday, by Dorothea Tanning An autobiography, of sorts, of a great surrealist painter. It was disappointed in the lack of information in this; it is rather colorfully abstract, and, dare I say, vague. Plus, a lot of it is really about Max Ernst, an interesting character, but I really wanted to know more about Ms. Tanning. The Pickwick Papers, by Charles Dickens Not my favorite Dickens novel. I was bothered by the fact that several of the characters (Mr. Snodgrass, Mr. Winkle, and Mr. Tupman) are insufficienlty distinguishable. The ending is not very satisfying, either. As this was Dickens' first novel, I guess it's not surprising that it is not my favorite. Introducing Existentialism, by Richard Appignanesi and Oscar Zarate I really like the writings of Dostoevsky and Sartre, I've hovered around existentialism for a long time, but never read writings specifically on it. This book showed up at a Seattle Public Library sale some time ago, and I just got around to reading it. It's not good. It is full of unexplained jargon, and rambles and jumps to no purpose. Very disappointing. The Journal of a Dissapointed Man, by W. N. P. Barbellion (pseudonym of Bruce Frederick Cummings ) A very interesting journal of a young biologist with health problems, including MS. The journal covers his life from age 13 up through the end of 1917. He also had an additional journal "A Last Diary" covering the last 18 months or so of his life. These are available here. Read in 2008:Operating Manual for Spaceship Earth, by R. Buckminster Fuller An excellent, very short book, summarizing a lot of Fuller's philosophy. He had a fantastic attitude, and the world would be greatly improved if more were like him. The Rebel Culture, edited by Robert S. Gold A solid collection of anti-establishment writings from 1970. Good stuff. Les Champs Magnetiques (The Magnetic Fields), by Andre Breton and Philippe Soupault (in english) Very nice. A Surrealist text by, arguably, the most significant Surrealist and some other guy. The good parts have an excellent, "dream-like" evocative quality. Surreal Lives: The Surrealists 1917-1945, by Ruth Brandon A good historical book, describing the lives of a number of prominent Dadaists and Surrealists. Reading about their personal lives and foibles really filled them out in my mind, as well as clarifying for me the history of the art. I was not very aware, if at all, of the sad and stupid impact Stalinism had on surrealism and the surrealists. Very heavily footnoted, the book makes it easy to dig further into this history. I've already ot Andre Breton and Philippe Soupault's "Les Champs Magnetiques" from the library.
The Communistic Societies of the United States, by Charles Nordoff, 1875 A very interesting book, with lots of details about these societies as they were around 1870. Lord of the Flies, by William Golding, 1954 Somehow I managed to avoid reading this in high school. A good story, rather exciting, certainly more violent than I expected it would be. Read in 2007:A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens, 1843 I read this every Christmas. Terrific as always. Does it Matter? by Alan Watts, 1968 A short book of essays by the Buddhist Alan Watts. Some good stuff, especially the first essay, Wealth Versus Money. He says: Shortly before his death, Robert Oppenheimer is said to have remarked that the whole world is, quite obviously, going to hell - adding, however, that the one slim chance of its not going to hell is that we do absolutely nothing to stop it...Practically, this means that we must stop crusading - that is, acting for such abstract causes as the good, righteousness, peace, universal love, freedom and social justice, and stop fighting against such equally abstract bogeys as communism, fascism, and the imaginary powers of good and evil. For most of the hell now being raised in the world is well intentioned. We justify our wars and revolutions as necessary means for good ends...To be human, one must recognize and accept a certain element of irreducible rascality both in oneself and one's enemies. It is, therefore, an enormous relief to realize that these abstract ambitions are total nonsense and to see that we have been wasting untold psychic and physical energy in a fatuous enterprise. Interesting, but I would counter that peace and war are not abstractions when actual people are dying. Suffering caused by malnutrition and lack of health care is not abstract, whether we attritbute labels like "good" and "evil" to those involved or not. Perhaps I'm missing something. Little Dorrit, by Charles Dickens, 1857 I read this very slowly, which didn't help my confusion caused by the profusion of characters, more than usual Dickens crowd. A good story, with a good ending. I found it a little hard to believe that Clennam would let his business partner down by risking so much; that is not really explained well, but obviously it has to happen somehow. Also, the building collapse at the end which kills Rigaud is rather odd, and unexplained. Still, these sorts of things happen in Dickens' novels. Socialism for Beginners, by Anna Paczuska, 1986 A heavily illustrated, "cartoon" text on socialism. Covers a lot of ground nicely. I recommend it for the uninitiated. Only drawback is that it uses the present tense when referring to the time period when it was written: "Reagan is doing such and such...". This naturally makes it a bit dated. The Areas of My Expertise, by John Hodgman, 2005 This is very much my kind of humor. In fact, I collected almanacs as a kid: I had dozens of them at one point. This is a very amusing book, but it does go on a little long. Then again, a shorter book would have a hard time claiming to represent "complete world knowledge". The Elephant Man: A Study in Human Dignity, by Ashley Montagu, 1971 A very short book on Joseph Merrick (referred to in this book incorrectly as John Merrick). It contains the writing of Dr. Treves which is otherwise hard to get. Montagu, though, is a bit rambling and repetitive when he discusses how it happened that Merrick was actually a pleasant person, and not completely bitter as a result of his deformity, and conjecturing about how nice Merrick's mother must have been. I was disappointed in his writing. There are useful photographs and appendices. The Function of the Orgasm, by Wilhelm Reich, 1942 I started reading this on a lark after picking it up at the great Seattle Public Library book sale at Magnusson Park some time ago. It has some interesting ideas, especially about the relationship between sex and fascism, and the notion that all neuroses are caused by the iability to fully experience orgasm (though what that means is never made precise). However, a lot of it seems very unscientific and repetitive, and it drags a bit due to that. The Autobiography of Malcolm X, by Malcolm X and Alex Haley, 1965 I'd wanted to learn about Malcolm X for a long time. I'm very glad to have read his book; I am very impressed by his energy, his passion, and his dedication to positive change. That he was assassinated makes no sense to me, and seems an incredible shame. An excellent, excellent book. Coincidentally, I finished reading it on May 19, Malcolm X's birthday. The Wisdom of Insecurity, by Alan W. Watts, 1951 I like to read buddhist writings now and then. This book seems to not have had much effect on me, as I can't think of anything to say about it after having read it a month or two ago. A journey Round My Skull, by Frigyes Karinthy, 1936 An account of the author's brain cyst and its subsequent removal. Not as gut wrenching as I was thinking it might be, it is very well written, in a style that makes me really want to read more by him. This author is credited (at Wikipedia, at least) with the idea of "six degrees of separation", a concept that is often on my mind. Tour de France: The History, The Legend, The Riders, by Graeme Fife This book, by a blatantly british author, covers lots of the history of the Tour, with plenty of juicy and exciting details. I thought I wasn't going to be able to stand the author's style, which is a bit smarmy, but I guess it grew on me, and I found it a good read. Read in 2006:A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens I read this every Christmas. Terrific as always. A Very Long Engagement, by Sebastien Japrisot, 1993 I really like the movie, so I thought I'd read the novel. I can't really judge the novel on its own, though: I already knew so much of the plot, that I didn't have to read the book very carefully. Overall, I had a better time seeing the movie. Some differences between the novel and the film: she uses a wheelchair all the time and she doesn't play the tuba in the book, but is a painter in the book, though not in the film. One other difference is in the weather at the trench during the crucial events: in the novel, it is cold, and snowy, but in the film it's just rainy, no snow. The Art of Noises, by Luigi Russolo, 1916 Great. Very interesting Futurist essays by Russolo, predicting the future of music. He envisioned an "art of noise" in which music would incorporate a much wider ange of sounds than it had previously, particularly "noisy" sounds. Nice writing, with emphatic over-the-top statements. Kropotkin's Revolutionary Pamphlets, by Peter Kropotkin (edited by Roger N. Baldwin), 1927 I good collection of anarchist-socialist writings. Kropotkin has an excellent writing style, really colorful and rarely dry. I continue to fail to see why Marxist folks and anarchist folks can't get along better than they do; I'll have to read more. This I Believe, edited by Edward R. Murrow, 1951 Short essays by about a hundred famous people on what they believe. A lot of god talk, but some interesting bits. The Abortion, by Richard Brautigan, 1971 This is a favorite, friendly book for me. I took it with me on our trip to Paris, to have something calming to read in case of stress. It did the trick. It's quite a goofy book, really, in place, but in other parts it is quite excellent. David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens, 1850 A long, and quite good read. I'm happy to have finally read this iconic giant, though it was not quite as enjoyable as Oliver Twist or The Old Curiosity Shop. Sources, by Theodore Roszak, 1972 This is an anthology of "materials useful for preserving personal sanity while braving the great technological wilderness" of the early 70's. A good idea for a book, and a bunch of nice bits of writing. Land or Death, by Hugo Blanco, 1972 I read this in a Freedom Socialist Party study group. Short, interesting description of Mr. Blanco's revolutionary activities in Peru in the 1960's. Well written, colorful account. A major theme is the need for mass organization rather than guerilla tactics. Revolution for the Hell of It, by Abbie Hoffman, 1968 A good read. I like his energy, and a lot of his attitude. The book's short on ideas, but there is plenty of enthusiasm. Bought at the Seattle Public Library Friends of the Library book sale at Sand Point, 4/21/06
Revolutionary Rehearsals, edited by Colin Barker It took a year to read this not very long book with the Freedom Socialist Party. Lots of good details about five working class uprisings that did not result in revolutiion, along with thoughts on why they failed. Hard Times, by Charles Dickens, 1854 My latest Dickens read. Not bad, and very short, relatively speaking. It doesn't say as much about workers and unions and such as it is perported to. A Journal of the Plague Year, by Daniel Defoe, 1722 For some reason, I am particularly interested in the bubonic plague. This book has some good bits, but Mr. Defoe really could have used an editor. He goes on and on about the practice of shutting people up in their houses. I understand that he was trying to point out the negative aspects of this practice, but really: it was too much. Overall, not as fascinating as I had hoped. Read in 2005:Conquest of Happiness, by Bertrand Russell I like short books like this in which the author tries to convey life changing ideas (there's a nice summary here). Mr. Russell has a lot of good things to say here. Gulliver's Travels (i.e., Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World, by Lemuel Gulliver), by Jonathan Swift Quite amusing. The first part is the only one that seems to be part of the popular culture, but the other parts are at least as interesting. Nicely fantastic. A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens I read this every Christmas. Always excellent, always moving. Tools for Conviviality, by Ivan Illich Lots of good ideas in this. An impressively extreme viewpoint on many things. A little unclear, unspecific at certain points, but much to think on. The Queen of Spades, and Other Stories, by Alexander Pushkin This is one of Dover's Thrift Editions. I have long heard of Pushkin: Dostoevsky and Gogol mention him often enough that his name stuck in my head, and when I saw this book for a dollar I thought I'd read a little Pushkin. Pushkin is more famous as a poet than a fiction writer, and his stories here are really not good. They aren't very clever, like little 19th century russian sitcoms. They do have touches of the supernatural, though. Well, at least now i can say I've read Pushkin. Heavy Words, Lightly Thrown, by Chris Roberts I got this book as a gift (thanks,John!) for my birthday this year. It's a collection of short explanations for about twenty nursery rhymes and similar poems and songs. The nursery rhymes are all England-related, and it's nicely written by someone who knows London's juicy history well. I'm mildly inspired to read a more in-depth study of these rhymes. This book explains the rhymes origins, but it's not clear in most cases how one knows tese histories. That story would be additional interesting reading. The title is taken from the Smiths song "What Difference Does it Make?", of all places. The Magic Mountain, by Thomas Mann This took months to read. It's very long and generally not very "can't put it down"-ish. Some really nice writing, a few interesting characters and situations, but overall I can't recommend it. The Diaries: 1910-1923, by Franz Kafka, ed. by Max Brod A lot of sadness in the diaries, but some bits of happiness here and there. Max (I feel like calling him by his first name) points out in the postscript that the diaries are the saddest, his letters are less sad, and his personality even less so. That's nice to know. One amusing quote, in the travel diaries section: "When I see stark-naked people moving slowly past among the trees (though usually at a distance), I now and then get light, superficial attacks of nausea. Their running doesn't make things any better." Bought at the Seattle Public Library Friends of the Library booksale at Sand Point, 9/23/05
Astonish Yourself! 101 Experiments in the Philosophy of Everyday Life, by Roger-Pol Droit, 2001 I love this book. Lots of terrific, thought-provoking bits and things to try, all written in an excellent, very humorous style. Great great great. Remote Control: Power, Culture, and the World of Appearances, by Barbara Kruger I love Barbara Kruger's artwork. This book consists primarily of TV and movie reviews from the 80's and 90's. I thought it would be more interesting than it turned out to be. It is a great looking book, however. Essays in Humanism, by Albert Einstein, 1950 I was suckered into reading this by the first essay, "Why Socialism?". Most of the essays are, in fact, just excerpts from larger bits of writing, and lack enough context to make them interesting. Plus, none have anything directly to do with humanism, per se. Everyone Here Spoke Sign Language, by Nora Ellen Groce, 1985
All about Martha's Vineyard's history of deafness and the social
adaption thereto, as suggested by the book's title.
An excellent bit of research and writing.
The author traced the deafness back to Kent, England, from where
many early settlers of Martha's Vineyard came. ots of interesting details.
The Day I Turned Uncool, by Dan Zevin, 2002 Jenni really enjoyed this book, but I did not. I don't find Dan's personality, as described in the book, to be very likeable. /p> The Old Curiosity Shop, by Charles Dickens, 1841 I loved this book. Really, really great. It's been a long time since I've enjoyed a long novel this much. Great characters, great story, great writing. The Revolution Betrayed, by Leon Trotsky, 1937 An excellent book that explains a lot about what went wrong with the Soviet Union. I read this in a FSP study group. Trout Fishing in America, by Richard Brautigan, 1967 Although not about fishing per se, there are a lot of references to actual fishing. A favorite book of mine, it gives me a good feeling every time I read it. Read in 2004:An Essay on Liberation, by Herbert Marcuse, 1969 I've been reading socialist writings from the early 20th century or before, so I wanted to read something that was a little more modern. It is somewhat dismissive of Marxism without presenting a clear alternative. Interesting none-the-less. A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens, 1843 I read this every Christmastime. It is perhaps my favorite story, full of great detail and emotion. Perceptual Quotes for Photographers, by Richard D. Zakia, 1980 Not really a book to be read cover to cover, though I did anyway. It is, as the title says, a collection of quotes about perception, intended to be read by photographers, to spark thoughts and discussion. An interesting bunch. We, by Yevgeny Zamyatin (translated by Clarence Brown), 1924 I read this because it was written by someone who was experiencing early Soviet life, and I was hoping to get a sense of what at least one soviet person was feeling at the time. I don't think I really got a good sense of that. It is a distopian vision of the future, i many ways quite similar to 1984. Overall not a very good read. Freaky Friday, by Mary Rodgers, 1972 One of Jenni's favorite books from childhood, she had it out from the library so I read it. Much less scattered and whacky than the film versions. No more philosophical, though, but amusing. A very quick read. Education Automation, by R. Buckminster Fuller, 1962 Fuller covers a lot of ground in this short book (actually a rather long speech). His suggestion that university education will be done by videotape hasn't quite come to pass, and I think I know why. The difference between watching a videotape and seeing a live human talking is really much greater than he estimated. Education isn't just about transmitting information of the content of a subject; it's also about being a living representative of the subject, something students can interact with, something that is dynamic. I admit I may be biased on this subject... On page 40 he anticipates the internet, sort of, with his idea of two-way TV: < class="subtext"> ...The child will be able to call up any kind of information he wants about any subject and get he latest authoritative TV documentary... The answers to his questions and probings will be the best information that man has available up to that minute in history. Soon after, he discusses workers and automation: ...Man is no longer essential as a worker in the faulously complex industrial equation. Marx's worker is soon to become utterly obsolete... The word worker describing man as a muscle-and-reflex machine will not have its current 1961 meaning a decade hence. Therefore, if man is no longer essential as a worker we ask: "How can he live? How does he acquire the money or credits with which to purchase what he needs or what he wants that is available beyond immediate needs?"...Men will be essential to the industrial equation but not as workers. People are going to be utterly essential as consumers - what I call regenerative consumers, however, not just swill pails. On page 71, he discusses the gold standard: Two and a half trillion dollars were invested by the atons of the earth in the subsidy of the airplane as a weapon in the first half-century of the airplane. This amounts to sixty-two times the value of all the gold in the world. The two and one-half trillion was the cumulative value of a regenerative investing employing the tooled wealth to create higher tooled capability and to inhibit more energy from world energy patterning by shunting previously unharnessed energy into man's industrial networks to apply it to the end of his ever-regeneratively larger and more incisive levers. The cumulative reinvestible capital-capability-wealth is vast and has made gold and the concept of intrinsic wealth utterly obsolete, for the harnessed industrial-energy and its tooled-up-capability and the reworked and recirculated physical chemistry and the every improving know-how altogether integrate as the real wealth of the wrl. I Seem To Be A Verb, by R. Buckminster Fuller, with Jerome Agel and Quentin Fiore, 1970
I found this clever little paperback at the Seattle Public Library's gigantic
semi-annual book sale.
It's packed with quotes and graphics about the state of the world and
its future. It's really three books in one. Each page has a top
which can be read normally, and a bottom which you have to turn
upside down to read. Plus there is text running through the center
of the page from the front of the book to the back and back again.
A nice optimistic read by one of my favorite people.
How To Imagine, by Gianfranco Baruchelo and Henry Martin, 1984 A curious little book, a run-on narrative about farming and art and a bunch of other interesting topics. A good, thought-provoking read, though the title is laughable (there is no discussion of "how to imagine" at all). Autobiographies, by Janet Frame, 1982-1985
I wanted to read something by Janet Frame after seeing
Jane Campion's An Angel at My Table.
Janet Frame had a curious life, spending lots of time in psychiatric hospitals
before ultimately being diagnosed to have no psychiatric illness at all.
State and Revolution, by Vladimir Lenin, 1918 I read this with a Freedom Socialist Party study group. A bit dated: Lenin wrote it to address a lot of the misinterpretations of Marx that were going around at the time. We had good discussions in the study group, anyway. Planet of the Blind, by Stephen Kuusisto An excellent short autobiography by a blind man. Great writing (reminds me of Richard Brautigan, for some reason). Full House: The Spread of Excellence from Plato to Darwin, by Stephen J. Gould, 1996 A short read that really could have used an editor. The book is basically two long examples of what happens when you mistake extreme examples for the "average" ( e.g. taking the lack of 0.400 baseballer s evidence of a general decrease in the quality of baseballers, and taking the existence of humans and other complex organisms as evidence of a general increase in complexity of life on earth (when bacteria still rule)). A good message, but really could have been much less repetitive. The Idiot, by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, 1868 One of my favorite books. I've read it at least twice before, but not since 1996 at least (I think I've not read any Dostoyevsky in that time). Seven Years' Solitary, by Edith Bone, 1957 I first read about Edith Bone in Richard Logan's Alone. Her book is about her seven years in prison in Hungary, for nothing. She was never charged with anything and never had a trial - she was simply picked up by the government agents and held in prison for seven years, in solitary: she was never allowed to speak to other prisoners. She was in her sixties at the time, too, which I'm sure didn't help things. It's a good read. She leaves out a lot of graphic details which would have helped me get a better sense of her experience, but I imagine she had her reasons for this. Verbi-Voco-Visual Explorations, by Marshall McCluhan (and others), 1967 I like the idea of Marshall McCluhan quite a bit, but I'm often disappointed with his actual work. I found this book to be crowded with unsupported gross generalizations, which detracted from the fun. The Ballad of the Sad Cafe and Other Stories, by Carson McCullers, 1951 I like Carson McCullers style of writing. The stories in this collection are good, but nothing is really sticking with me. I think her writing is often "locally" very nice (i.e., by the page, or even by the sentence) but ultimately it doesn't add up to much. A pleasant short read, none the less. Socialism and the Family, by H. G. Wells, 1908 This is a short book of two papers by Mr. Wells on certain socialists attitude toward the family. The upshot is that the family arrangement will be drastically different due to the members of the family not needing to rely on the father of the family for all support. When society is restructured to support all, the patriarchal nature of the family will cease, and women and children will cease to be exploited (men, too, for that matter). He wrote: "The State will pay for children born legitimately in the marriage it will sanction. A woman with healthy and successful offspring will draw a wage for each one of them from the State, so long as they go on well. It will be her wage. Under the State she will control her child's upbringing." Despite putting down Marxism for not being forward-looking enough, I think here Wells is quite limited in his view: certainly we look forward to a society in which no wages are necessary at all, and certainly the ealth of a child is not entirely under the control of those who care for it: should their wages be placed at such risk? Helen Keller: Her Socialist Years, edited by Philip S. Foner, 1967 I read Helen Keller's autobiography a few years ago, and I was quite impressed by her writing and her experiences. The Freedom Socialist Party had Ann Yzkanin here to talk about Kim Nielsen's new book, The Radical Lives of Helen Keller. I couldn't make it, so I went to the library and found this book instead. t is a very short collection of very short writings by Helen Keller, most to Ne York's The Call, from 1911 to 1930. She was definitely a socialist: "What are we organized for? What is our chief bond of unity? What is our avowed object? The welfare of the working class and the abolition of capitalism. By ur fidelity to the working class and to our ultimate purpose we are to be tested. Our rise or fall depends not upon theories of party tactic, but upon what we do or fail to do in the practical contest. There are many ways to work for the coming of the Cooperative Commonwealth. But those who hope for that commonwealth and work for it, those who are on the workers' side of the battle are our comrades. They can never cease to be our comrades, even though they withdraw from our party, or are dismissed from our party. We are the friends of all who serve the workers, of all who labor for the social revolution, for the uplifting and enlightenment of all men. When will the champions of the oppressed unite, and thus hasten the day of deliverance?" Read in 2003:The Annotated Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, 1843 (with annotations by Michael Patrick Hearn, 1976 I read A Christmas Carol every Christmas, and Jenni got me this annotated version for my birthday and I saved it to read a Christmas. It is a very fun read, with lots of terms and phrases explained and put in context. It also has a long, very interesting introduction describing Dicken's creation of the book. The whole thing took several times longer to read than the unannotated version. Ten Days That Shook the World by John Reed, 1919 A first-hand account of a short period in the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917. I read this with one of the Freedom Socialist Party's reading group. It's an excellent book that shows some of the complexities of revolution. Lots of footnotes and details. The Doors of Perception and Heaven and Hell by Aldous Huxley, 1956 These two books were bound together in one volume. Both address issues around perception, altered states of consciousness, art, drug use, and other topics. All very interesting, and written in a pleasant kind of ramble. It is really unfortunate that hallucinogenic drugs are all illegal: they are so much more appealing than the standard American fair of alcohol, cigarettes and caffeine. If hallucinogens were legal, I can imagine lots of interesting research in them, perhaps resulting in more controllable (and shorter!) experiences. Altered States of Consciousness, edited by Charles T. Tart, 1972 A vast collection of papers on altered states of human consciousness of various sorts. Included are states caused by hynosis, chemicals, and meditation. Very interesting in parts, but a lot is rather dull. I'm very interested in the ways of creating ASCs in myself without drugs, and these papers have given me some ideas. I expect that people have said a lot about ASCs since 1972; I'll have to read more. How to Win Friends and Influence People, by Dale Carnegie, 1936 A short, silly book with all sorts of anecdotes about how to apply rather common-sensical behavior to the problem of not having enough friends and customers. Written in a very friendly and direct way, not an unamusing book. Some of the methods suggested seem a little bit likely to be encountered by skepticism in our more modern age: if I tell a guy that I wished I had a head of hair like his, will his first reaction be to think I'm swell, or will he suspect that I'm trying to get something from him? Were people so easily flattered in the first half of the 20th century? The Three Pillars of Zen, by Roshi Philip Kareau, 1965 A fantastic book about Zen. I had been wondering for a long time what this whole "enlightenment" business was all about, and this book really spells it out. Of course, it is written from the point of view of an enlightened Zen master, so some sides of the story aren't told, but it provides a fantastic amount of information on the process by which Zen folk reach this enlightenment. My guess is that it's all a specific cultural interpretation of a certain altered state of consciousness, with a rather formalized way to achieve it, but then I don't know much about ASC's. The Spirit of Zen: a way of life, work and art in the far east, by Alan Watts, 1958 I have an interest in Zen. It's very difficult to get a handle on what Zen is, and I think I'm getting a little closer to having one. This book is a short general commentary on Zen, not bad for a quick primer on the topic. /p> H. G. Wells In Love: Postscript to an Experiment in Autobiography, by H. G. Wells, 1984 This book contains all the juicy bits that Wells left out
of his main autobiography. He details his love affairs and his romantic relations.
I was a bit surprised to find out how many women were romantically (or, at least,
sexually) connected with him, and that he had two "illegitimate" children.
The Wheels of Chance (A Holiday Adventure), by H. G. Wells, 1896 I'd found this book at the The Gutenberg Project, and had even started to read it online, but the UW's 1901 edition has much more of the feel and smell of a real book. A light-hearted novel, about a man who goes on a bicycling (what caught my interest) holiday, and meets a young lady in a spot of trouble. /p> Design for the Real World, by Victor Papanek, 1971 This is one of my favorite books. Mr. Papanek in this book shows how much ill is caused by (industrial) designers who aren't trained to do anything but produce crap. He suggests many alternatives. It is, essentially, an anti-capitalist argument, which fits well with me. He suggests that people should be more generalized, less specialized, more multi-disciplinary, primarily in design but he also makes the argument that most anything done by people is a form of design (design of objects, activities, environments, procedures, etc.). It's a very constructive book, as are his other works that I've read (Nomadic Furniture, for instance). It has a lot to say about education, and the wastes of capitalist systems. I highly recommend it. Selected Short Stories, by H. G. Wells (Penguin, originally published 1927) I'm not sure how many of these I'd read before. It includes The Time Machine and The Country of the Blind (where the one-eyed person is a big loser), both excellent stories. Also great are The New Accelerator, The Truth About Pyecraft, and Jimmy Goggles the God (though it uses unpleasant terms for certain ethnic groups), all of which have certainly influenced numerous Twilight Zone and Star Trek episodes. Many (all?) of these stories are now out of copyright, and some are available at The Gutenberg Project. The Mismeasure of Man, by Stephen J. Gould, 1931
I picked this up at
Twice Sold Tales.
A very good book on bad scientific efforts to prove racial superiority.
Particularly interesting to me is the history of IQ testing and the idea
that there is a single feature of the human mind that can be called "intelligence"
(i.e., the reification of intelligence).
As a kid, I put a lot of stock in IQ measurement, probably because
I usually faired well.
This book reminds me to feel a bit silly for my past self. What are we to do with Our Lives?, by H. G. Wells, 1931 An excellent book about Wells' "open conspiracy" for world change. To summarize, he gives the following seven principles as "defining the open conspiracy and holding it together":
These principles are very much in tune with my political philosophy.
I'm not sure how necessary number seven is; Wells clearly felt
that religion is a problem in that it keeps people from working for improving the world by giving people something to
hope for after they die.
Socialism and the Great State - Essays in Construction, by H. G. Wells and others, 1912 This collection of essays is "a fresh review of our general ideas of social organization from the constructive standpoint" (who "our" refers to is not clear, other than the set of authors). The Great State is the term used in the book for the future organization of society that these writers envisioned. Each chapter is written by a separate author, with titles like "Work in the Great State", "Women in the Great State", "Health and Healing in the Great State", etc. Though the word socialism is in the title of the book, Wells points out in the first essay that that word had lost its value, having been used by too great a variety of people to mean too great a variety of things. Throughout the book, the term is rarely used, and several of the authors specifically point out that they don't consider themselves socialists at all. An enjoyable read, a bit tedious in spots. A kind of book I'd love to find more modern versions of. Alone, by Richard D. Logan, 1993 A quick read, bought on impulse at Vandewater Books. It's an okay study of the writings of people who've survived long solitary ordeals (arctic explorers, solo sailors, POW's, etc.), viewed from the whacky Freudian or Jungian point of view. ome of the writing of these people is really amazing, and I'm inspired to read the originals. The author doesn't add all that much; the book could use an editor, as he repeats passages on several occasions. Plus, he refers to Lindbergh way too much, I think. Fing solo for 33 hours over the Atlantic is impressive, but isn't really in the same league ordeal-wise as Byrd's six months alone buried in the Arctic, r Eith Bones' seven years of solitary confinement, is it? Wells' Social Anticipations, by H. G. Wells, 1937 Of late, I've more and more been considering myself a Socialist of the Wellsian variety. In this book are collected several of Wells' works, including the brilliant The Misery of Boots. I highly recommend it for those not happy with the state of the world. I find Wells' socialism much more appealing than Mrxism, and much more congruent to my nature. All the Photo Tricks, by Edwin Smith, 1959 This is a rather damaged book I picked up some time ago. It is full of clever things you can do photographically, both during the shooting and later in the darkroom. A lot of it is rendered rather moot by digital photography, but a lot still holds its value, and is written in an extremely amusing style. Do It!, by Jerry Rubin, 1970 I'd been feeling rather hopeless about the state of the world, and wondering what, if anything, I could do about it. Jerry writes about the Berkeley scene and the yippie movement of the 1960's in a very casual, explitive filled, passionate way that make one wonder if he really spent too much time thinking. He puts down intellectuals and academics in no uncertain terms: "Professors are put-ons, writing and talking in fancy, scientific, big motherfucking words, so people on the street won't dig that they're not saying shit." Which makes me think he had a hard time in college. At the same time, he isn't a big supporter of the working class; his primary suggestion is that everyone smoke pot and drop acid 24 hours a day (he is rather explicit about that). Certainly he's being t least a little facetious. I do like the general tone of his revolution (love, nudity, anti-money, free music, anti-specialization (i.e., everyone shares in the work), etc.). Interesting perspectives and ideas, plus nice typography and graphics. I'm a little inspired. Oliver Twist, by Charles Dickens, 1839 (or so) After reading A Christmas Carol at Christmas time again, I felt like I wanted to read some more Dickens. I'd seen the musical film version of the story (Oliver!) some time last year and thought Fagin was an interesting character, so I decided to read this. It's quite an excellent story. Since it was originally a serial, each quite short chapter is action-packed. Oliver is actually not much of a character. He is surrounded by plenty of colorful personages, though. Anxiety, by Donald W. Goodwin, 1986 A good overview of the history and variety of
disorders in the anxiety rainbow. It's nice to know that my
problems with anxiety usually don't qualify me for having
a disorder.
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