The 50 book challenge

This is the forum to discuss non-footbag movies, TV, music, videogames, and art.
Post Reply
User avatar
Cnick946
Shredaholic
Posts: 151
Joined: 29 Nov 2008 17:30
Location: North Georgia

Post by Cnick946 » 05 Dec 2008 18:54

That's commendable. I wish I had the time for that. I probably could make it at night, but not during the day. Are you a non-fiction reader or a fantasy/fiction/sci-fi reader?
Corey N.

What's worth the prize is always worth the fight~ Nickelback

User avatar
Jeremy
"Really unneccesary"
Posts: 10178
Joined: 08 Jan 2003 00:20
Location: Tasmania

Post by Jeremy » 05 Dec 2008 19:09

Both. Usually I don't have time to read a book in a day either, usually it takes me a week or two of reading little bits, followed by reading the last 200 pages all in one go because I'm annoyed at how long it's taken me to read the book :P

I read both fiction and non-fiction, but the fiction I read tends to either be older books with high literature value, or recent fiction that wins awards for literature. I do read the occasional fiction that doesn't meet that criteria though, especially if somebody recommends me to it, somebody suggests the book should be banned, or I have a chance to meet the author.

User avatar
Cnick946
Shredaholic
Posts: 151
Joined: 29 Nov 2008 17:30
Location: North Georgia

Post by Cnick946 » 05 Dec 2008 19:32

Any favorite books?
I myself am a fiction reader, I'm into the Eragon, Harry Potter books. I can read non-fiction, but some of it bores me.
Have you ever read the Coffin Quilt?
Corey N.

What's worth the prize is always worth the fight~ Nickelback

User avatar
bigdirtyfoot
Sloppy
Posts: 3142
Joined: 22 Apr 2002 12:30
Location: NC

Post by bigdirtyfoot » 05 Dec 2008 20:52

1. Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72, Hunter S. Thompson
2. Caro Michele, Natalia Ginzburg
3. Covering Islam, Edward W. Said
4. All-American Yemeni Girls, Loukia K. Sarroub
5. Songs of the Doomed, Hunter S. Thompson
6. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenace, Robert Pirsig
7. A Brief History of Time, Stephen Hawking
8. Nickel and Dimed, Barbara Ehrenreich, 230 pg.
9. Eat Pray Love, Elizabeth Gilbert, 334 pg.
10. Sophie's World, Jostein Gaarder, 513 pg.
11. Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith, Annie Lamott, 272 pg.
12. Meditation for Dummies, Stephan Bodian, 348 pg.
13. Eight Steps to Enlightenment: Awakening the Buddha Within, Lama Surya Das, 395 pg.
14. Schrodinger's Cat Trilogy, Robert Anton Wilson, 545 pg.
15. The Meditative Mind, Daniel Goleman, 214 pg.
16. Your Brain Is God, Timothy Leary, 105 pg.
17. TiHKAL: The Continuation, Ann and Alexander Shulgin, 804 pg.
18. Peace Is Every Step, Thich Nhat Hahn, 134 pg.
19. On the Road, Jack Kerouac, 307 pg.
20. Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind, Shunryu Suzuki, 138 pg.
21. Yoga for Dummies, George Feuerstein and Larry Payne, 372 pg.
22. The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying, Sogyal Rinpoche, 441 pg.
23. The Skill of Release, Ajaan Lee Dhammadharo, 88 pg.
24. The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Stephen Chbosky, 213 pg.
25. Naked Lunch, William S. Burroughs, 289 pg.
26. Howl and Other Poems, Allen Ginsberg, 57 pg.
27. The Dharma Bums, Jack Kerouac, 187 pg.
28. Junky: The Definitive Text of Junk, William S. Burroughs, 166 pg.
29. Wake Up: A Life of the Buddha, Jack Kerouac, 147 pg.
30. Spliffs: A Celebration of Cannabis Culture, Nick Jones, 256 pg.
31. And The Hippos Were Boiled In Their Tanks, Jack Kerouac and William S. Burroughs, 214 pg.
32. Hell's Angels: A Strange and Terrible Saga, Hunter S. Thompson, 265 pg.
33. Breaking Open the Head: A Psychedelic Journey into the Heart of Contemporary Shamanism, Daniel Pinchbeck, 297 pg.
34. LSD, My Problem Child, Albert Hofmann, 209 pg.
35. One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, Ken Kesey, 281 pg.
36. Inspired Madness: The Gifts of Burning Man, Dale Pendell, 110 pg.

Very good prose. I hadn't read too much about Burning Man before this book. Pendell is a great writer - he successfully incorporates Zen/Buddhist style of prose into his works. I had no idea how much nudity and drug use and out and out debauchery goes on at The Playa at Burning Man. It's really a fascinating subject. Perhaps I'll make it out there one of these years. I'll keep hoping.
David Wilder

Image

NC Aliens.

User avatar
Zac Miley
Post Master General
Posts: 5953
Joined: 04 Jun 2006 12:11
Location: Kansas City, MO
Contact:

Post by Zac Miley » 08 Dec 2008 16:57

1. Of Mice and Men (John Steinbeck)
2. The Moon is Down (John Steinbeck)
3. Night (Elie Wiesel)
4. The Thousand Orcs (RA Salvatore)
5. The Lone Drow (RA Salvatore)
6. The Two Swords (RA Salvatore)
7. The Crystal Shard (RA Salvatore)
8. The Promise of the Witch-King (RA Salvatore)
9. Way of the Peaceful Warrior (Dan Millman)
10. God's Debris (Scott Adams)
11. The Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck)
12. In Cold Blood (Truman Capote)
13. Life of Pi (Yann Martel)
14-20. Harry Potters 1-7 (JK Rowling)
21. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (Robert Pirsig)
22. The Alphabet of Manliness (Maddox)
23. The Hobbit (JRR Tolkien)
24. Artemis Fowl: the Opal Deception (Eoin Colfer)
25. Choke (Chuck Palahniuk)
26. The Fellowship of the Ring (JRR Tolkien)
27. The Catcher in the Rye (JD Salinger)
28. The Man in the High Castle (Philip K Dick)
29. The Lord of the Flies (William Golding)
30. Stranger than Fiction (Chuck Palahhniuk)
31. Fight Club (Chuck Palahniuk)
32. Snuff (Chuck Palahniuk)

People just keep lending me his books. This one was like a mix between stranger than fiction and fight club/choke in its style. It was alright. I have three RA Salvatore books to read and that's probably all I'm going to get done this year. 35 isn't so bad, eh?
Jay (8:06:01 PM): Bu-bu-buu-buug--Looks up, and the feeling goes away like a sneeze-bu-buuuh-BULLLSHITTT
Jay (8:06:14 PM): *wipes bellybutton*

User avatar
Cnick946
Shredaholic
Posts: 151
Joined: 29 Nov 2008 17:30
Location: North Georgia

Post by Cnick946 » 08 Dec 2008 17:25

I've been curious Zac, how old are you?
Corey N.

What's worth the prize is always worth the fight~ Nickelback

User avatar
Zac Miley
Post Master General
Posts: 5953
Joined: 04 Jun 2006 12:11
Location: Kansas City, MO
Contact:

Post by Zac Miley » 08 Dec 2008 19:30

17
Jay (8:06:01 PM): Bu-bu-buu-buug--Looks up, and the feeling goes away like a sneeze-bu-buuuh-BULLLSHITTT
Jay (8:06:14 PM): *wipes bellybutton*

User avatar
bigdirtyfoot
Sloppy
Posts: 3142
Joined: 22 Apr 2002 12:30
Location: NC

Post by bigdirtyfoot » 09 Dec 2008 15:53

1. Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72, Hunter S. Thompson
2. Caro Michele, Natalia Ginzburg
3. Covering Islam, Edward W. Said
4. All-American Yemeni Girls, Loukia K. Sarroub
5. Songs of the Doomed, Hunter S. Thompson
6. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenace, Robert Pirsig
7. A Brief History of Time, Stephen Hawking
8. Nickel and Dimed, Barbara Ehrenreich, 230 pg.
9. Eat Pray Love, Elizabeth Gilbert, 334 pg.
10. Sophie's World, Jostein Gaarder, 513 pg.
11. Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith, Annie Lamott, 272 pg.
12. Meditation for Dummies, Stephan Bodian, 348 pg.
13. Eight Steps to Enlightenment: Awakening the Buddha Within, Lama Surya Das, 395 pg.
14. Schrodinger's Cat Trilogy, Robert Anton Wilson, 545 pg.
15. The Meditative Mind, Daniel Goleman, 214 pg.
16. Your Brain Is God, Timothy Leary, 105 pg.
17. TiHKAL: The Continuation, Ann and Alexander Shulgin, 804 pg.
18. Peace Is Every Step, Thich Nhat Hahn, 134 pg.
19. On the Road, Jack Kerouac, 307 pg.
20. Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind, Shunryu Suzuki, 138 pg.
21. Yoga for Dummies, George Feuerstein and Larry Payne, 372 pg.
22. The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying, Sogyal Rinpoche, 441 pg.
23. The Skill of Release, Ajaan Lee Dhammadharo, 88 pg.
24. The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Stephen Chbosky, 213 pg.
25. Naked Lunch, William S. Burroughs, 289 pg.
26. Howl and Other Poems, Allen Ginsberg, 57 pg.
27. The Dharma Bums, Jack Kerouac, 187 pg.
28. Junky: The Definitive Text of Junk, William S. Burroughs, 166 pg.
29. Wake Up: A Life of the Buddha, Jack Kerouac, 147 pg.
30. Spliffs: A Celebration of Cannabis Culture, Nick Jones, 256 pg.
31. And The Hippos Were Boiled In Their Tanks, Jack Kerouac and William S. Burroughs, 214 pg.
32. Hell's Angels: A Strange and Terrible Saga, Hunter S. Thompson, 265 pg.
33. Breaking Open the Head: A Psychedelic Journey into the Heart of Contemporary Shamanism, Daniel Pinchbeck, 297 pg.
34. LSD, My Problem Child, Albert Hofmann, 209 pg.
35. One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, Ken Kesey, 281 pg.
36. Inspired Madness: The Gifts of Burning Man, Dale Pendell, 110 pg.
37. Pharmako Gnosis: Plant Teachers and the Poison Path, Dale Pendell, 383 pg.

This was a great book. Written in the style of Zen poetry mixed with anecdotal story-telling, Pendell takes us on an inner journey. This is the final book in his Pharmako trilogy, and it focused on psychedelic/entheogenic medicines. The only beef I had with the book was a 20+ page history of dragons, which seemed a bit out of place and unnecessary. The rest of the book was packed with valuable information and entrancing stories about various medicines in the Phantastika and Daimonica categories. It was easy to read and would be a good book for a psychopharmacological novice. It also gives good advice to those who have experience traveling in the entheospace and want to learn more about the nature of the mind.
David Wilder

Image

NC Aliens.

User avatar
bigdirtyfoot
Sloppy
Posts: 3142
Joined: 22 Apr 2002 12:30
Location: NC

Post by bigdirtyfoot » 18 Dec 2008 19:27

1. Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72, Hunter S. Thompson
2. Caro Michele, Natalia Ginzburg
3. Covering Islam, Edward W. Said
4. All-American Yemeni Girls, Loukia K. Sarroub
5. Songs of the Doomed, Hunter S. Thompson
6. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenace, Robert Pirsig
7. A Brief History of Time, Stephen Hawking
8. Nickel and Dimed, Barbara Ehrenreich, 230 pg.
9. Eat Pray Love, Elizabeth Gilbert, 334 pg.
10. Sophie's World, Jostein Gaarder, 513 pg.
11. Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith, Annie Lamott, 272 pg.
12. Meditation for Dummies, Stephan Bodian, 348 pg.
13. Eight Steps to Enlightenment: Awakening the Buddha Within, Lama Surya Das, 395 pg.
14. Schrodinger's Cat Trilogy, Robert Anton Wilson, 545 pg.
15. The Meditative Mind, Daniel Goleman, 214 pg.
16. Your Brain Is God, Timothy Leary, 105 pg.
17. TiHKAL: The Continuation, Ann and Alexander Shulgin, 804 pg.
18. Peace Is Every Step, Thich Nhat Hahn, 134 pg.
19. On the Road, Jack Kerouac, 307 pg.
20. Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind, Shunryu Suzuki, 138 pg.
21. Yoga for Dummies, George Feuerstein and Larry Payne, 372 pg.
22. The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying, Sogyal Rinpoche, 441 pg.
23. The Skill of Release, Ajaan Lee Dhammadharo, 88 pg.
24. The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Stephen Chbosky, 213 pg.
25. Naked Lunch, William S. Burroughs, 289 pg.
26. Howl and Other Poems, Allen Ginsberg, 57 pg.
27. The Dharma Bums, Jack Kerouac, 187 pg.
28. Junky: The Definitive Text of Junk, William S. Burroughs, 166 pg.
29. Wake Up: A Life of the Buddha, Jack Kerouac, 147 pg.
30. Spliffs: A Celebration of Cannabis Culture, Nick Jones, 256 pg.
31. And The Hippos Were Boiled In Their Tanks, Jack Kerouac and William S. Burroughs, 214 pg.
32. Hell's Angels: A Strange and Terrible Saga, Hunter S. Thompson, 265 pg.
33. Breaking Open the Head: A Psychedelic Journey into the Heart of Contemporary Shamanism, Daniel Pinchbeck, 297 pg.
34. LSD, My Problem Child, Albert Hofmann, 209 pg.
35. One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, Ken Kesey, 281 pg.
36. Inspired Madness: The Gifts of Burning Man, Dale Pendell, 110 pg.
37. Pharmako Gnosis: Plant Teachers and the Poison Path, Dale Pendell, 383 pg.
38. Ender in Exile, Orson Scott Card, 380 pg.

If you have read and liked any of the Ender books, give this one a try and see what you think for yourself. I really enjoyed it and was glad to step back into the world of Orson Scott Card and check in with Ender again.
David Wilder

Image

NC Aliens.

User avatar
Cod
Flower Child
Posts: 2280
Joined: 26 Dec 2003 16:37
Location: Warsaw, Poland
Contact:

Post by Cod » 20 Dec 2008 12:41

I read the first Ender. I really liked it! Too bad it's so hard to find other Ender books in Polish :(.
Michał Biarda (Me-how Be-r-da)

User avatar
james
Atomsmashasaurus Dex
Posts: 822
Joined: 09 May 2003 08:45
Location: Montreal

Post by james » 22 Dec 2008 12:34

1. The Ghost in the Machine Arthur Koestler 354 pg
2. Have Space Suit - Will Travel Robert A. Heinlein 255 pg
3. Renegades of Time Raymond F. Jones 190 pg
4. Split Infinity Piers Anthony 356 pg
5. Reaper's Gale Steven Erickson 907 pg
6. The Day Watch Sergei Lukyanenko 487 pg
7. The Twilight Watch Sergei Lukyanenko 440 pg
8. Brief History of Time Stephen Hawking 239 pg
9. Universe in a Nutshell Stephen Hawking 200 pg
10. The Time Machine H.G. Wells 128 pg
11. The Blue Adept Piers Anthony 327 pg
12. Juxtaposition Piers Anthony 358 pg
13. Real Ultimate Power The Official Ninja Book Robert Hamburger 193 pg
14. The Zombie Survival Guide Max Brooks 251 pg
15. Alphabet of Manliness 204 Maddox
16. The Man who Sold the Moon Robert A. Heilein 295 pg
17. Out of Phaze Piers Anthony 309 pg
18. Robot Adept Piers Anthony 341 pg
19. The Gunslinger Stephen King 300 pg
20. Unicorn Point Piers Anthony 337 pg
21. Night of Knives Ian C. Esslemont 479 pg
22. The Orc King R.A. Salvatore 398 pg
23. Prelude to Foundation Isaac Asimov 493 pg
24. Foundation Isaac Asimov 296 pg
25. The Drawing of the Three Stephen King 463 pg
26. Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Douglas Adam 180 pg
27. The Wastelands Stephen King 588 pg
28. Foundation and Empire Isaac Asimov 282 pg
29. Ender's Game Orson Scott Card 324 pg
30. Toll the Hounds Steven Erickson 923 pg
31. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Jules Verne 371 pg
32. City of Golden Shadow Tad Williams 780 pg
33. Wizard and Glass Stephen King 752 pg
34. Wolves of the Calla Stephen King 925 pg
35. Sacred Mushroom of Visions Ralph Metzner 292 pg
36. Phaze Doubt Piers Anthony 324 pg
James McCullough

User avatar
daLai
BSOS Beast
Posts: 399
Joined: 06 Oct 2007 10:37
Location: Hamburg, Germany
Contact:

Post by daLai » 23 Dec 2008 04:22

James, did you like City of Golden Shadows? The Otherland series is one of my absolute favourites.
Simon Kittlaus aka 季士è

User avatar
james
Atomsmashasaurus Dex
Posts: 822
Joined: 09 May 2003 08:45
Location: Montreal

Post by james » 23 Dec 2008 09:15

twas ok, hopefully it get's better in the next book. Got a bit tedious at times.
James McCullough

User avatar
daLai
BSOS Beast
Posts: 399
Joined: 06 Oct 2007 10:37
Location: Hamburg, Germany
Contact:

Post by daLai » 24 Dec 2008 06:41

I enjoyed it all the way, but I can ensure you the following episodes are better than the first part. Isn't it always the case the first book seems to be the worst ? The introduction for such a series takes a looong time ;)
Simon Kittlaus aka 季士è

User avatar
Jeremy
"Really unneccesary"
Posts: 10178
Joined: 08 Jan 2003 00:20
Location: Tasmania

Re: The 50 book challenge

Post by Jeremy » 25 Dec 2008 04:31

1. Breaking The Spell Daniel Dennett 339pg
2. On Chesil Beach Ian McEwan 166pg
3. Church And State; Australia's Imaginary Wall Tom Frame 95pg
4. The Kiwi's Egg; Charles Darwin & Natural Selection David Quammen 253pg
5. The Voyage Of The Beagle Charles Darwin 452pg
6. The Stupid Country; How Australia is Dismantling Public Education Chris Bonnor and Jane Caro 223pg
7. The Lifeboat Zacharey Jane 241pg
8. Psychogeography Will Self (and illustrated by Ralph Steadman) 256pg
9. Crash J. G. Ballard 185pg
10. The Naked Lunch William Burroughs 261pg
11. Neuromancer William Gibson 317pg
12. American Gods Neil Gaiman 588 pg
13. Scorcher Clive Hamilton 230 pg
14. On The Road Jack Kerouac 281 pg.
15. Requiem for a Beast Matt Ottley 88pg.
16. How the Mind Works Steven Pinker 565 pg.
17. One Day In The Life of Ivan Denisovich Alexsandr Solzhenitsyn 143 pg.
18. One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest Ken Kesey 281 pg.
19. The Freedom Paradox: Towards a post-secular ethics Clive Hamilton 247 pages.
20. The Origin of Species Charles Darwin 460 pg.
21. The Future of Life E. O. Wilson 189 pg.
22. Ten Commitments; Reshaping the Lucky Country's Environment Ed. David Lindenmayer et. al. 231pg
23. The Day of the Triffids John Wyndham 233pg
24. Consilience E. O. Wilson 333pg
25. Bad Hair Days Pamela Bone 218pg


Finally some time to read and I managed to finish a book and then start and finish another today. At least some good has come from Christmas :P.

Consilience was typically fantastic from Edward Wilson. He really is by far the most impressive scientist writer alive at the moment. It basically argues that we should use science in everything and also to connect everything. Very well argued, although sadly I'm sure only preaching to the converted, as people who don't understand science don't read books about it. Also goes to show just how far the public and politicians are behind in science and how much better the world would be if this were not the case. This book was published over 10 years ago and clearly outlines climate change as the greatest threat facing our societies. Fairly relevant when you consider last week a new study found that warming in the arctic is occurring at 10 years faster than the 2007 IPCC worst case scenario - essentially it's warming 10 times faster than the worst case predictions (because the IPCC makes political and not scientific predictions and because it didn't take into account - and conceded this in the report - the change in albedo due to loss of ice).


Bad Hair Days is the best book I've read this year, and will probably remain that way, although I'm hoping to read one more so as to hit 26, which is a book every 2 weeks. Pamela Bone was my favourite journalist and columnist and I even posted a couple of her columns on this forum. She died from cancer last year after this book was published. It's basically her story of having cancer I guess. We agree on almost everything, and when we don't agree she usually changes my mind. I'm so glad that there are people who have cancer (and indeed have died from it) who agree with me that it's a trivial concern for humanity (although obviously not the individuals with cancer and their friends and families) and that we should be spending money on much more serious issues. If only there were more people in the world capable of seeing it clearly and understanding the difference between personal and important. It might be hard to get your hands on this book - I had to buy it online - but it's totally worth it and couldn't come more highly recommended.

User avatar
bigdirtyfoot
Sloppy
Posts: 3142
Joined: 22 Apr 2002 12:30
Location: NC

Post by bigdirtyfoot » 25 Dec 2008 15:05

1. Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72, Hunter S. Thompson
2. Caro Michele, Natalia Ginzburg
3. Covering Islam, Edward W. Said
4. All-American Yemeni Girls, Loukia K. Sarroub
5. Songs of the Doomed, Hunter S. Thompson
6. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenace, Robert Pirsig
7. A Brief History of Time, Stephen Hawking
8. Nickel and Dimed, Barbara Ehrenreich, 230 pg.
9. Eat Pray Love, Elizabeth Gilbert, 334 pg.
10. Sophie's World, Jostein Gaarder, 513 pg.
11. Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith, Annie Lamott, 272 pg.
12. Meditation for Dummies, Stephan Bodian, 348 pg.
13. Eight Steps to Enlightenment: Awakening the Buddha Within, Lama Surya Das, 395 pg.
14. Schrodinger's Cat Trilogy, Robert Anton Wilson, 545 pg.
15. The Meditative Mind, Daniel Goleman, 214 pg.
16. Your Brain Is God, Timothy Leary, 105 pg.
17. TiHKAL: The Continuation, Ann and Alexander Shulgin, 804 pg.
18. Peace Is Every Step, Thich Nhat Hahn, 134 pg.
19. On the Road, Jack Kerouac, 307 pg.
20. Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind, Shunryu Suzuki, 138 pg.
21. Yoga for Dummies, George Feuerstein and Larry Payne, 372 pg.
22. The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying, Sogyal Rinpoche, 441 pg.
23. The Skill of Release, Ajaan Lee Dhammadharo, 88 pg.
24. The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Stephen Chbosky, 213 pg.
25. Naked Lunch, William S. Burroughs, 289 pg.
26. Howl and Other Poems, Allen Ginsberg, 57 pg.
27. The Dharma Bums, Jack Kerouac, 187 pg.
28. Junky: The Definitive Text of Junk, William S. Burroughs, 166 pg.
29. Wake Up: A Life of the Buddha, Jack Kerouac, 147 pg.
30. Spliffs: A Celebration of Cannabis Culture, Nick Jones, 256 pg.
31. And The Hippos Were Boiled In Their Tanks, Jack Kerouac and William S. Burroughs, 214 pg.
32. Hell's Angels: A Strange and Terrible Saga, Hunter S. Thompson, 265 pg.
33. Breaking Open the Head: A Psychedelic Journey into the Heart of Contemporary Shamanism, Daniel Pinchbeck, 297 pg.
34. LSD, My Problem Child, Albert Hofmann, 209 pg.
35. One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, Ken Kesey, 281 pg.
36. Inspired Madness: The Gifts of Burning Man, Dale Pendell, 110 pg.
37. Pharmako Gnosis: Plant Teachers and the Poison Path, Dale Pendell, 383 pg.
38. Ender in Exile, Orson Scott Card, 380 pg.
39. Archaic Revival, Terence McKenna, 265 pg.

McKenna is well-known in the psychedelic community as a purveyor of fresh ideas. Archaic Revival is a collection of essays, speeches and interviews with McKenna and was published in 1991. The book covers shamanism, ancient manuscripts, the emergence of religion in the human mind, UFOs, the end of time, etc. The author's vocabulary is outstanding - he frequently uses words like entelechy, phenomenology, gnosis and eschatological. But the work is more or less easy to understand. Highly recommended. I'm also working feverishly to finish his book Food of the Gods, which examines psylocibin mushrooms' role in the evolution of humanity. Hopefully I can finish it by the end of the year, because then I will have reached 40 books, which would be a good accomplishment for me!
David Wilder

Image

NC Aliens.

User avatar
Jeremy
"Really unneccesary"
Posts: 10178
Joined: 08 Jan 2003 00:20
Location: Tasmania

Re: The 50 book challenge

Post by Jeremy » 30 Dec 2008 01:34

1. Breaking The Spell Daniel Dennett 339pg
2. On Chesil Beach Ian McEwan 166pg
3. Church And State; Australia's Imaginary Wall Tom Frame 95pg
4. The Kiwi's Egg; Charles Darwin & Natural Selection David Quammen 253pg
5. The Voyage Of The Beagle Charles Darwin 452pg
6. The Stupid Country; How Australia is Dismantling Public Education Chris Bonnor and Jane Caro 223pg
7. The Lifeboat Zacharey Jane 241pg
8. Psychogeography Will Self (and illustrated by Ralph Steadman) 256pg
9. Crash J. G. Ballard 185pg
10. The Naked Lunch William Burroughs 261pg
11. Neuromancer William Gibson 317pg
12. American Gods Neil Gaiman 588 pg
13. Scorcher Clive Hamilton 230 pg
14. On The Road Jack Kerouac 281 pg.
15. Requiem for a Beast Matt Ottley 88pg.
16. How the Mind Works Steven Pinker 565 pg.
17. One Day In The Life of Ivan Denisovich Alexsandr Solzhenitsyn 143 pg.
18. One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest Ken Kesey 281 pg.
19. The Freedom Paradox: Towards a post-secular ethics Clive Hamilton 247 pages.
20. The Origin of Species Charles Darwin 460 pg.
21. The Future of Life E. O. Wilson 189 pg.
22. Ten Commitments; Reshaping the Lucky Country's Environment Ed. David Lindenmayer et. al. 231pg
23. The Day of the Triffids John Wyndham 233pg
24. Consilience E. O. Wilson 333pg
25. Bad Hair Days Pamela Bone 218pg
26. The Great Gatsby F. Scott Fitzgerald 240pg
27. The Power And The Glory Graham Green 240pg

So managed to smash two books while off camping. Actually could have read another two, as I finished these within 2 days and had another 3 days to sit around and read them again (apart from walking every day :P)

The Great Gatsby was ok. Not what I was expecting at all, and I found it a little difficult to relate to. I guess it's more a personal issue with where I am at the moment than to do with the book though. It's well written and easy to read, but I feel like these days it doesn't offer much to readers. I'd like to call it over rated but I'm aware that anybody who gives such an accusation to such a famous and well received book is doing themselves more of a dishonour than they're doing to the book, so I'll just say I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would :P

The Power and the Glory was very interesting. My mother made me take a collection of about 15 Penguin classics just because I wanted this one book (I obviously didn't take them all camping :P). I wish I knew more about the Mexican history when I read it (of the 1930s suppression of the Catholic Church). It put me in a tough position anyway, with the hero being a Catholic priest up against an atheist left wing government. Of course the reality is that there are many more than two options to choose from, but it was certainly challenging for me to pick sides in this conflict (ultimately I went with the Catholic hero). The blurb made it out to be a very pro Chistianity/God kind of book, but I'm not sure I took that from it at all. Anyway I found it challenging and really enjoyed it. I felt like both these books were important to read in general too, so it was good to get a chance.

User avatar
bigdirtyfoot
Sloppy
Posts: 3142
Joined: 22 Apr 2002 12:30
Location: NC

Post by bigdirtyfoot » 30 Dec 2008 18:43

Hey, 27's not too bad mate. You had some really challenging titles on that list! I just wanted to say that I really enjoyed this thread and that it was very motivating for me this past year. I was 10 books short of my goal but enjoyed the conversations in this thread. I definitely encourage you to make a 2009 thread Jeremy!

1. Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72, Hunter S. Thompson
2. Caro Michele, Natalia Ginzburg
3. Covering Islam, Edward W. Said
4. All-American Yemeni Girls, Loukia K. Sarroub
5. Songs of the Doomed, Hunter S. Thompson
6. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenace, Robert Pirsig
7. A Brief History of Time, Stephen Hawking
8. Nickel and Dimed, Barbara Ehrenreich, 230 pg.
9. Eat Pray Love, Elizabeth Gilbert, 334 pg.
10. Sophie's World, Jostein Gaarder, 513 pg.
11. Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith, Annie Lamott, 272 pg.
12. Meditation for Dummies, Stephan Bodian, 348 pg.
13. Eight Steps to Enlightenment: Awakening the Buddha Within, Lama Surya Das, 395 pg.
14. Schrodinger's Cat Trilogy, Robert Anton Wilson, 545 pg.
15. The Meditative Mind, Daniel Goleman, 214 pg.
16. Your Brain Is God, Timothy Leary, 105 pg.
17. TiHKAL: The Continuation, Ann and Alexander Shulgin, 804 pg.
18. Peace Is Every Step, Thich Nhat Hahn, 134 pg.
19. On the Road, Jack Kerouac, 307 pg.
20. Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind, Shunryu Suzuki, 138 pg.
21. Yoga for Dummies, George Feuerstein and Larry Payne, 372 pg.
22. The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying, Sogyal Rinpoche, 441 pg.
23. The Skill of Release, Ajaan Lee Dhammadharo, 88 pg.
24. The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Stephen Chbosky, 213 pg.
25. Naked Lunch, William S. Burroughs, 289 pg.
26. Howl and Other Poems, Allen Ginsberg, 57 pg.
27. The Dharma Bums, Jack Kerouac, 187 pg.
28. Junky: The Definitive Text of Junk, William S. Burroughs, 166 pg.
29. Wake Up: A Life of the Buddha, Jack Kerouac, 147 pg.
30. Spliffs: A Celebration of Cannabis Culture, Nick Jones, 256 pg.
31. And The Hippos Were Boiled In Their Tanks, Jack Kerouac and William S. Burroughs, 214 pg.
32. Hell's Angels: A Strange and Terrible Saga, Hunter S. Thompson, 265 pg.
33. Breaking Open the Head: A Psychedelic Journey into the Heart of Contemporary Shamanism, Daniel Pinchbeck, 297 pg.
34. LSD, My Problem Child, Albert Hofmann, 209 pg.
35. One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, Ken Kesey, 281 pg.
36. Inspired Madness: The Gifts of Burning Man, Dale Pendell, 110 pg.
37. Pharmako Gnosis: Plant Teachers and the Poison Path, Dale Pendell, 383 pg.
38. Ender in Exile, Orson Scott Card, 380 pg.
39. Archaic Revival, Terence McKenna, 265 pg.
40. Food of the Gods, Terence McKenna, 311 pg.

I greatly enjoyed this book. You can find my full review on my blog, here.
David Wilder

Image

NC Aliens.

User avatar
daLai
BSOS Beast
Posts: 399
Joined: 06 Oct 2007 10:37
Location: Hamburg, Germany
Contact:

Post by daLai » 31 Dec 2008 05:58

1.Shadowmarch by Tad Williams 848p.
2.Craig Clevenger - Dermaphoria 214p.
3.Shadowplay by Tad Williams 643p.
4.Elizabeth Rigbey - Total Eclipse 552p.
5.E.A. Poe - Die Maske des Roten Todes (collection of short stories) 268p.
6.Michail Bulgakow - Der Meister und Margarita 525p.
7.Judith Dean - Aladdin and the enchanted lamp (read it in Chinese)
Original Title: 阿拉ä¸
Simon Kittlaus aka 季士è

Post Reply